Saved by Grace Alone

If you say it this way,..
"It is BY GRACE we are saved in Christ, it is NOT OF WORKS" (Eph 2:8-9)

Almost everyone will give a nodding in agreement with your statement as biblical.

But if you say the same thing this way

"your working or not working after your salvation cannot UNSAVE you"
I bet you'll get hard knocks, serious criticism and even have to face a panel (sahendrin council) in disapproval. Read what I wrote again:

"your working or not working after your salvation cannot UNSAVE you"

Please what's the difference? We are saved by grace alone and not of works. "not of works" already mean, "not by works". That is, whatever your works mean (whether good or bad), yes, will surely affect some other important things (such as people's opinion of you, your opinion of yourself, your shining as light, your relationship with fellow men, your freedom to win your neighbours to Christ, your conscience condemning or approving you, personal trust etc) but NOT SALVATION since salvation is NOT OF WORKS: otherwise it is of works: and a thing cannot be of works and also be of grace at the same time says the scripture.

[Rom 11:6]And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

[Tit 3:5] Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...

My hope is built on nothing else
but Jesus blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
but only lean on Jesus name

Only One Believing is Needed

REPENTANCE may be daily..

FORSAKING OF ONE SIN OR THE OTHER may be time after time..

"Lord, I'm sorry", "brother I'm sorry I acted like that" may be needed always...

But SALVATION through Christ is ONCE AND FOR ALL TIMES

How?

how do you get saved?

Believe in Jesus (Acts 16:30,31), believe in your heart and confess (Romans 10:9-10)

How many "believe" and reject, and rebelieve and rereject, and go and come back home do you need for salvation?
O-N-E. Just Once and by that ONCE, you pass the baton to Christ who finishes it.

*[[Eph 1:13]] KJV* In whom ye also trusted, AFTER that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also AFTER that ye BELIEVED (past tense), ye were SEALED with that holy Spirit of promise,

Why do kings SEAL things?

Dan 6:17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king SEALED it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; THAT THE PURPOSE MIGHT NOT BE CHANGED concerning Daniel.

The King of kings will not take chances, so He seals you with the Holy Ghost till the day of redemption THAT THE PURPOSE MIGHT NOT BE CHANGED; that "they which are called might receive the promise of ETERNAL inheritance" (Hebrews 9:15);

Redemption and Restitution

They say salvation/forgiveness is INCOMPLETE without RESTITUTION.
VERY TRUE

But listen,..

What did the man/woman that got you converted tell you? What did you believed to be saved?

"Jesus PAID for ALL your sins"

Do you really believe this in your heart and your acts? Or it's just memory verse and another religious recitation?

"Jesus paid for all your sins". What does it mean to PAY for sins? Not SOME sins, ALL your sins.

Have you been at an institution where you're asked to pay for "damages" before? Perhaps some items were damaged or missing in your place and you're charged justly or unjustly for damages. After paying damages or someone pays the damages on your behalf, do you go to the place again because you remembered you truly did some damages to do "restitution"? In the eye of the law, can you be charged again for damages? So why do you say salvation/forgiveness is incomplete without one "restitution".

I'm sinless and COMPLETELY forgiven. Jesus paid it ALL. If any man be in Christ, he's a new creature (homos novos). He's a new born babe (1Peter2:2). He has never wronged any man. He has never sinned before (2Cor 7:2). He doesn't even have a recognized past because ALL things have become NEW. Please don't do foolish things in the name of restitution o.

Does God love the Backslider Still?

People have preacher that,
"you have God's love only as long as you have not backslidden. Once you backslide, forget God's love"

Hmmmm...

Have you read this before?

*[[Mat 26:31]] KJV* Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.

Another version will say

NET. Then Jesus said to them, "This night you will all fall away because of me

ISV Then Jesus told them, "All of you will turn against me this very night,

Jesus is literally saying, these people will all BACKSLIDE from Him.

What do you think this knowledge should have put on Jesus?
I think Jesus should just lose confidence in His disciples and just begin to speak harshly in disappointment to them. "Hey! all ye disciples, despite all that I have been teaching you; despite the way I have always shown you love; you'll do this to me? Even this Peter that I think will be better off, he'll even deny me. Peter! You're a great disappointment! You, of all people"

Rather, Jesus was telling them
But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee

Ah! I thought these people who have left/denied the faith in the trials ought to do something to get back the love of Jesus, but no. Jesus was telling them this to assure them He will never leave them despite their "backsliding".

And you have thought and taught that the backslider cannot be loved of God? You never read this

*[[Rom 8:35-36]] EasyEnglish* Nothing can make us separate from Christ, who loves us. We may have troubles. Things may happen to us that cause us to be very sad or afraid. Enemies may do bad things to us and hurt us. We may have no food or no clothes. There may be danger, or people may try to kill us. But none of these things can stop Christ from loving us. As it says in the Old Testament: 'Because we are your people, (God), other people try to kill us all the time. They think that we are worth no more than sheep. Sheep that should go to the butcher so that he can kill them.'

*[[Rom 8:38-39]] EasyEnglish* Nothing can make us separate from God, who loves us. I am completely sure about that. Whether we are alive or dead, it does not matter. Neither angels nor bad spirits nor any other powerful spirits can stop God from loving us. Neither things that are now, nor future things, can stop him loving us. Neither anything that is above the world, nor anything below the world, can stop him. There is nothing else in the whole world that can stop God from loving us. Christ Jesus, our Lord, causes us to know how much God loves us.

How Edified are you?

1Cor 14:4 says
He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself...

That is, how much/well you speak in tongues is how much/well you have edified yourself.

Conversely, how much you have abandoned or despised or rejected or get bored or get tired or felt unimportant or derisive of speaking in tongues is exactly how much you have abandoned your personal edification.

Hmm..

The Bible says
*[[Gal 6:9]] KJV* And let us not be weary in WELL DOING: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Remember also that, to speak in tongues is a WELL DOING (1Cor 14:17).

So how edified are you? He that speaketh often in an unknown tongue edifieth himself often.
He that rarely speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself rarely.
He that seasonally speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself seasonally.
He that speaks in an unknown tongue on Sundays only edifies himself on Sundays only.

God is no respecter of persons. He that sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He that sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

In Church today, it's evident we're more edified than another because we speak in tongues at different frequencies and, yes, the Bible recognizes that we don't speak at same frequency. Some speak more than others. For example, Paul said, "I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye [Corinthian Church entirely plus your prayer unit, plus your prayer coordinator plus pastor ] all" (1Cor 14:18); so you can speak in tongues more than another person. No wonder we can say Paul was evidently more edified. God is no respecter of persons: it doesn't matter what your calling is. A "callingless" believer who choose to personally edify himself will do himself more favour.

I choose to edify myself personally. I choose to speak in tongues often. Don't know about you.

Is that truly God?

Lying/falsehood/deceit, you'll agree with me is not only when you claim something you're not,
But when you can conveniently take two contrasting nature at any given time. Any act of constantly changing personal identity is FALSEHOOD. You're black and white at the same time.
Agree?

If you say "yes".

If someone tell you "even God is a liar", how will you react?

Mad I guess.

So how did you react when you read this in your Bible?

*[[Isa 45:7]] KJV* I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Dual Identity, a characteristic of fraudsters. Always changing name, changing IP address.

*[[Job 2:10]] KJV* shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?

Please don't forget Job's weight of evil. When Job says "evil", he means losing 7 children in one day, losing all companies and business ventures in one day and staying home, not only as unemployed but as sick with boils. That is what he calls evil: not your 5 minutes headache where you pray and go back to paracetamol, or lack of admission/good job.

*[[Amo 3:6]] KJV* shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

Hmm...
Amos is saying God is an Evil Doer.

Please is a new testament, regenerated, blood-washed, Holy Spirit-taught, Jesuslife-mentored, perhaps tongue-speaking endtime Christian with 66 books Bible in thousand translations and versions expected to limit his insight to that of Amos, Isaiah or Job who had no Jesus, no new creation experience, no unction from the Holy One, no 66 books in a portable book and on mobile and computer devices?

In summary, those guys were not to be blamed for writing those things based on their own understanding. But you are expected to be better off.
We know today that,

*[[1Jn 1:5]] that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the LIGHT of men.
not "light/darkness" of men, not both, not either. Light only.

Joh 1:9 That was the true LIGHT, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

not "which lighteth or darkeneth every man"

Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness [no false or varying identity], neither shadow of turning.

God is straightforward; not a deceiver; a healer, not a killer; love, not hatred; light, not darkness; peace maker only, not evil doer. This is the message we have received of Jesus. Alleluia!

Why Halt ye Between Two Opinions?

There is a category of Christian today,

Just stand on pulpit and say
"We have been made righteous through Christ Jesus. Do you believe this?"

You'll hear unanimous hall-shaking "Yesssss that's true!!!"

Let another take the pulpit and say words like

"We're all sinners. There is not one righteous person among us".

You'll be amazed the same set of people who gave a hall-shaking "yes" to the first preacher will also agree with this preacher.

Hmm..

One preacher will come up and say "Christians are CITIZENS of heaven, not candidates" (Philippians 3:20). We'll agree with him.

Another will come up and say "if only we can make heaven. Let us pray that we will make heaven. Heaven should be our target". We'll also agree with him.

Elijah said in 1Kings 18:21, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.

Why have we believed incompatible doctrines? Why have we refused to see inconsistencies in these two teachings? How can we be righteous and sinful at the same time when righteous and sinful are "words and opposite"? Even 2Corinthians 6:14 says what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? How can we be citizens of heaven and also CONTESTANTS of the same heaven at the same time? Is it this language that is our problem? If Philippians 3:20 says the relationship between me and heaven is that of CITIZENSHIP, do one have to CONTEST to be a citizen? I'm a Nigerian today. Did I "make Nigeria"? How come do we try to "make heaven" if we are indeed CITIZENS of the heaven? What Concord has light with darkness? How can we be child of God and child of devil at the same time (righteous and sinful) at the same time? Do we really take heed to what we hear at all? Do we really take time to meditate on what preachers teach us at all? Or we're just too afraid to disagree with a preacher just because of "man-of-God-ism"?

Some even think one can be a child of God now. If after now he commits a sin, he'll immediately become a child of the devil. If just after, he repents, he'll again become a child of God. And the cycle continues like that. So God and the devil keeps exchanging children. And whosoever hand you end up with at death or rapture, will be your final eternal possessor. Hmm.. But the bible does not teach so! I have been a Nigerian ever since birth and have not lost my citizenship. If a Nigerian abroad commits an offence, he'll still be a Nigerian (bad example). He won't become a citizen of another place. Take heed to what you hear.