Threads like this inevitably lead to OSAS, Calvinism, Armenianism and other unpleasant things.
But it seems like every thread out there has something about works.
You don't have to do much to get saved.
John 3:16; and
Eph 2:8-9; are examples of how to get saved.
You can't earn it, you can't work for it. All you can do is accept it. It is up to you to choose to follow Jesus.
But once you are saved, now there are things you have to do.
Most of the New Testament is full of these things you can't do, and things you are expected to do.
You have to work to stay saved. Yes, that flies in the face of OSAS, but it's what the Bible says.
The parable of the talents is a good example of this.
Matt 25:24;
"And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.
Matt 25:25; 'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.'
Matt 25:26; "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.
Matt 25:27; 'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.
Matt 25:28; 'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.'
Matt 25:29; "For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
Matt 25:30; "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
There were three servants, two invested their talents and increased the kingdom of God. One did nothing, he hid his talent in the ground.
His talents were taken away from him and he was thrown out. He is called wicked and lazy.
We also have the sheep and the goats.
Matt 25:41;
"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
Matt 25:42; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;
Matt 25:43; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'
Matt 25:44; "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?'
Matt 25:45; "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'
Matt 25:46; "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
The sheep fed, clothed, and visited people. The goats didn't. The sheep go to eternal life, the goats go to eternal punishment.
Eph 2:8-9; say we aren't saved by works and so we aren't.
James 2:14-26; say our faith alone can't keep us saved. We better have some works to go along with the faith.
In fact James says faith alone can't save us. (
James 2:24; )
Faith alone doesn't keep people saved... even the demons believe.
Matt 7:21;
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
Matt 7:22; "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
Matt 7:23; "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'
Not everyone who says Jesus is their Lord will make it to heaven. If you're practicing lawlessness (sin) Jesus won't let you in.
Now obeying the commandments isn't really a work per se, but it is something you have to do.
John 5:28;
"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,
John 5:29; and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
It doesn't matter if you believe in Jesus or not... good deeds = resurrection of life. Evil deeds = resurrection of judgment.
There are dozens of verses like this. You better do this.. or else.
You better not do that.. or else.
Luke 13:25;
"Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open up to us!' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.'
Luke 13:26; "Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets';
Luke 13:27; and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.'
You know the Bible, you listened to the words of Jesus? That's great... listening doesn't get you anything.
Rom 2:13; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.
Jas 1:22; But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
I know there are churches that preach against this. I've even attended some of them. But the Bible doesn't teach "faith alone". There is no verse in the Bible where "grace" and "alone are in he same verse.
The only verse that has the words "faith" and "alone" both together in the same verse is
James 2:24; and it says "not by faith alone".
You claim to be a tree in the masters garden?
Luke 13:7;
"And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?'
Luke 13:8; "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer;
Luke 13:9; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"
You better be bearing some fruit. Even with Jesus watering, fertilizing, and aerating the soil, some trees refuse to bear fruit.
People need to quit confusing what you need to do to "get saved" with what you need to do to "stay saved".
Contrary to what some churches preach, Salvation isn't a "once and done" thing. It's a daily walk, it's a journey. It's trials and testings, it's taking up your cross and dying to self daily.
It's holding on to the love of Christ.
Rev 2:4; '
But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
Oh but I love Jesus... do you? Really?
John 14:15;
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
But the thief on the cross didn't do any works. He didn't sin after he received Jesus either, can you say that?
On top of that Jesus hadn't ascended to heaven until sometime after He was resurrected. ( John 20:17; )
The thief was under the old covenant.
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