Luke 3:10 KJV
And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
When a person is drawn to Jesus Christ the natural question will be, "What shall we do then?"
We are not saved by doing. We are saved by believing. There was a day when people got that confused. Some are still confused and attend churches where they are pressed and urged to win their salvation
Through good works
Through multiple professions
Through the waters of baptism
Through confessions
Through gifts of payments to the priests and in some cases
Through physical death (suicide bombers)
During the reformation era the pendulum began to swing the other direction. The Reformers, convinced that a man could never be saved by good deeds but only by faith, began to teach a type of Christianity that led to so called believers who have little to no testimony for Jesus Christ. In our world today trusting Christ can mean almost anything and almost any sort of lifestyle may be applauded as a Christian lifestyle since good works has nothing to do with it anyway.
The truth of the Bible is in the middle. It is true we are saved by faith and not be works. But a faith that does not lead us to ask "What shall we do then?" is not a true saving faith.
The difference is in motivation. If the motivation comes from an outside source; a church or leader, or if it comes from a desire to somehow win favor with God, then it is falsely motivated and needs correction. But if there is a stirring of the Spirit of God in us that, as a child of God, we should do something in service to the Lord, it is right and proper and it is evidence of saving faith.
And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
When a person is drawn to Jesus Christ the natural question will be, "What shall we do then?"
We are not saved by doing. We are saved by believing. There was a day when people got that confused. Some are still confused and attend churches where they are pressed and urged to win their salvation
Through good works
Through multiple professions
Through the waters of baptism
Through confessions
Through gifts of payments to the priests and in some cases
Through physical death (suicide bombers)
During the reformation era the pendulum began to swing the other direction. The Reformers, convinced that a man could never be saved by good deeds but only by faith, began to teach a type of Christianity that led to so called believers who have little to no testimony for Jesus Christ. In our world today trusting Christ can mean almost anything and almost any sort of lifestyle may be applauded as a Christian lifestyle since good works has nothing to do with it anyway.
The truth of the Bible is in the middle. It is true we are saved by faith and not be works. But a faith that does not lead us to ask "What shall we do then?" is not a true saving faith.
The difference is in motivation. If the motivation comes from an outside source; a church or leader, or if it comes from a desire to somehow win favor with God, then it is falsely motivated and needs correction. But if there is a stirring of the Spirit of God in us that, as a child of God, we should do something in service to the Lord, it is right and proper and it is evidence of saving faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment