Hi Stile,
Stile writes:
Do you mean that admitting we're wrong is "asking" for salvation?
I did not see this post before my last post or I would have addressed it there.
I as most have a way of oversimplyfying Gods way of salvation.
There are many things involved in the asking for salvation or receiving the full pardon I talk about, I will name them.
The first thing is you would have to believe God exist.
Second you would have to believe God can and will do what He says He will do.
Hebr 11:6 (KJV) But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Third you would have to see the need for asking.
Roma 3:23 (KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Isai 64:6 (KJV) But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Isaiah thought his righteousness was pretty good and it was compared to the rest of Israel. But when he compared it to the righteousness of God he had a different idea.
Then you would have to have the promise.
Roma 6:23 (KJV) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now we come to the point of asking.
Hebrews 11:6 above says we must believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Now we are talking about faith.
I have a little story I like to tell to illustrate faith.
I lived in the Cayman Islands for 15 years and I wanted my step mother to come visit me after my dad died. She said but I would have to fly. I added or come by boat. I said all you have to do is go to Tampa International Airport and pick up the ticket, get on the airplane and come see me. She said: "but son the plane would fall".
I said Momma do you believe in Airplanes? She said yes. I said do believe they can fly? She said yes. I said, then why not get on the plane and come see me? She said: son if I get on the plane it will fall. I said: Momma for 60+ years you have lived in the flight pattern from Tampa to Atlanta planes going one way or the other every 60 minutes or so how many has ever fallen? Her answer: none that I know of son. Then why not get on the airplane and come see me. Son if I get on that plane it will fall.
You see my Mom believed all the facts about airplanes, but she did not have faith the one she got on would be able to fly. All she would have to do to come see me was get on the plane put her trust in the pilot and airplane to get her to Grand Cayman.
So to receive the free gift from God all a person has to do is trust God to save them through the sacrifice Jesus made to pay for their ticket.
I suppose the reason I do not explain it in such detail is that I assume others would know what is involved. But I should remember that here many do not even believe in God and therefore would not be able to understand what is involved. So I beg forgiveness for this oversight.
My personal testimony..
I asked Jesus to save me one month before my 10th birthday. I was raised in a good home by my grand parents and my father. But none went to church. We did have a bible and I loved to read nothing much to do on a farm in the 40's but work, go to school, sleep, eat and read. I did get to listen to the Grand Ole Opery on Saturday Night. That is the only time the battery radio was turned on except for grandpa to listen to Walter Cronkite. In reading the bible I became very interested in what it said and began catching rides to church. Then later I trusted Christ to save me.
Since that time I have not always done what I was supposed to do although I have tried. I still work at the age of 68 because I love to help other people. I have never done injury or harm to anyone. I have always helped anyone I could. I have been married to my wife for 50 years and have never even raised my voice to her. So I would say I have been a pretty good fellow.
But when I examine myself I have no idea why God loved me so much as to be willing to give His only begotten Son to take my place so I could have eternal life.
I was not worthy.
I am not worthy.
I will not be worthy when I meet Jesus face to face.
On my own or for anything I have done in my lifetime other than.
Believe God would give me eternal life for His Son's sake who was separated from Him for the space of 3 hours to pay my sin debt.
Stile writes:
If faith ever was a nice, clean ideal, I certainly don't find it so now. Faith seems tainted and abused to me, I want to stay away from the word.
Message 43
I have no problem with the word faith but I prefer trust.
You talked about James where he is talking about faith and works. You must remember he is talking to the 12 tribes of Israel. These people were still operating under the law.
But he was quite right in saying faith without works is dead.
But I prefer to use what Paul said to the church at Ephesus.
Ephe 2:8 (KJV) 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.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Here Paul was saying we are saved by grace (grace=God's unmerited favor).
through faith; (our trust in Him to do what He said He would do)
Not of works (good deeds or acts of any kind).
No one able to brag about what they had done.
For we are His workmanship=a new creation in Christ.
Created in, by or through Jesus unto good works.
In other words if a person is born again they will do good works.
If a person tells me he is saved (a Christian) and I see no good works I tend to believe he is a liar because he is only a professor and not a possessor.
professor=someone who claims to be something he is not.
posessor=one who possesses as a personal possession eternal life.
Have fun,
Sincerely
"John 5:39 (KJS) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."
™ Version 4.2
