Paul said legalism is a trap. Salvation has nothing to do with our performance, including Baptism. Here's why.
Do you realize how laborious and frustrating it is to continuously feel there has to be "something" we must do, in order to receive salvation? Trying to reach heaven by your own merits, leaves you in the dark with sin, because you never know when you've reached that point of being "good enough" to have heaven. What's worse, no one can tell you when you've earned exactly enough "favor" to make it to heaven, so you're constantly left guessing, with no real security. "Did I, or did I NOT, do enough good works to make it to heaven, if I should I die tonight?" How awful and frustrating! Paul says that if Christ didn’t rise from the dead, we’re still in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:17)— bound for Hell, not Heaven. It is God who “set eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). It is God who designed us with a spirit and soul that lives forever. WHERE, is up to you. It is Christ's power and work in our bodily resurrection, that will allow us to return to a New Heaven and Purified Earth, the New Jerusalem —this time freed from all sin and its dreadful curse, Praise God!!!
How can one be saved, merely by having faith?
The word "faith" in Greek, is pistis meaning “faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.” But Strong’s concordance develops this meaning further: to be persuaded that something is true.
So how are we saved by being persuaded that Christ is our Savior?
For one thing, God did not leave us to guess, when it comes to how to have heaven as our eternal home. He wanted to make sure we wouldn't miss it. Salvation will not come by our own stubborn, rebellious nature against Jesus and His plan of salvation to save us, but here's a great way to determine where you'll spend eternity. Salvation can come from faith in knowing what we are NOT saved by. Paul told us point blank, we are NOT saved by works! (Ephesians 2, v.9). Why would he have needed to add this point to his explanation of salvation? Because many people then, as now, believed that salvation came from what they did. A huge number of Pentecostals, Protestants, and Evangelicals in America, believe that a person can qualify for Heaven by being or doing good. Paul said, "No!"
Ephesians 2:8-9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is NOT from yourselves, it is the FREE GIFT of God—not by works, so that no one can boast!"
Anything we try by our own efforts to earn salvation, WILL NOT WORK....INCLUDING trusting in baptism, instead of God's GRACE, to earn your way to heaven. I put my full faith in the person of Jesus Christ, for salvation, not a man-made "work". If your church or anyone else is trying to teach you that you can get to heaven just by being baptized, come judgment day, you are going to be sorely disappointed. Find a church that teaches the pure gospel, because that's false teaching and the person or church who preaches it, shall be judged. Going down to the creek or lake to get baptized without God's saving grace, is futile. You're not trusting the person of Jesus. You are trusting in your own efforts for salvation. John 3:16 does NOT say "whosoever is baptized, shall be saved." People who take other Bible verses to mean salvation can be claimed by baptism, are sadly misinterpreting scripture. Stay away from false teachers.
In Exodus, Moses instructed the Israelites to ‘stand firm’ or stand still and ‘see the deliverance of the Lord’. Meaning, the Israelites did not need to do anything in order to be saved. Likewise, there are no works for Christians to do, in order to receive salvation. At that time, Jews and members of other religions believed that - to the contrary - they had to do good works, in order to avoid an unpleasant afterlife, whether that was eternity in Hell or reincarnation as something else. Not one verse in the Bible, claims nor supports, that there is such a thing as reincarnation. This is such a crucial truth to know, that SURELY Jesus would have given it "some mention", if not in full! Jesus did not leave us to guess. He showed us exactly what happens to our bodies after we die. He proved it by his example, when he resurrected from the dead, himself. He did not want us to be afraid, but to know exactly what to expect, after we die.
Resurrected bodies are not intended to just float in space, or to flit from cloud to cloud. They call for a New Earth on which to live and to work, glorifying God. The doctrine of the resurrection of the body, in fact, makes no sense whatsoever, apart from the Bible's doctrine of the New Earth...the New Jerusalem.
We have to stop kidding ourselves with wishful and fanciful thinking. Even if you had the ability to forgive your own sins, you would still be left with sins that are unpardoned...unforgiven by Almighty God in heaven. You would still be left with no way to resurrect your own body from your grave, but by the power of Jesus Christ, had you received Him by faith in His promises! Further, you would not even know how to get to heaven, because you don't know for sure where it is, but Jesus does, and he longs for you to abide with him there. He is our only hope and safe place, left! What we cannot do, God can do, as nothing is impossible for God to accomplish. God promised to resurrect our bodies, just as He did Jesus Christ's, from the grave.
One of our challenges is that, if we recognize that we are sinners, we want to be our own solution to that problem. We surmise that if we can just "do enough" good works or follow the rules, we can make up for the bad, but since our sin is the problem, we would still remain sinners, even if we could save ourselves, and our sins would CONTINUE to keep us separated from God, unless we receive salvation by HIS grace, mercy, and forgiveness, through Jesus Christ, our only Mediator between God and man, confirmed in 1st Timothy 2:5. We simply cannot be our own saviors.
Works-based salvation is a familiar aspect of salvation theology in other religions, who constantly try to build a bridge to reach the other side, whether that be enlightenment or salvation, but they never really feel or know when they are "quite there". In Christianity, there is no process or guessing; salvation happens IMMEDIATELY, the very moment you invite Jesus into your heart and life as Savior. You are immediately forgiven of your sins and they are remembered no more. It is only because of the "work" JESUS did on the cross to pay for our sins by his blood, that we are saved. Scripture is firm on that.
Legalism is another trap. Paul confirms this in Romans 3:28: “For we hold that one is justified by faith APART from works of the law.” Legalism is a relentless task master that promotes your personal performance as your continuing personal atonement. We become self-righteous, instead of being made righteous in Christ Jesus. Legalism also leads us to make our own “laws,” such as those the Pharisees made on top of what God had commanded. “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger” (Matthew 23:4).
Legalists will say that if you are suffering, you might be breaking one of God’s commands and he is punishing you. They say you will have to accompany personal and private penance for sin, with some kind of action: give away money, volunteer at a shelter, visit the sick, go to church every Sunday, tithe, etc. They say that your actions matter more than the reasons behind them. However, to cling to personal merit through doing things (however good or biblical they may seem) is to demote Jesus from his place of supremacy! The bottom line is that our only real Hope is in Jesus...not flawed, sinful man. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, and not on behavior modification – how can we not love this man, who gave his very life to save us from hell? A totally SELFLESS man, who had every one of us on his mind, when he hung on the cross, suspended between Heaven and Earth, as our only Mediator between God and man. He even asked his Father in Heaven to forgive his enemies, who nailed him to the cross, "...for they know not what they do!" This is not an evil, selfish, hateful, dangerous man. This man was and is, Love personified. He gave His ALL for us. Including me, when I didn't even deserve it. That is why I will always love him, and cannot give him less than my best.
When we have faith in the Lord, we're saying we trust his character and believe His promises, including His promise to save our souls. We trust him when he says, “Come” just as you are.... no need to change one thing. I ALREADY love you just as you are, and accept you. I want to be your Savior, if you'll allow Me." The Bible tells us who God is, and through the life of Jesus Christ, we see His character: God is good, pure, sinless, loving, merciful, and trustworthy. He never breaks a promise.
When we have faith, we are persuaded, having considered the facts about Christ. Thinkers such as Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, Edwards, and Lewis have chosen to know him and took the time to know him better, because one cannot have faith without reason. Faith without reason, is merely wishful thinking, but the Lord has given us so much more. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). To have faith, is to accept that invitation for salvation. Paul is very clear: we are saved by grace through faith. “And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Grace, or charis in Greek, means "UNEARNED favor from God". The gift of salvation is given freely – for anyone who wants it. And in the true sense of the word “gift,” the intended recipient can also refuse the gift of salvation, which is why faith is essential to our salvation. Christ did the work, but we are not saved by that work, simply because it is offered. We are saved by Christ’s gift, when we receive/accept it. We can only receive it by faith....going to God in prayer and inviting him into our hearts and lives as our Savior and repenting of our sins. He is eager to forgive, because of His great love for us.
“IF we confess our sins, he is faithful and "just" to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Salvation can only be received through Christ, not through achievement or performance, volunteering, or financial generosity; not by observing dress codes or going to church. We don't have to change. It is after we have received salvation, that the Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts and lives, completely cleansing and transforming our lives, to a brand new life in Christ. We are saved by faith, in Christ alone:
“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
How can one be saved, merely by having faith?
The word "faith" in Greek, is pistis meaning “faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.” But Strong’s concordance develops this meaning further: to be persuaded that something is true.
So how are we saved by being persuaded that Christ is our Savior?
For one thing, God did not leave us to guess, when it comes to how to have heaven as our eternal home. He wanted to make sure we wouldn't miss it. Salvation will not come by our own stubborn, rebellious nature against Jesus and His plan of salvation to save us, but here's a great way to determine where you'll spend eternity. Salvation can come from faith in knowing what we are NOT saved by. Paul told us point blank, we are NOT saved by works! (Ephesians 2, v.9). Why would he have needed to add this point to his explanation of salvation? Because many people then, as now, believed that salvation came from what they did. A huge number of Pentecostals, Protestants, and Evangelicals in America, believe that a person can qualify for Heaven by being or doing good. Paul said, "No!"
Ephesians 2:8-9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is NOT from yourselves, it is the FREE GIFT of God—not by works, so that no one can boast!"
Anything we try by our own efforts to earn salvation, WILL NOT WORK....INCLUDING trusting in baptism, instead of God's GRACE, to earn your way to heaven. I put my full faith in the person of Jesus Christ, for salvation, not a man-made "work". If your church or anyone else is trying to teach you that you can get to heaven just by being baptized, come judgment day, you are going to be sorely disappointed. Find a church that teaches the pure gospel, because that's false teaching and the person or church who preaches it, shall be judged. Going down to the creek or lake to get baptized without God's saving grace, is futile. You're not trusting the person of Jesus. You are trusting in your own efforts for salvation. John 3:16 does NOT say "whosoever is baptized, shall be saved." People who take other Bible verses to mean salvation can be claimed by baptism, are sadly misinterpreting scripture. Stay away from false teachers.
In Exodus, Moses instructed the Israelites to ‘stand firm’ or stand still and ‘see the deliverance of the Lord’. Meaning, the Israelites did not need to do anything in order to be saved. Likewise, there are no works for Christians to do, in order to receive salvation. At that time, Jews and members of other religions believed that - to the contrary - they had to do good works, in order to avoid an unpleasant afterlife, whether that was eternity in Hell or reincarnation as something else. Not one verse in the Bible, claims nor supports, that there is such a thing as reincarnation. This is such a crucial truth to know, that SURELY Jesus would have given it "some mention", if not in full! Jesus did not leave us to guess. He showed us exactly what happens to our bodies after we die. He proved it by his example, when he resurrected from the dead, himself. He did not want us to be afraid, but to know exactly what to expect, after we die.
Resurrected bodies are not intended to just float in space, or to flit from cloud to cloud. They call for a New Earth on which to live and to work, glorifying God. The doctrine of the resurrection of the body, in fact, makes no sense whatsoever, apart from the Bible's doctrine of the New Earth...the New Jerusalem.
We have to stop kidding ourselves with wishful and fanciful thinking. Even if you had the ability to forgive your own sins, you would still be left with sins that are unpardoned...unforgiven by Almighty God in heaven. You would still be left with no way to resurrect your own body from your grave, but by the power of Jesus Christ, had you received Him by faith in His promises! Further, you would not even know how to get to heaven, because you don't know for sure where it is, but Jesus does, and he longs for you to abide with him there. He is our only hope and safe place, left! What we cannot do, God can do, as nothing is impossible for God to accomplish. God promised to resurrect our bodies, just as He did Jesus Christ's, from the grave.
One of our challenges is that, if we recognize that we are sinners, we want to be our own solution to that problem. We surmise that if we can just "do enough" good works or follow the rules, we can make up for the bad, but since our sin is the problem, we would still remain sinners, even if we could save ourselves, and our sins would CONTINUE to keep us separated from God, unless we receive salvation by HIS grace, mercy, and forgiveness, through Jesus Christ, our only Mediator between God and man, confirmed in 1st Timothy 2:5. We simply cannot be our own saviors.
Works-based salvation is a familiar aspect of salvation theology in other religions, who constantly try to build a bridge to reach the other side, whether that be enlightenment or salvation, but they never really feel or know when they are "quite there". In Christianity, there is no process or guessing; salvation happens IMMEDIATELY, the very moment you invite Jesus into your heart and life as Savior. You are immediately forgiven of your sins and they are remembered no more. It is only because of the "work" JESUS did on the cross to pay for our sins by his blood, that we are saved. Scripture is firm on that.
Legalism is another trap. Paul confirms this in Romans 3:28: “For we hold that one is justified by faith APART from works of the law.” Legalism is a relentless task master that promotes your personal performance as your continuing personal atonement. We become self-righteous, instead of being made righteous in Christ Jesus. Legalism also leads us to make our own “laws,” such as those the Pharisees made on top of what God had commanded. “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger” (Matthew 23:4).
Legalists will say that if you are suffering, you might be breaking one of God’s commands and he is punishing you. They say you will have to accompany personal and private penance for sin, with some kind of action: give away money, volunteer at a shelter, visit the sick, go to church every Sunday, tithe, etc. They say that your actions matter more than the reasons behind them. However, to cling to personal merit through doing things (however good or biblical they may seem) is to demote Jesus from his place of supremacy! The bottom line is that our only real Hope is in Jesus...not flawed, sinful man. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, and not on behavior modification – how can we not love this man, who gave his very life to save us from hell? A totally SELFLESS man, who had every one of us on his mind, when he hung on the cross, suspended between Heaven and Earth, as our only Mediator between God and man. He even asked his Father in Heaven to forgive his enemies, who nailed him to the cross, "...for they know not what they do!" This is not an evil, selfish, hateful, dangerous man. This man was and is, Love personified. He gave His ALL for us. Including me, when I didn't even deserve it. That is why I will always love him, and cannot give him less than my best.
When we have faith in the Lord, we're saying we trust his character and believe His promises, including His promise to save our souls. We trust him when he says, “Come” just as you are.... no need to change one thing. I ALREADY love you just as you are, and accept you. I want to be your Savior, if you'll allow Me." The Bible tells us who God is, and through the life of Jesus Christ, we see His character: God is good, pure, sinless, loving, merciful, and trustworthy. He never breaks a promise.
When we have faith, we are persuaded, having considered the facts about Christ. Thinkers such as Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, Edwards, and Lewis have chosen to know him and took the time to know him better, because one cannot have faith without reason. Faith without reason, is merely wishful thinking, but the Lord has given us so much more. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). To have faith, is to accept that invitation for salvation. Paul is very clear: we are saved by grace through faith. “And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Grace, or charis in Greek, means "UNEARNED favor from God". The gift of salvation is given freely – for anyone who wants it. And in the true sense of the word “gift,” the intended recipient can also refuse the gift of salvation, which is why faith is essential to our salvation. Christ did the work, but we are not saved by that work, simply because it is offered. We are saved by Christ’s gift, when we receive/accept it. We can only receive it by faith....going to God in prayer and inviting him into our hearts and lives as our Savior and repenting of our sins. He is eager to forgive, because of His great love for us.
“IF we confess our sins, he is faithful and "just" to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Salvation can only be received through Christ, not through achievement or performance, volunteering, or financial generosity; not by observing dress codes or going to church. We don't have to change. It is after we have received salvation, that the Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts and lives, completely cleansing and transforming our lives, to a brand new life in Christ. We are saved by faith, in Christ alone:
“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
