As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“A majority (53%) of self-identified Christians agree that ‘A person who is generally good, or does enough good things for others, will earn a place in Heaven.’ A majority of Catholics (73%) believe that doing ‘good things’ is enough to secure a place in Heaven. Less than half of Evangelicals (43%)… said the same.” - CPost
The heart of the Protestant Reformation is that God declares you to be righteous by faith alone, in Christ alone. If you don’t believe this, then you do not have the true good news. This doctrine is often called “justification by faith.” It’s a churchy phrase that has lost some of its punch—many Christians know it’s “good,” but perhaps they can’t explain what it means. This article will show how the apostle Paul explains this vital truth. It’s a very big deal. Maybe the biggest deal ever.
We can trace the “Christian” family through three broad streams:
“President Donald Trump’s recent comments suggesting he could earn his way to Heaven by ending the Ukraine-Russia war prompted a flurry of theological debate on social media regarding good works, salvation and the state of the president’s soul.” - CPost
“the concern is, in this theology is the Eastern Orthodox Church the Savior rather than Jesus, and therefore is there a danger of an idolatry of the church?” - YouTube
“…the devastating result is an invitation not only for unbelievers to ‘come as you are’ or ‘just as I am’—but for believers to do the same—and to feel comfortable staying that way.” - DBTS Blog
“huge proportions of people associated with churches whose official doctrine says eternal salvation comes only from embracing Jesus Christ as savior believe that a person can qualify for Heaven by being or doing good. That includes close to half of all adults associated with Pentecostal (46%), mainline Protestant (44%), and evangelical (41%) churches.
By Daryl Neipp
In recent American politics, we have been introduced to the concept of quid pro quo, a Latin phrase which refers to an exchange of goods or services that is offered with a contingency or expectation of receiving something in return.
“Twice recently I have heard about those who teach that faith is a work. One variation is simply that: faith is a work, and so we cannot encourage or exhort people to believe. The second variation is: faith is the first work a person does after regeneration.” - Matt Postiff (See also Part 2)
“The celebration of Holy Week in this colonial town southwest of Mexico City is one of the most dramatic and shocking in the country. During Holy Week, ten processions, each more solemn than the last as the week progresses, are carried out by three religious brotherhoods: Animas, Encruzados and Flagelentes.” - RNS
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