Is salvation this simple?

[Gerr]

I have in my hand a small pamphlet telling me that there are only 4 steps to obtaining eternal life - 1)  THE GIFT - Believe that God loves you and wants to give you eternal life, Jn 3:16, 1 Jn 5:11   2) SEPARATION - Recognize that you are sinful and separated from eternal life, Rom 3:23, Gal 3:23, Isa 59:2, Rom 6:23, and although man tries to reach out to God with his works, this is impossible except through grace,  Eph 2:8-9   3) PROVISION - Believe that Jesus is the only provision for your sin,  Act 4:12,  1 Jn 5:12, Jn 14:6   4) ACCEPTANCE - in order to have eternal lifewe must receive Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord,  Jn 1:12, Rev 3:20,

Is salvation really this simple?

[Gregory Matthews]

Gerry, the problem with what you cited is that it makes salvation to complex. 1) Salvation was achieved on the Cross. See Romans 5:12-19. Here we are told that just as the sin of one person (Adam) brought sin to all of humanity, so also did the work of Christ on the Cross bring the gift of salvation to all. Gerry, the salvation of the human race has already been accomplished. 2) Now that salvation has been accomplished each human faces a choice. The is the conflict that began in heaven many years ago when Satan challenged God and said: Your creation would chose me, if they were free to chose between you and I. 3) Each person Earth must make a decision as to whether to spend eternity with God or to join Satan in his life and future. For those who chose not to spend eternity with God, God will grant them their desired choice along with its consequences.

[Gail]

6 hours ago, Gerry Cabalo said:

I have in my hand a small pamphlet telling me that there are only 4 steps to obtaining eternal life - 1)  THE GIFT - Believe that God loves you and wants to give you eternal life, Jn 3:16, 1 Jn 5:11   2) SEPARATION - Recognize that you are sinful and separated from eternal life, Rom 3:23, Gal 3:23, Isa 59:2, Rom 6:23, and although man tries to reach out to God with his works, this is impossible except through grace,  Eph 2:8-9   3) PROVISION - Believe that Jesus is the only provision for your sin,  Act 4:12,  1 Jn 5:12, Jn 14:6   4) ACCEPTANCE - in order to have eternal lifewe must receive Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord,  Jn 1:12, Rev 3:20,

Is salvation really this simple?

I would say it's even simpler:  What will you do with Jesus?

[Gerr]

Greg, Gail, then let's simplify it.  What must I do to inherit eternal life?

[Gregory Matthews]

 Gerry, speaking for myself, I want to learn all I can about the Christ that is inviting me to choose to spend eternity with him so I can make an informed decisions as the whether or not the life I will live in an eternity with Christ is the life that I want to live.

 

[Tom Wetmore]

Our pastor's sermon this past Sabbath was about the optimism of God. As I thought about how God being optimistic about our future because he sees us as what we can be. That is because the future, our future is entirely in his hands. He is confident about us.  

One way we greatly complicate salvation is making it about us rather than about him. We are fickle in our opinion of us. He is rock solid.  We need to focus on Righteousness by Faith as less about our faith or faithfulness and what we believe about ourselves and remember it is really about God's faith in us and His faithfulness to us and that He believes in us.

[Gregory Matthews]

Gerry, you do not have to worry about what you need to do.  Salvation is yours.  It is  simply up to you to decide where you want to spend eternity.   

[LifeHiscost]

3 hours ago, Gregory Matthews said:

Gerry, you do not have to worry about what you need to do.  Salvation is yours.  It is  simply up to you to decide where you want to spend eternity.   

…11"I overthrew you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a firebrand snatched from a blaze; Yet you have not returned to Me," declares the LORD. 12"Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel." ....Amos 4

14"Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." 16The people answered and said, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods;…..Joshua 24

15From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,…..2 Timothy 3

God is Love!~Jesus saves!            

[Gerr]

13 hours ago, Gregory Matthews said:

 Gerry, speaking for myself, I want to learn all I can about the Christ that is inviting me to choose to spend eternity with him so I can make an informed decisions as the whether or not the life I will live in an eternity with Christ is the life that I want to live.

 

Then give me the steps that I must take before I can have the assurance that I have eternal life. How much knowledge do I need to have before I can make an informed decision?  Me thinks you are making it more complicated and less clear than the 4 explicit steps I outlined.

[Gerr]

11 hours ago, Gregory Matthews said:

Gerry, you do not have to worry about what you need to do.  Salvation is yours.  It is  simply up to you to decide where you want to spend eternity.   

Okay. Imagine that you have  just told that to a Hindu or whomever.  And he replies,  "I have decided to spend eternity with Jesus.  Do I now have the assurance of eternal life?"

[Gerr]

11 hours ago, Tom Wetmore said:

Our pastor's sermon this past Sabbath was about the optimism of God. As I thought about how God being optimistic about our future because he sees us as what we can be. That is because the future, our future is entirely in his hands. He is confident about us.  

One way we greatly complicate salvation is making it about us rather than about him. We are fickle in our opinion of us. He is rock solid.  We need to focus on Righteousness by Faith as less about our faith or faithfulness and what we believe about ourselves and remember it is really about God's faith in us and His faithfulness to us and that He believes in us.

Not trying to be argumentative, but pretend I know nothing about Christianity.  Now guide me to the point where I can say, I now have the assurance of eternal life.

[Gregory Matthews]

Gerry:  There is a difference between you and the Hindu.

The Hindu looks to the Gita for information about the gods and eternal life.  The Hindu looks to be lead by  gods that you do not recognize, I do not think.  I suspect that you do not look to the Gita for such information.

My understanding is that you are a Christian.  You trust that the Holy Spirit will lead you in your spiritual journey.  You look to the God that has been defined in Christian terms.  You look to the Bible for information about eternal realities and the God that you worship.

Gerry, you trust in both the Holy Spirit to lead you, and that the Holy Spirit will develop that trust within you.  You trust in the assurance of your salvation that the Holy Spirit develops within you. 

As the Holy Spirit leads you, you make decisions as to how you want to spend eternity.

 

[Gregory Matthews]

Gerry, going back to your opening post, you listed four steps to salvation.  If I were to go in that direction, I would accept what is generally called the A, B, Cs of salvation--Ask, Believe & Claim.  But, all such place the focus on a human action or requirement.

I am attempting to get you to take your eyes off of the human and place them on God and what God does and has already done.

 

 

[Gregory Matthews]

Gerry asked below:

1)  There is a book, the name of which has slipped my mind that tells the story of a person who became a Hindu priest and then converted to Christianity.  This would be helpful in understanding the journey that such a person would need to talk and in understanding how to work with such a person.

NOTE:  There is much on the Internet on this subject and probably is not helpful.  My comment above refers one specific book which I do not seem to be able to locate at this time.

2)  If you understand Hinduism, you would understand that the potential exists for the Hindu to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

3) That would be your beginning, to lead the Hindu to be voluntarily go open.  With such, God would be able to work and lead.  Again, focus on the leading of God, not the human element.

Quote

Not trying to be argumentative, but pretend I know nothing about Christianity.  Now guide me to the point where I can say, I now have the assurance of eternal life.

[Tom Wetmore]

I really do not think there is a single formulaic set of steps to help someone have that assurance.  I am more inclined to see the need to take an individualized approach that takes into account each person's unique experiences, background, current knowledge, capacity to understand, etc. It requires really getting to know them and just meeting them where they are.  What might work for one person to reach a assurance of salvation may not work for another.  Yes, there may be common approaches that work for people that have much in common.  But the diversity and differences we see around us suggest that the common evangelistic approaches used just may not reach or work with everyone.  

Bottom line, I think I would need to get to know someone and have a relationship with that hypothetical person knowing nothing about Christianity. Until I know them, I can't know what will persuade them.  

[JoeMo]

1 hour ago, Tom Wetmore said:

Bottom line, I think I would need to get to know someone and have a relationship with that hypothetical person knowing nothing about Christianity. Until I know them, I can't know what will persuade them.

People have to believe that you care about them and what they have to say before you can expect them to care about what you say.  The depth of your relationship will determine the best approach to bring them to Christ.  Sometimes, it is simply the example we set without even telling them about Jesus that will whet their spiritual appetite.

As far as what it takes to be saved:

1. See Mark 16:16, Acts 15:11,and Acts 16:31

2. Repeat daily ( or hourly) as needed.

Galatians 3 and 5 give us 2 choices - to believe that we are saved by the sacrifice and grace of Jesus Christ; or to live in 100% with the ENTIRE law - all 662 precepts.

[Samie]

Do we all have the assurance of eternal life?

In the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin and lost son, all three start out NOT lost (see Luke 15).  This is in direct contrast with the popular teaching that people are born in sin and therefore are born lost, and for them to be in the NOT lost condition they are told to do some basic steps so they can have assurance of eternal life. Smells of works-based salvation.

But what did the lost sheep do to be found? NONE. The sheep knows he is lost but doesn't know the way back to the fold.  So, the Shepherd went out to look for His lost sheep and did not stop until He found him. What did the coin do to be found? NONE. The lost coin knows NOTHING of its condition. So, the Owner did not stop searching until the coin was found.  BUT not so with the lost son. He knows his lost condition is his own making and he knows the way back home. The Father simply waited for His lost son, REPEAT - His lost son, to return. The prodigal remained his Father's son all through out the story. Isn't that good news?

We all have the assurance of eternal life, why? Because we all are born NOT lost, as Jesus explained in the parables of the lost. And to be born NOT lost is to be born in Christ.  And to be in Christ is be part of His Body. Unless and until Christ Himself removes us from being part of His Body by blotting our names from the book of life, we are in Him Who is our life (Col 3:4), and therefore are assured of eternal life - whether we know about this or not, whether we acknowledge this or not, whether we believe in this or not.

Sadly, knowingly or unknowingly, we all lived the life of the lost, for Scriptures say all have sinned, NOT born in sin. Sinning is doing evil instead of doing good. And we are enjoined to overcome evil with good (Rev 12:21). This explains why in the gospel that Jesus preached (see Mark 1:14, 15), He called people to repentance; the same call to repentance that God made in the OT (Ezek 18:30). And for people to repent is what God now COMMANDS all men everywhere to do (Acts 17:30).

Repentance is change of mind for that which is good. Instead of doing evil, do good. IOW, overcome evil with good. Overcomers will Christ NOT blot out from the book of life and will be seated with Him in His throne even as He also overcame and sat down with the Father in His throne (Rev 3:5, 21). All NOT blotted out will be allowed entry into heaven (Rev 21:27); all blotted out will have their portion in the lake of fire (Rev 20:15).

Isn't that quite simple?

[Gerr]

Regardless whether your view is comparable or even simpler than the steps I outlined in my OP, my point is, if I followed the 4 steps or whatever steps you have in mind, is the way to eternal life REALLY this simple?

[CoAspen]

Believe in Him....J3:16 Yes, eternal life is really that simple. 

Why are we trying to make anything but simple?

 

[Gerr]

Simple and yet there over 3000 denominations with varying versions of what is supposed to be such a simple subject!

[CoAspen]

Yup....humans seem to want God in their own image rather than in His.  Control issues!!

 

[Samie]

10 hours ago, Gerry Cabalo said:

Simple and yet there over 3000 denominations with varying versions of what is supposed to be such a simple subject!

And to think that most if not all of these denominations teach that people are born in sin! That doctrine complicates what otherwise is simple.

[Samie]

12 hours ago, Gerry Cabalo said:

Regardless whether your view is comparable or even simpler than the steps I outlined in my OP, my point is, if I followed the 4 steps or whatever steps you have in mind, is the way to eternal life REALLY this simple?

As outlined in my recent post, we all were born in Christ Who is our life, and therefore ALREADY on our way to heaven and life eternal UNLESS Christ Himself dismembers me from His Body by blotting out my name from the book of life for NOT overcoming evil with good. 

Simple, no complications, I suppose. Do you see any?

[Gerr]

Samie, if you want to discuss again the nature of man, I would be glad to respond in another thread.

[SDAndrew]

I think it is quite simple myself. Believe, go to the cross and confess that your a sinner. Use the law as a mirror, constantly showing you that you don't, and can't ever match up, drawing you ever closer to Christ. The Bible says, "our righteousness is as filthy rags"! Even when we don't sin, or when we do good, it's nothing like the righteousness Jesus gives us. But through us, the spirit works wonders, pointing the alcoholic to sobriety, the junk food eater to a vegetarian (maybe lol). But it makes us wonder and dig and wanna know more. Hence leading us even closer. 

Jesus gives us his robe no matter where we are in the walk to heaven. But the fight of sin is true, we constantly have to make those decisions, "will I accept him today?" Paul said that he, "dies daily". He puts to death the sinfulness (choosing wrong) every day.