The bare bones requirement is having sanctifying grace in your soul, that is why even infants can be saved.The Catholic and Orthodox churches have a lot of doctrines. Protestant churches vary from having many doctrines to having very few. Which do you think/does your church teach are the doctrines one absolutely must believe in in order to be saved, and which ones can one be mistaken about and still be saved?
I’ve always found this question fascinating. If you are on fire for God why would you (and I don’t mean you personally) want to do the minimum? I can promise you whatever the minimum is God expects you to do more than just the minimum.The Catholic and Orthodox churches have a lot of doctrines. Protestant churches vary from having many doctrines to having very few. Which do you think/does your church teach are the doctrines one absolutely must believe in in order to be saved, and which ones can one be mistaken about and still be saved?
I can give a very easy answer to why one would want to the minimum? And this is based on my own personal experience. If you came to faith through fear of Hell, it would lead one to want to do just the minimum.I’ve always found this question fascinating. If you are on fire for God why would you (and I don’t mean you personally) want to do the minimum? I can promise you whatever the minimum is God expects you to do more than just the minimum.
But is Salvation connected to the two commandments? I tend to take a fairly legalistic view on how Salvation works. By this I mean that, within Scripture, I try to be careful about not connecting things to Salvation. I guess I have dealt with too many who play loose on this and it always ends up in a works-based Salvation. After all, you see the so-called Lorship Salvation proponents arguing that unless someone makes Jesus ‘Lord of their life’ and forsakes everything, they can’t really be Saved. This ‘Lord of your life’ stuff comes from bad exegesis of Romans 10:9 and the word ‘kurios’ which is translated as Lord. From my understanding, confessing Jesus as Lord was not some meta-physical spiritualized thing, it was affirming that Jesus is God (‘kurios’ is used in the Septuagint as a title for God). And ‘forsaking everything’ is connected to discipleship, not Salvation (or eternal life as Jesus terms it). In the Greek, the word used for disciple is ‘mathetes’ and the word(s) for eternal life is ‘aionios zoe’ (both translations are according to Strong’s Concordance). Another example of problems caused by playing loose with Scripture is how the Baptists think drinking alcohol and dancing are sinful.More than belief is necessary for salvation. Jesus summarized it in the two great commandments. Everything else is, or should be, aimed at helping us obey them.
HiWhat is absolutely necessary for salvation?
Just wanted to clarify: I’m not asking this so I know the least I can do and get away with, because that’s not my viewpoint at all. I asked this question because I’m a Protestant, and from what I’ve seen Catholics (and Orthodox) have many, many doctrines, all of which they hold to steadfastly. Protestants have less doctrines and think some Catholic doctrines are wrong. So, which doctrines are absolutely necessary in such a way that if you deny them you are no longer Christian? For instance, Immaculate Conception – Catholics believe it is true, it is Catholic dogma, but if you deny it will God deny you, or will He just say “by the way, you were wrong about this” and accept your repentance? (Immaculate Conception was the first example that sprang to my mind – this question is not about that particular doctrine!)I’ve always found this question fascinating. If you are on fire for God why would you (and I don’t mean you personally) want to do the minimum? I can promise you whatever the minimum is God expects you to do more than just the minimum.
I think I understand what you’re asking and my comment wasn’t directed at you. I have no doubt that you are a zealous person who is on fire for God.Just wanted to clarify: I’m not asking this so I know the least I can do and get away with, because that’s not my viewpoint at all. I asked this question because I’m a Protestant, and from what I’ve seen Catholics (and Orthodox) have many, many doctrines, all of which they hold to steadfastly. Protestants have less doctrines and think some Catholic doctrines are wrong. So, which doctrines are absolutely necessary in such a way that if you deny them you are no longer Christian? For instance, Immaculate Conception – Catholics believe it is true, it is Catholic dogma, but if you deny it will God deny you, or will He just say “by the way, you were wrong about this” and accept your repentance? (Immaculate Conception was the first example that sprang to my mind – this question is not about that particular doctrine!)
How does one attain this grace?. Besides all christian denominations believe in some sort of Grace. Although it is a right answer.grace
You can’t attain grace. Grace by definition is unmerited. You can’t earn it at all. GOD as you say gives it to us freely. John 3:16 sums it up. It’s only by GOD’s grace that we have Jesus. If we accept HIM as our savior we are saved. If not we face GOD’s judgement plain and simple. There’s no such thing as getting more grace by say getting married. That makes no sense. That’s saying that an action we take can earn us more grace which contradicts the meaning of Grace.How does one attain this grace?. Besides all christian denominations believe in some sort of Grace. Although it is a right answer.
This disagreement you raise is the misunderstood Doctrine of Grace between Sola fide, and the Sacramental Graces instituted by Jesus Christ, That sustains the Christian in the Grace of God.You can’t attain grace. Grace by definition is unmerited. You can’t earn it at all. GOD as you say gives it to us freely. John 3:16 sums it up. It’s only by GOD’s grace that we have Jesus.
If we accept HIM as our savior we are saved. If not we face GOD’s judgement plain and simple.
NDfan, The statement you just mentioned above, what did you have to do to attain Grace? These are your words, an action has to take place.
Now for a Catholic to begin a life of Grace in God, Baptism is an action taken, even at infancy Catholics can recieve the Graces from God. The baptised infant does not have to accept Jesus as his personal savior, because Grace is freely given by God. Not earned.
There’s no such thing as getting more grace by say getting married. That makes no sense. That’s saying that an action we take can earn us more grace which contradicts the meaning of Grace.
Where exactly did Jesus institute this is a sacrament? I remember him saying that divorce was not permitted (with one exception) and saying that marriage should be permanent. I don’t see the connection between that and marriage being instituted as a sacrament though, or how Jesus’ coming changed the nature of marriage. God is Love, before and after Jesus’ coming.Jesus Brought back marriage to its original state from Genesis creation, and instituted it as a Holy Sacred Sacrament between man and woman…It becomes Sacramental because God is Love, and this visible sign Instituted by Jesus Christ the Word of God, confer the Grace that they signify. God’s Grace is not limited, we can grow in God’s Grace.
Matthew 19 said:3 And there came to him the Pharisees tempting him, and saying: Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4 Who answering, said to them: Have ye not read, that he who made man from the beginning, Made them male and female? And he said: 5 For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be in one flesh.
6 Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. 7 They say to him: Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorce, and to put away? 8 He saith to them: Because Moses by reason of the hardness of your heart permitted you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that shall marry her that is put away, committeth adultery. 10 His disciples say unto him: If the case of a man with his wife be so, it is not expedient to marry.
Acts4 said:31 And when they had prayed, the place was moved wherein they were assembled; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the word of God with confidence. 32 And the multitude of believers had but one heart and one soul: neither did any one say that aught of the things which he possessed, was his own; but all things were common unto them. 33 And with great power did the apostles give testimony of the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord; and great grace was in them all. 34 For neither was there any one needy among them. For as many as were owners of lands or houses, sold them, and brought the price of the things they sold, 35 And laid it down before the feet of the apostles. And distribution was made to every one, according as he had need.