How can salvation be acheived and Known?

[troymartin]

I have a similar question to another thread.

I have deliberately sinned after being baptised but i have also tried hard to repent. I am just weak to the ways of the world.

First the bible says that all who love jesus will be saved, and then it says that deliberate sinning after salvation brings condemnation from god.

What can a young man do to be saved?

I strongly believe and love jesus but i sometimes get consumed by fear when i think about my salvation.

Does God's grace and jesus's sacrifice last forever or are we still under condemnation as christians for our sins?

First I thought all we had to do to acheive salvation was belive and try to obey jesus and confess his name among men, now salvation seems to be very hard to acheive.

 

[CPman2004]

I have a similar question to another thread.

I have deliberately sinned after being baptised but i have also tried hard to repent. I am just weak to the ways of the world.

First the bible says that all who love jesus will be saved, and then it says that deliberate sinning after salvation brings condemnation from god.

What can a young man do to be saved?

I strongly believe and love jesus but i sometimes get consumed by fear when i think about my salvation.

Does God's grace and jesus's sacrifice last forever or are we still under condemnation as christians for our sins?

First I thought all we had to do to acheive salvation was belive and try to obey jesus and confess his name among men, now salvation seems to be very hard to acheive.

Salvation is not acheived, it is granted. Have you realized your an sinner; recognized God is the one true God; have you asked Jesus into your heart and have repented? If so, you have been granted salvation. Yes deliberate sinning is bad. However, if you are repenent and have asked forgiveness then it is ok. It is tough to become an new person in Christ, but it can be done. Right now God is transforming you into a more Christ like person. Salvation isn't destoied if you sinned. If that was true I must be going to hell . You have been repentent and you have confessed your sins to God. As long as you keep doing that God will keep guiding you and protecting you. So don't worry that you lost your salvation, you haven't. Read the Bible, Pray, and fellowship with other believers. If you sin, don't ignore it. Repent and confess to God. I know through out my walk with God I have sined and He has reveled some of my sins to me, but I keep asking forgiveness and I repent of my sins and strive towards being Christ like. Remember, salavtion is a gift, you cannot gain it. It is gained by trusting in Jesus and repenting of your sins. I hope I was of some help.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Troymartin,the answer given by C.P.man was the right answer.We have all sinned and have been forgiven.Salvation is a gift,just keep telling the Lord how much you love Him and want to be helped by Him to become worthy of Salvation.Then Salvation will be yours.Sincere greetings from Emmy,your sister in Christ.

 

[OrthodoxyUSA]

Peace South Africa!

http://www.christianforums.com/t727173

Forgive me...

 

[tekwerx]

Salvation is granted through one act: the beleief that Jesus Christ died in your place on the cross. Beleiving in this compels you to accept that Jesus is the Christ, and that in turn compels you to ask Jesus into your life and heart to reign in your life. After this, you are saved by His blood.

I dont know about once saved, always saved (and please, save that for another post), but I do know that when you ask for forgiveness of your sins, He forgives you.

To me, it sounds like you are struggling with worry about being free from sin. Sorry, but youre human flesh and blood. For as long as you live, you will never be rid of sin. Your flesh just wont allow it. What you need to do is pray unceasingly that you avoid temptaions, which lead to sin. The closer you are to God, the farther away you are from Lucifer.

Dont worry, just keep your eyes on God, and let Him take care of the details. He will take care of you, just let him. Faith.

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

I have a similar question to another thread.

I have deliberately sinned after being baptised but i have also tried hard to repent. I am just weak to the ways of the world.

First the bible says that all who love jesus will be saved, and then it says that deliberate sinning after salvation brings condemnation from god.

What can a young man do to be saved?

I strongly believe and love jesus but i sometimes get consumed by fear when i think about my salvation.

Does God's grace and jesus's sacrifice last forever or are we still under condemnation as christians for our sins?

First I thought all we had to do to acheive salvation was belive and try to obey jesus and confess his name among men, now salvation seems to be very hard to acheive.

Notice how it says keep on sinning. If you keep on repenting and truly trying to follow God, who can blame you for being human? Only God grants salvation, it is between you and Him.

 

[Archbishop 10-K]

troymartin,


Sorry if this just confuses you more and/or opens up a big can of worms, but since I am Catholic, I see salvation entirely differently from non-Catholic Christianity. For anyone else here, I'm not looking for a debate, I'm just offering a brother in Christ a different take on things.

The Catholic Church teaches that you must endure to the end for salvation. Matthew 24:13, "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." The Church does not teach "once saved always saved" or any "assurance of salvation."

One really controversial Catholic teaching is, of course, confession of sins to a priest. Speaking as a former Protestant, this one really got on my nerves, too. First of all, it must be realized that confession of sins is an explicit Old Testament practice (too many people assume it has pagan origins.) For an Israelite to obtain the absolution of sins, he had to present an animal, such as a spotless lamb, to a Temple priest. He would put his hand on the animal, confess his sins to the priest, and then slay the animal. Why? This practice prefigured Christ, by how he transferred his sins to the animal as a substitute, because the punishment for sin is death. (By the way, if you think the practice is barbaric, it was a good idea at the time for God to institute it since many of the animals the Israelites sacrificed were idols or gods in other countries. It showed the Israelites who's boss.)

For both Catholics and Protestants, the lamb is Jesus, who died on Calvary 2,000 years ago. Now, the method of absolution is very different. In John 20:21-23, it says,

"Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

We believe that Jesus commissioned the Apostles with the authority to forgive sins (in the name of the Trinity, of course. All power comes from God.) This power is transferred through ordination to the Apostles' successors: the bishops and priests, right down the line until today.

If you went to church in the 1st or 2nd century, you'd probably have a hard time. Back then, people didn't confess privately, but publicly in front of the entire congregation! They did that so people would be doubly sure not to commit sin again. This was referred to in the Didache: "Confess your sins in church, and do not go up to your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life. . . . On the Lord’s Day gather together, break bread, and give thanks, after confessing your transgressions so that your sacrifice may be pure." (Didache 4:14, 14:1 [A.D. 70]).

Answering your original question, the Catholic believes he is saved by the grace of God. Grace is obtained by having faith in God and obeying His commandments.

I'm sure this raises many more questions, but I have to go now. If you want, you can reply to this with questions, or you can PM me.

 

[Rafael]

I have a similar question to another thread.

I have deliberately sinned after being baptised but i have also tried hard to repent. I am just weak to the ways of the world.

First the bible says that all who love jesus will be saved, and then it says that deliberate sinning after salvation brings condemnation from god.

What can a young man do to be saved?

I strongly believe and love jesus but i sometimes get consumed by fear when i think about my salvation.

Does God's grace and jesus's sacrifice last forever or are we still under condemnation as christians for our sins?

First I thought all we had to do to acheive salvation was belive and try to obey jesus and confess his name among men, now salvation seems to be very hard to acheive.

The problem of the battle between the spirit and the flesh will always be a fight with us as long as we have this flesh to live in. We are told to continue to fight the good fight to bring our bodies into subjection to our spirit. Paul lamented this condition in -

Romans 7:18 I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can’t make myself do right. I want to, but I can’t.
19 When I want to do good, I don’t. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway.
20 But if I am doing what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it.
21 It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.
22 I love God’s law with all my heart.
23 But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.
24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?
25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
8:1 ¶ So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Notice the last verse, there is no condemnation to those who are in and belong to Christ. If we fight the good fight against evil and our flesh, which has the nature to sin inherited from Adam, we belong to Him and are encouraged to grow in grace. We are told to go boldly before the throne of grace, as Sons, and ask for and receive grace. Here's a few more good verses that also describe our condition and the answer:

Galatians 5:17 For we naturally love to do evil things that the Holy Spirit tells us not to do; and the good things we want to do when the Holy Spirit has His way with us are just the opposite of our natural desires. These two forces within us are constantly fighting each other to win control over us, and our wishes are never free from their pressures.

Ephesians 4:22 throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. 23 Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. 24 You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness- righteous, holy, and true.

1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

* Let your testimony be that you have fought the good fight against sin in your life. We put to death the works of the flesh in our lives.

Re 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

 

[linden]

I have a similar question to another thread.

I have deliberately sinned after being baptised but i have also tried hard to repent. I am just weak to the ways of the world.

First the bible says that all who love jesus will be saved, and then it says that deliberate sinning after salvation brings condemnation from god.

What can a young man do to be saved?

I strongly believe and love jesus but i sometimes get consumed by fear when i think about my salvation.

Does God's grace and jesus's sacrifice last forever or are we still under condemnation as christians for our sins?

First I thought all we had to do to acheive salvation was belive and try to obey jesus and confess his name among men, now salvation seems to be very hard to acheive.

When we believe in Jesus Christ as the one who became our substitute on the cross, we have eternal life period over and out. there is just a ton of information about salvation in the Bible. And I can not think of one verse that states one can be resaved. It just doesn't exist. I am stating this not to debate but to give people a foundation of hope (absolute confidence) that they are saved forever, no matter what. God holds that salvation in His hand, and if any Christian wants to debate that, well take it up with the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the information to you.

I think you are saved just by the questions you have. So lets move on to the next phase of your Christian life. Note: As a Christian, I will sin from time to time.
1 John 1:10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Note #2: I have 1 John 1:9 which states:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

We also I have Jesus Christ who represents us before the Father.

Linden

 

[WashedClean]

When we believe in Jesus Christ as the one who became our substitute on the cross, we have eternal life period over and out. there is just a ton of information about salvation in the Bible. And I can not think of one verse that states one can be resaved. It just doesn't exist. I am stating this not to debate but to give people a foundation of hope (absolute confidence) that they are saved forever, no matter what. God holds that salvation in His hand, and if any Christian wants to debate that, well take it up with the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the information to you.

Linden

Amen!

 

[chilehed]

troymartin,

As a Protestant I struggled with this for a long time, and have come to the same conclusion as Archbishop 10-k.

The Bible teaches that we can lose our salvation. For example, Paul was concerned to make sure that he wouldn’t lose the prize at the last, the scriptures speak of those who make shipwreck of their faith, and God says that he will cut off and burn branches that bear no fruit. (Rom. 11:22, 1 Tim 1:19-20, Heb. 10:26–29, 2 Pet. 2:20–21)

Mortal sins (those which involve grave matter, and that are done with full knowledge and complete consent) destroy our relationship with God. http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect1chpt1art8.htm

My problem with the Protestant answers to your question was that they didn’t adequately deal with the problem of self-deception. Like those who will cry “Lord, Lord, didn’t we do all these things in your name?”, I thought that my relationship with God was right, but how could I know that I wasn’t as wrong as they are?

For just this reason, Jesus gave the Apostles, with Peter in the primacy, binding authority to teach in matters of faith and morals, and the authority to forgive the sins of a sinner who confesses. For just this reason, our Lord instituted the Sacraments of the Church, which are physical signs that actually convey that which they are symbolic of. So when I confess, with a contrite heart, my sins to a priest, and he declares on the authority handed down to him by the Apostles that my sins are forgiven, I don’t have to worry that I’m kidding myself.

Our salvation was won by Christ, and it is only through the unmerited grace of God that I can avail myself of it. In my own strength I can’t obey Jesus, try as I might, but, through the Sacraments, God pours out on me the grace I need to turn to Him. And I only found it in union with the Catholic Church.

www.catholic.com

 

[Archbishop 10-K]

As a Protestant I struggled with this for a long time, and have come to the same conclusion as Archbishop 10-k.

Are you a convert too?

BTW, I'm lovin' your sig. I've used both those quotes multiple times.

 

[0be1]

First off let me say thank you to everyone for their input on salvation. I do not know how many posts I have read here that people do not stress the importance of salvation.

Also here is my two cents.

John 10:25-30 - Jesus answered. "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one.

Rev. 1:18 - Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and hades.

Some believe (I have not yet found scriptural proof) that during the days in the tomb, before His glorious resurrection, Jesus had actually been to hell and He himself had retrieved the keys from Satan. Now if this were true (and very possible as God is not limited in any way, shape, or form) how much more love does He show for us after all the ridicule, flogging, demeaning, and especially the Crucifixion. I do belive that he did do that just so He went the extra mile from the beginning to the very end.

I hope this helps and know that many others have and will continue to go on the path that you are now on. Seek God in prayer to guide you through this time, and also know that many people are praying for you.

Go in His Peace...

 

[linden]

troymartin,

The Bible teaches that we can lose our salvation. For example, Paul was concerned to make sure that he wouldn’t lose the prize at the last, the scriptures speak of those who make shipwreck of their faith, and God says that he will cut off and burn branches that bear no fruit. (Rom. 11:22, 1 Tim 1:19-20, Heb. 10:26–29, 2 Pet. 2:20–21)

You are starting off on the premise that man after salvation has anything to do with keeping salvation. We are saved by grace, and salvation is a free gift, we do not earn it or deserve it. If that is true, and it is, after salvation is grace also. salvation is not conditional on our part. Most verses speak of loss of rewards in heaven, not loss of salvation. My thinking is that if their were passages that stated we could lose our salvation then there would be a passage that would clearly state how to "gain" salvation back, and there is not.

Mortal sins (those which involve grave matter, and that are done with full knowledge and complete consent) destroy our relationship with God.

sin is sin to God. David murdered and he was a man after God's own heart. How do we justify this? David was saved, and there was never a question of David losing his eternal life. And believe the Bible, he sinned up a storm. Now granted, God did discipline Him, but never was he in jeopardy of his salvation.

My problem with the Protestant answers to your question was that they didn’t adequately deal with the problem of self-deception. Like those who will cry “Lord, Lord, didn’t we do all these things in your name?”, I thought that my relationship with God was right, but how could I know that I wasn’t as wrong as they are?

The issue is do you beleive that God died for you as a substitute? faith alone in Christ alone? If a person has done that, then that person is saved. If that person says "no, I really do not believe that Jesus Christ died for me", and then precedes to go to church for twenty years, his destiny is not heaven. The Scripture clearly states that it is believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and thou shall be saved. There are self deception for both the believer and unbeliever.

For just this reason, Jesus gave the Apostles, with Peter in the primacy, binding authority to teach in matters of faith and morals, and the authority to forgive the sins of a sinner who confesses. For just this reason, our Lord instituted the Sacraments of the Church, which are physical signs that actually convey that which they are symbolic of. So when I confess, with a contrite heart, my sins to a priest, and he declares on the authority handed down to him by the Apostles that my sins are forgiven, I don’t have to worry that I’m kidding myself.

1 John 1:9 plainly states that if we confess to God the Father, He will forgive.

Our salvation was won by Christ, and it is only through the unmerited grace of God that I can avail myself of it. In my own strength I can’t obey Jesus, try as I might, but, through the Sacraments, God pours out on me the grace I need to turn to Him. And I only found it in union with the Catholic Church.

In most verses when the gospel is given, it is actually a command. So if one believes in Jesus Christ, he is obeying Jesus. No extra charge on that one. I believe only through our (PARAKLETOS) mentor God the Holy Spirit, that we CAN follow Jesus.

Linden

 

[PleaseHelpMe]

How can you possibly confess all your sins to God? Thats not possible...could someone go to hell becuase he did not confess a sin?

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

How can you possibly confess all your sins to God? Thats not possible...could someone go to hell becuase he did not confess a sin?

If that was the case, we would all be doomed! God wants us to try as hard as we can. He has saved us, but He still knows that we are imperfect.

 

[TheMainException]

You are right about salvation simply being "belive and try to obey jesus and confess his name among men" yes, that's all...you've done it...and now Satan is trying to attack you. Don't let him... If you believe and have faith...live for Jesus, you are saved! praise God in heaven!

 

[Faith In God]

repent and believe. then work to prove it.