Our decision to accept the salvation offered by Jesus Christ doesn't lessen the fact that it is that salvation, not anything we can do, that saves us. If we are drowning and someone throws us a rope, did that person save us, or was it primarily our decision to grab the rope that saved us? Obviously both are necessary, but we couldn't grab it if it was not offered to us.
That's a good critique. The idea of salvation through belief alone is a fairly new one in Christianity although most evangelicals aren't aware of that.
Thank you. For years I was told that Christ died to save me, but that I had to accept it or all bets were off. On the cross, Christ said "It is finished." We're told that's because what he did was sufficient and there was nothing more to add. How is me making a decision not adding something? Sure, I have free will, but I don't have the power to undo a thing that God has already done. I've come to believe the gospel was garbled during the first hundred years after Christ--that the original message was "Yay! We're saved!" but that, humans being the legalisms we are, the church decided to tack on a few rules.
Absolutely not.
GOD still has to draw a person to repentance THAT is when "free will" comes into play.JESUS said "Many are called(called by GOD to repentance acts 17:30)but few are chosen".
Broad is the gate that leads to destruction and many travel there on,but straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life and few find it.
Just because GOD allows us the ability to choose or reject HIM when HE deals with us does not mean HE is not in total control.If we had no will in our destinies, it would be cruel if GOD chose not to "force save" everyone against their will.GOD only wants people in HIS Kingdom who WANT to be their who WANT to love and obey HIM.
Christ's atonement was to justly provide salvation for all men. To accept the gift is our choice. If we receive not his gift, we'll be among those receiving the lessor part of the word as we prevent Him from further blessing our lives.
Thus it is a two way street. Both have a role to play in eternal salvation. Take the gospel in it's full context with all teachings of the Savior: "If ye are not one, ye are not mine." "For what doth it profit a man if he is given a gift and he receiver not the gift which is bestowed upon him."
Nope. Just God. If God has chosen to give man a choice in his or her salvation, to willingly or not willingly respond, who are you to tell the potter how he should mold the clay? Who are you to tell Him how salvation should work?
We cannot save ourselves. Free will simply allows us to choose whether we will believe in God, worship Him, abide by His teaching (which is seen through His becoming the Son of Man Jesus Christ) and when we die, hopefully we will be lucky enough to ascend into heaven! Being "saved" is somewhat of a Protestant term, if you accept Jesus into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior than you get a free ticket to heaven?? Not sure about that. God wants us to practice what we preach. Be the best Christian you can be, ALL the time, not just some of the time. If you fail, which as weak human beings we always falter, then keep trying! Just because we are given the choice doesn't mean we determine our destiny. God chose ALL of us, we are His creation. We choose to believe or not to. Ultimately, God knows the outcome.
Those that characterize the Gospel as that which is received by our "decision" are misrepresenting the means of true salvation. The ground (central reason) of salvation is grace - the instrument by which it is accomplished is faith, which itself is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8 - 10). Everything flows from the cross - we add nothing to it. We cannot see the kingdom, nor do we desire it at all without the new birth - a spiritual awakening given by God whereby we see and embrace the truth.
Does "free-will" Christianity make man his own Saviour, since it's his "decision" tha
