The Free Gift of Salvation

[Bookends]

Well, OP stated we have to pay with our life. So... not free.

That's like saying, "My car is free. The $2,500 price tag? Of course you have to pay 2,500! Free refers to the fact you don't have to cut off your left arm and give it to me."

Saying "salvation is free" sounds wonderful, but it's not free. That's clear from the very next statement OP makes, saying we must pay with our lives. It's clear by all the posts that followed.

It's not that I don't understand what was meant by the word "free", it's that the word "free" is a very poor choice of wording.

It is free however you look at it. I don't pay with my life to receive eternal life. I voluntarily give my life to Christ because first He give his for mine. We love Him because He first loved us. Christ does not require me die for my sins nor to receive the just punishment for my sins. But because he loved me I love him back, I do this out of appreciation and the work of the HS within me, not out of obligation.

 

[dcontroversal]

Let's try FREE GIFT. I know it's redundant but that's how dull of hearing we are.

But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
(Rom 5:15-16)

Now I need to ask again, ''What part of FREE GIFT don't ya'll understand???

I agree, like this and would add....(oh unbelieving ones) who trust in self and works over the Faith OF JESUS!

 

[eternally-gratefull]

It is free however you look at it. I don't pay with my life to receive eternal life. I voluntarily give my life to Christ because first He give his for mine. We love Him because He first loved us. Christ does not require me die for my sins nor to receive the just punishment for my sins. But because he loved me I love him back, I do this out of appreciation and the work of the HS within me, not out of obligation.

Amen.

we have two choices.

To pay with our life (for all eternity)\

Or to have God pay for it, wiht his own life (the cross)

The penalty of sin is death, The GIFT of God is life.

take his gift, or suffer death. there is no inbetween

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Because Jesus paid the cost at Calvary?
And just how much do you have to labour until you have earned your wages of a free gift?

lol. Nothing else needs said.

if they can;t see this, they will never see anything

 

[eternally-gratefull]

The salvation of God is free to those who
will do what is required to receive it.

so it is not free, it must be earned??

 

[SeaBass]

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise of salvation.

But some here will accuse you of trying to earn your salvation if you repent and are baptized.

 

[SeaBass]

Because Jesus paid the cost at Calvary?
And just how much do you have to labour until you have earned your wages of a free gift?

Your statment was "Receiving Him is a work of God."

According to YOUR statement here, if I have not received Christ,then whose fault is that?

Christ is the one that said to labour, Jn 6:27 and the labour He gave them to do was to believe.

 

[SeaBass]

I understand what you mean,but so that we don't go off course,the bible says that it is a gift and it is not of works so that no one can boast.

Nowhere does the bible say the gift of salvation has no conditions.

 

[SeaBass]

Sea Perch you already know...it is called have faith<----BELIEVE and THOU SHALT BE SAVED

Faith not faith only.

 

[SeaBass]

I feel like there is some confusion about what free is supposed to mean.

Free DOES NOT mean God 'just' forgives - Christ paid the price of justice in order to reconcile us.

Free DOES mean that we do not have to pay the price of justice - Christ did that for us.

Free DOES NOT give us a license to live our old lives - this free gift is precious, and it would be a travesty to trample it underfoot.

Free DOES mean that we do not have to work to be reconciled to God - Christ alone is sufficient for that.

Free DOES NOT mean there are no conditions to entry - the Bible clearly states that those with faith will be saved.

Free DOES mean that we are not the ones who have to work to satisfy entry conditions - faith itself is a gift (cf Eph 2)

You posted "Free DOES NOT mean there are no conditions to entry - the Bible clearly states that those with faith will be saved."

This is the part that faith only advocates refuse to understand....that free gifts can and do come with conditions and working to meet those conditions in no way earns the free gift.

A clear biblical example of this is Naaman was was healed by grace, but the free gift of grace came with the CONDITION of dipping in the river 7 times. Did the work of dipping mean he earned his cleansing and therefore it was not of grace? No. So the idea that if one does works necessitates he is trying to earn the gift is patently false.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

But some here will accuse you of trying to earn your salvation if you repent and are baptized.

you are trying to earn it.

You did the work. not God. thus YOU get the credit, NOT GOD.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Faith not faith only.

faith minus works. = faith and nothing else. = faith only.

wake up before it is too late!

 

[SeaBass]

faith minus works. = faith and nothing else. = faith only.

wake up before it is too late!

Faith and nothing else = dead faith only that cannot, does not save.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Faith and nothing else = dead faith only that cannot, does not save.

Nope, a dead faith is not faith at all. so it cannot be considered faith.

True faith produces works. But it is not the works which saved, it is the faith which empowers the work,

salvation is faith minus works, equals faith alone,,

The works come as a result of faith, which are powered by the result of salvation

 

[SeaBass]

Nope, a dead faith is not faith at all. so it cannot be considered faith.

True faith produces works. But it is not the works which saved, it is the faith which empowers the work,

salvation is faith minus works, equals faith alone,,

The works come as a result of faith, which are powered by the result of salvation

A dead faith is a faith that has no works and it remains dead utnil it has works.


Heb 11:8 "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."

Faith only would mean Abraham's faith did NOT have the work of leaving and thereby never receive those promises.

Faith means his faith INCLUDED the obedient works of leaving his house, land and kindred and going.

This is why Heb 11 :8 says "by faith" and not "by faith only".

 

[notuptome]

A dead faith is a faith that has no works and it remains dead utnil it has works.

Works cannot produce life. God's Holy Spirit creates life in the soul that is dead. It is God's work in us to produce works. Which works and how many are at God's discretion not yours.

You see as a man sees. God sees as only He can. Where you see nothing God sees a precious child depending on Him in a way that delights only God.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

 

[CWJ]

A dead faith is a faith that has no works and it remains dead utnil it has works.


Heb 11:8 "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."

Faith only would mean Abraham's faith did NOT have the work of leaving and thereby never receive those promises.

Faith means his faith INCLUDED the obedient works of leaving his house, land and kindred and going.

This is why Heb 11 :8 says "by faith" and not "by faith only".

'Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure,
having this seal, "The Lord knoweth them that are His."
And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.'
(2Tim. 2:19)

Hi Seabass,

Everyone that names the name of Christ should depart from iniquity. They should behave in a manner which honours the Lord Who bought them at such cost. Yet the Lord knows those that are His: and where there is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ there is salvation; there is life through His Name.

There may not be a reward for faithful service, which can be forfeited: but salvation by grace is assured to all who believe unto salvation. That is their 'standing': and it is sure, for it is based on the promises of God in Christ Jesus. Their 'state' is another matter, and they can suffer 'loss', but their life is hid with Christ in God - how sure is that!

In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[crossnote]

Your statment was "Receiving Him is a work of God."

According to YOUR statement here, if I have not received Christ,then whose fault is that?

Christ is the one that said to labour, Jn 6:27 and the labour He gave them to do was to believe.

reread the whole post#47
You missed the point.

 

[seed_time_harvest]

By the way, that gift isn't free at all, it cost Christ His life.

I understand what you mean,but so that we don't go off course,the bible says that it is a gift and it is not of works so that no one can boast.

Nowhere does the bible say the gift of salvation has no conditions.

The work GOD is talking about is not physical work,but it is spiritual.

Work before salvation is not acceptable to GOD,because it would not be perfect

For us to be able to have a relationship with GOD,sin had to be punished and that means we had to be pure and in truth.The inward man.

JESUS is pure,but man was weak.The spirit(mans spirit) was willing but the flesh was weak

That sin was punished in the body of JESUS.

Now we have a mediator(those who have faith)in his Finished work.

so when you say nowhere in the bible does the gift of salvation has no condition.Are you talking about physical work or spiritual work?

John 6:27-29

king james version(kjv)
[SUP]27.)[/SUP] Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
[SUP]
28.)[/SUP] Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
[SUP]
29.)[/SUP]Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

 

[seed_time_harvest]

when John said

king james version(kjv)
[SUP]
27.)[/SUP] Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

just in case you were thinking about asking sir
this is talking about labor not for the physical,but labor for the spiritual.

john 6:63

king james version(kjv)

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.