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Bible Study Saved by Grace through Faith

alaric

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We are saved by believing, not by performing.
 

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I'm going to nitpick:- the work of God is to believe in the one he has sent.


Yes. Believe means trust and commit to obey.


The work of God is to obey the one He sent.


He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36


This is the commitment we make when we repent.

When we confess Jesus as Lord.


Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 2 John 9





JLB
 
We are saved by believing, not by performing.


If you mean believing as in obeying, then of course.


We are “saved” by confessing with our mouth, Jesus as Lord, as well as believing God raised him from the dead.


  • with the mouth confession is made unto salvation


that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:9-10




JLB
 
Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The faith of Christ, (KJV - John 12:44-50; Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:9), is where we find faith in Christ. The newer translations has changed where it says faith of Christ to faith in Christ. There is a difference between faith of Christ and faith in Christ as you can read in those scriptures out of the KJV. The faith of Christ is what He believed in the Father as He never said or did anything above that which God gave Him to speak or to do while He was on earth. Our faith in Christ is the same faith of Christ He had in the Father as we can never go above that of what He taught us and the works He left for us to follow in.

The Son of God is that free gift of God's grace given to all who will believe by faith in Christ and confess Him as Lord and Savior so they will see the kingdom of God, John 3:5-7; Romans 10:9, 10. There is no working towards something that is free as all we have to do is accept the gift. Believe is a verb that means something we consider to be true as we have heard the Gospel and not only heard it, but also believe what is written for our well being.

Faith works come after we are Spiritually born again and indwelled with the Holy Spirit that empowers us to go out into the world and continue in the good works of the Lord, Acts 2:37, 38; James 2:14-20. The good works are taking His Gospel message to the world as we too are His disciples and to love and help those in need as what we do we do unto the glory of the Lord Christ Jesus, Matthew 25:31-40
 
We are indeed saved (and only saved) by grace. That grace is given to us when we CHOOSE faith in Christ and put that faith into action. I heard Terry Waite give his story of five years a captive in Lebanon, chained to a radiator. Someone asked him if his experience had diminished his faith. He replied that it hadn't because "faith is a decision" not something we are given or something we somehow conjure up. I've thought about that for a long time and have come to believe it 100%. We DECIDE to follow Jesus and that decision is based on faith.
 
Can someone be saved if they don't have the fruits (works) of obeying the gospel?

The main question is if the confession of Jesus saves someone at that moment of confession, or if the way they live their life the confession of belief in Jesus?

One interesting thing to note: When Paul wrote to the Romans, they were being persecuted for proclaiming to be Christians (followers of Jesus). If anybody were to profess Jesus, and the authorities/religious leaders found out, then they would be killed, imprisoned, or banished. Confessing Jesus had a little more weight than just saying a prayer asking Jesus into our hearts (as is the ritual in most evangelical churches today).

Perhaps there is more to "being saved" than just what we've been led to believe.

In peace
 
We are indeed saved (and only saved) by grace.


Thank you Jesus for your grace!


However, we are saved by grace, through faith.


For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8


No one is born again, “saved”, by doing good works, or doing the works of the law.


But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7



  • according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit


Those of us who have been saved by grace, born again, regenerated, do indeed have the hope of eternal life.



The reason we have this hope is, because we have faith.


Faith is the substance of things hoped for...



JLB
 
Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Christ is God's grace to all who will by that faith which is Christ Jesus and not our own faith that saves us. We confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior as we believe He is the Son of God. Our eternal life with Him depends on us being obedient to God's commands as we are guided by His Holy Spirit that indwells us. The works are not even our own as we can not work for our salvation as the works are the continued works of Christ love that He left for us to follow in that example of love being the greatest commandment of all of them.
 
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