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ohyah007
Guest
can someone explain the meaning of this one to me? i know getting into heaven isn’t as simple as just believing, so just give me some information on this verse. thank you
- Status
C
Church_Militant
Guest
I’m not real sure what you are wanting to know about it. The Catholic Church has taught that for 2,000 years.
How Is A Catholic Saved?
How Is A Catholic Saved?
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Luke65
Guest
Sure, it’s all about not taking scriptures out of context from other scriptures. The Word is a double-edged sword - handle with care! If you keep reading you’ll get the context; the last verse of the chapter sums it up:
To believe means to obey - as far as God is concerned. He’s not interested in lip service, He requires obedience, which includes repentance when we fall. And most importantly here, Christ has given us His Church to make sure we don’t cut ourselves!
Does that cover it?
O
ohyah007
Guest
yes thank you 
T
tobinatorstark
Guest
From the Haydock Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. See Matthew iii. 11. That baptism cannot be valid, in which the name of the Holy Ghost only is invoked. For, the tradition concerning life-giving grace, must be preserved entire. To add or to omit any thing, may exclude from life everlasting. For, as we believe, so also are we baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (St. Basil, lib. de Spirit. Sanc. chap. xxii.) — Fire. This is a metaphor, to signify the Holy Ghost and his gifts, particularly the fire of divine love to the expiation of sins, and is very common in Scripture. Sometimes also he is represented by water, as in St. John iv. 10, et dein. and vii. 38.-39; Isaias xliv. &c. &c. Hence, in the hymn to the Holy Ghost, the Church uses both figures.
Ver. 16. See Matthew iii. 11. That baptism cannot be valid, in which the name of the Holy Ghost only is invoked. For, the tradition concerning life-giving grace, must be preserved entire. To add or to omit any thing, may exclude from life everlasting. For, as we believe, so also are we baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (St. Basil, lib. de Spirit. Sanc. chap. xxii.) — Fire. This is a metaphor, to signify the Holy Ghost and his gifts, particularly the fire of divine love to the expiation of sins, and is very common in Scripture. Sometimes also he is represented by water, as in St. John iv. 10, et dein. and vii. 38.-39; Isaias xliv. &c. &c. Hence, in the hymn to the Holy Ghost, the Church uses both figures.
Code:
Thou who art call'd the Paraclete,
Best gift of God above,
The living Spring, the living Fire,
Sweet unction and love.
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NotWorthy
Guest
The “Obedience of Faith” and the “Repentance of Faith” are two phrases that describe “Faith” better than what we have today. As was pointed out, the last verse of John chapter 3 describe that Faith and Obedience go hand in hand.
In St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, you’ll see him using the Obedience of Faith at the very beginning of Romans - Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles, among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; (Rom 1:5-6) - as well as at the end of Romans - Now to him who can strengthen you, according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith, to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen.) (Rom 16:25-27).
I believe somewhere else you’ll find the “repentance of faith”, but I couldn’t find it in the NAB translation.
In St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, you’ll see him using the Obedience of Faith at the very beginning of Romans - Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles, among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; (Rom 1:5-6) - as well as at the end of Romans - Now to him who can strengthen you, according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith, to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen.) (Rom 16:25-27).
I believe somewhere else you’ll find the “repentance of faith”, but I couldn’t find it in the NAB translation.
S
Strategery
Guest
Yup. Obedience isn’t a **result of **believing, it is believing, by Christ’s own definition.
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Luke65
Guest
You’re welcome, from all of us. And oh yeah, I mean, ohyah007, never misunderestimate Strategery!yes thank you
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bogeydogg
Guest
Yes, but even so it is grace which enables the believer to obey. No one can please God by His own effort and no one can please God without effort. Whatever we do God’s grace must attend that we may glorify Him and He will glorify Himself.
It is by grace we believe and by works we prove we believe. It is not by works that are saved and neither can some magic prayer followed by a life which bears no evidence of salvation be thought of as being Christian.
It is paradoxical but not contradictory.
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NotWorthy
Guest
I was in Mass once, and the priest began one of Eucharistic Prayers with, “Father, even the desire to give You thanks is yet another gift from You…” It blew me away and I dwelt on that phrase for the rest of Mass. It was one of those "moments’ for me. Yes, all good is God’s Grace!
S
Strategery
Guest
Agreed! That’s why the attempt to separate them is problematic.
I
IXTHUS
Guest
For God so loved the world that he gave his one an only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16
Hmmm… good one
Firstly I guess we need to know why we need Jesus. We need him because we’re stuffed up, because we cannot live up to God’s standard. In Romans 3, Paul said: There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless, there is no one who does good, not even one. And later he said all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
So, great. We stuffed up. So what? Why do we need Jesus?! You may ask. Well, the bible tells us that God is a just God; a righteous God. He HATES sin. And since he’s just and righteous, he will judge us, along with our sins. God’s punishment for sin is death; not just the physical death, but also the spiritual. A death that takes us away from God, from everything that is good and beautiful. That’s the reality.
But God in his great mercy and LOVE, provided us an alternative. He sent his one and only Son, Jesus. He sent him about 2000 years ago, to our world, as one of us, a man. Jesus took the sins of the world, past, present and future, brought it upon himself, and died. He paid the ransom for our sin!
Dear friend, all God ask of us in response is to believe. Through the faith that we have, we are saved! And it is indeed wonderful news that we should share with our friends. So that they may also share in the love we profess for eternally with our great God.
I hope I’ve explained John 3:16 that God intended it to be understood.
Grace and peace be with you.
Hmmm… good one
Firstly I guess we need to know why we need Jesus. We need him because we’re stuffed up, because we cannot live up to God’s standard. In Romans 3, Paul said: There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless, there is no one who does good, not even one. And later he said all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
So, great. We stuffed up. So what? Why do we need Jesus?! You may ask. Well, the bible tells us that God is a just God; a righteous God. He HATES sin. And since he’s just and righteous, he will judge us, along with our sins. God’s punishment for sin is death; not just the physical death, but also the spiritual. A death that takes us away from God, from everything that is good and beautiful. That’s the reality.
But God in his great mercy and LOVE, provided us an alternative. He sent his one and only Son, Jesus. He sent him about 2000 years ago, to our world, as one of us, a man. Jesus took the sins of the world, past, present and future, brought it upon himself, and died. He paid the ransom for our sin!
Dear friend, all God ask of us in response is to believe. Through the faith that we have, we are saved! And it is indeed wonderful news that we should share with our friends. So that they may also share in the love we profess for eternally with our great God.
I hope I’ve explained John 3:16 that God intended it to be understood.
Grace and peace be with you.
I
IXTHUS
Guest
I agree. i think James 2 explained it quite well, so maybe you can also have a look at that.
One of the example I’ve heard is this: If you are with me in a room, and I say to you, “Hey, I’ve got a bomb here somewhere, and the timer is counting down.” If you truly believe me, then you’d probably look at me horrified and run to the exit as quick as you can then call the police. However, if you say, “Yes, I sure believe you have a bomb here”, yet did not even attempt to escape. Then I can conclude that you in fact do not believe in what I claim.
So saying that you believe in one thing, and actually showing it, are quite different. You may say that you believe in Jesus’ work on the cross, but if it doesn’t change your life at all, then we might have a problem.
J
Jeremiahjj
Guest
John 3:16 reads “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him might have eternal life.” This phrase is simple but there is more to it than simple belief. What it says is that God recognized humanity’s post-Adam fallen condition and realized we would never reach salvation without his help. He loved us enough to die for our sins. He did this by coming to earth in the form of his Son (the Incarnation) and then allowing the human side of his Son to die a dreadful death on the cross. At first glance it would appear that all we have to do is believe this in order to be saved ourselves. While that part might be true for someone on a deathbed, it’s also true that the rest of us can’t go on living a life of sin. Our newfound faith must be accompanied by a change in behavior. If we say, “Yep, I believe God did all this for me, but I’m going to follow my sinful ways anyway,” then we most assuredly will not have everlasting life. God loves us but he will not be mocked.
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Peggym
Guest
It is as simple as that. Believe, don’t make it complicated. There is not a list you can check off. To believe is an analogy to opening a door and allowing someone to enter. That is what you are doing when you believe. Jesus with all of God’s love and His Spirit will lead you where you need to go. His list is your list. Look at the concordnane along side the verse in your bible. It is a treasure hunt. If you don’t have a bible with this tool buy one, it will be a big help.
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NotWorthy
Guest
Where in Jesus’ numerous teachings does it say that “our only response necessary is to believe”? If belief means only to believe, then this will cause you to fall far short of your goal. If belief includes obedience to the numerous things that Jesus asks us to do, then you are spot on.For God so loved the world that he gave his one an only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16
Hmmm… good one
Firstly I guess we need to know why we need Jesus. We need him because we’re stuffed up, because we cannot live up to God’s standard. In Romans 3, Paul said: There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless, there is no one who does good, not even one. And later he said all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
So, great. We stuffed up. So what? Why do we need Jesus?! You may ask. Well, the bible tells us that God is a just God; a righteous God. He HATES sin. And since he’s just and righteous, he will judge us, along with our sins. God’s punishment for sin is death; not just the physical death, but also the spiritual. A death that takes us away from God, from everything that is good and beautiful. That’s the reality.
But God in his great mercy and LOVE, provided us an alternative. He sent his one and only Son, Jesus. He sent him about 2000 years ago, to our world, as one of us, a man. Jesus took the sins of the world, past, present and future, brought it upon himself, and died. He paid the ransom for our sin!
Dear friend, all God ask of us in response is to believe. Through the faith that we have, we are saved! And it is indeed wonderful news that we should share with our friends. So that they may also share in the love we profess for eternally with our great God.
I hope I’ve explained John 3:16 that God intended it to be understood.
Grace and peace be with you.
The problem is, many people don’t equate “belief” and “obedience”.
J
Jeremiahjj
Guest
There’s also another aspect of John 3:16 and it can be found in Genesis. God created Mankind, man and woman he created them, to enjoy earth and all the other beautiful things he created. If Mankind had not tried to become “like God,” we would be living in Eden today. The God described in John 3:16 would not have been necessary. But because Adam fell, we have Original Sin. It’s in our DNA and we require redemption. Hence, God in his infinite goodness provided a way for us. He gave us a new Adam and new Eve. All we have to do is accept the redemption, turn from our sinful ways and live life anew.
Our new life is following Jesus, who left the Holy Spirit to guide us and his church. The church is our rock, our connection to the Lord, a place for us to go to read, learn and inwardly digest the graces that are available to those who love the Lord.
Can this be done outside the church? Sure, but it isn’t likely to happen because we’re still human. We need the community of believers to keep us on the straight and narrow path. Some people say they can worship in the woods or the golf course just as easily as they can in church. It’s possible, but it’s not likely to happen. We don’t focus on hunting or golf in church; we don’t focus on God while playing golf or hunting. God is jealous; he wants us to love him as Adam did before the fall.
Our new life is following Jesus, who left the Holy Spirit to guide us and his church. The church is our rock, our connection to the Lord, a place for us to go to read, learn and inwardly digest the graces that are available to those who love the Lord.
Can this be done outside the church? Sure, but it isn’t likely to happen because we’re still human. We need the community of believers to keep us on the straight and narrow path. Some people say they can worship in the woods or the golf course just as easily as they can in church. It’s possible, but it’s not likely to happen. We don’t focus on hunting or golf in church; we don’t focus on God while playing golf or hunting. God is jealous; he wants us to love him as Adam did before the fall.
J
Jeremiahjj
Guest
Re “Dear friend, all God asks of us in response is to believe,” I respectfully take issue with that. Please read John 3:16 again and tell me where it says “all God asks is…” What it does say is whoever believes in him who sent his Son will have eternal life.
I don’t want to pick nits, but we’re told many times to turn from our wicked ways and live. God wants more from us than belief. Even Satan and his angels believe. God wants our love and obedience. He wants us to love each other. This goes far beyond simple belief.
It’s easy to say yes, if we believe, we will do all these things. I’d like to believe that but I don’t. I believe we have to work at being the kind of person God wants us to be. While we believe, the devil and his minions are trying to pry us away from the Lord. All we have to do is let up and BOOM! here he is again.
Get thee behind me, Satan! Come, Lord Jesus!
I don’t want to pick nits, but we’re told many times to turn from our wicked ways and live. God wants more from us than belief. Even Satan and his angels believe. God wants our love and obedience. He wants us to love each other. This goes far beyond simple belief.
It’s easy to say yes, if we believe, we will do all these things. I’d like to believe that but I don’t. I believe we have to work at being the kind of person God wants us to be. While we believe, the devil and his minions are trying to pry us away from the Lord. All we have to do is let up and BOOM! here he is again.
Get thee behind me, Satan! Come, Lord Jesus!
A
afriendofGod
Guest
“Tak bowiem Bóg umiłował świat, że Syna swego Jednorodzonego dał, aby każdy, kto w Niego wierzy, nie zginął, ale miał życie wieczne” (Jn 3, 16). As you can see, it sounds much simpler in Polish. Christ is the fulness of Grace and Truth (Jn 1, 14), and it is all about faith in Him. For His coming, so to speak, improved upon the Law, adding the components of Grace and Truth (Jn 1, 17), which nourish faith and ground faith. To have faith in Christ, is to acknowledge God’s love for us. It is now Christ Who loves in us and through us … and He and the Father are One. Dead to the world, we are much alive in Him. But, it’s a different life now! When He came, He brought back with Himself, eternal life (Jn 1, 4)! This life no longer was on earth, until He came and restored it out of immense love for men (Jn 3, 16). Those who believe, become born again from this new Life, from God (Jn 1, 13). They can no longer die because they become children of the Eternal Father. Not believing is denying God, Whom Christ revealed (Jn 1, 18). Believing in Him means being in love with Him, and He with us. How can we die, if He is holding us in His eternal heart? We should all fall in love with Christ and with the Spirit He sent!
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nancy_dalrymple
Guest
Greetings 0hyah007,I will give you what I get from the verse. God loved us enough to come to this earth in the flesh as,Jesus(Emanual) God with us.He loved us so much he was willing to die for us sinners,He was made as one of us and had feelings like ours yet never sinned. He was born of a virgin,through the Holy Spirit,yes pure virgin birth.He said no man can come to the father except by me,so if there was no sacrifice there would be no eternal life,and all your suffering would be in vain,and crime would have killed off the human race long,long,ago.But of course faith ,without works is dead and we are our brothers keeper,for we will all stand before him someday: and he will know weather or not we fed the poor,clothed the naked visited the sick,and those in jail,for as much as you have done it for these you have done it for me.Stand firm on the Rock, and build your future on his Word,he loves you and so do I.God is big enough to rule the universe yet small enough to live in your heart,for greater is he who is in me than he that is in the world:harp:enjoy the music: nancy:thumbsup:- Status