What's with all the choices?

[Miles]

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ALL YOU NEED DO TO BE SAVED IS TO PICK 1 OF THE 17 OPTIONS BELOW

This assumes,

.....Receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit
.....Seeing/entering the kingdom of God
.....Getting eternal life
.....Not dying in one's sins
.....Not perishing
.....Surely living, not dying

is the same as salvation

1. HAVE FAITH
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith.

2. BELIEVE IN JESUS
Acts 16:31
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

3. CONFESS THAT JESUS IS LORD AND WAS RESURRECTED
Romans 10:9-10
if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

4. BE BAPTIZED
1 Peter 3:18-22
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you

5. REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED
Acts 2:38
“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

6. BELIEVE AND BE BAPTIZED
Mark 16:16
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

7. BE BORN AGAIN
John 3:3
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.

8. HAVE FAITH
Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace you have been saved through faith.

9. WORK AND SEEK
Romans 2:6-8
He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;

10. BELIEVE JESUS IS THE "I AM HE"
John 8:24
I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”

11. BELIEVE IN JESUS
John 3:15-18
That whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

12. REPENT
Luke 13:3
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

13. REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED
Acts 2:38-39
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

14. CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD
Acts 2:21
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

15. RELY ON YOUR SAVIOR'S MERCY
Titus 3:4-5
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

16. DO THE WILL OF GOD
Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

17. (for the wicked) TURN FROM YOUR SIN, DO WHAT IS RIGHT, RETURN WHAT YOU HAVE STOLEN, AND WALK IN THE STATUTES OF LIFE
Ezekiel 33:14-19
Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die.




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[onewithhim]

As Psalm 37:29 tells us, "the righteous will inherit the earth and live on it forever." Not all Christians go to heaven. I for one am thrilled to live here forever.

Granted most contradictions resolve if Paradise is physical. Jesus talks about people being rezzed up out of their graves. He did this to Lazarus. Lazarus did not become a soul and float away, at which point everyone rejoices that Lazarus is "resurrected" as his body is rotting. That didn't happen. Lazarus lived on in his body. That's what resurrection means. There's very little means to think it's talking about anything else.

Now, I don't want to live in the body forever. To me that's horrid. I don't want to kill things so I can eat them, and then burp and fart and poop until the end of time. But that's just me. I prefer the other religions' ideas of afterlives, but, as far as the Bible, canon doesn't really support this souls stuff that goes on in those other religions' afterlives.

Still, how do you reconcile #14 with #16?

We will not be killing any animals to eat. It was only after the Flood that Jehovah told Noah that animals were there for food as well as plants. At Isaiah 11 we are told that the animals and humans will be respectful of one another and live together in harmony. So we go back to the perfect conditions that Jehovah created in the Garden of Eden. "And a child shall lead them." It's all very beautiful.

I'm not sure what you mean by asking to reconcile #14 with #16.

[Purple Knight]

I'm not sure what you mean by asking to reconcile #14 with #16.

14. CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD
Acts 2:21
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

16. DO THE WILL OF GOD
Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

[onewithhim]

I'm not sure what you mean by asking to reconcile #14 with #16.

14. CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD
Acts 2:21
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

16. DO THE WILL OF GOD
Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

14. To begin with, Acts 2:21 is a quotation from Joel 2:32 which says, "Everyone who calls on the name of YHWH [Jehovah] will be saved."

16. Jesus stated that we must be doing the will of his Father, Jehovah, in order to be saved.

What is your question here?

[JehovahsWitness]

I think Knight believes (correct me if Im wrong Knight)

That "calling on the name of.. [JEHOVAH]." means the same thing as ..."say[ing] to Jesus "Lord, Lord"

I think it would have been better to ask ...

1. What does it mean to "call on the name of Jehovah" ? What would this involve ?

2. What would it mean just to say to Jesus "Lord, Lord..." ? What might that imply had NOT been done?

3. Why did Jesus NOT make a direct quote from Joel? What might the different words imply? Could the different words mean he is refering to different actions?

JW

[Purple Knight]

I think Knight believes (correct me if Im wrong Knight)

That "calling on the name of.. [JEHOVAH]." means the same thing as ..."say[ing] to Jesus "Lord, Lord"

What it seems to boil down to is whether you need to do anything whatsoever, as opposed to faith/belief/repentance being enough. It certainly seems like the first one (Acts? Joel?) implies no, doing anything is not necessary, and Jesus implies yes in Matthew.

Jesus certainly didn't seem to care if anyone he came across was a horrible evil taxpayer (ack, I mean, tax collector) or sinner or whatever.

One of the main points the larger populace has against Christianity is deathbed repentance. And to a point I agree with it, because I think Christianity can, in this way, actually be a bad influence on people. To a point I don't, and that comes in where the likelihood that someone's repentance would be genuine is probably next to nothing if they've used the idea that God will forgive them as a license to hurt people all their lives.

Why did Jesus NOT make a direct quote from Joel? What might the different words imply? Could the different words mean he is referring to different actions?

Alright, I think that's a good question.

[onewithhim]

I think Knight believes (correct me if Im wrong Knight)

That "calling on the name of.. [JEHOVAH]." means the same thing as ..."say[ing] to Jesus "Lord, Lord"

What it seems to boil down to is whether you need to do anything whatsoever, as opposed to faith/belief/repentance being enough. It certainly seems like the first one (Acts? Joel?) implies no, doing anything is not necessary, and Jesus implies yes in Matthew.

Jesus certainly didn't seem to care if anyone he came across was a horrible evil taxpayer (ack, I mean, tax collector) or sinner or whatever.

One of the main points the larger populace has against Christianity is deathbed repentance. And to a point I agree with it, because I think Christianity can, in this way, actually be a bad influence on people. To a point I don't, and that comes in where the likelihood that someone's repentance would be genuine is probably next to nothing if they've used the idea that God will forgive them as a license to hurt people all their lives.

Why did Jesus NOT make a direct quote from Joel? What might the different words imply? Could the different words mean he is referring to different actions?

Alright, I think that's a good question.

To call on Jehovah doesn't imply that you don't have to DO anything. Calling on His name involves wanting to do what He has said that He wants us to do. Throughout the Scriptures Jehovah has made clear what we must do to be "calling on His name." One thing is listening to His Son. (Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35) Listening to Jesus involves doing everything he said must be done, as at Matthew 7:21-23---DO the will of his Father. He goes on to innumerate everything we must do, throughout the Christian Greek Scriptures.

Among the things we must do is warning people about the coming destruction of the wicked and preaching about the Kingdom. The good news about the Kingdom "must be preached throughout the inhabited earth as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." (Matt.24:14) Jesus instructed his followers to go, "into whatever city or village [and] search out those who are deserving," those who will listen to him and do what his Father has decreed should be done. (Matthew 10:11)

[Miles]

I think Knight believes (correct me if Im wrong Knight)

That "calling on the name of.. [JEHOVAH]." means the same thing as ..."say[ing] to Jesus "Lord, Lord"

What it seems to boil down to is whether you need to do anything whatsoever, as opposed to faith/belief/repentance being enough. It certainly seems like the first one (Acts? Joel?) implies no, doing anything is not necessary, and Jesus implies yes in Matthew.

Jesus certainly didn't seem to care if anyone he came across was a horrible evil taxpayer (ack, I mean, tax collector) or sinner or whatever.

One of the main points the larger populace has against Christianity is deathbed repentance. And to a point I agree with it, because I think Christianity can, in this way, actually be a bad influence on people. To a point I don't, and that comes in where the likelihood that someone's repentance would be genuine is probably next to nothing if they've used the idea that God will forgive them as a license to hurt people all their lives.

Why did Jesus NOT make a direct quote from Joel? What might the different words imply? Could the different words mean he is referring to different actions?

Alright, I think that's a good question.

To call on Jehovah doesn't imply that you don't have to DO anything. Calling on His name involves wanting to do what He has said that He wants us to do. Throughout the Scriptures Jehovah has made clear what we must do to be "calling on His name." One thing is listening to His Son. (Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35) Listening to Jesus involves doing everything he said must be done, as at Matthew 7:21-23---DO the will of his Father. He goes on to innumerate everything we must do, throughout the Christian Greek Scriptures.

Among the things we must do is warning people about the coming destruction of the wicked and preaching about the Kingdom. The good news about the Kingdom "must be preached throughout the inhabited earth as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." (Matt.24:14) Jesus instructed his followers to go, "into whatever city or village [and] search out those who are deserving," those who will listen to him and do what his Father has decreed should be done. (Matthew 10:11)

In as much as none of the "Greek scriptures" had been written yet how could they have been enumerated? UNLESS, that is, you're referring to the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Hebrew. Is that what you're referring to? If not, exactly what are the "Christian Greek Scriptures" that were already enumerated by Jesus?

.

[onewithhim]

I think Knight believes (correct me if Im wrong Knight)

That "calling on the name of.. [JEHOVAH]." means the same thing as ..."say[ing] to Jesus "Lord, Lord"

What it seems to boil down to is whether you need to do anything whatsoever, as opposed to faith/belief/repentance being enough. It certainly seems like the first one (Acts? Joel?) implies no, doing anything is not necessary, and Jesus implies yes in Matthew.

Jesus certainly didn't seem to care if anyone he came across was a horrible evil taxpayer (ack, I mean, tax collector) or sinner or whatever.

One of the main points the larger populace has against Christianity is deathbed repentance. And to a point I agree with it, because I think Christianity can, in this way, actually be a bad influence on people. To a point I don't, and that comes in where the likelihood that someone's repentance would be genuine is probably next to nothing if they've used the idea that God will forgive them as a license to hurt people all their lives.

Why did Jesus NOT make a direct quote from Joel? What might the different words imply? Could the different words mean he is referring to different actions?

Alright, I think that's a good question.

To call on Jehovah doesn't imply that you don't have to DO anything. Calling on His name involves wanting to do what He has said that He wants us to do. Throughout the Scriptures Jehovah has made clear what we must do to be "calling on His name." One thing is listening to His Son. (Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35) Listening to Jesus involves doing everything he said must be done, as at Matthew 7:21-23---DO the will of his Father. He goes on to innumerate everything we must do, throughout the Christian Greek Scriptures.

Among the things we must do is warning people about the coming destruction of the wicked and preaching about the Kingdom. The good news about the Kingdom "must be preached throughout the inhabited earth as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." (Matt.24:14) Jesus instructed his followers to go, "into whatever city or village [and] search out those who are deserving," those who will listen to him and do what his Father has decreed should be done. (Matthew 10:11)

In as much as none of the "Greek scriptures" had been written yet how could they have been enumerated? UNLESS, that is, you're referring to the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Hebrew. Is that what you're referring to? If not, exactly what are the "Christian Greek Scriptures" that were already enumerated by Jesus?

.

The Greek Scriptures (New Testament) are there for us to see what Jehovah, through His Son, wants us to do. They weren't there when Jesus walked the earth, but they are there for us NOW so that we can do what the Father wants us to do. At the time Jesus was here, what he said was known to people then, written down later.

[bjs1]

[Replying to Miles in post #1]

There does not appear to be a meaningful distinction between these "options."

Let me phrase it like this: A person is saved by putting his/her faith in Jesus Christ. "Believing" and "relying on" are synonyms for "faith." The faith is publicly confessed through the ceremony of baptism. Faith results in a changed life, which is often called repentance.

Have I successfully condensed all 17 "choices" into a single explanation of how to be saved?

[Miles]

I think Knight believes (correct me if Im wrong Knight)

That "calling on the name of.. [JEHOVAH]." means the same thing as ..."say[ing] to Jesus "Lord, Lord"

What it seems to boil down to is whether you need to do anything whatsoever, as opposed to faith/belief/repentance being enough. It certainly seems like the first one (Acts? Joel?) implies no, doing anything is not necessary, and Jesus implies yes in Matthew.

Jesus certainly didn't seem to care if anyone he came across was a horrible evil taxpayer (ack, I mean, tax collector) or sinner or whatever.

One of the main points the larger populace has against Christianity is deathbed repentance. And to a point I agree with it, because I think Christianity can, in this way, actually be a bad influence on people. To a point I don't, and that comes in where the likelihood that someone's repentance would be genuine is probably next to nothing if they've used the idea that God will forgive them as a license to hurt people all their lives.

Why did Jesus NOT make a direct quote from Joel? What might the different words imply? Could the different words mean he is referring to different actions?

Alright, I think that's a good question.

To call on Jehovah doesn't imply that you don't have to DO anything. Calling on His name involves wanting to do what He has said that He wants us to do. Throughout the Scriptures Jehovah has made clear what we must do to be "calling on His name." One thing is listening to His Son. (Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35) Listening to Jesus involves doing everything he said must be done, as at Matthew 7:21-23---DO the will of his Father. He goes on to innumerate everything we must do, throughout the Christian Greek Scriptures.

Among the things we must do is warning people about the coming destruction of the wicked and preaching about the Kingdom. The good news about the Kingdom "must be preached throughout the inhabited earth as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." (Matt.24:14) Jesus instructed his followers to go, "into whatever city or village [and] search out those who are deserving," those who will listen to him and do what his Father has decreed should be done. (Matthew 10:11)

In as much as none of the "Greek scriptures" had been written yet how could they have been enumerated? UNLESS, that is, you're referring to the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Hebrew. Is that what you're referring to? If not, exactly what are the "Christian Greek Scriptures" that were already enumerated by Jesus?

.

The Greek Scriptures (New Testament) are there for us to see what Jehovah, through His Son, wants us to do. They weren't there when Jesus walked the earth, but they are there for us NOW so that we can do what the Father wants us to do. At the time Jesus was here, what he said was known to people then, written down later.

Excuse me, but you said "He [referring to Jesus in the red highlighted statement above] goes on to innumerate everything we must do, throughout the Christian Greek Scriptures." Are you now saying that Jesus did not "innumerate everything we must do, throughout the Christian Greek Scriptures"? I ask because "In as much as none of the the New Testament had been written yet how could Jesus have enumerated them?

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