Go to What Must I do to be saved?
- Add a comment
- Go to What must I do to be saved?
Confirmation of truth
You are absolutely right. We are only saved by grace through faith in Christ. The evidence of true salvation is genuine repentance of sin and a changed life direction. Jesus said that not everyone who says to him "Lord, Lord" will enter into the kingdom of heaven. Only those who do the will of God will be saved because their obedience proves that their salvation was genuine. There are, unfortunately, many false converts of christianity today. They think they are saved when in fact they are not. It takes more than just a simple prayer to be saved. You have to genuinely believe in your heart, not just your head. The proof of the pudding, so to speak, is a changed life where you deliberately turn away from former sinful practices. We are not saved by good works, but they are evidence of true salvation. Finally, since we can do nothing to earn salvation, we similarly can do nothing to lose our salvation. While our sins can break our fellowship with God and can cause us to lose rewards in heaven, they can never take away our salvation. But, again, a truly saved person will not deliberately sin habitually. He or she will be grieved by the holy spirit living inside and motivated to repent of sin. Thank God that we have the holy spirit in us as well as the Bible to keep us on the right path! We also have the priviledge of accountability through fellowship with other believers and through hearing the word of God preached.
posted by
1997
on April 27, 2007 at 6:08 PM
| link to this | reply
The confusion of salvation
The reality of salvation, is that it is a process which begins when the believer understands that it is what God wills for all of us. It is his will that we are sanctified. This accompanies an understanding of the fullest levels of truth.
Paul says very clearly that the goal of our faith, is the salvation of our souls. Although it is a free gift, it has to be worked out with 'fear' and 'trembling'. In fact, salvation is attained through a process of spiritual struggle. Conflict with and overcoming of the adversary.
When we embark on a journey, we have the goal at the end, not at the beginning. This is the prize for which we are being saved. If that we not true, then there would be no purpose in the journey.
We are all called to sainthood. You cannot be a saint without sanctification and you cannot be sanctified without being saved. In the gospels it says very clearly: Those who do the will of my father will see his kingdom. Those who do the will of my father are my brother, sister and mother.
If you have not sanctified yourself, then you are not a true brother of Christ, since Christ also sanctified himself. God can only do the work if your will is engaged in the resisting and also in the decision to allowing God use you for his purposes. This is the end to which Paul laboured.
If you are not going into the heavenly realms and have not looked upon the face of Jesus, then you have not been saved. Being witnesses of Glory, is our birthright. There are certain promises that accompany this spiritual state which is a state of holiness:
1.)We will be imbued with 'power'. That is spiritual power to lay our hands on the sick and heal them. To trample on snakes and scorpions. As Jesus says: "These things and greater shall ye do also" The marks of the apostle are the works that accompany such a person. Miracles, signs and wonders.
2. )We will be able to receive our livelihood from sowing the word. We will be made rich in every way. This includes financial prosperity. Remember in biblical times, the saints never lacked any thing. Wherever they went, there were gifts and money in abundance.
3.) Total peace and freedom...there are more benefits...
If you cannot demonstrate the spirit's power through these supernatural signs, then you have not been saved. In short, you have not been justified/ made holy.
What does it mean to be made holy? The word is a derivation of a Saxon word "ha-lig"
This word means: Wholeness of light. This is what it means to be perfected. To have one's spirit returned to a state of purity/uncorruptedness. Since God is holy and we are all divine God sparks, we must all return home through this process. The rising from the dead, is the true ascention which allows the soul to become "risen" not "fallen". The spirit becomes enlightened and begins a rising process. This is witnessed at night through dreams, which gradually reveal the energisings and struggle which ensues, as the spirit tried to fly upwards. It is not a physical process, but a spiritual one. We will not be physically joined to our saviour in the flesh, but in the spirit. So many Christians wrongly believe that we are all going to fly up and meet Jesus in the clouds. Please people....we are not going to suddenly defy gravity and shoot up into the blue sky...it is a spiritual process. We meet Jesus in the spiritual realm.
This state requires abstenance from sinful activities in the physical body. This prevents further corruption of spirit, but it does not eliminate darkness from earlier sins. How do we purify these?
The process which must be embarked upon, is the process of spiritual warfare which accompanies the maintainence of a daily stance of resistance to the enemy's operations at night, thus shedding the enemy from our spirits...this is a process of purging, or making clean the inside of the cup. The darkness surrounding the soul is slowly removed, layer by layer (there are thousands of layers). The process requires not just biblical knowledge, but experiential knowledge. If you do not believe that you have internal demons, or darkness, then you are already deceived at the starting block. This is true spiritual healing.
This book explains the process: Secrets of spiritual warfare - Jesse Penn Lewis.
The final removal the dark bounds that hold the spirit captive, result in a 'rising' and an emergence of the spirit into the heavenly realms. This is where the enemy will launch his most intricately deceptive attacks and it is why there is a need to have a complete understanding of the 'wiles' or methods used to deceive.
People sincerely believe they are walking after the spirit, but they actually walking after the soul. They base their faith on feeling the presence of God. In spirit there is a sense, but unfortunately no feelings. People believe they are being spirit filled, but the enemy is brilliant at counterfeiting divine love to those who are earnestly seeking a divine experience.
The spiritual warfare process is the deliverance process and is long and arduous. Paul's 'wrestle' with the wild beasts lasted 3 years. Your faith and perseverance will be tested to the limits and the full horror of the enemies workings will be revealed, for your nights will be sleepless and you will be hindered every step of the way. You will have to run the full length of the race. Those who put their shoulder to the plow and turn back are not fit for Godly service. The anointing and the clothing of the resurrection body are promised on salvation. These are all free gifts once we get there.
Salvation is difficult for the righteous...how much more difficult will it be for the ungodly?
The process is 3-step. Called - justified/perfected/made holy (made right) - Glorified (rising into the heavenly realms)
The saints are basically those who have submitted themselves to this sanctification process, which is the work of espiritu sanctus (holy spirit). If it was true that simple faith made us right (holy), then where are all the saints? The truth is, that all the good people in this world who have spiritual callings, are removed from this life at a young age. The good die young and we ask not why? Satan is waging an invisible war on the saints and they are removed from this life long before they ever realise their purpose.
Salvation is victory over the forces of darkness. The reason no one is saved, is because they are deluded into believing that there is no darkness in them. They believe the lie and so are not saved. As God says: My people perish for lack of knowledge.
People are not saved because they FEAR. Fear to know and understand their eternal enemy in all his foulness. They think that when they talk about the Devil they honour him, but they fail to realise that by discussing him, they are shining light upon him, which he hates. Why is it that in the bible we all know about God's true character, but little about the devil's working. Truth is, like man, the Holy bible (complete works) are now incomplete. Like man, the word is corrupted. Who removed the books and why?
Even the ancient egyptians knew alot more about the upward journey of the soul than we do. We are so immersed with the hum-drum of our daily lives, that we fail to really stop and think about things. It is through thinking and daily praying for wisdom that we begin understanding. As the saying goes...In the beginning we had wisdom, this became knowledge...now all we have left is information. Truth is that there is truth in all scripture...not just biblical scripture, for it says "all scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, reproving...."
Tell me something. If you were to get into a boxing ring wouldn't it profit you to know everything you possibly could about your opponent? People today are climbing into the ring not even fully understanding what they are fighting, let alone what tactics their opposition uses.
They are TKO'd before the first round even gets going.
Enlightenment of that which is in darkness, is the foundation of repentance (a renewed mind mind) and the beginning of salvation. The Truth must be faced!
posted by
Soterios
on April 12, 2007 at 12:11 AM
| link to this | reply
study your bible
salvation is by grace not our good works which are filthy rags...you can't earn it or deserve it...thats why we need Christ and what He has done for us...its not what you have or can do... it is non-meritorious GRACE
posted by
Faithfulword
on April 8, 2007 at 11:52 AM
| link to this | reply
faithfulword
Fight the demon in u 1st before u wonder how u can be saved because the lord can't even save u if u can't fight the demon in u & keep committing more sins.The lord followers who committed free sex & gay marriage just because the lord can save them,Having fun 4 their own greed & lust just because Jesus die on the cross 4 their sins.Then just enjoy yourself & have fun.Commit more sins because your lord already paid the price.The new testament is just to suit the modern christians 4 their own greed & lust.So who are the sinners ? Yes jesus will return to speak the truth that he is just the prophet & the messenger just like the rest before him.
posted by
FreeBirds
on April 8, 2007 at 11:07 AM
| link to this | reply