Results 1 - 4 of 4
|
|
|||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Saved vs. Works (John 5:24 and 5:28-29) | John 5:24 | Dabody7 | 63813 | ||
Can repentance and water baptism be classified as works? They are not works in the sense of things man does to assist in earning his salvation, but they are saving works of God. Saving faith necessarily expresses itself through repentance, water baptism, and receiving the Spirit. In himself man does not have power to turn from sin, but God leads him to repentance and grants power to repent. God works repentance in man, changing his mind and direction. Likewise, God remits sin at baptism. Without the work of God and faith in His work, baptism is a meaningless ritual. Finally, receiving the Holy Spirit is certainly not a work on man's part; the Spirit is a free gift of God that a person receives by faith. |
||||||
2 | Saved vs. Works (John 5:24 and 5:28-29) | John 5:24 | Dabody7 | 63814 | ||
Man's role in all of this is simply to believe the gospel, to seek repentance, to submit to water baptism, and to allow God to fill him with the Spirit. These elements are all part of the appropriation, response, commitment, reliance, and obedience that saving faith necessarily includes. This "faith response" on man's part does not earn or pay for salvation, but it is a necessary response for receiving salvation. God offers salvation to all people freely on the basis of Christ's atonement, but only those who express faith in God receive salvation. Man either allows God to perform the work of salvation (by his faith and obedience) or he refuses to let Him work (by unbelief and disobedience). God calls a person, leads this person to Himself, changes the person's mind and direction (repentance), washes away his sins (at water baptism), baptizes him with His Spirit, keeps him in His grace, and empowers him for a holy life. This action on God's part constitutes His salvation of man in the present age. Does this conclusion about saving faith contradict Romans 10:8-10? This passage reads, "The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Some interpret this passage to mean that salvation comes automatically if one mentally assents that Jesus rose from the dead and verbally confesses that He is Lord. However, this interpretation contradicts the truth that saving faith includes appropriation and obedience Under this view, many who do not even claim to be living for God would be saved. Even the devils would be saved, for they know Jesus is alive, confess Him verbally, and believe in one God (Matthew 8:29; James 2:19). Clearly, such a superficial understanding of Romans 10:8-10 is inadequate. This becomes even more apparent as we continue reading Romans 10. Verse 13 says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Does this mean that everyone who verbalizes the name of Jesus is saved? Certainly not, or else the name of Jesus would be merely a magical formula. Moreover, verse 16 teaches that a lack of obedience indicates a lack of faith: "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?" Many will verbally confess Jesus as Lord and call on His name, but only those who actually do God's will shall be saved (Matthew 7:21-23). Despite one's verbal confession of faith, if he refuses to obey the gospel he does not have saving faith. |
||||||
3 | Saved vs. Works (John 5:24 and 5:28-29) | John 5:24 | Dabody7 | 63815 | ||
If this is so, what is the correct interpretation of Romans 10:8-10? First, we must realize that Paul was writing to Christians. His purpose was to remind them of how accessible salvation really is (verse 8). He did not have to explain the new birth in detail because his readers had already experienced it. He was simply reminding them that the foundation of salvation remains faith in Christ and the gospel and in public confession of this faith to the world in which they lived. A commentator on Romans noted that Paul in this passage referred to faith that brought us to a proper relationship with Christ and to confession as the means by which we maintain that relationship. |
||||||
4 | Saved vs. Works (John 5:24 and 5:28-29) | John 5:24 | Dabody7 | 63816 | ||
Here is a good example of what was said above. Suppose David tells John, "Meet me at the bank tomorrow morning at 10:00 A.M. and I will give you 1,000 dollars." (This is a condition for receiving the gift.) If John really believes David, he will appear at the appointed place and time. (Faith necessarily produces trust, response, and reliance) If John shows up, has he thereby earned the money? Of course not, because the money is a free gift. Yet his appearance is a necessary condition that must be met in order to receive the gift. (Grace on David's part, faith on John's part.) If John fails to show up, he will not receive the gift and the responsibility for the failure will fall totally upon him. (Lack of faith in the promise.) Similarly, we must respond to God in faith by seeking repentance, remission of sins at water baptism, and the Spirit baptism. If we do, God will graciously grant our petition, and we will receive salvation totally as a free gift and not as an earned right. If we do not respond in obedience to God's Word, we will not receive salvation, and the blame will rest totally upon us. |
||||||