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To: r9etb

It is faith that saves, not belief.

Even demons believe and shudder.

Do you have FAITH that the living Christ has paid the penalty for your sin? Or do you just believe.

Now here is where Mormonism and Christianity split. Mormonism teaches that Christ paid the price and conquered over death - therefore all mankind is “saved” regardless of faith. Mormonism ALSO teaches that only those who keep the commandments and partake of ordinances and covenants by “worthy” LDS members within the LDS Temple will receive Celestial glory and dwell with their “heavenly father.” All others will live eternally separated from God - I don’t think that is what Christians think of as Salvation, this is hell.

Christians have faith that Christ paid the penalty of their sin and this allows them communion with God through the Holy Spirit. Belief in some kind of god is not what saves them, but faith enough to rely on Christ as their Savior is vital. God saves them through faith and not the works of ordinances and covenants. If you have ‘faith’ then you rest in the arms of Christ - if you have ‘belief,’ but not faith you don’t rest in Him, you strive to save yourself.


88 posted on 09/02/2010 8:33:30 AM PDT by colorcountry ("The power of facts is much greater than the power of argument.")
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To: colorcountry
Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that divine grace alone saves rather than faith? After all faith is a gift of grace, isn't it? Also, if faith is a gift of grace, wouldn't that mean that faith is just another word for a specific type of grace? (And if faith is a type of grace, then wouldn't that mean that the whole saved by faith vs saved by grace question is really a grace vs grace question?)

I guess you can't have a proper debate on the subject without must first nail down the definitions of the words "grace" "faith" and "works."

Regardless of the whole faith, grace, and works business, I suspect that anyone who dies knowing God and truly loving Him will be saved. (When you realize who He is and what He has done/suffered for you, then it is hard not to love Him back). That seems to be the key. I would propose to you that it is impossible to be saved without loving God, but you have to know who He is before you can truly begin to do that. You can't love what you don't know.

237 posted on 09/02/2010 3:30:54 PM PDT by old republic
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