1689Dave
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2022
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- 1,871
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- Religious Affiliation
- Baptist
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- Married
- Acceptance of the Trinity & Nicene Creed
- No
People like to hear this version of the gospel but few know where it leads.
Most of the preachers know, but few will mention it. They duck the issue. What it entails is the listener must save themselves through Works. Something forbidden in the Bible and Christianity.
It goes like this. Jesus paid for the sins of all. But it is up to them to respond. And upon doing so, God will save them. So they are their own saviors. The works range from the Sacraments to deciding to believe, and finally, deciding not to resist the message. The latter is an attempt to escape the salvation by works dilemma. But the dirty little secret is, you end up trusting in yourself for salvation instead of Christ.
Luther taught strongly against this saying: “For if, as long as he has any persuasion that he can do even the least thing himself towards his own salvation, he retain a confidence in himself and do not utterly despair in himself, so long he is not humbled before God; but he proposes to himself some place, some time, or some work, whereby he may at length attain unto salvation.”
But what is the gospel if not this? What is it? It is the simple message outline “… that Christ died for our sins (not everyone’s) according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Corinthians 15:3–4. When heard, if we spontaneously believe the message, it tells us of our salvation. Only the saved will believe it. And then followed by the command to repent and be baptized, will confirm our belief.
But many unbelievers make a decision, choosing to believe as a work of the flesh. Possibly because they fear the consequences. And they proceed in a life of religious works they trust will save them, just as Luther warned against, trusting in themselves for salvation any time they see fit, instead of trusting in Christ.
Most of the preachers know, but few will mention it. They duck the issue. What it entails is the listener must save themselves through Works. Something forbidden in the Bible and Christianity.
It goes like this. Jesus paid for the sins of all. But it is up to them to respond. And upon doing so, God will save them. So they are their own saviors. The works range from the Sacraments to deciding to believe, and finally, deciding not to resist the message. The latter is an attempt to escape the salvation by works dilemma. But the dirty little secret is, you end up trusting in yourself for salvation instead of Christ.
Luther taught strongly against this saying: “For if, as long as he has any persuasion that he can do even the least thing himself towards his own salvation, he retain a confidence in himself and do not utterly despair in himself, so long he is not humbled before God; but he proposes to himself some place, some time, or some work, whereby he may at length attain unto salvation.”
But what is the gospel if not this? What is it? It is the simple message outline “… that Christ died for our sins (not everyone’s) according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Corinthians 15:3–4. When heard, if we spontaneously believe the message, it tells us of our salvation. Only the saved will believe it. And then followed by the command to repent and be baptized, will confirm our belief.
But many unbelievers make a decision, choosing to believe as a work of the flesh. Possibly because they fear the consequences. And they proceed in a life of religious works they trust will save them, just as Luther warned against, trusting in themselves for salvation any time they see fit, instead of trusting in Christ.
