This is a key question. Did Christ do enough to save us?
No.
We have to
1. Repent of our sins
2. Believe on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins
3. Follow Jesus
4. Obey Jesus's commands
5. Dwell in Gods word
6. Walk in the Spirit, in communion with God
Now you could add to this list or expand each item.
So when will that foundation be laid in Christ Jesus if it has never been laid yet? I say it has been laid & this is how.
Colossians 1:[SUP]20 [/SUP]And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.[SUP]21 [/SUP]And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled[SUP]22 [/SUP]In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:[SUP]23 [/SUP]If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
I would ask you to reconsider saying that what He did on the cross was to no effect.
1 Corinthians 1:[SUP]17 [/SUP]For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.[SUP]18 [/SUP]For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.....[SUP]21 [/SUP]For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
What is Paul talking about here?
Hebrews 4:1Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.[SUP]2 [/SUP]For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.[SUP]3 [/SUP]For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world....[SUP]9 [/SUP]There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.[SUP]10 [/SUP]For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.[SUP]11 [/SUP]Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
What rest have you received from Jesus Christ to avoid laboring in unbelief?
The foundations has been laid. You are saved simply by believing in Jesus Christ. It is what we build on that foundation that shall be judged at the pre trib rapture event; if any unrepentant iniquity remains, they will be left behind for defiling the temple of God, but their spirit is still saved for they have His seal.
Some say Christ has done enough, and we need to do nothing but believe.
Jesus describes himself as the Shepherd.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 10:11
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matt 7:13-14
The problem here is how do you follow Him? By believing in Him as your Good Shepherd to help you to follow Him.
We are called to follow, to follow the road that leads to life.
If you are following, it takes effort and you are doing actual work.
No. I place my confidence in Him and not in me to finish His work in me AND to help me to follow 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.
Matt 11:28-30
A yoke is about being alongside another and taking their road and learning how to
walk it.
Amazing how it is light and easy because He is doing it. Do you believe Him to be your Good Shepherd or not?
All of the above implies Christ has laid the way to salvation, but we have to walk it
to follow, to put effort in, to choose, to make decisions and fight the good fight.
To choose? To exercise will power? Or to believe in Him and rely on His power for living as His?
Hebrews 11:[SUP]6 [/SUP]But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
So it is hard to believe people who say they know scripture, yet claim they
need do nothing and Christ has done it all, it is just resting and reaping.
This is just heresy.
Well, for those people, they may not be fully clarifying their position, albeit there may be some that think it is okay to live in sin... NOT !!!! That is building wood, stubble, and hay in defiling the temple of God !!!! No pass there, brothers. The whole point of believing in Jesus Christ is to trust Him to deliver you from your bondage to sin and to death because being left behind at the pre trib rapture event will entail not only a weeping and gnashing of teeth, but a physical death as well.
Revelation 2:[SUP]21 [/SUP]And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not
.[SUP]22 [/SUP]Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with
her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.[SUP]23 [/SUP]And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
BUT at the same time, denying that you are saved for simply believing in Him is saying that the cross of Christ was to no effect. And brother.. that is a no no too.
It is because they are saved is why His disciples are to disciple new believers in trusting Jesus Christ as their Good Shepherd to help them to follow Him as we are to walk in the light as He did in maintaining that fellowship with the Father & the Son for we can only live this reconciled relationship with God thru Jesus Christ by faith in Him alone as our Good Shepherd rather than looking to ourselves in doing the best we can and failing miserably at it too. We cannot finish His work by the flesh. There is a race to be run but it is by looking to the author & finisher of our faith as He will finish His work in us which is to His glory in Heaven and giving us all the more reasons to thank Him and praise Him for in Heaven.