If the person stayed home to read the bible while the rest of their family drove to the beach and were subsquently all killed in a head on collision with a drunk driver....then yes, I would say that person was saved by reading the Bible.
Can someone be "saved" just by reading the Bible?
by somebodylovesme 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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SixofNine
Bibles can also be effective for stopping small caliber bullets.
It is all in black and white in the Book of Revelation. Take some time, sit down and read it. It's thrilling!
lol, now that's something Revelation isn't accused of being very often, "black and white"! -
LittleToe
ROFL @ Six
Gotta agree with ya on that one, buddy -
somebodylovesme
Thanks, all ...
I wasn't asking for personal fulfillment... lol. Was just trying to think of flaws within the logic my in-laws spew at me (the whole, you HAVE to be a part of the Organization to live forever, etc)... For some reason I thought there was something more explicit in the Bible saying this was incorrect.
Thanks for the responses! ;)
SLM
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gold_morning
Hi,
I just thougt I would comment on what the bible says of salvation.
Most people of different religions, have a difficult
time seperating God from religion. Chatholics believe
they must be baptised Chatholic to go to heaven.
Baptists believe they must be baptist, mormans believe
they must be mormans. I remember feeling I must be
baptised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses to be saved.
Look at where the bible says we must turn to be saved.
Acts 4:12....."Salvation is found in NO ONE ELSE, for
there is no other name under heaven given to men by
which we must be saved."
Here it shows our salvation comes from Jesus. It does
not say salvation is found from some religion to be
saved, but found in NO ONE ELSE but Jesus.
1John 5:12.."He who HAS the Son, HAS life..."
Again, it does not point to a religion or code of
ethics from a group of men to be saved, but merely the
Son, Jesus Christ.
Look what it says in Ephsians 2:4-8. ...."But because
of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
made US ALIVE with Christ even when we were dead in
transgressions.........IT IS BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN
SAVED.....(verse 8)..."For it is by grace you have
been saved, IT IS A GIFT FROM GOD..NOT BY WORKS so
that no none can boast."
So we are made alive with Chirst because it is a GIFT
from God. A present. See, we don't have to do anything
for a present. IT is a gift. To make that clear he
said that it is NOT our works that save us.
We cannot earn our salvation. It is a gift because
of the great love of God. It is knowing Jesus
personally. It is accepting that it was He who died
for us so that we could be righteous before God to
receive the gift he gave us....namely everlasting
life. Remember that scripture we just read.... He who
HAS the son HAS life.
The book of Titus 3:5 backs this up. It says...."He
saved us, NOT BECAUSE OF righteous things we had done,
but because of His mercy."
There is no acts we can do religiously that can save
us. Religion makes us "self-righteous". Like the
apostle Paul said in Titus....Only being saved thru
Jesus makes us righteous before God. We can't give
oursleves life..... a religion cannot give us this
gift. It takes away from Jesus. When he died, Jesus
said..."It is finished!!" He bought us life forever.
He paid a price to own us. Not with money, but
something much more valuable....his life. Anyone that
claims anything else is needed, is really taking away
from Jesus.
How about Romans 3:22..."This righteousness from God
comes through faith in Jesus Christ to ALL who
believe."
Notice again that we become righteous from faith in
Jesus and that it is open to ALL who believe in Him.
Not a select few from a particular religion. But ALL!!
Does getting allot of bible knowledge get us life? Not
according to the bible. Jesus himself says in John
5:39...
"You diligently study the scriptures (like many
theologions do) because you think by means of them you
posses eternal life. These are the scriptures that
testify about me. Yet you refuse to COME TO ME TO HAVE
LIFE."
So it is not knowledge that saves us either. There is
nothing wrong with knowledge, but that is not where
our salvation lies. We must come to Jesus to have
life. It is the love of God and knowing him that saves
us. A few verses down in 41 Jesus says "I know that
you do not have the love of God in your hearts."
The key to salvation is knowing Jesus and having a
good heart, just like Jesus did. Many people study the
bible and know "all about Jesus", but they have never
gotten to know him personally.
You can know all about President Bush. You can know
what school he went to, his grades, who he dated, what
year he married, how many children he had, where he
lived, when he quit drinking, about his political life
and his presidency. But can you say you personally
know him? Have you talked to him? Are you a friend of
his? Do you talk on the phone? No. So you know all
about him, but don't know him personally. That is how
it is with God and knowing HIM to receive his gift of
salvation.
I remember fearing God. He was this God exacting
exculsive devotion that I just could not measure up
to. No matter much studying I did, no matter how many
years I did those works to earn my favor with God. I
never knew if I had his favor. My salvation was not
assured. Now I know that he is a God of great love,
mercy, kindness and patience.
He loves all his children here. Jesus came to save the
world.. not condemn those in it. On his deathbed on
the cross he saved a criminal that deserved to die.
Why, because he read the criminal's heart. He had
great mercy, compassion and unconditonal love.
This is what Romans 10 9-13 says...
"This is what we are proclaiming....That if you
confess with you mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe
in your HEART that God raised Him from the dead, YOU
WILL BE SAVED.............."Everyone who calls on the
name of the Lord will be saved."Just thought I'd share. [email protected]
(feel free to write me if you like) -
L_A_Big_Dawg
Somebodylovesme wrote:
Was just trying to think of flaws within the logic my in-laws spew at me (the whole, you HAVE to be a part of the Organization to live forever, etc)
This is the same arguement I have had with my PO dad. I will briefly write what I told him.
The issue is not the "what" that you belong to saving you (By salvation I mean eternal separation from God at death due to sin), but the "who." If you look at the basis of the OT sacrificial system, it was based on a substitue taking the punishment for your sin (the OT lamb). This all prefigured the "Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world." The death of Jesus was in the stead of the believers. Jesus paid the penalty (death) even though He was sinless. This death transfered the believer's punishment onto Jesus. I have never seen an instance in which an organization was ever utilized in Judeo-Christian scripture to pay the penalty for sin.
However, that doesn't end it. At Jesus' resurrection (God's acceptance of Jesus' sacrifice; if Jesus was sinless then he could not remain dead and his flesh allowed to corrupt) all the good things that Jesus did are now transfered to us. Therefore, we (believers) can enter the throneroom of garce with boldness because believers are guiltless (atonement) and righteous (resurrection). No organization can save you from eternal separation from God.
Hope this helps,
Big Dawg
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Navigator
The whole concept of being "saved" presumes that you could be lost. I don't believe it. We are all created out of "God stuff" in the image and likness of God. How could God lose part of himself/herself? The only thing we need to be saved from is the illusion of separation from God and the belief in the reality of death.
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bebu
SLM,
I have met about 5 people who have become Christians solely by reading the Bible--no Bible studies, Q/A with anyone, whatever. One guy was raised a wealthy orthodox Jew, but as a real prodigal had spent his entire inheritance on drugs in Tibet (back in the late 60's)... he decided to finally get back to his roots, and the only guy who had a Bible was a Christian missionary, whom he refused to speak to, beyond requesting a Bible. He only wanted the OT anyway. However, he had been raised to ALWAYS read the cross-references, and ended up a lot crossing into the NT... and after 3 months he admitted he believed in Christ. A Japanese friend who had been a member of the communist party read the gospel of Matthew, and was so struck by Jesus' words, "Father, forgive them, they don't know what they are doing" that he said he decided to "follow that guy". He said he just believed in him.
The question is, can people read the Bible without commentaries or interpreters and figure out the message and be saved--if they wish? The short answer is yes, and that it is done fairly often.
bebu
(Ummm... What would people need to be saved from? depression, addictions, anxiety, hopelessness, fear, bitterness, rage, and self-centeredness are a few things that come to mind.... those are things I deal/dealt with, anway... )
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crinklesteinsgirl
For alot of people starting out reading the Bible, Revelation is one of the hardest to understand with all it's symbolism. There are areas that are black and white and easily understood. Those are the parts about Judgment and what will happen to you for not being saved, etc. I have read it many times and have had it all explained to me many times so for me, it is easier to comprehend. It is definitely not the only book in the Bible to read regarding salvation, but it's great to read after you have been saved so you know what you can look forward to.
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somebodylovesme
Thanks for all the replies. :) I didn't even notice people were replying again.. lol.
I think I have a better sense now of the Biblical context -- I was never a Christian of any variety, so I am not up to par on my Biblical knowledge.
Thanks, all -- gotta fly now ~~~~~~
SLM