Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ncar!gatech!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: vm0t+@andrew.cmu.edu (Vincent Paul Mulhern) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: FAITH AND WORKS Message-ID: Date: 25 Jan 91 05:50:12 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 45 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu > Excerpts from netnews.soc.religion.christian: 23-Jan-91 RE: FAITH AND > WORKS blosser@lrc.uucp (8402) > Re faith and works. I used to think that it was easy: God does it all. > God > doesn't save me on the basis of anything I do. In fact, God saves me > neither > because of my works, nor even my faith, nor the beliefs I have, but > exclusively > because of Christ's atonement and for His good pleasure. Isn't that > right? > It's Christ who saves us, not our works or our faith or our beliefs. > That's > why God can save those who can't believe, because their infants or > insane. But > there's still no salvation outside of Christ. > As I said, I used to believe that it was pure and simple: All Christ, me > nothing. Just in clarification...I don't think I or Gene or anyone else addressing "salvation through faith" (not to oversimplify or ignore grace) intended to give this impression. What is required of US is a deliberate, conscious decision (perhaps more accurately described as a surrender) to follow Jesus's instructions before my own desires. I wouldn't call that a "work"...and I won't say that this "mindset" is brought about entirely separate from the Lord's influence. God doesn't just grab our minds and turn them around so we are mentally forced to become a Christian, but rather He lets us know there's an offer available. We can still choose to accept or reject it...but if we accept, he works the spiritual change, not us. So both we and God have a role, but ours is chiefly whether or not to respond to His calling. I don't propose to reduce salvation to a formula; different people have differing degrees of tangible-ness of experience. I don't think "experience" is much of a criterion to use...I know a lot of people who are saved but can't say "I was saved on xx-yy-zz." Anyway, what really matters is whether or not Jesus is Lord of YOU. (not you reading...you generic, knowhutimean?) If a person can say that He is, then I don't think there's any cause for concern. Sure, we all sin...but He knows that. I think most (all) Christians do their best not to...and God looks on the heart. Jesus is Lord Vince Mulhern