What does it mean to be saved?

tan

Is it biblical? I was told that salvation was believing in Christ, but shouldn't there be something else to do? Thank you.

Thats it!!! Amazing isn't it? Yes God loved the world so much that he gave his son in order that everyone having faith in him should be saved. No minimum hours you have to put it. No prerequisites. Just faith in his son. Now if that amazing love should move you to clean up your act and love others that is your choice. But all you have to do is believe and put faith in Jesus Christ! It isn't as easy as one would think.

prophecor

Good Question. I'd also like to know, why did Jesus say that in order for any man to see the Kingdom of God, he must be born again. Doesn't this only apply to the 144,000 ? What about the rest?

free2beme

It is a sales tool to help land the sale in the game of religion.

JamesThomas

lv4fer:

No prerequisites. Just faith in his son.

?

There is an act required before one is saved: faith in Jesus. So, the prerequisite is: faith in Jesus. Sounds sweet and easy on the surface. Just don't look too deep.

Christian "salvation", is not free, a price of genuine trust and faith must be paid. Faith in Jesus is extorted by intimidation and threats of physical and psychological harm (whatever the opposite of being "saved" is). Such behaviour is called blackmail, and it's illegal because society deems it immoral and gruel.

This creates a problem. How do we honestly accept and have genuine faith in someone who stoops to immoral and criminal levels? Do we just close our eyes and pretend it's all good? Do we question that perhaps the Biblical concepts of the Divine are corrupt?

No offence meant to you, dear lv4fer; nor am I nailing you to the wall and expecting answers. It's popular beliefs that I question. We are not our beliefs.

j

Shazard

James... but faith is trsut, not work. Read Heb 11 (first verse, and all the chapter) to understand about what faith it is spoken in bible. It is like you are saying that prerequisity for life is - you need to be alive. To believe is not work, to put trust in one doing the work, is not work, it is trust.

A Paduan

to know him

JamesThomas

Shaz:

James... but faith is trsut, not work. Read Heb 11 (first verse, and all the chapter) to understand about what faith it is spoken in bible. It is like you are saying that prerequisity for life is - you need to be alive. To believe is not work, to put trust in one doing the work, is not work, it is trust.

Not work for you perhaps, dear Shazard. For me it would be an impossible effort to give honest faith and trust in a desert deity and his offspring as my Source and salvation. I could not subtract Divine significance from the entire universe and distill it down to creatural characters. I can not give credit to a shard of existence for what all existence resides within. My sense of the Divine is light-years beyond any "God" found within the pages of the Bible. I know what can not be diminished or limited, so to honestly and sincerely embrace lesser finite characters would, for me, be impossible. I can not go back; nor do I want to. No offence meant to you Shazard. This is just how I see things. j

Crumpet

I don't know but I was "Saved" from an afternoon of boredom by your avatar!

reneeisorym

Good Question. I'd also like to know, why did Jesus say that in order for any man to see the Kingdom of God, he must be born again. Doesn't this only apply to the 144,000 ? What about the rest?

I believe that the 144,000 is a symbolic number for the jews. The great crowd is the gentiles (the rest of God's children). Both the 144,000 and the great crowd will be in heaven. (Rev 19:1)

Now on to being saved:

We must believe in Jesus to be saved. Period.

But what does "believe" mean?

It can't be just knowledge that he existed because even the demons believe and yet they shutter. (That's in James 2:19)

It must be something a bit more -- but yet not something you work for because salvation is a free gift. Eph 2: 8,9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

So, what is it? The saving faith means putting your trust in Jesus alone for salvation.

If you are saved you will: Repent (means when you do wrong, you will ask for forgiveness and make a U turn -- not meaning that you will never mess up -- You will!!)

Receive Jesus as the Lord over your life (Meaning you will make decisions based on what you think he would want you to do and not what you think is best)

So, you don't actually "work" for it like field service or meeting attendance. Its just a change in relying on God in prayer instead of yourself all of the time.

What does it mean to be saved?

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