The Kerygma - God's Requirement for Salvation

[Ouch]

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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)

The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent. (John 6:29)

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31)

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

All of the verses you shared are HIS word, love it.

BUT what do you do with these verses? What do you do with them?

JESUS said we need to be born of water and of spirit.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Speaking of the future.
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

This is the message spoken of in Matthew 24:14.
Acts 2:38-39
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

 

[Ouch]

What is God's requirement for salvation (GRFS)?

JESUS said we need to be born of water and of spirit.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Speaking of the future.
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

This is the message spoken of in Matthew 24:14.
Acts 2:38-39
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

 

[Ouch]

That a sinner, by the will of the Father...convicted by Jesus, place their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, who will give them eternal life through the Holy Spirit indwelling them, sealing them for eternity.

John 3:16, John 5:24, John 6:40, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 10:9-10

All of the verses you shared are HIS word, love it.

BUT what do you do with these verses? What do you do with them?

JESUS said we need to be born of water and of spirit.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Speaking of the future.
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

This is the message spoken of in Matthew 24:14.
Acts 2:38-39
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

 

[Ouch]

Yes, and I like all of the Scripture you cited, especially Acts 16:31, which is Paul and Silas's answer when the Philippian jailer asked them the most important question in life: What must I do to be saved?

My follow up question is this: What important (two-fold) truth is implied by the jailer's question and the apostles' answer?

What happen after they got done talking?


Acts 16:32-33
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

 

[Ouch]

Gods main requirement for salvation is to be in the state of sanctifying grace.

How do we get rid of our sins?

 

[Ouch]

God's requirements for salvation are a blood atonement for sin and perfect righteousness.

Fact, JESUS gave his blood as our sacrifice, but how do we apply that to our life? How do we get perfect righteousness?

 

[Ouch]

This question of salvation is most important because it implies that—as sinful and mortal souls—we need saving from two-fold corruption, both moral and physical. We need saving from physical death if we value or enjoy life, and we need saving from immorality or evil-doing if it results in unhappy existence, especially after this lifetime.

An obvious question to ask at this point is, “What is GRFS for those who have never heard of Jesus?” (which includes everyone living B.C. and millions of people who have lived A.D.)

I often think of those in OT but they all had to have know GOD since they all came from Adam and Eve? I do think of all of those that were slaltered in the OT.

I really feel as thought JESUS talks to us all in a small still voice to keep us from evil. I say that because when I got my licence I started going to church without my parents taking me much when I was young.

So I think everyone could know JESUS if they wanted to.

With the internet today, I know this is true.

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

 

[Cameron143]

Fact, JESUS gave his blood as our sacrifice, but how do we apply that to our life? How do we get perfect righteousness?

It is given to us. There are great benefits that come with being in Christ.

 

[Mem]

I skimmed through the first 7 and the last 3 pages to see if anyone offered my answer to the issues of those from B.C through this day that 'hadn't heard the gospel.' I submit that there is no one that hasn't heard the Holy Spirit, by which the Word preached to the prisoners of which only 8 were saved in the days of Noah, and that as many as were drowned were as many as that did not listen. And so, of consequence, I also submit that the pharisees 'heard' the Holy Spirit and denied Him audience at the time Jesus declared the consequence of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

 

[rogerg]

The most comprehensive way of stating GRFS is something like this:

"Folks are judged justly according to the opportunity they had to cooperate with God as revealed."

This statement includes those souls who could only perceive God via creation (Rom. 1:2),
and/or via conscience (Rom. 2:7-16), and/or via the OT/Law (Rom. 7:7-24)
and/or per the NT/Gospel (Rom. 3:21-31, 5:1-11, 7:25 & 8:1-17).

Being a Christian, why is it that you don't believe Christ alone is the Savior as the Bible clearly and beyond dispute tells us He is? Instead, your belief is that, in addition to Christ, man is savior too.

No, man's cooperation is not a prerequisite to becoming saved, if it were, no one would be. Jesus Christ alone is the Savior (man is not). Salvation is given solely as a free gift to those for whom it is intended by the mercy and grace of the Father, through Jesus Christ.
Unsaved (natural) man of himself, is wholly incapable of cooperating with God.
Those who act in accordance with the demands of God, do so because they have been saved but not in an effort to become saved.
Salvation is perfectly described by the following three verses - and that's all of it - there is nothing more.

[Rom 5:12, 15, 21 KJV]
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 15 But not as the offence, so also [is] the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, [which is] by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

[Tit 3:5-6 KJV]
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

[2Co 4:4 KJV] 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

[Jer 17:9 KJV] 9 The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?

[1Co 2:13-14 KJV]
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.

 

[Ouch]

It is given to us. There are great benefits that come with being in Christ.

How do we get in Christ?

What do you think of when we are baptized in JESUS name is whey we take advantage of him doing what he did. If we don't he died and rose again for nothing.

 

[Cameron143]

How do we get in Christ?

What do you think of when we are baptized in JESUS name is whey we take advantage of him doing what he did. If we don't he died and rose again for nothing.

What do you think about when the Spirit of God places an individual into the body of Christ?

 

[Ouch]

What do you think about when the Spirit of God places an individual into the body of Christ?

I just go with HIS word.
Romans 6,
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

We also need JESUS to fill us with his spirit.

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

Mark 16:16-17
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

 

[Cameron143]

I just go with HIS word.
Romans 6,
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

We also need JESUS to fill us with his spirit.

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

Mark 16:16-17
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Isn't 1 Corinthians 12:13 in the word of God?

 

[GWH]

JESUS said we need to be born of water and of spirit.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Speaking of the future.
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

This is the message spoken of in Matthew 24:14.
Acts 2:38-39
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Jesus stated GRFS in numerous ways including:

Scriptures on God’s Requirement for Salvation

[stated in terms of faith (F) and works (W)]

From Matthew

1. Repent (4:17, F),
2. Recognize one’s spiritual poverty (5:3, F)
3. Be righteous (5:20, W)
4. Love your enemies (5:44, W)
5. Serve God (6:24&33, W)
6. Enter the narrow gate (7:13, F)
7. Do God’s will (7:21 & 12:50, F&W)
8. Hear and act (7:24, F&W)
9. Confess Jesus (10:32, W)
10. Love Jesus (10:37, F)
11. Give life to Jesus (10:39& 16:24-25, F)
12. Have no doubt (11:6, F)
13. Come to Jesus (11:28, F)
14. Learn from Jesus (11:29, W)
15. Be for Jesus (12:30, F)
16. Understand (13:23, F)
17. Be good (5:48 & 13:38,43,49, W)
18. Value salvation (13:44-46, F)
19. Believe Jesus (16:16& 21:32, F)
20. Become humble (18:3-4 & 19:14, W)
21. Forgive others (18:35, W)
22. Give to the poor (19:21, W)
23. Follow Jesus (19:21&29, F)
24. Yield fruit (21:43, W)
25. Dress appropriately (22:11-14, cf. RV 16:15, W)
26. Love God, neighbor & self (22:37-40, W)
27. Hold out until the end (24:13, F)
28. Keep awake (24:42 & 25:13, F)
29. Be ready (24:44, F&W)
30. Be trustworthy and useful (25:21&30, F&W)
31. Help Jesus’ brothers (25:34-40, W)
32. Be righteous/do right (25:46, F&W)

More from Mark

33. Accept the kingdom (10:15, F)
34. Believe the Gospel (16:16, F)
35. Receive baptism (16:16, W)

From Luke

1. Be hated (6:22-23, W)
2. Lend (6:35, W)
3. Judge not (6:37, W)
4. Invite the poor to your party (14:13-14, W)
5. Use wealth wisely (16:9, W)
6. Stand firm (21:19, F)

From John

1. Be born again (3:3&6, F)
2. Come to the light (3:21, F)
3. Obey the Son (8:51 & 14:15, W)
4. Drink living water (4:14, F)
5. Heed Jesus (5:24, W)
6. Do right (5:29, W)
7. Work for the food of life (6:27, W)
8. Partake of the bread of life (6:33-35&51, F)
9. Eat the flesh and drink the blood of X (6:54, F)
10. Dwell within the truth (8:31&35, W)
11. Hate self; serve Jesus (12:25-26, W)
12. Accept Jesus’ words (12:47, F)
13. Follow Jesus’ example (13:15-17, W)
14. Dwell in Jesus and in love (15:5-10, F&W)
15. Heed his command (15:10-12, F)
16. Know God and Jesus Christ (17:3, F)
17. Believe Jesus is Christ/Son (20:31, F)

From Acts

1. Call on the name of the Lord (2:21, F)
2. Repent and be baptized (2:38, cf.3:19, F&W)
3. Believe in Jesus (10:43, cf. 13:39&48, F)
4. Believe in the Lord Jesus (16:31, cf. 18:8, F)
5. Repent and turn to God (26:20, F)

From Romans

1. Have faith (1:17, F)
2. Persist in doing good (2:7&10, cf.3:12, W)
3. Obey the law (2:13, cf. 3:20, W)
4. Have faith in Jesus Christ (3:22, 26&28&5:1, F)
5. Confess Jesus as resurrected Lord (10:9, F&W)
6. Call on the name of the Lord (10:13, F)

From 1 Corinthians

1. Believe (1:21, F)
2. Hold firmly to the gospel (15:2, F)

From 2 Corinthians

1. Repent (7:10, F)

 

[GWH]

What happen after they got done talking?

Acts 16:32-33
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

No, by v. 30&31.

30 - We sinful and mortal souls need saving from corruption, both moral and physical. We need saving from physical death if we value or enjoy life, and we need saving from immorality or evil-doing if it results in unhappy existence, especially after this lifetime.

31 - We are saved by faith in the Lord Jesus = in Jesus as Lord.

 

[GWH]

I often think of those in OT but they all had to have know GOD since they all came from Adam and Eve? I do think of all of those that were slaltered in the OT.

I really feel as thought JESUS talks to us all in a small still voice to keep us from evil. I say that because when I got my licence I started going to church without my parents taking me much when I was young.

So I think everyone could know JESUS if they wanted to.

With the internet today, I know this is true.

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Yes, and the quiet voice is the HS teaching us GW/all truth (John 16:13).

Re "How do we get perfect righteousness?": By learning GW per Jesus in Matt. 4:4 and per Paul in Eph. 4:11-24.

 

[GWH]

I skimmed through the first 7 and the last 3 pages to see if anyone offered my answer to the issues of those from B.C through this day that 'hadn't heard the gospel.' I submit that there is no one that hasn't heard the Holy Spirit, by which the Word preached to the prisoners of which only 8 were saved in the days of Noah, and that as many as were drowned were as many as that did not listen. And so, of consequence, I also submit that the pharisees 'heard' the Holy Spirit and denied Him audience at the time Jesus declared the consequence of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

I agree and say the following on our website:

"An obvious question to ask at this point is, “What is GRFS for those who have never heard of Jesus?” (which includes everyone living B.C. and millions of people who have lived A.D.) If God loves the world (John 3:16) and wants everyone to be saved (1Tim. 2:3-4, Eze. 33:11), then He must provide an opportunity. God’s just judgment is illustrated by Jesus in the Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14-29), which indicates that God will judge souls on the basis of the truth (Word = Christ per John 1:1f.) they have received.

There are two main ways God/Christ is encountered:

1. General revelation, which includes meditating on the natural world or God’s supernatural work and moral conscience. Paul said men are without excuse, both because God’s eternal power and divine nature (love) are manifested by creation (Rom. 1:20), and because a proto-gospel has been proclaimed to everyone under heaven implicitly or in pre-NT foreshadowings (Col. 1:23, Rom. 10:13-18, Gal. 3:8). He also taught that all normal humans have an inner conscience or “common” sense (Rom. 2:14-16), which manifests morality or a moral Authority in every culture.

2. Special revelation (1PT 1:8-12), which refers mainly to divinely inspired NT teaching regarding God’s history of salvation. Again, the Parable of the Talents indicates that souls are saved via faith in God/ Christ as revealed (cf. 1Cor. 10:1-5). Truthseekers around the world in all times are pilgrims at various places along the road of life, and all true roads eventually lead to the Way to eternal life in heaven (John 14:6, Acts 24:14, Phil. 2:10-11). All truth leads to One Way.

 

[GWH]

Being a Christian, why is it that you don't believe Christ alone is the Savior as the Bible clearly and beyond dispute tells us He is? Instead, your belief is that, in addition to Christ, man is savior too.

No, man's cooperation is not a prerequisite to becoming saved, if it were, no one would be. Jesus Christ alone is the Savior (man is not). Salvation is given solely as a free gift to those for whom it is intended by the mercy and grace of the Father, through Jesus Christ.
Unsaved (natural) man of himself, is wholly incapable of cooperating with God.
Those who act in accordance with the demands of God, do so because they have been saved but not in an effort to become saved.
Salvation is perfectly described by the following three verses - and that's all of it - there is nothing more.

[Rom 5:12, 15, 21 KJV]
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 15 But not as the offence, so also [is] the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, [which is] by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

[Tit 3:5-6 KJV]
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

[2Co 4:4 KJV] 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

[Jer 17:9 KJV] 9 The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?

[1Co 2:13-14 KJV]
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.

Re "Being a Christian, why is it that you don't believe Christ alone is the Savior?"

I do believe Christ alone is the Savior, Rog, but obviously this truth was not fully revealed in the OT
and even less clearly to sinners to those dependent on God's creation and conscience alone for revelation.
That is why the NT calls pre-Christ revelation "foreshadowings" and I use the term "proto-Gospel" (meaning provisional).

 

[Mem]

I agree and say the following on our website:

"An obvious question to ask at this point is, “What is GRFS for those who have never heard of Jesus?” (which includes everyone living B.C. and millions of people who have lived A.D.) If God loves the world (John 3:16) and wants everyone to be saved (1Tim. 2:3-4, Eze. 33:11), then He must provide an opportunity. God’s just judgment is illustrated by Jesus in the Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14-29), which indicates that God will judge souls on the basis of the truth (Word = Christ per John 1:1f.) they have received.

There are two main ways God/Christ is encountered:

1. General revelation, which includes meditating on the natural world or God’s supernatural work and moral conscience. Paul said men are without excuse, both because God’s eternal power and divine nature (love) are manifested by creation (Rom. 1:20), and because a proto-gospel has been proclaimed to everyone under heaven implicitly or in pre-NT foreshadowings (Col. 1:23, Rom. 10:13-18, Gal. 3:8). He also taught that all normal humans have an inner conscience or “common” sense (Rom. 2:14-16), which manifests morality or a moral Authority in every culture.

2. Special revelation (1PT 1:8-12), which refers mainly to divinely inspired NT teaching regarding God’s history of salvation. Again, the Parable of the Talents indicates that souls are saved via faith in God/ Christ as revealed (cf. 1Cor. 10:1-5). Truthseekers around the world in all times are pilgrims at various places along the road of life, and all true roads eventually lead to the Way to eternal life in heaven (John 14:6, Acts 24:14, Phil. 2:10-11). All truth leads to One Way.

The stewards and the master are obvious in the parable of the talents, imo, so that no one can say "I wasn't given any faith." But it occurred to me that, in the parable of the prodigal son, the fatted calf is conspicuously missing in its explanation. The Father kills the fatted calf, but the brother has no appetite to partake in the celebration because thinking that it is only meant for his brother...