Christ PLUS Equals Nothing
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There is something you MUST DO to be saved. Acts 16:30 and 31. 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. In Romans 4 God says that hosoever worketh not, but believeth. You can believe which is not a work and you are dojng something.
The gift of salvation can not be separated apart from the person and presence of Christ. Salvation is not so much what he's done but rather, who and what He is. Those who profess to possess the gift of the salvation but refuse to abide in the Spirit of Christ can not possibly possess salvation apart from His person. They are not saved.
Righteousness is a divine quatility, one aspect of Christ's divine nature. When Christ imputes the gift of righteousness to a believer, He does so by sending His Spirit to indwell believers. This is called regeneration. Man can not possess Christ's righteousness by any other means.
When a person willingly denies the Holy Spirit, they are also rejecting the gift of righteousness that Christ bestows through the Spirit.
When a person willingly denies the Holy Spirit, they are also rejecting the gift of righteousness that Christ bestows through the Spirit.
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The righteousness of Christ is not a gift that is given to us only once. Rather, it - like all other gifts of the Spirit- is one that is to be partaken of daily. This is how the Apostle Paul can boldly proclaim that God's grace is made new every day thus making salvation relational in nature.
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I don't know of many christians who profess in being eternally secure who are very unfaithful. Most that believe in this that I know.. are at peace and have a lot of joy in Christ because of the security.
They do want to do things for God.. because they WANT to. Not because they HAVE to.
Someone rescues you from drowning.. you don't HAVE to be thankful back.. but I'd bet you would be.
They do want to do things for God.. because they WANT to. Not because they HAVE to.
Someone rescues you from drowning.. you don't HAVE to be thankful back.. but I'd bet you would be.
Believers must be very careful that, in their zeal to avoid works, they embrace a wrong attitude and, in doing so, quench the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Salvation is and always has been relational in nature. Jesus reveals this to us in John, chapters 14-17. The apostle Paul speaks of this in Romans, Galatians, & Ephesians. The apostle Peter does so in 2nd Peter, chapter 1. And the Apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, goes into great detail into 1st John.
Scripture is quite clear: We are completely and utterly reliant on Christ for our salvation. Human effort can not save us. However, do not mistake abiding in Christ with works. The author of Hebrews, in chapter 6, actually refers to abiding in Christ as REST. Abiding in Christ is not about works but rather possessing a right attitude toward God.
Psalm 51:17 - "...a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
1st Peter 5:5 - "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble."
Please be extra careful that, in your arguements against a works based salvation, that you become proud in your doctrine and, in doing so, prevent God, through the Holy Spirit, to work His will in and through you.
Salvation is and always has been relational in nature. Jesus reveals this to us in John, chapters 14-17. The apostle Paul speaks of this in Romans, Galatians, & Ephesians. The apostle Peter does so in 2nd Peter, chapter 1. And the Apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, goes into great detail into 1st John.
Scripture is quite clear: We are completely and utterly reliant on Christ for our salvation. Human effort can not save us. However, do not mistake abiding in Christ with works. The author of Hebrews, in chapter 6, actually refers to abiding in Christ as REST. Abiding in Christ is not about works but rather possessing a right attitude toward God.
Psalm 51:17 - "...a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
1st Peter 5:5 - "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble."
Please be extra careful that, in your arguements against a works based salvation, that you become proud in your doctrine and, in doing so, prevent God, through the Holy Spirit, to work His will in and through you.
Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the . the obe dience of Christ had glorified the Father in His obedience therefore it was the Father glorified and no one else that no one may glory in themselves therefore when we subject ourselves to the obedience of Christ it is the Father glorified through Christ not by our own works but in obedience through Christ that no one may glory in self but all the glory been given to God in Christ.
Mat 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. View more
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. View more
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. View more
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
The key words in this passage is "obedience of / through Christ" which is Christ working in us & through us. That is the beauty of abiding in Christ. When we feel prompted by the Holy Spirit to help or talk to someone, we need not stress out over it. Human effort can not transform the life of another. Only the Holy Spirit working through us can. Thus we can be assured that if God asks us to do something, He Will honor our obedience by inhabiting the words we speak and the works that we do so that lives are impactedfor His glory, not our own. 
The key words in this passage is "obedience of / through Christ" which is Christ working in us & through us. That is the beauty of abiding in Christ. When we feel prompted by the Holy Spirit to help or talk to someone, we need not stress out over it. Human effort can not transform the life of another. Only the Holy Spirit working through us can. Thus we can be assured that if God asks us to do something, He Will honor our obedience by inhabiting the words we speak and the works that we do so that lives are impactedfor His glory, not our own.
How is "abiding" not a work?
Any effort on our part to "keep us saved" is a work, and has no place in the gospel.
If Jesus paid for all of our sins, then why would I have to do anything to remain saved? Are they paid for, or are they not?
And if not, how many times must Christ die to pay for them? Remember, without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. If there are any sins left to pay for, then Jesus must go back to the cross.
Can a Christian "live like the devil" and still be saved?
Yes.
But, thanks to the indwelling Holy Spirit, we have not the desire to do so.
God will chasten a sinning child, but He will never lose a single one.
I totally believe in eternal security. However, I am not foolish enough to think that it is unconditional. If Faith / trust in Christ alone is the only condition for salvation, then Faith / trust in Christ alone is also the one condition for eternal security.
Romans chapter 10.. John 3:16.. John 5:24..John 3:36 etc etc..
But what I will say.. is this faith/trust in Christ is a once off thing.. along the lines of.. I am a sinner.. I can't save myself.. God save me.
Course we probably won't agree as I know with your monergism.. we have disagreed on this before.
Budman, could you show me a single verse that clearly supports this claim? I think of several verses that says otherwise.
As for abiding, it is not a work. It is an attitude of the heart. It is an expression of love, trust, & apprecation made manifest in the form of complete reliance on Christ, in Christ.
Matthew 11: 25-30 - "At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Hebrews 4:1-6 - "Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
“So I declared on oath in my anger,
‘They shall never enter my rest.’”
And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience..."
As for abiding, it is not a work. It is an attitude of the heart. It is an expression of love, trust, & apprecation made manifest in the form of complete reliance on Christ, in Christ.
Matthew 11: 25-30 - "At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Hebrews 4:1-6 - "Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
“So I declared on oath in my anger,
‘They shall never enter my rest.’”
And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience..."
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