SALVATION BASED ON FAITH

[Desertsrose]

Hey everyone.

I'm doing studies on different books of the bible. And as I do, I'm seeing conditions to our salvation; our new birth in Christ.

Now please hear me, I'm not saying it's based on works. We receive our new life in Christ by grace through faith. So would that "by faith" be a condition?

Here's why I'm asking. If a person on the street were to say he's saved and I ask him what he means by that and he tells me that he's saved by God's grace. And he says furthermore, everyone is saved by God's grace so therefore everyone is saved.

So I ask him further if he has faith in God and if he receive God's grace through faith and he tells me no. He woke up one morning and just decided he is saved and so is everyone else. They are saved by God's free gift of grace and it has nothing to do with faith.

Wouldn't we have to say that there is a condition and it's by grace through faith. The both of them must go together for there to be new birth? And yes, this is a teaching creeping into the church that we don't have to have faith. God's free gift of grace is for everyone without conditions. So if I speak with this person and tell him no, he must have God's grace through faith to be born-again, is that not a condition?

 

[Magenta]

It is a gift from God, not something anyone wakes up one morning to decide
by one's self that they are saved apart from the Living Word of God.

Rom. 3:28-30"For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one."

Rom. 4:5 "But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness,"

Rom. 5:1 "therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;"

Rom. 9:30"What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;"

Rom. 10:4"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."

Rom. 11:6, "But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace."

Gal. 2:16 "nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified."

Gal. 2:21I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.

Gal. 3:5-6"Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."

Gal. 3:24"Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith."

Eph. 2:8-9"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not by works, lest any man should boast."

Phil. 3:9"and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith."

 

[mailmandan]

"Grace" is God's part and "faith" is ours. Choosing to place our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation is a condition because without faith we will not be saved.

 

[truthhurts]

Hey everyone.

I'm doing studies on different books of the bible. And as I do, I'm seeing conditions to our salvation; our new birth in Christ.

Now please hear me, I'm not saying it's based on works. We receive our new life in Christ by grace through faith. So would that "by faith" be a condition?

Here's why I'm asking. If a person on the street were to say he's saved and I ask him what he means by that and he tells me that he's saved by God's grace. And he says furthermore, everyone is saved by God's grace so therefore everyone is saved.

So I ask him further if he has faith in God and if he receive God's grace through faith and he tells me no. He woke up one morning and just decided he is saved and so is everyone else. They are saved by God's free gift of grace and it has nothing to do with faith.

Wouldn't we have to say that there is a condition and it's by grace through faith. The both of them must go together for there to be new birth? And yes, this is a teaching creeping into the church that we don't have to have faith. God's free gift of grace is for everyone without conditions. So if I speak with this person and tell him no, he must have God's grace through faith to be born-again, is that not a condition?

They will post gads of verses and other things telling you , you are wrong....just like there doe snot nee dot be any fruit bearing....

This is why I tell people they are not saved by Grace.....they are saved by grace and FAITH....Grace without faith is just mental assent

 

[Grace777x70]

Salvation is by grace but we must receive this grace and faith is the currency that is used. Faith is the currency of heaven. Faith receives what grace has already provided in Christ's finished work on the cross and resurrection.

Romans 5:17 (NASB)
[SUP]17 [/SUP] For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1-2 (KJV)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

[SUP]2 [/SUP] By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Christ Himself and what He has already done is what faith brings for our access into this grace in which we stand.

 

[MattTooFor]

Salvation is by grace but we must receive this grace and faith is the currency that is used. Faith is the currency of heaven. Faith receives what grace has already provided in Christ's finished work on the cross and resurrection.

Romans 5:17 (NASB)
[SUP]17 [/SUP] For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1-2 (KJV)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

[SUP]2 [/SUP] By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Christ Himself and what He has already done is what faith brings for our access into this grace in which we stand.

Placing one's faith in Jesus IS an "act". We MUST act in order to receive the gift. Faith and action (i.e. "works") are inextricably interwoven in the Bible, no matter how you slice it -- "faith without works is dead". Works do not save a person but...faith without works saves no one. And that is verbatim from the Book of James.

 

[Grace777x70]

Placing one's faith in Jesus IS an "act". We MUST act in order to receive the gift. Faith and action (i.e. "works") are inextricably interwoven in the Bible, no matter how you slice it -- "faith without works is dead". Works do not save a person but...faith without works saves no one. And that is verbatim from the Book of James.

I agree....

True faith will have a corresponding action of some kind.

Let's look at what James says about faith & it's corresponding "work" in relation to having eternal life now and forever because we heard the message of Christ and believed on Him - then we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Eph. 1:13

It is very interesting that in James's examples of faith "being made alive" by a work or a corresponding action. Both Rahab and Abraham each did a one time corresponding action to demonstrate their faith.

Abraham believed God and offered up Isaac on the alter. Rahab received the spies. Both one time events in their life - God calls this faith in action.


James 2:20-25 (NASB)
[SUP]20 [/SUP] But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

[SUP]21 [/SUP] Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

[SUP]22[/SUP]You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;

[SUP]23 [/SUP] and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.

[SUP]24 [/SUP] You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

[SUP]25 [/SUP] In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

Paul and James completely go together and do not cancel each other out nor contradict the basic truth of believing in Christ brings eternal life when we hear the true message of Christ's work and that we have the forgiveness of sins.

We do the very same thing when we hear the message of Christ and we believe and then God seals us with the Holy Spirit. This is our faith with a corresponding action or a "work".

Ephesians 1:13 (NASB)
[SUP]13 [/SUP] In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Jesus said to do the work of God was to believe in the Son.

Romans 10:8-10 (NASB)
[SUP]8 [/SUP] But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,

[SUP]9 [/SUP] that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

[SUP]10[/SUP]for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

This is faith with corresponding action - or a work. This is how we are saved by grace through faith just like Paul said.

James talk about "faith" and "works" is in relation to helping out our fellow man that is in need.

 

[Yahshua]

Yep. Faith is the condition.

Colossians 1:22-23
22 But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel, which that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.


What were to happen if someone doesn't endure until the end, but loses faith?

 

[PeterJens]

So if I speak with this person and tell him no, he must have God's grace through faith to be born-again, is that not a condition?

The problem with language is it has meaning and consequences. We cannot be saved
unless we see Christ on the cross and what this means.

Because we see Christ here and who He is and why He died and rose again we have
faith in Him to deliver what he promised. Because we recognise who He is we listen
to Him and obey His commands empowered by the love this faith brings.

So faith in the biblical sense is very deep and not just an acknowledgement of a name.
And as Jesus was tested so will we be tested and need to learn how to walk and be
transformed.

And there are many believers who have not yet grasped this faith, they follow many
principles but have not yet engaged face to face with the cross and their sin.

But God will always call His elect at the right time.

 

[Grace777x70]

Yep. Faith is the condition.

Colossians 1:22-23
22 But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel, which that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.


What were to happen if someone doesn't endure until the end, but loses faith?

This has been posted multiple times but for the sake of new readers - here it is again.

We are reconciled now to God through Jesus.

Colossians 1:22-23 (NASB)
[SUP]22 [/SUP] yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—

[SUP]23 [/SUP] if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

Our hope is certain in Christ because being in the faith is determined as fulfilled.

There are a lot of times in the original Greek the "if" is actually a statement of it is determined as fulfilled.....

It is called "a condition of the first class"..... Colossians 1:23 is a prime example:

Colossians 1:23 (NASB)
[SUP]23 [/SUP] if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.


If so be that ye continue in the faith (ei ge epimenete tēi pistei).

Condition of the first class (determined as fulfilled),

Word Pictures in the New Testament. A. T. Robertson Greek Scholar

 

[PeterJens]

I have a different way of expressing this.

The law is the gatekeeper to the walk with Jesus.
Until we recognise we fail to pass the law because we sin, we can never be
transformed with love so that we can walk in righteousness and pass entry
through His blood. No fake believers will ever pass this way.

 

[Spokenpassage]

Hey everyone.

I'm doing studies on different books of the bible. And as I do, I'm seeing conditions to our salvation; our new birth in Christ.

Now please hear me, I'm not saying it's based on works. We receive our new life in Christ by grace through faith. So would that "by faith" be a condition?

Here's why I'm asking. If a person on the street were to say he's saved and I ask him what he means by that and he tells me that he's saved by God's grace. And he says furthermore, everyone is saved by God's grace so therefore everyone is saved.

So I ask him further if he has faith in God and if he receive God's grace through faith and he tells me no. He woke up one morning and just decided he is saved and so is everyone else. They are saved by God's free gift of grace and it has nothing to do with faith.

Wouldn't we have to say that there is a condition and it's by grace through faith. The both of them must go together for there to be new birth? And yes, this is a teaching creeping into the church that we don't have to have faith. God's free gift of grace is for everyone without conditions. So if I speak with this person and tell him no, he must have God's grace through faith to be born-again, is that not a condition?

But you see, you would be making faith a work by assuming we have it in our power to choose Christ. That you have contributed something of you (faith) in order to fully be saved. However, we learn that faith is of grace, and grace is not given to every person. Rather, faith is worked in us upon the preaching of the gospel by the Holy Spirit. If faith was a condition, then rebirth was an act of our will, and if rebirth was an act of our will then we should stop using the analogy of 'birth,' because you do not choose to be born, much less be reborn. John 1:12-13 clearly show that it is not of our own will that regenerates us, but of God.

 

[MattTooFor]

I agree....

True faith will have a corresponding action of some kind.

Let's look at what James says about faith & it's corresponding "work" in relation to having eternal life now and forever because we heard the message of Christ and believed on Him - then we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Eph. 1:13

It is very interesting that in James's examples of faith "being made alive" by a work or a corresponding action. Both Rahab and Abraham each did a one time corresponding action to demonstrate their faith.

Abraham believed God and offered up Isaac on the alter. Rahab received the spies. Both one time events in their life - God calls this faith in action.


James 2:20-25 (NASB)
[SUP]20 [/SUP] But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

[SUP]21 [/SUP] Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

[SUP]22[/SUP]You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;

[SUP]23 [/SUP] and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God.

[SUP]24 [/SUP] You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

[SUP]25 [/SUP] In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

Paul and James completely go together and do not cancel each other out nor contradict the basic truth of believing in Christ brings eternal life when we hear the true message of Christ's work and that we have the forgiveness of sins.

We do the very same thing when we hear the message of Christ and we believe and then God seals us with the Holy Spirit. This is our faith with a corresponding action or a "work".

Ephesians 1:13 (NASB)
[SUP]13 [/SUP] In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Jesus said to do the work of God was to believe in the Son.

Romans 10:8-10 (NASB)
[SUP]8 [/SUP] But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,

[SUP]9 [/SUP] that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

[SUP]10[/SUP]for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

This is faith with corresponding action - or a work. This is how we are saved by grace through faith just like Paul said.

James talk about "faith" and "works" is in relation to helping out our fellow man that is in need.

My goodness. It seems you're making this waaay too complicated. Maybe you're agreeing with me and I just lost track of your line of reasoning? If so, sorry. In any case, it's very simple to me:

James is obviously trying to put pressure on lazy "believers" to produce works. All believers should feel the burden of responsibility to live a life which 'demonstrates' real faith.

James is saying "get off the dime" -- You "believe"? So do the Devils, says James. If we're producing sin instead of good and good works...we should doubt our alleged salvation...just as James is openly and blatantly doubting the salvation of those whom he has observed in their inactivity and/or outright sinful activity...as is the case with many, many "believers"...no matter what the "easy grace" crowd may claim.

Doubting the salvation status of a person engaged in sinful behavior or sinful inactivity...is not wrong.

But some folks out there (don't know where you stand on this, 777) are proposing borderline Gnosticism or outright Gnosticism...when they very aggressively shoo away anyone who says that some of us (or actually ALL of us, at one time or another) should, in fear and trembling, examine ourselves whether we are, in fact, of the faith.

If you have reason to "examine" yourself as to your salvation status...then you have reason for "fear and trembling"...because to miss out on salvation is to face God's fiery judgment.

There are currently many, many "believers" in conservative American church culture who mistakenly believe they are genuine believers...and who are in desperate need of being encouraged to re-examine themselves in fear and trembling ...

...but tragically, the "easy-believism" crowd stand in the way and try to prevent this desperately needed admonishing and encouragement...and will accuse people like me of proposing "salvation by works".

Food for thought!

 

[DustyRhodes]

Hey everyone.

I'm doing studies on different books of the bible. And as I do, I'm seeing conditions to our salvation; our new birth in Christ.

Now please hear me, I'm not saying it's based on works. We receive our new life in Christ by grace through faith. So would that "by faith" be a condition?

Here's why I'm asking. If a person on the street were to say he's saved and I ask him what he means by that and he tells me that he's saved by God's grace. And he says furthermore, everyone is saved by God's grace so therefore everyone is saved.

So I ask him further if he has faith in God and if he receive God's grace through faith and he tells me no. He woke up one morning and just decided he is saved and so is everyone else. They are saved by God's free gift of grace and it has nothing to do with faith.

Wouldn't we have to say that there is a condition and it's by grace through faith. The both of them must go together for there to be new birth? And yes, this is a teaching creeping into the church that we don't have to have faith. God's free gift of grace is for everyone without conditions. So if I speak with this person and tell him no, he must have God's grace through faith to be born-again, is that not a condition?

For God loves the world so much that He gave his only Son that whoever believes in Him has eternal life...so we can accept or reject Jesus at that point or we can reject Him at this point...if we accept Him, means we have faith which came to us by grace...if anyone reads that to be conditional, they are overthinking the matter

 

[Grace777x70]

My goodness. It seems you're making this waaay too complicated. Maybe you're agreeing with me and I just lost track of your line of reasoning? If so, sorry. In any case, it's very simple to me:

James is obviously trying to put pressure on lazy "believers" to produce works. All believers should feel the burden of responsibility to live a life which 'demonstrates' real faith.

James is saying "get off the dime" -- You "believe"? So do the Devils, says James. If we're producing sin instead of good and good works...we should doubt our alleged salvation...just as James is openly and blatantly doubting the salvation of those whom he has observed in their inactivity and/or outright sinful activity...as is the case with many, many "believers"...no matter what the "easy grace" crowd may claim.

Doubting the salvation status of a person engaged in sinful behavior or sinful inactivity...is not wrong.

But some folks out there (don't know where you stand on this, 777) are proposing borderline Gnosticism or outright Gnosticism...when they very aggressively shoo away anyone who says that some of us (or actually ALL of us, at one time or another) should, in fear and trembling, examine ourselves whether we are, in fact, of the faith.

If you have reason to "examine" yourself as to your salvation status...then you have reason for "fear and trembling"...because to miss out on salvation is to face God's fiery judgment.

There are currently many, many "believers" in conservative American church culture who mistakenly believe they are genuine believers...and who are in desperate need of being encouraged to re-examine themselves in fear and trembling ...

...but tragically, the "easy-believism" crowd stand in the way and try to prevent this desperately needed admonishing and encouragement...and will accuse people like me of proposing "salvation by works".

Food for thought!

I was showing that salvation which is by grace through faith is evidenced by a corresponding action or "work".

I like to use scripture for doing that and many people try to use James to say that it is different then what Paul taught. It isn't.

We are saved by grace through faith in Christ's finished work on the cross and resurrection and believing in Christ brings Christ to dwell in us in the person of the Holy spirit whom Jesus said will be in us forever. John 14:16

I agree there is a mental assent to things that people can give but true biblical faith is a matter of the heart believing when we hear the gospel message of Christ's finished work on the cross and resurrection. Only God can look on the heart.

To examine yourself to see that you are in the faith is for people to see if they have really believed on Christ and that Christ is indeed in you.

2 Corinthians 13:5 (KJV)
[SUP]5 [/SUP] Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Romans 8:9-10 (NASB)
[SUP]9 [/SUP] However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

[SUP]10 [/SUP] If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.


Believing in the gospel of Christ is easy. You hear the message of Christ, you believe in your heart...you are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Eph. 1:13

It doesn't get any easier then that. It's matter of the heart though and not mental assent to the fact that there was a historical Jesus.

Acts 16:30-31 (NASB)
[SUP]30 [/SUP] and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

[SUP]31 [/SUP] They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

 

[PeterJens]

It doesn't get any easier then that. It's matter of the heart though and not mental assent to the fact that there was a historical Jesus.

If you want a definition of easy believism this is it.
And these preachers are into gnosticism, perfection in the spirit while living with a fallen
flesh.

And one of the chief proponents of this theology is g7.

I think he would regard pilgrims Progress as a legalists view of salvation.

Enough guys here say we are leading people to hell to know the fruit of this
teaching is condemnation of normal faithful followers of Christ.

They do not believe the law is the gatekeeper of the Kingdom, rather they
would destroy the law and all its reference points and take the kingdom by force,
dispossessing those who would follow faithfully Christs ways and teaching.

But such teaching only works in the dark, and not infront of righteousness and love,
walking in the way of our Lord and Saviour, and listening to His voice.

Christ is the life through His word spoken to us in scripture especially the sermon
on the mount. In this is the life of eternity, the Kingdom of heaven, Amen.

 

[Grace777x70]

The sky is blue....

True biblical belief is of the heart - not in the head or mind. God looks on the heart - man look on the outward appearance.

Getting "saved" is simple.

Romans 10:9-10 (NASB)
[SUP]9 [/SUP] that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

[SUP]10 [/SUP] for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

The process is simple too. It is complex and uncertain if it is dependent on us - but it isn't. It's all to do with Christ's finished work on the cross and we believe when we hear the message of Christ Himself.

1) we hear the message of Christ - the gospel of our salvation in Him

2) we believe the message from our hearts

3) we were sealed with the Holy Spirit

( Jesus said in John 14:16 that the Holy Spirit will be with us and in us forever - now was Jesus lying or is he like a "bait and switch" car salesman that has "fine print" which He doesn't talk about. )

Ephesians 1:13 (NASB)
[SUP]13 [/SUP] In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, = 1) the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, = 2) you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, = 3)

you were sealed = aorist indicative tense / passive voice = a one time event in the past completed.

Passive voice = the sealing was not done by us but by an outside force - the Holy Spirit Himself.

 

[Roughsoul1991]

Hebrews 11New International Version (NIV)

Faith in Action
11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

James 2:22New International Version (NIV)

22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

Ephesians 2:10New International Version (NIV)

10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Romans 3:31New International Version (NIV)

31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

John 14:15New International Version (NIV)

15 “If you love me, keep my commands.

This is all part of faith, strong faith will be a faith of action and not a faith of timidity. Why because the faithful who love God will surrender and follow God.

Proverbs 20:6New International Version (NIV)

6 Many claim to have unfailing love,
but a faithful person who can find?

1 Corinthians 4:2New International Version (NIV)

2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

 

[Johnny_B]

We are saved by grace, it is God's unmerited favor, there is nothing we can do too receive it, not even having faith. John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." you have to be born again to see the kingdom of God, so a person would never see the need to have faith or place it in Christ for salvation, because they can not see the kingdom of God or a Paul puts it in,

I Corinthians 2:13-14 "These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
No one can see or understand the kingdom while they are died in their trespasses, until they are bornagain or made alive. How do we become born again or made alive in Christ?

1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," God causes us to be born again or He makes us alive in Christ. Ephesians 2:4-5 "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved" this is our being saved by grace, where does faith come in? In the following verses,

6-9 "and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Notice this part of our salvation is our inheritance or redemption or full salvation, our receiving our glorified body. Which God already see us have, being seated in heavenly places with Christ. Here's another text that will clear up what I'm saying, bear with me.

1 Peter 1:4-5 "to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." Here we see that our final salvation through faith, is ready to be revealed in the last time or our glorified bodies or our blessed hope. Notice Paul adds, through faith to grace, when he is talking about our salvation to be revealed or in the coming age that He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace, what is that, it's being with the Lord forever.

Notice what Peter said, who by God's power are being guarded through faith, it's the Spirit and our faith that has sealed us to our inheritance. Here's the full picture of our salvation, form eternity passed, to eternity future.

Ephesians 1:11-14 "In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."

This is what Jesus was talking to Nicodemus about, He caused us to be born again, then born of water and the Spirit. The Spirit is what births us, the word is the water, Ephesians 5:26 "by the washing of the water of the word" Verse 13 our faith in the word of truth, the Spirit sealing us as a guarantee of our inheritance. Verse 13 is John 3:5

"Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."

Now that we've seen the kingdom of God, became born of water and the Spirit, we can enter the kingdom of God. Grace saves us so that we can see the need to have faith/believe/receive/repent, grace through faith takes us home to that glorified body, our inheritance.

 

[Johnny_B]

I forgot to add Ephesian 1:17-19 "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might."