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What must we do to receive eternal life??

I'm not so sure that any of the above is supported by any of the Scripture that you gave. After all, you did say "In accordance with the word...".

I would encourage people to watch the whole thing, but the 10 minute mark is what I had in mind here:
[video=youtube;cncEhCvrVgQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cncEhCvrVgQ[/video]

Free--You know, there is a good point to what you have said...The true Salvation does indeed take place in one's heart. The word says in Romans 10:9---That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. A person must "truly" believe in their heart, that Jesus is Lord and Savior and he must, not only confess it publicly, but, it should show in his deeds. (with the help of the Holy Spirit of course.) If a person "truly" has trusted in his heart, then that's what has saved him according to Scripture. A "sinners prayer" is not what saves, it's faith in Christ as Lord that saves...Salvation is indeed something that occurs in the heart of man...A prayer before God can be a beginning confession of the "choice" one's made in the heart. Salvation is of God, through Christ, and the faith which we place in Him as Lord and Savior...
 
Okay, then, based on the passages that were given, which was my argument:

Acts 16:31 states, "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

Romans 10:9 states, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

how is it "in accordance with the word" that:

"we should come to "Almighty" God the Father, and confess to Him that we are a sinner and acknowledge to Him that we need His Son Jesus as Lord and Savior and would desire Jesus to come into our life in order for our sins to be forgive," and that 'We should also ask God for His Holy Spirit to sanctify (cleanse) us from our sins and place us in the "body of Christ" so that we can be "born-again Spiritually", and become a "child of God"'"?

Where is any of the above stated in those passages? Don't those passages just say that we need to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" and believe that God raised him from the dead?

If you just throw out a verse or two, and leave it, then you have the "altar call" spoken of by your friend on the tape. But Grubal gave the verses and a statement that would cause someone to ask what he meant by being born again. I'm sure his intent was to encourage a dialogue, so everyone could offer the scripture verses they'd been led to concerning each point he made.

That's why I said it begged for an even greater explanation when I answered the OP. He was stating it in such a way that one would be led to ask, "What does it mean to be born again?" I actually found it quite compelling and very much how it is when we share the gospel with the unsaved. You give them a taste and hope they get curious.

The last thing we want is for people to believe they need only say they believe and they'll have eternal life.
They go away thinking they're saved when they aren't. When we share the Word with someone, they usually have many questions. If you hit them with a bunch of verses it can turn them away, instead of draw them in. That's exactly what I saw Grubal doing with his OP.
 
Free--You know, there is a good point to what you have said...The true Salvation does indeed take place in one's heart. The word says in Romans 10:9---That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. A person must "truly" believe in their heart, that Jesus is Lord and Savior and he must, not only confess it publicly, but, it should show in his deeds. (with the help of the Holy Spirit of course.) If a person "truly" has trusted in his heart, then that's what has saved him according to Scripture. A "sinners prayer" is not what saves, it's faith in Christ as Lord that saves...Salvation is indeed something that occurs in the heart of man...A prayer before God can be a beginning confession of the "choice" one's made in the heart. Salvation is of God, through Christ, and the faith which we place in Him as Lord and Savior...

Grubal, thank you for showing us such a meek and gentle spirit.

That is truly the fruit of the Spirit that all can see. :thumbsup
 
Okay, then, based on the passages that were given, which was my argument:

Acts 16:31 states, "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

Romans 10:9 states, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

how is it "in accordance with the word" that:

"we should come to "Almighty" God the Father, and confess to Him that we are a sinner and acknowledge to Him that we need His Son Jesus as Lord and Savior and would desire Jesus to come into our life in order for our sins to be forgive," and that 'We should also ask God for His Holy Spirit to sanctify (cleanse) us from our sins and place us in the "body of Christ" so that we can be "born-again Spiritually", and become a "child of God"'"?

Where is any of the above stated in those passages? Don't those passages just say that we need to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" and believe that God raised him from the dead?

Free, just to add a few points of interest relating to the subject at hand. In Luke 11:13 it states, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? There's a direct verse that relates to man, "asking for the Holy Spirit."

In John 3:1-8 decries the "necessity" of being, "born-again by the Spirit." John 3:5 speaks of, "being born of water and the Spirit." Water represents the physical birth by which the Mother's "water" breaks" and the baby comes forth. The "Spiritual birth" is the work of the Holy Spirit. Which happens after we hear the word of our salvation, place our faith in Christ as Lord and Savior, and the Spirit "cleanses" us and we become a member of the "Body of Christ" and a "child of God." This is a part of the work of the Holy Spirit...After being "born again Spiritually" God's goal is, for us to become "conformed to the image of His Son." The Spirit is there to help us, not only to bring forth the fruits/good works, but to help us "repent" of our old sins, and to make us realize we are "dead to sin" and "alive to the will of God." 2 Corinthians 5:17---"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

We must and will as believer's "continue" to confess Jesus as Lord, before the world, Matthew 10:13--"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."

I see nothing wrong with, after we have believed, and been saved, that we come before God and confess His Son as our Lord and that we are "certainly a sinner, saved only by His Grace through the work of Christ His Son..."

Although salvation be "a work done within the heart," confession is necessary before the world, and I believe, respectfully, before God Himself and His Son and the Holy Spirit...1 John 1:9 states, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Romans 10:9 states, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." A true "born-again" believer "will" show forth the "fruits/good works" influenced by the, Holy Spirit in the believers life... It's truly "not" just a few words said (by you or I) at a revival, camp meeting, church outreach, words spoken out of a track. It's a "lifetime" commitment to the God of the universe... As Billy Graham used to say, "count the cost" When you place your faith in Christ as Lord of your life, that is truly the "most important" commitment you'll make in your entire life...You don't receive Christ and then spend the rest of your life like the devil, it doesn't work that way...You will have to sacrifice the sinful passions you used to cherish... Your going to have to start speaking differently, acting differently, thinking differently. Now your body is "the temple of the Holy Spirit...1 Corinthians 6:19---What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? We were "bought" with a price, that being, the shed blood of the Son of God...Count the cost, before you place your faith in Christ...The Spirit will help you to live as you ought, but, we still have our "sinful bodies" that will sin. But, those sins ought not to turn into a "lifestyle" if we are "truly born again by the Spirit of God. Jesus, told Nicodemus you "must' be born again, and that's true for everyone who places their faith in the Son of God...
 
If you just throw out a verse or two, and leave it, then you have the "altar call" spoken of by your friend on the tape. But Grubal gave the verses and a statement that would cause someone to ask what he meant by being born again. I'm sure his intent was to encourage a dialogue, so everyone could offer the scripture verses they'd been led to concerning each point he made.

That's why I said it begged for an even greater explanation when I answered the OP. He was stating it in such a way that one would be led to ask, "What does it mean to be born again?" I actually found it quite compelling and very much how it is when we share the gospel with the unsaved. You give them a taste and hope they get curious.

The last thing we want is for people to believe they need only say they believe and they'll have eternal life.
They go away thinking they're saved when they aren't. When we share the Word with someone, they usually have many questions. If you hit them with a bunch of verses it can turn them away, instead of draw them in. That's exactly what I saw Grubal doing with his OP.
This doesn't address the point I was making.
 
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