how does one lay hold of eternal life?

[Daniel Marsh]

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 (1 Timothy 6:12).

 

[Korean-American Christian]

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 (1 Timothy 6:12).

I have been wondering the same thing....is it enough to trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord....and be baptized? Then, does a person have eternal salvation?

 

[morse86]

Lay hold on to eternal life meaning to stick with the word of God....don't go after the world's ways. This verse is not talking about salvation. Read the whole chapter in context, don't just read one verse.

1 Timothy 6:10-12:
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

If you follow the world's ways, you'll end up in sin. It has nothing to do with salvation.

 

[Korean-American Christian]

If you trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord....and are baptized....do you have eternal salvation? How is good works involved?

(I know that you cannot earn salvation through good works)

 

[morse86]

If you trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord....and are baptized....do you have eternal salvation? How is good works involved?

(I know that you cannot earn salvation through good works)

KJV James answers that easily:

James 2:16-18:
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

In front of MAN, faith is DEAD if one does not have works. How can they see your faith?!?!? Only God knows. Man can only test someone by their works.

In front of GOD, you stand by your FAITH only.

 

[Korean-American Christian]

KJV James answers that easily: In front of MAN, faith is DEAD if one does not have works. How can they see your faith?!?!? Only God knows. Man can only test someone by their works.
In front of GOD, you stand by your FAITH only.

Thank you for the clear and thorough answer

 

[Korean-American Christian]

Lay hold on to eternal life meaning to stick with the word of God....don't go after the world's ways. This verse is not talking about salvation. Read the whole chapter in context, don't just read one verse. If you follow the world's ways, you'll end up in sin. It has nothing to do with salvation.

Context, context context - as my seminary professor would say

 

[PollyJetix]

Faith without works is dead before God.
Because true living faith will produce action.
Check out Hebrews 11. Every single case is "By faith___ did ___."
Faith that doesn't make you do anything is worthless.
It's the kind of faith the devils have, who never repent of their evil.

 

[Korean-American Christian]

Faith without works is dead before God.
Because true living faith will produce action.
Check out Hebrews 11. Every single case is "By faith___ did ___."
Faith that doesn't make you do anything is worthless.
It's the kind of faith the devils have, who never repent of their evil.

However, a person cannot earn salvation through good works, is that correct?

 

[morse86]

Faith without works is dead before God.
Because true living faith will produce action.
Check out Hebrews 11. Every single case is "By faith___ did ___."
Faith that doesn't make you do anything is worthless.
It's the kind of faith the devils have, who never repent of their evil.

Repent? God repented. Repent simply means to "turn away". Did God sin too? What the heck is he "repenting" about?!?!?

Faith has a scale of measurement. The apostles had faith of a mustard seed. John the baptist at one point even doubted Jesus. A mustard seed. Some people have more faith and do works, some people have faith and do zero works. Both are justified by God by FAITH ONLY.

Let's read the word of God as a whole.....not take verses out of context.

Our works are like filthy rags in front of God:

Isaiah 64:6:
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

We are not justified by filthy rags......we are justified by HIS (Jesus) righteousnesses only.

 

[Korean-American Christian]

Some people have more faith and do works, some people have faith and do zero works. Let's read the word of God as a whole.....not take verses out of context.
I don't need the Hebrew "translations", God created all languages and we got a perfect preserved word of God. He said he would preserve his word AND HE DID.

Thank you for this clarification

 

[timewerx]

Love God.

 

[Korean-American Christian]

Love God.

It's that simple?

 

[RascaLinFaith]

On the one hand, God requires faith, and yet on the other hand, Scripture says that no one can exercise saving faith unless God does something supernaturally to empower or enable him to do so. Regeneration means “generated again.” It’s a new beginning, a new genesis. We are born into this world biologically alive but spiritually dead. In order to become spiritually alive, we need the supernatural work of God the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

The greatest act of mercy that God performs is giving the gift of faith. I would also want to emphasize that the Scriptures are absolutely key in the process by which the Spirit gives—and strengthens—the faith of Christians..

So we are reborn, we hear the Word of God, we believe, we are justified, we are adopted, and we are sealed by the Holy Spirit. All of these things are part of the order of God’s work of redemption in us.

When you struggle with your faith, when you face the dark night of the soul, when you are not sure of where you stand with the things of God, flee to the Scriptures. It is from those pages that God the Holy Spirit will speak to you, minister to your soul, and strengthen the faith that He gave to you in the first place.

 

[Korean-American Christian]

The greatest act of mercy that God performs is giving the gift of faith. I would also want to emphasize that the Scriptures are absolutely key in the process by which the Spirit gives—and strengthens—the faith of Christians..So we are reborn, we hear the Word of God, we believe, we are justified, we are adopted, and we are sealed by the Holy Spirit. All of these things are part of the order of God’s work of redemption in us.
When you struggle with your faith, when you face the dark night of the soul, when you are not sure of where you stand with the things of God, flee to the Scriptures. It is from those pages that God the Holy Spirit will speak to you, minister to your soul, and strengthen the faith that He gave to you in the first place.

I was sure that faith in Jesus Christ is a gift. Thank you for confirming.

 

[Korean-American Christian]

Why are there different views on how to be saved (Soteriology)?

 

[morse86]

I was sure that faith in Jesus Christ is a gift. Thank you for confirming.

No, salvation is the gift, grace is the free gift, faith is the choice. Salvation through faith by grace is what the KJV and all of the old bibles passed down generation to generation teach.

Grace is something you got but you did not deserve, faith is something you believe in yet not seen, and salvation is the gift of life.

 

[morse86]

Why are there different views on how to be saved (Soteriology)?

The devil is a subtle beast. It is the master of deception, it has several devices that trap man.

We need to seek a translation that has been passed down generation to generation since Jesus time. It is easy to confirm which translation this is, it's the KJV. God has promised us he will preserve his word. He is God, we have his word today. One of the bibles is the real word of God. If you do a compare and contrast, the KJV is the real bible (and all of the old bibles).

The other counterfeit "modern" translations make a joke of salvation.

 

[Korean-American Christian]

No, salvation is the gift, grace is the free gift, faith is the choice. Salvation through faith by grace is what the KJV and all of the old bibles passed down generation to generation teach.
Grace is something you got but you did not deserve, faith is something you believe in yet not seen, and salvation is the gift of life.

Salvation by grace, through faith....thank you for correcting my error

 

[PollyJetix]

Of course faith is a gift. But we can choose to receive or refuse that gift. Salvation is not by works.

Let me put it this way.
Saving faith makes you respond to God.
If you don't believe God is who He says He is, then you won't respond to Him.
And our response is an action on our part.

If we have responded to God, by accepting the gift of faith he offers, it WILL result in works.

There are all kinds of counterfeits for faith.
There's the "faith alone without works" counterfeit.
There's the "works to earn salvation" counterfeit.
And there's the "if God wants to save me, He will, without any response on my part" counterfeit.