Preachers on TV, radio, and in many religious groups often invite people to be saved by telling them to "accept Jesus as your personal savior." This is never taught from Scripture with people being shown how to accept Jesus as a personal savior. Why rely on a doctrine that is not backed up by Scripture? Yet many do.
The Bible is clear that Jesus is a "savior." "you shall call His name Jesus for He will save His people from their sins" (Matt. 1 :21.) Acts 4:12 and John 14:6 teach the same thing. Without Jesus, there is no salvation.
It is that plain and simple. He is the one who died for us. It is also true that Jesus is a "personal" savior as seen in Romans 14:7 and 2 Cor. 5:10 among other scriptures. Fact is that a parent cannot make their children Christians by virtue of the parent's faith. No government leader's obedience will have as saving effect on the subjects. Each person has the responsibility to accept or reject Jesus and each will answer for the choice (Phil. 2:9-11.)
Those who cry out to "accept Jesus as a personal savior" leave mistaken and unscriptural ideas of HOW we do the accepting. The idea conveyed is " accept Jesus and ask Him to come into your heart" But notice that Jesus Himself said, "Not every one who says Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven' (Matt. 7:21 .)
The question is logical and the answer is obvious to all who have the courage to accept truth. If Jesus says not everyone will be saved just because they asked, then how is it that many teach that ALL who ask will be saved. I think it safe to go with Jesus on this one. Salvation is in the doing of God's will and when we truly accept Jesus, doing what he says will be an easy thing. Even baptism (Mk.16:16.)
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8You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. [a] This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. 9It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about.
Ephesians 2:8-9
NOT by works?
As well as in Peter's sermon, Acts Ch 2. Best in context, verses 36 - 41. Note they ask Peter "What shall we do?" - that's why verse 38 is often considered the plan of salvation.
For a LARGE group of people to believe in a teaching that the Bible outright does NOT STATE, especially on a teaching of salvation and where people will spend ETERNITY. There are powerful forces at work including Ephesians 6:12. If someone completely ignorant of the concept of Christianity picks up a Bible and reads it he/she, from the scriptures alone, would be completely ignorant of the teachings of "accepting Jesus as Savior" or "infant baptism". They would HAVE TO hear it from another human, because they do not ever appear in the Bible. In order to believe in obviously extra-biblical doctrine, there is probably a lot of history behind these false doctrines. Infant baptism has pretty been nailed down to starting in the early catholic church. I am currently searching as to when the phrase "accept Jesus as savior" phrase was first used-historically. I think it will go a long way to explain why this non-Bible has such hold on people. It definitely started some time after the Bible was written, otherwise it would be in the Bible.
Corrections, sorry.
"pretty much been nailed down..."
&
"to explain why this Non-Bible teaching has such a hold..."
8You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. [a] This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. 9It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about.
To anonymous-
The above quoted scripture says -
"and not anything you have done ON YOUR OWN".
Romans 9:31-32 goes beautifully with this
31but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone."
The law of righteousness was not at fault, the problem was that they did it on their own merit "as if by works" instead of pursuing the law by faith (in God).
When you read the law in Exodus, Leviticus, and Dueteronomy, it is a lot of DOING. If they had pursued this by faith, they would have ATTAINED IT (righteousness). There is a reason why Paul, in Ephesians, said "This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done ON YOUR OWN." If Paul had left it just as "This is God's gift to you, and not ANYTHING you have DONE" then not only baptism would be invalid, but so would Romans 10:10b "and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." - which is a physical act of doing.
No part of God's expressly stated scriptures that have to do with salvation and forgivesness of sin for those currently outside of Christ Mark 16:16, Luke 13:5, John 3:16, Acts 2:38, are done ON OUR OWN because...
John 6:65
He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
John 19:10 "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"
11 Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.
-Confessing with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,'
-"whosoever believes in him",
-"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.",
is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done ON YOUR OWN."
-so long as it is done by faith in God.
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