Tuesday, June 10, 2014

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, NOT OF WORKS, lest anyone should boast.” (Eph 2:8,9)



Salvation is a gift from God. It is freely given and, like any gift, it is not earned. One does not work for a gift! The giver would be offended if payment were offered! A simple “thank you” is all that’s expected.

This may seem trivial but the implications are enormous. For instance, how would you answer if asked why God should accept you into His heaven? Many will answer, “I have been a good person” or, “I have kept the 10 commandments” or “I have gone to church” etc. But these all point to something YOU have done to merit salvation!!!! YOU have been good, YOU have kept the commandments, etc …

But Salvation is a GIFT.  It is not something you work for, it’s something received. If God could accept you on the basis of YOUR good works then He would not have sent His Son to the cross. When Jesus shed His blood on the cross HE DID what was necessary to satisfy the demands of a holy God. It is HIS WORK that earns salvation. Jesus Christ offered Himself as a substitute to pay the price for your sin. He paid the price demanded by the Father, a price you could never pay.
This gift is not a “ticket” to heaven. Such thinking is irreverent and cheapens Christ’s great sacrifice. The one who receives the gift of salvation enters into a living relationship with God. A relationship governed by the Word of God.

Have you received the gift of salvation? Can your works replace Christ’s sacrifice on the cross?

3 comments:

  1. Dear Steve,

    I appreciate your Lordship salvation position which appears reasonable but, with respect, is flawed. I will presume from your argumentation that you are a Calvinist of a Reformed Covenant persuasion and appreciate the sovereignty of God and depravity of man.

    Depravity however, extends to all aspects of man’s being including any resolutions or determinations. His situation is utterly desperate. The only God ordained approach is through faith (Please take a moment to read my explanation of faith as I do not hold, in any sense, to “easy believism” Faith is obedience). Faith is an acknowledgement of the true God. He is LORD not “Santa Clause”

    While I accept that there is much superficial, God dishonoring “Christianity” I believe that Lordship salvation proponents have focused on the disgraceful behavior of many who claim to follow the Lord Jesus. I appreciate your passion etc. but you need to focus on the WORD of GOD ALONE. Man is not ill. He is DEAD is in trespassed and sins …

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  2. DOES THE BIBLE TEACH ERROR? BY STEVE FINNELL

    Do people learn error by prayerfully searching the Scriptures or are they mislead by skilled professionals?

    Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (NKJV)

    Why do men believe that repent and be baptized for the remission of sins actually means repent and be baptized because your sins have already been forgiven?

    Why do men believe that the three thousand on the Day of Pentecost received the gift of the Holy Spirit before they repented and were baptized?

    A. Do they prayerfully searched the Scripture?
    B. Do they read it in a Bible commentary?
    C. Do their preachers teach it to them?

    Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (NKJV)


    It takes a talented teacher to convince men that Jesus did not teach the being saved followed baptism.

    Acts 22:16 'And now why are you waiting ? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.' (NKJV)

    Only a master of deception can convince men that Saul had his sins washed away, by faith alone, three days prior on the road to Damascus.
    No man can believe that by reading the Scriptural accounts. (Acts 9:1-19, Acts 22:1-16, Acts 26:12-18)


    No honest person can claim that they realized that water baptism was not essential to being saved by prayerfully searching the Scriptures.

    It is essential to have skilled professionals, masters of deception, kings of ruses in order to convince men the water baptism is not essential in order to be saved.

    You can only be tricked into believing that baptism is not in order to the forgiveness of sins.


    YOU ARE INVITED TO FOLLOW MY BLOG. http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com

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  3. Dear Steve,

    Am I to understand that you are teaching that Water Baptism is essential for salvation? In other words, if one is not baptized then one cannot be saved?

    http://www.bibletalk.net/acrobat/12-reasons.pdf









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