Cansalvation come through good works without faith in God?
Onehas to wonder, since God judges us all. If a person has done goodworks throughout their lives, but does not acknowledge that Godexists, and does not follow other gods, do they have a chance atsalvation? We know of people that have done good things, yet they saythey don't believe in God.
Whatwould God do with such a person? Would He say to them, 'You have donemostly good things throughout your life, things that I wish everyonewho believes in Me would do, and you don't follow other gods, but,you don't believe in me, therefore I'm sending you to hell'? Becausewe know that Heaven and hell are the only two places we can end up.
TheBible tells us that the good things we do must be accompanied byfaith if we ever have a chance at salvation. James 2:24 says, “Yousee that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Tosay you have faith without doing good works is to not have faith atall. You can say 'Lord, Lord' all you want, but if you don't showyour faith through good works, you would sound like a clangingcymbal, from which no words come forth.
Whatis faith but “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction ofthings not seen.” as it says in Hebrews 11:1. It is the convictionthat God exists, and the assurance that He has laid out plans for ourfuture and our hope, in accordance with Jeremiah 29:11. God has plansfor a future and a hope for all of us, even for those who have yet tosee the light, or who cast their belief in God away. For anyone notseeing the light or who may have, but darkened it, for God there isalways the hope that such a person will come around, and come aroundagain. God is waiting.
Andit is the hope of all of us that a person who does good things mayone day realize that the things they do are the things God would wantthat anyone would do. Salvation is a gift, but there is no lotteryfor it. Those who receive salvation have been earmarked through theirgenuine faith in God. But as God works in mysterious ways, we don'tknow for sure exactly what things and circumstances would lead Him togranting salvation.
Aperson who does good things must have had some faith. It could befaith in things that are good, faith in things that will turn out OK,or merely the faith that they will live the next day to continue todo good things. Who has the power to make things good and only good?Who has the power in making things turn out OK and only OK? Who hasthe power to ensure we live another day, and not tear us down? It isonly the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jesus who does thesethings.
Jesushas laid out a path or behavior for us to take, in order that we maypossibly be saved. What of those who don't know the path exists, butthrough their works have been going along that path anyway? Is thereany chance of salvation for them? There is, if they acknowledge God.As long as they're alive on earth, they have plenty of time to dothat. I tell you that even if it's not until they're on their deathbed that they acquire faith in God, they may be granted salvation.God wants all of us to have faith in Him.
Onehas to wonder, since God judges us all. If a person has done goodworks throughout their lives, but does not acknowledge that Godexists, and does not follow other gods, do they have a chance atsalvation? We know of people that have done good things, yet they saythey don't believe in God.
Whatwould God do with such a person? Would He say to them, 'You have donemostly good things throughout your life, things that I wish everyonewho believes in Me would do, and you don't follow other gods, but,you don't believe in me, therefore I'm sending you to hell'? Becausewe know that Heaven and hell are the only two places we can end up.
TheBible tells us that the good things we do must be accompanied byfaith if we ever have a chance at salvation. James 2:24 says, “Yousee that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Tosay you have faith without doing good works is to not have faith atall. You can say 'Lord, Lord' all you want, but if you don't showyour faith through good works, you would sound like a clangingcymbal, from which no words come forth.
Whatis faith but “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction ofthings not seen.” as it says in Hebrews 11:1. It is the convictionthat God exists, and the assurance that He has laid out plans for ourfuture and our hope, in accordance with Jeremiah 29:11. God has plansfor a future and a hope for all of us, even for those who have yet tosee the light, or who cast their belief in God away. For anyone notseeing the light or who may have, but darkened it, for God there isalways the hope that such a person will come around, and come aroundagain. God is waiting.
Andit is the hope of all of us that a person who does good things mayone day realize that the things they do are the things God would wantthat anyone would do. Salvation is a gift, but there is no lotteryfor it. Those who receive salvation have been earmarked through theirgenuine faith in God. But as God works in mysterious ways, we don'tknow for sure exactly what things and circumstances would lead Him togranting salvation.
Aperson who does good things must have had some faith. It could befaith in things that are good, faith in things that will turn out OK,or merely the faith that they will live the next day to continue todo good things. Who has the power to make things good and only good?Who has the power in making things turn out OK and only OK? Who hasthe power to ensure we live another day, and not tear us down? It isonly the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jesus who does thesethings.
Jesushas laid out a path or behavior for us to take, in order that we maypossibly be saved. What of those who don't know the path exists, butthrough their works have been going along that path anyway? Is thereany chance of salvation for them? There is, if they acknowledge God.As long as they're alive on earth, they have plenty of time to dothat. I tell you that even if it's not until they're on their deathbed that they acquire faith in God, they may be granted salvation.God wants all of us to have faith in Him.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. So...If you don't beieve that Jesus is God, If you don't trust in Him, how can you be saved? You cannot.