Posted on 10/27/2020 5:48:53 AM PDT by 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/.
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified...2 Corinthians 13:5
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Very succinct.
Nicely done.
From your site:
by accepting through faith the forgiveness that Christ provided by his death on the cross and new life through His resurrection, we have access to God in prayer and eternal life!
Actually, it is effectual living faith in the Person, the risen Lord Jesus who died for our sins and rose again that is counted for righteousness, not just faith in a work He did or in a promise, abstract from who and what He is.
It is by faith alone! No work is required, either before or after salvation (Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 3:23-26).... What does new believer need to do? Nothing! Remember the gospel message requires only belief. A person isn’t required to say a special prayer, go to church, or be water baptized; they simply believe!
Absolutely WRONG. To believe means to obey, since all that we choose to do is a result, the effect, of what we truly believe (at least at the moment). Thus while salvation by heart-purifying regenerating faith and not by works of righteousness we have done, (Acts 10:43; 15:7-0; Titus 3:5) the only faith that is counted for righteousness is one that, like that of Abraham, is a living faith, one that gives birth to obedience.
The plan of salvation should contain generally the following information (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:23-26, Romans 10:9):.. the new believer should be able to repeat the gospel back to you (Romans 10:9). If a person cannot articulate their new faith, then they probably have not understood.
The focus is on information and mere mental assent to it, but preaching the gospel in Scripture included convicting sinners of their damnable condition and desperate need for salvation, and warning of judgment otherwise, and with faith in the LORD Jesus meaning a faith which they would profess (normally by baptism, confession by body language), and which was a denial of other lords:
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: (Acts 2:23) For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:34-36)
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:37-38)
But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. (Acts 8:12)
Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Acts 8:35-37)
And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. (Acts 9:17-18)
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? (Acts 10:43-47)
And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. (Acts 15:7-9)
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32)
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10)
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Hebrews 5:9)
Thus while it is not by works that man is saved - actually on the basis of any moral merit - but by faith alone, yet the faith that is salvific is an effectual faith, that (as Luther Westminster taught) the faith that saves "is not alone in the person justified, but "is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but works by love." [Westminster Confession of Faith, CHAPTER XI. Of Justification.
Thus your teaching,"What does new believer need to do? Nothing!" that of a believer who does nothing, is an oxymoron of a believer, for what a new believer needs to do is believe which in effect means to obey the Lord in whom one believes. Not in order to actually merit salvation, but because one cannot profess faith in the Lord Jesus and yet not seek to obey Him. Thus rather than your test simply being whether a person understands and can articulate their new faith, it is what they are and do that manifests whether they are true believers or not.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27)
But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. (Hebrews 6:8-10)
Since Christians are regenerated by the Holy Spirit at salvation (Titus 3:5; Romans 6:2-9) they are God’s “workmanship” (Ephesians 2:10), not yours! God causes them to grow and stand (Romans 14:4; 1 Timothy 1:12). It is not our responsibility!
Rather, while it is indeed God who both motivates and enables the elect to do what they otherwise could not and would not do, yet God clearly places upon man the responsibility of repentance and obeying Him, for man can indeed resist God, and thus believers are warned not to do so.
Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (Hebrews 3:7-14)
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. (Galatians 5:1-4)
If a person truly believes they have become a new person and will show eventually others their new faith by their actions, in obedient response to Jesus their Lord.
You are contradicting yourself here, since you asserted believers do not need to do anything, yet believers are constantly told what they need to do and not do, that of persevering in the faith, living out their salvation, and not grieving the Holy Spirit.
That said, however, it is gracious to engage the new Christian in Bible study to teach them about their recently acquired faith or at least to direct them to a mature Christian who could instruct them.
Disciplining others is not simply gracious or superfluous, but is commanded. (Matthew 28:19,20)
Catholic dogma – Roman Catholic doctrine indicates that we receive grace by the sacraments and work towards our salvation, receiving more grace as we do so, helping us to do more good works, leading to more grace, etc. The end product hopefully is salvation.
What Roman Catholic teaching does is that of making the effect of regeneration and growth in grace to be the cause of final salvation, thus requiring souls to become good enough to be with God (and atone for sins) thru RC Purgatory - unless they are of that rare breed who attains to this level before death and dies in it.
Lordship comes from regeneration – This is a vital and underappreciated biblical point. When we believe at salvation the Holy Spirit enters us and regenerates us into a new person (Titus 3:5). The old person is dead and no longer functions to prove or disprove Jesus is Lord (Romans 6:2-9; Ephesians 2:4-7,10; Colossians 2:11-13).
Which is wresting Scripture, for what Romans 6 teaches is that positionally we are crucified and buried and risen with Christ, and thus (as the verse that comes after your reference says),
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (Romans 6:11-13)
For while positionally dead, the old man is yet far too alive, and thus the exhortation not to obey it in the lusts thereof. The idea that believers will simply obey and cannot help but obey the Lord and do not have a choice to do so is heretical.
Make Jesus Lord – In this scenario, salvation is by grace but we must make Jesus Lord of our life to maintain or prove salvation.
Actually it is the contrary to this that is false, that believing on the Lord Jesus somehow means we do not make Jesus Lord of our life. However, it is making the latter to be the cause versus the effect, that is the error.
The work of salvation, from God’s gracious choosing us to the final step of taking us to heaven, is totally a work of God, to His deserved praise and glory, not our own.
Thus is indeed true, since Man could not and would not believe on the Lord Jesus or follow Him unless God gave him life, and breath, and all good things he has, (Acts 17:25) and convicted him, (Jn. 16:8) drew him, (Jn. 6:44; 12:32) opened his heart, (Acts 16:14) and granted repentance (Acts 11:18) and gave faith, (Eph. 2:8,9) and then worked in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure the works He commands them to do. (Phil. 2:13; Eph. 2:10) Thus believers cannot actually claim any credit for obedience, yet believers can indeed chose to disobey the Lord they profess, and which is the only thing they can and must take credit for, and thus to believe means one has chosen to obey, and which he is held accountable for so doing.
In your zeal to disallow salvation by works, then in part you have gone to the extreme of creating a false dichotomy btwn faith and works - which in effect are inseparable, but the effect is not the cause -and misrepresenting what justifying faith in the LORD Jesus does, disallowing the believer of responsibility to choose to obey that Lord.
Well said!!
Indeed. This is at least the 3rd time this has been posted, and while the message of salvation is wonderful, yet despite the blog-pimping, then as said before, the message overall much reduces salvation to mental faith in facts, not a faith in the person of Christ which effects obedience to him.
John 6:25-40
25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’[c]”
32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
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