Not By Works

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

BillG

Senior Member
Feb 15, 2017
9,020
4,439
113
I you lived in Md., I would rush to this church immediately!
Actually if you are interested I can post a link to our church website.

Sermons are normally posted online on Monday or Tuesday to listen to. And previous sermons are online as well

I myself and mentioned on the website and my ministry (sshh don't tell anyone though, wouldn't want to seem to be big headed)

If memory serves me you work with addicts.
This morning he talked about addiction and how during a period when God bought about a mini revival as such how God healed many addicts.
 

AllenW

Senior Member
Apr 20, 2016
1,450
70
48
Yes, it's that simple.



All you have to do is post the passage that explains how us continuing to believe is a work of the damnable works gospel and the argument will be settled. But you will not find any such passage. What you will find are several exhortations and warnings to keep believing. And I'm confident the authors of those exhortations and warnings were not imploring us to work the works in Paul's damnable works gospel doctrine to keep ourselves saved. I bet you don't either.



You can decide it, but you won't succeed in remaining saved without God's grace to believe. That's what makes salvation not by merit of works. But that hardly means you don't have to do the 'work' of believing to secure salvation. It's just that believing is not among the works that can not justify.




What you do in the way of works only counts as the evidence of whether Christ is in you in salvation, or not.



In other words, you have chosen to continue to believe.

Me too. That's what we're told to do.
Hey, I know you from somewhere.
Nashville?
Greenwich Village?
Hollywood and Vine.
Haight Ashbury?
I know you from somewhere.
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,401
113
There are so many other scriptures of the simplicity of salvation, yet folks continue to return to the complex for answers. Or look to scriptures that may or may not speak to that for which they are searching for answers.
Amen...the simplicity found in Christ<------hear, believe, acknowledge and be saved eternally.......!
 
P

PHart

Guest
Hey, I know you from somewhere.
Nashville?
Greenwich Village?
Hollywood and Vine.
Haight Ashbury?
I know you from somewhere.
I think you have me confused with Ralph.
I heard he was going over to a new forum.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
I find that head knowledge is useless and I mean completely.
Because then in the circumstances He places me in, I see that the head knowledge does me no good because I don't act according to that head knowledge but instead according to my flesh.

This leads to hungering and praying because I want to BE righteous in my heart.

The prayer leads to answering of my prayer, because He WANTS me to walk righteously.

Thats why paul said, seek after the things of the spirit, the spirit is not head knowledge, it is a guiding, yes, it is good to know the word, but I learned the hard way word knowledge is not enough.
 

BillG

Senior Member
Feb 15, 2017
9,020
4,439
113
Amen...the simplicity found in Christ<------hear, believe, acknowledge and be saved eternally.......!
My children, hear me, believe me, trust in me.
I will never leave you, never forsake you.
I will show you my ways, and I will help you to walk in those ways.

Will you trust me?
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
My children, hear me, believe me, trust in me.
I will never leave you, never forsake you.
I will show you my ways, and I will help you to walk in those ways.

Will you trust me?
can you imagin a mother and father who gives birth to a child, then tells them, as long as you believe we are your parents and continue to have faith in us, you will be our child, but if you Fall away in unbelief we will disown you?

I mean even if they tried, the child would still be their child, you can. Or unbirth a child or take the parent DNA (blood) away, and every child of God who had any sense of morality would be all over the parent calling them out as evil for doing such a thing!


 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,401
113
It amazes me the onus you ppl who believe they can unsave themselves put on yourselves. The Christ is nothing more than a self-help guru. I keep my faith and I'm okay. I like lose my faith and I'm lost.

That's why I say you ppl are working yourselves to heaven. It's all about what you do or don't do. Forget about the cross and He who died on it. I am my own person, and I can decide if I am to remain saved or not. The Christ's works means squat. It's what I do or don't do that counts.

You can have this fake gospel. I am like Apostle Paul.. I am persuaded He can keep what I have committed into His hands against that day. I have committed my life into His hands and He will keep.
Amen....he began our faith and he will finish our faith....he will keep his promises and complete the good work he began in us........to lose salvation, Jesus must fail in his work, fail to keep his promises, lose that which he said he would not lose and is not truthful in his use of eternal as applied unto the life he give based upon faith.....!
 

Cee

Senior Member
May 14, 2010
2,169
473
83
Good morning!

So being angry gives the feeling of honor... you feel disrespected... is it linked to your value? If so, here's a step you can take... God how do you honor and value my life? What do You say about me?

As we get our desire and needs met in Him it frees us from being lead by them instead of Him.


God morning Cee! :)

Anger at others gives me...my self life, my pride, my feeling that I should be honored and treated well, my little kingdom over which I rule and go to war if someone encroaches on it.

No! It doesn't protect me. It is the opposite of laying down my life to find my life. And it is the opposite of giving up my life for my brother/loving.
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,401
113
You go off topic all you want, I've done it here myself.
Probably for the same reason as me, most of the people we know on this site are here and they know us and we them.
Therefore we can trust each other and not condemn each other.

Its intersting, this morning in Church the preacher as part of his talk said something along the lines off

"If you want to see God move, if you want to see people change, if you want revival it does not start with you, it starts by your prayers that you pray to God, it is then God that works through your prayers, he works in you through your prayers and works in those you prayed for because of your prayers"

Keep praying, keep praying and keep praying.
Amen...funny you say this....I taught out of Daniel today....and the very first test that Daniel had which threated his life and the lives of his three comrades, which was Nebuchadnezzar's Dream and his threat to KILL all of the wise men in his kingdom resulted in Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah immediately going to the God of heaven in prayer......

1st Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing
 

BillG

Senior Member
Feb 15, 2017
9,020
4,439
113
can you imagin a mother and father who gives birth to a child, then tells them, as long as you believe we are your parents and continue to have faith in us, you will be our child, but if you Fall away in unbelief we will disown you?

I mean even if they tried, the child would still be their child, you can. Or unbirth a child or take the parent DNA (blood) away, and every child of God who had any sense of morality would be all over the parent calling them out as evil for doing such a thing!


Nope I can't they will always be my kids.
I gave birth to them. Ooh wait my wife gave birth to them.
i did play a part though
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,401
113
can you imagin a mother and father who gives birth to a child, then tells them, as long as you believe we are your parents and continue to have faith in us, you will be our child, but if you Fall away in unbelief we will disown you?

I mean even if they tried, the child would still be their child, you can. Or unbirth a child or take the parent DNA (blood) away, and every child of God who had any sense of morality would be all over the parent calling them out as evil for doing such a thing!


Not to mention that the seed we are born of is incorruptible.......

in·cor·rupt·i·ble
ˌinkəˈrəptəb(ə)l/
adjective
adjective: incorruptible

  • 1.
    not susceptible to corruption, especially by bribery.
    [TABLE="class: vk_tbl vk_gy"]
    [TR]
    [TD="class: lr_dct_nyms_ttl"]synonyms:[/TD]
    [TD]honest, honorable, trustworthy, principled, high-principled, unbribable, moral, ethical, good, virtuous "an incorruptible man"


    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]

    [TABLE="class: vk_tbl vk_gy"]
    [TR]
    [TD="class: lr_dct_nyms_ttl"]antonyms:[/TD]
    [TD]venal[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]





  • 2.
    not subject to death or decay; everlasting.
    [TABLE="class: vk_tbl vk_gy"]
    [TR]
    [TD="class: lr_dct_nyms_ttl"]synonyms:[/TD]
    [TD]imperishable, indestructible, indissoluble, enduring, everlasting "an incorruptible substance"


    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]

    [TABLE="class: vk_tbl vk_gy"]
    [TR]
    [TD="class: lr_dct_nyms_ttl"]antonyms:[/TD]
    [TD]perishable[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]






 

Cee

Senior Member
May 14, 2010
2,169
473
83
The idea we can lose our salvation is like a little boy receiving a beautiful present from his father. A present he could never afford himself. Ever. And the little boy is so excited he puts it under his bed. And each day he sneaks a peek under the bed looking at it, waiting for the day he can finally open it. Unfortunately though school gets busy and he starts to forget to sneak peeks under his bed to glance at his present.

Until one day he forgets completely because he's just too busy. This goes on for weeeks until he hears a little girl talking about a present she received. And excitedly he remember the present he has! He runs home looks under his bed and discovers the present is gone and in fact was never given to him because he forgot to continue to believe he had a present under his bed.

This is basically the story being described.... but there are two big problems... one we don't wait to open our present. We open our present right away when we receive it... this is abundant life we have NOW... and can give to others. Look at the life of His disciples, freely you received now freely give.

And two notice this story is about a boy and his present, but has nothing to do with his father. This is many people's religion right now. Nothing to do with their father, just their salvation and their ability to believe in it.
 
Last edited:
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,401
113
Cool, I'm a drummer in a Christian Blues band;)
Cool....in the 80's and 90's played a lot of rock/metal like Dokken, Metallica, Scorpions, Poison etc.....Now when I pick it up I just jam my own stuff......go thru stages....will play it for a while and maybe set it down for months on end....I sold the only guitar my dad left me (killed when 3) a mint 61 Les Paul Gibson SG in 90 to move and get right....Serial number 187.....still kick myself....Like Ibanez, Jackson guitars with EMG 85 pickups..... ;)