How is one Saved – (An exercise in terminology, definitions and communication)

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This discussion / excercise is inteneded mainly for our Sola Fide brothers.
So please be courtious and allow them to respond.

For the sake of discussion and as an exercise in conveying meaning, Please answer the title question WITHOUT using the term “Faith”.
In other words, we must use terms that describe what we mean by the term “faith” without actually using the term.

Faith – The oft-used term for how we are saved is removed from the vocabulary of this exercise

I am hoping to accomplish a couple of things here.
  1. See what people understand and wish ot convey when they use the term faith, and what they understand when they hear “faith” in the sense of salvation
  2. Get a better understanding about how people view the various components that make up a “saving faith”. (Such and such comprise faith) and/or (this and that are evidence of faith)
Please do not use ‘cut and paste” answers. I’d much prefer if you would answer in your own words. Naturally Bible references are most welcome and indeed encouraged.

As I am seeking greater understanding, I will try to restrict my responses to asking further questions.

Thoughts?

Peace
James
 
I had a powerful/radical born anew/conversion experience Aug.73. It started with a little gospel booklet given to me by a coworker…It didn’t take long for the Holy Spirit to start working…They invited me to an evangelistic meeting and after I heard the gospel presented
I responded asking the Lord for forgiveness and committed my life to Him…It was a powerful experience. I felt a lead weight lift off my soul/spirit…I went home and laid in bed not knowing whether to laugh or cry, tears just flowed tears… I felt washed,loved and forgiven for my lifestyle not pleasing to Him…This lasted for hours and I fell into a deep/restful sleep…I was water baptized a year later and about a year later had a Holy Ghost experience that literally
set my faith on fire to this day…It gave me boldness to share the gospel and passed out hundreds of tracks/talked to people over the years…And the really cool this about this was my best friend/druggy coworker was hearing the gospel from another at the office and he committed his life to Christ that same year…I still remember being together around the burn barrel burning ungody things we had in our possession…It’s been a wonderful life all these years as th Lord works in good times and bad…I had some incredible experiences over the years in answered prayer and provision/blessings of the Lord…

One thing I want to encourage to my catholic broothers and sisters is being bold in sharing the gospel message…I lived/worked in and Italian catholic town now for almost 40 years and the many times I have been approached to talk about Christ has always been from bible christians or JW’s…Not one was catholic…
 
Hiskid1973 said:
I had a powerful/radical born anew/conversion experience Aug.73. It started with a little gospel booklet given to me by a coworker…It didn’t take long for the Holy Spirit to start working…They invited me to an evangelistic meeting and after I heard the gospel presented
I responded asking the Lord for forgiveness and committed my life to Him…It was a powerful experience. I felt a lead weight lift off my soul/spirit…I went home and laid in bed not knowing whether to laugh or cry, tears just flowed tears… I felt washed,loved and forgiven for my lifestyle not pleasing to Him…This lasted for hours and I fell into a deep/restful sleep…I was water baptized a year later and about a year later had a Holy Ghost experience that literally
set my faith on fire to this day…It gave me boldness to share the gospel and passed out hundreds of tracks/talked to people over the years…And the really cool this about this was my best friend/druggy coworker was hearing the gospel from another at the office and he committed his life to Christ that same year…I still remember being together around the burn barrel burning ungody things we had in our possession…It’s been a wonderful life all these years as th Lord works in good times and bad…I had some incredible experiences over the years in answered prayer and provision/blessings of the Lord…

One thing I want to encourage to my catholic broothers and sisters is being bold in sharing the gospel message…I lived/worked in and Italian catholic town now for almost 40 years and the many times I have been approached to talk about Christ has always been from bible christians or JW’s…Not one was catholic…
Click to expand...
Great testimony but could you distill it a bit in order to answer the question in the OP:
“How is one saved?” (without using the term “faith”)

Peace
James
 
JRKH said:
Great testimony but could you distill it a bit in order to answer the question in the OP:
“How is one saved?” (without using the term “faith”)

Peace
James
Click to expand...
Sorry, guess I didn’t understand the question…Still not sure how to answer with out using faith…The Holy Spirit wooed me and I responded to the inner drawing…I choose to believe what I read about His promises…Grace and peace to you also…
 
Hiskid1973 said:
Sorry, guess I didn’t understand the question…Still not sure how to answer with out using faith…The Holy Spirit wooed me and I responded to the inner drawing…I choose to believe what I read about His promises…Grace and peace to you also…
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“We are saved by grace through believing, trusting, clinging to, following and living by His promises.”
 
Publisher said:
“We are saved by grace through believing, trusting, clinging to, following and living by His promises.”
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Ok, thanks…I see what he was looking for…I’m 60 and had a head trauma from a fall at work
years ago which make me a little slow…I also only had 4 hrs of sleep…
 
Hiskid1973 said:
Ok, thanks…I see what he was looking for…I’m 60 and had a head trauma from a fall at work
years ago which make me a little slow…I also only had 4 hrs of sleep…
Click to expand...
I’m 56, no head trauma…and I’m still slow even with 8 hours of sleep.🙂

Enjoyed your testimony by the way friend.
 
Hiskid1973 said:
Sorry, guess I didn’t understand the question…Still not sure how to answer with out using faith…The Holy Spirit wooed me and I responded to the inner drawing…I choose to believe what I read about His promises…Grace and peace to you also…
Click to expand...
Publisher did kind of get the gist…I guess the best way to put the question is this…

If I were a person who had NO IDEA what the word “faith” meant, how oud you explain to me - We are Saved by _______ Alone".

Peace
James
 
John 3
16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
 
Richard_Kastner said:
John 3
16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Click to expand...
So are you saying that SF could be expressed as, "Saved by ‘belief in him’ Alone?

Peace
James
 
JRKH said:
So are you saying that SF could be expressed as, "Saved by ‘belief in him’ Alone?

Peace
James
Click to expand...
One would have to define what the word “belief” means in the passage…is it merely intellectual ascent or does it mean…“believe in, rely on, cling to, trust in, obey…etc”

Merely intellectual ascent I don’t believe (there’s that word:)) doesn’t seem to fit the passage…IMO.
 
How is one Saved?

Mentally accept that the Trinity exists. Change your adult emotional attitudes into a childlike obedience; let Jesus and the Holy Spirit befriend and indwell your thoughts. Transform your daily actions from negative acts of commission and ommission and replace them with positive acts which benefit communion with God and with all His people.
 
Publisher said:
One would have to define what the word “belief” means in the passage…is it merely intellectual ascent or does it mean…“believe in, rely on, cling to, trust in, obey…etc”

Merely intellectual ascent I don’t believe (there’s that word:)) doesn’t seem to fit the passage…IMO.
Click to expand...
Agreed - So “BA”, “Belief Alone” would not be synonomous with “FA” without further explanation.

Peace
James
 
Publisher said:
One would have to define what the word “belief” means in the passage…is it merely intellectual ascent or does it mean…“believe in, rely on, cling to, trust in, obey…etc”

Merely intellectual ascent I don’t believe (there’s that word:)) doesn’t seem to fit the passage…IMO.
Click to expand...
Jn.3
16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Since most of the NT is given to define exactly what is meant by “believeth in him” it is probably safe to say that “believeth in him” means more than “intellectual ascent”. Altho I think that it does mean that also.
If we break the verse down, we see that the plan of salvation originates with the Father. It is He who gives the gift (grace) of His Son. It is when we get into exactly what the gift of His son is given for that the full impact of “believeth in Him” is manifest. If you keep reading in Jn. You get a pretty good idea of what “beleiveth in Him” means

Jn.3
17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
 
JRKH said:
Agreed - So “BA”, “Belief Alone” would not be synonomous with “FA” without further explanation.

Peace
James
Click to expand...
Yes, like Publisher said about what the word “belief” entails…There’s action associated with it
rather that just an intellectual exercise…Like a stove being on just for the sake of it compared to it being on and boiling water…
 
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