A blog devoted to God and helping fellow Christians keep positive in Faith and in Christ.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
I’m a good person.
COMPARED TO WHAT?
YouTube Video
Horrified — Matt Chandler
I’ve posted this before. But if you are a true “Christian”, you need to watch this. If you believe you are following God and trying to be more Christ-like, watch this. This goes with my post “The Nature of Faith”.
The Nature of Faith
I have encountered several people, over time, that have approached me rather aggressively about the subject of salvation through works. Most of these individuals have argued with me that salvation is not through works, but through a belief and a love of God. And I agree completely. It is by God’s GRACE that we are saved: there is no possible way we could earn or deserve our salvation.
However, too many people take advantage of the idea that faith alone saves us, because they don’t understand the meaning of faith here. They think that faith means simply believing in Jesus Christ and repenting when you are able to accept that you’re in the wrong, and you’re good. You go to heaven. This is FALSE. And I genuinely feel for these individuals who think that belief alone will save them, because they’ve been fed this and only this for so long, that all other spiritual sustenance is rejected by their spiritual body.
Here’s the thing.
Faith is not just believing. It is loving Him with EVERY FIBER of your being. It is being obedient, and trying to be LIKE CHRIST. That’s what being a CHRISTIAN means!
No, salvation is not works based. But, James 2:17 says this:”[…] faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead.”
So, yes! You must believe in Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Father with all your heart! Yes, you must love Him! But in believing in Him and TRULY loving Him, you won’t need to worry about doing works, because they will just happen naturally! If you are giving 100% to God and are in love with Him SINCERELY, IN YOUR HEART, then every singly one of your actions will reflect His glory and you will not have to constantly worry about whether or not you are serving Him.
I do not mean to say that you will not mess up or lose faith from time to time. I do not mean to say that you will not suffer and that you will not someday take everything that Jesus has done for you and spit it back in His face. Maybe you already have. But if you truly love God now, in this very moment, and you live life obediently according to the Gospel, then there shouldn’t even be a question in your mind about works of faith vs. salvation.
Sometimes I wish that someone would say this to me when I go into a church.
Because churches aren’t a place for saints to sit and simmer in smugness.
They are hospitals for the broken.
They are refuges for the weak.
They are places of love for the doubtful.
They are homes for believers, and all who want to believe.
And
NO ONE
belongs there more than you.
Wanted: Jesus Freaks!
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