Posted on 10/11/2017 5:53:09 AM PDT by Gamecock
If we think the Bible teaches universal salvation, we may arrive at a false sense of assurance by reasoning as follows: Everybody is saved. I am a body. Therefore, I am saved.
Or, if we think salvation is gained by our own good works and we are further deluded into believing that we possess good works, we will have a false assurance of salvation.
To have sound assurance, we must understand that our salvation rests on the merit of Christ alone, which is appropriated to us when we embrace Him by genuine faith. If we understand that, the remaining question is, “Do I have the genuine faith necessary for salvation?”
Again, two more things must be understood and analyzed properly. The first is doctrinal. We need a clear understanding of what constitutes genuine saving faith. If we conceive of saving faith as existing in a vacuum, never yielding the fruit of works of obedience, we have confused saving faith with dead faith, which cannot save anyone.
The second requirement involves a sober analysis of our own lives. We must examine ourselves to see whether the fruit of regeneration is apparent in our lives. Do we have a real affection for the biblical Christ? Only the regenerate person possesses real love for the real Jesus. Next we must ask the tough question, “Does my life manifest the fruit of sanctification?” I test my faith by my works.
Coram Deo
What is your response to the questions posed in this reading: Do you have the genuine faith necessary for salvation? Do you have a real affection for the biblical Christ? Does your life manifest the fruit of salvation?
Passages for Further Study
Psalm 9:14 that I may recount all your praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation.
Psalm 13:5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
Psalm 20:5 May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!
Ping
“Only the regenerate person possesses real love for the real Jesus.”
“Learn much of the Lord Jesus. For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ. He is altogether lovely. Such infinite majesty, and yet such meekness and grace, and all for sinners, even the chief. Live much in the smiles of God. Bask in His beams. Feel His all-seeing eye settled on you in love, and repose in His almighty arms…..Let your soul be filled with a heart-ravishing sense of the sweetness and excellency of Christ and all that is in Him.”
Robert Murray M’Cheyne
A religious caveat designed to keep people under the curse of the law.
>Who decides? Have you done enough? When can you be considered to have genuine faith?
>Jesus came to change our nature. Not simply to forgive our sins (what we do/have done). Hamartia...is a noun, not a verb. It describes the nature you were born INTO. Jesus is indeed the 2nd Adam. By one man sin entered into the world, by one man, Jesus, it was taken away.
>The gospel of Jesus Christ is this. He came to reveal God's love for His creation. Jesus came to transform us back to the nature that was given in the garden. Belief in Jesus’s righteous act ALONE for salvation..not how one achieves genuine faith. That is works under the curse of the law/religion.
>Total peace and rest comes in accepting Jesus has forgiven your sins...past, present and future. Then...only then will one receive freedom from sin. The fruit will begin to grow and multiply in ones life.
>Focusing constantly on your sin is a trap from satan. Keep a person focused on their sin...then on shame...then on condemnation...then on guilt. This cycle repeats itself over and over and over. Thus, never freeing you to focus on the true gospel of grace, God's unmerited favor.
>The WAR IS OVER folks! God is not mad at you. He provided the avenue back to a loving relationship with Him...through the sacrifice of Jesus. All of His wrath was poured out on Jesus. His anger has been quenched.
>Read scripture through the lens of grace and this will pop out at you like you've never realized before. Receiving the love God has for you through the grace purchased on that cross will set you free. You will love God so deeply, you will serve him more on accident than you will ever by working. His fruit will explode in your life.
HAMARTIA...it's your nature! Not what you do, it is the core of why you do it. This is why Jesus came! To restore your nature as righteous before God. He looks at you and sees His son...not your sin.
Well and truly stated! Amen
I would disagree with this test.
Works can be performed with NO saving faith. Jesus said there would be those who appeal to their works, miracles, casting out demons, etc, and He would send them away stating that He never knew them.
The FRUIT of the Spirit is found in Galatians 5:22-23 and that cannot be counterfeited in a person's life.
If the FRUIT of the Spirit is missing, the character of Christ being formed in someone's life, then there would be good reason to question their salvation, all the works in the world notwithstanding.
I’ve seen so many well meaning Christians locked and or lock others in a perpetual cycle of works based religion. Sad to see. I know...I once was locked in this cycle. Never achieving rest in HIS love and grace.
What is your response to the questions posed in this reading: Do you have the genuine faith necessary for salvation? Do you have a real affection for the biblical Christ? Does your life manifest the fruit of salvation?
Does my life manifest the fruit of salvation? no because it has always taken an act of God just to get me to do the right thing.
Not that i don`t try.
Romans becomes very clear.
Totally discount any good works of your own,
But i believe people gets faith and grace mixed up, thinking they are saved by faith.
As James said faith with out works is dead, faith is shown by works, not because we know that we must show our faith by our works but because that is just how our faith affects us.
Matthew 23:11
He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant.
This is not because he tries to become greater by becoming the servant, this is just how his faith has made him.
Luke 18
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
So it does not matter if we exalt ourselves by insisting we are saved by our faith or if we exalt our selves by saying we are saved by our works, it is all the same.
The publican did not exalt himself, he just ask for mercy.
Yet we see all of the time on these threads the attitudes of the Pharisee and not the attitude of the publican.
Since this is not a caucus thread, I am puzzled by why the moderator removed my comment regarding Mormonism thriving on works obligating.
It is a caucus and devotional thread.
Thank you.
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