Are you saved?

The assurance of salvation is the most important thing in life. It should be the number one concern of every human being. Sadly, too often it is not.

The good news is, the Bible teaches that you can know for sure that you are going to heaven. I John 5:13 says: "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW THAT YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE..." Notice that this verse doesn't say, "that ye may HOPE that you can GET eternal life." It says that you can know that you have it, as a present possession.

Acts 16:31 says: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." Notice again that it doesn't say, "Believe and you will someday be saved." It rather says, "Believe...and BE saved." Of course, the word "saved" makes a lot of people nervous.

A man told me once, "We don't speak in those terms at our church." But that's a shame, because the Bible uses this word over and over again. John Newton used it hundreds of years ago when he wrote that most beloved of all Christian hymns, "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that SAVED a wretch like me." You've probably even sung that song! Well, it was written by a man who was saved, and you can be saved too. Ephesians 2:8,9 says: "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” “Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Here we see that people are saved "by grace," and "through faith." By God's grace. Through your faith. Faith and believing are the same thing. If you believe something, it means you have faith in it. Notice also the contrast to "works." Works are things that we can DO.

Most people think that they can be saved by the things that they do. If they don't do bad things, if they instead do good things, they think that they will be saved. The problem with this system is that you can never be SURE that you've done enough good things, and avoided enough bad things, to be saved. That's why the people who believe this are generally not sure they are saved. But Romans 4:16 says, "Therefore it is OF FAITH, that it might be BY GRACE, to the end THE PROMISE MIGHT BE SURE..." The only way you can be sure of salvation is by faith. If you had to do as little as lift your finger to be saved, you could never be sure that you had done it right.

But by faith we can believe that the Lord Jesus Christ did it right. We can be sure that He lived a sinless life. He never did anything wrong, He did everything right. A person like that didn't deserve to die. The Bible says that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). But He was no sinner. Why did He have to die? Ah, He died OUR death. He died our death so that we could have His righteousness and be saved. II Corinthians 5:21 says: "For God made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."

Two thousand years ago, God laid all of our sins on Christ as He hung on Calvary. But that doesn't mean that everyone is saved! Two thousand years later, WHEN YOU BELIEVE that Christ paid for all of your sins, God then takes Christ's righteousness and puts it on you, completing the transaction that must be completed for the redemption of your soul.

I like to explain it this way. God says to us in the Bible that Christ paid for all of your sins. The only question is,

Do you BELIEVE God when He says that all of your sins are paid for? Do you TRUST Him when He says that?

If you don't, well, you just have to go on trying to pay for your sins in your own way. By being good. By not being bad. But these are things the Bible says you can't do well enough to be saved. Romans 4:5 says: "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, HIS FAITH is COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Titus 3:5 says: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

That big word "regeneration" is just a big word that means to be "born again," as the Lord talked about in John 3. But in both of these verses, you can see that salvation is by faith alone, and has nothing to do with your conduct. Most people think that we are all born GOOD, and on our way to heaven, and that we have to do something REALLY BAD to blow it and go to hell. But the Bible teaches the opposite. The Bible teaches that we are all born bad, and have to get saved by faith to go to heaven. Sometimes when we explain this, people then ask, "Why then should I be good?"

The answer to this question is, we should be good out of gratitude for God for saving us. Earlier I quoted Ephesians 2:8,9 to show that we are saved "by grace" and "through faith." But the NEXT verse in Ephesians 2 tells us where "being good" comes in: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus UNTO good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).

When we are saved, we are made "new creatures" in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17). But Ephesians 2:10 here says that we were "created in Christ Jesus UNTO good works." That is, we were saved by faith, but we were saved FOR A PURPOSE, for a reason. God saved us and made us new creatures in Christ so that we would THEN do good works.

Most people get the cart before the horse, as the saying goes. Most people think you do good works, then God saves you. The Bible teaches that instead we are saved by believing, then we SHOULD do good works. Right after Titus 3:5 says we are saved "not by works of righteousness," three verses later it says, "...these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful TO MAINTAIN GOOD WORKS. These things are good and profitable unto men."

Do you see it? We are not saved by good works, but after we are saved by faith, we are told we should do good works to please the One who saved us. Romans 6:23 says: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Here there is a contrast drawn between "wages" and a "gift." Wages are something that we EARN. We go to work, and work all week, and the boss pays us. If we want to be polite, we can say "thank you" when he hands us the check, but we don't have to. He OWES us that money, we EARNED it.

But a gift is something altogether different. You can't earn a gift. If you did, it wouldn't be a gift. That's why the verses BEFORE Romans 4:5 says, "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." You can't earn a gift, you can only receive it. And the way you receive the gift of salvation is by faith, by believing God when He says your sins are paid for. Suppose you were a gambler, and racked up a debt of a million dollars to the Mafia. They threatened to kill you unless you paid up. A wealthy friend learns of your plight and comes to you and says, "Don't worry, I've paid your debt."

Now in this case, you must REALLY BELIEVE that your friend paid your debt. You must really TRUST your friend when he says that. That's why the other word that the Bible uses besides "believe" is "trust." Ephesians 1:12 talks about people... "...who first TRUSTED in Christ "In whom ye also TRUSTED, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13).

If you DON'T trust that your friend paid your gambling debt, then you will most likely continue to make payments to your bookie or loan shark. But if you DO trust your friend when he says that your debt has been paid, then you will rest comfortably in that knowledge, knowing that you've been "saved" from an awful fate, and you will be forever grateful to the one who saved you. That's how salvation works too.

In John 5:24, the Lord said: "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." Here we see that the Bible teaches that not only are you saved if you believe on the Lord, you already possess eternal life, and it is NOT POSSIBLE for you to ever be condemned for your sins, for you are ALREADY passed "from death unto [eternal] life." Remember, Acts 16:31 says, "believe...and...be saved." It DOESN'T say, "Believe and be good." It doesn't even say, "Believe and be religious." It just says believe and be saved.

If you believe that Christ died to pay for all of your sins, and that you don't have to pay for any of them, the Bible says you are saved. In I Corinthians 15:1-4, the Apostle Paul identifies “the gospel” that he preached to the Corinthians, by which they were “saved”: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; “And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” You too can be among those who are “saved,” if you will simply put your faith in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 3:25).

I discern my salvation through faith in Christ.

Faith + Works voids a saving faith.

But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

Faith + Obedience voids a saving faith.

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Faith + Inviting the Lord into your Heart voids a saving faith.

Grace precedes faith which is the very act of the Lord entering your heart. Faith begets belief and belief moves the faithful believer to cooperate in works, obedient to his will. Read Matthew 25 again.

Each one of your statements is true, but if one adds anything to faith as an unbeliever, it will void the state iin which the Holy Spirit might find anything righteous to work upon, i.e. the initial saving faith which comes from God upon the call.

So also, when we perform works, if those also are not performed through feloowship with Him, then they are merely our personal attempts to make order out of disorder or living in a worldly system after we have eternal life.

By all means after eternal life, when we continue to live in fellowship with Him through faith in Christ, we put on the mind of Christ and as the new man obedience to the law becomes the new man, whereas the old man or old sin nature will continue to naturally rebel and seek either the flesh or worldly systems of good or evil to satisfy a hope for life void of Christ. By remaining in fellowship with Him we accept His faith, which always comes from God.

Grace indeed precedes faith inpart becasue all faith comes from God as His gift without anything expected in anticipation of return. The initial saving faith is further formed in processes by the enabling work of the Holy Spirit, whcih function while we remain in fellowshio with Him by our own volition, which denies the old man and taking on the new man. Our old heart is scarred from thinking processes of the soul past influenced by the old man. We are not defiled from within but by that which comes from our heart. When God the Holy Spirit works on our heart by first making the LOGOS understood through our spirit and spiritual perception, again by grace, then in our mind to our rational perception, again by grace and by our remaining in faith through Christ, and then formed into an outeard knowledge categorized in our heart as a tool for our soul to exercise in facing daily problems, again by His grace and our remaining in felloship with Him by faith through Christ,..then we have the opportunity to manifest good works, which again only occur while we remain in faith through Christ and deny the old man.

In all of these steps, though, if we substitute a faith through Christ only, with a faith in God plus anything else, we step out of the mind of Christ and return back to the old sin nature which is the old man, or selfish thinking attempting to make order out of chaos, independent of Him.

Faith precedes our living in Him, but is requisite for all growth, abiding, and walking in the newness of life through our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.

Jesus established His Church to teach. Why can't you hear His Church with the same simple Faith in Christ and let His Church lead you to the truth?

And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.

And if he will not hear them: tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican.

He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me.

But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth

And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.

But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you.

But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will teach you all truth. For he shall not speak of himself; but what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak; and the things that are to come, he shall shew you.

"The Judgment has already occured on the Cross. Another series of judgments occur..."

Gee, I'm glad you have all these judgments sorted out. Jesus laid all this out in His words? Guess I missed that.

I guess you'll quote some obscure Pauline words to me now.

Your theology is a little too complicated.

Let me help you out. You murder somebody, you commit adultery, abuse children, and perhaps some other serious sins, then you proceed to not ask God's forgiveness, you risk serious judgment, perhaps including hell.

How are we made worthy of faith? What must happen before we are able to receive the grace of faith?

So also, when we perform works, if those also are not performed through feloowship with Him, then they are merely our personal attempts to make order out of disorder or living in a worldly system after we have eternal life.

Very Catholic, and as such true. We are incapable of saving our selves.

By all means after eternal life, when we continue to live in fellowship with Him through faith in Christ, we put on the mind of Christ and as the new man obedience to the law becomes the new man, whereas the old man or old sin nature will continue to naturally rebel and seek either the flesh or worldly systems of good or evil to satisfy a hope for life void of Christ. By remaining in fellowship with Him we accept His faith, which always comes from God.

After eternal life? Not sure what you mean by that. The new man is the man made ready to receive and cooperate with sanctifying grace due to his rebirth. The old man is incapable of cooperating with grace because he has not been born again by water and the Spirit. Faith does not equal salvation, it is evidence of rebirth. Faith alone is not a saving faith, it is dead, as scripture records.

Continue to James 2:26 in regards to works which are deemed worthy by Him. The lesson is that once we are saved, we are not to stop in our eternal life, but to continue in faith through Christ, allowing the Holy SPirit to further sanctify us, thereby we are then able to perform the good works He created us to perform.

James 2:26 "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith with outworks is dead"

Not even viewed through the fractured prism of once saved always saved does the verse mean that works are not part of our salvation. Works of grace to be sure, not works of our own accord which are barren.

I agree. It is true that good works through the faith in Christ is part of our reborn life. It is not true that eternal life depends upon works without faith, nor that anything other than faith is required for eternal life, but eternal life continues beyond the rebirth to include continuing sanctification as manifest by our fruits of good works through faith in Christ.

As James 2:26 faith without works is a state of existence involving separation, namely a state of spirit life, along with life in our mind, and possibly our hearts, but without volition and action the soul and spirit are still separate from the body. Likewise, faith may exist as in our eternal spirit life, but still remain separate (dead) from our mind and hearts when we wtep out of fellowship with Him.

Salvation in not only our being saved from condemnation in eternity in the spirit, but also our anointing by God the Holy Spirit in all aspects faith. All faith is from God. The Holy Spirit enables us with faith of different types in various stages of the sanctification process, and if we ever stray from fellowship in those processes the sanctification continuance stops, but this does not imply the removal of an eternal human spirit life from the degenerate believer.

This merely points out by the mind of Christ, from a positive life filled perspective that our continuing in faith, as we should, will be dead, i.e. separate from another part of our human life, if we do not also perform works.

Human life is more than body and soul, it includes the human spirit which is regenerated upon saving faith.

I believe some catholic teachings refer to this as the formed faith as opposed to the intelligent faith or faith of the mind only, which hasn't advanced to faith in the heart, an outward stage of the soul. I haven't studied the exact meanings of the words used by some catholic doctrines in this regard, but it is easy to confuse the meanings of faith in context if not understood between some RCC doctrines and protestant perspectives. The true meaning is obviously the same for both.

"What must happen before we are able to receive the grace of faith?

The father makes the call. Faith is non-meritorious of the believer. The faith of the believer is the same faith which was found righteous in our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus (Rom 3:22-26). That faith is also provided by the grace of God.

I suspect we might be discussing some of the same differences between a formed faith and intelligent faith as used in Catholic doctrine, but using some Protestant doctrines regarding the mechanics of salvation, eternal life, sanctification, and regeneration.

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