If serving others is an inevitable side effect of being “Saved”, why do some non-believers have this same “side effect” but are still labeled as “unsaved” and therefore “can be sure” they will not go to heaven?
Let us continue with the discussion we started on Saturday in
https://jelillie.wordpress.com/2012/04/07/you-can-be-sure-pt-4/ . I want to answer the second half of this question by explaining what makes a person “saved”. It is not works of righteousness or service. Paul the Apostle makes that clear in writing to the Ephesians: “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ” Eph. 2:8,9 NLT
Paul indicates that what makes a man saved is God’s grace applied to our lives when we believe. Salvation is a cooperation between man and God. God’s part is to save and man’s part is to trust God to save. In that God can do all God’s part (grace) but if a man does not cooperate and do the man’s part (trust) then he cannot be saved. So what keeps an unbeliever from being saved is his unbelief.
Let me qualify this one step further by saying just having faith in faith is no more effective than being faithless. Faith is only as strong as the object it is placed in. So faith placed in Buddha cannot get a person to Heaven because Buddha cannot grant grace to forgive sin. Only Jesus has that power!
For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:11,12 NLT
If you have never believed Jesus to save you pray with me now: Dear Lord Jesus I recognize I have sinned and so I cannot save myself. But you can save me. Jesus please forgive my sin and show me your grace. I trust you with my life and my future. A-men!
Reinventing the We'll 
Lord, I pray that those that have not believed in Jesus pray with Pastor J today. Praise God for the many souls that chose Jesus yesterday in our Easter service. Lord, give them a hunger and an unquenchable thirst for you like they have never had before. A-men!!!
Yes oh Lord and let the good seed that was planted not be stolen away! Thank you Jesus!
Praise God Pastor J.,very well done! Yes the greatest sin is unbelief,after all Jesus did to secure our souls,unbelief is like a slap in his face and worse.
Love you Pastor J.
Thanks Pat! Let us grow in trust! How are you feeling?
I’m having good days and bad ones LOL!! I tell ya this Fibro is a mess,causes depression and other old mental stuff,thank God he’s greater!! I told Paulette every bone hurts except the surgery sight praise the Lord LOL!! You and all of my other sisters and brothers on the web are such a blessing to me!!!
We are continuing to pray Sister Pat!
Thank you so much!!
🙂
Thank you, Pastor J, for the wonderful way you explain the difference between God’s part and our part. And for leading us to pray! Also praying for our Pat, as she undergoes pain all over after knee surgery. gggrrr to that. God bless you!
You are welcome Deb! I am finding that the prayer part of blogging is very rewarding. God is making mighty connections through it!
Simply put and true.
It is natural for man to want to pay for anything given or to DO something in return. That is why every religion other than the true Christian faith, is based on man trying to reach God based on his own efforts.
Christianity, on the other hand, is the ONLY one that presents God as reaching out to man to seek reconciliation.
What an amazing God!
So true Angela! He is an amazing God who has displayed His amazing grace in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!