“Doing Our Best”

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

     I understand you cannot work for your salvation or do anything but believe in Christ, confess Him, be baptized for remission of sins (calling on His name), and repent from your former conduct.  But does a person have to work for their final salvation?  The Bible teaches Christian conduct, and some have said it is everything.  Now this scares me to an extent because how perfect and holy does one have to be to ensure their salvation if it is based on Christian conduct and obedience?

Sincerely,
Imperfect

Dear Imperfect,

You are correct; we have free will, and you do have to work to maintain your relationship with God.  Faith doesn’t mean God takes control, and you become incapable of falling away.
  The Bible says that we are saved by faith (Eph 2:8), but it never says that we are saved by faith only.  The Scriptures mention a lot of things that are involved in our salvation.  We are saved by hope (Rom 8:24).  We are saved by baptism (1 Pet 3:21).  We are saved by the love of the truth (2 Thess 2:10).  All of these things are involved in your salvation.  In order to understand a topic, we must look at the sum of God’s Word on that subject (Ps 119:160).
  Faith is hearing what God says (Rom 10:17)… and then acting upon it.  It is impossible to be a faithful person and live an unrepentant life.  Faith is more than belief; even the demons believe in God (Jas 2:19).  Faith is belief combined with action.  We must be hearers and doers of God’s Word (Jas 1:22)… it isn’t about living a perfect life but living a life loyal to God and His Word.  A loyal Christian will still stumble, but they are always attempting to live a life that would please God.  God has given us an immense gift – one we could never pay for ourselves.  However, He expects us to reach out and seize that gift.

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