Why Try to Earn What Has Already Been Freely Given

 

Easter is just about here.  Even without the calendar showing the most important Christian Holy day, it’s usually easier to tell when Easter is close because of an increase in Anti-Christian news, Jesus Conspiracy theories or political theologies.  So far, I’ve not seen any overly blasphemous stories as I have in the past, but plenty of folks talking about their versions of Christ or theological beliefs, such as a recent segment with Bill O’Reilly talking about whether there is life after death where he stated more than a few times that one has to earn their way into heaven.

This is a popular misconception, because it’s hard to accept such a simple message of the Gospel, that faith in the Grace of God’s freely given salvation is all there is to it.  There are plenty of arguments which try and prove that one must do good works, but the fact is, if one knows the Bible, no matter how many works we can do, none of those will ever be enough to earn our own way. If that was the case, then Jesus never would have died on the cross for the rest of us. Faith in His gift and trust in Him is all that is required to enter Heaven, the works we do once we’re saved will be tested, but our works are not the basis of our Salvation, we continue doing works once we’re saved, but they are for Him, not us.
Unsaved people do good things all the time, I used to do good before I was saved, but I know anything that I did, no matter how good, would never be good enough to match what Jesus already did. Faith is simple, but not easy. But a sincere faith and trust in Jesus is all that is required.  If this was not so, the thief on the cross never would have had the promise that Jesus Himself gave, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
Did the thief have time to do works? No, but he did recognize Who Jesus is, and acknowledged that Jesus was sinless, yet taking on punishment for sins of others. He recognized Jesus as the Son of God and stated it publically, and asked out of simple faith to remember him when Jesus came into His Kingdom.
Biblical Christianity is different than any other religion, philosophy or ideology.  Pastor Jeffress was Bill O’Reilly’s guest for that segment, and a quote he said years ago is still true, “Every religion in the world except Christianity is spelled ‘D-O,’ only Christianity is spelled ‘D-O-N-E.’”
I read a second story, about Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City Mayor, who told the New York Times, “I am telling you if there is a God, when I get to heaven I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I am heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven.”
This is similar to those who believe they can or must earn their way into heaven with good works.  Yet the former mayor’s words are so much more of a wide belief among seculars- that they don’t know for sure if there is a god and are often the same people often times who mock Christians beliefs saying “My god would never…”


Read the rest of this PolitiChicks.tv article here: http://politichicks.tv/column/try-earn-already-freely-given/#Dt6Ti4jssatMEISI.99

 

Easter is just about here.  Even without the calendar showing the most important Christian Holy day, it’s usually easier to tell when Easter is close because of an increase in Anti-Christian news, Jesus Conspiracy theories or political theologies.  So far, I’ve not seen any overly blasphemous stories as I have in the past, but plenty of folks talking about their versions of Christ or theological beliefs, such as a recent segment with Bill O’Reilly talking about whether there is life after death where he stated more than a few times that one has to earn their way into heaven.

This is a popular misconception, because it’s hard to accept such a simple message of the Gospel, that faith in the Grace of God’s freely given salvation is all there is to it.  There are plenty of arguments which try and prove that one must do good works, but the fact is, if one knows the Bible, no matter how many works we can do, none of those will ever be enough to earn our own way. If that was the case, then Jesus never would have died on the cross for the rest of us. Faith in His gift and trust in Him is all that is required to enter Heaven, the works we do once we’re saved will be tested, but our works are not the basis of our Salvation, we continue doing works once we’re saved, but they are for Him, not us.
Unsaved people do good things all the time, I used to do good before I was saved, but I know anything that I did, no matter how good, would never be good enough to match what Jesus already did. Faith is simple, but not easy. But a sincere faith and trust in Jesus is all that is required.  If this was not so, the thief on the cross never would have had the promise that Jesus Himself gave, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
Did the thief have time to do works? No, but he did recognize Who Jesus is, and acknowledged that Jesus was sinless, yet taking on punishment for sins of others. He recognized Jesus as the Son of God and stated it publically, and asked out of simple faith to remember him when Jesus came into His Kingdom.
Biblical Christianity is different than any other religion, philosophy or ideology.  Pastor Jeffress was Bill O’Reilly’s guest for that segment, and a quote he said years ago is still true, “Every religion in the world except Christianity is spelled ‘D-O,’ only Christianity is spelled ‘D-O-N-E.’”
I read a second story, about Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City Mayor, who told the New York Times, “I am telling you if there is a God, when I get to heaven I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I am heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven.”
This is similar to those who believe they can or must earn their way into heaven with good works.  Yet the former mayor’s words are so much more of a wide belief among seculars- that they don’t know for sure if there is a god and are often the same people often times who mock Christians beliefs saying “My god would never…”


Read the rest of this PolitiChicks.tv article here: http://politichicks.tv/column/try-earn-already-freely-given/#Dt6Ti4jssatMEISI.99

Easter is just about here.  Even without the calendar showing the most important Christian Holy day, it’s usually easier to tell when Easter is close because of an increase in Anti-Christian news, Jesus Conspiracy theories or political theologies.  So far, I’ve not seen any overly blasphemous stories as I have in the past, but plenty of folks talking about their versions of Christ or theological beliefs, such as a recent segment with Bill O’Reilly talking about whether there is life after death where he stated more than a few times that one has to earn their way into heaven.

This is a popular misconception, because it’s hard to accept such a simple message of the Gospel, that faith in the Grace of God’s freely given salvation is all there is to it.  There are plenty of arguments which try and prove that one must do good works, but the fact is, if one knows the Bible, no matter how many works we can do, none of those will ever be enough to earn our own way. If that was the case, then Jesus never would have died on the cross for the rest of us. Faith in His gift and trust in Him is all that is required to enter Heaven, the works we do once we’re saved will be tested, but our works are not the basis of our Salvation, we continue doing works once we’re saved, but they are for Him, not us.
Unsaved people do good things all the time, I used to do good before I was saved, but I know anything that I did, no matter how good, would never be good enough to match what Jesus already did. Faith is simple, but not easy. But a sincere faith and trust in Jesus is all that is required.  If this was not so, the thief on the cross never would have had the promise that Jesus Himself gave, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
Did the thief have time to do works? No, but he did recognize Who Jesus is, and acknowledged that Jesus was sinless, yet taking on punishment for sins of others. He recognized Jesus as the Son of God and stated it publically, and asked out of simple faith to remember him when Jesus came into His Kingdom.
Biblical Christianity is different than any other religion, philosophy or ideology.  Pastor Jeffress was Bill O’Reilly’s guest for that segment, and a quote he said years ago is still true, “Every religion in the world except Christianity is spelled ‘D-O,’ only Christianity is spelled ‘D-O-N-E.’”
I read a second story, about Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City Mayor, who told the New York Times, “I am telling you if there is a God, when I get to heaven I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I am heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven.”
This is similar to those who believe they can or must earn their way into heaven with good works.  Yet the former mayor’s words are so much more of a wide belief among seculars- that they don’t know for sure if there is a god and are often the same people often times who mock Christians beliefs saying “My god would never…”


Read the rest of this PolitiChicks.tv article here: http://politichicks.tv/column/try-earn-already-freely-given/#Dt6Ti4jssatMEISI.99

Easter is just about here.  Even without the calendar showing the most important Christian Holy day, it’s usually easier to tell when Easter is close because of an increase in Anti-Christian news, Jesus Conspiracy theories or political theologies.  So far, I’ve not seen any overly blasphemous stories as I have in the past, but plenty of folks talking about their versions of Christ or theological beliefs, such as a recent segment with Bill O’Reilly talking about whether there is life after death where he stated more than a few times that one has to earn their way into heaven.

 

This is a popular misconception, because it’s hard to accept such a simple message of the Gospel, that faith in the Grace of God’s freely given salvation is all there is to it.  There are plenty of arguments which try and prove that one must do good works, but the fact is, if one knows the Bible, no matter how many works we can do, none of those will ever be enough to earn our own way. If that was the case, then Jesus never would have died on the cross for the rest of us. Faith in His gift and trust in Him is all that is required to enter Heaven, the works we do once we’re saved will be tested, but our works are not the basis of our Salvation, we continue doing works once we’re saved, but they are for Him, not us. 

Unsaved people do good things all the time, I used to do good before I was saved, but I know anything that I did, no matter how good, would never be good enough to match what Jesus already did. Faith is simple, but not easy. But a sincere faith and trust in Jesus is all that is required.  If this was not so, the thief on the cross never would have had the promise that Jesus Himself gave, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” 

Did the thief have time to do works? No, but he did recognize Who Jesus is, and acknowledged that Jesus was sinless, yet taking on punishment for sins of others. He recognized Jesus as the Son of God and stated it publically, and asked out of simple faith to remember him when Jesus came into His Kingdom.

Biblical Christianity is different than any other religion, philosophy or ideology.  Pastor Jeffress was Bill O’Reilly’s guest for that segment, and a quote he said years ago is still true, "Every religion in the world except Christianity is spelled 'D-O,' only Christianity is spelled 'D-O-N-E.'"

I read a second story, about Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City Mayor, who told the New York Times, “I am telling you if there is a God, when I get to heaven I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I am heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven.”

This is similar to those who believe they can or must earn their way into heaven with good works.  Yet the former mayor’s words are so much more of a wide belief among seculars- that they don’t know for sure if there is a god and are often the same people often times who mock Christians beliefs saying “My god would never…”

Read the rest of the original article at PolitiChicks.TV