Must Jesus bear the cross alone?

Yet the unrighteous practice (willful, habitual lifestyle with no effort to stop) sin (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21); not the righteous who are born of God (1 John 3:9; 1 Corinthians 6:11).

Jesus said "everyone who believes in Him." I believe Jesus. I don't try to "add" additional requirements to "believes in Him."

Repentance is a change of mind which precedes saving belief in Him (Acts 20:21). Confessing with out mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead are not two separate steps to salvation, but are chronologically together (Romans 10:8-10). Water baptism FOLLOWS "believes in Him unto salvation" (Acts 10:43-47; 11:17,18).

If Revelation 2:10 teaches that we must be "faithful enough" in addition to believing in Him/placing faith in Him for salvation, then just "how faithful would you have to be?" Where do you draw the line in the sand and say that you were "faithful enough" so now the Lord will be able to save you? That is vague and could include ANY number of good works.

This verse is meant to be an encouraging statement from the Lord to Christians at the church of Smyrna who were being persecuted, even to the point of death. Jesus was not telling these Christians that if they are not "faithful enough" in addition to believing in Him/having faith in Him for salvation that they will not receive eternal life. That is salvation by works! The Lord was telling them that they will receive the crown of life after death, be faithful, hang in there!

*In the very next verse, Jesus said - "He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death." 1 John 5:4, we read - "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. ONLY BELIEVERS are saved, overcome, and are faithful unto death (Ephesians 2:8; 1 Peter 1:9). Unbelievers are not saved, do not overcome and are unfaithful unto death.

Actually I don't, as long as passages of scripture that contain the words (obey/do/if) are not being misused to teach salvation by works.

Choosing to place our faith (belief, trust, reliance) in Christ for salvation is an act of obedience in which we obey the gospel by choosing to believe the gospel (Romans 1:16; 10:16). *Not to be confused with multiple acts of obedience/works which FOLLOW and are produced "out of" faith.

I hear this same argument from Roman Catholics who basically define belief as obedience/works. I was once in a discussion with a Roman Catholic about faith and he made this erroneous statement below:

That Roman Catholic also made this statement:

We ARE saved by faith - as long as you properly define "Faith". Faith is NOT simply "believing". Faith INCLUDES: Being baptized, eating His body and drinking His blood/partaking the Lord's Supper during Mass, works of mercy and charity, obeying his commandments, doing the will of the Father etc..

His argument about faith being "defined as" and INCLUDES this list works above equates to salvation through faith (his version of faith) + works. Sound familiar?

Here is why belief and obey are sometimes used interchangeably. In John 3:36 in the NASB, we read - He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not [a]obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

In regards to "does not obey the Son" in the New American Standard translation of the Bible, this does not mean that receiving eternal life is received based on the merits of our obedience/works which follows believing in the Son, but obey by choosing to believe in the Son. *If John wanted to make obedience the central theme in salvation here, he would have said: "He who believes and obeys the Son has eternal life," but that is not what John said. *To obey the Son here is to believe in the Son.

The King James Version renders this same verse as: He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that "believeth not the Son" shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. The NKJV says "does not believe the Son" and the NIV says "rejects the Son." The Greek word translated as "believeth not" in that verse is apeitheo and it means: not believe, disobedient, obey not, unbelieving. Strong’s definition of apeitheo is "to disbelieve willfully and perversely." *So in the context of 3:36, to not obey the Son means to reject His message by refusing to believe in the Son.

I have often heard works-salvationists (including Roman Catholics) cite John 3:36 in the NAS translation of the Bible and stress the word "obey" the Son, then write a blank check with the word "obey" and fill out whatever amount of works they feel are necessary to be saved (water baptism, partaking of the Lord's Supper during Mass, obeying the commandments, performing works of charity etc..) and call that believing in the Son, yet they are actually believing in their works and not IN THE SON.

You misuse the word "obey" in scripture in such a way that the end result is salvation by works. Faith + works is still salvation by works. In contrast, Faith IN CHRIST ALONE is NOT OF WORKS (Ephesians 2:8,9).

Just as i thought a works salvation preaching religonist..

Woe to you if you EVER fail to do exactly what you have preached here. And be assured you will fail to live up to the standards of Christ.

You have made all these things a MUST to do for salvation to be had.. You have declared belief in the Atonment of the LORD Jesus Christ to be not enough. That the Blood of Jesus is insufficent for our salvation.. You have placed a stumbling stone before yourself and anyone else who listens and accepts your preaching..

Um, I am not the One Who put all the 'musts' in the bible- therefore I am not the One Who made all these things a must.

""""Therefore, we must not forsake the assembly, but partake of the Lords Supper upon the first day of the week in the assembly of Christinns.""""

Yes, the unrighteous do practice willful sin without effort to stop, but so do some Christians (the righteous). But the bible is not written to the worldly (unrighteous) but to the righteous. By saying "If you sin willfully" it is saying if a Christian sins willfully." Then it goes on to say 'no longer remains'- which means it once genuinely did., but was taken away. Taken away from whom? The christian who sins willfully. What is taken away? Christ's sacrifice on their behalf. This person was saved, but is saved no longer.

"If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" 1 Peter 4:18

Then i challenge you to quote the Holy Bible where Jesus said that we MUST do what you just preached that we MUST do..



Oh don't even try because you will NEVER find such a Works religion stipulation for Christians in the Bible.. This is what you have added to the Word of God from the unbiblical traditions of men religion that you follow..

"Do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor the adulterers, nor idolaters, nor homosexual offenders, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9,10

Are you telling me there is not one christian who has to work at not being one of these?

"Continue to WORK out your salvation with fear and trembling." Philippians 2:12

Our works CANNOT earn salvation, therefore God can have us work all He wants and still have grace be a gift. He gives grace to those who obey Him. You people who say all you have to DO is believe are hypocrites, because you turn around and say there is nothing we do on our part to be saved.

""""Therefore, we must not forsake the assembly, but partake of the Lords Supper upon the first day of the week in the assembly of Christinns.""""

"Do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor the adulterers, nor idolaters, nor homosexual offenders, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9,10

Are you telling me there is not one christian who has to work at not being one of these?

"Continue to WORK out your salvation with fear and trembling." Philippians 2:12

Our works CANNOT earn salvation, therefore God can have us work all He wants and still have grace be a gift. He gives grace to those who obey Him. You people who say all you have to DO is believe are hypocrites, because you turn around and say there is nothing we do on our part to be saved.

"Continue to WORK out your salvation with fear and trembling." Philippians 2:12

"If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" 1 Peter 4:18