How Many in the World are "Saved"?

Dr. Bob,

Based on the stats - maybe the Antichrist won't have all that much explaining to do when the trumpet sounds and the born again are all gone.

Of course if there are any high profile who are taken - he might have some explaining to do!!

 

1 out of 71.... How very sad.

 

The problem is that you assume with your number that Catholics are obviously not going to heaven. Using a specific phrase as "born again" does not make a person eligible for the kingdom of heaven. Many, many Catholics that I know believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection and have placed them as Lord of their life. From what I read of Scripture - this is the decision that makes a person "saved" or not. Let us not forget that "born again" didn't come into existence (or re-appeared) until the 1960's. There were many, many God-fearing Christians who didn't use the term.

Just because someone doesn't use what you consider to be proper terminology doesn't mean that they are not saved. I would put the number of those living right now who will spend eternity in heaven as much, much higher than that.

 

interesting post, 100 million is not many considering the 6 billion in the world. I believe that it is probably far less then even 100 million, maybe more like 10 million would be more likely. It is a sad thought. I hope I am wrong on my assessment.

 

Regarding our more institutional brothers and sisters, if they believe that:

- they are sinners
- Jesus is the Son of God
- Jesus died for their sins and was resurrected by God
- they must surrender themselves to the will of God

Aren't they saved?

Joshua

 

Do you believe all of these things personally?

 

Where in the bible does it say we are saved by faith "alone?"

Russ <><

 

Yes HCL, why do you ask?

Joshua

 

Justification by faith ALONE is taught throughout the Scriptures. Here is one place:

Here we have a statement in Scripture that specifically says that God justifies the person who does not work. God declares a guilty sinner righteous when he exercises saving faith alone.

Andy

 

Justification by faith ALONE is taught throughout the Scriptures. Here is one place:

Here we have a statement in Scripture that specifically says that God justifies the person who does not work. God declares a guilty sinner righteous when he exercises saving faith alone.

Andy </font>[/QUOTE]And still many Christians believe that faith without works is dead. This may be why many do not believe "faith alone," but that works must precede faith.

 

Justification by faith ALONE is taught throughout the Scriptures. Here is one place:

Here we have a statement in Scripture that specifically says that God justifies the person who does not work. God declares a guilty sinner righteous when he exercises saving faith alone.

Andy </font>[/QUOTE]And still many Christians believe that faith without works is dead. This may be why many do not believe "faith alone," but that works must follow faith. </font>[/QUOTE]

 

I was wondering if you believed those things because I have never read that you have professed that you are a sinner, and that Jesus died on the cross to save YOU. And that you have asked Jesus to take your sins away. And that you have been born again.


In other threads I have professed that Jesus died for me and was raised and that I have asked Him to take my sins away. And I am born again because of what Jesus did for me. And here I profess it again.

 

Correct, Jesus Christ saves. Faith is the "conduit" through which we receive the righteousness of God.

No, Jesus Christ saves. God's grace in salvation indicates that justification is a free gift. (Rom. 3:24). We don't deserve it.

The object of our faith is not "faith alone," but Jesus Christ alone. If a person does not believe that what Christ did for him on the cross is sufficient, i.e., the sinner must contribute in some way, then Paul says in Gal. 5:2-6 that Christ does not profit the sinner at all.


I'm not sure what you mean by "working their salvation out." That is certainly a Biblical phrase but it can be used in an unorthodox manner.

Andy

 

What does God's Word say?

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

These two sentences clear up a lot of misconceptions among church folk:

1. We are saved by grace.
2. We are saved through faith.
3. We are saved by grace through faith.
4. We are saved not by works.
5. Salvation is a gift from God (you can't earn it by works). Even though we are required to believe for salvation, even that faith is a gift from God and not an exercise of one's own power.
6. By God's hand (workmanship) we become new creations (in Christ) and do good works, not to attain salvation, but as the consequence and evidence of it!
7. Our salvation, sanctification, and good works were ordained before time began (Rom 8:29-30).

 

It seems to me there is more to "faith" than mere belief. If works have no part in our salvation, then why are we judged by our works, good or bad, in the judgment?

God bless,

Russ &lt;&gt;&lt;

 

In the James passage that you quote, you will notice that the event in Abraham’s life that James alludes to is not Abraham’s faith from Gen. 15 but his willingness to sacrifice Isaac in Gen. 22. It was back in Gen. 15 where God says He imputed righteousness to Abraham’s account because of his faith (and nothing else but his faith). This is the same event alluded to in the Romans 4 passage that I cited earlier. Well, notice that James says that what Abraham did in Gen. 22 fulfilled, or you could say validated, Abraham’s belief/faith back in Gen. 15. The way James puts it, the Gen 22 event “justified” Abraham’s faith in Gen. 15.

Why did James use the word, “justify?” At it’s most basic level, "to justify" means "to declare righteous." All righteous means is conformity to a standard. So James is declaring that Abraham’s action in Gen. 22 conformed to the standard of what a saved man of faith does. James, therefore, uses the term in a slightly different way than Paul normally does. The standard that Paul normally refers to when he says a man is justified is the perfect holiness and sinlessness of God Himself.

In short, saving faith will validate itself in the life of a saved individual, just as James shows with Abraham and Rahab. The events that James refers to are not their salvation experiences but the validation of the saving faith that they both exercised earlier.

Andy

 

Russ,

How can we do good works prior to salvation. The Bible says:

Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11)

Observing "the law" is "works."

know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:16)

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)

Justification which is by faith alone is never by a faith that is alone. Faith, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit produces the fruit of good deeds (works).