Is your faith your own? - Is "the Faith" prescribed by a human institution?

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Behold

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By what you've wrote, you imply that we have no choice to accept or reject salvation

Im not a Calvinist., nor a Hyper-Calvinist.

So, what i stated is that we have no part in Salvation, other then being a sinner needing it.
Its our sin that qualifies us for Salvation.
'Jesus came into the world to save SINNERS".....not people who are willing to make a deal.
Cults teach that the sinner is obligating themselves into some sort of lifestyle contract with God, and on and on.
And that is not the case.

God's Salvation saves us "while we were yet sinners".

"""But to him (the sinner) that worketh NOT....., but believeth on God who justifieth The UNGODLY.., his FAITH is counted for righteousness."""

God's Salvation is a Free Eternal Gift, and its not earned, and its not a contract promise regarding future behavior modification.
God's Salvation is JESUS, and the Sinner receives Christ, by faith, and God receives the Sinner as forgiven and born again by God's Holy Spirit., solely and completely based on Christ's ""one time eternal sacrifice for sin" of Himself To God on behalf of the Sinners.

. And we can accept or reject the gift of salvation at any time during our lives. After death, our choice is set forever.

You can't stop being born again......so, that is proof of having gained Eternal Salvation.
Salvation is not gained or kept by the Believer.....it Gifted by God to them forever, as "the Gift of Salvation"..

"God who started Salvation (in all the born again) will HIMSELF be Faithful to complete it"
 

Augustin56

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Im not a Calvinist., nor a Hyper-Calvinist.

So, what i stated is that we have no part in Salvation, other then being a sinner needing it.
Its our sin that qualifies us for Salvation.
'Jesus came into the world to save SINNERS".....not people who are willing to make a deal.
Cults teach that the sinner is obligating themselves into some sort of lifestyle contract with God, and on and on.
And that is not the case.

God's Salvation saves us "while we were yet sinners".

"""But to him (the sinner) that worketh NOT....., but believeth on God who justifieth The UNGODLY.., his FAITH is counted for righteousness."""

God's Salvation is a Free Eternal Gift, and its not earned, and its not a contract promise regarding future behavior modification.
God's Salvation is JESUS, and the Sinner receives Christ, by faith, and God receives the Sinner as forgiven and born again by God's Holy Spirit., solely and completely based on Christ's ""one time eternal sacrifice for sin" of Himself To God on behalf of the Sinners.



You can't stop being born again......so, that is proof of having gained Eternal Salvation.
Salvation is not gained or kept by the Believer.....it Gifted by God to them forever, as "the Gift of Salvation"..

"God who started Salvation (in all the born again) will HIMSELF be Faithful to complete it"
God never forces salvation on anyone. Love is always a choice. We aren't robots or puppets. You've accepted into some false beliefs along the way. Why would St. Paul warn us to "persevere" to the end? What difference would that make if we are saved no matter what?

Anyway, check out the following article: The Reformers’ Distorted View of Salvation
 

Behold

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God never forces salvation on anyone.

God offers salvation to ALL who will Believe..........and then The Hyper Calvinists change this into....."you had no choice, you were chosen to believe before you were born">.
Which of course is not true.

Love is always a choice. We aren't robots or puppets. You've accepted into some false beliefs along the way.

I only teach Paul's Theology.
Take it from Him..........God's Salvation that "God is faithful to complete" in the born again...... will last for as long as God lives.

"eternally".

Why would St. Paul warn us to "persevere" to the end?

Do you have a verse?
Are you confusing Jesus's Matt 24 Tribulation Prophecy, where He told those who end up in it, and become Christians, to "endure to the end".

What difference would that make if we are saved no matter what?

We are saved as Sinners, having nothing to offer God but a lifetime of Sin when we come to Jesus for Forgiveness.
So, its foolish and theologically ignorant to then try to believe later.... that now you have to do works, to try to stay saved, when God saved you as a lifelong SINNER, having never done anything but Sin until the day God saved you, @amadeus .
 

Brakelite

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Discussion questions;
1) Is the basis for your salvation a personal decision to follow God, or to follow the church?

The basis for salvation is Christ and Him crucified. Our faith is born through believing that what God says of Himself, is true. God rewards such faith with further revelation of Himself.


2) If your salvation is in "the Faith", who prescribed what that means?

Faith isn't a set of doctrinal formulas that if you "believe" in them, you become "saved". Faith, in the context you are discussing, is trust in a person, and that person is our Saviour, the Son of God.
Truth comes by revelation. One can belong to a church all their life, and have no faith that leads to salvation. That may not be the church's fault. Said church may well teach aspects of truth, but if the listener doesn't love truth, and walk in the light of that truth, then of what use is their teaching to that person?
First, a definition of faith. Faith is a theological virtue by which believers trust in God and accept all that He has revealed, as well as what His Church proposes for belief. It involves a personal commitment to God and is seen as a gift of grace that enables individuals to know and love Him.

1. Properly understood, there is no difference. Jesus Christ founded a (one) Church in which to spread His message and guide us to heaven. According to St. Paul, His Church is the Body of Christ. When Saul (St. Paul, by his Hebrew name) was going around persecuting the Church, Christ knocked him off his horse and asked him (Acts 9:4), "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" Note that He didn't ask him, "...why are you persecuting My Church?" which he was actually doing, but, "...why are you persecuting Me?" Jesus identifies as one with His Church!

2. Salvation is from Christ, through His Church from which He dispenses His grace. We are saved by grace. Faith is a necessary component of salvation, however. We must choose, through an act of our will, to follow and obey Christ.

Jesus didn't write a book to spread His truths. He founded a Church, and promised that "the gates of hell will never prevail" over His Church (Matt. 16:18). That means He will never allow His Church to teach doctrinal error.
90% of your post is doctrinal error. Superficially it's great, but history testifies to its weakness.
 
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St. SteVen

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Is your faith your own? - Is "the Faith" prescribed by a human institution?​


This is a follow-up to my topic titled:

Are you saved by faith, or by "the Faith"? Let's discuss both sides.


Discussion questions;
1) Is the basis for your salvation a personal decision to follow God, or to follow the church?
2) If your salvation is in "the Faith", who prescribed what that means?
 

GodsGrace

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Is your faith your own? - Is "the Faith" prescribed by a human institution?​


This is a follow-up to my topic titled:

Are you saved by faith, or by "the Faith"? Let's discuss both sides.


Discussion questions;
1) Is the basis for your salvation a personal decision to follow God, or to follow the church?
2) If your salvation is in "the Faith", who prescribed what that means?
SS
The basis for our salvation is personal.
We must decide for ourselves whether or not we wish to follow God and be saved.

The problem is: HOW do we know we are following God?
The most popular topic on these threads is: Can Salvation Be Lost?

Since I believe that the NT teaches that it can...
then we better find out HOW to follow God.

It seems to me that some CHURCHES are teaching that following God just means believing in Him for salvation in some vague way. Some churches also teach OSAS which is not biblical.

As to THE FAITH...
What is THE FAITH....
I don't know how that could be left to ourselves since even theologians seem to disagree...
(as stated above).

But good questions...
you always present good questions.
 
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St. SteVen

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Since I believe that the NT teaches that it can...
then we better find out HOW to follow God.

It seems to me that some CHURCHES are teaching that following God just means believing in Him for salvation in some vague way. Some churches also teach OSAS which is not biblical.
Thanks for your post.

My position on eternal security is as follows:

We cannot by an act of our own will undo what only God could do in the first place.
Even in the case of reprobation, it is God's choice not ours.
 

JLB

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This is a follow-up to my topic titled:

Are you saved by faith, or by "the Faith"? Let's discuss both sides.


Discussion questions;
1) Is the basis for your salvation a personal decision to follow God, or to follow the church?
2) If your salvation is in "the Faith", who prescribed what that means?

[

Faith comes from God, when you hear hear speak to you.

Faith is the divine substance of what we hope to obtain.

Faith is activated to produce His intended divine result when you obey what you hear Him say.


Grace is the God given ability to obey what you hear; Grace is the Holy Spirit.


When we obey what we hear from God, we are operating in faith; the obedience of faith.
 
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JLB

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Even in the case of reprobation, it is God's choice not ours.

It’s God’s will and choice that not any should perish, but that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.


Will all be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth?
 
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Behold

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Are you saved by faith, or by "the Faith"?

You are very ignorant of God's Salvation, according to your Threads and posts. @St. SteVen
This explains why your questions tend to be endlessly stupid, regarding how you approach the bible and the scriputues and Christianity in General.

Listen, Noone is saved by faith.

How do you know?

Did FAITH die on The Cross for your sin? Did FAITH shed its blood and rise from the Dead?

Understand ?

So, A person is saved by GOD, through Faith.

Its God's "GRACE.....THROUGH faith".

God is the Savior, not Faith.
Jesus is the WAY........John 14:6.........Not Faith.

God accepts our faith, to GIVE US His Salvation, who is Christ the GIFT of Salvation.


1) Is the basis for your salvation a personal decision to follow God, or to follow the church?

No bible tells anyone to "follow a church" or to pray to saints or apostles or to pray to Mary.

And Salvation is not related to "following God" as that is Discipleship, not Salvation,

Salvation, is JESUS.

He is our Salvation.
 

St. SteVen

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Prycejosh1987

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Our faith is not our own, it is Jesus Christ. In a marriage we are the saem as our partners in a sense. We are the bride of Christ.
 

Simple Dan

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My faith was given to me by the Lord Jesus Christ through the free gift of His Holy Spirit. It has been informed by that same Spirit through fellowship with Christ, by the reading of His Word and prayer in that same Spirit.

Institutional Christianity has definitely affected this faith and fellowship through the years, but more often than not, not in the positive way that I had hoped for or expected.
 
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GodsGrace

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Thanks for your post.

My position on eternal security is as follows:

We cannot by an act of our own will undo what only God could do in the first place.

Why not?
Why can't we undo what God has done....
Did YOU have no part in your salvation?
Did YOU not have to come to believe and accept Jesus who died for you?

Did you lose your free will AFTER you were saved?

Even in the case of reprobation, it is God's choice not ours.
Reprobation?
So are you reformed now?

WHAT is God's choice?
Did God FORCE YOU to become saved?
Or was it an invitiation....
a call?
 

GodsGrace

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Are there any Greek speaking members here?
(not those that use Strong's or books).

I was just realizing that in the romance languages it's ALWAYS THE FAITH.
It's impossible to say just FAITH....
it must be THE FAITH...

which would make this thread moot since it's the ENGLISH that requires saying THE FAITH
and at times FAITH.

Would like some help in thinking this out....
 

St. SteVen

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Is your faith your own? - Is "the Faith" prescribed by a human institution?​


This is a follow-up to my topic titled:

Are you saved by faith, or by "the Faith"? Let's discuss both sides.


Discussion questions;
1) Is the basis for your salvation a personal decision to follow God, or to follow the church?
2) If your salvation is in "the Faith", who prescribed what that means?
 

shepherdsword

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This is a follow-up to my topic titled:

Are you saved by faith, or by "the Faith"? Let's discuss both sides.


Discussion questions;
1) Is the basis for your salvation a personal decision to follow God, or to follow the church?
2) If your salvation is in "the Faith", who prescribed what that means?

[
It's a good question. Are we saved by OUR faith or the faith of Jesus? It seems to be both:

The faith "of" Jesus seems to allude it belongs to him:

Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Yet it appears that healing and deliverance are granted according to OUR faith.

Mt 9:22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.


If anyone disagrees I won't debate it. the preposition "of" is not in the Greek text for this verse. I am not saying it dogmatically, just a possibility.
 
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St. SteVen

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It's a good question. Are we saved by OUR faith or the faith of Jesus? It seems to be both:

The faith "of" Jesus seems to allude it belongs to him:

Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Yet it appears that healing and deliverance are granted according to OUR faith.

Mt 9:22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

If anyone disagrees I won't debate it. the preposition "of" is not in the Greek text for this verse. I am not saying it dogmatically, just a possibility.
Good points.
The word "faith" is used in several different ways in the Bible.
Yet we tend to saddle it with one meaning.

It seems that the word that comes before or after actually helps to define it.
As you pointed out, the "faith of" has a specific meaning.
Similarly, "the faith" and "by faith" have their own meanings.
 

David Lamb

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Is your faith your own? - Is "the Faith" prescribed by a human institution?​


This is a follow-up to my topic titled:

Are you saved by faith, or by "the Faith"? Let's discuss both sides.
I would say it is faith/belief as described in God's word. Depending on the context, this is sometimes called "faith," and sometimes "the faith":

(Mar 11:22) So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.

(Act 16:5) So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

Those are merely examples; there are many instances of both "faith" and "the faith" in the bible.


Discussion questions;
1) Is the basis for your salvation a personal decision to follow God, or to follow the church?
2) If your salvation is in "the Faith", who prescribed what that means?
1) Definitely the basis of my salvation is belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, as the apostles told the jailer at Philippi:

(Act 16:31) So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved."

2) It is called both "faith" and "the faith" in Scripture, and God Himself says what that means.