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From: rush@cwrudg.UUCP (rush)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian,talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: Salvation question
Message-ID: <146@cwrudg.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 22-Sep-86 18:11:26 EDT
Article-I.D.: cwrudg.146
Posted: Mon Sep 22 18:11:26 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 26-Sep-86 04:54:47 EDT
References: <1018@tekcrl.UUCP>
Reply-To: rush@.UUCP ()
Distribution: world
Organization: CWRU Dept. of Computer Engineering, Cleve, OH
Lines: 68
Keywords: Repentance
Xref: linus net.religion.christian:4700 talk.religion.misc:203

In article <1018@tekcrl.UUCP> daveh@tekcrl.UUCP (Dave Hatcher) writes:
>Newsgroups: net.religion.christian
>Subject: Re: Salvation questions
>
>  Here is my question;
>
>> 		1. What is the saving action?

(~30 lines of text on the theology of salvation)
>
>  	But I still have a problem with the final solution to the problem!
>
> 	Something isn't covered!
>	I don't mean to be rude, but what I am getting out of the solutions
>	  given by the two Mikes is a formula.
>	Jesus died for our sins, but I still do not see how his death
>	  covers my separation from God.
>	Where's the connection between Jesus and us. What is the bottom
>	  line. 
>	I see a formula to believe in, but there's something between
>	  believing Jesus died for our sins and the action that saves us.
>	And then how, just believing in Jesus as our personal savior,   
>	  brings us to God. There's a lot missing here. 
>	Or am I looking deeper then is required? Is the bottom line
>	  to just believe, and thats it?

No, you are not looking deeper than is required. I am sad to say that
according to scripture "belief" is *not* all there is to the gospel 
message. James wrote in his epistle, "...the demons also believe, and
shudder." (Jas 2:19b) So we clearly see that belief is not the only
prerequisite for salvation.

James goes on in the very next verse to say, "But are you willing to 
recognize, you foolish fellow,that faith without works is useless?"
and in verse 26 he also writes, "For just as the body without the 
spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." I don't want
to overstress this point. Scripture teaches that faith and works are
necessary complements of each other. Faith is brought to reality by the
works that it enables.

In regards to your question, the saving action is summed up in Peter's
words to the 3000+ he addressed on the day of pentecost. "Repent and
let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness
of your sins..." (Acts 2:38a). The word repent is translated from the
greek "metaneo" =~ "new understanding". I am not trained in biblical
greek, or modern interpretive methods; however I understand this to
mean that repentance means taking up a new understanding of how our
actions affect our relationships with God first, and then with our fellow
humans. Specifically, this requires an awareness of the reality of sin,
its consequences, and our bondage to it apart from Christ. Secondly,
it requires an awareness of Christ's sinless life, and His victorious
resurrection. It is from the resurrection that we are able to appropriate
(by faith) the ability to approach God, and walk "holy and blameless
(without sin) before Him". (See Romans 6:the whole thing, and maybe 7&8 too.)

Faith; however, is the cornerstone. For "without faith it is impossible
to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that 
He is a rewarded of those who seek Him." (Heb 11:6) Without faith,
(which is "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things
unseen"), all the activities of the above paragraph are merely useless
mental exercises, leading to spiritual pride, licentiousness, and apostasy.
However; with faith they are the first steps that lead to the gates of
a "city on a hill", the New Jerusalem, which will be inhabited as a city
without walls. I pray that you may enter ino that city.

	Richard Rush	- Just another Jesus Freak in computer science
	decvax!cwruecmp!cwrudg!rush until we get connected to cbosgd

	All scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible