Knowing this, that our old humanity was crucified together with Him, that the body of sin may be nullified, for us by no means to be still slaving for sin, for one who dies has been justified from sin. Now if we died together with Christ, we believe that we shall be living together with Him also, having perceived that Christ, having been roused from among the dead, is no longer dying. Death is lording it over Him no longer, for in that He died, He died to sin once for all time, yet in that He is living to God. Thus you also, be reckoning yourselves to be dead, indeed, to sin, yet living to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord
Paul to the Romans 6: 6-11, Concordant New Testament
The other day I was involved in a conversation with a fellow Gym Rat concerning the "Requirements" one must engage in in order to be saved. To be honest, I came away from this discussion feeling as it I had just heard one of the common condemnation sermons which are popular among those inside the mainstream church. I hold no ill feelings towards my brother, for I cannot blame him for that which he has been taught about Jesus from within the church. I should know, because I've been in his shoes as well. The very words spoken by the apostle Paul are often used as evidence of the so called requirements needed for one to be saved. For Paul speaks in Romans that if one is "Avowing with your mouth the declaration that Jesus is Lord" and "Should be believing in your heart that God rouses Him from among the dead, you will be saved" {Paul to the Romans 10:9}. So, is this indeed our requirement for being among those saved by the willing sacrifice of Christ? Or, as I have come to believe, that the love of the Father is so strong that He desires all of His children to come to know Him? Honestly, for Christians to set aside requirements for who will be saved sounds a bit judgmental on our part. Are we the ones who decide who and who are not saved? No! This has always been the territory of the Father. It is God Who decides whom He will set aside for a future with Him. Yet too many humans have made a tradition out of proclaiming who it is that will be saved. The single issue raised by my friend as to who will be saved and who will not is that of sin. Sin continues to be the elephant in the room as far as believers are concerned. Many in the church continue to speak to the fact that it is our sin that separates us from God. They often refer to the words of the prophet Isaiah, who speaks of our sin separating us from God {Isaiah 59:2}. Notice that these words of the prophet are spoken in the old testament, before the cleansing sacrifice of Christ Jesus. To those who continue to speak to the church narrative that sin has separated us from God I ask, what about Jesus? For it is He Who has given Himself that we would be free of the wrath of sin {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.
Religion has actually convinced people that there is a invisible man living in the sky watching everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he doesn't want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever until the end of time! But he loves you. He loves you, and he needs money. He always needs money. He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money
~George Carlin~
Those within the church have made a career out of convincing people that we must earn our way into heaven. Be it through our "Holy" behavior or adhering to the church traditions, people have become conditioned to believe that they must earn their way into Gods good graces. To this I say, what about Jesus? For Jesus has spoken that nobody shall come to the Father but through Him {Johns Account 14:6}. Nowhere in this passage is it spoken by Jesus that we must earn our way into Gods eternity. In fact, it is Paul who speaks to the truth that it is by the grace of the Father by which we will ultimately be saved {Paul to the Ephesians 2:8}. Paul does not mention any requirements we must perform in order to achieve our own salvation. Why? Because there are none. Salvation is the work of God, not of man. It has never been our decision who or who is not saved. It is by the grace and mercy of the Father that I have been saved, so why would it any different for someone else? I think that those within the church who speak of the requirements we must take in order to be saved should once again look to the words of Paul in Ephesians. But Paul doesn't stop there, he continues with what I see as the very reason by which salvation is not about what we do or don't do to earn it. "Lest anyone should be boasting" {Paul to the Ephesians 2:9}. Can you imagine the attitude of those who somehow earned their own salvation? How they would perceive themselves to be that much better than others? Believe me, this is how far too many Christians come off to others who are listening. Preachy, elitist and much better than you. It is for this reason that people enjoy the feel good testimonies of those who have hit rock bottom only to be come to know the Father. I can say that I've been there. The truth of my life in the Father I did not come to know in the halls of the church, but by His revelation unto me {Johns Account 14:20}.
~Scott~
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