Is it enough to be born again, washed in the blood

[Elijah John]

To obtain salvation, is it enough to be "born again and washed in the blood"?

Or does one also need:

1) to be baptized,
2) be willing to forgive others,
3) eat the body and drink the blood of Christ,
4) confess Christ before others,
5) believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
6) keep the commandments, and
7) tread the straight and narrow?

Are all these other things, "works"? Is salvation* a "born again" event? Or a process of staying on the straight and narrow path?

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* "salvation" defined as inheriting eternal life, the attainment of Heaven and the avoidance of hell.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]

As one of Jehovah's Witnesses I don't subscribe to the "once saved, always saved" ideology. This is because Jesus said "He that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved".


JW

[marco]

To obtain salvation, is it enough to be "born again and washed in the blood"?

I think God will know how tough it is to remove bloodstains, so he will take exception to the paradoxical "washed in blood." I don't know anyone who would chose this method of washing anything.

Christ seemed to suggest that a few acts of charity would have people at the top table, post mortem.

[The Tanager]

[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]

I probably have a differently nuanced idea of salvation/eternal life/Heaven/Hell than what you may mean by those terms, but I'm not sure it affects what I think is your main point.

I believe the list you give (save maybe #5, at least in my initial look) are works that come after (and out of) salvation. I believe in salvation by receiving God's grace. Eternal life then goes about transforming our works from identifying with whatever feels comfortable in the moment, to solidly identifying ourselves in and with Jesus through baptism and communion. Eternal life produces in us a greater and greater willingness to forgive others, talk about Christ and what He has done in our lives to others, keeping the moral law, doing what is right, etc.

Five, I think is different. It involves how God saves us. It is God's grace in action. But I'm not even sure one needs to know about Jesus' resurrection to accept God's gift of salvation that happened in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. I'm sure that would need to be unpacked more, though.

[brianbbs67]

There is the whole trimming off of branches that bear no fruit. I would say, Grace saves you and your works show that thing or not. If your works bear no fruit, won't your branch be trimmed so another may flourish?

[starthrower]

I'm not obsessed over the aspect of being saved. I don't buy the retched sinner on the way to hell doctrine. I believe Alan Watts understood correctly. Jesus was fully human but he was awake to the fact that God was in him. He was connected to source. We are all the sons and daughters of God, and if we can awaken to this fundamental truth we will realize our potential and bear fruit. Worrying about going to heaven or escaping hellfire shows that are focus is distorted and our purpose diminished. It's a neurosis ingrained in our psyche as a result of church teaching and doctrine. And don't forget it was the Catholic church that gave us the bible. I don't believe for a minute that every word was dictated by a heavenly monarch.

[myth-one.com]

Is salvation* a "born again" event? Or a process of staying on the straight and narrow path?

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* "salvation" defined as inheriting eternal life, . . .

Yes, salvation is a "born again" event.

Once one inherits eternal life, it cannot be taken away -- by definition of eternal.

[Elijah John]

Is salvation* a "born again" event? Or a process of staying on the straight and narrow path?

-------

* "salvation" defined as inheriting eternal life, . . .

Yes, salvation is a "born again" event.

Once one inherits eternal life, it cannot be taken away -- by definition of eternal.

Jesus said that if one does not forgive one's neighbor, neither will the Father forgive them. He made no exeption for those "washed in the blood" or the twice born.

What do you make of that, and the other conditions for salvaiton that I have listed drawn from the NT? And the "endures to the end" requirement that others have mentioned. How do those things fit into the "OSAS" theology?

[starthrower]

What's with John McCain jingoism banner on this forum?

[Elijah John]

What's with John McCain jingoism banner on this forum?

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