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NASB | Acts 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation]." |
Subject: Does Christ stand alone for salvation?? |
Bible Note: Greetings WAK I have read many of your posts, with disagreement over some... but I wanted to tell you that this post is the best I've seen. It embodies the struggle that many of us have "living in the world but being not of the world". I am a product of the 60s-70s and have spent 20 years trying to re-program and orient toward a life of holiness. This with mixed success for sure. To your original question... you asked about the salvation of folks who: - have faith in Jesus's salvation (grace) thru the cross -do some nice things for others (WORKS) - live somewhat better moral lives than their neighbor because of their faith - don't read the Bible, but trust in the main 3 or 4 messages - talk to Jesus (pray) usually only if something is very good or very bad. My first thought is that it is very risky to predict the salvation of others... I really think we need to let God decide that. If we want to look for clues for our own life, I turn toward verses like this: Matthew 7 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 "Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." I ask myself, am I bearing fruit? Am I doing the "will of the Father"? Can I know the will of the Father if I don't read His Word? Can I know the will of the Father if I don't talk to Him in prayer? Can I know the will of the Father if I am not in fellowship with others who are seeking to do the same? I agree that "image" is the golden calf of our time, and often just as much so in the church as outside. Does God care whether we wear a suit or a teeshirt to church? I doubt it. He does care whether we bear fruit. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." A significant help in my own life has been the "iron" of other Christians sharpening me, teaching me how to find and live in God's will. Ultimately, the spiritual battle boils down to this, "my will or God's will?". This is not very popular in modern American culture (or any culture for that matter). Christians need to sharpen each other so that we glorify God who has provided us the ultimate gift ... salvation. Blessings Curt |