Believers are saved by grace through faith alone and are eternally secure in Christ Jesus. One of the saddest and worst things is for a believer to believe that they have to "do works" in order to be saved or that they must do works in order to maintain their salvation. This is actually legalism. Some believe that salvation is a progressive thing, instead of instantaneous the moment that we believe the gospel. But this is also legalistic.
Legalism is believing that you must DO works in order to be saved or in order to maintain your salvation, or even in order to receive God's blessings.
Grace means undeserved favor or gift. Believers are saved by grace through faith alone and it is a FREE GIFT from God. Not only that but we are also FREELY GIVEN all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus as well (see ephesians 1:3).
Ephesians 2:8-9 in the Holy King James Bible says,
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
This verse says not only that salvation is a free gift from God the moment that you believe, but also that it cannot be "of works" or else you would have something to boast about. Even if you could do good works in order to maintain your salvation, that means that you would be able to boast about it too. But Gods word says that NO MAN shall boast, or glory in himself before God.
1 Corinthians 1:29
29 "That no flesh should glory in his presence."
The fact is, that we could never earn our salvation nor are we even capable of trying to maintain our own salvation. Let's look at some verses that very clearly show us that salvation is by grace through faith alone, without works.
First of all, we must understand that we are sinners and we literally cannot save ourselves.
Romans 3:23 in the King James Bible says,
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Isaiah 64:6a,b says,
6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
These verses are saying that even our "good works" are but filthy rags in God's sight! This is because when we are still "in Adam" we are not capable of godliness. It's not until we have been placed into Christ (upon believing the gospel) that we are then capable of doing good works, living godly, and even then it's still not us doing it but Christ and His word living in and through us that does it! God literally gets ALL THE GLORY!
After clearly understanding that we cannot save ourselves, we are then to simply believe the gospel of the grace of God.
1 Cor 15: 1-4 is the gospel by which we are saved when we simply believe it.
1 Cor 15: 1-4 KJB "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures"
Romans 1:16 tells us that we are saved the moment we BELIEVE, not from any works of any kind.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
This verse does NOT say to everyone that worketh!
Romans 3:24 also explains that we are justified FREELY by his grace.
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Gal 2:21 KJB tells us that if you are trying to do works to earn or maintain your salvation, you are actually frustrating the grace of God!
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Romans 4:4-5 also very clearly tells us that's its by grace through faith alone and not of works.
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.
So why exactly do people believe that salvation today is by works or even by grace through faith plus works of faith?
The reasons include:
• Not understanding the meanings of certain Bible words.
• Not reading verses in the correct context.
• Not RIGHTLY DIVIDING the scriptures.
• Not being properly established and edified in sound grace doctrine.
• Pride and arrogance and being deceived by Satan.
✝️ Not understanding the meanings of certain Bible words
For example, the word repentance is simply a change of mind. God repents several times in the Bible! It means he changed his mind about certain things.
You repent when you believe the gospel- you go from not believing, to believing! But people complicate the meaning of this word to mean "turning from sin".
Gen 6:6
"And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart."
Then they tell people that you should repent, and by this they mean to stop sinning, in order to be saved. But, a person that is still "in Adam" cannot stop sinning because their spirit is still dead while their sin nature is fully alive! All that an unbeliever can do is sin.
1 Corinthians 15:22
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Romans 14:23c
for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
We are only placed into Christ and have His imputed righteousness when we simply BELIEVE the gospel. Our being placed into Christ is a dry baptism that occurs the moment that we believe the gospel.
Galatians 3:26-27
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
Even baptism has been corrupted and misunderstood. It is God who baptizes us and it's not by us being dunked or sprinkled with water. Water baptism is a requirement for the nation of Israel as a work of faith as part of their (dispensational) prophetic program (Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, John 3:5) in order for them to enter into the coming literal Kingdom on Earth. That program is not in operation today, because we are now in the dispensation of grace until the rapture of the Church the Body of Christ. Then, after the rapture, God will resume His program with Israel. Their water baptism is a Jewish cleansing ritual that has to do with them becoming a nation of priests. Midacts Rightly Divided Bible Study is essential to understanding these important differences. The Apostle Paul stopped water baptizing people as part of the dispensational changes that occurred and he even stated that he was NOT sent to baptize. If water baptism were actually required for our salvation today, or was even a "outer manifestation of an inward grace", then he certainly of all people would have been water baptizing people left and right!
I Corinthians 12:13:
“FOR BY ONE SPIRIT ARE WE ALL BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY, WHETHER WE BE JEWS OR GENTILES, WHETHER WE BE BOND OR FREE; AND HAVE BEEN ALL MADE TO DRINK INTO ONE SPIRIT.”
1 Corinthians 1:17a
“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel:"
Water baptism today is Christendoms sacred cow. How many people have falsely believed that they are saved because they got water baptized? If you add ANY WORKS to salvation, you cancel out grace! That means they would still be lost! It could be MILLIONS of people trusting in their own religious works for salvation!
After we have been saved, because we now have God's Spirit in our spirit we are capable of putting off the old sin nature and walking in the Spirit instead. But you literally cannot do that without being saved first. Telling people to stop sinning in order to be saved is a work and effort of the flesh!
✝️ Not reading verses in the correct context.
People also do not understand salvation or eternal security because they read verses out of context.
For example
2 Timothy 2:12 says
12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
People believe either that this means that we must work (suffer) to earn or maintain our salvation. But, that's reading the verse out of context. This verse is regarding the believers rewards in heaven at the BEMA judgement seat of Christ. It's NOT about salvation or trying to maintain your salvation.
If we deny Christ later onas believers after we have been saved [this denying includes either no longer believing the gospel at some point in the future after we have believed and been saved, or denying him in the form of not allowing Christ to live in and through us as believers which includes times when we simply don't believe or obey certain verses in scripture) this equals loss of rewards in heaven and denial of higher positions in Gods government in the heavenly places. But if, as believers, we "suffer with Christ " for the sake of the gospel, believe His word and allow Christ to live in and through us, we earn rewards in heaven and higher positions in our new heavenly careers. Either way, believers who, after salvation, suffer for the sake of the gospel or who simply choose to live for themselves will BOTH be in heaven, eternally secure in Christ, but will have different results at our believers judgment for rewards. This is why it then goes on to say in 2 Timothy 2:13 , "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”
That's just one example of people reading a verse completely out of context!
✝️ Not RIGHTLY DIVIDING the scriptures.
Another reason is that they do not RIGHTLY DIVIDE the scriptures. If you do not rightly divide the scriptures according to the dispensations, you could definitely put yourself under law!
2 Timothy 2:15 says,
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Things are very different in the dispensation of the grace of God. It's only in the books of Romans through Philemon (Paul's Epistles) that are written specifically to us today. But if you are trying to follow Israel's program, then you will be very confused about salvation! And a whole host of other issues like most of Christendom is confused about!
For example, James talks about being saved by grace through faith plus works of faith:
James 2:26
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
But Paul speaks about being saved by grace through faith alone PLUS NOTHING.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Even Israel during their prophetic program are saved first of all by faith, but works are required for them to maintain their salvation. They cannot take the mark of the beast for example during the tribulation period and must remain faithful to Christ (endure until the end of the tribulation period) in order to enter into their prophesied Kingdom. They will have major opposition at that time. We have opposition as well but we can never loose our salvation because we have already received the atonement.
Romans 5:11
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Israel's atonement comes at Christ's second coming on the earth.
Acts 3:19
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
So, who is right? Both are right but according to the particular dispensation. The book of James is written specifically TO the believing remnant of Jews (Israel) during the tribulation period.
James 1:1
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
Paul writes to the church the Body of Christ in the dispensation of grace.
Romans 11:13
“For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:”
Big difference! With this understanding, your eyes will be open and the scriptures will make more sense.
It's important to also know and understand that the dispensation of grace was a SECRET, or MYSTERY, that was kept hid in God. It was UN-PROPHESIED. Israel's prophetic program however was known.
Ephesians 3:1-12
1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places [angels are learning about this too by observing Christ living in and through believers; instead of angels ministering to us today like they did in Israel's program, we are educating Angels!] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
✝️ Not being properly established in sound grace doctrine.
The next reason is that many believers are simply just not properly established in basic foundational doctrines in the book of Romans. So many believers, sadly, have never even read the book of Romans and very few truly study it out. Those who do, many of them do not rightly divide. So they might understand certain truths in Romans but then become confused by books in the Bible that are not written specifically to us. We can certainly learn from ALL of scripture but we have to rightly divide, understanding which books are to us and which ones are for our learning.
When a believer is properly established in Romans doctrine, they will understand the foundational doctrines of our justification, eternal security, and how believers can walk in the Spirit instead of after the flesh, about our Christian service and it also explains the dispensational changes that occurred as well.
If you are unsure about your salvation and eternal security, I highly recommend studying the book of Romans first and foremost. It's where ALL believers today should begin. It builds the foundation. Then, the rest of the Pauline epistles continues to build a strong edifice within us. All believers need to be properly established in sound grace doctrine in Romans first and foremost.
✝️ Pride and arrogance; Deceived by Satan
If after being shown several verses and the revelation of the mystery, but they still refuse to believe that we are saved by grace through faith alone PLUS NOTHING and that we have eternal security, then they are simply choosing to NOT believe God's word. They are being prideful and arrogant. If they absolutely refuse to see the truth and just want to be argumentative or even malicious about it, we need to step away and let them be ignorant.
1 Corinthians 14:38
38 But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
We can only pray that one day they will see the truth. They are prideful but also being deceived by Satan.
2 Corinthians 4:4
“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
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