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NASB | Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 10:9 because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. |
Subject: how to be saved |
Bible Note: Dear disciplerami, I must confess to being a bit confused. I thought that you believed that man was free to choose or reject the the gospel offer of salvation through faith in Jesus. I know that the arminian position holds that the work of the Holy Spirit is an essential component, but, that in the end man must make the all-important choice. Their position on free-will inevitably leads to the conclusion that eternal-life depends on the will of man. He will or he will not "accept" the gospel. You stated: "My faith is in the working of God who raised me from the dead to walk in newness of life." I believe it as well. I think that where we disagree is, in the final analysis, upon whose will does salvation become to pass. If I am saved because of something I do as an unregenerate man (accept Christ), or am lost because of something I do (reject Christ) then the inescapable conclusion must be that I am saved or lost as a result of what I will! You said: "But you have not proven that sinners cannot choose to do the will of God." The following verses are just a few proof texts that I offer in support of natural (unregenerate) man's inability to choose spiritual good. JOH 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 1CO 2:14 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. TIT 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 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. This is why I believe that God has chosen a people to give to His Son. He has mercy on whom He will have mercy. This is a hated doctrine by many people. Many say that it makes God out to be unfair. I have had my own doubts as well. I labored over it for years trying to justify my conception of right and wrong with "election" and "pre-destination". The more I prayed and studied the Word, the more convinced I became that the evidence for these doctrines (which is overhelming) forced me to recieve them as God's truth. But what was at first bitter, has become sweeter than honey. I now rely on God alone and can say, along with Paul, I am what I am by the grace of God". 1 Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. God Bless, John |