What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Worthynews.com ^ | July 11th, 1875 | D. L. Moody

[fortheDeclaration]

Since the word of God is everywhere, why do some men hear correctly and some don't? Are some men more righteous, holy, stronger, more pragmatic, clever, pious, richer? No. Like Lazarus, all men are equally fallen sinners, stone cold dead in sin and trespass. That's WHY we need a Redeemer in the first place. Why do some hear and some not? Because God gives some the ears to hear Him with and some not.

The same reason some Christians grow and others do not.

Men choose what they desire, some desire truth, others the lie.(Jn.3:19-21, Isa.30:10)

Man is responsible for rejecting the free gift of salvation because they choose not to accept it and obey God (Jn.6:29)

No different then a Christian disobeying God in not yielding (Rom.6:16)

Or is God responsible for that also?

[fortheDeclaration]

What do you mean by 'through'?

Is the through the means of?

One has to believe that Christ is the Son of God (Jn.20:31), hence the title, the Lord Jesus Christ (Lord-Deity, Jesus-Humanity-Christ-Messiah).

One is saved by faith in Christ (Acts.16:31).

faith is not a result of salvation

[fortheDeclaration]

I know salvation is a gift which we accept by faith, which is not a work (Rom.4:4-5)

[fortheDeclaration]

Imay be redundant in my posts, but your disdain for Paul's clear instructions is more worrisome. Aw c'mon now Dr. E. You know darn good and well that ftd does not disdain Paul's words.

No, I actually like them.

I like them espically in context.

[fortheDeclaration]

LOL!

Yes, it is by the will of God, it is the will of God that all men be saved (1Tim.2:4)

So when anyone is saved they are doing the will of God (Jn.6:39)

The Plan of Salvation comes from God,(grace), not from man (Eph.2:8-9)

[thePilgrim]

***For someone who allegedly spent so much time as an Arminian, or at least amongst them, you sure don't understand it very well.***

Actually, I know Arminianism better than Arminians themselves do. This is why I'm no longer Arminian. So, see, when I speak about the finished Redemptive work of God, I literally mean, it is finished. All that remains in Redemptive history is for God to gather the remaining elect before He ends this age.

When Arminians speak about the Redemptive work of God, they can only say that God had done all he can and the rest is up to man. To be true to Arminianism, one cannot have faith directly and solely in the Lord who has wrought a salvation because God hasn't actually wrought that salvation. All that He has done is make a potential salvation for every member of the human race. Making it an actuality is the work of man. Were an Arminian to actually be true to his theology and place his faith directly and solely in the work of the Lord it would be nothing more than to have faith in a possible salvation and that is no salvation at all.

The Arminian must actually place his faith in his decision for Christ. But, that is not the same thing as having faith in what Christ has already done. Unfortunately, when anyone has a misplaced faith, it can't be called a saving faith.

This is why Arminians are inconsistent with their faith. The saved Arminian instinctively knows that he can't believe in his decision for Christ, but must believe solely in Christ. In this regard he joins the Calvinist and all other Reformed believers in the exercise of true saving faith by believing that Christ has appropriated for him personally a completed salvation.

One need look no further for evidence than to listen to Arminian confessions. "Jesus saved me," they'll say. Unfortunately, this is not what his faith teaches. What it actually teaches is Jesus created a potential salvation and I must choose to accept it in order to make it apply to me. But, thank God for inconsistent Arminians.

Another funny way that Arminians expose themselves as not truly believing in their own theology is when they are on their knees. He abandons his "free will" and ability to choose to be saved and discards it like an infected appendix.

In the service of the Lord,
Christian.

[fortheDeclaration]

Oh, no, the dreaded Romans 9:20! That makes five times you've laughed at Romans 9 in the past few months. I may be redundant in my posts, but your disdain for Paul's clear instructions is more worrisome.

I only laugh, because one of the points I have tried to make is that eventually all Calvinist arguments will end up full circle back to Rom.9:20 which is simply a way to end the argument because the Calvinists cannot get out of the illogical nature of their system.

That is Calvin's final answer to his critics as well, so you are in good company.

[fortheDeclaration]

Was Lazarus a regenerated man before he died?

Now, if you want to compare physical death to spiritual death, you have an analogy of a bunch of zombies walking the earth with no ability to will, think or act.

Total depravity is not total inability.

[fortheDeclaration]

Your buddy fortheDeclaration doesn't understand the Reformed position.

What do I not understand about the Reformed position?

Or, am I going to have play 20 questions on that question also?

[fortheDeclaration]

Sola Fide" is such an obvious thing. "You can complicate the truth, and convolute the story, but salvation is about faith in a perfect man, dying a substitutionary death on a cross, and living forever." Do what Romans 10:9 says, and that's it...

You are correct but with one addition, it is the perfect God-Man. (Jn.20:31)

[fortheDeclaration]

Sola Fide." Certainly. The disagreement comes down to how does man possess saving faith in Jesus Christ? Is it within the fallen creature to believe on his own and thus faith becomes something smart men do in order to be saved?

Yes, smart men/women do believe in Christ for salvation, and you were smart to do so.

The fool has said in his heart there is no God.(Ps.14)

Ofcourse, faith is not a work, so you cannot claim credit for being 'smart' and accepting the free gift (Rom.4:4-5,Lk.17:10)

No more then you can claim credit for obeying God and yielding to Him in your Christian walk (Rom.6:16)

Doing something does not make it a work.

[fortheDeclaration]

Faith depends on its object.

Correct object, correct faith.

What are you trusting for salvation, the saving work of Christ is the correct object of faith.

Faith is not a sign of salvation, it is how one obtains salvation (Jn.1:12)

[RnMomof7]

I drove to a lake, a pastor came and he dunked me .

That was the work that we had to do ...or God could not have worked.

If it was necessary for salvation.. it was MY work first

[Corin Stormhands]

Actually, I know Arminianism better than Arminians themselves do.

You have continually demonstrated to the contrary.

[litehaus]

"my slightly Reformed mind"

Is that "Dutch Reformed?"

[HarleyD]

"First of all, I am not Arminian. I claim no name but Christian."

Be that as it may there are only two soteriologies. Either you believe our Lord Jesus did everything in your salvation (Reform/Calvin) or you had a "free choice" in the matter (Arminian). I make the distinction because it is a matter of understanding where you are coming from. As a Calvinist I don't believe I did ANYTHING to earn/deserve my salvation including being baptized. It is asked of God and I obeyed.

"He is consistent, and to obey the Gospel, that includes being baptized for the remission of sins."

I can't argue with you on baptism because it is a sacrament of the church. However, baptism is not what save you (I know about the verse in Peter). If you're looking at baptism as an opportunity to "prove yourself" to God and believe this is what will save you, you are sadly misinformed. If you're looking at baptism as a method to identify yourself with Christ then I rejoice.

[RnMomof7]

Since the Bible is the inspired Word of God, these two verses must not contradict each other. They must be in harmony. Correct? Therefore, there must be common teaching in each of these verses. Romans 10:9 mentions confession and belief. Acts 2:38 mentions repentance and baptism for the remission of sins. These two verses together cover everything I mentioned as being required for salvation. So why do you want to cling to one verse and ignore the other?

Can you se the irony in that statement? ONE PLACE Baptism for the remission of sin is used... and YOU chose to ignore the many many times where the teaching is clear it is by faith/belief.

So it is not Harley cherry picking a verse it is YOU

Jhn 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Jhn 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Jhn 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Jhn 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Jhn 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Jhn 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Jhn 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Jhn 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Act 13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Act 15:7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men [and] brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. :8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as [he did] unto us;
Act 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Rom 3:26 To declare, [I say], at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Rom 4:16 Therefore [it is] of faith, that [it might be] by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Gal 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Jhn 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

[fortheDeclaration]

Same old limited Atonement double-talk.

Atonment is unlimited since Christ died for all men (Heb.2:9, 1Jn.2:2)

Salvation is complete but the individual man must get under the completed work enjoy the benefits of it.

I put a million dollars in your bank account.

I tell you that it there to take out.

The money is there wheather or not you take it.

Salvation is complete wheather or not any man avails himself of it.

Christ paid the debt for all men, not just the 'chosen few'.

[thePilgrim]

***You have continually demonstrated to the contrary.***

The insight I have into Arminianism is something you won't be able to see until you recognize the vast amount of contradiction in your theology. Those who believe in false theologies never believe they do until they see the light so I wouldn't expect that you would think I know Arminianism.

In the service of the Lord,
Christian.

[xzins]

Why the need to talk about how much you know about Arminianism?