Featured Christian Hymns and Songs

Greetings steaver,

I consider “Faith Alone or by Faith plus works” are two extremes that are not Scriptural. We are saved by Faith, but this faith needs to create within us a correct, sincere, balanced, warm-hearted motivation to live the Christ-centred life. Without this response and a continual growth in these things we will be rejected at the judgement seat when Christ returns and raises the dead.

This Sunday morning our speaker gave his message based upon the Book of Ephesians and Ephesians speaks of this response in faith. Even the frequently quoted verse on grace speaks of this response:
Ephesians 2:8-10 (KJV): 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. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Perhaps the best illustration is the Parable of the Sower, as this depicts the various responses to the sowing of the word of God. When the seed fell on the stony ground or amongst the thorns there was a response but the response did not last. But when the seed was sown in the good ground, then true fruit was produced.
Luke 8:13-15 (KJV): 13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

The Letter to the Ephesians also concludes with a similar thought, speaking of the need of a love towards Jesus and a sincere and pure heart.
Ephesians 6:24 (KJV): Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

Perhaps one of the hymns selected give both aspects, the Grace of God and our need to respond:
Now thank we all our God
With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done,
In whom the just rejoices;
He gracious is and true,
From childhood doth us lead;
On Him we place our trust,
And hope in time of need.

Saints come, adore the Lord,
In worship lowly bending;
On His most holy word,
And on his love depending.
O may the bounteous God
Through all our life be near,
With ever joyful hearts
And blessed peace to cheer.

Glory and praise to God,
The Father throned in heaven,
And to the Christ, His Son,
Our Saviour, praise be given;
Praise to the mighty God,
Whose saving arm is strong,
Hail to His promised day!
Praise, praise with grateful song.

Kind regards
Trevor

 

I notice that the OP is asking once again how the lost person obtains salvation. Or is the question to find songs about the saved person "obtaining salvation" as if the saved have the same view of needing to obtain salvation as the lost?

 

The song "Amazing Grace" - for the "hour I first believed".

"It is well with my soul" for the saved saint.

"Are you ready for Jesus to Come" also for the saints.

 

The message to the lost is not "There is nothing in those hymns that even remotely suggest we are saved by grace AFTER we do all we can do."

As we keep pointing out.

The message to the saved is not "you must saved-er" - the message to the saved is "take up your cross and follow me" - Matt 10

But you did not get "Are you ready for Jesus to Come".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J05GKRSihXY


Lyrics echo the teaching of the book of first John.

in Christ,

Bob

 

For some odd reason you keep spinning sanctification into "claiming to be justified by works so you can be saved some other way than by grace through faith and that not of works"

 

Christ contrasts those who are ready for the 2nd coming - vs those who are not.

Matt 24
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.




Matt 25

25 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.



1 Thess 5
The Day of the Lord

5 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.
2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;
5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;
6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.
7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.
8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

 

I did no write those chapters of the bible. I only quoted them.

Your argument is with the text.

When the lost come to Christ - by grace through faith - they are born again. They become a saved saint and may freely choose to continue living that life - or return to their lost state.

If they choose to continue in the saved state - then as 1John points out - they will have to walk as Christ walked, keep His Commandments or else (as John says) be considered a liar in their claim to know and love Christ.

That is not my book - it is 1John 2:3-7.

 

Greetings again steaver,

I appreciate your response, but praise to God is more than “Faith alone”, it is the response generated by faith.

But the Parable of the Sower speaks of a range of people who have faith and some of these do not endure to the end result of bringing forth fruit with patience. I equate the seed on the stony ground as equivalent to “Faith alone”. Those on the stony ground for a while believe, but in a time of trial they fall away. If “Faith alone” is true it should be true for this class of believer.
Luke 8:13-15 (KJV): 13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

Kind regards
Trevor