How to know if you are trying to Save Yourself.

Superb post!

Behold said:

Reader,

Lets Say that Jesus will appear to you in your bedroom tonight, and asks you...."Are you trusting in ME Alone, To get you into Heaven"?

And you say...."well, Lord, there are those verses In Hebrews Ch 4, 6, and 10......and that verse about "enduring to the end", and there is that Torah and those Commandments to keep, and .. ummmmmmmm".

And Jesus says ........"I said, are you trusting in ME ALONE, To get you into Heaven"?

And you say...> "Well, Lord, there is that verse about "willfully sinning", and that one about "Men gather them and they are cast into the fire", and that one about "depart from me, i never knew you, and oh yeah Lord, there is that one about being a "castaway".....

And Jesus smiles and says....>" I Didn't think you were....So, when do you think you will start trusting in ME ALONE To get you into Heaven, or do you think that my Shed Blood and My Death and Resurrection and God's Grace are still not enough to do it for you"?

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If you choose to believe, you are the savior. If you believe without forcing yourself to believe, Christ is the savior.

Behold said:

Reader,

Lets Say that Jesus will appear to you in your bedroom tonight, and asks you...."Are you trusting in ME Alone, To get you into Heaven"?

And you say...."well, Lord, there are those verses In Hebrews Ch 4, 6, and 10......and that verse about "enduring to the end", and there is that Torah and those Commandments to keep, and .. ummmmmmmm".

And Jesus says ........"I said, are you trusting in ME ALONE, To get you into Heaven"?

And you say...> "Well, Lord, there is that verse about "willfully sinning", and that one about "Men gather them and they are cast into the fire", and that one about "depart from me, i never knew you, and oh yeah Lord, there is that one about being a "castaway".....

And Jesus smiles and says....>" I Didn't think you were....So, when do you think you will start trusting in ME ALONE To get you into Heaven, or do you think that my Shed Blood and My Death and Resurrection and God's Grace are still not enough to do it for you"?

Click to expand...

Funny thing, Jesus himsef said we must do good in order to get to heaven, and the only one who can get tht done is us.

John 5:28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.

Question for the OP, can we get to heaven without doing good?

Good Day,

Don Carson on the Ground of Our Assurance

2 Jews Smith and Brown....

In Him,

Bill

-When you experience profane thoughts and seek ways, in which to punish yourself.
-When you cheat on your partner and then donate a huge amount of money in church the next sunday.
-When you think, being a hands on church member will guarantee you a place in Heaven.
-When you think, being legalistic like the pharisees and sadducees will take you to heaven.


-

Behold said:

Reader,

Lets Say that Jesus will appear to you in your bedroom tonight, and asks you...."Are you trusting in ME Alone, To get you into Heaven"?...

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I think your post shows nicely one problem that I think many “Christians” have. If we believe that our sins are forgiven, why would we continue after that in sin? I agree that we don’t earn salvation by doing right, but if you are forgiven, don’t you regret and want to be better? If nothing is wrong or sin, why would there be any need for forgiveness?

I thank Our Lord for being there for me when i do sin, so that i can turn to Him and ask for forgiveness and then be absolved from all sin...

Behold said:

Reader,

Lets Say that Jesus will appear to you in your bedroom tonight, and asks you...."Are you trusting in ME Alone, To get you into Heaven"?

And you say...."well, Lord, there are those verses In Hebrews Ch 4, 6, and 10......and that verse about "enduring to the end", and there is that Torah and those Commandments to keep, and .. ummmmmmmm".

And Jesus says ........"I said, are you trusting in ME ALONE, To get you into Heaven"?

And you say...> "Well, Lord, there is that verse about "willfully sinning", and that one about "Men gather them and they are cast into the fire", and that one about "depart from me, i never knew you, and oh yeah Lord, there is that one about being a "castaway".....

And Jesus smiles and says....>" I Didn't think you were....So, when do you think you will start trusting in ME ALONE To get you into Heaven, or do you think that my Shed Blood and My Death and Resurrection and God's Grace are still not enough to do it for you"?

Click to expand...

What we believe is expressed through our actions, which is why James 2:17-18 says that faith without works is dead and that he would show his faith by his works, so do you think that there is a difference in behavior between someone who trusts in Jesus alone to get into Heaven and someone who doesn't? Enduring to the end is what trusting in Christ alone looks like. Christianity is just as much about getting heaven into us as it is about getting us into heaven.

In Titus 2:11-14, our salvation is described as being trained by grace to do what is godly, righteous, and good, and to renounce doing what is ungodly, which is what God's law was given to instruct us how to do. Furthermore, verse 14 says that Jesus gave himself to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for doing good works, so if we trust in Christ alone, then we will express that trust by becoming zealous for doing good works in obedience to God's law (Acts 21:20) and will not return to the lawlessness that Jesus gave himself to redeem us from.

You are putting words in Christ's mouth in order to counter his own words.

Lost4words said:

I thank Our Lord for being there for me when i do sin, so that i can turn to Him and ask for forgiveness and then be absolved from all sin...

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Repentance is also a turning from sin; Romans 2.

Behold said:

Reader,

Lets Say that Jesus will appear to you in your bedroom tonight, and asks you...."Are you trusting in ME Alone, To get you into Heaven"?

Click to expand...

Since that is merely made up and the OP states no biblical basis for the question to begin with, please allow me the same opportunity:

Jesus could just as easily appear in your bedromm and say:

"Are you trusting in me to save you as long as you follow the plan of salvation, by repenting of your sin and living a good life that is no longer based on evil? Or are you just thinking you have faith in me because you say the words, but do not walk the required walk?

And Jesus frowns and says....>" I Didn't think you were, so you will need to either do as I have told you (my previously posted scripture) or be condemned to hell.."

Kenny'sID said:

Funny thing, Jesus himsef said we must do good in order to get to heaven, and the only one who can get tht done is us.

John 5:28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.

Question for the OP, can we get to heaven without doing good?

Click to expand...

Must do good or will do good? We must not confuse "descriptive" passages of scripture with "prescriptive" passages of scripture. The end result is salvation by works. The good that is produced by the redeemed (those who have done what is good) is not the basis or means by which they obtained salvation, but is the evidence of it. A person's conduct, whether good or evil, reveals the condition of his heart. Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

Doing what is good flows inescapably from a heart that is saved and doing evil flows equally inescapably from a heart that is unsaved. *Notice that ALL who rise to live are described as those who have done good and ALL who rise to be condemned are described as those who have done what is evil.

What did Jesus say in John 3:18? - He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already..

Are believers described as "those who have done good" or those who have done evil?"

Are unbelievers described as those "who have done evil" or "those who have done good?"

Danthemailman said:

The end result is salvation by works.

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Faith without works is dead.

And please do not try to bury that biblical fact.

Danthemailman said:

Are believers described as "those who have done good" or those who have done evil?"

Are unbelievers described as those "who have done evil" or "those who have done good?"

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Believers? Your questions are already skewed/faulty as you are on the side that say believers are those who only say they believe and do nothing to show it. IOW you term those who believe to be something completely different than some of us term "believing"

True believers are capable of doing both good and evil, but those who do good by repenting of their evil ways, aski forgiveness when they do sin, and try to live a good life are the ones going to heaven, while those who simply "say" they believe, as you define "believe" and do not do as Christ told them, will be sent to hell.

Kenny'sID said:

Faith without works is dead.

And please do not try to bury that biblical fact.

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I never said otherwise, but that still does not mean we are saved by works. (Romans 4:2-6; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9 etc..) James is simply saying faith that is not accompanied by evidential works is dead. If someone merely says-claims they faith but lack resulting evidential works (James 2:14) then they have an empty profession of faith/dead faith and not authentic faith.

Kenny'sID said:

Believers? Your questions are already skewed/faulty as you are on the side that say believers are those who only say they believe and do nothing to show it. IOW you term those who believe to be something completely different than some of us term "believing"

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There is no need for straw man arguments. Genuine believers show their faith by their works (James 2:18) and don't merely claim to have faith yet produce no evidential works. (James 2:14)

True believers are capable of doing both good and evil, but those who do good by repenting of their evil ways, aski forgiveness when they do sin, and try to live a good life are the ones going to heaven, while those who simply "say" they believe, as you define "believe" and do not do as Christ told them, will be sent to hell.

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I don't define genuine "believing" as merely saying you believe. Not sure where these slanderous remarks are coming from. Confessing our sins is the mark of a genuine believer. (1 John 1:8-10) Asking for forgiveness every single time you sin (keeping a specific inventory) and trying to live a good life (moral self-reformation) is not a substitute for repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21) and being born again/regeneration. (John 3:3-5; Titus 3:5)