Bible Question:
People have been responding on this forum with what they think is within the responsibility of those that believe, in order to be saved; the options are varied. The big ones are baptism, communion, speaking with tongues and faith with works. All of these can be eliminated by one verse or another when one uses the Scripture as the final authority. I would like to ask if there is any way to eliminate what I have to suggest, that comes from Isaiah. Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. The one thing that cannot be eliminated from the process of salvation that is found in Isaiah, is REASON! We all know that God has provided salvation to all through His Son. John wrote his portion of the gospel so that we might have life by believing in Jesus. John 20:30-31 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. The only thing that one must include in order to have salvation is the ability to think, or as God said through Isaiah, the ability to reason. The process of reasoning is none meritorious action on the part of the one doing the thinking and the Holy Spirit guides the thought process. As long as a person has the ability to reason they can be saved. The ability to do anything but reason it excluded and that takes care of all the other scenarios otherwise God is a respecter of persons, which we know is false. Reasoning is the only possible option for the thief on the cross because he can do nothing, other then think. A person could be buried hundreds of feet under ground in a mine and unable to talk to anyone, be baptized, speak in tongues or anything else, but if they can still reason, God is able to save their soul, if they are willing to believe in Jesus Christ and trust in Him for their eternal future. Can anyone refute this with Scripture? CDBJ |
Bible Answer: Hi, CDBJ; I can't see that the passage you cite says anything about reasoning being the path to salvation. Taken in context, God is telling the people of Judah to think about their disobedience and its obvious consequences. Verse 19: '"If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.' Your example of the thief on the cross is speculative. My own speculation is that, finding himself in a desparate situation, he grasped at the only hope left him - that the man next to him really was able to offer salvation of some kind. I doubt that he reasoned it out, but of course neither one of us knows. What we can know is that the consistent message throughout the entire Bible is that faith is the key to salvation. Reason may be a means to faith, but faith itself is a gift of God, not the product of reason. You may be able to cite a passage that, taken out of context, seems to suggest otherwise. The intellectual exercise of finding "one verse or another", however, can hardly disprove what the Bible as a whole makes clear. 'Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding' (Proverbs 3:5) I will lean instead on Paul's familiar assertion in Ephesians 2:8-9: 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.' If I were able to reason myself to salvation - or even to faith - it would be of myself, something of which I could boast. Peace and grace Steve aka Indiana Jones |