Can we contribute anything to our salvation?

[RustyAngeL]

20 hours ago, Ezra said:

It would appear that many people (including so-called "evangelicals") believe that we can actually contribute something towards our salvation.  That the finished work of Christ is somehow insufficient. But what saith the Scripture? (Titus 3:4-7)

SALVATION IS ENTIRELY BY GOD'S GRACE

4But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS ARE EXCLUDED

5Not by works of righteousness which we have done,

ONLY GOD'S MERCY PREVAILS

but according to his mercy he saved us,

SALVATION MEANS THE NEW BIRTH 

by the washing of regeneration,

SALVATION MEANS THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST

and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

SALVATION MEANS THE BAPTISM WITH THE SPIRIT

6Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

SALVATION MEANS JUSTIFICATION BY GRACE

7That being justified by his grace,

SALVATION MEANS WE ARE HEIRS OF GOD

we should be made heirs

SALVATION MEANS THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE

according to the hope of eternal life.

I believe with everything in me that it is only the finished work of the Cross that we are saved.  When Jesus said, It Is Finished, it was.  Nothing more needed.  Thank you Jesus for that work.

Blessings, RustyAngeL

[other one]

Can we contribute to our  salvation?  Yes we can....  a whole lot of gratitude. 

 

[Your closest friendnt]

58 minutes ago, Yowm said:

I agree, salvation is used in various ways. It would help if you listed an example or two.

Generally speaking though, those who are His are saved from the power of sin, the penalty of sin and eventually the effects and presence of sin.

We must give examples, I have to think of one or two. Thank you, Jesus paid the price of sin, I am not going to be condemn by Jesus in Hell , because of my sin, no matter what, and not anyone even Jesus can reason, that I am not worthy to be in havens, that I have to pay for my own sins for eternity in hell, Jesus paid for all sins, before they are confessed , this is the problem , together with the demand of the good fruit, discipleship , and the definitions of those terms, that put the fear of hell on believers of Jesus Christ, I need to keep in mind that Jesus accepts cold believers, according to his own confession, and the lukewarms too, he never said that heaven is for the hot ones, and we need to strive to remain hot to earn our way to heaven . this honor belongs only to him, he is our peace

Edited October 8, 2016 by Your closest friendnt

[Your closest friendnt]

54 minutes ago, Yowm said:

Once again there is no earning our way to heaven....

"Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and recline at table'? Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink'? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"
(Luk 17:7-10)

I don't see any 'earning' going on...and to boot, we are no longer servants but sons, even less room to 'earn our way' to heaven.

For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.
(Rom 5:19)
 

I whole heartely accept what you have posted and it is what the disciples of Jesus were teaching, but I have met many warm believers who say the same thing, then turn around and say to those who do not have their vervor for living the new life, that Jesus will tell them, depart for me, I do not want you in heaven, heaven is for the dedicated only, the worthy to be call by my name , hope you understand my consern, that's why I insisted on clarification, hope that I have not misquote you and carry your post a little too far, thanks for your bless answer. I am glad to hear it, so I can not judge my cold believing relatives. Only inform them, no to be afraid of death. Not even that ,just leave them alone, and carry on , on my journey , because I was like them in the past, just do not judge their right standing with Jesus 

[Your closest friendnt]

8 hours ago, eileenhat said:

I quoted a longer articles (as it is a difficult subject).

I posted the link (so it can be read there, if curious).

I didn't post my own opinion because it did an excellent job, for those who seem to need in-depth Biblical explanations.

For me it is obvious.

God says 'jump'.

I say 'how high'.

We are not what we do (as temples for God), but what we are, to him (ie. close or not).

Spiritual growth therefore is the name of the game and nothing else truly counts.

 

We know about the mission of Paul to Philippi and the warden's questions that he wanted to be saved from something, we do not know the exact words of Paul's ,but what the warden of the jail wanted to be saved from, is it possible to tell? 

[AngelofAshes]

Well, the only thing I think that can contribute to our salvation is us saying 'Yes', to the invitation. God offers salvation through His grace, if we don't say yes to it then we rejected it and therefore don't have it as long as we reject it. However, there are things in the scripture that can argue against this thought(such as Romans 9).

[Ezra]

8 hours ago, Your closest friendnt said:

but what the warden of the jail wanted to be saved from, is it possible to tell? 

Well, since there was a serious earthquake at that time and the prisoners were loosed because of that, and because Paul and Silas has been singing hymns, there could have been a number of things from which the warden wanted to be saved: (1) a possible attack by the prisoners, (2) execution by the governor for the escape of the prisoners, (3) immediate death by being crushed under the prison roof and walls, (4) God's judgment for his sins, (5) eternal Hell.

[Your closest friendnt]

4 hours ago, Ezra said:

Well, since there was a serious earthquake at that time and the prisoners were loosed because of that, and because Paul and Silas has been singing hymns, there could have been a number of things from which the warden wanted to be saved: (1) a possible attack by the prisoners, (2) execution by the governor for the escape of the prisoners, (3) immediate death by being crushed under the prison roof and walls, (4) God's judgment for his sins, (5) eternal Hell.

I am not sure why I asked this question, but I think the safest way to find out how the warden might have thought it is to look into his knowledge of what he might believe by looking what his culture believed.

The Greeks and the Romans believe in life after death, they knew that the only place after death to go was Hades, an that no one can escape from that place and that they will be prisoners in Hades forever , from these knowledge the warden it is quite possible that he was seeing a parallel picture of what may happen to him when he dies, in his situation as a warden he had charge over prisoners, and he could not help himself thinking that one day he himself when he dies he will be a prisoner of another warden down there in Hades, and looking at the prisoners he was seeing himself as a prisoner in Hades, that constant reminder must have put a wait on his heart, the interesting point is that Jesus had said to Paul that a Macedonia man is waiting for you and he is a fertile ground for the Gospel, to hear the good news of the new Heavenly inheritance for mankind by faith in Jesus Christ, and this is the good news that Paul was preaching that Jesus defeated the Devil and not only was set free from Hades, but also he free from there the prisoners who believed in him and took them with him in the new heavenly inheritance , we understand that the holy spirit works in people and makes them ready for the gospel, and when the warden heard Paul preaching that Jesus set the prisoners in Hades free he wanted to know how he can be saved from been a prisoner in Hades, and Paul told him by believing in Jesus Christ, it is interesting to note that the earthquake it was a sign from God as to what happened in Hades when Jesus went there, the bonds of the prisoners were loosed but only those who believe in Jesus were free to leave, the same thing that happen there, the bonds on all the prisoners were loose  but only Paul and his companions walk out from their sells and were free to go. Paul had a divine appointment with the warden, and he did not know it till the time that he went to his prison, that he was the Macedonia man who was calling him in his vision.