First and the Last
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- Joined
- Apr 13, 2024
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- 393
Acts 11:26:Christianity is post gospels.
"And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch."
This is an honest and deeply necessary question—and it strikes at the heart of what salvation truly is. The short answer is: none of these “works” are ever enough. Not years of service, not gritted-teeth endurance, not even our best moments of resisting sin. Salvation has never been about a measurable quota of deeds, sacrifices, or willpower. It is not the cumulative result of our martyrdom-like faithfulness, but the result of Christ’s finished work on the cross and our obedient response to it through faith, repentance, baptism in His name, and receiving the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38). We don’t earn salvation by how well we serve or how perfectly we resist sin—we walk in it daily because we’ve received salvation as a gift and now live to please the One who gave it.So, if He does not require martyrdom, where do we draw a line in the sand on either of the following? When do these 'works' equal the same depth of intent as what is required for martyrdom?
1. Faith
2. Endurance / sinless perfection
3. Servitude
How many years of service is enough for salvation? How much self mustered faith is enough for salvation? How many refusals to watch porn is enough for salvation?
That said, true salvation is not passive or stagnant. It produces fruit—faith that endures trials, a heart that resists sin, and hands that serve. But we must never confuse the fruit for the root. The moment we start measuring our worthiness for heaven by how many times we resisted temptation or how long we’ve served, we’ve missed the cross. The line in the sand isn’t drawn by years or perfection—but by whether we’ve surrendered completely to Jesus, allowed His Spirit to dwell in us, and are walking in ongoing obedience and love. We’re not trying to be good enough for salvation—we’re being made like Him because we’ve been saved. That’s grace at work.