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Salvation

Kenneth Lottman

Registered User
Wow Bro. Blake is getting deep...... Or it's because it's 2am and he can't sleep! :p

I believe that faith is the only way to receive salvation!

"And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:5-9 NLT)
 

BEDickey

Premium Member
I believe...

I believe Salvation is the gift man gives himself threw the Gifts given to him by God. The Gift of rational intelligence, unique to us, can and will be our Salvation on this troubled world, allowing us to gift ourselves and our progeny with a better future. It is up to everyone choose for themselves, if they choose to accept Gods gift of rational intelligence, and threw God and his Gift, earn and create his own Salvation threw hard work and toil, or curses themselves with the sin of ignorance and the damnation that comes with it.
 

jwhoff

Premium Member
No! There had to be a final connection. All religions the world over espouse to this belief. There is more than a quasi connection between the square and the compasses. Of course, this doesn't keep us from quibbling over it right down to the size of the fasteners used.
 

BryanMaloney

Premium Member
James 2:14-26 answers the question!

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, "Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled." notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, "Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God." Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
 

BryanMaloney

Premium Member
Faith assures us our actions and sacrifices are not in vain.

I could agree with that, but it would only mean that faith is necessary not both necessary and sufficient. I can easily agree that, just as faith without works is dead--one might even say it is the faith of demons--works without faith are empty, they are "a clanging cymbal"...
 

jwhoff

Premium Member
Interesting responses!

Agreed! I'd love to hear the response from a brother of another religion among us. I suppose we won't find much difference.

Though the names may not be the same, the underlying principles will be there.

We're more alike than we perceive. True light comes from one source alone.
 

BryanMaloney

Premium Member
No! There had to be a final connection. All religions the world over espouse to this belief

Actually, most religions, as far as I know, do not have "salvation". The largest religions in the world are all salvific (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism), but most do not appear to have the concept. Instead, spiritual existence simply continues worldly existence or feeds back into the world with no chance of exiting the system.
 

RedTemplar

Johnny Joe Combs
Premium Member
Who has the material wealth to purchase salvation? Who has the strength to work out his salvation? Who is so good to be worthy of salvation? His grace is sufficient for salvation because nothing else will substitute.
 
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BryanMaloney

Premium Member
That being said, my point is that "salvation" is not a universal doctrine. Indeed, one could be a Freemason without acknowledging salvation. American Indian religions often recognize some sort of supreme being without any attendant salvation as it is normally considered.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
one could be a Freemason without acknowledging salvation.

I'm not so sure. Question #30 of our petition asks the petitioner if he "firmly believes in", among other things, "the immortality of the soul". Does not that require a belief in salvation?
 

BryanMaloney

Premium Member
Immortality of the soul does not require salvation. If ones afterlife is merely a continuation of this life, with no "damnation", "sorrow", or "cycle" to escape or break out of, no salvation is necessary to that doctrine. Likewise, if one believes in reincarnation without end, without a "way out", there would be no salvation, merely moving up and down, over and over, endlessly, with nothing saved--merely shuffled around.
 
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