So you have to balance our views and you are the one to judge who is in error and correct. This is our conversation on facebook about the error and correct belief on the doctrine of salvation.
Jim Arsenault wrote that protestants are in error of their teaching about salvation. He thought that the doctrine of salvation in the protestants is in error.
Jim Arsenault
The Protestant "Once Saved Always Saved" Error:
Are you saved? This is what some Protestants will ask you. Anyone who thinks they are automatically "saved" simply by declaring that Jesus Christ is their personal Lord and Savior is grossly mistranslating Holy Scripture, and is committing a sin of presumption.
It is GOD alone who knows who is "saved" and who is not.
No human creature can declare themselves as being "saved". That false doctrine is a fabrication of Protestantism and cannot be found written anywhere before the Protestant revolt.
Salvation is an on-going process throughout our entire lives as Holy Scripture clearly has told us. Read 1Corinthians chapter 13, as it tells us that we must have faith, hope, and charity (13).
If we are automatically "saved", then what is the purpose of hope?
Sola Fides, or "saved by faith only" is taught by many Protestants. However, that false man-made Protestant doctrine cannot be found anywhere in the Bible.
In fact, the only place in the entire Bible where the words "faith" and "only" are found together is in James 2:24, where it says, "You see that by works a man is justified, and NOT by faith only."
That verse was a thorn in Martin Luther's side. He called the book of James a "straw epistle", which meant it was worthy of burning, and he wanted to remove it from Scripture.
It must have been an embarrassment to him since he had added the word "alone" to Romans 3:28, in his German translation of the Bible, in order to have it support his false
"justified by faith alone" doctrine. James 2:24 is still ignored or rejected altogether by many Protestants. "You are my friends if you do what I command you." John 15:14 "...work out your salvation with fear and trembling." Philippians 2:12.
For those who think they are "saved" by faith only, how could they ever ignore those verses? Both say very clearly that works are needed, and without works you are no friend of Jesus.
They also ignore a large part of Matthew 25 regarding the Last Judgment. Read vs 31-46 very carefully, as Jesus spoke of judging two groups, the sheep and the goats. Notice that both groups believed, but only one group worked, and they were the sheep, and it was the sheep who were to be saved.
Be sure and do not overlook verses 41-46, as you will find therein where the goats were going to spend their eternity since they also believed, but did no work?
The goats believed, but were they saved by believing only, and without works?
Those who practice "once saved always saved" would have us believe that they were.
My Answer:
Alberto Jamil Rendon
Hi may I enter in? I am amazed of what have been said by Jim Arsenault....
Actually, I understand that you have no clear understanding about our doctrine of salvation. What you said is an old issue that has been solved already and had been accepted by some Roman Catholic members.
Concerning salvation, it is very clear that anyone who is in Christ is already saved Eph. 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not by works, so that no one can boast."
(SAVED) PAST TENSE Salvation.
Here is what Biblical salvation means:
First (1.) You have been saved from the penalty of Sin, if you are a believer of Christ. Jesus saved you on the cross, he took away the penalty of your sin, he did it more than 2000 years ago by nailing it on the cross, so you are saved from the penalty of your sin......
Second (2) If you are in Christ, you are saved from the power of sin and of Satan 2 Cor. 5:17, Col. 1:13 and you are now a servant of God, not a servant of Sin and Satan.
You are now experiencing salvation (PRESENT TENSE) from the power of Sin, and because of that you will produce good works as a result of this salvation, then follows obedience in the word of God. You will never be fully able to obey God's commands if you are still under the power of sin ....
And this is what James meant to say in his writing, that Faith without works is dead. James was looking for the proof of living faith which is salvation from the penalty of sin and the power of sin that produces good works. During the time of James, many professed that they believed in Jesus but has no proof of good works. So he said faith without works is dead and dead faith cannot save. Dead faith means it's a head faith (knowledge) not heartfelt. Faith that produces good works is a heartfelt faith or living faith that saved you. Rom. 9:9-10. .....
Third (3) If you are in Christ, you will be saved from the presence of sin, in heaven there is no presence of sin anymore. (FUTURE TENSE) ....
This is what most Protestants believe:
FAITH + SALVATION = GOOD WORKS this is accepted by some Roman Catholics.
This is the truth, if you have a heartfelt faith now (present tense) in Jesus Christ that he died on the cross more than 2000 years ago to pay the penalty of your sin, then, you are saved from the penalty and power of sin....
Your doctrine is like this: FAITH + GOOD WORKS = SALVATION....
This is the reason why those who understood this doctrine become Protestants.
The problem of your doctrine is that good works cannot save, if GOOD WORKS can save how much do you think good works you have to do to be saved? Can you give me an amount of good works to be saved? Or how much good works I have to do to be saved? If you can give an amount of good works to be saved, that means if you cannot complete those good works eventually, you will never be saved.
Salvation is a gift of God, cannot be bought or paid on whatever you do or you have, or else it will never be a gift anymore. ...
I would like to emphasize Philippians 2:12 "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling"
Have you not wondered why it says WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION?
It is because you have already received salvation. You cannot workout something you don't have.
Notice, it did not say, WORK OUT FOR YOUR SALVATION and if the Bible say so, on that case you have not yet receive salvation, you are to work for it.
But it is clear that it says, WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION it's not WORK OUT FOR YOUR SALVATION.
So if you are on the belief that FAITH + GOOD WORKS = SALVATION, that means you are working out FOR your SALVATION.... But can you give me an amount of Good works to pay salvation? .....
Those sheep as you mentioned in Matthew 25, simply showed good works as the results of salvation they have already received, sheep represents for a believer of Christ who has been washed by the blood of Christ. (SAVED FROM THE PENALTY OF SIN AND FROM THE POWER OF SIN).
In John 21:17, Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep that simply means the sheep in Matthew 25 are the believers of Christ the saved one.
So they did not do good works to be saved, their good works are the result of salvation they have received.
If we embrace your doctrine I am afraid I cannot complete all the good works, and babies who died who were never be able to complete the good works and those who are dying old sinners who have faith in Jesus at the moment before they died, their repentance is useless because God will require them to pay salvation with an amount of good works.
I am afraid that no one will go to heaven if everyone embraces your doctrine of salvation. I hope you are cleared.... more blessing to you.....
You can leave a comment...
No comments:
Post a Comment