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

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
11,769
1,371
113
Absolutely, because Jesus warned us that the road to salvation is straight and narrow and that only a few of us will find it. Many are traveling down the wrong road, which leads to destruction. This is because many of us have heard about salvation but few of us want to do what is necessary to get salvation (many are called but few are chosen). (Matthew 7:13, 14) Many contend that Jesus did it all and now all we have to do is have faith.

The bible says, we must not only be a hearer of the word, but a doer of the word also (James 1:21-22). DON'T FOOL YOURSELF! If we really have faith in Jesus our actions will prove it. If Jesus is our Lord then we will obey him. Even a child will obey a parent, by getting good grades in school, for the reward of a new bicycle. The child cannot earn money for the bicycle, but instead must act upon their faith to receive the free gift. We must do the same to receive eternal life. "FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD” (James 2:20).
I think depend what your definition of law
If law mean OT like animal sacrifice than we are not under that law
If the law mean jesus teaching ex love than ya we are under law of love from jesus
 

BroTan

Active member
Sep 16, 2021
898
161
43
I believe we keep the Sabbath commandment when we cease from our works and rest in His work.

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 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. 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. (Heb 4:1-3)
That rest day Paul is speaking of is the future, when Jesus makes his second coming. Actually Paul is quoting David in Psalm 95: 7 For he is our God; And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your heart,
As in the provocation
, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me,
Proved me, and saw my work. 10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation,
And said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: 11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath
That they should not enter into my res
t.

Let's go back to Hebrew 4: 6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 7 again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said,
To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts
. 8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

So this is not speaking of the annual Sabbath day that kept every week on the seventh day of the week, but this is another day coming at the Jesus second coming.
 

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,742
3,670
113
Which God?...there is more than one?

No need to respond.
Yes just like there are more than one Jesus...

2 Corinthians 11:4 (KJV) 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.

And since Jesus is God, many have another Jesus by embracing another Gospel

Galatians 1:6-9 (KJV) I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
 

Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
11,769
1,371
113
That rest day Paul is speaking of is the future, when Jesus makes his second coming. Actually Paul is quoting David in Psalm 95: 7 For he is our God; And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your heart,
As in the provocation
, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me,
Proved me, and saw my work. 10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation,
And said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: 11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath
That they should not enter into my res
t.

Let's go back to Hebrew 4: 6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 7 again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said,
To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts
. 8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

So this is not speaking of the annual Sabbath day that kept every week on the seventh day of the week, but this is another day coming at the Jesus second coming.
To me sabbath is Jesus
If you have jesus in your heart, you have rest

Not working on Saturday may only mean physical rest, your mind still working

Only when we have jesus we have rest
 

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,742
3,670
113
So this is not speaking of the annual Sabbath day that kept every week on the seventh day of the week, but this is another day coming at the Jesus second coming.
If you had carefully read my post you would have seen I was not speaking of an annual or even weekly Sabbath, but rather of the rest we have in/with Christ. I personally we are to 'now' enter His rest by ceasing from our works and rest in His work...

For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
(Heb 4:10)
 

Inquisitor

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2022
2,981
873
113
) Many contend that Jesus did it all and now all we have to do is have faith.
Well that is what Paul taught Bro Tan.

Romans 10:8-10
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Paul taught that faith in Jesus saves.

I want to know why you openly reject what Paul was preaching?
The bible says, we must not only be a hearer of the word, but a doer of the word also (James 1:21-22). DON'T FOOL YOURSELF! If we really have faith in Jesus our actions will prove it. If Jesus is our Lord then we will obey him. Even a child will obey a parent, by getting good grades in school, for the reward of a new bicycle. The child cannot earn money for the bicycle, but instead must act upon their faith to receive the free gift. We must do the same to receive eternal life. "FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD” (James 2:20).
What you fail to understand is your works do not save you.

Did you hear what Paul said?

No matter how many good works you do, you cannot reconcile yourself to the Father.

Paul taught a gospel of faith in Jesus Christ.
 

Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
11,769
1,371
113
Well that is what Paul taught Bro Tan.

Romans 10:8-10
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Paul taught that faith in Jesus saves.

I want to know why you openly reject what Paul was preaching? What you fail to understand is your works do not save you.

Did you hear what Paul said?

No matter how many good works you do, you cannot reconcile yourself to the Father.

Paul taught a gospel of faith in Jesus Christ.


As long as you know faith produce good work as jesus say on verse 34-46
Help the poor inherit kingdom, heaven
Not helping the poor eternal fire

Don't say eternal fire mean still go to heaven only losing reward
That is lie
Not eternal fire In heaven

The Sheep and the Goats

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
 

Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
11,769
1,371
113
There 2 part of heaven

1 heaven with eternal fire for people that not helping the poor as descrip by Jesus in Matt 25

2 heaven with comfort temperature
This heaven have a street from gold
The first heaven so hot gold will melt away

I don't want go to heaven with eternal fire

Say rich man come offer palace
After I check, it is it is an old 700 sq house with broken in all window and doors
You call it palace?

If there is heaven with eternal fire, you call it heaven?
Heaven for people that lose their reward is hot like hell

Why don't we call it hell?
 

Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
11,769
1,371
113
Do like Jesus say in Matt 25 you will go to 70 degree heaven
Or you don't believe what Jesus say and you go to heaven with eternal fire
No air condition
 

Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
11,769
1,371
113
Don't just believe what your church teach, read your own bible and believe only what Jesus teach

I remember in the Bible study my pastor say Matt 25 is only decide reward, not heaven or hell

Hmm
Is there heaven with eternal fire?

Most people agree with Jesus, it is judgement for heaven or hell

Why my pastor not agree with Jesus?

I find out that is what he leaned from his seminary

Seminary not agree with Jesus?

Eternal fire not only melted gold on the street

It will melted that people without reward

Not by work but produce good work
 

Inquisitor

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2022
2,981
873
113
As long as you know faith produce good work as jesus say on verse 34-46
Help the poor inherit kingdom, heaven
Not helping the poor eternal fire

Don't say eternal fire mean still go to heaven only losing reward
That is lie
Not eternal fire In heaven

The Sheep and the Goats

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
So you are definitely disagreeing with what Paul said.

Romans 10:8-10
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

According to you, the gospel is visiting someone in prison.

Feeding a hungry person and your in heaven.

Is that the way you understand the gospel, it's just good works?
 
Oct 6, 2021
496
83
28
My experience with church was something like yours in the fact that the church I was going to did ultimately drive me away. There were quite strict about wearing dress clothes. For about two years I wore dress clothes then I realized God doesn't really care about that. So I showed up to church in something casual and they refused to allow me to eat the Lord's supper and treated me coldly..
The traditions of men, but they make for a very interesting study as to their origin. We are to humble ourselves before the Lord...and I don't how a three piece suit or a designer gown shows humility when greater men than they, came before God in sackcloth and ashes.

I was quite young at the time so I lost a lot of respect for the church right then and there. Now that I look back it, I should have just lost all respect for the elders and deacons at that particular church. Oh well, hopefully they learned from their mistake and repented, but you never really know. They probably thought they were in the right to deny me access to communion based on the clothes I was wearing..
Repent....a simple word, but many do not know how it applies to salvation. Even if they did, they have been told, by those in whom they have put their trust...they were saved the moment they believed. Removing any reason for them to repent.

I didn't return to church for probably 10 years or so, but not until I had what I believe was a divine encounter with God or an angel who preached the gospel to me and asked me to serve the "Holy Father, Holy Son, and Holy Spirit" again. That was life-changing for me especially since I had become somewhat atheistic-agnostic during those 10 years. I tested God a lot during that time and I feel like His way of conquoring me was ultimately making me His property..
I had a few encounters for the twenty plus years when I really wasn't seeking God. Didn't understand why, but they were dreams about the last days...I guess??...designed to show me what would happen if I continued down the road I was on. Dreams that were so real, it took days to shake them off.
I recall my friends consoling me, not knowing why I was in this state of mind, because I didn't give them the reason, for fear they would think I was nuts.

I was living in Long Beach California... in the last one of these dreams I got out of bed at dawn...because I noticed a red reflection through the curtains, a reflection covering the wall. I got up to inspect...and looking off to the west, miles out into the ocean, and saw what looked like mushrooms, a checkerboard pattern of mushrooms!!
I ran out onto the beach to get a better view, and discovered they were not mushrooms, they were mushroom clouds. Much more to the story...but it's kinda long...but the thing is..it was as real as it could get. But still...after a few days, the fear wore off and I went back to my California bachelor life.

I have been given personal prophecies that have come true repeatedly and one time I transcribed part of the book of Genesis all through direct revelation. I have many many many more stories and I get new stories all the time, but that's for another thread..
Interesting...I use to do a lot of writing too. Just copying down teaching as dictated by the Holy Spirit.
I would excitedly write for hours and hours, so I didn't forget anything.
Things which I later discovered were already written in the Bible, teaching that I didn't know were already written down. So I stopped writing, and after each teaching I would find the corresponding teachings in the Bible. Unfortunately I didn't expect to become a teacher or I would have written all the corresponding passages down for these teachings. But they are easy enough to find with the technology we have today, technology I didn't have at my finger tips back then.

I just felt inspired to share with you my experiences. Where I was and how I am where I am now. Christianity it real. I only wish all people could experience it like I do.
Sounds like your inspiration may have come from a higher Authority. Thank you for sharing brother.
 
Aug 3, 2019
3,744
507
113
But the Ten Commandments were not, they were carried over as a part of the New Covenant.
Of course the Ten Commandments are part of the NC.

"For this is the covenant I will make with them after those days...I will write My laws in their minds and on their hearts."

We will be keeping the Sabbath of the Ten Commandments for ALL ETERNITY according to Isaiah, but will anyone be killing lambs for the slaughter as specified in the Mosaic Law? Because it was nailed to the Cross, while the Ten Commandments "stand fast for ever and ever and are done in truth and uprightness".
 
Aug 3, 2019
3,744
507
113
Ahh...the Catholic Church...great discussion. They took the reins of the Church...right from the get go.
The Spirit taught me about it some years ago...and the Bible backs what I learned.
Those Pharisees converts we read about in Acts...they created what we call the Catholic Church.
Wannabe priests, and with the New Covenant they saw their chance. That's why they still dress today, as the Levites did back then. Again, don't expect anyone to believe me...just throwing it out there for those who have wondered why they dress so..
Yes, there are many similarities between apostate Judaism and the RCC, one of which is the idea that "oral tradition" of "ex cathedra" supersedes the Word of God - the Jews claiming that which was spoken "from the seat of Moses" and Satan's emissaries in Rome in our day who claim that which is spoken "from the seat of the Pope".
 
Aug 3, 2019
3,744
507
113
This is a very naive statement. Every person is "at liberty" to choose whatever is possible to do. Just read Romans 6, and especially v.16.
Yes, we all have liberty, and Conditional Salvationalists choose to exercise that liberty to be servants of obedience unto righteousness (by the power of our indwelling Jesus) while the OSAS crowd chooses to be servants of sin unto death (by the absence of such power). (Romans 6:16 KJV)
This clearly demonstrates the extreme confusion of the OSNAS-ers. Salvation grants deliverance from the lake of fire.
"And thou shalt call His name 'Jesus' for He will save His people from their SIN". What did the angel say we're saved from? SIN! How naive it is to think you can be trapped in sin but be saved from the Lake of Fire.
What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.
10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. iow, no one can fulfill the Law. Only Christ did that.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Those who claim sinlessness are woefully ignorant of these verses and Rom 6 and 7.
Classic OSAS rhetoric: application of verses which describe the spiritual bankruptcy of a sinner to the experience of the saint. Of course, no one can fulfill the law apart from Christ, but with Christ we "can do all things" including overcoming of sinful habits. Sure, we may slip and trip along the way, and there's grace to cover that, but the deliberate, habitual, presumptuous, known sin the OSAS wants grace to cover will be there undoing in the day of Judgment if they fail to repent from this satanic OSAS License to Sin doctrine of devils.
 
Aug 3, 2019
3,744
507
113
Incorrect again.

Paul is addressing the Jews in chapter two of Romans.

Romans 2:17
But if you call yourself a Jew and rely upon the Law and boast in God.

Your not a direct descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

No one said you have a license to kidnap, get drunk, or any other sin.

Gentiles are not under the law, does that then mean Gentiles can sin?

Of course not.

There is a an ocean of difference between being under the law for righteousness, and not being under the law for righteousness.

Trying to obey the law is a work of the flesh, an act of the human will. The law only condemns you, it cannot save anyone.

The scripture does not say you are saved by Jesus plus the law. The scripture says the opposite.
He is not a Jew which is one outwardly, but he is a Jew that is a Jew inwardly.
 
Aug 3, 2019
3,744
507
113
As I said previously, the law grants the knowledge of sin only. Whether you obey some laws and disobey others, it matters not, you are lost anyway. Let's say you achieved a 50% success rate in the law, your still lost.

Your salvation is a free gift and you do not earn it, by any attempted obedience to the law.

Are you saying that salvation is not a free gift?
Agreed...and I'm saying salvation is predicated on whether we are surrendered or not, "surrender" being a state of mind which is evidenced by outward action - conversely, rebellion is a state of mind which is evidenced by the OSAS License to Sin which allows the "licensed" to escape the same penalty for doing the exact same thing for which the unlicensed will be punished.
 
Aug 3, 2019
3,744
507
113
Do you deny that the Catholics identified the ten commandments as moral law?

Whether the Catholics changed the law or not is not relevant.

The Catholics, the Reformers, and your church, all follow the same tradition, the ten commandments.

I cannot tell these churches apart from one another.

You place emphasis on the law!

Placing an extra special emphasis on any law is still an emphasis on the law.

You claim the law is abolished and at the same time, say that the law is eternal?

What a confusing and distorted interpretation of the scripture.
It's not irrelevant. The Reformers and Catholics followed two entirely different standards - the one false commandments and tradition, while the other the Ten Commandments (as best as they could tell) and the Word of God.
 

Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
11,769
1,371
113
So you are definitely disagreeing with what Paul said.

Romans 10:8-10
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

According to you, the gospel is visiting someone in prison.

Feeding a hungry person and your in heaven.

Is that the way you understand the gospel, it's just good works?
According to me?
Or according to Jesus?

Friend, it is wrong to think Jesus contradict Paul

This is the screnario

When you confess you sin and accept Jesus in, you will bear fruit
Like what Jesus say in Matt 25

Hmm

Seem, you don't agree with Jesus

Seem you don't understand Paul teaching

You think Paul teaching about faith and Jesus about visiting
 
Jan 31, 2021
8,658
1,064
113
Classic OSAS rhetoric
So you equate Jesus' words in John 5:24 with John 10:28 as mere "rhetoric" huh? Way to go.

satanic OSAS License to Sin doctrine of devils.
Be careful now. Pharisees claimed Jesus' miracles were from Beelzebub, and He told them they were guilty of an unpardonable sin.

Now, YOU are ascribing eternal security that Jesus taught as "satanic". You may want to duck. Very foolish, if anyone is asking.

The confusion of the OSNASers is huge. The so-called "license to sin" comes from everyone's human nature, which is sinful.

iow, no license needed to sin.

So please stop your gaslighting. I'm so tired of all the Dem's gaslighting. Believers shouldn't be doing it. That IS Satan's department.

Jesus said in John 8:
44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!

To gaslight is to LIE.