The Proof of Salvation

[Episkopos]

The only proof of salvation (that can't be duplicated by the outer man) is that we love. We are saved BY love in order TO love. Too simple? This is the simplicity which is in Christ.

How will people know that our gatherings are of the people of God? By the love that warms the gathering. You will know them by their love! What is the fruit of the Spirit? Love.

Just any kind of love? No. Human love is selfish. But God's love is selfless.

Faith takes us to God...and the God sends us back into this world equipped with His love.

 

[Episkopos]

We are made in the image of God. What is that image? God is love. The image of God is love. So then we are created as beings to be loved and to love. Our faith in Christ makes it possible to love others without any evidence of love around us. We place no conditions on this love. This kind of love is unconditional. Christ is the source of love in us that flows into the world. What do we repay evil with? Love. This is how we know that we have salvation in us....Christ in us. The evidence is the selfless love that comes through us by faith. We were promised that this life would flow as rivers of living water from us....when we are of FAITH.

 

[Grams]

Eph.2:

8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9
Not of works, lest any man should boast

 

[Episkopos]

We know we live according to the Spirit when we identify with Christ and His body. Are we really discerning the Body? What does it mean to discern the body of Christ? We are learning to love and to recognize Christ in one another. If we don't love then we can't discern the Body.

Are gifts proof of salvation? Gifts are proof of an encounter with God. But salvation is not the same thing. The devil has encountered God many times...but within him is no love.

What is the point of gifts if they are not given and received in love? The message is not the gift....but merely a way of conveying something.....and that something is love.

 

[Episkopos]

Eph.2:

8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9
Not of works, lest any man should boast

1 Cor. 13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

 

[Episkopos]

Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect?

Col. 3:14 Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.

 

[Grams]

Romans 5:

1
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

3
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

4
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

 

[Episkopos]

Romans 5:

1
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

3
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

4
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness .....love.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

Am I the only one who wishes he would keep speaking??

 

[VictoryinJesus]

The only proof of salvation (that can't be duplicated by the outer man) is that we love. We are saved BY love in order TO love. Too simple? This is the simplicity which is in Christ.

How will people know that our gatherings are of the people of God? By the love that warms the gathering. You will know them by their love! What is the fruit of the Spirit? Love.

Just any kind of love? No. Human love is selfish. But God's love is selfless.

Faith takes us to God...and the God sends us back into this world equipped with His love.

Two comments and I’ll break them up. You may not agree and that is okay. As you showed in your post the bond of perfection is love ...not theology. considering your post ...yes He goes before us. But often not mentioned is “the God of Israel will be your rereward.” The rear-guard. Isaiah 52:10-12 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. [11] Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing ; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord . [12] For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward.

Psalm 85:11-13
[11] Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. [12] Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. [13] Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

He goes before and is also behind us. Not the devil behind us ...But God as the rear-guard. Every thing created new—the new creature— is set in His righteousness and the way of his steps.

The devil is behind the rear-guard, ‘get behind me Satan’ Jesus Christ said. The Old has passed away, Flesh(the outward) separated by Christ and the new man created in Him-made whole- is set in His righteousness and the way of his steps. Do you see Him between the devil— as the rear-guard, the God of Israel— and the new creature set in His righteousness and the way of his steps.

Isaiah 62:11-12
[11] Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. [12] And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord : and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.

“...and his work before him.” The Holy people, THE redeemed of the Lord...set in His righteousness and the way of his steps.

Major one. Hear the LOVE: Hebrews 12:2
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

“Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.” For the joy —set before him—the redeemed in His righteousness in the way of his steps...He endured the cross.

 

[VictoryinJesus]

Just any kind of love? No. Human love is selfish. But God's love is selfless.

Undoubtedly you’ll receive arguments that there are no works of God as evidence of the unseen. No evidence of salvation. But God said there will be fruit of the Spirit which will endure. The entire passage of 1 Corinthians 13 maybe declares that difference of love you’ve spoken of: “Just any kind of love? No.”

Though I give all my goods to feed the poor ...it profits nothing without love. What is missing in “I gave all my goods to feed the poor” yet ...It profits me nothing. Without charity.

Though I give my body to be burned at the stake ...yet...it profits nothing. How can others see these bold works of goodness ...yet still it is said of by the word “although I gave my body to be burned at the stake. it profits nothing. Without charity.”

What does not perish or pass away? The fruit of the Spirit: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, [5] Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; [6] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; [7] Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. [8] Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

Galatians 5:22-23
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Thank you for your post episkopos...all of them. 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

“Approved” not in right theology but in
Colossians 3:14-15 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. [15] And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

 

[Episkopos]

The Spirit of God is the dimension of love. We could say this is the 4th dimension. When we walk in the Spirit we are walking in God's divine love. The fruit of the Spirit is love. We know we are walking in the Spirit when that love is in us and flowing through us.

 

[Episkopos]

We tend towards religiosity so often as we get further away from our encounter with pure love...God. We try filling in the gaps with what seems right in our own eyes. But to do this is to take away from holiness. Whatever gets mixed in with what is pure becomes defiled. So we must keep our own understanding away from the revelation of God....which is simplicity in love. We must let ourselves be taken away with God's ways....and learn from them by the renewing of our minds.

Now religious people want to analyze everything...in a clinical and cold way....which is very human. But to do this takes away from the image of God.

Religious people tend to care very much about the content of the their beliefs....the accuracy of a set of beliefs. But this is not what we are called to do. We are called simply to love as Jesus loves. The accuracy and content then is to DO what Jesus commands of us. Not argue over things we try to understand ABOUT God. God is unknowable except through His word (and presence). But we can easily miss God's purpose (and our own) in all this. He always acts in love...that is the real message. The truth IN love.

Does that mean that as long as love is there we can be off doctrinally? Well we are NOT being off doctrinally by loving. Love indeed covers a multitude of sins AND inaccuracies. How many people actually have all the doctrines right and in the right order? Are we saved by accurate appraisal of doctrines? Not at all. We are saved by love and for love.

But is it really God's love we are bearing witness to?

 

[VictoryinJesus]

But is it really God's love we are bearing witness to?

Realize I have a problem with what you mentioned above. Every day my ‘beliefs’ fit neatly, become a cluttered mess of confusion and is often the source of doubt. rather than what doesn’t change: Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

About bearing witness to His love? Seems condemnation is spoken and witnessed more often than love?

 

[amadeus]

The only proof of salvation (that can't be duplicated by the outer man) is that we love. We are saved BY love in order TO love. Too simple? This is the simplicity which is in Christ.

How will people know that our gatherings are of the people of God? By the love that warms the gathering. You will know them by their love! What is the fruit of the Spirit? Love.

Just any kind of love? No. Human love is selfish. But God's love is selfless.

Faith takes us to God...and the God sends us back into this world equipped with His love.

Many are so wrapped up in their own ways, they cannot tell the difference between what they call love and what God is. This is seldom the problem in my experience with real unbelievers who simply have not known God at all, but rather with those who have walked right into delusion because they were so puffed up with what they have found or had been shown or had experienced. It is the Christians [so called] who present what I see as the greatest danger. Fortunately God also sees them and will still take proper care of anyone who is really hungry and thirsty for the right things.

 

[amadeus]

We know we live according to the Spirit when we identify with Christ and His body. Are we really discerning the Body? What does it mean to discern the body of Christ? We are learning to love and to recognize Christ in one another. If we don't love then we can't discern the Body.

Are gifts proof of salvation? Gifts are proof of an encounter with God. But salvation is not the same thing. The devil has encountered God many times...but within him is no love.

What is the point of gifts if they are not given and received in love? The message is not the gift....but merely a way of conveying something.....and that something is love.

Indeed, how well are we using what God has provided? Much is given and much then is required!

 

[amadeus]

Realize I have a problem with what you mentioned above. Every day my ‘beliefs’ fit neatly, become a cluttered mess of confusion and is often the source of doubt. rather than what doesn’t change: Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

About bearing witness to His love? Seems condemnation is spoken and witnessed more often than love?

Yes, we see too often in people claiming to be followers of Jesus condemning others rather than loving them... but they will often argue that is what love should be.

I would wonder how far off a person can get into delusion... for that would be what it is, as I see it. Have I ever been guilty of the same? Absolutely, but God has not given up on me nor is He finished with me yet...

 

[stunnedbygrace]

Realize I have a problem with what you mentioned above. Every day my ‘beliefs’ fit neatly, become a cluttered mess of confusion and is often the source of doubt. rather than what doesn’t change: Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

About bearing witness to His love? Seems condemnation is spoken and witnessed more often than love?

I'm not understanding what Eli said that you have a problem with...could you expound?

 

[stunnedbygrace]

Oh wait, I understand!

Good post.

 

[Episkopos]

Realize I have a problem with what you mentioned above. Every day my ‘beliefs’ fit neatly, become a cluttered mess of confusion and is often the source of doubt. rather than what doesn’t change: Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

About bearing witness to His love? Seems condemnation is spoken and witnessed more often than love?

There's an inversion that takes place. I prefer the word inversion to conversion....as in... when people accused Paul of "turning the world upside down."

Exactly. We stop being self-absorbed and become Christ-centered.....and body conscious so that we don't say "I" but "we".

We are not to set up a rigid set of beliefs we are trying to defend. That is the way of religion not revelation.