[PetroniusMaximus]

“Second, the degree to which we argue that we contribute something to our salvation is the degree to which we deny sola gratia.”

Philippian Jailer: “what must I DO to be saved?”

Answers...

A. Reformation theologion: (silence, crickets chirping... )

B. Paul: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

[Salvation]

Grace: Commentary on the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas

Rev. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.

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Preface and Table of Contents
Chapter I - Introduction
Chapter II - The Necessity of Grace
Chapter III - The Grace of God with Respect to Its Essence
Chapter IV - The Divisions of Grace
Chapter V - The Doctrine of the Church
Chapter VI - Sufficient Grace
Chapter VII - Efficacious Grace
Chapter VIII - Excursus on Efficacious Grace
Chapter IX - The Cause of Grace
Chapter X - The Effects of Grace
Chapter XI - Merit
Chapter XII - Recapitulation and Supplement
Appendix and Index
 

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Provided Courtesy of:
Eternal Word Television Network
5817 Old Leeds Road
Irondale, AL 35210
www.ewtn.com

[Proud2BAmerican]

Interesting theological question I never thought of until reading your quote: Is Paul saying that salvation will be ascribed to the family if the Philippian jailer, individually, professes belief on Lord Jesus Christ?

[Gargantua]

"“what must I DO to be saved?”

Answers...

A. Reformation theologion: (silence, crickets chirping... )

B. Paul: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world (us) that He gave His only begotten Son that all who believe in Him might have eternal life."

By Faith alone, through Grace. Grace on God's part, without Faith in Christ on our part, does us no good at all, for those who do not willingly choose to profess the Lordship of Jesus Christ as their crucified and risen Savior cannot ever know God's forgiveness through grace. Jesus himself said so many, many times:

"Jesus also said, "For I am the Way and the Truth and the Life, for none shall come to the Father but through me." (emphases my own, words, Christ's own)

Grace is wonderful, but our faith in Christ gets us grace, and our lack of faith in Christ gets us nada, zip, zilch, squantum, nothing. Nothing worth having, anyway.

This is not to suggest that there is any inherent good in us which finds us deserving of God's grace, for there is not. What it suggests is that by our own admission, we cannot ever be worthy (on our own) of God's perfect love. We are filth. It is only when we clothe ourselves in the Blood of the Lamb by accepting Jesus (Faith) that when God looks at us, He sees His perfect Son, and with that grace vanishes our confessed sins.

Amen.

;-/

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Of course we must believe in Christ. And the only people who do believe are those whom God has appointed to faith.

"And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed." -- Acts 13:48

Faith is the conduit God has determined to employ to call forth His family from among all nations and races. If a person has faith in Jesus Christ it is because God determined from the foundation of the world to give that person His free, unmerited gift of grace through faith in Christ made possible by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

"Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you." -- John 10:25-26

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." -- Ephesians 1:4-6

Claim for yourself the ability and good sense and piety to believe in Christ. I'm grateful to lay the entire event, the desire and the doing, at the feet of the Savior who alone is 100% responsible for my new eyes, new ears and rebirth, according to the will of God.

"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." -- Phil. 2:13

[ksen]

Philippian Jailer: “what must I DO to be saved?”

Answers...

A. Reformation theologion: (silence, crickets chirping... )

B. Paul: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

Of course you are begging the question, "Who is it that will want to believe?"

Reformed answer: The person upon whom God has given grance is the person that will even begin to want to believe. No grace, no desire to believe.

Faith and belief are symptoms of salvation, not the cause of it.

[rwfromkansas]

I don’t see your point. Belief is not a work. It’s something we adhere to, we take on.

Just because Scripture says we must repent and believe doesn’t mean it is something we do.

No, Scripture makes it clear our belief only comes because God works in us FIRST.

Thus, it is His work, NOT OURS.

[rwfromkansas]

Hence, grace alone.