How are we saved?

[arunangelo]

We are saved from sins by the blood of Christ (Matt. 26:28). In other words, the passion and death of Jesus bring us forgiveness of sins. This is true forgiveness, in which we the offenders are forgiven of our offenses by the compensation of Jesus the victim. This is also true love, in which Jesus gave of Himself completely so that we may have life (1John 4: 10). Therefore, to be saved we have to accept Jesus’ sacrifice by believing in it. To believe in it is to be born again in Jesus’ life (John3: 3-6) and live like Him (1John 2:5-6). This means that we must not hate our offenders and forgive them the way Jesus does, which is to compensate for offenses that our offenders commit against us by our own life. In simple words it means that we have to go out of our way to help our offenders, even to the extent of putting our life on the line. Jesus commands us to love others the way He loves us (John 16:12). Everyone who has this love is begotten of God and knows God (1John4: 7). Similarly, everyone who knows Him keeps His commandment (1John 2:3,4). On the other hand who ever hates his brother is in darkness (1John2: 11) and is a murderer, and therefore, has no eternal life (1 John 3:15). Furthermore, we cannot love God if we have hate in our heart for anyone (1John 4:20). Can we therefore, we saved by simply believing or proclaiming that Jesus is God if our life is not of His?

 

[Heidi]

And since Jesus saved us, not we ourselves, then we can never lose our salvation because it didn't have anything to do with us to begin with. Even faith itself is a gift from God, not from us. Becoming unborn again is as impossible as reversing our birth of the flesh. I fpeople remembered that, then their faith would be solid.

 

[notapseudonym]

actually, it had everything to do with us. He died on that cross for our sins. If it was not for an act of prid in the garden, commited by man, then He would not have had to come here and die for us. It was by acts that we lost Eden, and by act we gain Heaven. No, this is not to say the acts are what save us, but rather through these acts we practice and manifest our belief in Christ and we gain grace. Just as Adam lost Eden through an act, so can we lose Heaven by an act.

 

[fiat]

Salvation begins first with the Grace of God poured out for us at the Cross. It is a gift freely given out of love and mercy, and can be accepted or rejected. If accepted, the soul hears a call to repentance.
Enabled by Grace, the soul is disposed for salvation from sin...he hears God's promises, trusts in His Mercy, loathes his sins, and begins to love.
What follows is justification itself. The soul, through the Grace and gifts of God, is able to do the impossible. "He becomes just instead of unjust, a friend instead of a foe and so an heir according to the hope of eternal life." He "runs the race" by his "good work" of avoiding what would seperate him (sin) from God and endeavoring (despite human frailty) to act in such a way that is pleasing to God and would demonstrate his love. Again, these things would be impossible were it not for the soul's acceptance of the gift of God's Grace, strength, and mercy and his willingness to get up after each fall and reaccept the gift continually offered.

Hence follows the perfection of the salvation wrought by Christ for mankind. On His part Christ offered to God a satisfaction for man's sin not only sufficient but superabundant (Rom., v, 15-20); on God's part supposing, what is contained in the very idea of man's redemption through Christ, that God agreed to accept the work of the Redeemer for the sins of man, He was bound by His promise and His justice to grant the remission of sin to the extent and in the manner intended by Christ. In this way our salvation has won back for us the essential prerogative of the state of original justice, i.e., sanctifying grace while it will restore the minor prerogatives of the Resurrection. At the same time, it does not at once blot out individual sin, but only procures the means thereto, and these means are not restricted only to the predestined or to the faithful, but extend to all men (I John, ii, 2; I Tim., ii, 1-4). Moreover salvation makes us coheirs of Christ (Rom., viii, 14-17), a royal priesthood (I Pet., ii, 9; cf. Ex., xix, 6), sons of God, temples of the Holy Ghost (I Cor., iii, 16), and other Christs--Christianus alter Christus; it perfects the angelical orders, raises the dignity of the material world, and restores all things in Christ (Eph., i, 9-10). By our salvation all things are ours, we are Christ's, and Christ is God's (I Cor., iii, 22-23).

(newadvent.org)[/i]

 

[Orthodoxy]

We are told that "we shall be saved by his life." Romans 5:10

What does this "life" look like?

Is not the Body of Jesus Christ, the Church, that which eternally lives "His Life", His will both in Heaven and on the Earth?

If the life of His Body is that which saves then is it not understood that it is the life of the Church that saves? If Jesus Christ is eternal and without change then would not "His Body" be the same in nature and essance? If this "Body of Jesus Christ" has both Heavenly and Earthly components (Ephesians 3:10, 14-15) then can we not say that His body on the Earth is unchanging and unfailing? Would not the "life of Jesus Christ" be filled with historical memorobilia and artifacts attesting to "His Life" throughout the ages? Would not "the Church" be a "householder that brings forth that which is both "ancient" and "new"?Matthew 13:52 Is not the old better? Luke 5:39.

Jesus Christ saves His Church this much is certain, Ephesians 5:23-25,32. We know Jesus Christ will save His Church for "He is the savior of the Body". Those that are saved we know are "in His Church". We can say for certain that those in His Church are those being saved. Acts 2:47.

Beyond this we dont know who God will save. God is able to save all. Will God save all. God knows, but for certain those "In Christ" are saved.

The issue is not salvation. The issue is "membership in the Body" and having proper membership in "confession of Faith".

If we are certain christians are the ones that are saved then who determines who is and who is not a Christian?

I do not. You do not. A book does not. None of you nor the bible determines your own nor anyone elses "salvation". One can self righteously claim, "I am saved" however who has the "authority" to determine who is in the "Church" and who is not in the "Church"?

We (Christians) must determine "what we believe" if "we" is to be a coherant and knowable "body" that saves.

Orthodoxy