What must I do to be saved?

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djrakowski said:
It is notable that this is a Protestant’s opinion (Thanks for being honest with us, MFM! 👍). I find the use of the word ‘opinion’ particularly interesting, considering that God promised to send the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth, and clearly, truth isn’t dependent on our opinion of it.
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Dj,
Thanks but I put “my opinion” out of respect for you guys, and the fact that you all allow fundies like me to be here on this forum…
I am guided in all necessary truths by the Holy Spirit.
Simon
 
MariaG said:
How did the groups recieve them from God and who were the groups?
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Moses came down from the mountain with the 10 commandments, gave them the first 5 books, etc, the Law and the prophets.

Jesus quoted from all the OT books. The Apostles wrote down the Gospels and the Epistles and passed them around to all the churches.
 
gracelife said:
What must I do to be saved?
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gracelife said:
What are the minimal requirements?

I’m not asking “minimal requirements” to try to circumvent anything, simply, what do you believe the gospel teaches us regarding the above questions.
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Jesus said to the Apostles in Mk 16:15-16 to go out & preach the Gospel to all creation and that he who would believe AND be baptized would be saved, and he who would not believe would be condemned.

So Jesus makes it very clear how to be saved, i.e., to be liberated from all that oppresses us, especially slavery to sin and the dominance of the evil one so that we may come to know the love of God and live for him here on earth so that we may enjoy his presence in eternity. Hear the Gospel as preached by the Apostles, believe it and be baptized. Simple steps but it takes time & commitment.

And since nowhere does the Bible claim to have a summary of this Gospel that the apostles preached & taught, then the only way to know it is by listening to Jesus’ Church, the Catholic Church, the pillar & foundation of truth (1 Tim 3:15).

This Gospel can be found in summary form in the Roman Catechism as well as the Catechism of the Catholic Church - the creed, sacraments, commandments & prayer. That was the Gospel the Apostles & St Paul preached.
 
kaycee said:
Moses came down from the mountain with the 10 commandments, gave them the first 5 books, etc, the Law and the prophets.
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Fine… we agree (mostly) on the Old Testament.
kaycee said:
Jesus quoted from all the OT books. The Apostles wrote down the Gospels and the Epistles and passed them around to all the churches.
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The apostles wrote them down, but they wrote down lots of other things that weren’t included in the Bible. Why does the New Testament contain what it does today, and how do you know it contains only what it should, and all of what it should?

How do you know that only what is written down as the New Testament was being passed around to all the churches?

When did the New Testament as you know it come into being, and what process was followed to compile it as such?
 
myfavoritmartin said:
Dj,
Thanks but I put “my opinion” out of respect for you guys, and the fact that you all allow fundies like me to be here on this forum…
I am guided in all necessary truths by the Holy Spirit.
Simon
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Simon, tons of people make the claim that they are guided in all necessary truths by the Holy Spirit. Those same people claim also to be guided to a true interpretation of scripture by the Holy Spirit. Where do you turn when two Spirit-guided Christians come to different conclusions about what the Bible says, and what constitutes necessary truth? In other words, how does one determine which of these multifarious Protestant opinions is the correct one?
 
What The Bible Says You Must Do To Be Saved
1. Ask for God’s help: Rom. 10:13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
2. Believe in Jesus: Acts 16:30-31 “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” [Paul & Silas] replied, “Believe in Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”
3. Confess Jesus as your Lord: Rom. 10:9 If you confess with mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
4. Repent of your sins: 2 Cor 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation.
5. Be baptized: Acts 2:38 Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ that your sins may be forgiven. Mk. 16:16 (Jesus said) Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.
6. Love God & love neighbor: Luke 10:25-28 An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the law?” Jesus asked, “How do you read it?” He answered: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart’; and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied, “Do this and you will live.”
**7. Keep the Ten Commandments: *Mt. 19:17 [Jesus said], “If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”
8. Receive Holy Communion: John 6:51-58 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.”
9. Pursue holiness: Heb. 12:14 Make every effort to…be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. James 1:21 Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Rom. 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
10. Do God’s will: p Matt. 7:21 [Jesus said], “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father which is in heaven.” 1 John 2:17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. Matt. 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.
11. Obey Christ: Heb. 5:9 [Jesus is] the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. Acts 3:23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be complete cut off.
12. Do good works: Rom. 2:6-7 [On the day of judgment] God will give to each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. James 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?…Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead…You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. (also, Matt. 25:31-46)
13. Share in Christ’s suffering: Rom. 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
14. Die in a state of grace: Heb. 6:4-6 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again ad subjecting him to public disgrace. Note: To fall away, in the Greek language of the New Testament, expresses the idea of irrevocably turning one’s back on the gospel.
 
MariaG said:
Have you ever tried a Novena?

I have friends who have asked God repeatedly for direction. It was not until they followed the example that Christ gave that their answer finally became clear. And then it was extremely clear and they could “see” where God had been talking to them all along.

Your sister in Christ,
Maria
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Which example of Christ?
 
kaycee said:
If God can form the universe out of nothing God can keep his Word straight in spite of humans. <><
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Speculation prompted by your theological needs I would say…

…and apparently contrary to the facts: either God kept his “Word straight” through the Catholic Church and the Catholic canon of Scripture is correct and has been for over 1700 years or He didnt keep it straight until 475 years ago as you propose. Which is it? He kept it straight or He didnt?
 
Originally Posted by gracelife
What must I do to be saved?
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Acts 16:29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.”
 
kaycee said:
Acts 16:29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.”
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A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”
“All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:18-25, NIV)
 
kaycee said:
Acts 16:29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.”
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He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:15-16, NIV)
 
kaycee said:
Acts 16:29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.”
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What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:14-26, NIV)
 
djrakowski said:
Fine… we agree (mostly) on the Old Testament.
The apostles wrote them down, but they wrote down lots of other things that weren’t included in the Bible. Why does the New Testament contain what it does today, and how do you know it contains only what it should, and all of what it should?

How do you know that only what is written down as the New Testament was being passed around to all the churches?
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God guided the OT saints and the NT saints in recognizing His Word. “My sheep hear my voice and they follow Me”
When did the New Testament as you know it come into being, and what process was followed to compile it as such?
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From the earliest times a substantial part of the New Testament was available to the believers. The four Gospels were known and read in the Churches. The letters of Apostles Paul and Peter were circulated and used even while the Apostles lived. These New Testament books did not become authoritative because they were being formally accepted as Scripture by any church or group of churches but rather because the believers received them as inspired, recognizing in their Apostolic authority the very Word of God. The only questionable books being Jude, 2 Pet, Johns 3 epistles and Hebrews.
 
What good is it, my brothers, if **a man claims **to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
** You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.** Demons have faith, but certainly not a saving faith.

You can CLAIM to have faith but without any works that prove you have saving faith, your CLAIM of faith is most likely the demonic kind/ head faith/ non saving faith.
 
djrakowski said:
A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”
“All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:18-25, NIV)
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Do all Catholics keep all the commandments? Do all Catholics sell everything they have and give to the poor? How many will have treasure in Heaven?
 
kaycee said:
God guided the OT saints and the NT saints in recognizing His Word. “My sheep hear my voice and they follow Me”
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Who were those New Testament saints who recognized His Word and compiled it into the New Testament? And why do you trust that what they did is correct?
kaycee said:
From the earliest times a substantial part of the New Testament was available to the believers. The four Gospels were known and read in the Churches. The letters of Apostles Paul and Peter were circulated and used even while the Apostles lived. These New Testament books did not become authoritative because they were being formally accepted as Scripture by any church or group of churches but rather because the believers received them as inspired, recognizing in their Apostolic authority the very Word of God. The only questionable books being Jude, 2 Pet, Johns 3 epistles and Hebrews.
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I notice that you said that portions of the New Testament were circulated amongst the churches while the apostles lived, but not every church had every portion that every other church had. In other words, not every church had the entire New Testament, and were therefore lacking the fullness of revelation. Unless, of course, you believe in an authoritative body of lived, oral tradition.

You also mentioned that the writings were accepted as scriptured because ‘the believers received them as inspired.’ There are Mormons who make the same claim about the Book of Mormon, and Muslims claim the same thing about the Koran. Luther wanted to jettison the book of James as an ‘epistle of straw,’ and yet, other communities of believers rightly opposed him. Was Luther right, or were those other communities of believers right?

If the books of Jude, 2 Peter, 1-3 John and Hebrews are questionable, why should I believe that there are no other parts of the Bible that are questionable? What other portions of God’s inspired word are you prepared to jettison? This isn’t a very reliable standard from which to draw doctrine, practice and moral teaching if I can’t even trust that the correct writings have been included in it!

Now you’re left with, as RC Sproul has been quoted as saying, a fallible collection of infallible books. You’ve also admitted that you’re not sure that certain things should be there, but offer no authority as to why that’s the case. How do you know there shouldn’t be other works in there, just as there are works you believe shouldn’t be in there?

Someone, or a group of someones, decided what should be in the Bible. Why do you trust their judgment on the canon, when you don’t trust their judgment on interpretation?
 
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