Thank you again Dr. Bergsma - the background and context on Assyria, and the way you explained it, was most helpful. We are so blessed to receive these daily reflections!
The very definition of grace shows that salvation is free in and of itself. Grace translates to the Greek word CHARIS which means "unmeritted favor." This is why Paul says in ephesians "for by grace you have been saved (past tense) through faith and NOT OF YOURSELVES, it is a gift of God. Not of works so that no one may boast." This is also why in John's gospel (the one actually written to save the lost; see john 21:30-31) he gives the sole criteria to be saved which is to believe. This is also why Paul tells the church of Rome the difference between grace and works in Romans 11:7 "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." Believe the gospel performed on your behalf (the death, burial and resurrection) and recieve eternal life today. Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sin which is death. If he already payed your debt then there is only one place to go.
The free gift of salvation can't be earned by " works", but even a free gift must be recieved. The word " recieve", in the new testaments original Greek, means " to take hold of". We " take hold of" the free gift of salvation by obedience to the gospel plan of salvation spoken by Peter in Acts 2:38. Saving faith is faith demonstrated by obedience. Repentance is act of obedience that we must choose to do in order to be saved after we believe.
We are saved by Grace to perform good works. Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for GOOD WORKs, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
So, what happens if we do not hold up our end of the bargain? How bad can a Christian be before their free gift of salvation is revoked, and they are no longer pardoned by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross? (Isaiah 64:6) "all our righteousness is like a filthy rag". How many filfthy rags must we perform to "maintain" our salvation? How many good works must we perform so we will know that we have finally measured up? Remember that (1John 5:13) tells us that we can know for certain we have eternal life (salvation). How does the average Christian's works compare to Mother Teresa, a saint, or Jimmy Carter who has dedicated 50 years of his life to social justice, or Gandhi, the greatest do-gooder on planet earth? Can we be assured of eternal life as (1John 5:13) declares, when we do not even know the standard of works to maintain our salvation? The Bible is clear that salvation is a free gift. A works based salvation reduces a free gift to just a bargain at a reduced price, because, if there is any payback, then it is not free. We are all a filthy rag in the eyes of God, no matter how well we perform, no matter how many good works. That is why Jesus came. It was Christ's sacrifice on the cross that made us perfect like Him, because God demands perfection. (Romans 5:19) "we are made righteous by His obedience". (Romans 5:18) "...by the righteousness of one, the free gift (salvation) came upon all men". It was Christ's work on the cross, His sacrifice, not our works, that satisfies God's demand. After we accept His free gift, by faith, we do good works to honor His precious free miraculous gift, and preforming these works in His honor makes us effective Christians (Titus 3:8) (Ephesians 2:10). Works and salvation are clearly separate, although works are indeed important for obedience.
@@barbwire7449 Your question; "So, what happens if we do not hold up our end of the bargain?" If you willfully 'do not hold up to our end of the bargain', then you get to explain why to Jesus at your judgement and hopefully only extend your time in purgatory. Read Matthew 25:31-44 and ask yourself, are you a Sheep or a Goat? You really don't want to be a goat. Good luck and God Bless you.
@@johns1834 can you point to the exact verse in the Bible stating we get a second chance in purgatory? The Bible is clear in (1John 5:13) that we can "know" we have eternal life. We do not have to wait until we die and wake up in hell or purgatory to know we are saved. Either salvation is a free gift or it is not. Which is it? A free gift that can be revoked without the recipient being aware of permissible failures or violations is not a free gift. Even a parolee on probation is given strict guidelines of the violations that will revoke their parole. Jesus came because we could not save ourselves. He was perfect; we were filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). If we could have saved ourselves by earning salvation, why the need for Jesus? If we were too unrighteous to save ourselves to begin with, what makes us think we can live perfectly enough to keep ourselves saved, especially when we have no standard of good works to "maintain" our salvation. Why settle for purgatory when John tells us we can know we are saved before we die. We absolutely can know that we have eternal life before we die. (John 6:40) "for this is the will of the father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day".
Christians are commanded to love God above all and with all AND to love neighbour as you love yourself. To love is to take action and any act of love toward God or neighbour is a good work.
Great exegesis as I've never considered the Gospel passage of Matthew 16.24-27 as a proof against the heresy of faith alone (protestant sola fides vs. Catholic understanding supported by James 2.19 and Matthew 16.24-27!). On another topic, was there a specific verse or passage in Romans 8 that Dr. Bergsma was referring to (see 9:30).
Faith entails a lot of sacrifices in order to have salvation..we need to work on it, we need to follow God's will and His will is not that easy to do. So faith is nothing if not put into works ..God bless this channel and God bless us all🙏❤️😊✌️
So in the end Jesus died for nothing and salvation is about our obedience ? Repent and trust the blood of Christ for salvation. Either Jesus paid for our sins or he didn't. If you don't trust that Jesus paid for your sins, do you think you have salvation ?
@Texas Blues Are you saying you've kept the commandments perfectly ? Are you trusting in your ability to keep the commandments ? For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
@Texas Blues I don't trust in my ability to follow His instructions perfectly. Only the blood of Christ can wash away my sins, there remains no other sacrifice.
It is amazing how the critics in the comments section have such limited understanding of Scripture related to their faith alone proposition. Don't let the ignorance of the critics burden you Dr. B. "Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9
Yes, all that is in the gospel of your salvation: 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4 King James Version 15 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
@@mkovis8587 Christ be with you that not the Gospel that is just the first part of the Gospel previously delivered. Moreover, brethren, *I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received,* and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. *For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,* how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Cor 15:1-4) Jesus gives us a more complete version saying, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” And he said to all, *“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.* (Luke 9:22-23) or would you call Jesus a liar Do you think you a can enter the resurrection without Picking up you cross and following him Do you know more than Jesus? Come to Christ
@@MrKev1664 So... Do you have the cross on your back right now ? How long are you planning to carry it before you let the unbelievers nail you onto it ?
@@mkovis8587 Christ be with you Is that your best answer to Christ: Sarcasm? I will carry my Cross as long as my God requires me to do so. I am his slave But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. (rom 6:22) God bless you
First, any time a PHD figure head claims scriptural understanding im reminded of how similar they sound to the very well educated pharisees in Jesus Day. They are well dress, intelligent, but blind to the nature and humility of who Jesus is and what he calls us to be in humility. Philippians 2:7 7Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness;* and found human in appearance, 8he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.* You can know you are saved if you have placed faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9-11 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.’” The only requirement for salvation is faith in the work of Jesus’ death and resurrection (John 6:29). Nothing and no one else can save, not even our own good works (Acts 4:12; Ephesians 2:1-10). Once a person is saved by placing faith in Jesus, then he or she can be assured of salvation (John 10:28). This is the promise of God. To have faith in Jesus means to trust Him. We place our faith in Jesus when we recognize that we are separated from God and cannot resolve that problem ourselves, when we understand that God has provided the payment for our sins through Jesus’ death, and when we turn to Him in repentance and belief. Faith in Jesus is not simply intellectual assent to the facts of His existence, His deity, His death on the cross, or His bodily resurrection. Rather, faith in Jesus is a heart-level trust that He is who He says He is and that He has accomplished what He says He has accomplished. It is belief that salvation is by God’s grace; it is reliance on the risen Lord for that salvation. And Faith alone is exampled even in James 2:24. You see that a person is justified by what they DO and not by Faith alone. this is a classic Catholic trap that enslaves the reader in an incomplete picture of Context. If you back up a little bit and read before hand....verse 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone "says" he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? the implication is someone who CLAIMS faith without the appearance of validation by works. Meaning works ALWAYS result from Faith. Faith is KEY. But if someone claims faith without works then their faith isn't real. Works are NOT parallel. You do not have faith then force your self to do works. no. Jesus Brings works from you that he prepared. Ephesians 2:10 says: For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them. God Brings forth Love, kindness, compassion, patience, etc. from the true believer. the true believer need not worry about acting like that on their own. It is the true gift of Salvation that brings about these gifts. Jesus Does the work for those who have faith in him. It's not on you. focus on Jesus. the rest falls in place.
Faith describes a ~motivation needed~ for each and everyone to seek find and obey God. This motivation must describe the willingless of man in placing God as his own higher purpose of life other wise he will most likely tamble down by friends family and sosiety and the most dangerus of all self pride ! From the island of Cyprus the island of the Saints Acts 13:4-5-6 The Church was created the day of Pentecost by the Holy Spirit enabling Lord Jesus (God Logos) to become the "head of His body the Church" and high priest enabling those baptized and receiving the Holy Spirit with in TO BE REDEEMED FROM ALL SIN, to purify the hearts (only God can forgive sins) and become MEMBERS OF HIS BODY! [Α Colossians 1:18] “He is the head of his body, the Church; He is the source of the body’s life” [Hebrews 4: 14] “For we have a great Priest who has gone into the very presence of God” orthodoxinfo.com/general/stjohn_church.aspx The Church created by the Holy Spirit the day of Pentecost was not a building or a human made organization, but a living god man organism (Jesus) that is Divine. This is how Paul verifies that he Church is the Body of Christ! [Colossians 1: 24] “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: This is why during Baptism Christians are unided with Lord Jesus who is Body the Church! (Galatians 3:27) “You were baptized into union with Christ, and now you are clothed, with the life of Christ himself” Being that there can only be ~one body of Christ~ (the Church) it was the reazon that Paul was very lucit reqarding a very spesial characteristic of His Church! He wrote to the [Effesisians 4-5-6] 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, B E C A U S E 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Salvation was taking place in the Church the first 60 years with Iera Paradosis (Holy Tradition) in the absence of the Holy Bible that started to show with the Gospel of Mark the year 60 AD! orthodoxfaith.co.uk/timeline This is because of the presence of Lord Jesus in His Church with his Holy Sacraments that does it all! [A Kor. 4:1] LET a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God orthodoxwiki.org/Holy_Mysteries Ieara Paradosis, Holy Tradition In Ecclesiastic words this is known as Iera Paradosis (Holy Tradition) is the deposit of faith given by Jesus Christ to the Apostles and passed on in the Church from one generation to the next without addition, alteration or subtraction. Vladimir Lossky has famously described the Tradition as "the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church." It is dynamic in application, yet unchanging in dogma. It is growing in expression, yet ever the same in essence. WHAT THE APOSTLES PREACHED AND THE CHURCH RECEIVED th-cam.com/video/-i0xH2NRUhs/w-d-xo.html SAlvation is accesible to all on an equal basis for those rich and for the those poor for those educated and those who are not because after Baptism and purification of the heart Baptism our remaking to “a godman by the Grace of God” will rely on OBEDIENCE! After Baptism,(redeeming of all sins/ Salvation) is achieved by the participation with honesty to 1) Divine Thanks, 2) Confession, 3) Holy Communion, 4) Fasting and 5) Prayer. The Church of Cyprus here was the second Church creade by the Apostles after the one in Jerusalm. The first Bishop of Cyprus was Lazarus the resurected frien of Lord Jesus who served as a Bihop here 30 yers befor dying a second time Lazarus video of Church and His resting place www.cyprusisland.net/churches/church-saint-lazarus The word Ecclesia (Church) is found in the original Greek text 105 times!) This is one example: [2nd Corinthians 1:1] ”From Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by Gods will, and from our brother Timothy- To the Church of God in Corinth, and to all Gods people throughout Achaia: May God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace”. Apostles who became Bishops orthodoxwiki.org/Seventy_Apostles Greek Orthodox by country en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodoxy_by_country
James you are right about the body of Christ as being the Church , his Church Matt 16 : 18 ; where he called it My Church . His Church is his body made up of saved believers who have been Baptized in to his body by the Holy spirit 1 Cor. 12 : 12 - 13 ; Act 2 : 47 ; he is the Head of the Church Eph. 1 : 22- 23 . The scriptures never say anything about Christ being present in a Church with the so called sacraments . Eph. 4 : 4 - 5 - 6 ; there is one body that is Christ the Church , one spirit which is the holy spirit , One lord which is Christ , one faith the true faith of God . one baptism of the one spirit in to the one body 1 Cor. 12 : 12 - 13 ; baptism of the spirit is what quickens the body which which is dead in sin . there is no salvation in the sacraments it is by the Grace of God through faith in Christ Eph 2 : 8 - 9 ; and believing on the lord Jesus Christ , John 3 : 16 ; John 5 : 24 ; John 6 : 47 ; one other thing the apostate Catholic Church is not Christ Church His Church is pure and Holy and with out spot or blemish Eph. 5 : 27 .no earthly Church can qualify . it is a spiritual Church which is made up of saved believers who are the Church
Ephesians 2:8-9 [8]For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, [9]not of works, lest anyone should boast. Am i wrong to understand that this verses are telling that man was saved through FAITH? That salvation from sin is a gift and not a reward not of works. If i am wrong please explain to me these verses.
Indeed. You must put your trust in Jesus and the blood he shed to pay for you sins. To add works to it is not biblical. Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
1 John 5:13 says we can know we are saved. So, where is the list of good works that will assure me I am saved? 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4 says we are saved by believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Salvation is a free gift from God, and if by grace, then there should be no strings attached. If I have to perform works to maintain my salvation, then it is not salvation; it is probation. Again, where is the list of good works that will finally get me paroled, so that I am assured I have eternal life, as promised in 1 John 5:13.
Matt 25:35-36 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
@@tco13v Grace is the free and unmerited favor of God. If it is free and is unmerited, then grace has no payback. Faith is defined in (Hebrews 11:1) "now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". The two are different. Some theologians claim that "faith" is also "works", because having faith actually requires work, but (Roman's 11:6) is clear that faith and works are not the same, "and if by grace, then it is no more works, otherwise grace is no more grace; otherwise work is no more work".
Dr. Hahn knows and shows the difference between the catholic view of faith alone ( fides caritate formata/ faith formed by Love) vs the protestant view of fiduciary faith ( trusting faith). The protestant idea of fiduciary faith does not teach a distinction between living faith and dead faith. For them faith is an instrument to recieve the righteousness of Christ. It is like a bucket collecting the righteousness of Christ. Catholics distinguish fides informis( dead intellectual only faith) vs living faith which has the divine nature (Love) as its soul. Fides formata. When.a catholic like Dr. Hahn teaches what Aquinas did that we are justified by faith alone, he means that we are saved through our true living relationship with Christ alone. It is a living, working faith. The protestant idea of faith alone doesn't necessarily teach the same thing . But for many reformed Christians it is actually closer than we think. When they says.we are justified by faith alone but never by a faith which is alone, then it's pretty close to fides formata
@@brucewmclaughlin9072 you're missing the bigger point if all you care is about who it's a dressing the bigger point is it saying that faith without works is dead meaning with real Faith comes real works not selfish works that's the point of the scripture it wasn't about who it's addressing
@@bobbyg8949 james doe s not promote a works based salvation , but he does point out that faith is not evidenced by doing nothing. We do all the works of God Eph 2:10 because of salvation that is given to us the moment we repent and call upon the Lord. We do not at any time do any works for salvation .
@@brucewmclaughlin9072 you understand you but I never said that works would be salvation I said with real Faith comes real works there is a difference on doing things to try to get your spot in the heaven which is impossible because your works won't be yourself salvation but real Faith comes real works not done for selfish reasons
Scripture says that God saves us (or we have been saved by Him) through faith (Eph. 2:8) and through sanctification (2 Thes. 2:13). Faith alone salvation is not biblical!
Just from catholic , we are saved grace through faith not of your self, it is a gift of God ; not of works or you may boast . Eph. 2 : 8 - 9 ; 2 Thess . 2 : 13 ; We are sanctified by the spirit so how do you get the spirit of God in you to set you apart ? By believing on the lord Jesus by faith there is no other way . you are like most Catholics , you never read and study the scriptures you are ignorant of the spiritual truth of the scriptures . tell me why faith and believing in Christ does not give salvation .John 3 :16 ; John 5 : 24 ; John 6 : 40 ; John 6 : 47 ; Eph 2 : 8 - 9 ; Are you saved ? is your faith in Christ or in your own works ?
@@donaldcooley897 Catholics DO believe that we are saved by GRACE through FAITH (Eph. 2:8) AND through SANCTIFICATION (2 Thes. 2:13). Salvation, according to Scripture, is a process, not one-time event as wrongly taught by the Reformers. Catholics do NOT believe that our works save us - this is common myth. We can do good works only by grace, not by our own efforts.
@@justfromcatholic No where in the scriptures does it say salvation is a progress . if it is a progress then you are working toward completing you salvation . John 5 : 24 by believing we have everlasting life and have passed from death to life . when we by faith in Christ become born again and we become a new creature because we have been born from above . and we who were dead in sins have been quicken by the spirit or made alive it is not a process life is instant and death is instant and our spiritual birth is instant God Bless
@@donaldcooley897 Sorry my earlier reply was somehow cut-off. 2 Thes 2;13 says (RSV): "But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning TO BE SAVED THROUGH SANCTIFICATION by the Spirit AND BELIEF in the truth". Scripture says salvation comes through sanctification and sanctification is a process, not one time event. Salvation is NOT through faith alone.
Dear Dr. John, The verse is not given the correct meaning, to those who lack of the presence of a historical Church when it was writen! [Eph 2:8 ] 8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God", The Grace of God talked about here that SAVES throught Faith (that was a gift from God), is the Life saving Grace begoten during the Holy Sacrament of Baptism. “Having been baptized into Christ, and put on Christ (Gal 3,27), you have been made conformable to the Son of God; for God, having predestined us for adoption (Eph 1,5), formed us (Gn 2,7) according to Christ's glorious body... You have become “Christs” by receiving the sign of the Holy Spirit. Everything that has happened to you has been in imitation of Christ, whose images you are’. Paul is pointing out to them that they were saved because of their great Faith that was the reazon that they were led to Baptism! Paul was addressing Christian Church members as ~the creador of their Church~ who were allready SAVED by BAPTISM (Union with God/Salvation) as delivered by the Holy Spirit the day of Pentecost. They were SAVED because of their personal FAith to procced to Baptism… and not because of their own works! The Church created by the Holy Spirit the day of Pentecost was the only Church present in the worlld for the first 1054 years of Christianity. The Greek Orthodox is that very same Church today for they follow the same canons (rules) begoten the day of Penecost that contain God;s will for the Salvation of man! Lazarus the resurected friend of Lord Jesus became the first Cyprus Bishop here for 30 years before he died a second time. Lazarus video of Church and His resting place www.cyprusisland.net/churches/church-saint-lazarus What Is the Orthodox Church? - Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick th-cam.com/video/95P744siC7U/w-d-xo.html TO BE AN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN Is to experience the Apostolic Faith ... orthodoxwiki.org/What_is_Orthodoxy Greek Orthodox by country en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodoxy_by_country MIRACLES of 'The Uncreated Light' The HOLY SPIRIT Found in Orthodoxy ... th-cam.com/video/SH3YUY403ps/w-d-xo.html God bless
26 For if we SIN WILLFULLY after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there NO longer remains a SACRIFICE for (such)sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of JUDGEMENT and fiery indignation which will devour the ADVERSARIES. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much WORSE PUNISHMENT, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy WHO HAS TRAMPLED the SON OF GOD underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and INSULTED THE SPIRIT OF GRACE (Holy Spirit)? Hebrews 10:26-29 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but WHOEVER SPEAKS AGAINST the HOLY SPIRIT, it WILL NOT be FORGIVEN him, either in this age or in the age to come. Matthew 12:32 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. James 3:1 But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. Mark 9:42
Is that not a warning to the Jews who rejected the blood of christ for salvation ? Warning for the tribulation times when Jesus has picked up the Church and Jews are left behind to survive 7 years and if they willfully sin/willfully take the mark of the beast they are doomed.
Beautiful, Dr Bergsma! Not by faith alone, but by our conduct, by our imitation of our Christ! Help us, Jesus!
Thank you again Dr. Bergsma - the background and context on Assyria, and the way you explained it, was most helpful. We are so blessed to receive these daily reflections!
Thank you Dr. John Bergsma. God bless🙏🏻
The very definition of grace shows that salvation is free in and of itself. Grace translates to the Greek word CHARIS which means "unmeritted favor." This is why Paul says in ephesians "for by grace you have been saved (past tense) through faith and NOT OF YOURSELVES, it is a gift of God. Not of works so that no one may boast." This is also why in John's gospel (the one actually written to save the lost; see john 21:30-31) he gives the sole criteria to be saved which is to believe. This is also why Paul tells the church of Rome the difference between grace and works in Romans 11:7 "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." Believe the gospel performed on your behalf (the death, burial and resurrection) and recieve eternal life today. Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sin which is death. If he already payed your debt then there is only one place to go.
Gracias, Senor.
By faith we are saved from our former sins, so that our walk in righteousness thereafter won’t be in vain.
The free gift of salvation can't be earned by " works", but even a free gift must be recieved. The word " recieve", in the new testaments original Greek, means " to take hold of".
We " take hold of" the free gift of salvation by obedience to the gospel plan of salvation spoken by Peter in Acts 2:38.
Saving faith is faith demonstrated by obedience. Repentance is act of obedience that we must choose to do in order to be saved after we believe.
We are saved by Grace to perform good works. Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for GOOD WORKs, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Christ be with you
also if we do not do them we will not receive eternal life (Gal 6:7-9)
God bless you
@@MrKev1664 Amen. God bless you also.
So, what happens if we do not hold up our end of the bargain? How bad can a Christian be before their free gift of salvation is revoked, and they are no longer pardoned by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross? (Isaiah 64:6) "all our righteousness is like a filthy rag". How many filfthy rags must we perform to "maintain" our salvation? How many good works must we perform so we will know that we have finally measured up? Remember that (1John 5:13) tells us that we can know for certain we have eternal life (salvation). How does the average Christian's works compare to Mother Teresa, a saint, or Jimmy Carter who has dedicated 50 years of his life to social justice, or Gandhi, the greatest do-gooder on planet earth? Can we be assured of eternal life as (1John 5:13) declares, when we do not even know the standard of works to maintain our salvation?
The Bible is clear that salvation is a free gift. A works based salvation reduces a free gift to just a bargain at a reduced price, because, if there is any payback, then it is not free.
We are all a filthy rag in the eyes of God, no matter how well we perform, no matter how many good works. That is why Jesus came. It was Christ's sacrifice on the cross that made us perfect like Him, because God demands perfection. (Romans 5:19) "we are made righteous by His obedience". (Romans 5:18) "...by the righteousness of one, the free gift (salvation) came upon all men".
It was Christ's work on the cross, His sacrifice, not our works, that satisfies God's demand. After we accept His free gift, by faith, we do good works to honor His precious free miraculous gift, and preforming these works in His honor makes us effective Christians (Titus 3:8) (Ephesians 2:10). Works and salvation are clearly separate, although works are indeed important for obedience.
@@barbwire7449 Your question; "So, what happens if we do not hold up our end of the bargain?"
If you willfully 'do not hold up to our end of the bargain', then you get to explain why to Jesus at your judgement and hopefully only extend your time in purgatory.
Read Matthew 25:31-44 and ask yourself, are you a Sheep or a Goat? You really don't want to be a goat.
Good luck and God Bless you.
@@johns1834 can you point to the exact verse in the Bible stating we get a second chance in purgatory? The Bible is clear in (1John 5:13) that we can "know" we have eternal life. We do not have to wait until we die and wake up in hell or purgatory to know we are saved.
Either salvation is a free gift or it is not. Which is it? A free gift that can be revoked without the recipient being aware of permissible failures or violations is not a free gift. Even a parolee on probation is given strict guidelines of the violations that will revoke their parole.
Jesus came because we could not save ourselves. He was perfect; we were filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). If we could have saved ourselves by earning salvation, why the need for Jesus? If we were too unrighteous to save ourselves to begin with, what makes us think we can live perfectly enough to keep ourselves saved, especially when we have no standard of good works to "maintain" our salvation. Why settle for purgatory when John tells us we can know we are saved before we die.
We absolutely can know that we have eternal life before we die. (John 6:40) "for this is the will of the father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day".
Amen!
Another scriptural homerun Dr. B.
God's blessings upon you and yours.
I keep you in prayer. 🙏
“If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s works.... " (1 Peter 17)
Thank you
Christians are commanded to love God above all and with all AND to love neighbour as you love yourself. To love is to take action and any act of love toward God or neighbour is a good work.
Great exegesis as I've never considered the Gospel passage of Matthew 16.24-27 as a proof against the heresy of faith alone (protestant sola fides vs. Catholic understanding supported by James 2.19 and Matthew 16.24-27!).
On another topic, was there a specific verse or passage in Romans 8 that Dr. Bergsma was referring to (see 9:30).
And I only noticedd this today: “If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work.... (1 Peter 17)
Learning so much, thank you.
Faith entails a lot of sacrifices in order to have salvation..we need to work on it, we need to follow God's will and His will is not that easy to do. So faith is nothing if not put into works ..God bless this channel and God bless us all🙏❤️😊✌️
So in the end Jesus died for nothing and salvation is about our obedience ? Repent and trust the blood of Christ for salvation. Either Jesus paid for our sins or he didn't. If you don't trust that Jesus paid for your sins, do you think you have salvation ?
@@mkovis8587 James 2:17
@Texas Blues Are you saying you've kept the commandments perfectly ? Are you trusting in your ability to keep the commandments ?
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
@Texas Blues Do you believe doing your best is enough to get into heaven ?
@Texas Blues I don't trust in my ability to follow His instructions perfectly. Only the blood of Christ can wash away my sins, there remains no other sacrifice.
As James said faith without works is useless
John 6:28 defines the works that the Jews are to do as James 1:1 points out who James is addressing!
It is amazing how the critics in the comments section have such limited understanding of Scripture related to their faith alone proposition.
Don't let the ignorance of the critics burden you Dr. B.
"Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9
FAITH ALONE MEAN THERE IS NO OTHER WAY BUT BY FAITH, THAT FAITH IS NOT ALONE. THAT FAITH INCLUDES BELIEVING ALL THAT IS IN THE GOSPEL.
Christ Be with you
In Faith alone where is Love where is Hope
Faith must uphold the law (rom 3:31)
Faith alone s a lie
God bless you
Yes, all that is in the gospel of your salvation: 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4
King James Version
15 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
@@mkovis8587
Christ be with you
that not the Gospel
that is just the first part of the Gospel previously delivered.
Moreover, brethren, *I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received,* and wherein ye stand;
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
*For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,* how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Cor 15:1-4)
Jesus gives us a more complete version
saying, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
And he said to all, *“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.* (Luke 9:22-23)
or would you call Jesus a liar
Do you think you a can enter the resurrection without Picking up you cross and following him
Do you know more than Jesus?
Come to Christ
@@MrKev1664 So... Do you have the cross on your back right now ? How long are you planning to carry it before you let the unbelievers nail you onto it ?
@@mkovis8587
Christ be with you
Is that your best answer to Christ: Sarcasm?
I will carry my Cross as long as my God requires me to do so.
I am his slave
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. (rom 6:22)
God bless you
First, any time a PHD figure head claims scriptural understanding im reminded of how similar they sound to the very well educated pharisees in Jesus Day. They are well dress, intelligent, but blind to the nature and humility of who Jesus is and what he calls us to be in humility.
Philippians 2:7
7Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;*
and found human in appearance,
8he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.*
You can know you are saved if you have placed faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9-11 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.’” The only requirement for salvation is faith in the work of Jesus’ death and resurrection (John 6:29). Nothing and no one else can save, not even our own good works (Acts 4:12; Ephesians 2:1-10). Once a person is saved by placing faith in Jesus, then he or she can be assured of salvation (John 10:28). This is the promise of God.
To have faith in Jesus means to trust Him. We place our faith in Jesus when we recognize that we are separated from God and cannot resolve that problem ourselves, when we understand that God has provided the payment for our sins through Jesus’ death, and when we turn to Him in repentance and belief. Faith in Jesus is not simply intellectual assent to the facts of His existence, His deity, His death on the cross, or His bodily resurrection. Rather, faith in Jesus is a heart-level trust that He is who He says He is and that He has accomplished what He says He has accomplished. It is belief that salvation is by God’s grace; it is reliance on the risen Lord for that salvation.
And Faith alone is exampled even in James 2:24. You see that a person is justified by what they DO and not by Faith alone.
this is a classic Catholic trap that enslaves the reader in an incomplete picture of Context. If you back up a little bit and read before hand....verse 14
What good is it, my brothers, if someone "says" he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
the implication is someone who CLAIMS faith without the appearance of validation by works. Meaning works ALWAYS result from Faith. Faith is KEY. But if someone claims faith without works then their faith isn't real. Works are NOT parallel. You do not have faith then force your self to do works. no. Jesus Brings works from you that he prepared. Ephesians 2:10 says: For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.
God Brings forth Love, kindness, compassion, patience, etc. from the true believer. the true believer need not worry about acting like that on their own. It is the true gift of Salvation that brings about these gifts. Jesus Does the work for those who have faith in him. It's not on you.
focus on Jesus. the rest falls in place.
Faith describes a ~motivation needed~ for each and everyone to seek find and obey God. This motivation must describe the willingless of man in placing God as his own higher purpose of life other wise he will most likely tamble down by friends family and sosiety and the most dangerus of all self pride !
From the island of Cyprus the island of the Saints Acts 13:4-5-6
The Church was created the day of Pentecost by the Holy Spirit enabling Lord Jesus (God Logos) to become the "head of His body the Church" and high priest enabling those baptized and receiving the Holy Spirit with in TO BE REDEEMED FROM ALL SIN, to purify the hearts (only God can forgive sins) and become MEMBERS OF HIS BODY!
[Α Colossians 1:18] “He is the head of his body, the Church; He is the source of the body’s life” [Hebrews 4: 14] “For we have a great Priest who has gone into the very presence of God” orthodoxinfo.com/general/stjohn_church.aspx
The Church created by the Holy Spirit the day of Pentecost was not a building or a human made organization, but a living god man organism (Jesus) that is Divine. This is how Paul verifies that he Church is the Body of Christ! [Colossians 1: 24] “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: This is why during Baptism Christians are unided with Lord Jesus who is Body the Church! (Galatians 3:27) “You were baptized into union with Christ, and now you are clothed, with the life of Christ himself” Being that there can only be ~one body of Christ~ (the Church) it was the reazon that Paul was very lucit reqarding a very spesial characteristic of His Church! He wrote to the [Effesisians 4-5-6] 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, B E C A U S E 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Salvation was taking place in the Church the first 60 years with Iera Paradosis (Holy Tradition) in the absence of the Holy Bible that started to show with the Gospel of Mark the year 60 AD! orthodoxfaith.co.uk/timeline
This is because of the presence of Lord Jesus in His Church with his Holy Sacraments that does it all! [A Kor. 4:1] LET a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God orthodoxwiki.org/Holy_Mysteries
Ieara Paradosis, Holy Tradition In Ecclesiastic words this is known as Iera Paradosis (Holy Tradition) is the deposit of faith given by Jesus Christ to the Apostles and passed on in the Church from one generation to the next without addition, alteration or subtraction. Vladimir Lossky has famously described the Tradition as "the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church." It is dynamic in application, yet unchanging in dogma. It is growing in expression, yet ever the same in essence.
WHAT THE APOSTLES PREACHED AND THE CHURCH RECEIVED th-cam.com/video/-i0xH2NRUhs/w-d-xo.html
SAlvation is accesible to all on an equal basis for those rich and for the those poor for those educated and those who are not because after Baptism and purification of the heart Baptism our remaking to “a godman by the Grace of God” will rely on OBEDIENCE!
After Baptism,(redeeming of all sins/ Salvation) is achieved by the participation with honesty to 1) Divine Thanks, 2) Confession, 3) Holy Communion, 4) Fasting and 5) Prayer. The Church of Cyprus here was the second Church creade by the Apostles after the one in Jerusalm. The first Bishop of Cyprus was Lazarus the resurected frien of Lord Jesus who served as a Bihop here 30 yers befor dying a second time
Lazarus video of Church and His resting place www.cyprusisland.net/churches/church-saint-lazarus
The word Ecclesia (Church) is found in the original Greek text 105 times!) This is one example: [2nd Corinthians 1:1] ”From Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by Gods will, and from our brother Timothy- To the Church of God in Corinth, and to all Gods people throughout Achaia: May God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace”.
Apostles who became Bishops orthodoxwiki.org/Seventy_Apostles
Greek Orthodox by country
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodoxy_by_country
James you are right about the body of Christ as being the Church , his Church
Matt 16 : 18 ; where he called it My Church . His Church is his body made up of saved believers who have been Baptized in to his body by the Holy spirit
1 Cor. 12 : 12 - 13 ; Act 2 : 47 ; he is the Head of the Church Eph. 1 : 22- 23 .
The scriptures never say anything about Christ being present in a Church with the so called sacraments . Eph. 4 : 4 - 5 - 6 ; there is one body that is Christ the Church , one spirit which is the holy spirit , One lord which is Christ , one faith the true faith of God . one baptism of the one spirit in to the one body 1 Cor. 12 : 12 - 13 ;
baptism of the spirit is what quickens the body which which is dead in sin . there is no salvation in the sacraments it is by the Grace of God through faith in Christ
Eph 2 : 8 - 9 ; and believing on the lord Jesus Christ , John 3 : 16 ; John 5 : 24 ;
John 6 : 47 ; one other thing the apostate Catholic Church is not Christ Church
His Church is pure and Holy and with out spot or blemish Eph. 5 : 27 .no earthly Church can qualify . it is a spiritual Church which is made up of saved believers who are the Church
Ephesians 2:8-9
[8]For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
[9]not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Am i wrong to understand that this verses are telling that man was saved through FAITH? That salvation from sin is a gift and not a reward not of works.
If i am wrong please explain to me these verses.
James 2 says "faith without works is dead"
Indeed. You must put your trust in Jesus and the blood he shed to pay for you sins. To add works to it is not biblical.
Galatians 2:21
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
I need subtitles, please!
Acts 15:7-11
1 John 5:13 says we can know we are saved. So, where is the list of good works that will assure me I am saved? 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4 says we are saved by believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Salvation is a free gift from God, and if by grace, then there should be no strings attached. If I have to perform works to maintain my salvation, then it is not salvation; it is probation. Again, where is the list of good works that will finally get me paroled, so that I am assured I have eternal life, as promised in 1 John 5:13.
Matt 25:35-36 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
@@barbwire7449 Are 'good works' and 'works' the same? Are grace and faith the same?
@@tco13v Grace is the free and unmerited favor of God. If it is free and is unmerited, then grace has no payback. Faith is defined in (Hebrews 11:1) "now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". The two are different.
Some theologians claim that "faith" is also "works", because having faith actually requires work, but (Roman's 11:6) is clear that faith and works are not the same, "and if by grace, then it is no more works, otherwise grace is no more grace; otherwise work is no more work".
@@barbwire7449 Do you know the two commandments?
@@tco13v I know the 10 Commandments. Which two are you specifically referencing?
Yet, you have Scott Hann saying that it is faith alone what saves us.
He said that? Show me
Dr. Hahn knows and shows the difference between the catholic view of faith alone ( fides caritate formata/ faith formed by Love) vs the protestant view of fiduciary faith ( trusting faith). The protestant idea of fiduciary faith does not teach a distinction between living faith and dead faith. For them faith is an instrument to recieve the righteousness of Christ. It is like a bucket collecting the righteousness of Christ. Catholics distinguish fides informis( dead intellectual only faith) vs living faith which has the divine nature (Love) as its soul. Fides formata. When.a catholic like Dr. Hahn teaches what Aquinas did that we are justified by faith alone, he means that we are saved through our true living relationship with Christ alone. It is a living, working faith. The protestant idea of faith alone doesn't necessarily teach the same thing . But for many reformed Christians it is actually closer than we think. When they says.we are justified by faith alone but never by a faith which is alone, then it's pretty close to fides formata
James 2:17 KJV - Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
James 1:1 is who James is addressing and Jesus gives His answer to the Jews John 6:28
@@brucewmclaughlin9072 you're missing the bigger point if all you care is about who it's a dressing the bigger point is it saying that faith without works is dead meaning with real Faith comes real works not selfish works that's the point of the scripture it wasn't about who it's addressing
@@bobbyg8949 james doe s not promote a works based salvation , but he does point out that faith is not evidenced by doing nothing. We do all the works of God Eph 2:10 because of salvation that is given to us the moment we repent and call upon the Lord. We do not at any time do any works for salvation .
@@brucewmclaughlin9072 you understand you but I never said that works would be salvation I said with real Faith comes real works there is a difference on doing things to try to get your spot in the heaven which is impossible because your works won't be yourself salvation but real Faith comes real works not done for selfish reasons
@@brucewmclaughlin9072 don't take me wrong I agree with you
Scripture says that God saves us (or we have been saved by Him) through faith (Eph. 2:8) and through sanctification (2 Thes. 2:13). Faith alone salvation is not biblical!
Just from catholic , we are saved grace through faith not of your self, it is a gift
of God ; not of works or you may boast . Eph. 2 : 8 - 9 ; 2 Thess . 2 : 13 ; We are sanctified by the spirit so how do you get the spirit of God in you to set you apart ? By believing on the lord Jesus by faith there is no other way . you are like most Catholics , you never read and study the scriptures you are ignorant of the
spiritual truth of the scriptures . tell me why faith and believing in Christ does not
give salvation .John 3 :16 ; John 5 : 24 ; John 6 : 40 ; John 6 : 47 ; Eph 2 : 8 - 9 ;
Are you saved ? is your faith in Christ or in your own works ?
@@donaldcooley897 Catholics DO believe that we are saved by GRACE through FAITH (Eph. 2:8) AND through SANCTIFICATION (2 Thes. 2:13). Salvation, according to Scripture, is a process, not one-time event as wrongly taught by the Reformers. Catholics do NOT believe that our works save us - this is common myth. We can do good works only by grace, not by our own efforts.
@@justfromcatholic No where in the scriptures does it say salvation is a progress . if it is a progress then you are working toward completing you salvation .
John 5 : 24 by believing we have everlasting life and have passed from death to life . when we by faith in Christ
become born again and we become a new creature because we have been born from above . and we who were dead in sins have
been quicken by the spirit or made alive
it is not a process life is instant and death
is instant and our spiritual birth is instant
God Bless
@@donaldcooley897emphasis is mine
@@donaldcooley897 Sorry my earlier reply was somehow cut-off.
2 Thes 2;13 says (RSV): "But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning TO BE SAVED THROUGH SANCTIFICATION by the Spirit AND BELIEF in the truth". Scripture says salvation comes through sanctification and sanctification is a process, not one time event. Salvation is NOT through faith alone.
Dear Dr. John,
The verse is not given the correct meaning, to those who lack of the presence of a historical Church when it was writen!
[Eph 2:8 ] 8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God",
The Grace of God talked about here that SAVES throught Faith (that was a gift from God), is the Life saving Grace begoten during the Holy Sacrament of Baptism. “Having been baptized into Christ, and put on Christ (Gal 3,27), you have been made conformable to the Son of God; for God, having predestined us for adoption (Eph 1,5), formed us (Gn 2,7) according to Christ's glorious body... You have become “Christs” by receiving the sign of the Holy Spirit. Everything that has happened to you has been in imitation of Christ, whose images you are’.
Paul is pointing out to them that they were saved because of their great Faith that was the reazon that they were led to Baptism! Paul was addressing Christian Church members as ~the creador of their Church~ who were allready SAVED by BAPTISM (Union with God/Salvation) as delivered by the Holy Spirit the day of Pentecost. They were SAVED because of their personal FAith to procced to Baptism… and not because of their own works!
The Church created by the Holy Spirit the day of Pentecost was the only Church present in the worlld for the first 1054 years of Christianity. The Greek Orthodox is that very same Church today for they follow the same canons (rules) begoten the day of Penecost that contain God;s will for the Salvation of man!
Lazarus the resurected friend of Lord Jesus became the first Cyprus Bishop here for 30 years before he died a second time.
Lazarus video of Church and His resting place
www.cyprusisland.net/churches/church-saint-lazarus
What Is the Orthodox Church? - Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
th-cam.com/video/95P744siC7U/w-d-xo.html
TO BE AN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN
Is to experience the Apostolic Faith ...
orthodoxwiki.org/What_is_Orthodoxy
Greek Orthodox by country
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodoxy_by_country
MIRACLES of 'The Uncreated Light' The HOLY SPIRIT Found in Orthodoxy ...
th-cam.com/video/SH3YUY403ps/w-d-xo.html
God bless
You said we are not saved simply by believing you just made God out to be a liar you don't believe the record of God 1john 5
26 For if we SIN WILLFULLY after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there NO longer remains a SACRIFICE for (such)sins,
27 but a certain fearful expectation of JUDGEMENT and fiery indignation which will devour the ADVERSARIES.
28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 Of how much WORSE PUNISHMENT, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy WHO HAS TRAMPLED the SON OF GOD underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and INSULTED THE SPIRIT OF GRACE (Holy Spirit)? Hebrews 10:26-29
32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but WHOEVER SPEAKS AGAINST the HOLY SPIRIT, it WILL NOT be FORGIVEN him, either in this age or in the age to come. Matthew 12:32
My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. James 3:1
But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. Mark 9:42
Is that not a warning to the Jews who rejected the blood of christ for salvation ? Warning for the tribulation times when Jesus has picked up the Church and Jews are left behind to survive 7 years and if they willfully sin/willfully take the mark of the beast they are doomed.
Well, NO
You are wrong. James 2 clearly says " faith without works is dead "
@@kelechukwuanozyk7605 so you agree with me, that we are not saved by faith alone, then
@@kelechukwuanozyk7605 I am a Catholic, ha
@@glennlanham6309 Of course I agree. We are not saved by faith alone. Good works is important
@@kelechukwuanozyk7605 Good, i saw Dr. Bergsma, this summer, my friend
yes we are,,,,,,,,so you prob not saved Dr.