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Are we saved by Grace, Works or Faith?

KingJ

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Mar 31, 2015
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Some teach we are saved by grace alone. 'God has limited atonement for specially selected people'.

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.

Some teach we are saved by our works. We must endure to the end or will receive no salvation.

James 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
Matt 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.


Some teach we are saved by faith alone.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Gal 3:24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.


THE PROBLEM…..with teaching these in isolation:

GRACE - Leads to Calvinism and similar off shoots. This message taints God as partial. For a God creator to be partial would make Him monstrously evil.

WORKS - This could suggest that God is unjust. He requires 40 years of servitude from person A and 1 day from person B, before they receive their salvation.

FAITH - This could imply that God is mad. It does not matter what you do, if you have the ability to believe unicorns are real, God will wash you clean and gift you salvation.

THE TRUTH….from considering all scripture.

In the OT it was only works that saved you. All mankind has a conscience and an awareness of good and evil Gen 3:22. The only way to get yourself into Abrahams bosom / paradise mentioned in Luke 16:19-31 was by either repentance of sin if not a Jew Jonah 3, Psalm 51:17 or obedience to the law Mark 10:18.

It is important to note that both repentance of sin and obedience to the law show a change of heart. A decision to hate what is evil.

In the NT works are required before salvation is gifted. God only draws near to us if we open the door to Him Rev 3:20, James 4:8. We open the door to Him by either repenting of sins Luke 5:32, undefiled works James 1:27 or martyrdom Rev 6:10.

Salvation that Jesus offers is union with God the Father and an escape of punishment for our sins (grace). We are made perfect to God by the sacrifice of Jesus Heb 10:14. This is a salvation gifted to those who pass God's judgement of heart and mind Jer 17:9-10. Once we pass His judgement, He gifts us with saving faith to believe Jesus is Lord and was raised from the dead Rom 10:9, 1 Cor 12:3, Matt 16:16-17.

Conclusion:

Works are required to be gifted with grace and salvation. Saving faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit.
 
(tl;dr because headline asked a question) Yes. Look at the thief on the cross. That's right, our brother is not there because he's in Paradise with the Lord our God:

Saint Luke 23:39-43
39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, "If thou be Christ, save thyself and us."

40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, "Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss."

42 And he said unto Jesus, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom."

43 And Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."

Assume nothing, because even effective exorcists will be rationalizing their piety in Hell:

Saint Matthew 7-22-23
22 Many will say to me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?"

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.


Many people who have cast out devils and testified of the True and Living Christ boasted their entire lives are and will be in eternal damnation for the sin of iniquity. It takes faith, work, and grace to deliver the cultists from programming, and to remove the devils that had possessed them, but neither of these people have more than hopeful prayer... only God redeems.

I'm limited in my knowledge, so I point these scriptures out a lot. I can also hear the synagogue of Satan bringing up their favorite victims, God's little children, as to what someone merits Hell. Ugh, I hate that.

I have an older aunt who is sick and stuck at age twelve, and I fully expect her to go to Heaven. That context comes from my other go-to scriptures concerning how Saul of Tarsus, murdering Christians of the time, suddenly became Saint Paul the Apostle by the decree of Christ our Lord. Only Our Omnipotent GOD who is Truth knows who is whom, and just how perfectly fine his previous victims are when they met in Heaven. The self-exiled former Apostle Judas is not there. He had a lifetime.

Thank you for reading my rant. Pray for me. ️
 
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