Salvation is a free gift of God! You can have confidence you are saved.

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[Teleios Research]

Be convinced with these 4 biblical truths: 1. Each of us has sinned; 2. God is just, requiring a punishment for sin; 3. But out of love God sent His Son, Jesus Christ who by dying on the cross, provided forgiveness of sins in taking man’s deserved punishment; 4. Therefore, by faith alone in Christ’s sacrifice for our sins and belief in His resurrection, man can gain eternal life. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 10:9-10, Romans 3:21-26) Read more at https://teleiosresearch.com/salvation-explanation/.

[daniel1212]

One must FIRST meet the condition by being obedient THEN one receives the free gift...This means “faith” and “faith alone” cannot be same thing. “Faith” includes obedient works while “faith alone” is void of obedient works.

Actually, as in life, obedience is an effect or, a result of, what one believes. And while lust in the heart means one is a sinner even before he acts it out, so faith in the heart means one is a believer, and in both cases expression confirms what is in the heart. And thus even a mute full paralytic can be saved without expression, if such has the heart that wants to and would express that faith in obedience by the Spirit.

[daniel1212]

I think everyone agrees Christ saves. The issue is who does Christ save and why? Why is one person saved and another person not saved? What is it that separates the saved from the lost? From the Bible we find in both the OT and NT obedience to God’s will is the line that separates the saved from the lost. Those that do not obey the gospel of Christ will be the ones in flaming fire, 2 Thess 1:8.

Actually, while character and works testifying to what and who one believes in, and determines what degree of recompense that both believers and unbelievers will receive, is it faith or unbelief that is the actual cause, not whether one became actually good enough and did enough works or lacked such. Starting from where you left off in 2 Thess 1:8:

Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)

But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. (John 6:64)

But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: (John 12:37)

But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. (Acts 17:5)

And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? (Hebrews 3:18)

I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. (Jude 5)

For it is faith which is behind what we do, and it is the faith that is behind obedience to God that obtains promises.

. https://www.quora.com/Does-COVID-19-truly-warrant-a-nationwide-shutdown

Acts 15:9;

Acts 26:18;

Romans 1:17;

Romans 3:22;

Romans 3:28;

Romans 3:30;

Romans 5:1;

Romans 5:2;

Romans 9:32;

Romans 11:20;

2 Corinthians 1:24;

2 Corinthians 5:7;

Galatians 3:11;

Galatians 3:22;

Galatians 3:24;

Galatians 3:26;

Galatians 5:5;

Ephesians 3:17;

Philippians 3:9;

Hebrews 10:38;

Hebrews 11:4;

Hebrews 11:5;

Hebrews 11:7;

Hebrews 11:8;

Hebrews 11:9;

Hebrews 11:17;

Hebrews 11:20;

Hebrews 11:21;

Hebrews 11:22;

Hebrews 11:23;

Hebrews 11:24;

Hebrews 11:27;

Hebrews 11:29;

Hebrews 11:30;

Hebrews 11:31;

James 2:24

However, dichotomous thinking may be a cause behind such insistences as that faith alone must be opposed to effectual faith being what justifies, an refusal or inability to see that while saving faith is inseparable from obedience in effect, it is true faith that effects obedience by the Spirit which is imputed for righteousness - as plainly taught in the context of what actually justifies, effectual faith or works.

[MHGinTN]

A great BIG BINGO!

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Amen bro. To God be the glory!

[Elsie]

So; are you inferring that just ONE act of ‘dis’ obedience will make a person NON-saved?

Or is it two or more??

Three???

[Elsie]

Not the way I read it.

It's when they quit BELIEVING that gets them in trouble.

[Elsie]

... not a single case anywhere in the Bible where it is ever said one’s obedience to God earned them God’s free gift. Yet that obedience was necessary in receiving the free gift.

HMMMmmm…

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Healing the paralytic at Capernaum is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels in Matthew (9:1–8), Mark (2:1–12), and Luke (5:17–26).^[1][2][3][4]

Jesus was living in Capernaum and teaching the people there, and on one occasion the people gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left inside the house where he was teaching, not even outside the door.

Some men came carrying a paralyzed man but could not get inside, so they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and then lowered the man down.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

[Elsie]

In Jn 6:27 Jesus clearly said to WORK for the meat that endures unto everlasting life that the Son of man shall GIVE you.

Yes; it sure says that alright; but why have you apparently ignored what was said AFTER that?

Jesus gave them a work to do, the work of believing.

[Elsie]

And yet not ONE of the seven Roman sacraments are given.

Baptism.
Eucharist.
Confirmation.
Reconciliation.
Anointing of the sick.
Marriage.
Holy orders.

[Elsie]

From the Bible we find in both the OT and NT obedience to God’s will is the line that separates the saved from the lost.

Nope.

Have you not read Hebrews, chapter 11?

[Elsie]

The above is all God requires.

Looks like Jesus left some stuff out of what He answered to a direct question put to Him.

And those apostles just forgot stuff as well in the letter they composed ion Acts chapter 15.

[Elsie]

Kinda like saying you don't HAVE the gift until you actually RECEIVE the gift!

Somewhere in my fuzzy memory, I think I saw an SNL skit on this subject; way back when...

[Elsie]

...God knows what is in the heart of men...

and so does...

[Elsie]

Wow...you put words into the mouth of James that James never said.

While Catholics ignore the words from Jesus' mouth that He DID say!

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Call no man father.

[Elsie]

I have asked more than once for someone, anyone to give just ONE example from the Bible of a disobedient person that did not obey God yet God justified that person anyway. Since such a person does not exist in the Bible it leaves your ‘sermon’ to me dead in its tracks.

Hey!

I had some other stuff to do today first.

[Elsie]

Easy question for you:

Do you feel you are justified before GOD right now?

[Luircin]

I have asked more than once for someone, anyone to give just ONE example from the Bible of a disobedient person that did not obey God yet God justified that person anyway. Since such a person does not exist in the Bible it leaves your ‘sermon’ to me dead in its tracks.

***

Zacchaeus.

St. Paul.

Thief on the cross.

And that’s just off the top of my head.

Shall I continue, or do you want to be proved wrong again?

[boatbums]

However, God made man to be able to express/reflect Him, and what we do displays what and who we really believe.

Indeed! For we know -

The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)

[boatbums]

Wow...you put words into the mouth of James that James never said. James did not speak at all about being justified before men but before God. Men cannot justify but God can. Abraham obeyed God in offering Issac therefore he justified before God and by God not before men or by men.

It's not putting words into the mouth of James, it's reading the words IN CONTEXT! It's also reading the words in light of OTHER verses and what they say. Too many times people take verses out of their context, try to "interpret" them in a bubble THEN they have to explain how they don't contradict other things Scripture says. It is something we have always had to be aware of. Peter warned believers about those who wrest Scripture to their own (and others') destruction, most notably the writings of Paul:

And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness. (II Peter 3:15-17)

Paul spoke a lot about God's grace that sets many works-based salvation people off. I can see why they don't like him! But you cannot take a single isolated verse or passage and develop a doctrine from it while ignoring other verses that contradict that doctrine.

Case in point is James. Read what he is talking about leading up to that verse. It's all about how genuine faith is lived - how others see your faith in action. Abraham is an example. Abraham was justified by faith long before Isaac was even born so there goes your argument. Genesis tells us:

Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness. (Gen. 15:6)

Even James acknowledged that in chapter 2, verse 23. Abraham is given to us an example of a living, active faith. Did God need to see his outward action to know if his faith was genuine? No. God looks on the heart, it's man that looks on the outward appearance. And we probably all know of people who seem to be "good" Christians but who we then find out were faking it. So, James is talking about that specifically - how faith is demonstrated by what we do, Look at the entire passage in context:

What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless? Was not our father Abraham justified by what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith was working with his actions, and his faith was perfected by what he did. And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God. As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies and sent them off on another route? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:14-26)

Count how many times James says, "you see..". God knows if you have true faith. Others only see it by how you act. A living, genuine faith has actions that prove it's real. So, I hope you can see that actions speak louder than words. If you really do believe, your life changes, you are born again into the family of God, the Holy Spirit dwells within you, you are a new creature in Christ. Your faith grows, matures, you are disciplined and nurtured by God's love. By faith is how you receive the gift of God which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Your actions/works that come from your faith is NOT what saves you - by grace are you saved THROUGH faith and not of yourselves, It is the gift of God, not of works lest ANY should boast. None of us will have anything to boast about before God.

These two pieces really touched me and help to put this in perspective:

"A prince, while he is a little child, is presumably as willful and as ignorant as other little children. Sometimes he may be very obedient and teachable and affectionate, and then he is happy and approved. At other times he may be unruly, self-willed, and disobedient, and then he is unhappy, and perhaps is chastised—but he is just as much a prince on the one day as on the other. It may be hoped that, as time goes on, he will learn to bring himself into willing and affectionate subjection to every right way, and then he will be more princely, but not more really a prince. He was born a prince" (C.I.Scofield, Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth).

"The Law is a storm which wrecks your hopes of self-salvation, but washes you upon the Rock of Ages." -- Charles Haddon Spurgeon

[boatbums]

Man is not justified by doing his own works. Man IS justified by obeying God.

You don't even see your own contradiction. I'm not going to keep repeating everything to you, so please save your efforts in doing the same towards me. Let me just ask you this simple question: Upon what are you relying for your salvation? Are you trusting in the unmerited grace of God or are you trusting in your works of righteousness/your "obedience" to save you?