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 ANSWER:
Salvation
is not determined by man, but is revealed for all men in God’s Holy
Word, The Bible.
It is here one must look for the means and qualifications for
salvation.1
Holy Scripture teaches that man is born separated from God
due to his sinful nature, which the Just and Holy God who created the
universe cannot simply overlook.2
While individuals often do ‘feel’ like they are good, this is
the result of sin blinding them to the truth concerning their actual
condition and state of condemnation before God.3
We are told that everyone is guilty4. Therefore, man is
a sinner and cannot by his best works merit pardon for sin.5
If a person is trying to achieve salvation by observing the law
(“being good”) then Scripture tells us that they are under a curse.6
Therefore, anyone relying on “being good” to be saved is in opposition
to God’s truth.
Since “being good” all of one’s life will not gain salvation,
what then is the answer?
The gospel further teaches that salvation is a free gift by the
Grace of God.7
This gift is made possible because God’s only begotten son, Jesus
Christ came into this world as a human being, lived a perfect sinless
life, and died on the cross of Calvary to satisfy God’s justice and pay
our sin debt in full.8
This gift is not automatic; it must be received by faith and this
saving faith in Jesus Christ provides us with his imputed righteousness.9
There is a transfer between a sinner and Christ.
Christ takes the sinners sin and pays the penalty, and the sinner
through faith receives the righteousness of Christ and gets the gift of
eternal life.
Jesus Christ very clearly stated that he is the only way.10
Trusting, accepting, receiving, and resting on Jesus Christ alone
through faith is the only way to salvation.
For a more thorough
explanation see Rev. Muse's sermon on
Galatians
3:13.
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(1)
2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness,
(2) Romans
5:12
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death
through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all
sinned—
(3) Romans 3:10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
(4) Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
(5) Romans 3:20
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by
observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
(6) Galatians 3:10
All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written:
“Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in
the Book of the Law.”
(7) Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not
from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
(8) Romans 3:24-25A
24and are justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through
faith in his blood………..
(9) Romans
3:22
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all
who believe. There is no difference,
(10) John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through me.
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