Requirements for Salvation

maybe but your faith was born from your mothers faith. so i my mind that is valid.

 

I don't think so. Builder has said before that his "faith" was borne from intimidation, not from his own desire.

 

"So really, there was nothing more than an emotional leapfrog from one person to the next."


his was born from his mothers.

 

If Builder did not really accept Christ but rather had an emotional experience due to the influence of his mother then he has not accepted Christ. It is a decision you have to make for yourself.

I you see yourself as a sinner and seek to repent of that state and ask Christ to save you then He will. It does not matter if you do not have any good works afterwards, you have still obtained salvation. I think the realization that one is a sinner and the desire to repent are key elements.

I would agree that if you do truly accept Christ then you will be inclined to perform good works. Works however do not add anything to your salvation. The bible says that all of our good works are as filthy rags to God.

 

I'd like to know the exact wording on this acceptance of Christ idea.

"If you see yourself as a sinner and seek to repent of that state and ask Christ to save you then He will."

OK, I'm a sinner and I'm asking Christ to save me. Is repentence really necessary? I thought it was just acceptance? If so, how do I repent?

The question is, is it possible for someone who truly accepts Christ to be without the desire to do good works? And if not, then it's logical to assume that people who don't do good works but claim acceptance of Christ are lying to themselves and/or others. One really needs to define "acceptance".

Is to "accept" Christ literally to embody His traits and essence or is it just saying "I accept Christ" and believing He'll fix everything for us?

 

Repent not only means to want to change, it means to actually change. You much change your "ways". Your life and your heart must bear evidence of this change. You grow in your knowledge and faith through hearing and reading the Word, through prayer and also through worship in the Holy Spirit. You must subject your life to Christ, humbling yourself to His will. Most people dont understand this or dont "want" to give up control of their hearts to Christ. They view people who allow this as weak or somehow flawed in their thought process when in fact it is quite the opposite.

edit.....I'm not quite sure what you mean by "He'll fix eveything for us". From and flaw repair standpoint, using myself as an example. I was able to quit several addictions that I had previously struggled with for years, like 20 years worth of struggling. Other flaws still attack me from time to time so I have to work on myself through prayer and understanding what the Bible says about them and me on how to handle them. We ALL have our faults, as different as they may be, so we must be constantly striving to gain victory over our own sinful nature. We are a constant work in progress and yet He still loves us. How cool is that.

 

I think the hardest thing for most people to accept about salvation is the utter lack of ability that you have to achieve it. It is only through the work of Christ and that not of yourself. I know a lot of people get turned off to Christ because they know people who have made a profession of faith and then do not live in a manner that is Christlike. You can not look at it that way though, whether or not that person who lives like the devil is saved or lost is not really any of your business. The only thing that really concerns you is whether or not you have accepted Christ for yourself.

There are many examples of those in the Bible who were saved but had no good works. The theif on the cross next to Jesus you asked to be saved was told by Jesus that today you will be with me in paradise. The thief certainly had no time to perform good works.

 

His was born from his mother's emotional reaction. He was emotionally intimidated because he didn't want to be the only one who didn't do it. That's not the same as taking a step of faith.

 

It does not sound like Builder really accepted Christ based on what he has said about his experience but I would like to make the point that if he had truly accepted Christ he would be saved regardless of what he thinks about the subject today or how he lives his life. I do, however, think he would be pretty conflicted if he had accepted Christ given his lifestyle and beliefs.

 

The idea of "accepting Christ" from a Protestant perspective is largely based on the exchange between Jesus and the thief next to Him during their crucifixion:

...and the Lord's prayer:

Out of these two passages (and a few others, i.e. John 3:16), the "Sinner's Prayer" was born. Basically, it has four steps:

1) Acknowledge that you have followed your own will against God's will, and ask forgiveness for that choice. {"We are guilty" from the first passage, and "Forgive us our debts" from the second.}

2) Believe that Jesus of Nazareth is God incarnate; that He died on a cross as a sacrifice for all mankind and resurrected three days later; and that He is alive today.

3) Ask for Jesus' sacrifice to count as payment for your sins (rebellion against God's will), acknowledging that it is beyond your ability to absolve yourself. {"Remember me when you come into your kingdom." "Deliver us from the evil one."}

4) Commit the rest of your life to following God's/Jesus' will above your own, becoming like the disciples.

Item 3 is "accepting Jesus as Savior". Item 4 is "accepting Jesus as Lord". Both are equally important in the salvation process. If one does not acknowledge the guilt of the past, there is no humility. If one does not submit to Jesus' authority, what would be His motivation to make that person a citizen of heaven?