Are we saved by grace alone or by our works?
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Ephesians 2:8-9..."For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast".\nWorks follow naturally as evidence of salvation, not to obtain it.
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Well I'm not sure.  I was just  saved on Sunday.  But already I feel my old witchlike ways beckoning me.  If I return to the craft, I hope I am still saved.  Praise Jesus.  He loves me, his righteous followers and washed us clean, amen ;).
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NO ONE ON THIS EARTH IS GUARANTEED TO GO TO HEAVEN JUST BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST OR BY GOD'S GRACE ALONE!\n\nGod's grace, alone, won't do it...\n\nMy faith, alone, won't do it...\n\nHow I live my life, by itself, won't do it...\n\nI know that I can only get to heaven through Jesus. Also, it is not just by this faith in Jesus, nor just the Grace of God, nor just the works that I do. It is a combination of many things. \n\nWe receive God's saving and sanctifying grace in many ways, and Christ Himself, into our souls when we are baptized and through the sacraments. Yet we also know that Christ Himself has established certain conditions for entry into eternal happiness in Heaven.\n\n"Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."" (John 6:53-58)\n\nWe will be judged by this as well, so be warned...\n\n"Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself." (1 Cor. 11:27-29).\n\nWe will also be judged by our faith, but not by this alone, we will also be judged by the works that we do (Justification by faith alone is a Protestant doctrine; it was unheard of in the Christian community before the sixteenth century.)...\n\nIf St. Paul meant that faith ruled out the necessity of good works for salvation, he would not have written: \n\n". . . and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." (1 Cor. 13:2). \n\nIf faith ruled out the necessity of good works for salvation, the Apostle James would not have written: \n\n"Do you see that by works a man is justified; and not by faith only'? . . . For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also faith without works is dead." (James 2:24-26). \n\nIf faith ruled out the necessity of good works for salvation, the Apostle Peter would not have written: \n\n"Therefore, brothers, be all the more eager to make your call and election firm, for, in doing so, you will never stumble. For, in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you." (2 Peter 1:10-11).\n\nIf faith was the only necessity for salvation, the Apostle James would not have written: \n\n"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, his religion is vain. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (James 1:26-27)\n\nChrist Himself stated:\n\n"For the Son of man . . . will render to every man according to his works." (Matt. 16:27). \n\n"‘Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven’" (Matt. 7:21). \n\nBut, I need my faith as well...\n\n"Who were those who rebelled when they heard? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt under Moses? With whom was he "provoked for forty years"? Was it not those who had sinned, whose corpses fell in the desert? And to whom did he "swear that they should not
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Here is a standard outline for people who want to have a saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Feel free to contact me via this site if you have any questions. I pray that God will welcome you into His family, in Jesus' name, Amen!\n\nRoman Road: The Highway to a Relationship with God\nRoman Road – it’s not just a systematic way to build highways inherited from the Roman Empire in the 1st Century. It’s also God’s plan of salvation set forth in Paul’s letter to the Romans. Also known as the Roman Road, the following is a collection of passages that build a beautiful and systematic approach to the gospel of grace by and through Jesus Christ.\n\nRoman Road: The Gospel of Grace\nFollow Me: \n\nRomans 1:20-21: "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened." We must acknowledge God as the Creator of everything and accept our humble position in God's creation. \n\nRomans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.” We must all realize that we are sinners and that we need forgiveness. We are not worthy of God’s grace. \n\nRomans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Through Jesus, God gave us a way to be saved from our sins. God showed us His love by giving us the potential for life through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. \n\nRomans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If we remain sinners, we will die. However, if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and repent of our sins, we will have eternal life. \n\nRomans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Just confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved! \n\nRomans 10:13 “For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” There are no religious formulas or rituals -- Call upon the name of the Lord and you will be saved! \n\nRomans 11:36: "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen." Determine in your heart to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life today. \n\nRoman Road: Are You Ready to Accept God’s Gift of Salvation?\nIf you truly believe the message of the Roman Road, and want to accept God’s gift of salvation right now, it's a matter of repenting of your sins and turning the rest of your life over to Jesus Christ. Again, this is not a ritual based on any specific words or prayers, but rather, a willful decision and a sincere step of faith. \n\n“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.” \n\n"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)\n\nIf you decided to receive Jesus today, welcome to God's family. Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to follow up on
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I agree with whoever wrote this article. For too long we as Christians have been contentedly complacent in our belief that since we have accepted God's Plan of Salvation that our work is done. That's not so. Time is so short,and we need to do whatever we can to broadcast the Plan to others,and not keep it to ourselves. I too have been guilty of sitting back and letting someone else do my work for me. As Christians,we each have a work to do,and in whatever way we can,we are to share our faith with others,wether they receive it or not. Fear of rejection or persecution should not be a factor in doing God's Will. I believe the same urgency I feel is felt by other Christians around the world. We see the signs of the times,and it is time to step up to the plate,so to speak,and witness to the world. It is also time to stand up for our rights as Christians and take back what organizations such as the ACLU has taken from us.We have the same rights as others,yet it is our religious rights that are being trampled at every turn. Now is not the time to fear what man can do to us. Now is the time to stand up for what is right and moral regardless of what the world thinks of us.Now is the time to put on the full Armor of God and be the people God has chosen us to be.
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God shedding His wonderful grace on you and despite circumstances finally seeing the truth. It is nothing of your own power but of Gods mercy and grace. He chose us before the foundations of the Earth.\n\nEyelovesJesus: You are so sweet! God bless!
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Seeing as how we are saved, not by faith alone, but by our works (James 2:24), and seeing as how we will be judged by our works (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:12-13), and seeing how only those who do the will of the Father will be saved (Matthew 7:12), we had better not be hearers only, but doers.
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No,Just like we can't be saved by christ.We evolved from apes.We are animals our selves.We just have concepts of what is right and wrong.Those are just concepts.There is no right and wrong.We didn't have to ecknowledge God when we were apes.Why is it important now.Do you think God created heaven after we evolved into humans?When we were apes, we also didn't have concepts of right and wrong.We went by instint alone .Now we have those same instints,we just have the mind to categorize them.How does that make us any more valuable than any other creature.We are not.We're just more intellegent.\n\nGod created all creatures.Why would he just give us a soul and not animals.We are animals ourselves.We evolved from apes.So you're saying we didn't have a soul untill we evolved into humans?
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Yes, "While Mennonites hold tightly to the belief that we are saved through God's powerful gift of grace, we don't subscribe to the "eternal security," or "once saved, always saved" theology. And though we believe that we are ultimately saved by God's grace, and not through any action or merit of our own, we also believe that maintaining a right relationship with Christ means that we are to follow in his footsteps and live a life that follows his example. Each member of the church has free will and can separate themselves from the body of Christ and live a sinful life, even if they once were bound to Christ. If that happens, the church will continue to pray for them and seek to restore them to fellowship, but the individual may still choose to forfeit his/her right to salvation."\n\nWhile I don't know precisely what Biblical verses they use to support their view, I would suspect they're most of the usual ones.  That is, Romans 11:22; Galatians 5:4; 1 Corinthians 15:1–2; 2 Pet. 2:20; Matt. 7:21, 10:33, 18:35; and Rev 22:19.
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Jesus saves and no other. It is not what we think or say but His work\nLuke 19:10\nfor the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
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That's awesome and a special gift to love time alone with the Lord.\nI love being in church.\n\nI think the scripture about forsaking the assembly is important - I think it has to do with the example of Jesus - how he was amogst people and ministered to them. You have to be among people to be supported and support them. And sometimes it is harder to stay inspired on your owm - experiencing worship together is powerful.\n\nI think both are important and needed.
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True Faith + God's Grace = His Salvation
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Friend,\n\nRe-read Ephesians 2.  It is by FAITH we have been saved.  Not by any works of our hands or hearts.  Being saved is a GIFT from God.  When I give a gift, I expect nothing in return.  I don't think God does either.  Quoted above: our works are like filthy rags to God.  The good works spoken of are not for God's benefit, but ours and our fellow man.  The Lord delights in our being happy.  If a believer shows another of God's children love via a "good deed", the love shown is what God cares about.  When we do "good deeds" to try and please God, we fail at it miserably!  That is why no deed, however good will get you into heaven.  It is by being born again through Christ that we gain access to heaven.  That is THE ONLY WAY.  The Bible is plain on that idea.  Good works are to be done because of our love for God, not to make Him happy.  The fact that we love Him and one another is His hearts delight.\nPeace
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Grace unto you, and peace,\nfrom God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.\n\nIt's allegoric before/after old/new first/second compare-i-son, of such created/made things created imperfect/made perfect, such as them/us, they/we, Adam/Christ, one man/one man, etc.\n\nMention of "the only true God" denotes a false God to watch for, as does mention of a "living God" denote a dead God to look for; Remembering the Bible often defines itself as hidden "mystery". Yet it says there is nothing hidden that's not also revealed, by "seek and ye shall find", and "escape" is via "give more earnest heed" to what's been said. Not to mention there are also see-king and find-ing clues given, such as "seek ye first the kingdom of God & his righteousness", and "find grace" to "help", "in time", in such a spiritual obstacle training course, intended to train up a child the way a child should go. Eg: "go ye and learn what meaneth I will have mercy, and not sacrifice".\n \nThe God of the OT is Law, with Grace being the dead testator of the OT, so Law could be of force. The God of the NT is Grace, with Law being the dead testator of the NT, so Grace may be of force: Hebrews 9. Law brings death upon all; Grace life unto all, but only if we let law be dead testator so Grace may be of "force".\nhttp://www.godshew.org/RevelatorySermons1.htm\n\nFor Law added to "Grace is sufficient" makes it "no more grace", like Death added to Eternal Life makes it no more Eternal Life.\n\nIt's "allegory" in both "covenants": Gal 4, "written aforetime for our learning": Rom 15, and notably written as "mystery" to solve to solve in time, lest "all perish by the using of ordinances" rather than "none perish" by grace void of law, which is mercy void of sacrifice, which is peace void of division.\nhttp://www.godshew.org/Allegory.htm\n\nThe word "and" is oft used to separate plural & contrary "scriptures", for it's not plural & contrary scriptures that are inspired of God, but rather singular script-u-are: 1Tim 3:16.\n\nTwo parts are also notably played:\n- "their part": God is evil(law) spoken of\n- "your part": God is (grace)glory-fied\nhttp://www.godshew.org/TheirPartYourPart.htm\n\nThe objective is allegoric compare-i-son of law & grace, "comparing spiritual things with spiritual", not mixing of such old & new things as law & grace; for such "contrary" things mixed tend to result in bursting, spilling, and perishing: Mt 9:17; Mk 2:22; Lk 5:37. Not to mention the mix-tu-are of contrary things makes an oxyMORON with a BAD ending such as life & DEATH. For Grace "is", and Law "added", so the only plausible combo is Grace + Law, which is as Blessed + Cursed, and Life + Death. And only what is "added" can be "taken away", "done away".\n\nThe law (and lie) was given by Moses,\nbut grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.\n\nHe taketh away the first(law),\nthat he may establish the second(grace).\n\nThe only thing established by both is "one proselyte",\nwhich is called "more the child of hell(law)" than before.\nhttp://www.godshew.org/Allegory3.htm\n\nGet it: "understanding", notably has a result in Prov 4:\nthy head (Christ) is thereby crowned with "grace" glory,\nof two glorys (law & grace) notably compared in 2Cor 3,\nwhich concludes we are "chanGed": "from glory to glory",\nfor when law compared to grace, grace is "much more",\nso much more that law fades to "nothing" by comparison,\nkinda like the night glory of moon & stars do at high noon,\nfor when the sun of righteousness shines, they 'vanish".\n\nThe "grace" of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen
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What you describe is one passage "faith without works is dead" . . . which basically mean . . . "do it yourself, because I am not going to do anything for you, and if you fail . . . don't blame yourself . . . . blame me and say it is God's Will"
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Thomas Alva Eddison,\nIt was the Judaizers that had a problem with that. Drink up. Haven't you learned yet that we are all sinners, and that the Grace of God is a Gift that we recieve for trusting God. Why are you always talking about sin? Being saved is about grace through faith. Not adherance to the Law.
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I'm with you. We need both faith and works.\n\nThe works God is talking about is not a Brownie Points system of "earning your way into heaven." But you cannot sustain faith for very long without true works. Faith dies without the fire of those works. However, God sees people as individuals, so there is no comparing with your neighbor to see who did "the most" or who is "most worthy." It just does not work like that.