Do you think everyone gets the same chance to be saved or people can get better chances ?

[mikeforjesus]

it seems if you repent now and obey God you can save yourself and those who are willing to hear you so you give them a better chance. Or can we be sure everyone before had the same chance to be saved though they had every chance to be saved to hear moses and the prophets the way to life is narrow and difficult the church won’t lead you astray and all people are responsible for themselves to follow Jesus but there are soul winners who awaken those who are not following unless everyone had them and it was people choice whether to give heed or not or search them out for their own salvation some did not believe protestants but they believed their church and they gave heed to follow them in everything they did not think contradicts the word of God they never knew they were not following the prophets but they earnestly tried to follow Christ to be saved according to the light they were exposed to. People who have more light have to follow that


I believe people can not enter the kingdom straight away unless they receive the kingdom of God as a little child if they are moved to love people in simplicity and not according to how another own interpretation of the bible they can not know is false they can still be saved if they did not know they have to accept all but they won’t enter the kingdom upon death as long as they follow everything that seems right according to their church fathers. Some church fathers do teach to show love to others they don't agree with so it is who they choose to trust

 

[Albion]

To answer your question, Mike, I will suggest that this is something that we are not given to know.

We have the testimony of the Holy Scriptures about what it is that brings about salvation, and we are called to live a certain kind of life as a follower of Christ the Lord. The simplicity and straightforward nature of that information seems to be intentional.

Do we actually need to know how the next person might be saved or if he is already? Do we really need to know every last thing that God will say to us on judgment day? Being curious creatures, we want to know it all...but if He had wanted the Bible to be some sort of religious encyclopedia, it would have come out that way and we would have none of these questions now.
John 20:30-31.

 

[Clare73]

it seems if you repent now and obey God you can save yourself
and those who are willing to hear you so you give them a better chance.
Or can we be sure everyone before had the same chance to be saved
though they had every chance to be saved to hear moses and the prophets the way to life is narrow and difficult

Well, that was interesting. . .

Actually, we cannot save ourselves.
Repentance is granted, a gift (Ac 5:31, 11:18; 2Tim 2:25).

the church won’t lead you astray and all people are responsible for themselves to follow Jesus
but there are soul winners who awaken those who are not following
unless everyone had them and it was people choice whether to give heed or not or search them out for their own salvation
some did not believe protestants but they believed their church and they gave heed to follow them in everything they did not think contradicts the word of God
they never knew they were not following the prophets but they earnestly tried to follow Christ to be saved according to the light they were exposed to.
People who have more light have to follow that

I believe people can not enter the kingdom straight away unless they receive the kingdom of God as a little child if they are moved to accept all
but they can still be saved if they did not know they have to accept all
but they won’t enter the kingdom upon death as long as they follow everything that seems right according to their church fathers

 

[mikeforjesus]

Though you can’t save yourself yet if you come to Christ for salvation He is the one who will guide you to how to be saved. So it may be only Him but He may guide you to listen to others or give you opportunities to practically be able to walk a path of salvation without a church. We don’t need another person though as Christ even said of John the Baptist who was greatest prophet yet he who is least in the kingdom is greater than him. Because Christ now gives wisdom to all as Paul said we are all sons of God by faith

I have thought before but I do not share it because I don’t know if it is true that salvation is a free gift that if you are always willing to believe if one never rejects the truth without a cause but because of another he can be saved if he actually loves and trusts the Christian God for salvation
Because I kind of believe John when he said he who believes in the Son has everlasting life but he who does not believe the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him

 

[Clare73]

Though you can’t save yourself yet if you come to Christ for salvation He is the one who will guide you to how to be saved. So it may be only Him but He may guide you to listen to others or give you opportunities to practically be able to walk a path of salvation without a church. We don’t need another person though as Christ even said of John the Baptist who was greatest

prophet yet he who is least in the kingdom is greater than him. Because Christ now gives wisdom to all as Paul said we are all sons of God by faith

I have thought before but I do not share it because I don’t know if it is true that salvation is a free gift that if you are always willing to believe if one never rejects the truth without a cause but because of another he can be saved if he actually loves and trusts the Christian God for salvation

Yes, that is true. . . but it is the operation of the Holy Spirit within one that makes one willing to believe.
Without the work of the Holy Spirit within, no one believes.

Because I kind of believe John when he said he who believes in the Son has everlasting life but he who does not believe the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him

 

[mikeforjesus]

I am sorry but I think the teaching is a false teaching and I warn it is not true people need not only to believe but to repent also. Everyone knows what they are required to do to be saved which is to keep the commandments. They have Jesus words so they have no excuse. They know they need to strive to enter the narrow gate that difficult is the way that leads to life and you have to be striving to obey God to enter it

 

[Clare73]

I am sorry to all but I warn
it is not true people need not only to believe but to repent also.
Everyone knows what they are required to do to be saved which is to keep the commandments.
They have Jesus words so they have no excuse.
They know they need to strive to enter the narrow gate that difficult is the way that leads to life and you have to be striving to obey God to enter it

Actually, Mike, that is Jesus' first command when he begins preaching the gospel (Mk 1:15):

". . .Repent and believe the good news!" (gospel)

 

[mikeforjesus]

Yes true repentance is believing the good news but it is not repentance really if it is not followed by change of life. As Jesus said strive to enter by the narrow gate and He describes difficult is the way that leads to life when He says if you do not He will say I do not know you.

 

[mikeforjesus]

Jesus is clear whoever loves father or mother son or daughter more than Him is not worthy of Him. And whoever will not take up His cross and follow Him is unworthy of Him. All those who did not follow christ loved the darkness they did not want to know the light. Jesus says that is the condemnation. They made their decision they did not want christ above all and the truth above all to have eternal life. They all chose not to know from christ what is required and to follow it.

 

[BNR32FAN]

Well, that was interesting. . .

Actually, we cannot save ourselves.
Repentance is granted, a gift (Ac 5:31, 11:18; 2Tim 2:25).

But the same gift is also granted to those who squander it as well. John 15:6 Galatians 5:4 Romans 2:4-11.

 

[Albion]

I am sorry but I think the teaching is a false teaching and I warn it is not true people need not only to believe but to repent also. Everyone knows what they are required to do to be saved which is to keep the commandments. They have Jesus words so they have no excuse. They know they need to strive to enter the narrow gate that difficult is the way that leads to life and you have to be striving to obey God to enter it

Are you saying that we, in our unconverted state before accepting Christ, are sinless, without any history of wrongdoing, etc.?

 

[mikeforjesus]

Are you saying that we, in our unconverted state before accepting Christ, are sinless, without any history of wrongdoing, etc.?

No I mean even those who accept Christ know they need to follow His commandments

 

[Albion]

No I mean even those who accept Christ know they need to follow His commandments

That doesn't seem to be the same idea, Mike.

To know or learn that we need to follow certain rules is not the same thing as knowing that we are sinners, wrongdoers, already.

 

[mikeforjesus]

That doesn't seem to be the same idea, Mike.

To know or learn that we need to follow certain rules is not the same thing as knowing that we are sinners, wrongdoers, already.

we accept Christ because we know we are sinners but we know we need to keep His commandments. A faith that is alone that does not work does not save. And He requires us to follow all He has said. Even if you take to mean it must come naturally out of accepting Him

 

[BNR32FAN]

we accept Christ because we know we are sinners but we know we need to keep His commandments

We accept Christ because The Father has allowed us to. This doesn’t mean we can’t reject Christ it just means that God will enable us. Without God’s calling we would not be capable of coming to Christ.

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father."”
‭‭John‬ ‭6:63, 65‬ ‭NASB

 

[Albion]

we accept Christ because we know we are sinners but we know we need to keep His commandments.

Ah yes. So what looked like a difference of opinion really is not one.

A faith that is alone that does not work does not save.

Very true.

And He requires us to follow all He has said

So what is the significance of this last line you've written? Is it that Faith AND Works both save or both count towards our prospects of salvation?

 

[mikeforjesus]

We accept Christ because The Father has allowed us to. This doesn’t mean we can’t reject Christ it just means that God will enable us. Without God’s calling we would not be capable of coming to Christ.

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father."”
‭‭John‬ ‭6:63, 65‬ ‭NASB

True but Christ grants all to come to Him if they are willing and seek Him to make them understand

 

[Albion]

True but Christ grants all to come to Him if they are willing and seek Him to make them understand

Well, no. Post #15 handled that point pretty well, I thought, so I'll ask you to revisit it rather than me start over with a long, repetitious dissertation.

 

[mikeforjesus]

Ah yes. So what looked like a difference of opinion really is not one.


Very true.



So what is the significance of this last line you've written? Is it that Faith AND Works both save or both count towards our prospects of salvation?

well works are required but they are a result of faith working. You need faith to do works. If you believe in Jesus you will seek to do what He says and He will enable one

 

[Albion]

well works are required but they are a result of faith working. You need faith to do works. If you believe in Jesus you will seek to do what He says and He will enable one

I like it.

The point that is often confused is that Faith saves...and it produces works. In fact, as people of Faith, we will want to do good works for the reason that our Lord showed us the way. You made that point yourself.

But it's not that Faith AND the good works together are the formula that earns us salvation. Unfortunately, the Catholic churches and also some Protestant ones teach that we are saved by the both of them together, each contributing to our chances.