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To: Eagle Eye
"There are those who believe only enough to be saved. Then there are those who believe more. Pretty simple, eh?"

No. What is the scriptural references that says or indicates that __% of belief is needed for salvation, and __% is needed for these gifts? (of course, I'm being silly to make a point). You seem to be indicating that the gifts of God are dependant on our level of effort in believing.

Belief, as mentioned in the Bible, seems to be like pregnancy. You may be further along, but you are never just a little pregnant or not pregnant enough. [easy for me, a man to say 8^)]Look at what the Bible says about the gift of wisdom...

Jam 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Jam 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.


What is required is to ask in faith. There is no indication that you must believe "harder" to obtain it.

"It is easy from reading Acts and Romans that people cannot believe what they don't know about."

That is true. That is why we must "go into all the world and preach the Gospel." (Mark 16:15) What is required is that we obtain more knowledge through study.

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2Pe 3:18 But grow in grace, and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and for ever. Amen.


I find no verse that says to grow in belief. Verses dealing with belief are like the following....

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 "

There are two options...Believe, or Believe Not. I do not find any "believe more."

I believe you and I probably believe pretty much the same, but may be using different terminology. I may seem picky, but I'm trying to present what I see in the Bible as clearly as I can, so as not to confuse those "new in Christ."

Sincerely
270 posted on 11/25/2005 11:02:23 AM PST by ScubieNuc
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To: ScubieNuc

Don't make this tough.

There are two forms of unbelief. One is from not hearing or not hearing enough of the correct doctrine, the other is rejection of what one has heard.

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


If you have never heard this in any way shape or form then you cannot possibly believe it.



Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
But if you do believe it then you 'shalt be saved'.

And if you've never heard about speaking in tongues or prophesy as a part of God's will:

1Cr 14:5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater [is] he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

You will never know about it. If you don't know about it, how can you believe it?

Act 19:1-9 Talks about Paul following Apollos through Ephesis. Apollos taught what he knew and that was the equivalent of Romans 10:9,10. He didn't teach about the baptism of holy spirit. Paul found out about that and took those saved souls a step further.

Act 19:2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.


Clearly there are those who have never heard enough to get saved. They do not believe and they are not saved. Their unbelief is from not having heard.

Clearly there are those who have have heard and still do not believe. They are still unsaved and their unbelief is a matter of their free will decision to reject Christ.

There are those who have heard, and have believed enough to be saved. But if they have not heard about matters of the spirit, how will they know about them? Clearly they are saved but do not have further belief because they are ignorant.

And there are those who are saved and who have had the opportunity to hear more of God's word. Clearly they can only believe what they are exposed to. And then it is a matter of choice on their part. If they are taught about walking in the spirit instead of in the flesh and they reject those teachings, then they do not believe God's word at that point.

How many people say that they believe in salvation by grace not of works, but still work for salvations? They clearly do not truly believe that savation is a free gift and are trying to earn it.



276 posted on 11/25/2005 11:23:12 AM PST by Eagle Eye (There ought to be a law against excess legislation.)
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