Salvation is more than justification?

[LeeLoving]

According to Paul in Romans 3 one is justified by believing in Jesus' propitiation for our sins. A cursory reading of what he's saying might lead one to believe that this is all that is necessary to be saved, but if we're to take Christ's words seriously one must also do the will of the Father (Matthew 7:21). Jesus correlates doing the will of the Father with following his sayings (Matthew 7:24), effectually making salvation a matter of how you live as well as what you believe.

Consider Jesus' teaching that he is the bread from heaven in John 6.

32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

Jesus doesn't seem to be talking solely about his death for our sins when he says "he that eateth me shall live by me". We're meant to eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood. We're meant to consume him. This doesn't seem to mash with the idea of just believing on his death for our sins, when he was also a moral teacher who taught moral imperatives. If we're to consume Jesus it seems logical that we're also to take in his moral teachings and instructions.

Also consider what Jesus said in John 8.

28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

...

51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

Jesus is saying here in plain language that the sinner abides not in the house forever and that if the Son frees you from sin that you will be free indeed. What seems to be being communicated is that if you are freed from sin you will have eternal life. He goes on to say that anyone who keeps his sayings shall not see death. I don't know what else he could be referring to other than the things he said in places such as the sermon on the mount, where Jesus teaches very many moralistic sayings, as well as what he spoke to Nicodemus in John 3. If you keep Jesus' words, you will never see death.

 

[TheLordIsMyRedeemer]

Christians believe in Jesus and obey his teachings.

(KJV Romans 3:22-26) "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."

(KJV Matthew 7:24-25) "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock."

(KJV Matthew 22:37-38) "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment."

(KJV Matthew 22:39-40) "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

(KJV Hebrews 5:9) "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;"

(KJV 2 Peter 1:3-4) "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

(KJV 2 Peter 1:5-6) "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;"

(KJV 2 Peter 1:7-8) "And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

(KJV 2 Peter 1:9-10) "But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:"

(KJV 2 Peter 1:11) "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

 

[ZuluKono]

What's with people titling their post in the form of a question, then going on to lay out a sort of mini dissertation that "answers" the question as if somebody else had asked it? It's pretentious and annoying.