Are we saved by faith alone?

[JohnD]

We are saved by the sacrifice of Christ alone.

Which is available to all mankind (1 Timothy 4:10 / 1 John 2:2)

But! there is an activation clause of that prepaid salvation:

John 3:16–18 (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Don't be sucked into arguments over categorizations and rabbit trail arguments supposing this or that... just take to heart the facts that are.

 

[Desopixi Seilynam]

All it takes is faith in Jesus.

Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Do we believe Him?

When you do alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand does,
that thine alms be in secret, and thy Father which sees in secret
shall reward thee openly.

Do we believe Him?

If God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven,
shall He not much more clothe you, O ye, of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or What shall we drink?
Or wherewithal shall we be clothed?
...your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.

Do we believe Him?

We are supposed to believe Jesus.

 

[Bruce_Leiter]

Dear brother, belief is not primarily a feeling; it is a decision of our wills that affects our feelings and thinking. I entered faith primarily through my intellect, when at the age of 16, God convinced me from the Bible that Jesus' resurrection was an actual historical event. That understanding led to my joy and decision to follow Jesus throughout my almost-82 years of life. But the Bible's definition of the word "love" (agape) is not an emotion; it is a decision to help others regardless of their reactions, either negative or positive, just the way Jesus loved us. You are on my prayer list now. Yours in Jesus, Bruce_Leiter.   

[TheBlade]

On 9/2/2024 at 2:36 PM, Cyoder said:

This is something I have trouble understanding.  I see so many say all we need is Faith in Jesus to be saved.  Reading the sermon on the mount, Jesus does not say this at all.  It seems like his sermon would have been thirty seconds.  Have faith I am the Christ and you shall be saved.  The end.  I understand works will not get you to heaven but like a qoute I read, even satan believes in Jesus and I know he won't be in heaven. 

Jesus laid out a specific path for all of us to follow to the best of our ability with the help of God if I understand it correctly.  I know it's impossible to follow perfectly and that's where Jesus comes in and from what I would think repentance?  If all we need is faith, does it matter?  Can we just live in sin, without repent, have faith and be good to go?  This doesn't sound right to me at all.  But then the thief of the cross next to Jesus was saved.  He just believed and I'm guessing repented.  Say he was let down and lived five more years.  If he went back to stealing without any regrets, would he still be saved?

I am just kind of writing what I'm thinking so you understand where I'm coming from. I've seen both sides of this argument and I don't exactly know what to think.  I'm still working my way through the Bible for the first time.

God is not like man nor thinks like one. If God said it then He will keep that word. Anyone that calls on the name of the lord shall be saved. If we believe on Him that sent Christ in the flesh.. John 3:16-17 Rom 10:9-10 we shall be saved. See truth found you and me.. Christ found us we then we made a choice. We did nothing up to that point to be saved but just believed. At that point to just repent ment what?  Sure we look back hindsight and say things but at that moment to us what did it mean? I just did it at what 9 because I was told to. Asking believing in Jesus Christ ooh that part was real that part I wanted. But now your talking after as if we need todo something to keep it. He set us free do we understand that? See you asked " Can we just live in sin, without repent, have faith and be good to go?".  A simple search of the word Rom 6 "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!" What did He say to one of the Churches? Repent..but do we understand why He said that? Many believes die ever day that sinned and never repented ..are the lost? I thought He already died for the sin of the world? Is that "sin" lying cheating stealing, adultery you name it.  I don't repent now to stay saved that part is finished. 

I repent because I know it was wrong and I should not have done it. Sin just is missing the mark. It is just in me that never wants to sin yet there is this other side that loves to sin. Which one are you? I am the new man.. I put off the old man.. easy to walk in the old man.. but that has a very very huge price. So I not to boast but I have never had that that thought... well if I did it was not from me and I never listened to it. So much comes from the enemy that we seem to believe it was us who thought it. So repenting or good works does not keep me saved. I don't. know how to undo what only GOD did. When He created this new man.. how in the world does some sin undo that? Satan has no power like that. I can go back and do what the old man did. See all of this is based on the fact I truly from my heart made the choice to believe in Him. 

[steve morrow]

IF  GOD  SAID  IT !!!

 

DANIEL 9:13  as it is written in the law of Moses all this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before  THE  LORD  OUR  GOD  that we might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth 

 

ACTS 3:26  unto you first  GOD  having raised up  HIS  SON  JESUS  sent  HIM  to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities 

ROMANS 10:13  for whosoever shall call upon the name of  THE  LORD  shall be saved 

2 TIMOTHY 2:19  nevertheless the foundation of  GOD  standeth sure having this seal  THE  LORD  knoweth them that are  HIS  and let everyone that nameth the name of  CHRIST  depart from iniquity

 

LUKE 4:4  and  JESUS  answered him saying it is written that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of  GOD 

 

ACTS 27:25  wherefore sirs be of good cheer for I believe  GOD  that it shall be even as it was told me 

 

LOVING  THE  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST

[Cyoder]

The sermon on the mount is what made me question if faith alone saved us. This is not an apostle or prophet.  It is the word of Jesus himself.  Read it and explain where he says you are saved by just faith he is the Christ. He does not say that at all. In fact he says few will find the path. Few, not everyone with faith. 

[farouk]

1 hour ago, Cyoder said:

The sermon on the mount is what made me question if faith alone saved us. This is not an apostle or prophet.  It is the word of Jesus himself.  Read it and explain where he says you are saved by just faith he is the Christ. He does not say that at all. In fact he says few will find the path. Few, not everyone with faith. 

Remember that Paul spoke in Romans of 'the obedience of faith' and 'obedience to the faith' (chapters 1 and 16). He also points out that obeying the Lord is not a matter of human merit; 'it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure' (Philippians 2).

[Logostician]

Romans 10:9-10

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

The heart is key here.  It means love.  Satan doesn't love Jesus.  The demon believe and tremble.  They have no love for Jesus, and know that their judgement is set.  You can't just believe that Jesus is.  You need to commit to him in a loving relationship above all else.

John 14:15

If ye love me, keep my commandments.

If you love someone completely, then you trust them completely, you heed them.  If they are the master, and you are the servant, you follow them joyfully.  You will not be able to follow Jesus perfectly in all things, but you can try.  Jesus gives A's for effort.  He's in charge of the results.

Matthew 18:2-3

And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

A small child loves and trusts his parents unconditionally.  He takes his parents hand and follows them.  Love and trust are what makes us children of God.

John 4:19

We love him, because he first loved us.

Loving God is the key.  The first two Commandments are about loving God and sharing that love with others.  All the other commandments are contained in these two.  So it's really rather simple to understand what pleases God, and what Jesus really wants from you.  He wants your love.  And unlike worldly possessions, we will take our love with us into the Kingdom of Heaven  

 

Edited September 4, 2024 by Logostician
Addition

[Sower]

On 9/2/2024 at 8:00 PM, other one said:

Faith in what....    That Jesus is who he says he is, or that we are his.

        Yes..

[other one]

43 minutes ago, Sower said:

        Yes..

i just hope people understand that the first half of that is not enough.