The Kerygma - God's Requirement for Salvation
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“Salvation is given only to those that believe in Jesus and that is the bottom line.”
yeah sure can’t be saved without believing in Jesus . But here’s my point
“John 12:44
Now Jesus cried out and said, “The one who believes in Me, does not believe only in Me,
but also in Him who sent Me.”
thats a true sentance jesus said it and to those who believed in him he said this also
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:31-32 KJV
also true and what he said
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies,
John 11:26
And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
true he said that and also this
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.”
John 8:51 KJV
“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”
John 12:48 KJV
“Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also;
and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father.”
Again true he said that and in the same chapter this also
“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.”
John 14:
also true Single verses aren’t meant to try to disprove the other things being said in other verses it’s all true …… RIGHT ?
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
Philippians 2:12 KJV
It comes back to faith without actions being dead Noah eas given the gift of zgod telling him the truth about the flood and ark . Noah believed him and so he acted upon it and was saved by faith if he had said he believes and never acted he would have drown
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is ( that’s what some mean by believe in Jesus that he’s real and exists ) but they don’t believe this part ) a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”
Hebrews 11:6-7 KJV
That’s the same righteousness we can inherit through the same manner of faith like Noah god told us about the end of the world to come and he’s told us like he did Noah how to be saved . If we believe what he said we will act of we reject it we’ll argue that no one needs to do what he said from a thousand different perspectives but always to the intent of persuading people “ don’t think you need to obey god that’s not part of it “
Faith or believing is more than mentally accepting a doctrinal proposition as truth. It is also a personal transaction between a seeker and the Savior
Jesus explained it this way.
24Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, (following Him as His sheep do) he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. 25For whoever wants to save his [soul] life will lose it, but whoever loses his [soul] life for My sake will find it. 26What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?…
(Matthew 16:24-26)
Here verses, Jesus tells us that in order to obtain and experience His life, we must LOSE (or relinquish the ownership) of our own soulish kind of life. From the outset, our walk with Jesus is characterized by giving up self to him. This is what making a covenant with Him entails. It is an EXCHANGE my life for His. It is not, by any means an EVEN exchange since our life apart from Him is filthy and His is priceless. Nevertheless, it is our part in the process. It is also not about perfect obedience which we will not be able to offer until he completes our sanctification. However it does involves a commitment to follow Him (and following Him means obeying Him)
Your missing what the text is actually saying.
For example, a person is not saved because they have endured in their faith.
That person can only be saved by believing in Jesus.
Simply put, a person that continues to believe in Jesus throughout their life remains saved.
I repeat, I am not trying to disprove anything.
Merely placing the focus on the one who gave us salvation.
It may be you think we have no choice to make but the promises of God are almost always appended with the CONDITIONAL CONJUNCTION IF. This alone implies that we must make a choice of some kind. While making a CHOICE is an ACT of the will, this does not make it the same as a MERITORIOUS WORK one does to EARN salvation. These are the kind of "WORKS" which Paul said were incompatible with faith. The group Paul was addressing in Galatians, were called "Judaizers" because they believed that, in order to have a relationship with Christ, believers must ALSO adopt certain practices of Judaism such as circumcision, keeping Sabbath and Jewish holy days and eating kosher. Notice that belief in and obedience to Christ is not mentioned in this list.
Even Martin Luther, who had experienced the bondage of trying to serve God as a Catholic, did not go as far as to say we do not have to obey Christ and His teachings. He derided this idea as "antinomianism." However, Christ calls all of us to surrender self-will and submit to Him. This is what it means for us to "take His yoke upon us" A yoke connects the ox to the guiding will of its master. It furnishes evidence that the animal is owned by and submitted to its master. Though many might call this relationship "slavery"" the animal does not experience it as such. Neither do those who submit their wills to Christ find Him to be hard taskmaster as Jesus said...
…28Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”…
(Acts 15:28)
It's ironic that those who insist works are a requirement for salvation and/or eternal life can provide neither the quantity nor quality thereof.
Your still missing the point.
What saves us?
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 4:13
Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man,
to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
Galatians 2:16
Nevertheless, knowing that a person is not justified by works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus,
even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law;
since by works of the Law no flesh will be justified.
The Galatians were formerly Christians and any attempt by the Galatians to touch the law was
rejecting Jesus Christ. They had fallen from grace. That includes the ten commandments also by
the way. We live a spiritual life in Jesus Christ and that does not include the law.
Once you receive the Holy Spirit when you believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit is the confirmation.
That you are now saved and your salvation itself is received by you, as a gift. You will never
earn your salvation no matter what you do.
Galatians 3:2
This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law,
or by hearing with faith?
Galatians 3:9
So then, those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
1. I never "insisted that works are a requirement for salvation or eternal life."
If I did, then tell me specifically what these "saving works" are.
2. Also, are you defining "works" as anything whatsoever that you do whether mental, spiritual or physical?
3. In that case, what about faith? Is putting our faith in Christ not also an act that involves our minds ,wills, and spirits?
4. I see it as very much an act of the mind and will which is why human beings so often resist the influence of the Holy Spirit
5. Lastly, I do not know what you mean by "eternal life can provide neither the quantity nor quality thereof.
A. The Apostle John, in his first letter, was recalling Jesus prayer to the Father (John 17)
In that passage, John says he heard Jesus DEFINE "eternal life" this manner:
3Now this is eternal life, that they may know You ("know" by personal experience)
the only TRUE God, and JESUS CHRIST, whom You have sent.
(John 17:3)
Later, in his first letter, the Apostle gives us his own statement defining eternal life:
24As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning (i. e., the gospel message) shall remain in you.
If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.…
(1 John 2:24)
The promise of eternal life will be inherited only by those who continue (REMAINING AND ABIDING) in Him
So we must not believe only once. We must continue believing if we are to inherit full and final eternal life.
Please define "remaining" and "abiding" please. Scripture shows none who go from belief to unbelief, nor spiritual birth to spiritual death.
You were correct in what you stated in the following statement.
"The promise of eternal life will be inherited only by those who continue (REMAINING AND ABIDING) in Him
So we must not believe only once. We must continue believing if we are to inherit full and final eternal life."
As long as you understand that Jesus is the savior (saved) and we are the recipients of that salvation.
The "remaining and abiding" concerns the way you conduct your life as a saved person.
Our faith (belief) in Jesus must endure through thick and thin (endurance).
Philippians 1:27
Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see
you or remain absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind
striving together for the faith of the gospel.
There are 16+ Scriptural warnings against apostasy/blasphemy, and a couple of examples:
1Tim. 1:19-20, 2Tim. 2:17-18, 4:14-15, cf. Tit. 3:10-11.
Not impressed with your understanding of Galatians 5:1-6 or your applied interpretation.
Here is what you said.
"Paul was addressing in Galatians, were called "Judaizers" because they believed that, in order to
have a relationship with Christ, believers must ALSO adopt certain practices of Judaism such as
circumcision, keeping Sabbath and Jewish holy days and eating kosher"
What you specified looks nothing like what Paul said in Galatians 5.
Here is what Paul wrote.
Galatians 5:1-6
It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject
again to a yoke of slavery. Look! I, Paul, tell you that if you have yourselves circumcised, Christ will
be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who has himself circumcised, that he is
obligated to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be
justified by the Law; you have fallen from grace. For we, through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for
the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything,
but faith working through love.
Can you see the vast difference between what you said; "circumcision, keeping Sabbath and
Jewish holy days and eating kosher"
And what Paul said; "I testify again to every man who has himself circumcised, that he is obligated to
keep the whole Law"
Paul said very clearly that circumcision means you must obey the whole law.
Tell me whether you can see the difference in the two readings of Galatians 5:1-6?
One version is specifying the ceremonial law and the other the whole law.
Interesting difference.
Hmmmm, I wonder which one is correct?
Inquisitor
You need to understand the error Paul was confronting in Galatia. Internal evidence within the letter identified these people as
"Judaizers" who were a faction of Christians, both of Jewish and non-Jewish origins, who regarded the Levitical laws of the Old Testament as still binding on all Christians. In the letter to the Galatians, Paul deals with circumcision which was a central issue in Judaeism since it represented a person's commitment to follow the whole law which had moral, ceremonial as well as civil aspects.
In Colossians, Paul also mentions OTHER practices of the law that the Judaizers considered as mandatory. This is where I got keeping Sabbath and Jewish holy days and eating[ kosher"[/I]. All of these requirements were part of Judaeism and were being pushed by the Judaizers who had clearly infiltrated a number of Churches in Asia Minor.
You asked me to "tell you whether I could "see the difference in the two readings of Galatians 5:1-6?" One of which you said specified the ceremonial law and the other the whole law. No I do not see that Paul was attempting to deal the various categories of the Levitical law separately. Why should he? All three aspects were part of the same legal system. The only other view the Apostle addressed was how believers walk with Christ under the provisions of the New Covenant which he goes into in chapter 5.
You need to understand the error Paul was confronting in Galatia. Internal evidence within the letter identified these people as
"Judaizers" who were a faction of Christians, both of Jewish and non-Jewish origins, who regarded the Levitical laws of the Old Testament as still binding on all Christians. In the letter to the Galatians, Paul deals with circumcision which was a central issue in Judaeism since it represented a person's commitment to follow the whole law which had moral, ceremonial as well as civil aspects.
In Colossians, Paul also mentions OTHER practices of the law that the Judaizers considered as mandatory. This is where I got keeping Sabbath and Jewish holy days and eating[ kosher"[/I]. All of these requirements were part of Judaeism and were being pushed by the Judaizers who had clearly infiltrated a number of Churches in Asia Minor.
You asked me to "tell you whether I could "see the difference in the two readings of Galatians 5:1-6?" One of which you said specified the ceremonial law and the other the whole law. No I do not see that Paul was attempting to deal the various categories of the Levitical law separately. Why should he? All three aspects were part of the same legal system. The only other view the Apostle addressed was how believers walk with Christ under the provisions of the New Covenant which he goes into in chapter 5.
Here is an example: Jesus said 6If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.
Just as Jesus said "abiding in Him" was a choice we make so He affirmed that it is within our power cease "abiding in Him" and DISCONTINUE our covenant relationship with Him. About such people Jesus warned:
6If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.
(John 15:6)
This type of branch which does not remain/abide/continue in Him after becoming disconnected and is cut off and "THROWN AWAY" According to Jesus, disconnected branches that no longer share the life of the Vine are judged.
6If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Withering shows the death that takes over. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned. This is not about purification but judgment.
That's not an example of someone going from spiritual life to spiritual death.