LoveGodsWord
Well-Known Member
- Jun 5, 2017
- 22,242
- 6,634
- Country
- Australia
- Faith
- SDA
- Marital Status
- Married
According to the scriptures Jesus is indeed the living Word of God *John 1:1-4: 14 who has given us his God breathed written Word... 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousnessAccording to Scriptures, the Word of God is Jesus Christ, firstly, and secondly, we are no longer under the law, according to St. Paul, and it is important we not keep to the Old Mosaic Law, because if we adhere to any part of the Old Law, we are bound to keep the entire Law. The Mosaic Law was specific to the Jews; in Christ Jesus, there is neither Greek nor Jew.
This is where I have finally realized the importance, within Western Christianity, which suffers from a Roman forensic obsession with sin, of Martin Luther’s stress on the Law and Gospel. This had at one time struck me as a false dichotomy, but now I see it as a pathway to the correct Eastern Christian understanding of sin as a disease that Christ has come to heal (the word Salvation is directly related to Salve, as in, a healing ointment).
To be saved, a Christian must believe in our Lord, pursue baptism as a catechumen* if not already legitimately baptized, confess their sins and make every effort to repent, and having confessed and received absolution, either generally as in the Anglican Divine Office and Holy Communion service, or via auricular confession to a pastor, which can be really helpful, and which is offered in all traditional Protestant churches, as well as Orthodox and Catholic churches, and which in any decent church and any truly free country, is completely confidential, one should partake of the Eucharist (Holy Communion). The cycle of confession and the Eucharist, as frequently as possible, conveys great sacramental grace via the Holy Spirit, which is why our Lord commands that we partake of Him via Holy Communion. Note that this is not works righteousness, in that these are not works, but rather the means of grace ordained by God for our benefit, just as animal sacrifices, drink offerings and the shewbread were ordained by the same God as a means of grace for the Jews, which was a typological prophecy of the sacrifice of our Lord on the Cross and our reception of that sacrifice through the consecrated bread and wine, which are His body and blood, in Holy Communion, in which we recapitulate the Last Supper and are united with the entire church (see 1 Corinthians 10-11, John 6).
However, as St. James warns in his epistle, faith without works is dead. What are the works that indicate a living, healthy faith? Loving God above everything else, and loving our neighbor as we love ourself. Of course, we are so depraved we cannot even do that properly, which is why we must confess, repent, and partake of the Eucharist, but if we keep doing that, over time, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, we can improve. John Wesley explained this concept, known in Eastern theology as Theosis, as Entire Sanctification. We cooperate with the Holy Spirit working inside us to do a better job loving our neighbor, and as we do that more and more, and as we learn to pray more and more, because Christ our Lord, God and Savior directed us to pray without ceasing, we will slowly begin to overcome the passions that cause us to sin and fall short of the glory of God. We can get better, but only if we do this, remembering always the Holy Cross, and what Christ our God did for us on the Cross. What I have described, I believe Lutherans would call the Via Crucis (@ViaCrucis and @MarkRohfrietsch might confirm this).
The Cross is so central to our salvation, that it is imperative that we remember it in our prayers and our worship. A cross or crucifix should be centrally placed and clearly visible on the altar of every Christian church, and historically, Christian churches have been built in the shape of crosses. I am always troubled when I see a place of worship that lacks a cross.
According to Jesus we are to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God in Matthew 4:4. So to make the claim that Jesus is somehow separate from His Word does not make any sense as it is written that we are saved by grace through faith and not of ourselves it is a gift of God and not of works lest any man should boast *Ephesians 2:8-9. Obedience to God's words are not how we are saved it is the fruit of genuine faith of one that is already been given Gods promise of salvation and the fruit of God's work in us *Philippians 2:13 as we believe and follow his word *John 10:26-27.
If our faith has no fruit it is dead *James 2:18-20; 26 and our tree will be cast down and thrown into the fire *Matthew 3:10; 7:19-20; 13:49-50; Hebrews 10:26-27. Therefore we do not abolish God's law through faith like some people teach but God's law is established in the heart by faith that works by love *Romans 3:31; 1 John 5:3-4; Romans 13:8-10. According to the scriptures, sin (breaking God' commandments and not believing and following God's Word) is the difference between the children of God and the children of the devil *1 John 3:6-10; 1 John 2:3-4; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 14:12; Revelation 22:14. At the second coming Christs reward is with him *Revelation 22:12.
According to the scriptures no one receives God's Grace if they do not believe and follow God's Word (see John 3:16-21; Hebrews 10:26-31) and the scriptures teach that no one knows God by not believing his Word and doing what God's Word says according to John in 1 John 2:3-4 and James 2:17-26.
It is written that our salvation is by God's grace that we receive through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9 and that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God *Romans 10:17. So we cannot separate our salvation from believing what Gods' Word says or we cannot separate the written Word of God from the living Word of God (Jesus) as the written words of God is where we receive Gods' gift of eternal life as we believe what Gods' Word says.
Therefore according to the scriptures without faith in Gods' Word (Jesus and His Word) it is impossible to please God because he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. *Hebrews 11:6 and whatsoever is not of faith in sin *Romans 14:23. So if we ignore the written Word of God we ignore the very means that God has given us for our salvation (John 17:17; John 3:36; Matthew 7:21-23)
..................
THERE IS NO SALVATION OUTSIDE THE SPOKEN/WRITTEN WORD OF GOD
Psalms 78:1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth
Psalms 50:16-17 [16], But to the wicked God said, What have you to do to declare my statutes, or that you should take my covenant in your mouth? [17], Seeing you hate instruction, and casts my words behind you.
Psalms 119:57 You are my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep your words.
Psalms 119:103 How sweet are your words to my taste! yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Proverbs 1:23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit to you, I will make known my words to you.
Proverbs 2:1-6 [1], My son, if you will receive my words, and hide my commandments with you; [2], So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; [3], Yes, if you cry after knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding; [4], If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures; [5], Then shall you understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. [6], For the LORD gives wisdom: out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 4:4 He taught me also, and said to me, Let your heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
Proverbs 7:1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with you.
Proverbs 8:8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing fraudulent or perverse in them.
Jeremiah 6:19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil on this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not listened to my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.
Jeremiah 11:10 They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.
Jeremiah 13:10 This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing.
Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I did eat them; and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by your name, O LORD God of hosts.
Jeremiah 29:19 Because they have not listened to my words, said the LORD, which I sent to them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but you would not hear, said the LORD.
Mathew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
John 6:63, It is the spirit that vivifies; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life.
John 12:47-48 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our stayed with him.
John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you.
Matthew 4:4 Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God
................
There is no salvation outside of faith in God's Word. As posted earlier no one is "under the law" unless we stand guilty before God of breaking the law *Romans 3:19-20.
Take Care.
Last edited:
Upvote
0