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Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Faith is the vehicle by which one receives the gift of salvation that God offers. That faith can be expressed through a prayer. In prayer a person addresses themselves to God the Father. When in placing their faith in Christ for salvation a person says in their own vocabulary, their own words, to God the Father that they are receiving Christ as Savior, they have expressed their faith in a prayer and in that moment of time they are saved forever. The faith precedes the prayer.
As the article says,
quote
'It is not wrong to encourage a lost person to express his faith in Christ as an expression of prayer, as long as he clearly understands that salvation (righteousness) comes from his decision of faith in Christ, and His sacrifice, which is made in his heart (an expression meaning a geniune and willful decision) prior to saying the prayer.'
unquote
Read that paragraph CAREFULLY and try to grasp what it is saying.
Again, eternal salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
There is no place for arrogant, self righteous legalism in the plan of God, either in salvation or after salvation.
I understand the issue thoroughly. That is why I posted the article. So that those who will, will understand that salvation is by a simple placing of your faith in Christ, calling on the name of the Lord, and not by any legalistic works of self righteous arrogance.
Christ paid the penalty for every sin in the human race, past, present and future.
Hebrews 10:10 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL.
Hebrews 10:14 For by ONE offering He has perfected FOR ALL TIME those who are sanctified.
I love Acts 2:21 and I act upon it especially in times of great duress. Thank u Mike555 for the Bible lesson. I found it useful.
You're welcome. I posted the article for the purpose of showing that all one need to do to be saved is to place his trust in Christ for salvation. That is what it means to call on the name of the Lord. Salvation is by grace, not by works.
You're welcome. I posted the article for the purpose of showing that all one need to do to be saved is to place his trust in Christ for salvation. That is what it means to call on the name of the Lord. Salvation is by grace, not by works.
Exactly what does "place his trust in Christ" mean to you Mike?...what does this trust entail...according to you?
You're welcome. I posted the article for the purpose of showing that all one need to do to be saved is to place his trust in Christ for salvation. That is what it means to call on the name of the Lord. Salvation is by grace, not by works.
What does Scripture mean to you when it says... "... work out your salvation with fear and trembling ..." Mike?
What does Scripture mean to you when it says... "... work out your salvation with fear and trembling ..." Mike?
My Bible says "put into action God's saving work in your lives, obeying God with deep reverence and fear".
We must be careful about what we believe and how we live, in the absence of Christian leaders, we must focus our attention even more on Christ so we don't get sidetracked.
What does Scripture mean to you when it says... "... work out your salvation with fear and trembling ..." Mike?
I believe that you are not looking at that verse in context, .......... God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble .... those that exalt themselves will be brought down and those that are humble will be lifted up.
The context of that passage is
Php 2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
Php 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Php 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Php 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Php 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Php 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
The word that you highlit is not a reference to us working for our salvation ----- it is to do with accomplishing and what is accomplished is ----> salvation through fear and trembling (being humble) It is about admitting that we can not save ourselves --- it is God that does that when we call out to Him.
Acts 26:20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. Who is doing the deeds in us to prove our repentence? Holy Spirit. Then these are not deeds of our own. Now if we believe God's word that, Mark 10:18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. Then anything done good in us, whether repentence, salvation or a deed, is done by God. There is not one "good" thing(deed) done by a human, only God in them. Matthew 3:8
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. The fruit from God is from the Holy Spirit. No man can boast. Romans 6:20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. Who controls righteousness? Who is the King of Righteousness? Jesus. Who is the author and perfector of your Faith? Jesus Who by His mercy and grace gave us salvation? Jesus Who sent Power on High to do all the good acts? John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Now, since Jesus has "all" power in heaven, on earth and under earth...what power does anyone have to do anything, that Jesus does not give you? So any good deed you think you are doing, Jesus has given you the power to do it. He puts it in your mind and he delivers it. Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you to will and to actaccording to his good purpose.
It is for God's glory that the gift of the Holy Spirit work in you through Jesus Christ our Lord.It is not about us, it is about Him doing His good in us.
We are being made perfect. God does not live in time. Why does this person or that still have this or that sin after being saved? It's up to God's mercy and His will. Am I a slave to my Righteous King Jesus? Yes, I am and he has honored me with this, and even more He calls me, "Friend".
Those who think that you can lose your salvation do not understand the distinction between positional sanctification in which a believer in Christ has been made eternally secure, and experiential sanctification in which a believer 'works out his salvation' after having been eternally saved. In other words, after having been saved, the believer is expected to advance spiritually by learning and applying Bible doctrine to the circumstances of his life. But whether he does or not has no bearing on his eternal salvation.
Regarding salvation, C.I. Scofield wrote...
(1:16) The Hebrew and Greek words for ''salvation'' imply the idesa of deliverance, safety, preservation, healing, and soundness: ''Salvation'' is the great inclusive word of the Gospel, gathering into itself all the redemptive acts and processes: as justification, redemption, grace, propitiation, imputation, forgiveness, sanctification, and glorification. Salvation is in three tenses:
(1) The Christian has been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin (Lk. 7:50; 1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Cor. 2:15; Eph. 2:5,8; 2 Tim. 1:9) and is safe.
(2) The Christian is being saved from the habit and dominion of sin (Rom. 6:14; 8:2; 2 Cor. 3:18; Gal. 2:19-20; Phil. 1:19; 2:12-13; 2 Th. 2:13). And
(3) the Christian will be saved at the Lord's return, from all the bodily infirmities that are the result of sin and God's curse upon the sinful world (Rom. 8:18-23; 1 Cor. 15:42-44), and brought into entire conformity to Christ (Rom.13:11; Heb. 10:36; 1 Pet. 1:5; 1 Jn. 3:2). Salvation is by grace through faith, is a free gift and wholly without works (Rom. 3:27-28; 4:1-8; 6:23; Eph.2:8). The divine order is: first salvation, then works (Eph.2:9-10; Ti. 3:5-8).
(New Scofield Reference Edition, footnote for Romans 1:16, p. 1211.)
The three tenses of salvation Dr. Scofield wrote of above are the three stages of sanctification. 1)Positional 2) Experiential or progressive 3) Ultimate.
The following links concern these three stages of sanctification...
Those who think that you can lose your salvation do not understand the distinction between positional sanctification in which a believer in Christ has been made eternally secure, and experiential sanctification in which a believer 'works out his salvation' after having been eternally saved. In other words, after having been saved, the believer is expected to advance spiritually by learning and applying Bible doctrine to the circumstances of his life. But whether he does or not has no bearing on his eternal salvation.
Once again you have the correct answer Mike!!!
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