The Scripture references were addressing his statement. There are conditions to all God's promises....."If you love me.......then do..."

Salvation is a free gift, but the fruit of faith is obedience that works by love.

quote:

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Originally posted by Charlene Van Hook:
James said....."that He doesn't ask you to do anything from you except to believe Him and have faith in Him?"

The Scripture references were addressing his statement. There are conditions to all God's promises....."If you love me.......then do..."

Salvation is a free gift, but the fruit of faith is obedience that works by love.

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Charlene

Properly understood, Jo. 14:15 means "If you love Me, you will be able to.." Jesus is not in the business of arbitrarily ordering us around. Our obedience does not procure the promise. It is the result of the promise. "All His biddings, are enablings." Other Scripture and SOP make this plain.

But, whatever the case; you still have not shown how your quotes above relate to "The Greatest Question In The World."

What do you say this question should be?

Jesus is in the business of telling how to live so we may be saved and spend eternity with Him. He spent a lifetime showing and teaching us How to be saved.

The word OBEY takes a bad wrap from our folks these days, but never the less it seems to play a great part in the "how to be saved" list. Satan found this out when he played his war games in heaven.

It is a given that salvation is not in our power but the power of Grace through Jesus Christ and our cooperation. Yes, "all His biddings are enablings" IF we claim the promise with a heart filled with love for our Redeemer/Savour.

His enabling power is given IF the conditions are met. This is not arbitrary.....This is the law of Liberty...we have a free choice.....We are not going to slide into heaven because we want to be there, in fact if we want to be there we will study to find out How to be there, And we are told.....
Rev 22:14 "Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love"? "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me." "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."

This Day with God--His Grace Is Sufficient- 167

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Phil. 2:12, 13.
" Every one of us has a work to do in our own salvation, which is to meet every requirement of God. God does not do anything independent of the agency of him for whom the work is to be
done. His grace is sufficient to work in and with them that are His, in the fulfillment of every promise, while the one for whom this grace is supplied is to obey every command."
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Most important question?...Lord, I love you, How may I be saved?

The answer is above.

[ May 21, 2002: Message edited by: Charlene Van Hook ]

"The word OBEY takes a bad wrap from our folks these days, but never the less it seems to play a great part in the "how to be saved" list. Satan found this out when he played his war games in heaven. "

Charlene

This thread is not trying to determine how we get saved.

It was simply a case of people saying what they think the world's most important question is, and backing that up with Scripture.

No one in this thread has given obey a bad rap. Some of your comments seem quite out of place.

When someone says:

Quote:
What is the most important question in the whole world?
Answer: Do you know that Christ has saved you and that He is the One that guard you and maintain your safety till you enter the gate of heaven, that He doesn't ask you to do anything from you except to believe Him and have faith in Him?

In His love

James S.

[end of quote]
When someone points out that "He doesn't ask you to do anything" and all that is needed to be saved is to "believe and have faith" this needs to be addressed. Belief and Faith is necessary but it takes more than that to be saved. Jesus does ask us to do something, as stated above in my posts.

This falshood needed to be addressed. and that is what i did. Jesus also asked you to sell all that you have and give it to the poor....He also asks us to take up our cross and follow Him. He asks to become a living sacrifice....on and on...and this is just because of the love for Jesus in our hearts manifested by these fruits. But the fruits are required.

When the Elijah/John message was given.....what was the important question then? "What must i do to be saved?" I guess we can't improve on that.
But we must have the answer to that all important question right. Bible and SOP does that in my posts above.

I see it differently, that's for sure. What I am thinking tho, is quite simple.

Each thread here, as on any forum, has a specific title, with a specific purpose.

I am trying to politely state here, that if you look at the title of this thread, you will find no mandate within that title, to "address falsehood." That was not my intent for starting this thread.

This has been intended only as a general survey of what people would answer, for the question I had asked. If you feel that someone stated something not right; I am simply saying this may not be the thread to do it in.

We do not need to march into every topic and set people straight, especially when the goal of the topic, was not intended to set forth, any specific theology or doctrine. This is why I must still conclude that your comments re "obedience," are out of place in this topic.

What brother James said above, does not indicate what you have said. Have you followed Mat. 18 with brother James on this matter, before bringing it up publicly like this?

PR.1903-01-29.002
"God has not given His ministers the work of setting the churches right. No sooner is this work done, apparently, than it has to be done over again. Church-members that are thus looked after and labored for become religious weaklings. If nine-tenths of the effort that has been put forth for those who know the truth had been put forth for those who have never heard the truth, how much greater would have been the advancement made! God has withheld His blessings because His people have not worked in harmony with His directions."

This would also apply to the internet church as well.

Please forgive me here; but I wish we could just stick to the intended topic.

Luke 10:25
And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

"that He doesn't ask you to do anything from you except to believe Him and have faith in Him?"

just curious.