Then I began to be confronted by people on various websites and on social media who were saying that God does it all and that we do nothing.
Well ... that is what scripture says. God's GRACE ... and NO WORKS from us.
It says that salvation is by GRACE, through FAITH, and that even that FAITH is gifted to us by God.
Paul goes on to say that salvation is explicitly and categorically "NOT OF WORKS" ... but that salvation should "PRODUCE WORKS".
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For
by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that
not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9
not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For
we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Now that's scripture. I don't know how anyone could faithfully teach that we, somehow, have any responsibility for our salvation. In my view, such a teaching would, itself, be sinful.
Now, as children of God, we do have a responsibility to live godly lives. But God will never cast away any of His adopted children, who might fail in any way to do so ...
John 6
37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and
whoever comes to me, I will never cast away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that
I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For
my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
What God will do is treat us as our own parents treated us. When we are disobedient, He will chasten us, as a good father chastens his own sons. And it is blessing to be chastened by God, for in receiving such chastening, we know that we are His.
Hebrews 12
6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.”
7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
Paul stated that even the church action against the guy that got thrown out of the Corinthian church, ... was done so for chastening, ... so that he might repent, and come back to the fellowship (which he did).
