You Are Forgiven

[RJ]

God loves us too much to let us destroy ourselves in Hell. He provided a way for us to be forgiven, and that way is through Jesus Christ. Jesus confirmed that in no uncertain terms when he said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6, God's plan of salvation was first to send Jesus, his only Son, into the world as a sacrifice for our sins: Romans 6:10, 1 Peter 3:18..He died once for all, Jew, Gentile, Ahtheist, all for as long as humanity exists. Salvation comes to all of thoe who beleive.
That sacrifice was necessary to satisfy God's justice. Moreover, that sacrifice had to be perfect and spotless; no one else before or to come could qualify. Because of our sinful nature, we cannot repair our broken relationship with God on our own. Only Jesus was qualified to do that for us. At the Last Supper, on the night before his crucifixion, he took a cup of wine and told his apostle, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Matthew 26:28.
The next day, Jesus dies on the cross, taking the punishment due us, and atoning for our sins. On the third day after that, he rose from the dead, conquering death for all who believe in him as Savior.
The cross forgives only and the resurrection saves only and, you can have both through God's grace and your faith: Ephesians 2:8...nothing more and nothing less.

 

[Davy]

Hi RJ, It is true God has reached out to save sinful mankind, through the ransom sacrifice. However, to take advantage of the ransom and the forgiveness of our sins, we must demonstrate our faith and repent of our former sinful ways. I often hear some preachers say "all you have to do is believe in Jesus and you are saved." Although Paul said this in Acts 16:30, 31, Luke the write of the book of Acts gives a very succinct description of this even, and thus this brief account cannot be used to show what is needed to be saved. You have to look at the whole context of the bible to see how people were saved during the first century.

Luke mentioned in Acts 3:18, the foretold ransom sacrifice, then he wrote in verse 19, (NASB) "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away." Repent means to desist from one's former sinful works of the flesh, and adopt the fruitage of the spirit. (Galatians 5:19-22) This in itself can be described as works of faith. Paul himself also wrote: "9-Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10-nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11-Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, NASB) You cannot just believe in Jesus and be saved, if you also fail to change your sinful lifestyle. Then later, Luke writes in the account about the converted jailer in Acts 16:33, that the jailer and his family got baptized.

Embracing the false doctrine, "Just believe and be saved!" Is not in harmony with what the whole bible teaches. When people are led to believe all they need to do to get saved is believe Jesus was the Son of God, is false. They also have to repent and transform their former lifestyle, rejecting the wicked works of the flesh. TV preachers who often say "Just believe and be saved!" Fail to inform all those who wish to give their lives to Christ, that they must also repent of their former lifestyle. Then in harmony with the first century Christian's symbolize that dedication of their life through water baptism. If a person does not carefully follow what the bible has to say about repenting and being baptized, how can they be really saved?

 

[RJ]

Hi RJ, It is true God has reached out to save sinful mankind, through the ransom sacrifice. However, to take advantage of the ransom and the forgiveness of our sins, we must demonstrate our faith and repent of our former sinful ways. I often hear some preachers say "all you have to do is believe in Jesus and you are saved." Although Paul said this in Acts 16:30, 31 Luke the write of the book of Acts gives a very succinct description of this even, and thus this brief account cannot be used to show what is needed to be saved. You have to look at the whole context of the bible to see how people were saved during the first century.

Luke mentioned in Acts 3:18, the foretold ransom sacrifice, then he wrote in verse 19, (NASB) "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away." Repent means to desist from one's former sinful works of the flesh, and adopt the fruitage of the spirit. (Galatians 5:19-22) This in itself can be described as works of faith. Paul himself also wrote: "9-Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10-nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11-Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, NASB) You cannot just believe in Jesus and be saved, if you also fail to change your sinful lifestyle. Then later, Luke writes in the account about the converted jailer in Acts 16:33, that the jailer and his family got baptized.

Embracing the false doctrine, "Just believe and be saved!" Is not in harmony with what the whole bible teaches. When people are led to believe all they need to do to get saved is believe Jesus was the Son of God, is false. They also have to repent and transform their former lifestyle, rejecting the wicked works of the flesh. TV preachers who often say "Just believe and be saved!" Fail to inform all those who wish to give their lives to Christ, that they must also repent of their former lifestyle. Then in harmony with the first century Christian's symbolize that dedication of their life through water baptism. If a person does not carefully follow what the bible has to say about repenting and being baptized, how can they be really saved?

O.K., I see what your saying. I also see simple verses like Acts 16:31 and Romans 10:13.
I personally believe , that it being an act that you do as a prerequisite, repenting and baptism would be works and has no part in you salvation.

• Now, saying that and, because your salvation is by grace alone, your repentant heart is a fruit of the spirit and a sign that you have been regenerated.
• Without this fruit or works of the spirit through you, then your faith is dead and you are not saved.

• So, you are forgiven! "Just believe and be saved!" is not a false doctrine anymore than Acts 16:31 or Romans 10:13 are.
• I will tell you what the harmony of the entire Bible is, it is what you beleive in.
• Paul said it is by the gospel that he preached that you are saved: The death , burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The death forgives you and the resurrection saves you; all initiated by your belief and God's grace.
• All this put together is you faith

 

[james1523]

I agree with Davy that the majority of Christianity has fallen short regarding the salvation message. Their focus on belief for salvation is taken from John 3:16 and taken to the extreme but ignoring what the rest of Scripture actually says.
When we read scripture which says "believe and be saved", we must not think it is to the exclusion of the other things, baptism, repentance, calling. Belief is the first and most essential thing, without belief nothing else counts.

Saying "just believe and be saved" is like saying "just pay some money to become a citizen of the USA". It's true and correct, but we know there is much more we have to do to become a citizen of a country.

Romans 10:14 gives the necessary things for salvation : sending, preaching, hearing, believing, calling. These are 5 causes of salvation.

Romans 10:13 says it is calling on the Lord's name by which we are saved. Paul doesn't stop at believing, as so many Christians today do, but includes calling.
Why? Because faith without works is dead. Calling is a work which shows our true faith. If there is belief but no calling, there is no salvation.
Belief is in the heart but the apostle Paul was also looking for some evidence, some fruit, some confession with the mouth. Our mouth speaks what is in our heart.
I believe repentance occurs between hearing and believing, or between believing and calling. It is both a cause and a result of salvation:

Acts 2:21 "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. "

Then someone will say "we only need to call on the Lord's name to be saved".

Not true, we need to call with faith and out of a pure heart (2 Tim 2:22).

We need to repent of our sins and call on the Lord out of a pure heart, otherwise our calling is in vain and God will not hear us. At the same time, when we call on the Lord's name He forgives our sins and purifies our heart.

Religious doctrines have formulated processes or methods for salvation. But we are forgetting that salvation is like a conversation between two people. God reaches out to us, we respond, we reach out to God, He responds. One person may repent first, then believe in Christ later. Another may believe in Christ first, and then repent later.