Quote:
Originally Posted by stmatthew
From what I am gathering, some do not believe that one has to do anything other than believe in Jesus. Of Course this stops being only of grace, because I could then boast that it was my "believing" in Jesus that saved me, and not his work on the cross.
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I know that it's not in your temperament to ever boast, St Matt.
The discussion has a bit of complexity that doesn't always get articulated. The act of your believing is really a fruit of the workings of the Holy Spirit in your heart. In fact it can be said that you are not even making a choice in the matter. The choice was made for you before you were ever born when God selected you for salvation from before the foundation of the world.
Focusing upon God's gracious selection of your wretched sinful self, we can see that all of the events of human history actually unfolded as they did just to highlight that moment when you first received forgiveness of sin.
Of course you repented, of course you were baptized properly, of course you, by the power and grace of God, live an overcoming life. All of these things simply flow from that first act of grace that occurred before you could ever do right or wrong.
You see the "one step" was the step God Almighty took Himself when He chose you to be a part of His kingdom. And He made that choice before the foundation of the world!
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