ya ive heard professing jews and muslims say they believe He died on the cross and was a real man
they just deny He is Christ and have no belief in His promises or word
if you deny Him as the only Lord and savior and call Him a liar...
that isnt faith in Him
Yet what is interesting and is critical to salvation is the following.
Romans 10:8-13
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach
): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
One can only be raised from the dead if they have died.
We have the swoon theory, that Jesus did not die on the cross but survived it.
We can discount that, the Romans knew what they were doing. It was an art form.
Ultimate humiliation and no one could survive that.
Then we have other theories that say Jesus was replaced on the cross.
Then we have Jesus died and that's it.
Yet no evidence of the dead body being produced. You would have thought to discredit the claims of the discisples then the dead mans broken body would have been produced.
That being the case then in legal terms of Habeas Corpus, produce the body.
The Jews nor the Romans could not do that.
Of course they could not because the body in the tomb was no longer in it.
I have spoken to many people about Jesus, they believe he was a real person, did good things, relate him to ghandi and the likes.
Then say do good works and hopefully get into heaven.
When I press in concerning Jesus and his purpose and price paid and resurrection, they then baulk and reject he rose from the dead.
Given want Paul says the physical resurrection is essential to salvation.
Nothing more or nothing less.
So I find given a few instances that when one crosses from he didn't rise again to that he did, then the said one is willing to confess that and make him Lord.
I have had the privilege 3 times of walking with people who baulked at the physical resurrection to then see them confess it.
When they did they made him Lord and saviour, I have had the privilege of baptising them.
And boy are they growing, yes growing and learning.
They were saved by faith in the physical resurrected Jesus.
Not by their works but because of what Jesus has done for them.
So I say if we were saved whilst we were sinners void of works why would that change afterwards?
It wont.
How does God see us after we place faith in Jesus?
As his son, just as Jesus is his son.
In his letters to the churches how did Paul address them?
Sinners or saints?
So I conclude that we are saved by faith through grace void of works.
We are saved whilst sinners because of his love for us.
We are now in Jesus.
God, He works good in all things to conform us to the image of Jesus.
That being the case then we will do good works, not be saved but because we want to be like Jesus.