[wwjdn]

Bump to you.

[yooper]

Thank you for the hard work which went into posting this.

[RaceBannon]

Salvation is by Grace, through faith, and nothing else.

Living it consists of believeing what God said, and acting like you believe it.

[Heartlander]

I do agree...

It is only by God's grace that we enter heaven. It is not by our works or deeds. We are currently seeing religions that base thier redemption on works.

What could we possibly do that would allow us to stand in front of God and say "look at these great things that I have done"? It is humbling to know that there is nothing we can do that is worthy and that he has done everything for us - we need only recieve His forgiveness and let Him change our lives.

[VRWC_minion]

Desiring to follow Jesus is a natural consequence of being saved. One cannot avoid it.

[Khepera]

bimp

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

It's ironic that many Christians have taken a simple message of salvation and made it incredibly complex.

If becoming a Christian required extended Bible study, it would not be a religion for the masses. The truth is the simple message of salvation thru Christ can be understood by all. Why are so many trying to make salvation so difficult to understand or achieve?

[jmccoy1252]

The only way to heaven is through accepting Jesus Christ as your savior. Your good works will not get you into heaven. There are alot of "good" people who are not in heaven because they did not accept Jesus as savior. The flip side of that is there are alot of people we would deem as "bad" people who are in heaven. On judgement day, our lives will flash before us, the Lord will judge us on our deeds, but, our deeds will not prevent us from going to heaven. Think of it like this, lets say a son has a falling out with his father. They have a disagreeement, the son does not communicate with his father, he falls out of fellowship with his father, but this does not mean that his father does not love him. To the contrary, the father loves his son, and will forgive him his transgressions.

[americalost]

Thank you for posting this, as it gives us some things to think about. I personally am trying to decide which Christian denomination to visit and hopefully join. I really don't know where to start. I wasn't raised that way and that makes it difficult. Sorry this is a bit off-topic.

It is nice to know I'm not the only one that questions big and important personal religious decisions.

[IronJack]

What is the true path to salvation?

Simple. You must become a Libertarian.

[spoosman]

If you know the answer, than why ask? BTW, wouldn't an atheist want to know the answer?

[JustNuts]

You did an excellent job of posting, in a sincere quest to know what God requires to be saved. I've been a Christian for 27+ years, and have far from perfect sight, so I am His humble servant, as you described yourself. In my time as a Christian, I have read the Bible in search of this same answer, and have also observed and experienced many things, which have given what I have read new, and I believe deeper meaning. Jesus admonishes us not to "judge" others. Contrary to popular opinion, this has nothing to do with judging another's behavior, it has to do with judging a person's soul, or eternal destination, in other words, judging where a person is headed after this life. Jesus says that he is the judge (John 5:25-27 among several). I also believe that John 14: 6 refers to Jesus' judgment of all people for their fitness for heaven. Certainly belief in Jesus insures the believer eternal life, as you quoted in your post. But one must remember that one can be in three different positions of belief; 1. a believer, 2. an unbeliever, and 3. someone who isn't sure, or who believes in God but not necessarily in Jesus. At the risk of sounding heretical, let me say that God alone will judge, and there are two pivotal portions of scripture, which sum up for me, anyway, what God will look for when our time comes to be judged. These are Psalm 24:3-6 and Matthew 22:34-40. How impossible it is for any of us to know or understand another's heart/motives/desire/LOVE. Of course, the Bible states many other commandments, but I beileve these two sum them all up. If you did what Jesus said were the two greatest commandments, and did them with clean hands and a pure heart, then this, I believe is what Jesus will look for and the standard by which you will be judged, irrespective of your belief on this earth, assuming this belief was undertaken with a pure heart and desire to know and serve God. In other words, a devout Muslim will be judged by these two things, irrespective of his cultural bias against Christianity, so long as he his heart is pure in his pursuit of God. A Muslim terrorist, who is displacing so many of God's teachings, appears not to have a pure heart, nor clean hands, nor is he fulfilling what Jesus says are the greatest commands. Nonetheless, a person's entry into heaven is for Jesus to decide, neither you nor I will get a call asking for our opinion of this, and we are strongly cautioned to avoid such judgments (Matt 7:1-5). In all things, God is and wants LOVE. This has nothing to do with civil wrongs, crimes, ill treatment, etc., and requiring judgment and earthly punishment for these things. But in your spirit, you are called to forgive when asked, and to LOVE, and to conduct yourself and your attitude toward God in accordance with Psalm 24 and Matt 22. Hope this makes some sense, sure would appreciate your comments.

[pray4liberty]

Keep a constant vigilance of prayer.

[AppyPappy]

Salvation is a gift from God. We do nothing to deserve it nor can we ever pay enough for it. But we do have to trade something for it: our lives.

[He Rides A White Horse]

To do his works, to let him work through me has been a blessing. The verse John 14:10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

It is a blessing. I don't think it is unBiblical to perform good works. You are doing it to show devotion, right? Isn't that the spirit in which you do such things?

[Dakota gal in Seattle]

John 3:16 says it all. I am saved because Christ knew of me and loved ME so much that he died to save my soul. While Christ died for everyone, it is so precious because he did it for ME.

[drq]

John 3:16
""For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Titus 3:5
" He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

Ephesians 2:8-9
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."

[Lowcountry]

Faith Alone.

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

You have done a good job. Paul touches on this subject heavily in Romans and Galatians:

Ga 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the aith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Nobody can be saved by the Law, and nobody can live up to the Law, only through Christ are we saved.

In addition, Yashua advises us that to love Him and follow Him, we should be showing through our works:

John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

This says it all.

[Psycho_Bunny]

II Cabbages  20:14 "For Behold, I am the One True Bunny. Ye shall have no bunnies before Me.  And those who giveth unto Me carrots I shall not thump.  For My whiskers are great and My ears are tall and fluffy."