Can we be absolutely SURE we are saved?

[Evangelist]

Would you agree with "Walking in the Spirit" as being about the same as "Living BY MEANS OF the Spirit?"

Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Gal 5:22   But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23   Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24   And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25   If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

I would say that is a good rendition and semantically correct as long as living and walking are considered synonymous.

[Sower]

Salvation is either FREE or it ISN'T.

"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" (Eph. 2:8,9)

Question #1 - Was the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, in itself, sufficient enough to buy my salvation?

"Giving thanks unto the Father, (1) who hath made us meet [fit] to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: (2) who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, (3) and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: (4) in whom we have redemption through His blood, (5) even the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:12-14)

Question #2 - Was I saved the moment I confessed my sins to Him, believing in Him, asking Him for forgiveness and salvation?

"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power [authority] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (Jn. 1:12,13).

If not, go to the next question...

Question #3 - Of all the works listed as necessary to attain salvation, how many or for how long must I do these before I can be saved?

"Where is boasting then? IT IS EXCLUDED. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.  Therefore we concluded that A MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WITHOUT THE DEEDS OF THE LAW" (Rom. 3:27,28)

Question #4 - How exactly should I tell Jesus that his grace alone isn't sufficient but that I will complete HIS incomplete work by adding to it with MY works?

"Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised [a deed of the Law], CHRIST SHALL PROFIT YOU NOTHING... CHRIST IS BECOME OF NO EFFECT UNTO YOU, whosoever of you are justified by the Law; YE ARE FALLEN FROM GRACE"(Gal. 5:2-4).

[LITS]

What you said is quite true - but only partly true.  Scripture also teaches us that salvation comes to us at a great cost.  Taking up our cross to follow Him shows us there is great responsibility in being faithful stewards of this great gift.  We can't do anything ourselves to attain the gift of salvation, but we have the choice to yield to or resist the perfecting work of salvation in our lives by His Spirit.  After all, salvation is only the beginning - becoming Christ-like is our ultimate goal.  

[aw]

That is moving a little closer to the doctrine of ETERNAL SECURITY, rather than ASSURANCE of salvation- which is okay. There cannot be any WORK, regardless of how good it may be; eg., water baptism, that plays any part in salvation. Salvation is then said to be "UNTO good works that we should walk in them." (Eph 2:10, example.)

What stops the GOOD WORKS is usualy the teaching that we have some major responsibility that if we do not peerform we will lose salvation. We then come to rely upon the flesh and it is impotent to do anything good.

As we WALK IN THE SPIRIT, we will do those god works.
aw

[nChrist]

AMEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS!

Salvation is by God's Grace through FAITH ALONE!

Salvation is not a loan taken out with an installment payment due from men. Jesus Christ was a perfect sacrifice on The Cross, and our Lord and Saviour paid it all for you and for me. Salvation is a GIFT by the Grace and Love of God. For men to accept this PERFECT GIFT is to accept God's Grace through faith. We are quickened and translated at that moment, and our hearts are SEALED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, setting us apart as a purchased possession of HIS. There is no credit, no payment, no repossession, and no foreclosure. It is a GIFT from GOD, a PROMISE from GOD, and a GIFT that GOD will not repent of and take back. What we do for HIM in love and appreciation is NOT a loan payment. What we do for HIM in love and appreciation is to make our JOY in HIM more full. Anything we do for HIM because we feel that we must or to enhance our standing before men is BURNED UP.

Ephesians 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Ephesians 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved;
Colossians 1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Colossians 2:13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
1Pe 3:18  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

YES!!!, we can and should have 100% assurance of Salvation. Salvation means that we are already members of THE BODY OF CHRIST, and no power in the universe can remove us. For the brand new babe in Christ, they are quickened, translated, and SEALED right then. As an analogy, Jesus could put a stamp on us "PAID FOR IN FULL - BELONGS TO JESUS CHRIST!"

Love In Christ,
Tom

[sojourner]

I Cor 10:12; ...let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

What the Bible says is that you must have faith, and do good works. if you have these, then you have true faith...not the other way around.

The whole of the Pauline Corpus is a rousing urgency unto ACTIONS on the part of those to whom he is writing, that they should be DOING what is needed to be done, that they should live their salvation, and not lose it - It is unto the unseen warfare with fallen angels who are the princes of this world that we are called into battle, in a contest that requires us to put on the full armor of God, and faith, humility, chastity, vigilance, and obedience form the core of our weapons against these IN CHRIST...  Outside of Him, all is vanity.  The door to within Him is repentance, then baptism...

It seems some would say that Paul contradicts James. But he does not. He totally is in agreement with James.  What several posters seem to be saying is that Christ died only for some.
Christ actually redeemed the world, literally. He brought life and light to a sick world.  His resurrection brought eternity to ALL MEN.  What Christ accomplished was for the benefit of all men.  What some seem to be saying then is that all are actually saved.  Man has no responsibility yet, I'm sure they will say, man will be held accountable.

Saying man is saved on faith alone and using other texts which says that we must strive for perfection would mean that we are indeed already perfected. If that be the case, then I don't see any visible signs of perfection from anyone. It seems to go against reality.

To be saved by Grace, through Faith, gets the believer in the door. He has separated himself from the unrighteous, those not believing. It clears the way to be justified, opening up the way to healing, to attain righteousness, and union with Christ. Becoming Righteous is the goal, not the means. Becoming Righteous is salvation for man. It is appropriating the finished work of Christ.
The error of those who want to ascribe this to the 'works of the law' is what Paul was always contrasting and which Christ accomplished for us. We do not do works of righteousnes apart from His Grace either.  Everything is wrought by Grace. If Grace would be removed, we as humans would be annihilated.  We would cease to exist.
In Him, our Creator, we live, and move and have our being. All Grace.

Paul was quite aware that he was on a journey and he gives us no hint that he was guaranteed salvation simply by believing. Quite the contrary.

That bit of realism is why we work out our salvation with fear and trembling.  Faith is ALWAYS active, daily, even more than that.

[david749]

"The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we our children of God."     (Romans 8: 16)


Christ will also become your first love.      (Matthew 10:36)