Research: Majority of Americans Believe Works Are the Key to Salvation

Evmur said:
I've highlighted all the choices believers are able to make. v.16 is the summary. Paul lays out the point: when you OFFER yourselves ( a choice) to someone as slaves. Then the choice: slaves to sin, or slaves to obedience.

All this proves that man has free will. The freedom to choose between available options, which Paul laid out clearly.

Free choice...which is what Paul is talking about, does not mean we have free will.

If it did...the husband would not need to die...
Do you not know, brothers and sisters —for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. (Romans 7:1-2)

Hello again...Well, I do disagree that we're still under the Old Covenant in any way.

I am sorry if I've offended you somehow.
God Bless...

Sabbath is mostly disregarded, compared to the other nine.

Your proclaiming the law.

Not once in the New Testament is the phrase, 'ten commandments', even mentioned, by the way.

Sin is also transgression of the law according to John.

The law is 613 laws plus the law given within the prophets.

If you are under the law, then you cannot transgress any of the law of Moses.

You can't go through life obeying one law and breaking ten other laws. You need to decide whether you are under the law or not.

So...John is wrong?
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
(1 John 3:9-10)

I don't understand your claim about the husband in regard to this passage.

No John is not wrong, sometimes the Greek is a bit different than the English, the way 1 John 3 9-10 is describing sin is repetitive and constant. A willful ignorance. We all slip up, we all sin. But do we keep the most important commandment? Loving God first and loving your fellow man? In which all commandments are fulfilled.

so true!

Here are some of the shocking (to me) findings in the poll (2020) cited below...

"A majority of Americans, a new survey finds, no longer believe that Jesus Christ is the way to eternal salvation. Faith (generally) and good works, they say, will do the trick "

"Equally as startling, it was found that a majority of people who describe themselves as Christian (52%) believe that a person can gain eternal salvation by “being or doing good.” That includes close to half of all adults associated with Pentecostal (46%), mainline Protestant (44%), and evangelical (41%) churches. As expected, a much larger share of Catholics (70%) embrace that point of view."

This salvation-can-be-earned perspective, Barna says, fits well with other widely held views identified in the American Worldview Inventory 2020 that are at odds with biblical teaching.
Those have included:


• There is no absolute moral truth (58%)
• Basis of truth are factors or sources other than God (58%)
• Right/wrong determined by factors other than the Bible (77%)
• The Bible is not the authoritative and true word of God (59%)
• People are basically good (69%)

"“If you look at some of the dominant elements in the American mind and heart today, as illuminated by the Inventory, most people believe that the purpose of life is feeling good about yourself,” Barna says. “Most people contend that all faiths are of equal value, that entry into God’s eternal presence is determined by one’s personal means of choice and that there are no absolutes to guide or grow us morally.”

more at: https://outreachmagazine.com/resour...s-believe-works-are-the-key-to-salvation.html

No wonder this country is in the mess it's in.

Well Good...I thought you believed John was wrong.
So if Johns not wrong, you believe the people who translated the Greek into the English language, just translated it wrong?
Curious to know...How do you know translators got it wrong?

Can either one of you gentlemen explain how the Sabbath became a day of going to church, instead of a Day of rest, as prescribed by God when he gave Moses the Law?
The way in which people keep it, it's anything but a Day of Rest.

There are examples, in the Bible, of how God wanted the Day kept, but everyone who seems to think they are keeping it...are actually breaking it.😳
Going to Church on the seventh day...is actually breaking the Sabbath!!
Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.”
(Exodus 16:29)
Cooking on Sunday....the Sunday meal mom cooks....is also forbidden.
He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’”
(Exodus 16:23)

Its a lot like tithing, churches teach it, people do it...and the folks have no idea of why God set up the tithe. How the inheritance of the Levites ended up paying a churches mortgage, electric bills and a pastor's salary....I will never know. 🤔

Is that a bad thing?

What is mentioned are the Ten Commandments themselves - every one, including the Sabbath in Hebrews 4:9 Lamsa's Peshitta: "It is therefore the duty of the people of God to keep the Sabbath."
True
Paul says the "law of commandments contained in ordinances" - which refers to the ceremonial law ONLY - has been abolished. The Ten Commandments which came directly from the hand of God "stand fast forever and ever" according to Psalms 111:7-8 KJV.
The Law of Moses was nailed to the Cross and is why we can ignore bringing a lamb for sacrifice, Passover observance, circumcision, etc...the Ten Commandments "stand fast forever and ever" which is why it will ALWAYS be wrong to kill, lie, worship other gods, blaspheme, etc. It's really that simple.
We are required to keep the Ten Commandments ("for this is the whole duty of man" says Solomon) but the Law of Moses may be safely ignored.

I have a friend who was my youth pastor years ago, we are now good friends and strong brothers in Christ. He's been in school for theology and biblical study and seminary stuff for a while.

Your first reply made me really read 1 John 3 9-10 and the whole chapter. I brought it to my friend, to see how he interpreted it.
He said that Greek has a certain "tense" for verbs that English doesn't have, or that English doesn't fully express or grasp. It makes the verb an ongoing thing, like it's happening and has been happening, not just the present, but the past too, and probably the future. Similar to "ing" in English.

He also pointed out the main idea, or the context of those verses (1john 3 9-10) which is Love.

Thank you for your challenges and questions, they have helped me learn more about my savior, and my bible.😁

Here are some of the shocking (to me) findings in the poll (2020) cited below...

"A majority of Americans, a new survey finds, no longer believe that Jesus Christ is the way to eternal salvation. Faith (generally) and good works, they say, will do the trick "

"Equally as startling, it was found that a majority of people who describe themselves as Christian (52%) believe that a person can gain eternal salvation by “being or doing good.” That includes close to half of all adults associated with Pentecostal (46%), mainline Protestant (44%), and evangelical (41%) churches. As expected, a much larger share of Catholics (70%) embrace that point of view."

This salvation-can-be-earned perspective, Barna says, fits well with other widely held views identified in the American Worldview Inventory 2020 that are at odds with biblical teaching.
Those have included:


• There is no absolute moral truth (58%)
• Basis of truth are factors or sources other than God (58%)
• Right/wrong determined by factors other than the Bible (77%)
• The Bible is not the authoritative and true word of God (59%)
• People are basically good (69%)

"“If you look at some of the dominant elements in the American mind and heart today, as illuminated by the Inventory, most people believe that the purpose of life is feeling good about yourself,” Barna says. “Most people contend that all faiths are of equal value, that entry into God’s eternal presence is determined by one’s personal means of choice and that there are no absolutes to guide or grow us morally.”

more at: https://outreachmagazine.com/resour...s-believe-works-are-the-key-to-salvation.html

No wonder this country is in the mess it's in.

It is argued that although the "Seventh Day" originates during Creation Week, the "Sabbath day" was not specifically mentioned until the time of Moses and therefore is distinct from the Seventh Day, pertains only to Israelites, must include all Mosaic applications to the Sabbath day, and is only to be observed by Israelites.

The above is "ground zero" for the 10 Megaton truth bomb which is about to explode and the collateral damage is going to be devastating. It is 1 Chronicles 17:27 KJV.

The verse says when God blesses something, it's blessed forever, therefore when God blessed the "Seventh day" during Creation Week, by default that is when the "Sabbath day" was blessed because to argue otherwise is to deny 1 Chronicles 17:27 KJV and say God's blessings are not potent enough the first time around. Therefore, the Sabbath is not
None of the prohibitions of the Israelites pertain to the Sabbath today. We are simply to "do no work" and observe the rest day for what it is: time alone with God and the brethren. It's every bit as important to keep the Sabbath day as it is to keep the other commandments because breaking them is what made necessary the death of our Lord Jesus in the first place

Most people who share this believe are those who worship on Sundays, the first day of the week. According to the Bible the day of worship is on the seventh day of the week, Saturday. Paul say in 2 Corinthians 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. Now any Christian in their right mind wouldn’t dare say that it’s okay to steal, kill or commit adultery or break any of the other seven commandments. But when it comes to the fourth commandment, people avoid it like a plague! They are either uninformed about which day is the Sabbath day of the God of the Bible or they are just following the tradition of religion that was passed down through the family or maybe they have let some preacher give them other excuses for ignoring God’s true day of worship. Nevertheless, in judgment each one of us will give account for our own salvation. Therefore, we must not let anyone lead us down the wrong path, but should verify all of our teaching with the holy bible. YOUR SALVATION IS AT STAKE! "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12).

Jesus say in (Mat.7:21) “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven”. For students to succeed in school, students learn to follow their teachers' instructions, and learn their lessons carefully. But few apply this method when they are dealing with the word of God. Is Jesus your Lord? Then why don’t you do the things he says. (Luke 6:46) “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say”? He told you plainly: (Ex 20:8-10) (v.8) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (v.9) Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: (v.10) “But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God”.

As it is written in (Rev. 22:11-14) (v.11) He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still: In other words be whatever you choose to be. (v.12) And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. So you will be judged according to your works?

I have a friend who was my youth pastor years ago, we are now good friends and strong brothers in Christ. He's been in school for theology and biblical study and seminary stuff for a while.

Your first reply made me really read 1 John 3 9-10 and the whole chapter. I brought it to my friend, to see how he interpreted it.
He said that Greek has a certain "tense" for verbs that English doesn't have, or that English doesn't fully express or grasp. It makes the verb an ongoing thing, like it's happening and has been happening, not just the present, but the past too, and probably the future. Similar to "ing" in English.

He also pointed out the main idea, or the context of those verses (1john 3 9-10) which is Love.

Thank you for your challenges and questions, they have helped me learn more about my savior, and my bible.😁

Can either one of you gentlemen explain how the Sabbath became a day of going to church, instead of a Day of rest, as prescribed by God when he gave Moses the Law?

Have you not read that the Jews attended their synagogues on the Sabbath, and it was also the custom of Christ? So it was both a day of rest and a day for worship. Then Christ said that it is also a day for good works, by deliberately healing on Sabbath days. While I am not a Sabbatarian, you need to go by what is in the Scriptures. Orthodox Jews still attend their synagogues on sabbath days.