Saved by faith alone

[zoidar]

Here is a thread at CF:
Do Lutherans believe in Eternal Security?

I'll be back later ... job's calling.

Christ love!

 

[Bible Highlighter]

12 disciples with 12 different personalities, none of them similar. God made us all different but they all had faith, some stronger than others, some very weak like Thomas.

And one of those disciples fell away.

 

[-57]

But Jesus taught that one can be in danger of hellfire if they look upon a woman in lust in Matthew 5:28-30. Why would Jesus warn us against such a sin if one cannot lose salvation via by sin as the Lutherans teach? The apostle John says that just hating your brother is the equivalent of not having eternal life abiding within a person (See: 1 John 3:15).

This tells me that it is not by faith alone. I have to be faithful or loyal to the Lord as a part of salvation. It's not forced upon me (regardless if I abide with the Lord or not). God does not force me to be a certain way.

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” (James 1:12).

Yes, we are saved by God's grace through faith without the deeds of the Law as a part of the 1st process of salvation, but after we are saved by God's grace, we need to enter into “Sanctification” (Holy living by God's power) as a part of the salvation process. For...

1. We are justified by works and not by faith alone (James 2:24).
   
   
2. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17).
   
   
3. A person can deny God by a lack of works (Titus 1:16).
   
   
4. Jesus agreed with the lawyer that to love God, and to love your neighbor is a part of inheriting eternal life (Luke 10:25-28).
   
   
5. Those who have done good, shall come forth unto the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, shall come forth unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:29).
   
   
6. We have to continue in His goodness, otherwise we can be cut off [just like the Jews were cut off] (Romans 11:21-22).
   
   
7. Helping the poor, and the unfortunate relates to inheriting the Kingdom (Matthew 25:34-40), and not helping the poor, and the unfortunate relates to going away into everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:41-46).
   
   
8. Whoever does not righteousness or does not love his brother is not of God (1 John 3:10).
   
   
9. Whoever does what Jesus says is likened unto a wise man who built his house upon the rock, and when a storm came, it did not fall, (Matthew 7:24-25), but the person who does not do what Jesus says is likened unto a fool who built his house upon the sand, and when a storm came, great was the fall of that house (Matthew 7:26-27).
   
   
10. Abiding in Jesus will bear much fruit, but if a person does not abide in Jesus [thereby being unfruitful], they are cast out [or cut off] like a branch to be burned in the fire (John 15:5-6).
    
    
11. If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing (1 Peter 4:18-19).
    
    
12. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14) (NKJV).

So no. It's not by faith alone.
Even James 2:24 uses this very words to refute such an idea.
Then again some try to change what James said, or they disregard the book of James altogether because they don't like what he said.

Just how much good do you have to do?

 

[-57]

And one of those disciples fell away.

Was Judas the son of perdition ever saved?

 

[Victor in Christ]

And one of those disciples fell away.

It was prophesised in the Psalms that one would betray him. Its a lesson to us all, not to betray Christ for money or wealth. Our wealth and prosperity in Christ is through his spiritual gifts, health, fellowship, blessing of food, Christian friends, opening doors we neve thought would open, sinners coming to Christ......Its never financial things God blesses us with, its gifts so we may spread the Gospel to others, not for our own selfish benefit.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

I have gone back to "saved by faith alone". Why? One reason was I could find no peace when I had to look at my own life to see if I was saved.

Awww poor baby!

Do works matter? Surely so! By obedience we keep our faith, but it's by faith through the Holy Spirit we are connected to Christ, the cross, the forgiveness of sins. Through the Holy Spirit we are children of God.

Careful no one steals your crown is a verse not taken into account.

Tim 4
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

I have a saying “Truth is limited to a certain width but that width is infinitely deep” Meaning foundations of truth are based upon reaching higher levels to obtain new knowledge. When the first truth is surpassed it feels like the foundation of everything has disappeared from beneath the feet and the standing is no longer concrete. The struggle is to remain upright. Trust is the only factor that can maintain that, and seriously it means facing everything humanly possible, because God supplies the rest.

Everyone on the previous level of truth is in agreement with everything said on the base level. But now God has supplied a new level of understanding IF one has trusted to His calling deeper. Now understanding is on a deeper level, so fewer people will be in agreement because so many turn back to elementary foundations. Fear has held them back. Lack of trust.

The heart is what spews it’s immaturity but a mature heart knows itself. Find the door to your heart and understanding cannot help but to produce the call of deep calling out to deep.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

In reality you don't make a decision for Christ...Christ chooses you.

So then it's God's fault for people not being saved. So then the judgment is a joke and a farce. All free will passages in regards to choosing Christ need to be ignored in the Bible. Okay. I got it. That is what a Calvinist must come to a conclusion on. You can have at it. Not my cup of tea. I prefer to just read and believe the Bible plainly.

 

[zoidar]

I didn't expect a straight answer so, no worries.

What do you want me to answer?

 

[-57]

So then it's God's fault for people not being saved. So then the judgment is a joke and a farce. All free will passages in regards to choosing Christ need to be ignored in the Bible. Okay. I got it. That is what you believe. You can have at it. Not my cup of tea. I prefer to just read and believe the Bible plainly.

God fault? Has no one ever taught you about what happened in Genesis 3?

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Just how much good do you have to do?

In the parable of the Talents we learn that the servant who was faithful over a few things was told enter into the joy of His Lord (See: Matthew 25:21). Yet, the unprofitable servant was cast into outer darkness (See: Matthew 25:30).

 

[Bible Highlighter]

God fault? Has no one ever taught you about what happened in Genesis 3?

Yes, this proves that it was man's choice and not God's choice to sin.
But after that choice God does not then force men after that point to randomly be unsaved or saved. If God allowed for Adam and Eve to choose, He is not a respecter of persons to change the rules of the game after that and force salvation upon some and then force eternal damnation upon others. That's not really the loving God of the Bible. But you see what you want to see because that is what you want to be true.

 

[Kenny'sID]

What do you want me to answer?

The question, it was very simple.

 

[Randy777]

I have gone back to "saved by faith alone". Why? One reason was I could find no peace when I had to look at my own life to see if I was saved. Do works matter? Surely so! By obedience we keep our faith, but it's by faith through the Holy Spirit we are connected to Christ, the cross, the forgiveness of sins. Through the Holy Spirit we are children of God.

Tim 4
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

People call on the one they believe in and blessed are those who have not seen Jesus but believe in Him. They confess with their mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead. The forgiveness of sins is received by faith in Jesus not by works and it is salvation by the forgiveness of sins. And Jesus is how God chose to forgive sin.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

A change of heart is prompted by a sincere faith and a outward sign of salvation

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

God fault? Has no one ever taught you about what happened in Genesis 3?

Yes, if you believe in Unconditional Reprobation (Which is the opposite direct result of Unconditional Election), then yes. It is God's fault for forcing some people to not be saved when He could have flipped the switch or zapped them to be saved by His divine decree and will.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

@zoidar

Do you believe in Calvinism?
If you don't, then why do you feel Calvinism is wrong?
Is not faith alone (with the suggestion of works and faithfulness always following) sound like Calvinism in reverse?
Meaning, it sounds to me like you believe that by having faith alone, God is going to change you to be a certain way against your will and it is not by your choice to be faithful and to do good works (Thereby denying the necessity that faithfulness and good works plays a part in the salvation process). You can call it a relationship all you like, or talking about being a doctor, but you have to face the music if works and faithfulness is something we have to do as a part of salvation or not. Are these things just automatic?

 

[-57]

Yes, this proves that it was man's choice and not God's choice to sin.
But after that choice God does not then force men after that point to randomly be unsaved or saved. If God allowed for Adam and Eve to choose, He is not a respecter of persons to change the rules of the game after that and force salvation upon some and then force eternal damnation upon others. That's not really the loving God of the Bible. But you see what you want to see because that is what you want to be true.

You do know God didn't have to save anyone. In fact no one deserves salvation.

But the loving God of the bible did decide to save some.

 

[-57]

Yes, if you believe in Unconditional Reprobation (Which is the opposite direct result of Unconditional Election), then yes. It is God's fault for forcing some people to not be saved when He could have flipped the switch or zapped them to be saved by His divine decree and will.

John 6:65 says a lot.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

You do know God didn't have to save anyone. In fact no one deserves salvation.

But the loving God of the bible did decide to save some.

Yes, that is your view of God. I don't see that as a description of the loving God found in the Bible.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).

 

[Bible Highlighter]

John 6:65 says a lot.

And the context that you ignore says....

“It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” (John 6:45).

 

[-57]

And the context that you ignore says....

“It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” (John 6:45).

Exactly...hath learned of the Father. The Father doesn't teach all.

Lydias heart had to be opened or she could not have understood Christ.