Harry12345 wrote:FFC wrote:Harry wrote:Yes, but you have to keep your faith in Christ in order to be saved, like if you stopped having faith in Christ, you'll slowly drift away from God (the Tree of Life) just like Man's lifespan slowly decreased as they were sperated from God
Harry, I think if we had to rely on our own faith to keep us saved we'd all be in big trouble. Of course this may be for another topic.
I like what Paul said in Corinthians about nothing separating us from the love of God.
Huh? Well, if we relied on our ability to eat it wouldn't make us live forever, would it?
But with the Tree of Life, it can. And with Jesus Christ's sacrafice, our faith would in fact be our contribution to our Salvation.
The faith that saves us is not considered a work. It is more of a surrender. Specifically a surrender of your will for Gods will. Did we choose to surrender? Yes, but it was a choice of response, not of initiation.
Its sort of like when you go to the barber. You are not cutting your hair. The barber is. You are just surrendering your hair to him because you have faith that He will not mess it up. He advertised to let you know he was there available to cut your hair. And others gave recommendation that he cuts hair well.(not a full comparison of salvation, but close on the surrender part.)
Romans 10:13 For whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
We do not have to continue to call.
John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
The word "believe" here in greek is in the aorist tense. The aorist tense shows pinpoint action (sudden/onetime) event.
And if at the moment you believe, and you then had everlasting life, if you could then lose it, then it would not have been everlasting then would it.???
But our belief must be in the the right thing and for the correct reason. It is the realization that we are too sinful to be able to save ourselves, and that only through trusting Christ enough to call upon him can we be saved. I believe that if we trust this way God will keep us trusting, even though there may be times that we might fall away in deisobedience. But God chastizes those whom he loves to try and bring us back into obedience. But even if we do not come back into obedience we still have everlasting life as long as we have the correct foundation, we would only suffer the loss of rewards.
1 Cor 4
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.
11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.
14 If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.
15 If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss;
but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.