If I believe in God, am I saved?

Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Romans 14:11 For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God."

 

Again, I have to ask...

When he walked the earth, no one EVER called him Jesus, why is that particular combination of consonants & vowels important?

 

Not true. The gospels refer to him regularly as Jesus. Matt 1:25 tells us that his given name was Jesus. Pilate put this over the cross at his crucifixion. So there is no reaons to believe that he wasn't called Jesus. All of the evidence points exactly to that. Do a simple search for the word Jesus and you will see what they knew him by.

The confusion stems from a misunderstanding. It is not the combination of consonants and vowels. It was what that stood for. A name was not simply a moniker that someone went by. It stood for something. To believe "in the name of Jesus" was not to call him by that selection of vowels and consonants. It was to believe who he was and what he did and to render an appropriate response of submission. Apart from that, the name is not believed in, no matter how much it may be cited or vocalized.

 

Not true. The gospels refer to him regularly as Jesus. Matt 1:25 tells us that his given name was Jesus. Pilate put this over the cross at his crucifixion. So there is no reaons to believe that he wasn't called Jesus. All of the evidence points exactly to that. Do a simple search for the word Jesus and you will see what they knew him by.

</font>[/QUOTE]Wrong. His name was the same name we also call Joshua. It was something more akin to Yeshua.

Jesus is a Greek transliteration of that name. And even with the same spelling, in Mexico he is pronounced HAY-soos. In Cyrillic alphabets, it is totally different. The English language translations use the spelling Jesus, but there is nothing to indicate he wrote his name that way or pronounced it as JEE-sus. On the contrary, it is fairly certain that he did not.

 

Good one ... you made me laugh with this bit of foolishness. Thanks for brightening my day with it.

This is splitting hairs and we both know that this has nothing to do with the debate. Let's get back on topic.

 

I think you are seeing too much into Gina’s question. I believe that she is not asking do you need to believe in the letters J-E-S-U-S to be saved. Rather that do you need to believe in the God's only begotten son to be saved, the “I am”, “Word” or “Christ”. The Son of God went by many names. We as Christians refer to the Son of God as Jesus. The letters are not important but to believe in what they stood for and whom they refer to is VERY important. I know when someone says I believe in Jesus that they believe in the one and only true God of the Bible. Why, because that is what my English translation of the bible refer to him as. If you want to refer to Jesus as Joshua because you believe that is a more accurate translation then go right a head because I know now that you are referring to God’s only begotten son, my savior, who I call Jesus.

If someone believes in a god, which takes care of the world basically and lives a good life is not saved. They reject God’s only begotten Son and the Bible. If they believed in the true God they would naturally believe in his Son.
May I ask why are you being so picky? Is there a point that you are trying to make and I am just overlooking it?

Back to the original question, yes, you must believe in God's only begotten son to be saved. To say you believe in just a god, you reject the God's Holy Word, the Bible.

 

Good one ... you made me laugh with this bit of foolishness. Thanks for brightening my day with it.

This is splitting hairs and we both know that this has nothing to do with the debate. Let's get back on topic. </font>[/QUOTE]Larry, it is NOT splitting hairs and has everything to do with the topic.

 

What Matthew, said

 

ColoradaFB,
Your question has started to make me think (that’s a first, he he) about the true Jesus of the Bible. We are both aware that not every Jesus is the same, for example, LDS, their Jesus is Satan’s brother and who knows what else. Their Jesus is not the same as my Jesus. My opinion, which is based on my Biblical knowledge, would have me to believe that Mormons are not saved. Although, if you asked them they would say “yeah, I believe in Jesus” It is good that you asked those questions because there are so many religions who make Jesus who they want him to be and some read the same Bible I do. Jesus has been remanufactured to fit their beliefs.
Anyway, just a thought and I just wanted to emphasize that you must believe in the true God’s only begotten Son(of the Bible) to be saved.
I pray that I did not open a can worms by using the example I did.

 

I have a Cathollic teacher who believes in God, is she saved?

T. J.

 

If she believes Christ is the son of God, that he died for her sins (which she is repentent of) and rose again, then definitely she's saved.

 

Don't all Catholics believe that? What if she is also trusting in her sacramental efforts? See Gal. 5:2-4.

 

If she's trusting in anything other than the shed blood alone, then she's not placing her faith and trust in His finished work.

 

So salvation is dependent on both faith in Christ, as well as 100% perfect doctrine? Who then can be saved?

 

Who are we to judge who is "lost" or who is "saved"? Only God knows our hearts.

I think its very dangerous to peg people as being "lost" simply because they don't measure up to our standard of what we conceive the Bible to say on the matter. Are we God? Don't be surprised if you see someone in the kingdom that you thought was as lost as a goose.

What did the thief on the cross believe? Whatever he understood, it was enough to make a choice.

 

No, but it does require the right type of faith. Faith in Christ + X is not saving faith.

Possibilites for X include but not limited to:

X = Baptism
X = Circumcision
X = good works
X = church attendance
X = sacraments
X = speaking in tongues
X = being born in America

 

Does that include "Faith in Christ and perfect understanding of salvation"? Think about it.

If we have faith in Christ, is God's grace weaker than our own mistakes in doctrine?

 

If a person thinks that his "perfect understanding of salvation" is contributing to his salvation then he is not saved. But I don't think that's what you meant.

Salvation is not a matter of understanding Soteriology perfectly but there are some doctrinal errors that you cannot beleive and be saved. One such doctrinal error is the idea that you can contribute something to your salavation. Paul wrote the Book of Galatians to combat this and other perversions of the gospel.

Andy

 

What if a person thinks that someone else's IMperfect understanding of salvation is enough to make them lost? Does that not make perfect understanding therefore necessary for salvation, and thus an addition to the requirements?