"For by grace are
ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not
of works lest any man should boast." (Ephesian 2:8-9)
A popular, yet very true
statement is, "Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ
alone." Strange additions have been added by religionists who are sure
that there must be more to it than that. Yes, repentance is part of the equation.
It was Jesus who said, "I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent, ye
shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:3) One is not
"half-saved" if he repents with with no faith, neither is one
"half-saved" if he believes with no repentance. Saving faith and
repentance are inseparable sides of the same coin. One cannot spend either
side of a coin without spending the other side of the coin at the same time.
When one is saved
he turns in repentance from false gods, evil deeds, doubt, fear and unbelief
and turns in faith, belief and trust to Jesus the Son of God for the free gift
of salvation. One of the best illustrations of this truth is found in I
Thessalonians 1:9 where we read that the Thessalonians, "turned to
God from idols to serve the living and true God." As they turned from
sin, they turned to God at the same time.
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