Are they saved?

JohnB445

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I was taught that if you believe your works will save you, you are not saved even if you believe that Jesus existed and that he is lord.

The reason I got was that they didn't have faith in him, that he alone saves. They didn't believe his death on the cross was sufficient for salvation basically.

So is this true that Faith+Works=Salvation theory damns someone? But they believed, this topic gets really confusing.

So someone has to strictly believe that Jesus died for their sins and rose on the third day to be saved, anything else added damns them like if they add works in order to be saved aswell?

I'm not sure how this makes sense.
 
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ViaCrucis

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I was taught that if you believe your works will save you, you are not saved even if you believe that Jesus existed and that he is lord.

The reason I got was that they didn't have faith in him, that he alone saves. They didn't believe his death on the cross was sufficient for salvation basically.

So is this true that Faith+Works=Salvation theory damns someone? But they believed, this topic gets really confusing.

So someone has to strictly believe that Jesus died for their sins and rose on the third day to be saved, anything else added damns them like if they add works in order to be saved aswell?

I'm not sure how this makes sense.

Wouldn't making salvation dependent on our theological correctness be, itself, salvation by works?

-CryptoLutheran
 
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Dan the deacon

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Wouldn't making salvation dependent on our theological correctness be, itself, salvation by works?

-CryptoLutheran
I think it is the very definition of such.
Salvation relies zero on works. Works are the result of believing.
 
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2PhiloVoid

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I was taught that if you believe your works will save you, you are not saved even if you believe that Jesus existed and that he is lord.

The reason I got was that they didn't have faith in him, that he alone saves. They didn't believe his death on the cross was sufficient for salvation basically.

So is this true that Faith+Works=Salvation theory damns someone? But they believed, this topic gets really confusing.

So someone has to strictly believe that Jesus died for their sins and rose on the third day to be saved, anything else added damns them like if they add works in order to be saved aswell?

I'm not sure how this makes sense.

You're right, it doesn't make sense. Hence, repenting, working through and past our sins, and being loving and benevolent to others is a part of the "faith package." It ain't optional, but for one reason or another, some people think that believing alone is the "saving grace."

I guess we'll find out on Judgment Day just how all of this will finally work out us............
 
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Guy Incognito

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The idea that works is part of salvation is troubling for me, as it implies that we can do something to earn salvation - which frankly we can't. There's nothing we can do to earn or deserve it, it is only offered through Christ and His sacrifice.

Faith and works go hand in hand (James 2:14-26) as evidence of our salvation, but we are saved by grace and not by our works (Ephesians 2:8-10).

I would never say someone is damned, but I'd say they need to change their emphasis on works.

Hope this is helpful.
 
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joshua 1 9

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I was taught that if you believe your works will save you, you are not saved
Good works do not save people. Saved people do good works. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" If the branch or tree does not produce fruit then it is cut down and thrown into the fire.
 
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Natsumi Lam

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I was taught that if you believe your works will save you, you are not saved even if you believe that Jesus existed and that he is lord.

Does believing in something that is not contextually sound negate the Gift of salvation because of our humans mistakes in doctrin? Is the blood of the Lamb so weak as to not cover our misunderstandings?
 
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JohnB445

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Does believing in something that is not contextually sound negate the Gift of salvation because of our humans mistakes in doctrin? Is the blood of the Lamb so weak as to not cover our misunderstandings?


That's what I was wondering. Is someone really destined to hell for believing they had to do good works along with believing to attain salvation instead of faith alone?
 
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Natsumi Lam

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That's what I was wondering. Is someone really destined to hell for believing they had to do good works along with believing to attain salvation instead of faith alone?

Oh you are asking, does someone miss out on being saved because their belief is a misunderstand of a passage or lack of knowledge of the word?

My opinion is that when we are weak, He is strong. He has forgiven us because we are weak, sinful and and in need of being saved. He has given a gift...not based on us or our misunderstandings but because He is loving, compassionate and full of grace.

It is not a sin to misunderstand.
 
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tdidymas

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I was taught that if you believe your works will save you, you are not saved even if you believe that Jesus existed and that he is lord.

The reason I got was that they didn't have faith in him, that he alone saves. They didn't believe his death on the cross was sufficient for salvation basically.

So is this true that Faith+Works=Salvation theory damns someone? But they believed, this topic gets really confusing.

So someone has to strictly believe that Jesus died for their sins and rose on the third day to be saved, anything else added damns them like if they add works in order to be saved aswell?

I'm not sure how this makes sense.

People sometimes exaggerate an idea and make it life or death. The Faith+Works theory of salvation equating to "not saved" is one such exaggeration.

The gospel calls us to believe in God's forgiveness, the restoration of our relationship to Him through Christ, and the power of God available to us for loving others and overcoming our sins. If we are doing that, then it is evidence that we have the saving faith that the NT describes. We understand that following Christ and obeying His commands and advice is what is important in the Christian life. Nitpicking or splitting hairs over salvation formulas doesn't make much difference.

However, the apostle Paul did condemn some people who objected to his gospel. Apparently there were Christians who were also Jews who did not believe in the gospel of grace that Paul preached. In Rom. 3 he mentions there were those who slanderously reported that he was teaching "let us do evil that good may come." Many people take one thing from the gospel preached and exaggerate it out of context and out of proportion, because their concern is to keep holding on to the religion they think they have to avoid God's judgment.

So Paul replied to it this way, "their condemnation is just." These were people who were actually rejecting the gospel of grace. Today's application is that there are two kinds of people who essentially say the same thing (saying it by their actions, not necessarily in words). One is the legalist who thinks that everyone has to have all their duckies in order to avoid God's wrath. Such people won't accept that God's grace is a gift, and they keep on trying to earn their way in. The other kind is the antinomian who disregards the law of God, and abuses the term "grace" to mean "licentiousness." Jude wrote about this kind.

It is important that we know what grace is, how to exercise saving faith, and other such significant issues. At first in our Christian life, we might not understand it. But as we obey Christ's words and study the scripture in order to know God better, our understanding grows with our faith.
TD:)
 
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FreeGrace2

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I was taught that if you believe your works will save you, you are not saved even if you believe that Jesus existed and that he is lord.

The reason I got was that they didn't have faith in him, that he alone saves. They didn't believe his death on the cross was sufficient for salvation basically.

So is this true that Faith+Works=Salvation theory damns someone? But they believed, this topic gets really confusing.
Your issue really comes down to what "saving faith" is. What it isn't won't save. What it is, will save.

Regarding "having faith" or "believing" there are 2 essential components.

1. The first component is the object of faith, or what is being believed in. The clear biblical answer is the Lord (Deity) Jesus (humanity) Christ (Messiah-Savior), who is the Son of God, lived a perfect life and is uniquely qualified to die for the sins of sinners, and did that. If the resurrection isn't believed, then our faith is "in vain" as Paul wrote in 1 Cor 15. The Christian faith demands the resurrection. Every other religious leader in history has a rotted body in a grave somewhere. But not the grave of Jesus. He arose as He said He would. Demonstrating His power over death.

2. The second component is the goal or purpose of faith, or why do you believe in the object? Or "for what" are you believing?

This is just as critical as the first component. The goal of our faith is to be saved, or delivered or rescued from the lake of fire, where every unbeliever will end up on the basis of their not believing.

The promise of God is eternal life. Titus 1:2 says, “a faith and knowledge resting on the hope (confidence) of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.” Titus 3:7 says, “so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope (confidence) of eternal life.” 1 John 2:25 says, “And this is what He promised us - even eternal life.” And John 20:31 says, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have (eternal) life in His name.”

John 20:31 is actually the definition of “saving faith”. John told us what we must believe in, that being Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, and the result or consequence of that faith, which is having eternal life.

So, “saving faith” is quite simple to define, in spite of all that has been written about it that has served only to confuse countless believers. We must do as John wrote: believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the result of that faith is having eternal life.

So someone has to strictly believe that Jesus died for their sins and rose on the third day to be saved, anything else added damns them like if they add works in order to be saved aswell?
Here is the problem. By adding to saving faith anything that is not Scriptural for salvation (like works, water baptism, etc), takes away from the perfect work of Jesus.

There is nothing that we can do as fallen sinners that can add to what Jesus DID in order to save us.

So, to add something, anything, to the Work of Christ, is to diminish His Work and elevate our own. And Eph 1:8,9 doesn't let us get away with that.

I'm not sure how this makes sense.
If I need to clarify anything further, don't hesitate to ask. :)
 
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FreeGrace2

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That's what I was wondering. Is someone really destined to hell for believing they had to do good works along with believing to attain salvation instead of faith alone?
By adding anything to the perfect Work of Christ on our behalf is to diminish His work and elevate our own.

And we cannot earn nor do we deserve salvation. It is a grace gift from God. On the basis of believing who Jesus Christ is and what He did for us on the cross.

If anyone adds anything to believing in who Jesus is and what He did for us, uses unbiblical conditions. And unbiblical conditions CANNOT save anyone.
 
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FreeGrace2

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Does believing in something that is not contextually sound negate the Gift of salvation because of our humans mistakes in doctrin? Is the blood of the Lamb so weak as to not cover our misunderstandings?
We don't get to use the excuse of "I didn't understand", since God has laid out the plan of salvation in His Word.

And the ONLY WAY to know His Word is to diligently study His Word in order to be an approved workman, not ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. 2 Tim 2:15
 
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FreeGrace2

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That's what I was wondering. Is someone really destined to hell for believing they had to do good works along with believing to attain salvation instead of faith alone?
Anyone who believes they have to do good works in order to avoid hell and gain heaven, are trusting IN THEMSELVES and what they have done.

This is what God thinks of our own righteousnesses:
Isa 64:6 - All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags (literally used menstrual rags); we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Not a very pretty sight.

So, what ever "good deeds" you might be able to produce is seen as filthy rags in God's eyes.

Only the perfect work by a Perfect Person (the Lord Jesus Christ) can save you. If you believe in Him for it.
 
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FreeGrace2

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Oh you are asking, does someone miss out on being saved because their belief is a misunderstand of a passage or lack of knowledge of the word?

My opinion is that when we are weak, He is strong. He has forgiven us because we are weak, sinful and and in need of being saved. He has given a gift...not based on us or our misunderstandings but because He is loving, compassionate and full of grace.

It is not a sin to misunderstand.
There is no excuse to misunderstand. All believers have been given the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth. But we must be open to it. Not everyone is. The human condition is programmed to reject the idea of getting something for nothing. And believing in Christ for salvation doesn't cost us anything. Some just cannot grasp or accept that. But that's what the Bible says. John 4 and free water.
 
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Natsumi Lam

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We don't get to use the excuse of "I didn't understand", since God has laid out the plan of salvation in His Word.

And the ONLY WAY to know His Word is to diligently study His Word in order to be an approved workman, not ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. 2 Tim 2:15

Diligent study does not mean we know everything right away. Studying is a process.
 
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