Saved by Church or Saved by God

Matt 1:21 … she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

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If we are saved we will walk in his ways.

Eph 2:8 by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.  10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Alleluia

John 3:7 -You must be
BornAgain

Mailing Address
Pastor Isaac Livingston
Alleluia Church of God
P.O. Box 962
Oak Park, IL 60303, USA

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God Bless You

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They that claim saved by grace are sinning like others. Are they saved? Is Amazing Grace a promise that we will not be punished for our sins so that we commit sins without fear?

The Bible says that you are saved by grace and those who are committing sins will die eternally. Then, if you are committing sins you are not saved. But preachers say even if you are committing sins you are saved. So, let us check the Bible versus the preachers.

When the Bible says “you are saved” it says that you are saved from the act of sinning. That is, you are delivered from committing sins. That is, you no longer will commit sins. Since you will not commit sins anymore, God forgives the sins that you have already committed. God will not forgive the past sins until and unless you stop sinning. "1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Christians think that God is forgiving their sins as they commit them. They are deceived.

The Bible teaches that you are saved when you stopped committing sins. Since it is difficult, it became incorrect in religious politics. They failed to understand that grace is the power of God given to believers to overcome sins. Preachers do not preach politically incorrect messages. But, they twist the meaning of grace and salvation to preach that you are saved while committing sins.

1. Ignorance of Teachers

Christians believe in salvation.  However, many of those who preach salvation are not using the Bible as the source.  They use a few verses from the Bible and mix them with other ideas and doctrines.  This causes errors.  The word of God warns about these teachers who teach errors.  "1Tim 1:6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; 7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.  2Pet 3:16 --- which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." 

Let us study from the scripture about the grace of God, about the works that we don’t have to do for our salvation and about the works which are required for our salvation. 

2. Twist From True Gospel

They usually preach salvation from these verses, Eph 2:5,8,9 & Titus 3:5. Their teaching is as follows "Eph 2:5 --- (by grace ye are saved;)"  If you are a believer you are already saved from hell by the grace of God. "Eph 2:8 ---by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Your salvation comes to you through your faith.  'Through faith' means 'by strong belief'.  Just believe without a doubt that you are saved by the grace of God, then the Lord Jesus Christ will give you the salvation as a gift.  "Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast." You cannot earn it by doing any kind of work, so that you can not boast that you have earned it. "Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us."  Even the works of righteousness that you do will not save you.  It is his mercy that saves you. 

By the above teaching, salvation is easy to obtain and heaven is guaranteed as we enjoy sin and the world.  But this message is a deception of the devil.  Satan deceives Christians by leading them to praise God with worship of flattery while they are living in disobedience and sin.  "Matt 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."  Christians who do not love the truth accept this teaching very readily.  They are praising God for their freedom to enjoy the pleasures of sin and they worship God for their guaranteed salvation that is escape from hell.

3. How do They Twist the Gospel?

Let me take their preaching in small sections and explain their mistakes one at a time. 

Section 1

They Say.  "Eph 2:5 --- (by grace ye are saved;)"  If you believe that Jesus has died for your sins then you are already saved from hell by the grace of God.

Truth Is. Above assumption is not true according to the Bible. In the above verse the word "saved," according to the Bible in its proper context, is the conversion from past ungodly life to present godly life and the word "grace" is the work of God done in the person for this change. But they ignorantly teach that "saved" is escape from hell and "grace" is an unmerited favor of God. But God will not do any favor at all to one person over the other.  God is not an unrighteous person or politician.  He will judge everybody equally and righteously.  "Rom 2:5 ... the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;...10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law." Either with law or without law, God will punish every sinner whether he/she is a Jew, Gentile, Christian or Non-Christian.  But Christians say that God will do favour to Christians and saves them as a politician favors his party members. 

A person obeys God to receive salvation. God, knowing the person's heart, does the work of salvation in the person. Result is that the person walks in the ways of God from then on. If a person is not walking in the ways of God, then it is proof that God has not done his work or the work is not completed in the person and so the person is not saved. 

A. What should we do for salvation?

"Rom 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you."  In the above scripture we see, in the past, they were servants of sin.  God has given his doctrine so that they may obey God and do his righteousness.  They obeyed the doctrine of Jesus Christ with all their heart.  Their obedience to the doctrine delivered them from their sin.  "Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.  When they were free from sin, they became the servants of righteousness.  They could not commit sin and do true righteousness at the same time.  "Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. As they were serving God, they became holy.  God will lead them to the everlasting life.  They are saved by their obedience and by their works of righteousness.

B. What did God do for our salvation?

"Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."  These believers had a sinful life and they shared their life with sinful friends in the past.  Now they do not commit sin.  "Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved). 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."  God converted them by his mercy and love.  God the Father has done a work of grace in them, converted them to this new life by uniting them with Jesus Christ.  Their conversion is referred as they are saved.  This is the true salvation.

C. Spiritual Conversion

As God has unites them with Jesus Christ, he raises them (their spirits of man) to be seated with Jesus Christ in heaven.  "Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" Even though they are in the world, they are not of the world. They are no longer earthly people, but they are heavenly people. As their life is hid with Christ in God, they will set their affections on heavenly things.  "Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."  This information is given to test our lives.  God requires us to examine ourselves so that we may not be deceived by false beliefs or vain imaginations. "2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves."  If we love the truth, we will take this test.  If we still covet earthly things, then we are not seated with Christ.  If we are still committing sins, then we are not saved.

D. Grace of God

Whatever is given to a person and has done in that person by God, in order to bring the conversion to the person from a sinful life to a sinless life, it is called grace.  A person has to humble and to obey God with all sincerity in order to receive this grace.  So, a person is saved by his own obedience and by the grace of God.

E. Believers or Deceivers

It is important to acknowledge that a person is not saved until he is converted from the sinful life.  A believer of Jesus Christ will believe what Jesus Christ has commanded them to do and will obey them.  Those who say that they are saved, confess that they are believers and will not obey the commandments of Jesus Christ, are not believers but they are deceivers. 

Section 2

They Say. "Eph 2:8 ---by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" Your salvation comes to you through your faith.  'Through faith' means 'by strong belief'.  Just believe without a doubt that you are saved by the grace of God and then the Lord Jesus Christ will give you the salvation as a gift.   

Truth Is.  In section 1, we saw that salvation is our conversion from our sinful past.  This is the gift of God.  We have to receive this gift through our faith.  Generally, preachers assume that faith is our belief which will not doubt our salvation from hell that is the lake of fire.  This faith is just the common sense faith, but it is not the faith of the Bible. Let us study what faith is and what hope, the fore runner of faith, is according to the Bible.  

Page: 1, 2, 3, next.

God Bless You

Blessings of God
 God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you,
in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
Acts 3:26

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and
the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
2 Cor 13:14

Links to other Topics - Mouse over and Click to read

What is Salvation? How do we inherit the Kingdom of God?

What are you saved from? - Jesus preached the gospel - God Commands us to be holy

Be perfect as God is perfect - Abide in Jesus Christ - Presence of God with his people

Bible is a Book but the Word is Spirit - Christianity also is just a religion

Last message of Christ to churches - Follow me to be a Joint-Heir

What do we do as Christians? What is our status as Christians?

Why Christians do not believe Jesus? - Christians and words of Jesus Christ

Are You saved from sinning? - Can sinners become holy?

Who and What is God?  What are we?  Who can we become?
 
Who is the God of the universe? - GOD is 3 Souls in 1 Spirit - God Most High is God the Father

The Holy Ghost is God - The Lord Jesus Christ is God - The Word to flesh again to the Word

God reveals mysteries to his children - Jesus Christ is God Jehovah - Was Jesus God, or man?

Jesus is declared Begotten Son - Will God beget more sons? - God adopts godly people as his sons

Work of God in the Salvation of Man

God's purpose for man - God became man and he was made God - Divinity and mission of Jesus

Preached the true salvation - Jesus saves only his people - God gives his glory to his sons

God Cautions about Falsehood

The true gospel of Jesus Christ - Should we Obey God's Commandments?

False Preachers Deceive You - Are we deceived to worship Satan?

A Few Important Christian Doctrines

What is Predestination? - Is once saved always saved? - Are You Saved while Sinning?

Water Baptism of Jesus Christ - Gift of speaking in Tongues

FAITH according to the BIBLE

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