Posted on 06/16/2012 1:20:04 AM PDT by destinedforheaven
Most of will say... YES - of course! If we're a Christian, we want to be very ready to share the good news. If you're not then this is the most important thing you can find out. Either way, I encourage you to read below...
Most of us think that if we stay on the straight and narrow we just might make it though those pearly gates. Sadly most people dont know exactly how to be saved. The majority of people overall believe they will be in heaven when they die someday because they strive to be a good person. We are all born into this world with a sin nature and our life needs to be changed. (Romans 3:23) No amount of good works will allow you to spend eternity with God unless you give your heart to Him. (Ephesians 2:8-9) You must believe that God sent His son Jesus to pay the penalty for your sins. John 3:16. Jesus Christ loved you so much that He suffered unimaginable cruelty, mockery, humiliation, and death on the cross. He rose from the dead on the 3rd day. He subjected Himself willingly for you and me so we could have eternal life. God the Father wants a relationship with you. You dont need to understand it all right this moment. Will you put your faith in Him and Him alone? Please do not put this off. If you feel that God is calling you to come to Him then these two prayers below could be a good example of how to talk/pray to Him... (please proceed using link to full article - as this is an excerpt)
(Excerpt) Read more at destinedforheaven.wordpress.com ...
Matthew 4:4
4 “But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God
“
James 2:24
24 “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.”
Mark 16:15-17
15” And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;”
Luke 13:2-3
2 “And Jesus answered and said to them, Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
Matt. 10:32-33
32 Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven”
John 6:39-41
39 “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Romans 10:17
17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Matt. 4:4
4 “But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
I love Scripture, absolutely love it, but since your just quoting random disconnected verses I’m not sure what you are getting at. If you are using these texts to support the proposition that a man’s works play some part in justification you are guilty of eisegesis. You don’t fully understand the sin nature of man, the absolute holiness of God, the work of Christ, propitiation, or justification. I’m not questioning your salvation. That’s between you and the Lord. I’m simply suggesting you dive in and study more, perhaps from a different perspective. Scripture must be read in context and in light of other Scripture.
I’m sure you know natural man is “dead in trespasses and sins.” Isaiah says, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Every aspect of man is tainted by sin to the extent that even his best works are sinful. You’ve never prayed a prayer that didn’t have enough sin in it to send you to hell—and neither have I. Because of our common grandpa Adam, we are sinners by nature. Every aspect of man’s nature wears that taint of sin. What can a sinful man do for himself to remove that taint of sin? The clear answer from Scripture is NOTHING.
We also know that “the wages of sin is death.” If you try to offer your sin tainted acts your wages in exchange for justification, the only payment you will receive is death because you have nothing perfect and holy to offer. The Lord taught us this clearly early in Genesis. Cain learned the hard way that God will not accept our works. The only way to satisfy God is through the shedding of blood. The unknown writer of Hebrews said that “without shedding of blood is no remission.” There can be no remission (pardon, forgiveness, pardon) of sins with the shedding of blood. It was His perfectly lived life and his substitionary death on the cross for His sheep that satisfied the demands of God’s justice. Christ was the heaven sent “lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He . . obtained eternal redemption for us” John 1:29 “John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God.” Your filthy works can add nothing to His sacrifice on that tree. Why would you even want to add anything to the only thing that satisfies God the Father. The shed of blood of Christ is the only thing that He will accept. And we know He did accept it because Christ rose again on the third day. God demanded blood and Christ gave His. What mercy!
Paul told us there is a remnant chosen by grace. Romans 11:5-6 “So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.” Grace is no longer grace when you add works of the law. Payment for debt owed can never be considered gracious.
The one and the only way any man is acceptable in the sight of the Lord is by having Christ’s perfect righteousness imputed to his account. When He sees me He no longer sees a man dead in trespasses in sins. He sees me clothed in the pure white robes of Christ’s righteousness. He has separated my sin from me as far as the east is from the west. Salvation is from the beginning to the end of the Lord and it’s only found IN CHRIST. Look to Christ and Christ alone and be saved. Isaiah 45:22 “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” How do we walk? We walk by FAITH.
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”Romans 10:4.
Please don’t read anything into my words. Don’t come away with the idea that I don’t believe in works or that I am saying works are unimportant. I’m saying this: salvation is by grace through faith ALONE. But if there be no evidence of works, then regeneration has not taken place. Today we often hear preachers begging people to let Jesus come into their heart, but what we really need is for Him to give us a new heart. And if He has graciously done that for us, a by-product of that new heart will be good works. Those working their way to God will meet the same fate as Cain.
I recommend the words of Spurgeon in “The Agreement of Salvation by Grace with Walking in Good Works”
http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/2210.htm
or “Christ the End of the Law”
http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/1325.htm
( “If you are using these texts to support the proposition that a mans works play some part in justification you are guilty of eisegesis.” )
Romans 2:13
13 “for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;”
2 Tim. 4:3-4
3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”
(Scripture must be read in context and in light of other Scripture.)
Matt. 4:4
“But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
(Because of our common grandpa Adam, we are sinners by nature.)
Ezekiel 18:20
“The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”
(Cain learned the hard way that God will not accept our works.)
Gen.4:4
4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering,
(Your filthy works can add nothing to His sacrifice on that tree.)
1John 2:3-5
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
(Paul told us there is a remnant chosen by grace. Romans 11:5-6)
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”
Titus 2:11-12
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,”
Romans 5:18-19
18 “Therefore, as through one mans offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Mans righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Mans obedience many will be made righteous”
2Peter 3:9
“ 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us,[a] not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
(The one and the only way any man is acceptable in the sight of the Lord is by having Christs perfect righteousness imputed to his account.)
Romans 12:1-2
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
1Peter 2:4-5
“4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
(When He sees me He no longer sees a man dead in trespasses in sins. He sees me clothed in the pure white robes of Christs righteousness.)
1John 1:6-7
“6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Romans 6:3-4
“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
(. Im saying this: salvation is by grace through faith ALONE. )
18 But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believeand tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
John 14:23-24
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Fathers who sent Me.”
Rev. 14:11-13
12 “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those[a] who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.
Rev. 22:14
“14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.”
1John 3:24
“Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”
While you work your way to heaven I’ll be praising the Lord for his mercy and grace.
Many of the verses presented are provided in Scripture to understand the consequences of post-salvation sin for the believer.
A cow doesn’t moo to become a cow. A cow moos because it -is- a cow.
Gal. 1-6-10
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
John 17:17
17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
Mark 7:6-8
6 He answered and said to them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:This people honors Me with their lips But their heart is far from Me.7 And in vain they worship Me,Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.[a]8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men[b] the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
John 10:37-39
37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe[a] that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.
2 Timothy 2:15
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 3:16
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
John 8:41-43
42 Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word
1 John 17:15-16
15 If you love Me, keep[b] My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever
1 John 3:18-20
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know[a] that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
1 John 2:4-6
4 He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
Gal. 3:1
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?
Cutting and pasting is one thing. Understanding, it seems, is another.
“Cutting and pasting is one thing. Understanding, it seems, is another.”
Amen.....!
MATTHEW 7:12 - JESUS CHRIST said that, too.
Now, if you choose to complicate it, you’re free to do so - as am I to simplify it.
MATTHEW 7:12 - JESUS CHRIST said that, too.
Now, if you choose to complicate it, you’re free to do so - as am I to simplify it.
Amen.....!
I don’t think you have even read what you are posting because some of these verses do not in any way support your thesis. For instance, John 10:37-39 says nothing about how we are justified. In fact, it supports my point, namely that works are an indication that justification has already taken place. Works are an indication that a man is one of Christ’s sheep.
If you believe your works play a part in your salvation then for you Christ merely made it possible for you to save yourself. Good luck on your lifelong self-reclamation project.
In contrast, I know that Christ is the author and finisher of my faith. He didn’t merely make it possible for me to save myself through my own works, He actually saved me. I’m resting in Christ, not working my way to Him. That said, I’m in the early stages of preparations for the foreign mission field. I’m not doing that to add to Christ’s work on the cross in order to be saved. His work is complete and it was perfect. I’m doing it because I’m already saved and I know that there are other sheep from all tongues, tribes and people who need the gospel.
“46 But why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:”
Luke 6:46
“46 But why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:”
Sorry bout that.
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