Salvation is an act of God -- no question. It is only through Him that we are saved. But it is man's choice whether they choose to accept His saving grace or not. God has granted us free will to either follow Him or go wrong.
Is Getting Baptised Needed?
- Thread starter ThomasA
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Salvation is an act of God -- no question. It is only through Him that we are saved. But it is man's choice whether they choose to accept His saving grace or not. God has granted us free will to either follow Him or go wrong.
Faith is also a gift from God, in which he is the only one who can work it since faith works by love (God) Our only work which Jesus told his follower, "this is the work of God that you believe on him whom God has sent" Believing is work. John 6:29
As Jesus tells us that he could not anything on his own, and so maybe we are thinking we can do it. Not a chance on earth or at anytime. Without him we can do nothing, because he is the who does the works, not us. We do not ever want to think in our mind is that by our faith and works God is giving us salvation, which means you are earning it.
Pardon me for asking, but are you a Calvinist?
Having faith is not a means of working one's way into heaven. Doing the things Christ commanded us, when done because we have faith in Him and want to do what is right and good, is not a means of working one's way into heaven. It is an act of submission to Him.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but you seem concerned with works because it seems too familiar to the works under Mosaic law. We do not do things commanded to us by Moses -- rather, we do things commanded to us commanded by Christ -- divine law, and this, by definition, are works of love because God IS love.
We are saved by grace, and our response in accepting it is our faith and works; faith in Christ and works of Godly love -- these are not our fees as there is no fee for God's grace.
No, actually I was raised Roman Catholic, but got saved in an Assemblies of God Church. I am not connected to any man made denominations.
I beg your pardon, but Catholicism is not man-made. Personally, I wouldn't even regard it as a denomination.
Brother, doing the things Jesus commanded is simply believing His Word. It takes work to believe the truth. Ask anyone, "do you believe you are right this minute sitting in Heavenly places with Christ. Do you believe you are citizen of his Kingdom and you are right now having fellowship with the saints in light in that Kingdom". Most, if not all will say no, because they are believing only what their physical body, and eyes are telling, and not the Word of God.
To believe in His Word is a loaded statement. It is not a one-part act.
Is believing in Jesus and becoming a new creature in Christ a multiple act, or something you do only once?
It's only the beginning.
I agree, it is only the beginning of the growth process, but being a baby Christian vs a mature Christian there is no difference in their complete salvation.
I absolutely agree with that. One cannot be "more saved" than the other. But consider this; like a relationship cannot remain static, it must progress or regress, so does faith.
My actions and fellowship I have with the Lord is based on my belief of his Word, which is my work. If I believe wrong then my fellowship with God and my actions in this life will also be wrong. You can not experience the Kingdom of God beyond what you believe. What you are experiencing right now concerning God's Kingdom is based on your belief of His Word. If you believe that you will not see the Lord or be able to partake of his Kingdom until after you die, then that is exactly what you will get. The truth is God has done exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think, and he did this according the power that dwells within us, and that power is the Glory of God! Eph 3:20-21
Have we come full circle?
God's Word is a circle with no beginning or end. The difference is in the actions the Word produces in the life of a believer. The fruit that comes in one life is not the fruit of the person, but of the Word (seed). This is where abraham received strength to perform offering his son as a sacrifice to God. It did not come from him, but the Word in which he believed.
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No, I mean has our discussion come full circle?
I knew what what you were saying, and yes every topic and discussion concerning the Word of God is tied to each other. You can not talk about faith, without talking about love, or grace, or any other topic as there is a string woven within the fabric of His Word that connects them all together.
I think that's what we've been talking about this whole time, but I'm not sure we got very far.
Actually, Catholicism is a religion that teaches many man-made doctrines that are not biblically sound. You are correct in determining that it is not a denomination---but it is a religion all unto itself.
