Practical Christianity-Fact/Fiction

Romans 9:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Great comments, you guys! Would I be correct in assuming that most of us don't have to be "good" to get into heaven?

If so, then, why do religions put so much emphasis in "doing", "acting like", "following the Ten Commandments", etc.?

Why do Christians emphasize personal sins so much?

Why do many Christians not buy into the "once saved, always saved" concept? Are they upset because a person who "lives in sin" (carnality) is accepted into heaven the same as someone who "obeys" God and is a "good" person?

GRACE, God's Riches At Christ's Expense. Yes... we are to Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. In John 6:28 Jesus' disciples asked him "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." I think it's harder to believe than most people think it is. Your actions flow from your beliefs like a stream flows from a spring. A polluted stream can babble about being pure... oftentimes you can't tell by looking at it. But look around it and see if it's nurturing healthy growth... or if things are ravaged and blighted along its banks. Based on Matthew 25:34-40 our actions speak louder than our words. But these works are not done for moral rectitude, but rather in gratitude... as a way of saying, "Thank you Lord." because we have a debt of love that we could never repay in a million lifetimes. Blessing alone, is not an indication of being a Believer... because God causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

Judi, I think in answer to your questions I would agree with Penpal that believing is harder than we think. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness but most old testament saints lived under the old testament "law" which required them to perform (ceremonies, commandments, sacrifices, dietary rituals etc)to stay in good graces with God. The law however was a "school master" as Paul put it to lead us to Christ or rather show us we can never live up to the expectations of the perfect Holy law of God. When Jesus came to earth he lived a perfect, sinless life and came to fulfill the law and in so doing nailed it to the cross. Thats why Christ is the only way to heaven and when we accept Him as our Savior we are indwelt with His righteousness. Thats how we get into Heaven.

So I think a lot of the good works mentality is carried over into a lot of religions today from the conception of the old testament. Plus some interpret the book of James to say we need works for salvation, but a close reading will guide the believer to see that true faith produces works and Christians are to show forth their indwelling faith by their works.

I believe a lot of emphasis is on personal sins for the believer because once you are saved you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. God has given us the victory over these sins when we yield to the spirit and not to our flesh.

Summer & PenPal . . . thank you so much for your comments. I think we are getting to the crux of this whole subject.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Eph 2:8-9

GRACE is the issue. We accept the divine work of what Jesus, God's son, performed in His spiritual death on the cross. It is NOT anything we do ourselves, and salvation ONLY comes through belief in the above. Faith alone in Christ alone.

So, then, can we all agree that believing on Jesus' divine work on the cross, and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord & Savior will get us into heaven? If not, speak up now or forever hold your peace ; - ), 'cause we are going to move in to discussing human works (hay & stubble) vs divine works (pure gold).

How Good Must I Be to Get To Heaven?

The short answer is, no damn good at all. Mark Twain said, “Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.”

The long answer is, Our human goodness can play no part whatsoever in admittance to heaven. The grace of God is the only possible entrance qualification.

As soon as our own good works qualify us for heaven, then grace is nullified. Jesus may as well have stayed home and watched TV rather than live and die on this planet.

In Matt. 7, Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

Looking at His words, merely chunking out good works like a factory stamping out widgets is useless in securing your own soul to the kingdom of God. (Hence the "Lord, Lord" bit.)

Instead, Jesus says entry into heaven is for those who do the will of the Father. Does God will that the hungry be fed, the naked clothed, the sick and imprisoned be visited? Yes. Does He want justice done for all and for believers to grow in Him? Yes. He also wants us to abide in Him, resting our identity and our very selves--what makes us, us--in His care and provision. For all of this to happen, we have to ask for grace because this is not a natural thing for us to do, our very natures and habits rebel against it. So we need God's grace every day and every hour.

Our works cannot improve on God's grace, they cannot add to it, buff it to a high shine, make it more manageable and bouncy and high in fiber and low in fat. Our works don't make us more likeable to God, either.

If our works can't add to it, then they cannot detract from it, either. They can't lessen its power, its pervading influence, its sharpness and speed.

So for those who say, "I've sinned too much for God to forgive," this is your wake-up call.

So how good do we have to be to get into heaven? If we're in Christ, we're already there.

We go to heaven thru salvation. Good works alone will NEVER get you into heaven!

Faith gets one saved and God's grace and mercy are available to us daily.

Now for the tricky part: Faith with out works is dead. Without faith you cannot please God.

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Then, one needs to take a step of faith, walk in faith, believe and receive.

Example: You are releasing your faith for a car. You might start by sweeping out the garage (if you have a garage),

then buying some car wax, set up a savings account for a car,pray with your spouse a prayer of agreement ( or pray with a pastor or trusted christian),

then EXPECT to receive a car.

Of course this sounds simple. It is.

What is the catch? Are you placing God 1st in your life? Do you keep God's commandments? Are you a tither?

Do you forgive all people? Do you have a relationship with God? Do you pray daily? Are you praising God and worshippping God? Or is God a one hour obligation on Sunday morining?