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Discussion Forum : Scriptures and Doctrine : What must one do to remain saved?

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tjservant
Member



Joined: 2006/8/25
Posts: 1658
Indiana USA

 What must one do to remain saved?

What must one do to remain saved?

This is not an attempt to start a debate or spread discord. I ask this in view of my recent study into the doctrines of grace, particularly perseverance of the saints. I have prayed and studied the scriptures for myself on this issue. What I am looking for is insights from others that may help.

What I am interested in is the “maintenance requirements” of salvation.

I once heard a gentleman say, “Salvation is free, it will cost you nothing. Following Jesus will cost you something.”

I believe this to be true. As a matter of fact I believe following Jesus can potentially cost you everything or at least a genuine willingness to sacrifice all if asked.

But as far as salvation…does obedience maintain it? I mean would you disown your child for being disobedient? Please do not talk about blatant unrepentant sin…that is not what I am talking about. I’m talking about not being perfect. If you believe in sinless perfection this thread is not for you.

Was the price for salvation paid in full upon the cross or is there something we must add? I hear a lot of things that start to sound like “works” when people talk about this issue.

Is there something we must do in order to keep our salvation?

If so, what is it and how can it be interpreted as to not be a work that one could boast by doing?


_________________
TJ

 2008/7/24 17:21Profile
TaylorOtwell
Member



Joined: 2006/6/19
Posts: 927
Arkansas

 Re: What must one do to remain saved?

Perhaps meditating upon what Jesus meant when He said "It is finished" would be helpful for you.

The Lord is the Good Shepherd, He keeps all His sheep and does not let any of them perish.


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Taylor Otwell

 2008/7/24 18:01Profile
TimmyJoe
Member



Joined: 2007/6/19
Posts: 120
Panama City, FL

 Re: What must one do to remain saved?

To answer your question about what one must do to remain saved, that one must continue in relationship with God. The only way someone can be in relationship with God is by grace through faith in who Christ is (the son of God) and what He has done (finished work at calvary). Christ must be Lord to have a relationship with Him. He is noone's homeboy. He's Lord of your life or nothing. Relationship with your Lord takes obedience. A man cannot produce fruit outside of Christ, and God said in Amos, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" The obvious answer is no. If a tree bringeth not forth good fruit it is hewn down and cast into the fire. A man must walk with Christ to produce fruit. God will chasten those who He loves and is in relationship with, He is merciful and longsuffering with those stubborn trees, but the road is narrow and only he who does the will of the father will enter into heaven. No man can continue in sin and relationship with a Holy God. Relationships take communication and God will not hear me if I hide iniquity in my heart.


Hope this helps a little bit.
-Timmy Joe

 2008/7/24 18:03Profile
DelightedInU
Member



Joined: 2004/5/17
Posts: 102
Escondido, CA

 Re:

ok..... I bite.

I agree with TimmyJoe pretty much completely. but I would add that Jesus said there are now two commandments in the New Testament. Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind strength and love your neighbor as yourself. If you are striving to do these things you not only become more like Christ but can pretty much rest in your salvation. You are saved by faith but faith without works is dead. And the works of Christ was love. If you love God you will want to know Him more and more. If you love God, you will obey Him. If you love God, you will love your brother. If you love your brother, you will not do anything to cause him to stumble. We are not perfect but we should we strive/run to do these two two things.


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Jennifer

 2008/7/24 19:10Profile
Logic
Member



Joined: 2005/7/17
Posts: 1791


 Re: What must one do to remain saved?

Quote:
tjservant wrote:
What must one do to remain saved?
Is there something we must do in order to keep our salvation?

Abide in Christe, all other things will come from that.

Quote:
What I am interested in is the “maintenance requirements” of salvation.

You mean how to stay abiding in Christ?

Keep a repentant heart, walk after the spirit that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in you(Rom 8:4) so that you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh(Gal 5:16)

Stay hungering for rightousness that you may be filled.

Quote:
But as far as salvation… does obedience maintain it?

disobedience = sin.
does disobedience destroy it?

Obediance is much broader that one realizes.

Quote:
I mean would you disown your child for being disobedient?

No, but disobediance to commands is not the only part of a relationship.
Furthermore, eternal life is more than a father-son relationship.
It is also like a marriage, master-slave...ect...

There is communication, continuous learning of the other person in the relationship.

What if your child gets offended at you and disowns you and will never have anything to do with you, especially will not take his inheritance. If you attempt to give it, he will spit in your face.

Though you may be the childs perent, your child will not let you act as the perent.

What if your spouse starts to distance him/her self from you?

What the child/spouse must do to do to in order to keep the relationship alive is to choose to listen to you, trust you, love you, respect, obey, forgive you...ect...
He must "abide" in the relationship.

What must one do to keep a relationship alive?

Quote:
Was the price for salvation paid in full upon the cross or is there something we must add?

Your acknowledgment of the truth of the matter, your sin and your guilt; your acknowlesgment of your countinual need for Christ.

What do you add to your marriage?

Quote:
I hear a lot of things that start to sound like “works” when people talk about this issue.

Nothing wrong with works, they prove that you have eternal life.
They come from abiding in Christ.
However, works are not what keeps you abiding in Christ.

Quote:
If so, what is it and how can it be interpreted as to not be a work that one could boast by doing?

Any "work that one could boast by doing" would be doing somethig as to earn salvation.
However, salvation is a relationship with the Father through Chrst.
Relationships are a two way concept.
Anything to maintain [b]your[/b] part in the relaitionship is not anything to boast about, for they are most humbling.

No one would boast about:
The continual need for Christ
The acknowledgment of ones continual failures
The lack of rightousness on ones part
The fact that tone can do nothing worth any value apart from Christ...ect...

 2008/7/24 21:29Profile









 Re: What must one do to remain saved?

On his death bed, J. Gresham Machen, a man used of God to defend the simplicity of the Gospel said,

Quote:
"So thankful for the active obedience of Christ. No hope without it."



And isn't it amazing that Paul, at the end of his life and ministry, after all he had done; after all he had suffered, still appealed to the righteousness of another...

Quote:
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:



------------------

Without a doubt, to grow and mature in our Christian life we must read the bible, we must seek God in prayer and worship, we must meet with other believers, we must trust God through trial, but by no means are we kept by these things.

We are kept by the power of God...(1Peter 1:5)

The same Gospel that justifies us keeps us. According to the Apostle Paul we have been given a gift of Righteousness (the perfect obedience of Christ) and His Righteousness has been imputed to us. His perfect obedience to the law (Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind strength and love your neighbor as yourself) has been put to our account and we have been reconciled to God and declared Righteous.

The law requires perfect obedience. He fullfilled the law. He was the only man that did and could, and His righteousness is the only righteousness that is accepted before the Father.

That's why Paul said at the end of his life and ministry....

Quote:
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith



So, TJ, though I am sure you have read a lot about this, and I don't think I am telling you something you do not know....I will answer your question.

What does one do to remain saved?

Continue to trust in the righteousness of Jesus Christ!

 2008/7/24 22:25
rbanks
Member



Joined: 2008/6/19
Posts: 1330


 Re:


We are saved by grace through faith and it is the gift of God because we didn’t earn it, we just trusted Jesus and his finished work at Calvary. We are saved by His grace because we believed in Him, we now become his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works that God had before ordained that we should walk therein.

Here are just a few scriptures that tell us that we are kept saved by the power of God through faith. We are to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure so that in doing these things we shall never fall.

1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.



We are to build up ourselves on our most holy faith praying in the Holy Spirit. We are to be confident that the good work God has done in us, that he will complete it until the day of Christ. We are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling as God is working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure.

We must understand we are kept by the power of God through faith. We can’t keep ourselves God does through our sincere faith in Him to be obedient in walking out our salvation to the pleasure of God. We are not our own anymore we have been bought with a price. He is to be Lord of our Life.

God never created us to be robots or a puppet on a string but to have a loving and obedient relationship with Him. If we walk with Him in faith and obedience He will give us all the power we need to complete our salvation to the glory of God.

I pray the Lord will save us from the theology that says we don’t do anything because God does everything.

Lord save us from the theology that says we must do something to save our selves, because it is not what we do that saves us, but what he has done in us.

Salvation is of the Lord only and not of ourselves. We get no credit for salvation because it is only made possible because of what God has done. The thing we must understand is that he has made it available by His grace but made it receivable through faith. God has given to every man a measure of faith to believe. God wants our spirit to be alive again to him. God wants us to be free and in a loving obedient relationship with Him.

Man does have a part in his salvation, but it is all of God, and was given to Him by God as the means that God has given to him by faith, because by works can no one be saved.

No one can boast in his faith because faith is not the work of man. The only thing true faith in God will do is cause you to boast in the Lord, because true faith in God is a humbling experience. It takes humility to trust in the Lord to do what you can’t do yourself. God makes himself known to us by trusting in Him. God gives grace to the humble not the proud. We must humble ourselves and totally trust in Christ by continually believing in Him to receive all He has for us.

I hope we understand that it is all of God, and that God has given us the part in surrendering to His plan of salvation by grace through faith continually, until we are with Him in His likeness.



 2008/7/24 22:53Profile









 Re:

And yet we downplay what Pentecost and the need for it, has to do in any of this we are purposed to be IN and OF Christ. (Gal.2:20)

 2008/7/25 5:21
whyme
Member



Joined: 2007/4/3
Posts: 293


 Re:

Many preachers have spoken in agreement that salvation isn't just a one time event. I've been saved, I'm being saved, I will be saved. The real question is what must I do to continue in God's grace? The answer theologically is "nothing" ; otherwise it wouldn't be grace. TJServant's real question should also be, what are the "means" of grace. The Scriptures are full of them.

 2008/7/25 8:47Profile









 Re:

Quote:
The real question is what must I do to continue in God's grace? The answer theologically is "nothing" ; otherwise it wouldn't be grace. TJServant's real question should also be, what are the "means" of grace. The Scriptures are full of them.



Very well put. So simple...Thank you.

 2008/7/25 10:11





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