Salvation Exclusively Through Faith In Christ

[Mark Osgatharp]

It is becoming more and more common to hear some who claim to be Christians assert that faith in Christ is not necessary for salvation. Examples:

I recently heard a Methodist professor/pastor assert that Christ is the way for Christians but not necessarily for others.

The current Catholic Bishop of Arkansas is on record as asserting that non-Christians can be saved by Christ without believing on him.

While preaching in a Korean Baptist church in Pennsylvania on the text "there is none other name given under heavn among men, whereby ye must be saved", one woman (not Korean by the way) in the congregation shook her head and mouthed "No, no."

All such attempts to accomodate non-Christian religions are contrary to the word of God and the gospel of Christ. Jesus made it very plain that He is the only way of salvation and that faith in Him is the only way to partake of Him.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father but by me."

Mark Osgatharp

 

[Gunther]

I would like to add that the Christ of faith must be the Christ of Scripture.

The ETS is about to debate whether or not the resident open theists should be removed. What is to debate? If you believe that God does NOT know with certainly what will happen, you are worshipping another God, and subsequently another Christ.

 

[Brett]

Yes, salvation is exclusively by faith in Christ. But that also means, Mark, that belief that the scriptures may contain small errors, or belief in (gasp!) a different or more metaphorical biblical interpretation than yours, does not negate one's belief in Christ. I've seen you accuse others many time of not being saved despite the fact that they believe inn Christ and repentance. Such a stance is decidedly unbiblical.

 

[massdak]

Originally posted by Brett:
Yes, salvation is exclusively by faith in Christ. But that also means, Mark, that belief that the scriptures may contain small errors, or belief in (gasp!) a different or more metaphorical biblical interpretation than yours, does not negate one's belief in Christ. I've seen you accuse others many time of not being saved despite the fact that they believe inn Christ and repentance. Such a stance is decidedly unbiblical.

yes but, yes but, right bret?

at some point you must realize that those harmless metaphors and those twisted liberal interpretations do make for a different jesus and a different gospel. it is very biblical to warn of these things

 

[donnA]

If any one person has salvation available any other way, then Jesus died for nothing.

 

[Brett]

Originally posted by massdak:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Brett:
Yes, salvation is exclusively by faith in Christ. But that also means, Mark, that belief that the scriptures may contain small errors, or belief in (gasp!) a different or more metaphorical biblical interpretation than yours, does not negate one's belief in Christ. I've seen you accuse others many time of not being saved despite the fact that they believe inn Christ and repentance. Such a stance is decidedly unbiblical.

yes but, yes but, right bret?

at some point you must realize that those harmless metaphors and those twisted liberal interpretations do make for a different jesus and a different gospel. it is very biblical to warn of these things </font>[/QUOTE]Well, what an arbitrary standard! God will certainly be able to look into our hearts and know whether we have truly exercised repentance or not and whether we have truly accepted Jesus Christ. Considering all the finger-pointing going on here about this recently, though, I do believe that is is impossible (and overly judgemental) for us to be accusing others of worshipping a "different Jesus" - whatever that is.

And please, do get your shift key fixed.

 

[KenH]

Originally posted by Mark Osgatharp:
Jesus made it very plain that He is the only way of salvation and that faith in Him is the only way to partake of Him.

Amen.

Praise be unto God for salvation through the finished work of Christ Jesus. \o/

 

[Terry_Herrington]

Not only will God be able to look into our hearts and know if we have truly repented of our sins, but we also are able to know, without a doubt, that we have been saved.

1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
(KJV)

 

[Brett]

Well said Terry. The only ones who know are ourselves, and God. It is not up to others to judge our salvation, or lack thereof.

 

[Mark Osgatharp]

Originally posted by Brett:
Well said Terry. The only ones who know are ourselves, and God. It is not up to others to judge our salvation, or lack thereof.

"Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God." Paul

Mark Osgatharp

 

[Artimaeus]

Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Anybody else do that?

 

[gb93433]

Originally posted by Gunther:
I would like to add that the Christ of faith must be the Christ of Scripture.

The ETS is about to debate whether or not the resident open theists should be removed. What is to debate? If you believe that God does NOT know with certainly what will happen, you are worshipping another God, and subsequently another Christ.

I wonder how you would interpret Ex 9:12, "And the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

and Ex. 8:15, "But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as the Lord had said."

 

[Terry_Herrington]

It seems that today, if one holds to there being only one way to God, they are labeled as a bigot, or worse.

It is now socially acceptable to murder our unborn children, starve our unwanted wives to death, and expect that sodomites are on equal spiritual footing with heterosexuals.

In spite of these, and other equally perverted norms of our enlightened culture, there is still only one way to God. BTW, it isn't through Islam, Buddha or any of the other false religions.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
(KJV)

 

[Watchman]

Excellent post Terry, Well put.

 

[Lorelei]

Originally posted by Brett:
, I do believe that is is impossible (and overly judgemental) for us to be accusing others of worshipping a "different Jesus" - whatever that is.

2 Cor 11:4,13
For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough....
13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
(NIV)

Gal 1:8-9
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
(NIV)

Paul warned us against believing another gospel, or in another Jesus, or accepting a different spirit.

It isn't impossible for us to judge what they are believing in. That is why we have God's Word. We can know what the REAL gospel is and who the REAL Jesus is by knowing what His Word says about Him. It would hardly be fair for Paul to be so admonishing to the Corinthians and Galatians if it were impossible for Paul to know if that is indeed what they were doing.

When I tell you about a Jesus whose death was not sufficient enough for salvation or a Jesus who died to make you rich or a Jesus who died to give your miraculous powers, that is nothing like the Jesus mentioned in the Bible. Just because they say his name is Jesus doesn't mean that He is the Jesus that the Bible teaches us about, the Jesus that saves.

~Lorelei

 

[Gunther]

Originally posted by gb93433:
I wonder how you would interpret Ex 9:12, "And the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

and Ex. 8:15, "But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as the Lord had said."

I don't understand. Do you think I am an open theist? I can't be, I am saved.