Saved by Jesus, Not By Works.

 7.7.2021

I read about someone who used to raise money for charities. And yet he and his family were recently killed in a tragedy.  How is that possible?

A digression.

As a child, I was baptised in the Church of England.  When we  moved to Sierra Leone, I used to attend a Methodist Church as my mum was a Methodist.  I even attended a Methodist secondary school.  We were encouraged to read the Bible and I even memorised several chapters from the Book of Psalms and I was very familiar with the teachings of Jesus.

I presumed that made me a Christian. 

It took me a long time to realise that it's not enough to quote Scriptures or even use parts of the Bible to serve my own purpose. 

To be a Christian I have to accept that my good deeds are not enough to save me from whatever the world throws at me.

Remember when someone called Jesus "good" he said only God is good.

I need to believe Jesus's sacrifice for all of humanity for all time, that he died and was raised from the dead.  His blood covers the sins of humanity for all time.  I have to believel that  same Spirit of Life which raised Jedus from the dead, is living in me and freed me from the law of sin and death.

Only then do we become sons and daughters of God and have eternal life.

Second, in order to enjoy those benefits of eternal life here and now, I have to be constantly receiving the salvation by Grace not by works.

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Reminder to self:

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Isaiah 64: 6

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"And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." Mark 10: 18

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10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1

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"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5: 21

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"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3: 23

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"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10: 9

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"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:" Galatians 3: 13

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"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" Ephesians 1: 3

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"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2: 9-10

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"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." 1 Peter 2: 24

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"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," 2 Timothy 1: 9

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1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

1 John 4: 1-4