Faith or works or both?

[Born Again 2004]

This is the basis of self righteousness, something you did to get it. Thats not free, thats a work you performed in order to get the FREE gift. Its subtle but still
an act of self righteousness. You will always say I ACCEPTED as opposed to he gave it to me. Did you baptize yourself in the Holy Ghost or did Jesus do that for
you? How could you reach out and take or accept what you can't see?
I'm not trying to pick a fight over this just pointing out the flaw with

 

[Bill]

But each individual has to Accept God's free gift of salvation on a personal basis in order for that gift From God to do a person any good. I can have a gift ready for you -- but in order for it to Be yours -- you need to reach out and accept it -- Then it becomes yours and you can appreciate all the benefits Of that gift.

I have heard some preachers teach there is nothing we can do, not even accept Jesus Gift. And my thoughts, how absurd . When you give a gift to another , the other still has to recieve it.

The same is true with Jesus Gift , something He gives for us to recieve.

This is why Faith brings us to our Salvation, who is Jesus . And as Jesus says , no one can go to the Father but through me .

I know you have heard me say, it isnt faith alone that takes us to the Father . It is faith and Jesus

 

[Bill]

God's Free gift of salvation Is available to All --yes -- but a person Has to accept that gift in order for it to become his . The Holy Spirit convicts a person Of their sin. A person Needs to acknowledge their Personal need Of salvation. The person has to be old enough to realize right from wrong. A person needs to acknolwedge their personal need For being saved. What are they being saved From or To.

God has All knowledge. Nothing we do surprises Him. He knows Everything that goes on 'behind closed doors' -- does that mean He Approves of all of it -- No. He Knows all about the illicite relationship taking place Behind those closed doors. Does He stop it? Maybe, maybe Not. He Does allow us to make our choices and live with the consequences. Then again, Sometimes -- since God Does have our best interests at heart -- Sometimes He Will prevent us from doing some things.

Point is that God is the Only One who knows ahead of time who will betray Him -- who will Honor Him. We don't have that information.

There Are those who make a Point of bring up the 'elect' of God. It IS in God's Word. Just like you have just now. We look back in history and read about or remember those who have lived dubious lives or done really questionable things.

WE / None of us knows who those elect of God are. I don't see myself as an 'elect' of God. I Do know I'm a born again believer -- the Holy Spirit convicted me of my sins many times before I accepted Him as my Savior. I never thought of myself as being one of His 'elect' and patted myself on my back. I Do remember that Finally I had peace -- I'd Had lots of head knowledge, but it hadn't reached my heart, yet.

And it's a good thing that none of Us has the knowledge of who the 'elect' of God are. We be witnessing only to the nice people. We'd be prejudiced Against the really Bad people who 'we' didn't think deserved salvation.

Everyone is lost until they are individually 'saved'.

Sue that is so perfect . What you just wrote . It is really beatifully written .

 

[Bill]

Greetings Sue

There are 27 verses referring to the elect and one that quotes it.

Matthew 24:24 (NIV2011)
For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Bless you

Yes . And it is because of this i urge everyone to learn to recognize God's Presence in your heart . That discenment if you will .

 

[Brother-Paul]

I understand that Bill.

Bless you

 

[Samson2020]

I know you have heard me say, it isnt faith alone that takes us to the Father . It is faith and Jesus

Agreed, however; it is up to the Father as to when you are given the faith that brings you to Jesus. Yes? And even then it is only a new beginning for a new creature.
A babe that has not much of a clue until the baby sitter (Holy Ghost) begins to teach us, if indeed it is the Holy Ghost who does the teaching.
MY sheep know my voice and another they will not follow?
My view is that the Holy Ghost as a guide is your birth right when born again. If one relinquishes that birth right to a so called pastor or minister and grieves the
Spirit then the Spirit is not the one doing the teaching and Lord only knows what one will learn or from whom it came.

 

[Born Again 2004]

Grace, faith and salvation are all gifts of God. We don't fully understand all of this. As the Word states: Faith, Hope and Love and of all three Love is the greatest. Why? Of course we are told love covers up a multitude of sins, but if we think about it, it must be more than that...through it all love is the only one that remains into Heaven. No more Faith needed, Hope is realized; the only one to remain is love. Heaven is perfect love, no wonder it is called Heaven!

 

[Bill]

Grace, faith and salvation are all gifts of God. We don't fully understand all of this. As the Word states: Faith, Hope and Love and of all three Love is the greatest. Why? Of course we are told love covers up a multitude of sins, but if we think about it, it must be more than that...through it all love is the only one that remains into Heaven. No more Faith needed, Hope is realized; the only one to remain is love. Heaven is perfect love, no wonder it is called Heaven!

Absolutely correct .
Love is the key . God is love . Which also means that Jesus ( the Word ) is Love .

God sent His Son, because He loved.
Jesus died on the Cross and Rose again because He loved.

No one can go to the Father but through me.

It is all to do with Love .

I loved hearing you say what you posted . Right on brother

 

[BlessedCreator]

In John 3:36 it says "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."

If you do a quick word study on the definitions of the words "believeth" in that verse you'll find that there are two different definitions, one for the first believeth and one for the second.

The first believeth is defined as "to believe, entrust".

The second believeth is defined as "to disobey".

So you insert those definitions into the verse it would read:


He that believes on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that disobeys the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

We must on pick up your cross, deny ourselves daily and live in obedience unto Jesus Christ until the end of our life if we desire to be saved.

Christians=followers of Christ (in obedience unto Him)

 

[Sue D.]

The belief in our heart and confession unto salvation. That is our personal salvation. After That is what we do in obedience to God. But not in an effort to continually 'be saved' -- but simply because we Want to please God.

 

[Brother-Paul]

The belief in our heart and confession unto salvation. That is our personal salvation. After That is what we do in obedience to God. But not in an effort to continually 'be saved' -- but simply because we Want to please God.

Greeting sister,

We practice righteousness to become like him who is righteous. We follow Jesus and learn from Jesus so as to become more like Jesus.

It is all part of preparing us for eternal life with him, we will never achieve it in this life, but by practicing righteous we sin less, by practicing righteousness we keep our eyes on Jesus, by practicing righteousness grow in faith, he who practices righteousness becomes righteous by the renewing of his mind.

 

[Sue D.]

Yes, as born again believers , we Are to be growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[Born Again 2004]

Like the good Book says: Grace and Faith is from God and Faith grows through the Word!

 

[Brother-Paul]

What a difference life becomes when we are grafted into the True Vine, Jesus is the True Vine

As we grow in faith we bear more fruit, the father prunes our branches and we bear even more fruit.

We are grafted in, attached to Jesus, abiding in him and he in us. The Holy Spirit is the life giving sap that helps us grow in faith.

How wonderful it is to be attached to and fed by the Power of God, to be attached to Jesus and let his strength hold is in place.

Without Him we can do nothing.

It is truly amazing.

 

[BlessedCreator]

The belief in our heart and confession unto salvation. That is our personal salvation. After That is what we do in obedience to God. But not in an effort to continually 'be saved' -- but simply because we Want to please God.

Sorry but God has a righteous and holy standard of living that He requires of His people in this life if we are to enter His kindom. These are not any works of our own but works of His that we must obey so we can having real trust (living faith) as James 2:26 tells us "faith without works is dead".

 

[Born Again 2004]

Sorry but God has a righteous and holy standard of living that He requires of His people in this life if we are to enter His kindom. These are not any works of our own but works of His that we must obey so we can having real trust (living faith) as James 2:26 tells us "faith without works is dead".

His works through us.

 

[BlessedCreator]

His works through us.

The works are the commandments He gives us, we must choose to obey them or not.

 

[Born Again 2004]

The works are the commandments He gives us, we must choose to obey them or not.

Philippians 2:13

 

[Samson2020]

Heb 4:10 " For he that is entered into his rest, he hath also ceased from his own works, as God did from his."

Our own works are dead works. If however God directs the work then we have faith and do the work.

 

[Bill]

Isnt it amazing how befuddled people are over the word " Works " , when all we ever need to do is as Born Again states , read Phil 2 : 13

What God gives us.