Originally posted by Janosik:
DHK,
you say that: "salvation is never through man's work"
On the other hand what is this???
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Originally posted by DHK:
If you have never done that you need to be saved. You need to be born again. You need to pray and trust Christ as your Saviour. That is what it means to be born again. When a person is saved, they are born into God's family. I did that when I was 20 years old, on Oct 20 about 8:00 p.m. when at the Univeristy campus. Ever since that time I have known for sure that I have been saved, and on my way to heaven. I have no doubts about my salvation and that I am a child of God.
YOU DID IT when you were 20!!!!
You are full of contradictions!!!!!!!!!!!! </font>[/QUOTE]No, think again. Faith is not a work. Accepting a gift is not a work. How can these things be works. Let's consider the Scriptures once again:
Romans 4:1-5 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Verse 1 indicates that if Abraham had found or did anything according to the flesh (that is any good work) then what good would it have been to him?
Verse 2 says that if Abraham were justified by his works he could glory but only in himself. That is, he could boast, saying "Look as see what I have done," the same thing that people do when they are baptized, join a church, confirmed, etc. "See what I have done; See what happened to me, etc."
"But not before God." He could glory in his own works but not before God. If one is justified by his own works he can boast about his own good works but he cannot not bring them before God, God hates them. God does not accept your good works. This is evident here: "But not before God."
Verse 3: What does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. All of his good works: leaving the Ur of the Chaldees, walking by faith to a land where he knew not, believing God that he would have a son in his old age, willing to sacrifice that son on an altar. He obeyed God in all that God commanded. These works did not get him to heaven. It plainly says that "He believed God, and therefore righteousness was imputed unto him. It was not his good works; it was his faith. He trusted God. Good works had nothing to do with his salvation, nothing.
Verse 4: "Now to him that worketh is the reward" Every one that works receives a reward or a wage. If you work for $10.00 an hour for eight hours in a day then at the end of that day you deserve $80.00. That is your reward, your wage, that which you deserve. You earned it. You worked for it. That is what the first part of this verse is saying. Your boss isn't going to come along and just give you a gift. He is going to pay you what you deserve--your wage.
"not reckoned of grace, but of debt." The boss owes it to you. It is his debt. It is not grace, that is, a gift to you. It is his obligation to give you your wage, that which you earned.
Verse 5 says, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness.
Isn't that a wonderful verse? To him that does no work whatsoever, but simply believes. Believing is not a work. If you simply believe on Christ, the one that can justify you, He will you give you a just standing, a righteous standing before God.
Your sins will be forgiven.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Believe, have faith, (not works) and you shall be saved.
Look at the next three verses in Romans four:
Romans 4:6-8 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Blessed is the man to whom God imputes righteousness without works.
Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven.
Blessed are they whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
These are all wonderful promises to the one who, by faith, trusts Jesus Christ as His Saviour. There is no work involved here. Simply believe on Him as Saviour and accept His free gift of salvation. That is not work. That is the acceptance of a gift.
DHK