Acts 15 and eternal secuity

Yes. When Jeremiah says it is the Law written in the heart - and then Paul affirms this in Hebrews 8 -- it is true of both OT and NT. The Law has to be understood in the context in which Jeremiah was speaking.

Further - when Paul says in Romans 2 that those who are saved show the works of the law "Written in the heart" - it is in terms of the Romans 2 statement "it is not the hearers of the law that are just before God but the doers of the law Will be Justified" Rom 2:13

One Gospel in OT and NT - mankind is saved by grace through faith in the death of Christ/Messiah. It is the "one" and the "only way" of salvation.

Total depravity describes the human condition without the new birth. No human in any age - "could" follow God without being born again.

In Christ,

Bob

 

Some would say to show the 'utter impossibility' of saving ourselves, that none of us can 'measure-up' to the requirements of the Law. I would disagree. Here Jesus (as it also clearly shows in the Book of Hebrews-those listed in the 'Faith Hall of Fame' actually DID something)tells the young man NOT to 'accept Him into his heart' but, to give-up his wealth and then follow Him. Repentance IS a 'work'. It is BELIEVING in Christ, yes, but also an act of the will, that 'turns away' 'turns around' from the 'old life' and begins on the journey of 'new life'. That is how the 'old man' becomes a 'new man'. And it is the way (by Grace alone) of Eternal Life.

 

In Matt 7 the PRE-Cross Gospel (the same as the post-Cross Gospel BTW) tells that the "Good works" you are talking about "can not come from the unconverted heart".

In Romans 8:5-9 we see the same thing. Paul says that the unconverted - not-born-again, not-justified heart "DOES not submit itself to the Law of God neither indeed CAN it".

So Christ was not saying "be a saint FIRST and THEN you will become saved".

Rather the Romans 10 principle applied in all ages Believe AND Confess - and this is what results in salvation.

And as Peter said in 1Peter 3 - "Baptism now saves you - NOT the touch of some special kind of water to your flesh - but the appeal to God for a clean conscience".

It is not what you eat, not what kind of water you have, not what magic powers the priest has, but the heart's appeal directly to God -- believe and confess and then -- Romans 10 tells us - salvation is the result.

In Christ,

Bob

 

Jude; I agree wholeheartedly that t'shuva (repentance) is the key; the Hebrew mindset views it as-stop the direction we're going, turn and go in the correct direction; I think too often we look at 'repentance' as a one time and easy decision; and Bob, I believe this is the point of conversion you're talking about; these things go hand in hand; one cannot exist (completely) without the other.

Back to the original question about Act 15 (before I helped get us off track). I believe Acts 15 contains more than the question of what is salvation (though I believe its part). I believe the main concern for the Jews in question is 'what is the minimum requirement of the gentiles to allow them full citizenship?' The traditional synagogues required proselytes to know the written Torah AND the oral traditions, then be circumcised (and this was not just physical, but a special ceremony, according to their dogma not contained in scripture) before they could enter into fellowship. Here, the decision is made to allow gentiles full citizenship (and hence table fellowship) AND THEN learn from there!