People bring up the question of why is there salvation in Christ alone, and what about all the other religions?
All the other religions spoken of, claim you can only get to Heaven by good works and that's not what God said. I'm sure you could try that, but God said that doesn't work. I'd rather put my trust in God, than mere, flawed man's philosophy...any day.
God didn't die for religions. He died for the world. He said religions of this world have nothing whatsoever to offer us. That's because one's religion, has nothing to do with salvation. When a person loves God, they don't have a "religion". They have a personal relationship with God and that's a whole lot different than what the empty religions of this world offer... who depend on their own efforts to reach heaven. That difference makes all the difference in the world. It means the difference between safety and security with a perfect, sinless God, or leaving our soul to chance, trusting man's flawed theories on how to get to heaven.
Man can never say, "I'll save you!" He can't even get to Heaven by himself or find it. Not unless he sprouts wings and knows exactly how to find it. I'm sure God is tired of our excuses. If we really wanted to find God, we would seek him, not make excuses, beat around the bush, or find fault with God. We either accept Jesus, or we don't, and knowing that our choice determines our destination, I would think that would be our top priority.
God’s promise is guaranteed. On the cross, Christ did not make a "down payment" on our sins; He made full payment, with His life. The moment one trusts Christ, they have everlasting life—period. That's the way God's grace, works. No one has to earn God's love. They already have it. Please read the following two verses carefully again:
John 3:16–17 — For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Yes if it was possible to access God by any other means or anyone else( Budda, Muhammad etc) then Jesus wouldn't have had to go through the agony of the cross.
You are, as normal, absolutely correct. God sent His son Jesus to take all of our sins upon himself. If you believe and trust faith, you will be saved. The works from that are your desire to serve God not as any way to get into heaven.
@Mktonght No one can take away another’s sin as the OT scriptures have said. The NT is flawed in saying so.
“The virtue of the righteous shall be his own and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own. The soul who sins shall die. If a virtuous man turns from virtue and commits iniquity he shall die. None of his past virtue shall be remembered.”
“When a wicked man turns from wickedness and does what is right and just he shall live.” So. “If the son frees you, you shall truly be free.”
Truly being free is being freed by the truth, God’s word, that cleanses His servants.
“No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born from above. No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and spirit.”
“Your light must shine before men so they will see your good works and glorify your Heavenly Father.”
“The man who believes in me shall do the works I do and far greater than these because I go to the Father and whatever you ask in my name I shall do so the Father may be glorified in the son.”
“All those who do good to the resurrection of life.”
“The man who keeps the commandments he has from me is the man who loves me and my Father shall love him and I shall love him and reveal myself to him.”
“The man who loves me keeps my word and my Father shall love him and we will come and dwell within him.”
“Blessed are the pure of heart they will see God.”
“If you continue in my word you are truly my disciple then you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”
“By your words you’ll be justified and by your words you’ll be condemned.”
“Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
@Peacegiver I don't misunderstand. Know your bible. If one could get to heaven simply by being a good person or doing good works, then Jesus would not have had to suffer on the cross. We are not saved by our performance. Salvation has nothing whatsoever to do with our performance. It is by the "work" of Jesus on the cross, that saves us. Nowhere does scripture say we are saved by good works. It says we are saved by grace through faith and that not of ourselves, lest we should boast that we saved ourselves. So we cannot save ourselves by doing good works or deeds for others.
The Bible also says in Revelation that our work for the Lord, after we are saved, is what counts. Yet even those good works have nothing to do with salvation. Jesus mentioned throughout the New Testament that we can never earn our salvation. He made that very clear. He said man cannot come to his Father, except through himself, Jesus. Even John 3:16 - 17 says nothing of salvation being brought about by ourselves. Any pastor or teacher, that preaches that one can be saved by good works or deeds, is a false teacher.
God's grace is free, but it didn't come cheap, for Jesus. After all Jesus suffered in agony on the cross, the audacity to say that we had any part in our own salvation is such an insult to God. Unheard of. Jesus gets full credit-----not US.
Jesus voluntarily sacrificed everything, including his own life, so that he could save us from the condemnation sin placed on us. We couldn't do it ourselves!
Jesus said we don't have to earn his favor. We already have it.
He also said salvation cannot be earned. It is a free gift, upon our willingness to receive it. God's grace is a free gift from him, but we have to open our heart to receive him and his gift. That way, we're showing Him that we really want Him in our hearts and lives.
The Bible’s answer is that our good works come after we have been saved; to put it another way, good works or deeds, are a natural response to God’s love, first given to us. The Bible talks about salvation as being a transformative event:
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2nd Corinthians 5:17
John 3:17 - That the world might be saved through HIM, not because of ourselves....or anything WE have done.
Our sin debt was already settled by Christ, at the cross.....our sins, Paid In Full. It's the work that we do for Christ AFTER we are saved, (out of love for him), that shall be tried, as to our motive for why we did things for Him. Did we do things just to please God, yet our heart was not in it?....or did we do things for recognition, or did we do things for other people out of selfishness? In other words, did they do things for what was in it for them, not Christ. Our works shall be tried by Holy Spirit fire, YET, our Salvation is never in question and so, we shall remain saved. Salvation is eternal. John 3:16 tells us that. Jesus said we HAVE eternal life, not maybe!
1-Corinthians-3-15
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved.
That verse speaks of losing rewards and crowns in heaven, NOTour salvation.
Christianity misunderstands what Jesus meant when He said “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except by me.”By me means by His standing as the servant of God. In other words to serve God as Jesus did.
“If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you may ask what you will and it shall be done for you. My Father is glorified in your bearing much fruit and becoming my disciple.”
Bearing fruit as in good works.
Good works save.
“The words of the upright deliver them but the speech of the wicked are a deadly ambush.
