SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH
Preface
Introduction
Preface
The reason I decided to write this manuscript is there are too many Christians who have distorted views of what the Bible says about being saved; consequently, the light of life does not shine in their lives.
After making some comments below a video entitled Does God Desire All Men To Be Saved, what astounded me was the number of people who believe that God only desires some people to be saved, but not all. Having seen many sites that promulgate the false doctrine of being saved by grace alone, and having received material in my inbox that demonstrated a highly respected pastor was not really sure whether we were saved by grace alone, or faith alone, or by Christ alone, I felt there needed to be a document in the public arena that stated the truth about the matter.
Some might think that I have no right to claim that I have the truth about this matter of salvation, but I do, and, like the Apostle Paul, I am under compulsion to make the truth known. The prophet Ezekiel exhorted the people of Israel that if they knew what was right to do and did not warn those who were doing wrong, they would be held accountable. Likewise, I know I need to warn others of what false teaching can do. This, of course, does not mean that everybody has to do as I say, or believe as I do; the same as they do not have to submit to the Lord God. We all make our own choices, even if you are one of those who claim nobody has freewill. For me, what this means is at least I know that I have obeyed my calling to share what the Lord God has shown me for the benefit of others.
Even though I have spent many hours in theological libraries, submitting my written work to lecturers for assessment to acquire formal documentation for having satisfactorily passed the requirements of the various colleges, even at the doctoral level, the Lord God taught me these truths many years earlier. What has improved with experience is my ability to articulate these truths. Although in saying my ability to articulate matters has improved, the way this book is written is only for the serious seeker of truth, and yet, not as something that is too difficult to understand.
This book has not taken me that long to write, and is seventh of the ones that I have written since 2014. The others at the time were: Shine Like A Star, Milk Of The Word, How To Have An Effective Bible Study, How To Overcome The Devil, Return To The Lord Of Blessings and The Only Words Written By The Finger Of God. Since this I have written more.
Each one of the books that I have written contain different aspects of truth that I believe have not been written about before. If they have, I have not encountered them within a Christian context.
Speaking of context, you will notice I like to include as much Scripture as possible. In this book, unless indicated, the World English Bible is used because it has no copyright restrictions. Also, it demonstrates that we can use virtually any Bible to expound the truths of God, regardless of the language. The important element is possessing the Holy Spirit, so spiritual truths can be correctly understood. Without the Holy Spirit, we are stabbing in the dark, regardless of what a person might think he or she knows regarding the original languages that were used in the writing of the Scriptures. Besides, since the original writings do not exist, we need the Holy Spirit to guide us even more than ever.
Sometimes, what I write may seem harsh, or as one person told me, too convicting and judgmental. But if we can read the twenty-third chapter of the New Testament book of Matthew and rejoice that we are doing what the Lord has required of us, then none of what I write is judgmental. Truth judges us all. We are either walking in the Lord and experiencing the love of the Holy Spirit or we are walking in the ways of the world. Those who walk with the Lord are blessed; those who decide disobedience is better than blessing will reap the consequences of their actions also.
Being a Christian is not the same as appearing on a catwalk where we display the fruits of the Lord and then change back into our old selves after the show. Being a Christian is more like a cat walking on a hot tin roof. For if we are Christians trying to walk in righteousness, we will in all likelihood find ourselves encountering difficulties more often than not, because we are foreigners in the world that exists at this present time on Earth. Yet, there will come a time when we simply get tired of playing games, for we know we are going to get burnt. A leap of faith into the arms of our Great God and Savior, Lord Jesus Christ is needed, in order to fulfill the calling to which we have been called, so we can walk in His footsteps.
As part of my own calling, I often find myself at odds with people who do not want to serve the Lord but prefer to abide in sin. While it is true that God loves us all, it is also true that sin and deception are not of God. If we do not forsake our sins, then there is no advantage in relying upon God’s grace to get us through. Unfortunately, there is a teaching that has infiltrated Christian Churches that people think that they have no need to seek the Lord, because they were chosen before the foundation of the world. Sadly, they do not realize that the body of brethren chosen before the foundation of the world, consists of the elect who have sought to know Lord Jesus and have had their hearts searched by Him, not those predestined beforehand. As a watchman, I have to alert people to that which is untrue. If this attracts enemies among the self-righteous camp, who think they need not change, so be it.
There is a false teaching that claims the only way to know the Lord Jesus Christ is through the Bible. The reality is that I began reading the King James Version of the Bible, but I did not find Lord Jesus. That book turned me away from seeking God. Fortunately, I found the Lord Jesus Christ when I sought Him with all my heart, which is what the Bible actually states to do (Deut. 4:29; Jer. 29:13).
When I became a Christian, just before I saw Jesus Christ ascend through the ceiling and keep going beyond the Milky Way, with what at the time I presumed to be my soul in His open held hands to present before the Throne of Heaven, I heard a loud voice say: “"My prodigal son!"”
If what the voice said is true, I am the prodigal son of God (for which I like many truly qualify) and my Savior, Lord Jesus Christ is the First Born of many brethren. Blessed indeed are those who take no offense at my words.
Happy Riches
April, 2025
Introduction
One of the greatest deceptions that pervades Protestant and Evangelical Christianity is the doctrine that we are “saved by grace alone”. This teaching is so pervasive that it has penetrated into every denomination that is not purportedly works-based. Works-based salvation is found not only in denominations that promote good works as a means of salvation but also among those who claim they are saved by grace alone. This is mainly due to individuals who remain self-righteous and judgmental towards other people. An example of this is a reply from a person who vindictively accused numerous people as he made many posts in his defense of being saved by grace alone. This person (a PhD in Puritan history) also claims to have been an Arminian (a theology that accepts we have freewill and people’s wills are weakened because of sin.) before becoming a Calvinist (those who believe we have no freewill), while studying for a Masters of Divinity degree. Here is what I wrote:
So, there are many different views. The real question is are you are follower of Jesus or Calvin.
And this is how the Calvinist replied:
“No, the real question is whether -- in light of your lies, slander, hypocrisy and false doctrine, whether you are really a believer. You've broken the 9th commandment (Ex. 20:16) by bearing false witness. If your "faith" is so weak it doesn't keep you from lying, it won't keep you out of hell. You need to examine yourself as to whether you are really a Christian. Perhaps the reason you elevate yourself, lower God and won't trust the grace of God for salvation is that you have never seen your sins, repented of them, and experienced God's grace.”
As is obvious, the real question was avoided by the respondent. The reason for not answering whether the person follows Jesus or Calvin, could be the person does not follow Jesus (and hence the “No”) and is a religious hypocrite of the kind that are often found among people who claim to be saved by grace alone. Nevertheless, the accusations within his post were similar to those made in the many other posts he had made when replying to various people, who pointed out Scripture that he refused to consider. A common feature of accusers is the projection of their own issues upon those whom they accuse. Something we all must be mindful of not doing ourselves.
Grace
and Works Across Religions
Regarding such people, we could say there is a spectrum of thought that begins with grace and ends with works as the basis of a person’s salvation. Those who do not understand the transition of grace in the outworking of God’s goodness, within those who are being saved, tend to choose either grace or works as their means for salvation. Tragically, there is often a polarization toward either grace or works, when, in fact, there needs to be understanding of how to get from initial grace to works.. We are speaking of works that exude salvation grace because they originate from faith. This because of he grace of God increasing in a person’s life. This is not one off event, but a process emanating from each person working out their salvation. A process is involved. In this treatise, the aim is to clarify how we can secure our salvation and illuminate the reasons why people argue over grace and works.
Grace is defined as “unmerited favor”. Works are defined as “efforts performed to secure favor”. Since the two are opposed to each other; it is no surprise that a person might find it perplexing as to how people can be so polarized from reading the Bible. This is all the more so when we consider that there is really no justification for these polarized views to be found within the Bible. Unfortunately, those who speak about grace are adamant that we are saved by grace alone. This position is a reaction against salvation by works. However, not all are attracted to this teaching because they are reacting against a doctrine of “salvation by works”. Many people seem to like the idea of being saved by grace alone because this means they believe they can do whatever they like and they are still forgiven. Whereas, if works were required, some demonstration of effort would be sought and this would mean either making a commitment to attending religious services or doing good works, such as helping the poor or less fortunate.
Those who believe works are essential for salvation will point to Scripture such as that found in the book of James, which reads:
- Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (James 1:27)
We could say that religion is visiting the fatherless and widows who are suffering, or just keeping oneself unstained from the world. This form of religion seems very much like what we see among the Hindus in India and among the Buddhists in Asia, who have monks that abstain from partaking in the activities of commerce for basic survival. Holy men walk around praying for people and blessing the poor and rich alike. The rich, and those involved in their enterprises of making a living from the material world, may spend much time associating with holy men or monks. They seek their blessings, but not their lifestyle. These holy men now have time to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction to comfort them and provide the necessary assistance. This might be the case if the Hindus and Buddhists practiced religion along the lines advocated in the book of James. Unfortunately for the fatherless and widows within the cultures where Hinduism and Buddhism prevail, the doctrine of karma means that each has to fend for himself, since each is paying for sins of the previous life. Nevertheless, there is a strong belief that those who show kindness to the less fortunate will be rewarded. Many people prefer to give to beggars as a way to show their generosity, believing that by sharing their material wealth with those in need, they will also receive rewards.
We might think of begging as being foreign to the Bible, but the story about Lazarus and the Rich Man (Dives) told by Jesus, reveals this is not the case.
- “Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish. Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that no one may cross over from there to us.’ “He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house; for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’ “But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ “He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’” (Luke 16:19-31)
What is evident in this story is Lazarus, as a beggar, sought help from a rich man. Jesus even states that Lazarus was begging at the gate of the rich man’s residence. There is no mention of holy men or monks in the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man. Nevertheless, the implication is clear, people who do not practice charity or show kindness to the less fortunate are destined to eternal punishment. This is unlike the Hindu or Buddhist teachings of reincarnation, where unkind and mean individuals spend their next life as a lesser form of individual within the social strata. While those who believe the unbiblical teaching of reincarnation and karma like to think that each one is working his or her way through a series of lives on Earth until each achieves some state of bliss, the biblical message from Jesus is basically: after death comes reward or punishment. According to the Bible, each one of us is held accountable for what we have done on Earth. Instead of the false Hindu and Buddhist idea of having many chances, through living a series of lives, to work out our salvation, we only get the one life on Earth.
According to the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man, good works appear to have a role to play in whether we are saved or not. This is not to say that we are necessarily saved by performing good works, because Jesus implied that Lazarus obtained salvation by not performing any good works; he was begging. Nevertheless, it is evident that if we have the material goods and we do not share them with those who do not have any, if what Jesus said is true, we are destined for eternal punishment.
There could be some debate about whether a person is destined to hellfire and brimstone because they do not share their wealth with beggars. What is worth noting is that Jesus seemed to make sharing wealth an issue for salvation when it came to another individual who was extremely wealthy; for we read:
- A certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus asked him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one—God. You know the commandments: ‘Don’t commit adultery,’ ‘Don’t murder,’ ‘Don’t steal,’ ‘Don’t give false testimony,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” He said, “I have observed all these things from my youth up.” When Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was very rich. Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom! For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” (Luke 18:18-26)
This time Jesus’ disciples are asking how is salvation possible if the rich cannot secure it. More to the point, this man actually claimed to keep all the commandments that Jesus mentioned. Jesus, of course, noted that he lacked one thing—treasure in Heaven.
Importance
of the Ten Commandments
When saying that the ruler kept all the commandments, Jesus only suggested five commandments and not all ten. The commandments that Jesus mentioned directly affected other people—adultery, murder, stealing, false witness and honoring one’s parents. The commandments not mentioned by Jesus did not directly affect interaction with other people. These are the first four of the Ten Commandments and the tenth one. These commandments all have to do with a person’s attitude of heart. Although, we could say that the fourth commandment directly affects other people because it is a day of rest; but this is more about entering God’s rest. The reason for this is the fourth commandment is not about one day’s rest; rather it concerns the rest of God. The fact Jesus did not mention the fourth commandment, but singled out the five that actually affect interaction with other people, endorses the view that it concerns entering God’s rest.
The Ten Commandments need to be understood, if we are to have a proper understanding of the Bible and the knowledge of holiness. If we do not understand the Ten Commandments, we will never really understand the will of God or His purpose for permitting sin to exist. This is because the Ten Commandments form the very outline of our salvation and God’s requirements of us. Many people say this is not the case. They quote New Testament Scriptures in their attempt to support their claim that the Law of Moses has been superseded by the gospel. What these people overlook is the Ten Commandments are not the Law of Moses but the very words of God that were written by His Own Finger. In fact, the Ten Commandments are the only words recorded in the Bible to have been written by the Lord God Himself. Ironically, people claim the Bible is God’s authoritative Word but what He Himself wrote is not valid.
The first five commandments written by God actually refer to Him, whereas in the last five commandments, He is not mentioned at all. The fifth commandment states that if we honor our parents, God will give us an inheritance. The inheritance comes from God and not from our parents. Nevertheless, Jesus did include this commandment because, unlike the tenth commandment, the fifth commandment directly affects interaction with other human beings. The tenth commandment is about coveting, which is a matter of the heart; and not a direct prohibition that affects relationships with other people in the same way as does adultery, murder, stealing, false witness and dishonoring one’s parents.
Coveting is something that originates within our own thoughts. People can long for, and covet other people’s goods and rights and, in doing so, not actually affect the person whose goods and rights are being coveted. Coveting is about being envious of other people’s circumstances; however, envy does not directly translate into stealing, adultery, bearing false witness, murder or dishonoring one’s parents. Envy and covetousness can be a sin of the heart that may not be voiced or acted upon. Covetousness can also point to greediness and being mean. A covetous person, who is wealthy, may not suffer from the same form of envy that a poor person might suffer. Instead of breaking any of the commandments Jesus mentioned, a covetous person might look at legal ways of acquiring more wealth for himself, rather than being altruistic and divesting his energy towards helping the less fortunate. Jesus did not bother challenging the materially rich young ruler with the other five commandments, because He could implicitly include them in the suggestion that the wealthy young man ought to sell all he owned and give the proceeds to the poor. Besides, as already mentioned, the fifth commandment actually states God is the source of each one’s inheritance, not one’s parents. This points to the eternal inheritance, not any temporal wealth bestowed by one’s parents. Therefore, being wealthy and not recognizing this fact, is tantamount to being spiritually blind.
Jesus’ disciples naturally were astonished at what was said about the eye of the needle; especially, after the rich young ruler went away sorrowful. If the rich cannot find salvation without doing good works, how were the poor to find salvation? The poor have no resources at all to do any good works that would make a meager difference in the quality of life for other people.
Actually, the first of the Ten Commandments helps us here, because it speaks about God delivering His people from bondage. Jesus, of course, confirms this by saving that all things are possible with God (Luke 18:27). Hence, the four other commandments that are not mentioned in respect to the rich young ruler are about what God will do and what He requires of us in respect to Himself.
The first commandment, as already mentioned, is about deliverance. The second commandment is about sin being passed down from one generation to another, God’s mercy and kindness for all who love Him and keep His commandments, and the truth about idols. The third commandment is about accountability and calling upon the name of the Lord. The fourth commandment is about trusting God to provide; in which case, the commandment about coveting should not be an issue if our hearts are orientated towards our Heavenly Father.
Not everybody is aware of these facts concerning these commandments. This is because people tend to rely upon pastors and teachers who have purportedly studied sufficiently to understand the truth about God’s written word, but are misinformed. There is a place for teachers, preachers and pastors within the congregation of the saved ones; but not false teachers or preachers, who are in the business of looking after themselves—or even misinformed hirelings posing as pastors. Many people who go into the ministry (as it is called) do so for honorable purposes. However, there are those who do so because they see it as an easier occupation than, say, being an entrepreneur, or even a lawyer for that matter. The pay is less, but then so is the work—as many a pastor has said in my presence that their life is easier now they no longer have to work for a living—except for those who are genuinely outreaching to the impoverished. Well, this is how false shepherds tend to see the deal. Then there are those who will refuse to work for anything less than what they believe befits their level of education.
One very successful preacher (pastor, teacher, or whatever a person might like designate him) appears to have treated his calling to ministry as a business. He went to Bible College and seminary. After graduating this man decided that he would seek out a certain demographic to ensure a successful ministry. He did not think of going to the poor, as most people would expect a follower of Jesus to do. Instead, he headed straight to an area where there were large numbers of people who had qualifications of a high standard that guaranteed high prospects of employment. He reasoned that it would be more prudent to minister to people who had good incomes rather than the poor. Why bother with the broken hearted and those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18)? Today, by worldly standards, he is a successful man.
Partiality
Another pastor and ex-schoolteacher, whom I met, had started out with a schoolteacher friend of his, and the two of them built a congregation, which was reasonably large. A significant number of the church congregation moved overseas; so one of the pastors followed. Eventually, the other pastor began sending out missionaries, ostensibly to start up satellite churches overseas as an outreach to other ex-patriots who had migrated. One day I was invited to meet this pastor and hear him talk at one of the overseas satellite bases. While I was present, I heard the pastor tell his group of missionaries that when it came to seeking conversions, they should only concentrate on those who belong to the middle class, as the lower classes are too much trouble.
When we consider what these successful people are doing, we get the idea that unlike the desires of our Heavenly Father, there is a certain amount of discrimination going on. When we find discrimination, we know that those who practice it are inclined to be discriminatory about matters other than just showing partiality in whom they choose to associate with. The two pastors mentioned above actually need to read their Bibles a bit more and meditate on what the following means:
- My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality. For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in; and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing, and say, “Sit here in a good place”; and you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool”; haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts? Don’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called? However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. (James 2:1-9)
Appeasement
By Works
For some reason, certain classes of people, who identify as Christians, have an aversion towards the book of James. Partiality may have something to do with it. In fact, partiality might be why they hold to certain teachings which are very unscriptural and, although based on biblical texts, do not convey the truth about salvation and God’s purpose. Jesus may well have had these people in mind when He said that the Pharisees would travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when they did, that person would become twice as much a child of Hell as they were (Matthew 23:15).
Opposed to the ones who like the cushy life are those who labor to earn their salvation. These people see their devotion to the church as earning themselves merit points for salvation, as well as any acts of goodness or sacrifice. This may include doing penance and paying money to appease the god of damnation. The god that these people serve is not the God of the Bible who created the Universe. They serve the god of this world thinking they are serving the Lord God Almighty, Creator of the Universe and all who inhabit this planet. Often religious workers are seen in the third world making sacrifices or working among the poor in the ghettos of the West. It is one thing to help the poor and provide some form of solace; it is another matter to bring people to salvation and see them set free from sin.
One woman I met thought that after having worked for most of her life and made considerable money, it was only right that she give something back to the community. She initiated a feeding program to help the homeless, while she herself spent much of the year on holidays. Another couple who had prospered financially decided to give back by providing a soup kitchen once a week for the down and outs. While these efforts are commendable, they are insufficient for salvation and, if they truly wanted to help the poor and needy, they would not just have provided something that resembles a Band-Aid on a scratch, but they would have sought out means by which they could truly help people who did not have access to generous welfare payments. Giving back to the community, or the concept behind it, does sound like the individuals involved are hoping to use this as a means of currying favor with their Creator, especially on the day the door to eternity opens and what was gained in this world is left behind.
Jesus told a parable that speaks about the self-righteous and those who are more likely to find their way into the favor of God. This is what He said:
- He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others. “Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: ‘God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)
Those who congratulate themselves also rejoice in boosting their self-image; but haughtiness comes before a fall and pride before destruction (Proverbs 16:18). Jesus does not desire us to fall. Jesus desires us to rejoice in the goodness of God. The tax collector, whom Jesus uses in this parable, was the most despised of men. According to some scholars, tax collectors were renowned for not showing mercy to those whom they were sent to collect tax from; but this may not have been necessarily so in every case. Nevertheless, today we could equate them with debt collectors, whose job is to collect the debt owing to a creditor, regardless of the cost to the debtor. Tax collectors in the days of Jesus, likewise, had orders to ensure that the taxes were collected and were paid accordingly. They were despised by the people of the day. Jesus takes the most despised of men and, to illustrate His point, compares him with those who pretend to be the most righteous of men. The tax collector knew what it was to hear people ask for mercy; some he may have even shown mercy. For in this parable, the one who is despised; the one who is hated; the one who is in the greatest need of mercy; this is the one who is asking not to be judged but to be given another chance—to show someone mercy means to give someone a chance after having been judged. When we recognize what it is that we need from God, then we are more likely to show that to others. What we do unto others, we expect others to do to ourselves. Jesus said that we ought to pray, asking God to forgive us, as we ourselves have been willing to forgive other people. This is why the tax collector was justified: he recognized that he could not stand before the righteousness of God and proclaim his goodness. Yet God did this before Moses, for we read:
- He said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim Yahweh’s name before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” (Exodus 33:19).
Some people take this to mean that we do not have freewill, because God will only save some. In particular, those whom He had chosen before the foundation of the world, whereas the rest had been condemned to everlasting punishment before they were born. They have a difficult problem reconciling a God of love, who shows mercy to those who seek it, with their concept of a god who is actually evil, and delights in tormenting people forever and ever.
In speaking of the chosen in Jesus Christ, please remember that every coin has three sides: heads, tails, and the rim on which it can be rolled. In fact, some will argue that a coin has five sides and add the inside and the outside. If we understand all sides, we are blessed indeed. For if we really want to be accurate, we will say a coin has six physical sides, four on the rim and one on the face and back. This is because every finite object, even when not shaped like a cube, has six sides that face north, south, east and west, up and down. The truths of the Bible need to be understood from all sides, too. Nevertheless, a text taken out of context can often be a pretext that bears false witness, because the deceiver wants to deceive. Many in fact appear to seek honor from the father of lies and, in so doing, do Jesus an injustice by distorting the truth about His mission.
In the following pages, we shall look at whether we are saved by grace and what is grace. We will look at what part faith plays in salvation and the salvation process which, hopefully, will prove enlightening. We will discuss the doctrines that form the TULIP propositions and evaluate their worth; which will entail a discussion of freewill and predestination. We will discuss what faith is really, and what is meant when we are told we are saved by grace through faith in Lord Jesus Christ. Finally, we will give consideration to the idea of the will being in bondage to sin. After having considered what is in the following pages, it is hoped that we will all agree that we are saved by grace through faith in Lord Jesus Christ by means of the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God, our Father in Heaven.
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