What must I do to be saved?

[QuickCat]

Greetings, Mr. QC. Wouldn’t it be great if the New Testament were one sentence long, and this is all it said about salvation? Piece of cake.

But, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that Day [Judgment Day] many will say to me ‘Lord, Lord.’ did we not prophesy in your name, and do many mighty works in your name, and then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from me, you evildoers.’” Mt 7:21-23.

It is God’s will that we keep the Commandments, especially loving Him and our neighbor and doing good for others. There is a very long list of things the NT says we must do to be saved, especially we must persevere to the end of our lives doing God’s will to the best of our ability…

Grace and peace to you, Mr. QC. 'Tis a pleasure to meet you.

Jim Dandy

Mr. Dandy: Our Lord Jesus Christ is addressing Jews under the Law in Mt. 7. The Body of Christ is not in view in this passage. Perservere to the end? Again written to Israel in Mt. 24:13. The context is the tribulation [vs29], the Body of Christ will be long gone before this takes place on earth. You can try to keep that laundry list of things for your salvation, I will place my complete trust in what my Lord and Savior did for me when He went to the cross. I believe with all my heart, soul and spirit that my Lord Jesus Christ paid the full penalty for my sins and I now stand in His perfect righteousness. And this is by grace through faith plus nothing. If you are depending on your works to get you to heaven you will not get there. If you add anything to the gospel of grace you do so at your own peril. I will continue to pray for you.
QC
PS - No copy and paste here.

 

[David_Castlen]

Mr. Dandy: Our Lord Jesus Christ is addressing Jews under the Law in Mt. 7. The Body of Christ is not in view in this passage. Perservere to the end? Again written to Israel in Mt. 24:13. The context is the tribulation [vs29], the Body of Christ will be long gone before this takes place on earth. You can try to keep that laundry list of things for your salvation, I will place my complete trust in what my Lord and Savior did for me when He went to the cross. I believe with all my heart, soul and spirit that my Lord Jesus Christ paid the full penalty for my sins and I now stand in His perfect righteousness. And this is by grace through faith plus nothing. If you are depending on your works to get you to heaven you will not get there. If you add anything to the gospel of grace you do so at your own peril. I will continue to pray for you.
QC
PS - No copy and paste here.

**Tell me if I am wrong:

Chapter 5, 6, and 7 of Matthew is the Sermon on The Mount

The Sermon on the Mount begins (I am going from memory so…)," And when he saw the crowds he went up the mountain and then His disciples came to Him…"

Isn’t His “disciples” what you would call “the saved”?

So, isn’t Christ talking to the saved in chapter 7 ?**

 

[PRmerger]

If you are depending on your works to get you to heaven you will not get there.

Well, then, QC, this is very Catholic of you to say!

 

[TimothyH]

**Tell me if I am wrong:

Chapter 5, 6, and 7 of Matthew is the Sermon on The Mount

The Sermon on the Mount begins (I am going from memory so…)," And when he saw the crowds he went up the mountain and then His disciples came to Him…"

Isn’t His “disciples” what you would call “the saved”?

So, isn’t Christ talking to the saved in chapter 7 ?**

Judas was not saved.

-Tim-

 

[PRmerger]

So, isn’t Christ talking to the saved in chapter 7

No one is “saved”, David, until he dies. Period.

“Saved” means being in heaven. Thus, we cannot know until, well, we are in heaven or we are in hell.

 

[David_Castlen]

No one is “saved”, David, until he dies. Period.

“Saved” means being in heaven. Thus, we cannot know until, well, we are in heaven or we are in hell.

**I understand, PR. That is why I put “saved” in parathesis; to indicate I was using the term in his (the person who said that Christ was talking to Jews who had not accepted Him) language. That is: “Saved” are those that accept Christ.

In his comment he indicated that Christ was not talking to those who were “saved” in chapter 7. You and I would call what he calls “saved” as His (Christ’s) disciples.

T**o me, it is clear that (in fact) Christ was talking to those who had accepted Him as the Savior. He (Christ) was talking to His disciples. I reference the first paragraph in Chapter 5.

---

Sorry for the ambiguity. Yes, “saved” ultimately means going to heaven; but I can tell you when you are in the state of grace and are charitable and doing the will of God - you will think you are in heaven. Try it, you will like. it:thumbsup:

 

[PRmerger]

That is: “Saved” are those that accept Christ.

Can you provide a Bible verse for this, please, David?

Yes, “saved” ultimately means going to heaven; but I can tell you when you are in the state of grace and are charitable and doing the will of God - you will think you are in heaven. Try it, you will like. it:thumbsup:

Indeed. And Catholics in the state of grace experience heaven (literally and spiritually, not just “think” they are in heaven) at each and every Mass.

 

[fhansen]

I believe with all my heart, soul and spirit that my Lord Jesus Christ paid the full penalty for my sins and I now stand in His perfect righteousness.

QuickCat, you can congratulate yourself all you want for the level of faith and trust you believe you’ve placed in the work of Jesus but that will never impress anyone who knows the full, authentic gospel of salvation.

Because the work is ongoing, the work requires our following in the steps of our Lord, and the work is a work of God, the Potter molding the clay, because sin has always been the culprit which separates man from God and He won’t rest until we’re the perfect beings He’s simply always intended us to be. That’s the key to heaven, to our being capable of seeing God, made possible by the Atonement.

God’s not interested in mere faith-He’s interested in who we are.

 

[Jim_Dandy]

Mr. Dandy: Our Lord Jesus Christ is addressing Jews under the Law in Mt. 7. The Body of Christ is not in view in this passage. Perservere to the end? Again written to Israel in Mt. 24:13. The context is the tribulation [vs29], the Body of Christ will be long gone before this takes place on earth. You can try to keep that laundry list of things for your salvation, I will place my complete trust in what my Lord and Savior did for me when He went to the cross. I believe with all my heart, soul and spirit that my Lord Jesus Christ paid the full penalty for my sins and I now stand in His perfect righteousness. And this is by grace through faith plus nothing. If you are depending on your works to get you to heaven you will not get there. If you add anything to the gospel of grace you do so at your own peril. I will continue to pray for you.
QC
PS - No copy and paste here.

Mr. QC – The New Testament, which you are referring to here, consists of 27 of the Catholic Church’s own writings. They were written by Catholics, to Catholics, and for Catholics. It was not written for anyone who did not already belong to the Church. It has to be interpreted with that in mind.

The items on the “laundry list” are all from the NT. God’s requirements.

Faith Alone (Sola Fide), was invented by Luther in the 16th century. It was not taught by Christ and the Apostles, and is not found in the NT. The works St. Paul refers to, comparing them to faith, are the works required by the Jewish law. You (and others) are reading *Faith Alone * into the NT.

James 2:42 - "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone."

No, I’m not depending on works to get me to heaven. That’s a Protestant myth. But God does require us to do “good works”. We can’t get to heaven without them. Read Matthew 25:31-46. Don’t be a goat, Mr. QC. But works don’t save us. We are saved by GRACE through faith working through love (Gal 5:6). It’s all GRACE, Mr. QC. We can do nothing without grace.

PS - No copy and paste here.

Peace be with you,

Jim Dandy

 

[pablope]

Mr. Dandy: Our Lord Jesus Christ is addressing Jews under the Law in Mt. 7.

I believe with all my heart, soul and spirit that my Lord Jesus Christ paid the full penalty for my sins and I now stand in His perfect righteousness. And this is by grace through faith plus nothing.

PS - No copy and paste here.

Hi, Mr QC…since you are so confident of this, let me ask you a question:

From the Parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25 (short portions only):

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

Those on the right, made themselves righteous by their actions. Those on the left did not.

So my question to you: If what you say, that “my Lord Jesus Christ paid the full penalty for my sins and I now stand in His perfect righteousness”…then why were the goats not declared righteous? Why were they not covered in Christ’s perfect righteousness to be seen as righteous?

 

[Jim_Dandy]

:thumbsup:You are so clear. Jim Dandy to the risque Jim Dany to the risque; go Jim Dandy to:thumbsup:

I saw this a few hundred posts ago and couldn’t remember where it was so I could thank you. I finally realized I could search for it and CAF would find it for me. Hilarious.

I didn’t know about the song until someone on the forum told me. I got the name from my ole grandpappy from Oklahoma who, when he was pleased about something, would say, “Well, I’ll declare. That’s just Jim Dandy.”

But I’m crazy 'bout that song.

Much obliged!

 

[QuickCat]

Seems to me you ignore the context of Mt. 25. It is the 2nd advent of the LORD Jesus Christ [vs 31-46. He is going to set up His kingdom [34] and He will judge the nations and Israel. Israel = sheep, nations = goats. The nations will be judged according to how they have treated Israel [40]. This takes place after the Body of Christ has been “caught up” [1 Thess 4:13-18; Titus 2:13]. No church-age believers will be in this judgement. BTW, at this time the 12 circumcision apostles will “sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel” [Mt 19:28]. And this is when they will use the great power given to them in Mt. 16:19 and John 20:23]. Repeat: This has Israel and the nations in view, not the Body of Christ.

 

[QuickCat]

Hansen: Are you saying that the Lord Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection is not the gospel by which one is saved in this dispensation of the grace of God [1 Cor 15:1-5; Eph. 3:2]? Paul calls it the “gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have received, and in which ye stand; BY WHICH ALSO YE ARE SAVED…” Further, Paul writes that “In whom ye trusted, after ye heard the GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION; in whom also AFTER YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE.” [Eph. 1:13].

 

[Cruxis117]

Seems to me you ignore the context of Mt. 25. It is the 2nd advent of the LORD Jesus Christ [vs 31-46. He is going to set up His kingdom [34] and He will judge the nations and Israel. Israel = sheep, nations = goats. The nations will be judged according to how they have treated Israel [40]. This takes place after the Body of Christ has been “caught up” [1 Thess 4:13-18; Titus 2:13]. No church-age believers will be in this judgement. BTW, at this time the 12 circumcision apostles will “sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel” [Mt 19:28]. And this is when they will use the great power given to them in Mt. 16:19 and John 20:23]. Repeat: This has Israel and the nations in view, not the Body of Christ.

Mat 25:31 And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty.
Mat 25:32 And *all nations * shall be gathered together before him: and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.
Mat 25:34 Then shall the king say to them that shall be on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
**Mat 25:35 For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in:
Mat 25:36 Naked, and you covered me: sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me.
Mat 25:37 Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry and fed thee: thirsty and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38 Or when did we see thee a stranger and took thee in? Or naked and covered thee?
Mat 25:39 Or when did we see thee sick or in prison and came to thee?
Mat 25:40 And the king answering shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me. **

Notice it never says Israel anywhere in this passage. The focus of this is not of treating Israel in some special sort of way, but of the sheep (the Christians, for Jesus is the Shepherd) treating the poor, the hungry, and the sick with respect, helping them. Jesus likens himself to these poor, hungry, and sick people, even though he is still the King. Note that it clearly says all the nations. Not, “all the nations and Israel.” This does not have Israel and the nations in view, only the nations and the body of Christians. Furthermore, the Apostles were not given their authority for some later date, but starting from the moment of their ministry to now, with their successor. This is why in John 20:23, we see the use of present tense. Not future tense. The words clearly deliniate that they have this authority now. I’m assuming you’re referring to the Rapture, in regards to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and Titus 2:11-13. The problem with the idea of a Rapture is that it presupposes two Resurrections, Two Returns of Christ, etc. This is not the Gospel.

 

[pablope]

Seems to me you ignore the context of Mt. 25. It is the 2nd advent of the LORD Jesus Christ [vs 31-46. He is going to set up His kingdom [34] and He will judge the nations and Israel. Israel = sheep, nations = goats. The nations will be judged according to how they have treated Israel [40]. This takes place after the Body of Christ has been “caught up” [1 Thess 4:13-18; Titus 2:13]. No church-age believers will be in this judgement. BTW, at this time the 12 circumcision apostles will “sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel” [Mt 19:28]. And this is when they will use the great power given to them in Mt. 16:19 and John 20:23]. Repeat: This has Israel and the nations in view, not the Body of Christ.

Mr QC…I would suggest that you ask very critical questions of who taught you the the sheep is Israel and the goats are the other nations.

The parable of the sheep and goats is the final judgement, at it says…“all the nations” and there are no distinctions…whether you believe it is pre or post tribulation.

Here is the opening verses:

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 **All the nations **will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

And this is where you can apply Matt 7:21

Matt 7:221 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

The sheep are the ones who did the will of the Father.

And Rev 20:

Rev 20:
12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

This is where you are judged “according to your works”…where the sheep inherited the kingdom because they made themselves righteous, and the goats did not make themselves righteous…and were not covered by Christ to mask their unrighteousness…see Matt 7:23:

23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

 

[QuickCat]

Questions:
Mt. 25 - Is this our Lord speaking during His earthly ministry?
His earthly ministry was to whom? - Hint: Mt 15:24 The lost ________ of the house of _____."
When He sent the 12 out to preach the “gospel of the kingdom;” Did He tell them to go only to the “lost ________ of the house of Israel?” Hint: Mt 10:6. Fill in the blank.
Did He call Israel “sheep” or “goats”?
Is the title “Son of man” ever used of our Lord Jesus Christ in His relationship to the Body of Christ? Hint: Do you find this title of our Lord ever used in Paul’s epistles [Rom - Phil]?
No, my friend, the “sheep” = Israel and the “goats” = the nations!
You err in thinking there is one general judgement. At the “great white throne” judgement only the lost stand there. And you are quite correct, they are “judged according to their works.” They were depending on their “good works” to get them to heaven. Unfortunately, salvation is not by works.

 

[QuickCat]

. I’m assuming you’re referring to the Rapture, in regards to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and Titus 2:11-13. The problem with the idea of a Rapture is that it presupposes two Resurrections, Two Returns of Christ, etc. This is not the Gospel.

Re: Mt. 25:34 Notice that they are to "inherit the kingdom prepared for [you - Israel] FROM the foundation of the world. This is the kingdom promised to Israel. I was “chosen in Him, BEFORE the foundation of the world” [Eph. 1:4].
There are two comings [to earth] - 1st and 2nd advent! The “catching up” of the Body of Christ is not a coming to earth. He is coming in the clouds [not to earth]. When my Lord “catches me up” in the clouds I shall ever be with Him. Of course this is not the gospe [of salvation]. The gospel is found in 1 Cor. 15:1-4!

 

[fhansen]

Hansen: Are you saying that the Lord Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection is not the gospel by which one is saved in this dispensation of the grace of God [1 Cor 15:1-5; Eph. 3:2]? Paul calls it the “gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have received, and in which ye stand; BY WHICH ALSO YE ARE SAVED…” Further, Paul writes that “In whom ye trusted, after ye heard the GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION; in whom also AFTER YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE.” [Eph. 1:13].

The problem with your doctrine, IMO, is that it means that God’s no longer concerned with who man is, but rather with who man is imputed to be. He’s no longer concerned with mans being righteous-a righteousness that comes from Him-but solely with mans faith. And while ‘the righteous man shall live by faith’, this is in no way meant to imply that the righteous man need not be truly righteous-as if faith, alone, could somehow provide a substitute for our righteousness.

And this errant doctrine introduces an evil, IMO, because since the beginning of mankind God has been working to restore order, to restore justice, to restore righteousness to a creation which fell by man *willingly *rebelling against His perfect order. And since man’s will is the problem, God’s purpose is to help man willingly rise again, to the degree he can. This is Gods’ perfect world-where creation actually aligns itself with His will after seeing-knowing-the evil that befalls us when we reject the good that He is, like the Prodigal returning home.

And I might agree that you’ve probably correctly discerned the intended message of a centuries-old book (although intentions are difficult enough to discern in written material even when the book doesn’t involve spiritual realities) if it weren’t for the fact that there are so many other verses in the bible emanating from Jesus, Paul, and others that squarely place the onus on ourselves to strive, to persevere, to keep oil in our lamps, invest our talents, be perfect, be holy, be righteous, etc. with dire consequences if we don’t.

Now none of this takes anything away from the work of Jesus because no salvation is possible without Him. That’s the point-‘with man nothing is possible, with God all things are possible’; even making man truly righteous is possible. And why not? -God never intended man to sin to begin with.

So the message of the New Covenant is not that God suddenly changed His mind and no longer cares about whether or not man is righteous. The message is that mans’ righteousness was always meant to come from and through his creator, God, himself. Only a direct, indwelling communion with his creator can keep man from sin. This is the lesson that man must learn: simply that he needs God. IOW, man doesn’t need to fulfill the Law in order to have relationship with God, rather man must have relationship with God in order to fulfill the Law. And the Atonement makes this relationship possible again.

Then God can place a new heart in man, then God can write His Laws on our hearts and in our minds as per Jer 31, becoming the God of man, individually, again, enabling man to fulfill the greatest commandments, enabling man to see God, which is really the meaning of the term “heaven”. Scripture tells us that no sinners will enter heaven. Of course they won’t -sin and heaven, sin and love, sin and God are mutually exclusive-because, in the end, sin is actually the rejection of God after all. And this is why the CC is adamant that we must have no attachments to anything other than Him first and foremost, i.e. attachments to sin, in order to enter heaven. Our sins are forgiven, but we must go, and sin no more.

 

[fpesce]

The problem with your doctrine, IMO, is that it means that God’s no longer concerned with who man is, but rather with who man is imputed to be. He’s no longer concerned with mans being righteous-a righteousness that comes from Him-but solely with mans faith. And while ‘the righteous man shall live by faith’, this is in no way meant to imply that the righteous man need not be truly righteous-as if faith, alone, could somehow provide a substitute for our righteousness.

And this errant doctrine introduces an evil, IMO, because since the beginning of mankind God has been working to restore order, to restore justice, to restore righteousness to a creation which fell by man *willingly *rebelling against His perfect order. And since man’s will is the problem, God’s purpose is to help man willingly rise again, to the degree he can. This is Gods’ perfect world-where creation actually aligns itself with His will after seeing-knowing-the evil that befalls us when we reject the good that He is, like the Prodigal returning home.

And I might agree that you’ve probably correctly discerned the intended message of a centuries-old book (although intentions are difficult enough to discern in written material even when the book doesn’t involve spiritual realities) if it weren’t for the fact that there are so many other verses in the bible emanating from Jesus, Paul, and others that squarely place the onus on ourselves to strive, to persevere, to keep oil in our lamps, invest our talents, be perfect, be holy, be righteous, etc. with dire consequences if we don’t.

Now none of this takes anything away from the work of Jesus because no salvation is possible without Him. That’s the point-‘with man nothing is possible, with God all things are possible’; even making man truly righteous is possible. And why not? -God never intended man to sin to begin with.

So the message of the New Covenant is not that God suddenly changed His mind and no longer cares about whether or not man is righteous. The message is that mans’ righteousness was always meant to come from and through his creator, God, himself. Only a direct, indwelling communion with his creator can keep man from sin. This is the lesson that man must learn: simply that he needs God. IOW, man doesn’t need to fulfill the Law in order to have relationship with God, rather man must have relationship with God in order to fulfill the Law. And the Atonement makes this relationship possible again.

Then God can place a new heart in man, then God can write His Laws on our hearts and in our minds as per Jer 31, becoming the God of man, individually, again, enabling man to fulfill the greatest commandments, enabling man to see God, which is really the meaning of the term “heaven”. Scripture tells us that no sinners will enter heaven. Of course they won’t -sin and heaven, sin and love, sin and God are mutually exclusive-because, in the end, sin is actually the rejection of God after all. And this is why the CC is adamant that we must have no attachments to anything other than Him first and foremost, i.e. attachments to sin, in order to enter heaven. Our sins are forgiven, but we must go, and sin no more.

How can you be so close to the answer and be so wrong? I agree God can do all things. You talk about the NEW COVENANT and yes there is a new covenant. But that new covenant is what in Jesus’s words at the Last Supper were, " “This cup is the new covenant in My blood". The new and everlasting covenant, it will be shed for you…and all men.

In other words Jesus has already done the work for us.Jesus has fulfilled the new covenant. It is all the work of Jesus. Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God. The perfect sacrifice for our sins. Only through Jesus can we be saved to eternal life with God. He is the door. Our works mean NOTHING without JESUS. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of GOD. That means sin has entered into our lives. Therefore we are dead.

If you think you can repent and live a perfect life from now on and go to heaven through your works you are totally misled. Who shall ascend to heaven? Only Jesus. He alone is worthy. Worthy to be praised, forever and ever.

Jesus suffered and died on the cross for us! He is perfect and He gave His life willingly. He said no one takes my life, I give it willingly. Jesus had no sin in Him. Therefore “death” never had a hold on Him. He could not die, even through all the abuse of man and devils. He gave His life willingly. Get it???

Then He cried out to the Father, “Forgive them for they know not what they do”. Only by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, believing He was God, came from God and was born of the Virgin Mary and became man. That He died for us so our sins may be forgiven. (Read the creed).

Only by Jesus “works” are we saved. If we believe in Him we are saved. It’s as simple as that. Jesus died for all our sins, past present and future, once and for all! That is were our righteousness comes from. From Jesus.

 

[Tomster]

How can you be so close to the answer and be so wrong? I agree God can do all things. You talk about the NEW COVENANT and yes there is a new covenant. But that new covenant is what in Jesus’s words at the Last Supper were, " “This cup is the new covenant in My blood". The new and everlasting covenant, it will be shed for you…and all men.

In other words Jesus has already done the work for us.Jesus has fulfilled the new covenant. It is all the work of Jesus. Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God. The perfect sacrifice for our sins. Only through Jesus can we be saved to eternal life with God. He is the door. Our works mean NOTHING without JESUS. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of GOD. That means sin has entered into our lives. Therefore we are dead.

If you think you can repent and live a perfect life from now on and go to heaven through your works you are totally misled. Who shall ascend to heaven? Only Jesus. He alone is worthy. Worthy to be praised, forever and ever.

Jesus suffered and died on the cross for us! He is perfect and He gave His life willingly. He said no one takes my life, I give it willingly. Jesus had no sin in Him. Therefore “death” never had a hold on Him. He could not die, even through all the abuse of man and devils. He gave His life willingly. Get it???

Then He cried out to the Father, “Forgive them for they know not what they do”. Only by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, believing He was God, came from God and was born of the Virgin Mary and became man. That He died for us so our sins may be forgiven. (Read the creed).

Only by Jesus “works” are we saved. If we believe in Him we are saved. It’s as simple as that. Jesus died for all our sins, past present and future, once and for all! That is were our righteousness comes from. From Jesus.

Did St. Paul teach justification by faith alone? If you believe he did, a very haunting question remains: Why didn’t St. Paul use the specific phrase “faith alone” anywhere in his New Testament writings? A thorough study of his epistles reveals that St. Paul used the word “faith” and its cognates over two hundred times in the New Testament, but not once did he couple them with the adjectival qualifiers “alone” or “only”. Are we to believe that though he intended to teach justification by “faith alone,” he was never convinced that he should employ the attributes of the word “alone” to express explicitly what he invariably meant? What would have curtailed him from such an important qualification if indeed the solitude of faith in regard to justification was on the forefront of his mind?