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Since there is nothing you can "do" to earn salvation..what can one "do" to forfeit it?
See this page also: http://www.thewhyman.jesusanswers.com/about.html
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To best serve and see that others be saved, one must be saved themselves. It is futile to let loose a lifeline which is faulty- incapable of pulling someone out of the waters- especially if you still are in the depths yourself, struggling to keep afloat.
And sometimes, just like the Pharasees with their 2600+ 'hedge' rules which they had in addition to what the scriptures actually say we guage someone elses 'Christianity'- their relationship with God based on the way they keep our (or our organisation's) personal rules.
This is what this article is about. The struggle many needlessly have in regards to salvation.
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From the beginning, when the enemy caused Eve to doubt God's clear message, convincing her to trust in herself and her knowledge. All to often, we too have been listening to the wrong person. Self. Humanity.
Adam and Eve suffered spiritual death that day and eventually physical death.
They tried to cover the consequences of their sin with leaves- by their own efforts. God, as a foreshadowing of Christ, shed innocent blood to cover them.
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Cain and Abel were taught well by their parents. They knew what God required. Yet Cain thought he could attain God's favor by his vegetables- the works of his own hands as opposed to the lamb sacrifice that God Himself had provided and requested.
Abraham believed God and his faith was accredited to him as rightousness.
In response to that faith, Abraham was prepared to obey God in sacrificing his son even though God had previously promised him that many generations would come through him.
Abraham told Isaac that God would "provide Himself the sacrifice" -a pun and yet another foreshadowing of God's plan... for in that very spot 2000 years later The Father allowed The Son to be sacrificed. -He (God) provided Himself as the means for our redemption.
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Naaman was offended when he was told that all he needed to do to be cleansed was to bathe in the river. His pride almost kept him from obeying God's simple requirement of faith, but he wisely listened to his servant who asked him that as Naaman was willing and expecting to do works to be cured, why not listen to God and allow Him to do the work.
Saul fell out of favor with God because he lacked faith and made the sacrifice himself before God's representative, Samuel arrived to do it, and was subsequently told, "it is better to obey than to sacrifice."
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"Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." (Numbers 21:7-9)
The people had sinned, and were going to die as a result.
God provided the solution: All that one needed to do was to look at the snake in faith and they would be healed.
No works.
No sacrifices.
No rituals.
No prayers.
Only the faith that God had promised the one and only solution that by merely looking to the serpent on the pole, they would be saved.
Scripture doesn't state so these reactions are conjecture. However given the people's past behaviour and human nature in general, it could be safe to say that there would be those amongst them that would not make that simple act of faith.
Their pride would have got in the way and simply would have refused to look at the pole..and as a result, they died.
Some probably tried to heal themselves with herbs, balms and other medicines that they rushed to prepare for themselves, but this was not what God had instructed this time..so they died.
And for some they would have been trusting in their religion (as opposed to God Himself) as God indeed did say not to make any graven images. Though this reaction is understandable, their priorites were showing to be lacking. They were trusting in the rules rather than the rule giver Himself...and as a result, they died.
This event in history was yet another illustration of God's faith over personal works for salvation theme..and as always, it pointed to Christ.
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"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:14-17)
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
"(Ephesians 2:8-10)
Do you suppose Paul contradicted himself in the very same sentence..or is it as been shown you from scripture all along? That salvation is by faith but demonstrated by works, but remembering that it is not the works themselves that saves..it is Christ, the one made sin in the tree that any one that looks unto Him will be healed.
At just the right time, The Word humbled and emptied Himself..becoming Jesus, the Son of God..the sacrificial lamb that would take away the sins of the world- Once for all time- by HIS work.
As foreshadowed throughout history and confirmed by Jesus and the spostles, we are saved by God alone, by faith alone. By what He has done for us and not by what we could ever hope of doing. (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:20-28, Romans 11:6)
It is pride and ultimately selfishness that causes one to believe that one could possibly add to what Christ accomplished for us on the cross by doing works; being very witty and clever in regards to knowledge, speech or argurment; or fellowshipping with a certain group of people...to say otherwise is to deny what God Himself has said in His Word..making His sacrifice less than effectual.
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Your Faith Is Only As Good As The OBJECT Of That Faith
According to scripture then, if you are trusting in your works (in addition to Jesus) -it is a vain and false faith as works is how we demonstrate our saving faith and not the means.
If you are trusting in your knowledge (in addition to Jesus) -it is a vain and false faith as it is not what or how much you know so much as who you know.
If you are trusting that by fellowshipping with 'the one true ' (in addition to Jesus) - it also is a vain and false faith for Christ on the Day of Judgement will not say 'come forth my faithful Baptists..my faithful Presbytarians..my faithful Methodists etc.
We will all stand alone before His throne on that both awful and wonderful day and our eternal security will be on the basis on whether or not we believe that He died, was buried and was resurrected for our sins- that His words on the cross were true- 'Tetelestai!' "It is finished" 'Paid in full.'
True as His titles, God is the First and the Last and the Alpha and the Omega- the beginner and finisher of our Salvation- In this way and this way alone does He truely get the honour and glory that He deserves- He simply hasn't left open the option for any other way.
"Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved"
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