In Ephesians2:8 For by grace are ye saved, through faith; & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works lest anyone boast..
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, who God has before ordained that we should walk in them.
Grace is undeserved gift that we receive by an act of faith. See? We do have to reach up & receive it with faith.
4+ But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved. & has raised us up together & made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of His Grace in His kindness toward us throught Christ Jesus.
2007-10-26 03:52:17 · 11 answers · asked by t_a_m_i_l 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Amjid, Christians are born from above, cleansed from their sins. And they are people too. I asked this this way because many people are religious but they aren't saved yet, so aren't a real Christian.
2007-10-26 04:06:38 · update #1
What should you do, Genius? Reach up & receive Grace from God. Salvation is freely given. But we do need to reach up & receive it in faith. The Grace is what gives us the ability to do what God has called us to do.
2007-10-26 04:09:11 · update #2
Kerry, That isn't biblical, that is Mormon belief.
2007-10-26 04:10:03 · update #3
Kerry, James is biblical, just not that we receive Grace by doing this & that. Grace is undeserved favor.
2007-10-26 04:11:16 · update #4
John 3:16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Through Jesus Christ ,the only way to heaven, by the grace of God.Through our faith we believe this to be true
WHAT IS NECESSARY TO GO TO HEAVEN?
If you asked ten people what was necessary to go to heaven, you might get ten different answers. Is there a definite answer? And can we know it? In your own personal opinion, what do you understand it takes for a person to go to heaven? I’d like to share with you how the Bible answers this question. In fact, there is a single word that can be used as our answer and that word is F-A-I-T-H.
F is for Forgiveness. No one can have eternal life or enter into heaven without God’s forgiveness. The Bible says, "In Him (meaning Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins".
A is for Available. The forgiveness every human being needs is available for all. John 3:16 states, "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". According to that verse, this forgiveness is available to all, but it’s not automatic. Matthew 7:21 records Jesus saying, "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven". Why won’t everyone go to heaven, you ask? Because…
I is for Impossible. It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven. God is love. Remember John 3:16? "God so loved the world…". But God is also just. James 2:13 states, "for judgement is without mercy". God does love everyone but He is also just. Every human being is a sinner. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and for that reason it is impossible for people to go to heaven. So, how can a sinful person enter into heaven, where God allows no sin? That brings us to the next letter…
T is for Turn. If you were driving down the road and someone asked you to turn, what would he or she be asking you to do? They’d be asking you to change directions, right? In the Bible, to turn means to repent. We must all turn from something – sin and self. Jesus warned his listeners in Luke 13:3, "…unless you repent (turn) you will all likewise perish". But we not only turn from something (sin and self) we must also turn to Someone, Jesus Christ. We must trust Christ only! I Corinthians 15:3 says, "Christ died for our sins" and Romans 10:9 tells us that "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus…you will be saved". In other words, you can go to heaven. And that’s what the "H" in F-A-I-T-H means.
H is for Heaven. Heaven is eternal life. When the Bible speaks of eternal life, it means life here. Jesus spoke about that in John 10:10 by saying, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly". Eternal life also means hereafter.
In John 14:3 Jesus promised, "if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also". "H" also means, "How". How can a person have God’s forgiveness, heaven and eternal life, and Jesus as personal Saviour and Lord?
By using the word, F-A-I-T-H the Bible has answered the question of what it takes for a person to go to heaven. We can also use that word to understand how a person can have God’s forgiveness, heaven and eternal life. F-A-I-T-H can also mean, Forsaking All I Trust Him". By forsaking any other way to heaven and placing your faith in Jesus, you can have forgiveness and eternal life.
Understanding what has been shared, would you like to receive this forgiveness by trusting in Christ as your personal Savior and Lord? Simply pray this prayer,
"Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner. I genuinely repent of my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Lord Jesus, I believe that you died on the cross for my sins. I receive you as my Lord and Savior and make a commitment of my life to you. Thank you for hearing my prayer. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for giving me eternal life."
Since you have asked Jesus to forgive you, you have become a Christian and have eternal life. You are now God’s child. You are also a member of God’s family. Your feelings may change. God’s Word never changes. By faith, believe what God has said. In I John 5:12 the Bible says, "He who has the Son has life…These things have I written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God". God wants you to believe Him. He wrote the Bible to assure you of His love and forgiveness.
2007-10-26 04:00:32 · answer #1 · answered by timmyboy26164 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That is true. It is ONLY by the grace of Christ that we are saved. But the bible also teaches that our faith is not enough. We must have good works as well to be saved in the highest part of heaven.
See James 2: 14, 17-18, 20, 22, 24, 26.
"Faith without works is dead"
2007-10-26 03:56:13 · answer #2 · answered by Kerry 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Friend I know the scriptures very well seeing that I have been a Christian for over 37 yrs. God is NO Respect of a person, What grace he gives to one he gives to someone else also, It is only that some one that use to be a sinner may have a better testimony then someone else, But all said & done The one that may not have a strong testimony, They receieved the same grace from God.
2007-10-26 04:01:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's that old pest Human Nature. Most people could never forgive much more than the slightest transgression. They insist on some sort of contrition or penance from the transgressor.
Couple that with the fact that some people can't let go of the need to keep score: I'm better than you because I make more money, or I'm more Christian than you because I go to more bible studies.
So, you add those two factors together and you get a man-made scorecard for grace and forgiveness. Makes you wonder if God's up there laughing, or slapping His forehead in disbelief.
2007-10-26 04:00:22 · answer #4 · answered by annarborisatramp 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It' a paradox that one cannot be saved by works, yet one is not saved unless works are evident. Well, it's not to me, but to most.
The first is like Mother Teresa, they work and work to be 'good' enough, never realizing that they will NEVER reach their goal. The second is done out of love, because through spiritual rebirth they cannot do no other.
This is why we are given examples of wheat and tares. They may look the same on the outside, but inside, there is either fruit, or emptiness. I may not always be able to tell the difference, but that is not something which is required of me. What is required, is that I know there is a difference, and that I examine myself to make sure I am not part of the latter.
2007-10-26 04:00:37 · answer #5 · answered by Notfooled 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The scriptures you quoted reference our 'before salvation' Grace. No one has ever been good enough on their own to merit Salvation. It is by the Grace of God only, yes.
The belief that we get more grace or mercy or blessings as believers AFTER salvation, is scripturally bases as well. The prayers of a righteous man availeth much. Delight thyself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night....
The benefits of following God abound when we DO what He calls us to do..but Faith must accompany those works and the foundational understanding that you are walking in Grace to even try to 'walk right before His eyes' is key.
2007-10-26 04:02:37 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You don't get more grace from God by following kingdom principles. The purpose of following these principles or "rules" is to activate our faith or learn to walk in it. It's easy to say that you have faith but until you learn certain things about faith and apply them, you cannot truly understand what faith is. For example, you may pray to God daily to deliver your brother from drugs. We as Christians are to give it to God and have faith that the situation is handled. If we are continually asking Him for the same thing, how much faith do you really have that He has taken care of it? Instead of asking for the same thing repeatedly, you should begin to thank God for delivering your brother from drugs. You may even see your brother high as a kite, but you should still thank Him for delivering your brother. That shows God just how much faith and trust you have in Him. Although your brother's deliverance hasn't manifested in the physical realm yet, you are to trust that God has delivered Him in the spiritual realm. Your faith is what brings his deliverance from the spiritual to the physical realm. If you have never learned these principles or "rules", you would not know that you are not operating in true faith.
2007-10-26 04:09:41 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because most people can not expand their minds to think on a different plane. In this plane on earth, when you work hard, be good and follow the rules, you get rewards for your efforts, therefore they believe the same applies on the heavenly plane!
2007-10-26 04:01:27 · answer #8 · answered by peachiepie 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Honestly, nowadays people are just arrogant. They think the world including God owes them something. You are SUPPOSE to obey rules and law.
2007-10-26 03:56:03 · answer #9 · answered by gayman 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You is saying people & Christians. Is christians not people?
2007-10-26 03:54:56 · answer #10 · answered by Amjid 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋