Replies

Surely you don't think that you can just say "I believe in Christ" and do whatever you please and you are magically "saved" because of your empty words?

I don't think that. If someone genuinely believes that Christ, the Son of God, died for his sins and rose again on the 3rd day, then he is saved. That person may for the rest of his life struggle with sin, but he will not lose his salvation.

Faith without works is dead is the most misunderstood passage, i think in all the Bible, because they use it to defend works based salvation. This statement is true, but it does not concern "my" works but Christ working in me. Because even if I am saved, all works done in my own strength and will are still seen as worthless in God's eyes, it is only Christ working through me that is pleasing to God. Only Christ is pleasing to God. If Christ is not in me, then he cannot work through me, and my faith is dead. But once we accept Christ, then He is in us and works through us. We are a new creation, alive to Christ and dead to sin, and there is nothing I can do to reverse that process. Once I am saved, I am adopted into the family of Christ, joint heirs with Him, and nothing, nothing can change that.

JM

If someone genuinely believes that Christ, the Son of God, died for his sins and rose again on the 3rd day, then he is saved.

And Catholics disagree with exactly which part of that?

We are a new creation, alive to Christ and dead to sin, and there is nothing I can do to reverse that process. Once I am saved, I am adopted into the family of Christ, joint heirs with Him, and nothing, nothing can change that.

I was with you 100 per cent until you got to here. Remember the Prodigal Son? He squandered his inheiritance, he renounced his birthright. And he was left to suffer the consequences.

When he repented and returned contrite to the Father he was restored to his proper place with much rejoicing. But when he was lost, he was lost.

SD