Understanding the gospel?

Neostarwcc said:

Okay so the gospel is that Jesus died for every one of our sins and that if we accept Christ and believe in his death, burial, and resurrection than we are saved right? I've heard so many different teachings that its hard to discern which one is truth. I've heard that you need to trust in Christs sacrifice. I've heard that only our past sins are forgiven. I've heard that all you have to do is believe the gospel. I've heard a lot of different things. Which one is truth and why?

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The process goes that you hear the word of God, accept the gift of God, turn from your bad behavior, be baptized for forgiveness of your previous sins, receive the Holy Spirit through chrismation, and participate in the sacramental life of the Church.

It has been that way since the beginning.

Neostarwcc said:

Okay so the gospel is that Jesus died for every one of our sins and that if we accept Christ and believe in his death, burial, and resurrection than we are saved right? I've heard so many different teachings that its hard to discern which one is truth. I've heard that you need to trust in Christs sacrifice. I've heard that only our past sins are forgiven. I've heard that all you have to do is believe the gospel. I've heard a lot of different things. Which one is truth and why?

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What does the Bible say about it?

Neostarwcc said:

What if you were baptized as an infant though? Surely your past sins will not be forgiven. I don't think baptism forgives sins. God forgives sins.

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Baptism not only washes away sin, but also brings a person into the Church. While an infant has no previous sins to wash away, they are brought into the Church.

Act 2:38 - Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Neostarwcc said:

Okay so the gospel is that Jesus died for every one of our sins and that if we accept Christ and believe in his death, burial, and resurrection than we are saved right? I've heard so many different teachings that its hard to discern which one is truth. I've heard that you need to trust in Christs sacrifice. I've heard that only our past sins are forgiven. I've heard that all you have to do is believe the gospel. I've heard a lot of different things. Which one is truth and why?

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I think the problem is that many things are mixed up. I recommend to read what Jesus said and be loyal to him and his teachings, because:


"If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
John 8:31-32

It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life.
John 6:63

You are saved from the judgment that come because of sin, simply by the words of Jesus. In his words is the forgiveness that frees one from the judgment. But, now, if you receive that free forgiveness, why would you want to go back to sin, why would you want to reject God? If you don’t reject God, you have no sin. But if you reject God, then the earlier forgiveness is not useful anymore, because eternal life is promised for righteous.

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

And:

He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever is born of God doesn't commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can't sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn't do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn't love his brother.
1 John 3:7-10

Neostarwcc said:

Okay so the gospel is that Jesus died for every one of our sins and that if we accept Christ and believe in his death, burial, and resurrection than we are saved right? I've heard so many different teachings that its hard to discern which one is truth. I've heard that you need to trust in Christs sacrifice. I've heard that only our past sins are forgiven. I've heard that all you have to do is believe the gospel. I've heard a lot of different things. Which one is truth and why?

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Penal atonement, because that's the only one the Scriptures teach.

Neostarwcc said:

Okay so the gospel is that Jesus died for every one of our sins and that if we accept Christ and believe in his death, burial, and resurrection than we are saved right? I've heard so many different teachings that its hard to discern which one is truth. I've heard that you need to trust in Christs sacrifice. I've heard that only our past sins are forgiven. I've heard that all you have to do is believe the gospel. I've heard a lot of different things. Which one is truth and why?

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"I've heard that you need to trust in Christs sacrifice."

Absolutely!!

I've heard that all you have to do is believe the gospel.

To believe includes to respond willingly to what you have learned and when your wrongs are brought to your mind from the Holy Spirit. Repent, and ask Jesus to help you overcome sin and help with avoiding temptations. You will mess up here and there ... but He is quick to forgive ... but you should notice you start thinking differently about what you say and what you do with your character becoming more in line with the character of Jesus.

Philippians 2:1-11

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ...

1 Peter 2:21
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

God Bless.

Philippians
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Oscarr said:

What does the Bible say about it?

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Neostarwcc said:

Paul said to believe the gospel and come to the Lord for salvation (Romans 10:9 & Romans 10:13)

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Paul says "we who first trusted in Christ", in Ephesians 1:12. So, believing the Gospel and coming to Jesus includes trusting in Him.

And what this means is in context with all which God's word says. We are trusting in Jesus, instead of depending on ourselves; we are learning from Jesus how to relate in love. We are not only getting ourselves a "saved" label, but now we are growing and learning with Jesus and one another as family.

So, it is not only a label and beliefs thing.

Neostarwcc said:

Paul said to believe the gospel and come to the Lord for salvation (Romans 10:9 & Romans 10:13)

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Yep - what did Jesus say?

eleos1954 said:

your character becoming more in line with the character of Jesus.

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amen ! ! ! Thank you

I understand that our character is how we really are, and this has a lot to do with what we are capable of doing, if we can submit to how God rules us in His peace (Colossians 3:15), plus how well we can relate as family in His love (Ephesians 4:2, Ephesians 4:31-32).

And you quoted scripture which says not to do anything because of conceit or rivalry. Yes, the disciples could get in a fuss about who was the greatest of them. We need to first love and be humble.

But Jesus never gave up on those men who were competitive and comparing. And this is our example of how to keep caring for others, and not to give up on anyone.

So, yes as your other scripture says, we have Jesus as our example, of how to be pleasing to our Father and how to love and not give up on anyone.

"And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." (Ephesians 5:2)

Even on the cross, Jesus was so sweetly pleasing to our Father. Because His nature was so and circumstances could not change this. So, yes we need to grow in the character of Jesus, and this has us becoming more and more pleasing the way Jesus is.

@Neostarwcc > Ones might ask > what if you get saved but you do not live like this in God's love? I would say make sure you really have trusted in Jesus on the cross for salvation, and know God is committed to making this work well. And trust God to have you doing better, which does come with growing and correction > Hebrews 12:4-14. And please do not dwell on the issue of what will happen if you don't do this; but give your attention to trust God who is our Good Judge, to do what He knows is right for each of us.

Neostarwcc said:

Paul said to believe the gospel and come to the Lord for salvation (Romans 10:9 & Romans 10:13)

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Looks pretty clear to me then.

com7fy8 said:

Paul says "we who first trusted in Christ", in Ephesians 1:12. So, believing the Gospel and coming to Jesus includes trusting in Him.

And what this means is in context with all which God's word says. We are trusting in Jesus, instead of depending on ourselves; we are learning from Jesus how to relate in love. We are not only getting ourselves a "saved" label, but now we are growing and learning with Jesus and one another as family.

So, it is not only a label and beliefs thing.

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Yes. Actually it doesn't matter whether our past or present sins are forgiven, because the moment we receive Christ all our past sins are forgiven and: "Your sins and iniquities I will remember no more." Going through the exercise of confessing all known sin does not save us, but settles our conscience on any skeleton in the closet we might have from our past, and if we can, making restitution for anything stolen, or if someone has been cheated or wronged in any way, gives us a greater sense of peace about our past.

Our present sins are covered by our efforts to keep God's moral law, not outwardly as a sense of duty in order to keep us out of hell, but because we love God and find following His law a pleasure and enjoyment to see that Christ is glorified and others are blessed by our faithfulness to the standards of God. Where we fall down, we immediately use 1 John 1:9 to receive total forgiveness and cleansing. That completely deals with all the sins we commit along the way.

Realising that we do exactly the same works as the legalists do, but for totally different motives, reconciles the verse in James that without works our faith is dead. James is not talking about the outward works that legalists do to avoid punishment and hell, and if they could avoid hell and still do their sins freely and willfully, they would. The works that James speaks of is the observance of God's moral laws for the sheer pleasure and fullfilment of seeing Christ glorified and the happiness and peace that it brings for its own sake. Because the converted believer is no longer afraid of judgment and hell, because all condemnation is gone because of his faith in Christ, he can now be free to follow God's moral law and enjoy every minute of it without it being a duty and a burden to him.

John 3:16-22 King James Version (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son ON A CROSS FOR THE SACRIFICE OF SINS, that whosoever believeth THAT HE IS JESUS should not perish IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through FAITH IN HIS NAME might be saved IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.

AS IT IS WRITTEN:

Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized INTO CHRIST shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

18 He that believeth on him AND IS BAPTIZED is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that ETERNAL LIFE is come into the world, and men loved DEATHrather than LIFE, because their WORKS WERE OF MAN.
20 For every one that doeth THEIR OWN WORKS WHICH ARE BY THE LAW hateth the LIFE, neither cometh to the LIFE TO BE BAPTIZED, OR ELSE his WORKS should be CORRECTED.

21 But he that doeth THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD WHICH IS BY FAITH cometh to the LIFE TO BE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST, that his WORKS may be made SEEN, that they are WORKED in CHRIST.

22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.