Guest mcm42 Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 This is a question I have been playing with for some time. I can't get a sufficient biblical answer, maybe there is none. Let me know what you guys think. What does one have to do to get the free gift that you don't have to do anything for? Accept...what do you mean by accept Believe...what do you mean by believe Do you have to "have an understanding" pray a prayer, repent, get baptized, raise your hand, pray this prayer, see the passion, then pray this prayer... This question arose over the course of two years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serotta Posted March 12, 2004 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 5 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 496 Content Per Day: 0.07 Reputation: 7 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/18/2004 Status: Offline Birthday: 01/20/1959 Share Posted March 12, 2004 If you look at those that asked Jesus "Lord what must I do" the answer was always different. The best answer I can give you is that you need to ask Jesus to look into your heart and tell you what you must do. I think that covers "asking Jesus into your heart". You need to admit the fact to yourself that yes, you are a sinner in need of forgiveness and truly believe that God does forgive you. There are no specific "works" that need to be done or prayers that need to be prayed. It is simply accepting the grace that God offers you. All else comes later... we can never fully comprehend the gift, we should be baptized as a sign of our submission, and we should then go about the Lord's work that he has for us. I think the book of James covers this quite well. I suggest reading it in several versions or with the aid of a commentary, because there is much packed into those few chapters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthitjah Posted March 12, 2004 Group: Royal Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 1,285 Topics Per Day: 0.16 Content Count: 17,917 Content Per Day: 2.27 Reputation: 355 Days Won: 19 Joined: 10/01/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted March 12, 2004 Grace to you, The fruit of Salvation will be evidence to that Salvation. The eyes of the Lord are searching to and fro throughout the earth seeking a heart that is Truly His! It is a condition of the heart. If the heart is after Jesus and truly repentant. Than there will be evidenvce of this. By the very manner in which you live your life. What are you living for? Where is your mail delivered? I mean this in Peace and Love. Works win you nothing. It is what you are Glad to do. My heart is satisfied when You are Glorified, Jesus . All Praise and honour are Yours! I don't want a crown my reward is His Glory. This is what I was made for. This is why I have free will. My will is His Will. It really is the best thing for me. This is no sacrifice Lord, here's my life. :il: Re Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mcm42 Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 You need to admit the fact to yourself that yes, you are a sinner in need of forgiveness and truly believe that God does forgive you. There are no specific "works" that need to be done or prayers that need to be prayed. It is simply accepting the grace that God offers you. You said I need to Admit the fact, Truly believe, and simply accept, and at the same time you said there are "no specific works" that need to be done. So I don't even need to do what you said, because there are no works to be done? I think the book of James covers this quite well. I suggest reading it in several versions or with the aid of a commentary, because there is much packed into those few chapters. I love this book. In fact I taught a 10 week class on the book, and have preached a few messages from it. It has not yet answered this question. Thanks for your post anyhow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fishingpenguin Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 Eph 2:8 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fishingpenguin Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 And in no way do you have to see The Passion in order to be saved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mcm42 Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
other one Posted March 12, 2004 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 29 Topic Count: 599 Topics Per Day: 0.08 Content Count: 56,265 Content Per Day: 7.56 Reputation: 27,993 Days Won: 271 Joined: 12/29/2003 Status: Offline Share Posted March 12, 2004 What does one have to do to get the free gift that you don't have to do anything for? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ John 3:16 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. (KJV) An explanation that God loved us go much that he sent Jesus here so that we MIGHT have everlasting life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rom 10:8 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 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. (KJV) Verse 9 states that if we believe in our hearts that God really did what John 3:16 says, and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord we [WILL/SHALL] be saved. While there is nothing we could ever do to save ourselves, we must do the verse 9 thing of confessing Jesus as Lord. Of course if we make Him our Lord then we must do the things he told us to do. Baptism Love your neighbor as yourself Love your wife Don't eat meat from strangled animals abstain from Adultery and or sexual sins of all kinds of things and many others that he taught. Doing the things that Jesus taught will not save you, but if you confess and believe you will be saved and those things he told us to do will follow as naturally as thunder does lightening. I guess you could falsely confess Him as Lord and not really mean it. I think you would have to be guilty of something to actually confess to it. Anyway for me this is the simplest scripture to understand and still be absolutely sure that you have salvation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mcm42 Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 While there is nothing we could ever do to save ourselves, we must do the verse 9 thing of confessing Jesus as Lord. Of course if we make Him our Lord then we must do the things he told us to do. Baptism Love your neighbor as yourself Love your wife Don't eat meat from strangled animals abstain from Adultery and or sexual sins of all kinds of things and many others that he taught I don't believe a non-christian can confess Jesus as Lord. I believe that the work of salvation has already happened. All outward showing is proof of something that has already happened inside. Something we could do nothing to get. All of it is a result of true faith. I don't think doing anything saves anyone, even down to reading and praying and getting baptized. First, God saves, then the man changes it is the very substance of the Christian life. That is that God saves me, then my life begins to reflect that change. Do I have to recieve Christ to be saved, NO, if I'm saved, I will then recieve Christ. It has already happened. Why? Because "We were dead in trespasses and sins" when the dead begin "accepting, and believing, and baptizing" then too will we be saved by "accepting, and believing, and baptizing". BUT IF GOD RAISED THEM FROM THE DEAD THEN THEY WOULD BE CAPABLE OF SUCH THINGS. SO you see we must be raised (that is our soul) before we can do any such believing or accepting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dove2 Posted March 12, 2004 Share Posted March 12, 2004 I don't understand why you are asking questions when it is plain to see you already have your mind made up to the answer or at least to your opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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