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For by grace are ye saved through faith...

I never understood that. Does it mean that Jesus died for our sins and therefore we will not be held accountable for our faults and misdeeds; i.e., He already paid the price for us?

The rest of Eph 2:8 clarifies; "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"

Grace refers to the grace of God. The section after the semicolon means that we are not saved "of ourselves", i.e., something we merited. We did not earn the salvation, by some work that we did or by some deserving trait of ours. It can only be understood as a free gift. If someone just walks up to me, and it's not my birthday, and they just say here, here's a gift and gives me something, I did not merit the gift, they simply decided to bestow it on me.

If we did merit salvation ourselves - we would not need the free gift, we would have it due to us for our merits. This is heresy; it makes Christ's work on the cross unnecessary, God forbid. We are unworthy to be in God's presence because of our sin; it is only by Grace through faith in Jesus Christ that a man is not destined for damnation.

So God, in his Grace, at his sovereign pleasure, decided to bestow a gift on the true believer, one who is counted among the elect. Very often people say what's this "elect" group - that's mean to say that God chose some people to save, and he chose to not save others. They dispute that election (God's election, not ours) is unscriptural. A quick search of biblegateway.com for the word elect will provide dozens of references to the election, and they all convey the same fact, that God has his elect. We simply can't stand the idea of not having control of our own destiny; yet what such feelings prove is only the presence of original sin, in that we are unwilling to submit to God. What people don't understand is that we do not have future knowledge. If I'm sitting there contemplating this, it may be that I am among the elect - I need to keep seeking.

We must keep in mind the perfection of God's justice. God requires a price of blood for sin. It's not like human justice, where the convicted can get a light sentence. It's perfect justice - we are born into sin (study of Genesis is needed to answer questions on that), we therefore can not avoid sinning. We have committed sins during our lives and the price must be paid for us to be in the presence of God. Rom 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Blood atonement was required of the ancient Israelites for sin. The Old Testament has that message throughout - the sacrifices were absolutely required, and Jesus says very clearly that the moral Law has not been abrogated; he came to fulfill it. Atonement for sin has always been required by God; he is unchanging, it is always required. The Old Testament sacrifices also foreshadow Christ's sacrifice - He is our Passover Lamb. That is what John the Baptist meant when he exclaimed "Behold the Lamb of God".

1 Peter Chapter 1:
"19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,"

The sacrifices all had to be the best there was to offer, not leftovers, or second best. The lamb was to be without blemish. What kind of sacrifice is it if it is only what was cheap or to be discarded ? That's an insult, a cheap way out. No, God demands a sacrifice. He also demands the first. The firstborn is always special in the Old Testament. Christ is the firstborn among the elect.

We must understand that salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit of God. As one seeks, it is actually the Holy Spirit that is drawing the seeker to be interested in God's Law Word. If it were up to our sinful minds, spirits and bodies, we would reject the Gospel. As a human, I myself would be too lazy and complacent to seek. I can only surmise that the Holy Spirit moves me to seek.

I was taught from the age of six that I am responsible if I break the laws of God and the laws of my church.

Salvation is not a license to sin in the future. Throughout the New Testament, the person forgiven is told to "go and sin no more". Sin must be repented of. When we admit that we have sinned, even though Christ died for our sins, we still must repent. Repentence requires acknowledgment, regret and resolve to refrain from the sin in the future.

Much of the New Testament is Epistles, letters written to congregations. They were included in the canon because they address doctrinal questions that had arisen then - and still arise today. One place the question of sinning after conversion is addressed directly is in Romans.

Rom 6:1-2 "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"

Once one truly experiences a conversion, that is the "born again" part of doctrine. The New Testament tells us that a man will put off the old man, that is, there will be a complete change within the believer. The Bible tells us this "old man" is crucified so that we should not serve sin.

But how can man, who has a sinful mind, spirit and body avoid sin ? A wonderful part of the good news is that the Holy Spirit dwells within the believer.

1 Corinthians 6:19 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

It is what brings about what we externally see in the believer as godly behavior; the Apostles confirmed this, even in themselves. This is the "fruit of the Spirit"; and conversion certainly brings about in a person an obedience to Christ.

John 14:15
" If ye love me, keep my commandments."

Hence we Christians, like ancient Israel, rely on God; we know what he desires of us through his Word.

We must study the Bible for answers, that's what the Reformation was all about. This is all straight from the Bible, IMHO, it is best to read the KJV original version and get familiar with the older English meanings by using a study Bible or guide that clarifies the older words in modern terms. Modern translations have actually changed the meanings that the translators of the KJV did such a good job at translating from the original languages. There are a few issues that quality scholarship raises with the KJV, but very few; conservative scholars agree that for most purposes, it's the best translation.

Blessings.