Lesson 11

Work Out Your Own Salvation?

 

Most people use different excuses not to get involved with the Bible and one of the most often excuses used is, Man wrote the Bible and there are too many mistakes and contradictions in it.

 

Have you ever thought that yourself, or have you heard some-one say something on that order?

 

After many years of Bible study, you will never find a mistake or contradiction anywhere in this precious book. The bible is comprised of 66 books, penned by 40 Holy Spirit controlled men over a 4000 year period. The Bible says this about it self in II Peter 1:20-21, “The SCRIPTURE did not come by the will of man, BUT Holy men of God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

 

The biggest MISTAKE OF ALL IS how man over the years has attempted to interpret God’s Word. God did not include instructions on how to interpret His Word. He left instructions on how to follow the Word LITERALLY and to be LED by HIS HOLY SPIRIT.

 

If we could take the time to go through the Old Testament, locating the 300 plus prophecies concerning the First coming of Jesus and then go to the New Testament and look up their fulfillment, it would not take a Rocket Scientist to recognize that man had NO PART IN WRITING THE BIBLE. Man has never had the capacity to project or look forward thousands of years into the future, record it and then fulfill it.

 

One of the assumed contradictions people use to support their claim that the Bible was written by man deals with the controversial question of, ARE WE SAVED BY GRACE? OR, ARE WE SAVED BY WORKS? This is the SUBJECT we would like to focus on in this lesson.

 

Paul said in Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are saved by GRACE NOT BY WORKS. Then Paul says in Philippians 2:12-16 “That we should work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

 

These would appear to be very contradicting statements.

 

WHICH IS IT?

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The answer to this question has caused many church splits over the years and it is THE REASON that there is a wide separation in church theology today. We have churches that are very liberal and we have churches that are very legalistic based on this issue.

 

ARE WE SAVED BY GRACE? OR, ARE WE SAVED BY WORKS?

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The answer IS BOTH, because, there is a part the Father, Son and Holy Spirit has done and is doing and there is a part that each of us have to do since we have received Jesus as our personal Savior.

 

When we come to Jesus and are born-again, we become a new creature in Christ Jesus. We are cleansed from sin THROUGH JESUS’ BLOOD. Jesus blood is the ONCE AND FOR ALL SACRIFICE for the SIN of ALL MANKIND (Hebrews 7:27). Review; Hebrews chapters 7-9.

 

God has cast all our sin into, His sea of forgetfulness, never to remember our sin again (God’s delete button). God will not and does not restore and remind us of what we did in the past. Romans 8:1 says, “Now therefore there is no more condemnation”. We are absolutely and perfectly cleansed from sin the moment we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

 

HERE LIES THE PROBLEM

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We, through habitual lives, dirty ourselves again, with Satan’s help. Paul asks the Galatians in chapter one and reminds them again in chapter 5:1-26, why, do you return to the things Jesus saved you from? The fleshly part of us DID NOT, become born again. Our flesh still wants to keep doing the things it did before we came to Jesus. (I Corinthians 9:27)

 

Refer to Romans 7:23 and I Corinthians 3:1-8.

 

We must GROW SPIRITUALLY to the point that our inner spirit, with the help of the Holy Spirit, FINALLY HAS CONTROL over the carnal (fleshly) part of us. I John 2:16 refers to, “The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”. Review the FOUR STAGES OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH in Lesson One.

 

THIS IS WHAT WORKING OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION IS ALL ABOUT. SIMPLY, GROWING UP SPIRITUALLY.

 

God says, "My people are destroyed BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE" (Hosea 4:6). We can be born again and still be unlearned in regard to God’s Word (I Corinthians 12:1 and 14:16 and 24).

 

There is still sin in the CARNAL (fleshly) part of us. That sin has to be dealt with, or we will be like the ten virgins, five were not ready. We will not be ready when Jesus comes to get His Bride.

 

HOW CAN WE BE READY?

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BY APPLYING GOD’S WORD.

 

Romans 12:1-2 says, "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

 

Psalms 119:11 says, “I hide your Word in my heart, so I will not sin against You.”

 

God said to Joshua in verse 1:8, “Meditate on My Word day and night, so you will be a good success.”

 

James 1:22 says, “be ye a doer of the Word, and not a hearer only.”

 

The POWER IN GOD’S WORD, is more than enough, to help us maintain a life that is pleasing to our Lord, When we are shown sin in our life, WE NEED TO REPENT AND ASK GOD TO FORGIVE US AND NOT SIN ANY MORE, DON’T WAIT. I John 1:9

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BUT GROW IN GRACE,
AND IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD
AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.
TO HIM BE GLORY BOTH NOW
AND FOREVER. AMEN.

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II PETER 3:18