What Do I Have to Do To Be Saved?

I don't know how you don't believe because from my perspective it seems so obvious but I used to be like you I never opened the bible not ONCE until I was saved by Christ.

I am very headstrong I seek challenge and the first challenge I did was to harmonize the Bible with skeptics bible annotated.

You'd be surprised how wrong the skeptics are...about everything. About contradictions, errors etc.

But how I was saved? I dunno...it's as much a mystery to me as it is to me why you deny a God.

Christ says those who have not heard the word will be given then chance at the end of days...so ours is not to worry about the 5 billion.

However, Christians act as the body of Christ on Earth until His return.

That is our purpose.

Not all are called to represent Him nor do I think all who are saved represent Him.

2 examples.

1) the man forgiving in his name, but not among the desciples, the disciples complained but Christ said let him go those who do not stand against us are for us.

The second example are the Roman guards who killed Christ. Christ is very explicit.

He said FATHER FORGIVE THEM.

And like that, they are not Christians but they are saved.

 

The greatest ministries were those of the Faith so you merely do not understand the word's meaning. Faith doesn't mean belief it means knowing without seeing.

To say you are saved by faith is kind of oxymoronic. The Bible is clear there are people who are saved and have NO. FAITH.

Peter, John, Matthew, Thomas, James, Bartholemew, Etc had NO FAITH in Christ.

Some of them witnessed his Transfiguration personally.

All of them saw the Risen JESUS.

 

I shouldn't say how...is a mystery. I know how.

I asked Christ to enter my heart.

I just don't know what led me to that moment of humility to allow me to do that.

Some Christians say it's your choice others say it is Christ who calls...not sure. I'm poor on that doctrine.

 

Not on TV. But you can still send me a ton of money.

But speaking of that, here is my favorite one of all time.

[video=youtube;28FoOutRAj0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28FoOutRAj0[/video]

 

But what's the source to do good works? Faith and Love.

 

humanity. call it magic sky pixies if you like, but the source will still be your humanity. try to like us a little more, it will make all the difference.

 

Humility? You asked the creator of the universe to take a personal interest in your every thought and action, and to turn you into an immortal (because you're too special to just die) so that you can hang out in the sky palace with the creator, and you consider this an act of humility?

 

You believed because you wanted to. I've read the bible. It didn't make me want to become a Christian.

 

Cool. You have 1 author making that claim. There is a majority of the NT making the faith alone claim.
And, did the thief on the cross do/have good works? You neglected that answer.

I feel embarrassed every time they express such misunderstanding.

Who was your teacher? I think you are victim of false teaching.

 

To say you need to be saved by faith and works suggests there is some kind of co-equal power sharing, that God is not all powerful but that YOU also have power.

It is a misreading of James in that James when saying "faith without works is dead" is lamenting the Christian condition that we feel without works, not to say that a person without works is not saved.

He never says without works you are not saved, he says if you are saved you want to perform works and so without works that faith is dead. Bring it alive.

 

The old fear card again. It's only dangerous if the fanatics harm you. God can't do anything because he doesn't exist.

 

A rebellious servant is not proud when he bends the knee and asks to make peace with his King.

Your response is full of pride and perverted. That's like saying that Japan was proud to surrender on the Missouri to MacArthur.

Your understanding is totally perverted.

 

Humanity? Where was humanity when the godless sacrificed babies in brass cauldrons or made human sacrifices?

 

I actually read the bible, but it's been a few years. I probably will have to read it again because I get confused with all the saints, which I should know in my profession. But not believing is not that hard actually. There are millions of things you don't believe in just like me, but I just have a few more things on that list, and God is on that list for me. But you can't force yourself to believe in something you just don't, just like you cannot force yourself to stop believing in something you simply do.

I am a historian, so I love cultures and the more unique the better. I am deeply interested in why people do things, and how their faith has an impact on their decisions. Unlike some other Atheists out there I do not wish that other would join an atheist agenda or something like that. I think religion has to be protect because it is a part of our history and it has deep fundamental impact on our lives. As an atheist I see a big church as a museum to human history, you may see it as a place of worship. The appreciation for the building between us may not be too different. What may be different that I enter mosques and jewish temples with the same feeling and joy as I enter christian churches.

The smaller the community in any religion the more it needs protection I feel. In our society it's the jewish and the muslim communities. The jewish community here in Austria is unfortunately very very small since WW2, yet we have jewish memorabilia worth centuries. An hour away from where I live is an old jewish temple which was build in the 1400s and is now only a museum because of the lacking jewish community. An amazing but sad sight. The restrictions on the mosques makes them less impressive than the beautiful buildings I've seen in Germany. I feel it's a shame if ever anyone is restricted to practice their religion and I don't mind them practicing as long as they leave me alone.

 

Actually human sacrifices were made to gods, so there goes your 'godless' premise. In the meantime, humanity was busy learning how to be better than that. It's what happens when you don't put a baby-smashing, world drowning monster of a god (who doesn't appear to exist) ahead of humans.

 

Naturally. You must believe that in order to avoid thinking about the vanity of beseeching a god for special privileges.

 

It has been my observation that fear tends to be the motivator, more-so, in the lesser educated circles of Christianity.

We have candid discussions regarding personal faith in our Sunday School class. In the ~5 years of attending I have yet to hear anyone express, or even discuss, faith out of fear. However, my class is made up of bankers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, cpa's etc.

Now, if you talk to "self-educated" Church of God or Independent Baptist ministers or witnesses, prepare yourself for a grab bag assortment of eternal damnation, much like WofG and FreedomThinker preach in here.

 

I personally don't think it matters what motivates a person. Different things motivate different people. It's the end result that matters. Although I believe Jesus is/was real, I believe obeying Jesus to be obeying the path that He led. To me, saying "I accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior", is a commitment to following the path he laid, not the physical being. Although, they are one and the same.

I would say this though. There is an argument to be made, that following Jesus out of fear seems to be a selfish motivation. Selfish acts seem to conflict with following Jesus. It seems to me, it would be easier to follow Jesus appropriately through love of one another than selfish fear.

 

Technically, no. That's the main difference between Christianity and all other religions. You are born with forgiveness through Christ. No tryouts required.

 

No, you can't be BORN with forgiveness according to YOUR religion unless you don't believe your own Bible. Your Bible says to believe in the gospel of Christ's death, burial and resurrection to be saved. No body is born believing anything. Beliefs have to be taught.

 

Like the "New Coke" was, but more evil.

 

This is one of the schisms between protestant and RC.

 

IMO, the type of church you belong to now, didn't exist much 60 or more years ago. Perhaps a little longer.
You call them lesser educated circles, perhaps, but they were the foundation of many churches. It takes generations to get any change as the old always hate new and change. It is against the bible, is the claim. When in reality, it is more against the church. With the rules set by the congregation and leaders.
I was baptized, confirmed, married ect, as Lutheran chruch missouri synod. And pretty much never knew anything outside of that teaching.
I think even RC might be fairly recent in toning down eternal damnation.

- - - Updated - - -

Have you researched or studied the Roman Catholic religion? They are mostly about good works and grace.

 

Love that Intro. IMO I believe it would stop a lot of argumentation if everyone when stating an opinion would make that same intro.

 

That is a good approach. Although our beliefs differ, I think the path may not be to different. In my case I don't believe in a (or any) God, but I look at all religions as interesting philosophies, and I take whatever I can find within any religion I consider useful. Let me give you an example to what I mean: The commandments aren't interesting to me because few actually are what we would call laws today. And I think that "don't lie" is not a positive one, because it restricts imagination. Lying is in my opinion essential, however if you do it too often, your social surrounding will get annoyed and you loose friends. Therefore, in order to keep the friends you remain truthful as much as you can in order to not become a social outcast. In this example you have a religious view, which I disagree with, yet usually follow to remain sociable.

Because I believe that after I die everything ends, and there is no afterlife, I treasure the time I have while I am alive, and I wish to enjoy it as much as possible. Arguing doesn't make me happy, so why argue needlessly? I also need money to enjoy myself so my motivation for a good job is present, and because I treasure my time, I don't want to waste it in prison or using drugs. The path of the average Christian therefore may not be that different, but the reasons for their path may be.

If fear drives somebody in believing in God or Jesus and towards a path of being a good person, you have to ask yourself, is it that different from an atheist's fear of being a social outcast or living life in poverty? Because the result may not differ all that much