What Must I Do to be Saved?

[nikolai_42]

Child Evangelism is a whole 'nuther topic, because, I believe you are correct in the concept being simple enough for a child to understand, but MORE than just "saying words".

The "Simple Plan of Salvation", it appears, is a bit complicated. :smile:

And, while there is "free" Salvation, it certainly is not "cheap grace".

If the disciples spent more than 3 years with Jesus and they still had big blindspots ("Have I been with you so long...?"), it seems to me that the issue of the gospel is simple but not simple to grasp. Otherwise, I imagine the role of the Holy Spirit would be more limited.

[serundipity]

Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38

[Brown Cat]

Romans 10:9-10

[Sparko]

God Made It.
We Broke It.
Jesus Fixed It.
Believe.

[TeeJay]

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9.

Jaltus, congratulations! You are the first one on this thread to get it right. We are members of the Body of Christ. Paul is our apostle and we must follow him as he follows Christ. Paul writes: "But what does it say? 'The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we preach); that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:8-10) [Paul quoting Deut. 30:14].

Notice here that we must believe and confess that Jesus is risen. Paul writes in First Corinthians: "But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up--if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:13-17).


“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas [Peter], then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep [died]. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time” (1 Cor. 15:1-8)

Paul reaffirms this further in Ephesians: “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:13-14).

And most importantly, we must drive home the WHY he needs Jesus. There is only one reason we should accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. The only reason is that we are sinners destined to spend an eternity in hell apart from our Creator God. Jesus did not die to heal our physical ailments, make our marriages better, or increase our living standard. God could do all those things before the Cross. There is a Christian movie actor (his name escapes me) who uses the following analogy: You may have the cure for cancer, but first you have to convince the patient he has cancer. Our society has convinced homosexuals they are most wonderful of creatures and that their behavior is not sin but an "alternate life style." Why should they repent and reach out to Jesus if they are convinced they are not sinners?

TeeJay

[Cow Poke]

Jaltus, congratulations! You are the first one on this thread to get it right.

Now HOLD ON just ONE COTTON PICKIN MINUTE!!!! This is MY thread and I will decide who "got it right"!

(but, yeah, that pretty much hits it! )

[TeeJay]

=Cow Poke;3452176]Now HOLD ON just ONE COTTON PICKIN MINUTE!!!! This is MY thread and I will decide who "got it right"!

(but, yeah, that pretty much hits it! )

CP, What I trying to get across is that Christians fail to rightly divide Israel from the Body, law from grace, circumcision from uncircumcision. If we fail to do this, confusion abounds. Peter, James, John, Luke, Matthew, Mark, and Jesus preached a circumcision gospel, which required keeping the law, "the weightier matters without leaving the lesser undone," as Jesus admonished Israel. If we place ourselves under Peter (as Catholics and some confused Christians do), then salvation is contingent on law keeping (circumcision, Sabbaths, feasts, etc.). Circumcision, Sabbaths, feasts (like Atonement) are PERPETUAL, EVERLASTING covenants for Israel. A grace gospel (saved by faith plus nothing) can only be found in Paul's writings. The word "grace" (in the sense of salvation) can't be found in any circumcision apostle's writings. Further, there is no Biblical record of any circumcision apostle witnessing to one Gentile (except for Peter to the Gentile Centurion Cornelius). And this was God's way of showing Peter than Israel had been cut off, the mantle was passed to Paul, and there was a new game in town. Why? Because when Peter walked into Cornelius' home, the Holy Spirit fell on them WITHOUT THEM BEING CIRCUMCISED! The Bible says that "Peter was astonished." Why? Because circumcision was required before a Gentile (or Jew) could approach Israel's God. I hope this clears up what I'm trying to get across. Paul is our apostle, the "apostle to the Gentiles."

TeeJay

[Cow Poke]

CP, What I trying to get across is that Christians fail to rightly divide Israel from the Body, law from grace, circumcision from uncircumcision. If we fail to do this, confusion abounds. Peter, James, John, Luke, Matthew, Mark, and Jesus preached a circumcision gospel, which required keeping the law, "the weightier matters without leaving the lesser undone," as Jesus admonished Israel. If we place ourselves under Peter (as Catholics and some confused Christians do), then salvation is contingent on law keeping (circumcision, Sabbaths, feasts, etc.). Circumcision, Sabbaths, feasts (like Atonement) are PERPETUAL, EVERLASTING covenants for Israel. A grace gospel (saved by faith plus nothing) can only be found in Paul's writings. The word "grace" (in the sense of salvation) can't be found in any circumcision apostle's writings. Further, there is no Biblical record of any circumcision apostle witnessing to one Gentile (except for Peter to the Gentile Centurion Cornelius). And this was God's way of showing Peter than Israel had been cut off, the mantle was passed to Paul, and there was a new game in town. Why? Because when Peter walked into Cornelius' home, the Holy Spirit fell on them WITHOUT THEM BEING CIRCUMCISED! The Bible says that "Peter was astonished." Why? Because circumcision was required before a Gentile (or Jew) could approach Israel's God. I hope this clears up what I'm trying to get across. Paul is our apostle, the "apostle to the Gentiles."

TeeJay

I'm not confused. I'm a sinner saved by grace.

[mossrose]

I'm not confused. I'm a sinner saved by grace.

Me, too!

And it's nice to see you posting, TeeJay.



Edit: This last statement is for TeeJay, and has nothing to do with CP at all.

[TeeJay]

=Cow Poke;3452265]I'm not confused. I'm a sinner saved by grace.

CP, I'm glad you understand that you are saved by faith plus nothing. But I notice in some of the posts "believe." And many of the posts reference Peter and the circumcision apostles. Being saved by grace can only be found in Paul's writings. In most churches I hear: "Accept Jesus into your heart" and such. The only gospel we should be presenting is Paul's gospel--which includes resurrection of Jesus as a must for salvation. No other apostle preached a grace gospel.

TeeJay

[Tanakh Keeper]

God Made It.
We Broke It.
Jesus Fixed It.
Believe.

Ridiculous. As if "We" can break what G-d made?! I don't believe it.

[Cow Poke]

CP, I'm glad you understand that you are saved by faith plus nothing. But I notice in some of the posts "believe." And many of the posts reference Peter and the circumcision apostles. Being saved by grace can only be found in Paul's writings. In most churches I hear: "Accept Jesus into your heart" and such. The only gospel we should be presenting is Paul's gospel--which includes resurrection of Jesus as a must for salvation. No other apostle preached a grace gospel.

TeeJay

It appears that you are looking for a fight where there is none. Why is that?

[TeeJay]

CP, because in your Post 3, you agreed with Post 2 and then in Post 36, you agreed with me. Post 2 and my post can't both be correct becasue they are contrary to each other. Logically, both can be wrong, but both can't be right at the same time in the same way. This would violate the law of non-contradiction, and God is not illogical. So do you agree with what Peter said in Acts or what Paul said in Romans? Or are you unsure what you believe?

TeeJay

[mossrose]

CP, because in your Post 3, you agreed with Post 2 and then in Post 36, you agreed with me. Post 2 and my post can't both be correct becasue they are contrary to each other. Logically, both can be wrong, but both can't be right at the same time in the same way. This would violate the law of non-contradiction, and God is not illogical. So do you agree with what Peter said in Acts or what Paul said in Romans? Or are you unsure what you believe?

TeeJay

How can post 2 be wrong since I am quoting Scripture? Paul and Peter do not contradict each other. When you study the whole of Scripture, the two ideas fit quite well together. And CP is a pastor, has been one for years, and he KNOWS how to be saved.

There is no argument here. Please do not attempt to create one where none exists.

[Chrawnus]

CP, I'm glad you understand that you are saved by faith plus nothing. But I notice in some of the posts "believe." And many of the posts reference Peter and the circumcision apostles. Being saved by grace can only be found in Paul's writings. In most churches I hear: "Accept Jesus into your heart" and such. The only gospel we should be presenting is Paul's gospel--which includes resurrection of Jesus as a must for salvation. No other apostle preached a grace gospel.

TeeJay

There is absolutely no difference between the gospel that Peter preached, and the gospel that Paul preached. In fact, if there had been a difference Paul would have been a false apostle.