Is Salvation all up to God?

• The other day I was asked the question:

  
  

  "Are you saying that our salvation is all up to God ?"

  
  
• 
  Of course, in answering there are a few things to consider like: What did he understand by the term "salvation"?
  Did he, like most, understand it to be a heaven or "hell" issue, or did he understand it as the expression of God's zoe'life in and through a person? 

  
  

  In any event, my answer is, "Ultimately yes!"
  
  
  
  Here's what I believe (and am happy for anyone to believe differently)
  I believe that as by the offence of one (first Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (Jesus) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (Rom 5:18) 
  I believe that a persons trust in this Good News will cause salvation to manifest in and through them now (in this age) click link to read>>.how ''eternity'' got into our English bibles
  I believe that God will continue in the ages to come, reveal the richness of his grace to us in Christ Jesus.(Eph 2)
  I believe that grace and faith are not of ourselves, but a gift from God (Eph 2).
  I believe that every knee will bow and every tongue confess the lordship of Jesus.(Phil 2, Rom 4,)
  I believe that all the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the lord.(Psalm 22)
  I believe that its God will that all be saved.(1 Tim, 2 Pet)
  I believe that God has consigned all in unbelief that he may have mercy on all.(Rom 11)
  I believe that his mercy is age-during (Psalm 136, Rom 9, 11)
  I believe that God in Christ reconciled the the world to himself, not counting our sin against us and his Resurrection was proof of our justification.(2 Corinthians, Rom 4)
  I believe that when Christ was raised up on the cross he drew all men to himself (and we were co-crucified with Him. We were buried with him and were resurrected with him, seated with him.).(John 12, Rom 6, Col 3, Eph 2)
  Jesus said that I didn't choose him but rather that He chose me, (John 15) and since we had no choice in the matter of our justification and our sins no longer being held against us since none of us were born yet, I have to conclude that my Salvation was up to him who has the power to save, and not me. 
  And even if I am faithless, He remains faithful.(2 Tim)
  
  

  Hope this stirs you to begin to at least question why we believe what what we believe. 

  Many have wrongly assumed that what is traditionally taught as the current mainstream  western Gospel is what Jesus taught his disciples. Actually, many doctrines that we have embraced as "gospel truth" in today's western church culture are not more than a few hundred years old. and some even only decades old.
  
  I encourage you to ask as many questions as you can to those who teach you - not to try and catch anybody out - but because the Scripture encourages us to do this and commends those who question what they are being taught - they are called Wise and Noble (Berians).

  
  

  Peace

  
  

  
  

  
  

Confessing His Lordship to be saved...

What about Rom 10:9-10? Don't we need to confess to be saved?
"Some stuff you share makes it sound like it is not necessary to confess His Lordship to be saved."


Our "confession", by definition, is merely a confirmation of Gods opinion of us. In His resurrection, God co-raised us (Hos6:2). His resurrection declares our innocence (Rom 4:25). Salvation is not reduced to a recipe or a "sinners prayer" formula; it is the spontaneous inevitable conversation of a persuaded heart.
To "Confess" - homologeo (greek) is made up of two words: "homo" which means: 'the same thing', and "Logeo" which means: 'to say'.
"Homologeo" means, "To say the same thing"
Our confession is our agreement/echoing opinion with God's.
He said, " the resurrection of Jesus is PROOF of your righteousness" Rom 4:25. Therefore our confession is the AGREEMENT of what God said: ie: that I am innocent, and Jesus' resurrection is PROOF of that. My innocence and Right standing (righteousness) is a PAST TENSE event.... the resurrecting of Jesus being my confident receipt of that fact.


My agreement of that fact (my confession) doesn't accomplish that fact, but rather, it acknowledges it. 


Now, onto Salvation: We have grown up in current Christianity with pre-set definitions of certain words that completely throw us from their actual meaning. "Salvation" is one such word.
We have in our understanding that Salvation is a "in" or "out" issue.... ie: when someone dies we ask, " were they saved?" because we want to know if they are "IN" our "OUT". But but in reality, the words translated as "saved/salvation" have got NOTHING to do with heaven or hell, or being "in" or "out". The word has to do with the expression of God's zoe' life in and through people.
When we acknowledge/agree with the GOOD NEWS, we get to consciously partake of HIS LIFE. We are aware of his Goodness in our lives.... that was there all along but either we denied Him as the source, or were oblivious to it altogether. But scripture declares that He is Good to ALL, and died for ALL and causes his rain (blessings) to come to ALL.


He is the author of Life, the author of Salvation and His will is that ALL would share in His Salvation that was Gifted to us (Mankind).


This may offend some:
Think of the Muslim couple that run an orphanage in Pakistan... they are an expression of Gods love and life to the fatherless... yet they have NO CLUE that they are partnering with the Father. They are not consciously enjoying a relationship with Jesus because they have never heard the Good News, therefore they have never agreed that He is Lord, yet even outside of that, He remains Lord and as any gracious Lord does, he continues to care for His people because His care is not based on their opinion of Him, but  its based on who He is. If his people are faithless (have no trust/persuasion in Him), He remains Faithfull because He cannot deny who He is.


His Grace (free Gift...)to us is NOT DEPENDANT on our decision, confession or trust, its because He is gracious. Scripture declares: "While we were still DEAD in our sins and transgressions HE made us ALIVE together with Him" .... Think about it: 
When was Christ made alive?...The day we believed? - NO.
When we "confessed"? NO. 
When was Christ made alive - and us with Him? Christ was made alive when God raised Him from the dead.... Me and you... the the rest of humanity were raised WITH HIM - After being Crucified WITH HIM and being BURIED WITH HIM. 


We are in UNION with God through the Son's incarnation as The Son of Man. 


So, do we need to confess to be saved like Paul says in Romans? YES!! Absolutely!!! :)
We have to agree (homologeo -say the same as) with Him in order to mindfully partake of His life in and through us.


Are many UNmindfully partaking of Him life and love - YES!!! Absolutely.
The Gospel RE-news our minds to the already existing reality of the lamb that was slain BEFORE the foundation of the world.


Lol... we are discovering that a lot of what we grew up believing is based on horrific English interpretation of Scripture via a number of Bibles and traditions that have become "gospel truth". But our Shock has turned into the sweetest wine as He has revealed His Love as bigger that we ever imagined!!






    

Keep the Gospel Simple!!

You could call this part 2 of my "Lordship Salvation" post.

"Acts 15:1, “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.”

The Bible says that “certain men” came down from Judaea who taught false doctrine to the brethren, perverting the Gospel message. They taught that a person who is not circumcised and fails to keep the Law cannot be saved. This greatly troubled the brethren, who had been previously taught by the Apostle Paul that salvation was wholly of God's grace and not of works.

The Bible tells us in Romans 4:5,6,
"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works."
Carefully notice the words "to him that worketh not." Salvation is without works of self-righteousness. This cannot be overstated. Also notice the words "unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works." We are saved by Christ's righteousness, and not our own efforts. It's not what we do that saves us, but what Jesus did.

The Word of God teaches that if the sinner recognizes his sinnership—acknowledging that he is guilty of being as vile as God's Word has declared him to be—and that person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ to be forgiven—he will be saved. Acts 10:43, "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." We don't forsake a sinful life as a prerequisite to be saved; rather, we trust upon the Lord to forgive our sins and then he makes the necessary changes in our life.

There is no greater truth in the universe than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are the sinners and Jesus is the Savior. Eternal life is a free gift (Romans 5:15,6:23). Salvation is receiving, not giving. It's not what you're doing that gets you to Heaven, it's where you're looking. Isaiah 45:22, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." This is the simplicity and power of the Gospel."



“The Gospel is not a call to repentance, or to amendment of our ways, to make restitution for past sins, or to promise to do better in the future. These things are proper in their place, but they do not constitute the Gospel; for the Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed. Do not make the mistake then of thinking that the Gospel is a call to duty or a call to reformation, a call to better your condition, to behave yourself in a more perfect way than you have been doing in the past …

Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all.”
A Quote by Harry Ironside (1876-1951)

The Words of that great old Hymn are so true:

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus
look full in His wonderfull face
and the things of this world will grow strangely dim
in the light of His Glory (Goodness) and Grace"

Many teachers/preachers will insist on preaching a "self examination" message, but that, simply, is NOT the Gospel, and it's NOT the way to overcome "sin cycles".
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus" is the way to overcome the things of this world. The Bible says that our FAITH is the victory that overcomes the World. Have Faith in the Gospel that Jesus has done it all already on your behalf in terms of your rightstanding before the Father - and all because He Loves us so much.
God wants us to be Jesus concious and NOT sin concious! (Heb 10)

Perhaps more of this in another post.

Remember, God Already Blessed you!!
Andrew