What would you say to this woman?

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast".

I, and many many others take the "- and this..." to mean that the faith that we have to believe in God came from God as a gift so that NO one can boast about being more spiritual than others, or being closer to God or more acceptable to God than others. God is the sole author of our salvation from initiation to completion.

Read Wayne Grudem's "Systematic Theology" about the "willing choices" that we make, and how God is the first cause of everything, and the comments that John Calvin himself made about the term "free will". You'll find it very informative and enlightening.

 

JamesJ,

I disagree with that. I come from a works based religion. I have been delivered from that however and believe my salvation is a gift of God by His Grace. But that passage I believe says just what it says. Salvation is a gift by God's Grace, not works so that no one can boast, meaning you cannot say you did this and that and were saved. Salvation is not from us. We receive that Grace of God because we believe and have faith.

If our faith is from God why are there so many "of little faith"? I am not wise yet when quoting Scripture, however, I do know that I have read in the bible before the words "those of little faith".

 

Can a person learn everything all at once?
Does a fire start as a roaring inferno?

Answer to both... No...

God gives us what we need and what we can handle when, where, and how we need it irrespective of what WE think we need. We GROW in the faith, we don't get it all at one time. Sometimes we don't exercize the faith that He's given us. It might be then that you'll hear, "O you of little faith" (Matthew 6:30)
Perhaps there are those who believe that they have been given this faith, but have not, and they fall away. Jesus gave us an example of this in the parable of the sower.

 

James,

I guess it makes no sense to me. If God gives us faith why would he test our faith?

 

Who can know the mind of God? Does He not say, "My ways are not your ways, my thoughts are higher than your thoughts"? Perhaps he tests us so that WE can see where WE are in relation to HIM.

Is He not the one who chose Israel to be a particular people set apart for Him? Did He ever test the nation of Israel to prove them?

 

I hope this will help you some.

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)

 

Just the scripture passage I thought of when I read this. This is not a good occurance to debate OSAS, John leaves no room for debate about such a one being saved or not, "...but they were not of us..." If you are in Christ, The Lord Jesus keeps you, there are many passages that prove that. Another point: if you have Christ in your heart, why in the world would you even consider other religions?

As pertaining to His sheep Jesus said:

Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. John 10:5 NKJV

Those that are HIS sheep will, "By NO means" follow Allah, Buddha or anyone else. That is very clear in this passage.

 

I believe Drew had a great post 1John 2:19 is a great verse. I do a lot of evangilism and some times I talk to people who have been involved attending Bible believing churches I use to assume that these people were saved a while back I was talking with a friend who wanted to know about baptism and what the Bible says about it. as I talked to him and have talked to him before the Lord layed on my heart to ask him if he knew for sure he would go to heaven. he gave me a works answer another lady very active in a Bible believing? church for ten years she also gave a works answer. both these people accepted Christ on those days.
The point being I truely believe are churches are full of people that aren't saved why aren't they? several reasons maybe, I believe the church has become luke warm at best I believe not only by my personel experiance but more importantly what Gods word says there will be many on that day who will hear DE

 

con't.... DEPART FROM ME YOU WORKERS OF INIQUITY FOR I NEVER NEW YOU we are so buzy playing church (me included) that were loosing the battle people around us sre dying and going to hell. I got a little of the subject but just what came to mind again 1 John 2:19 and of course pray for Her but be carefull if you spend alot of time with her.

Yours in Christ
Bob

 

Lady eagle

I ran across a situation in Va. Some young men were witnessing on the street and constantly being confronted with islamic teachings. They very much needed help because the muslims could put a better arguent togetheron the old testement scriptures. So I showed them the areas in theirdoctrine that does not stack up historically. Find the OT differences both biblical and historical. Like arabs in the time before muhammad worshipped many gods. They recongnize the first 5 books. illustrate in dialogue how they ever followed the sacrafice upon the alter. It will take some time but it should prove fruitful. Examine closely the teachings of Jesus on salvation and how they relate to the quran. I have found it all most imppossible to bridge this gap with the new testement only. I pray your success in winning your friend to the lord. Try not to be argumentative in your approach. After all it is know good to win a argument and the soul is still be lost.