Commentary on Hebrews 6 and 10

Background

To properly exegete chapters 6 and 10 one should start with analyzing the theme of the letter beginning in Chapter 1.  Following are some observations.

Heb 1:2  Christ is her of all things.

Heb 1:14  This is referring to future salvation associated with His second coming (see 2:5 “the world to come” and especially 9:28 “Christ . . . . shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”

Heb 2:10  Speaking of believers sharing in Christ’s glory in the future.  This is conditional in light of Heb 2:1-4.

Heb 3:12-14  We will become partakers of Christ conditioned on our holding fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.

Heb 3:16-19  This is pointing out that the Jews led by Moses in the wilderness were not able to enter His rest because of their disobedience.

Heb 4:11  Chapter 4 pints out that we cannot enter God’s rest from our work until our work is complete.  Therefore, verse 11 states that we must be diligent to complete the work that God gives us in order to enter His rest (rest from our works).

Heb 5:11-14  Warns us not to degenerate from Christ.

Heb 6:4-8 The consequences of degenerating are loss of reward, loss of inheritance and not entering God’s rest.

Heb 10:26-28  Same thing as Hebrews 6 referring to judgment and 10:30 states, “The Lord will judge His people.”  That’s us!  The dead in Revelations 20 are not God’s people.

Hebrews 6:4-8 may be referring to a believer who has abandoned his confession of faith in Christ and has returned to the old, familiar way of doing things.  This believer has gone past the point of restoration.  The severity of such an action is seen in Hebrews 10:26-31.  Also, notice that in verse 6 it is impossible to renew them.  This is referring to us renewing them.  Nothing is impossible with God. Finally, remember that, if you accept the Armanian and Reformed views of this passage referring to losing one’s eternal life and /or being cast into the lake of ire, then there can be no assurance for the believer that he has eternal life because this passage makes it very clear that this is a regenerate believer who has fallen away.  Refer also to Luke 19:11-27 and notice that all 3 of the main characters in Jesus’ parable are servants and the servant who is judged in verse 22 was judged in a public setting with many witnesses (vs 24).  This is obviously referring to the Judgment Seat of Christ while verse 27 is referring to the Great White throne judgment.  These are two distinct judgments, the first occurring at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom to judge Christ’s own and the second occurring at the end of the Millennial Kingdom to judge the dead.  These souls are not even resurrected until then.  Also, notice that in Revelations 21, after the Great White Throne Judgment is when Christ will “wipe every tear away”.  That is when the new earth and new Jerusalem with streets of gold come down, not during Christ’s millennial kingdom.  Therefore, Christians before that can, in fact, suffer loss and feel rejection and pain for a moment in time at least.  However, it is clear in Revelations 21 that this will only be for a time, not for eternity.  It is also obvious, if one understands these distinct timelines in the future that it is impossible that these judgments are of Christians, and while they have negative consequences to many believers, they do not result in loss of their eternal life (it is eternal and therefore does not end) or being thrown in the lake of fire.  That is only for believers. 

Following is a list of a few of the verses that refer to the Judgment Seat of Christ for believers.

Romans 14:10-12, Romans 2:16, 1 Cor. 3:13-15, 2 Cor. 5:10, Phil. 1:10, Phil 2:16, 2 Tim 2:11-13, 1 Pet. 1:11, 2 Pet 3:17, and 1 John 2:28.

Beware of Lordship Salvation

Danger
By Dave Breese

One of the animated discussions which is now in the evangelical Christian scene surprisingly concerns the very issue of salvation itself. The question, therefore, of "What must I do to be saved?" is now being answered in a more complicated fashion than simply, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved" (Acts 16:31). Traditional fundamentalists and most Evangelicals have long held to the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. The answer has now become more elaborate than that, as Christians newly discuss whether salvation is by faith alone or by faith plus some other things.

Stated very simply, the view that is now called "Lordship Salvation" (a view rarely defined to the satisfaction of anyone) holds that the offer of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is false, for faith includes good works.

There are a number of deficiencies involved in this view, which should be noted:

1. It improperly understands justification by faith. Justification does not mean to be "made righteous" or to "progressively become righteous." Rather, it means to be "declared righteous."

It is improper to define faith as "commitment," "dedication," "surrender," or any other expression which suggests a kinetic response on the part of the soul.

2. It ignores imputed righteousness. We are not saved by imparted, infused, or earned righteousness. No indeed, we are righteous by imputation.

3. It confuses justification and sanctification. To say that progressive sanctification is an "inevitable result" of salvation is evidence of doctrinal confusion. In each Christian, there may be at times a varying degree of affirmation to the leading of the Lord.

4. It misrepresents salvation itself. Salvation is presented in the Scripture in three tenses or three aspects. When I accept Christ, I have instant and eternal salvation in the sense of deliverance from the penalty of sin. As I live my life in commitment to Christ under the leadership and empowering of the Holy Spirit, I am delivered from the power of sin. Some Christians are insufficiently delivered from the power of sin, even to the extent of sickness (1 Cor 11:30) and physical death (1 Tim 1:20).

In the future, I am promised deliverance from the presence of sin. The Christian’s future in heaven is vouchsafed because of salvation by imputation and positional sanctification. When he believes, he is already seated in the heavenlies with Christ (Eph 2:6), and he is promised that he will never perish (John 10:28).

5. Lordship Salvation diminishes the value of New Testament truth for the Christian. A very high percentage of the epistles of the New Testament are written as instructions to believers. These instructions have produced conviction and commitment in millions of Christians down through the history of the Church. Lordship Salvation cancels the value of these admonitions, in that it declares that if one does not obey these instructions, one is not a Christian. Therefore, the answer to Christian imperfection (obvious in the character of many Christians) is that this person was never saved and needs to be saved. So evaporates the value of all instructions to grow in grace.

6. It holds the impossible doctrine of salvation by perfect commitment. The doctrine that one is saved by submission to the Lordship of Christ, cannot admit to the possibility of imperfect commitment. For, from a logical point of view, imperfect commitment is not, in fact, commitment. In that most honest Christians will admit to imperfect commitment, they are thereby admitting that they are not Christians. The impossibility of "perfect commitment" is a troublesome problem to the Lordshipists. So "Semi-Lordship Salvation" is what this notion is at best. We await word as to what percentage of commitment produces salvation. (Hint–the scriptural answer is zero, for salvation is by "unmerited favor," i.e., the grace of God.)

7. Therefore, Lordship Salvation makes assurance tenuous or impossible. Submission to the Lordship of Christ as the basis of salvation holds open the possibility that at some future date one may be less than perfectly submissive. If one holds to the Lordship Salvation view, one’s basis of assurance of salvation is gone.

8. It diminishes the value of Calvary. In the Lordship view, Christ becomes less the Savior and more the Helper. Under this view, I cannot "cast my helpless soul on Him," but rather I must cooperate with His helpfulness.

9. It equates discipleship and salvation. The advocates of salvation by commitment to Christ uncritically (and with profound lack of discernment) view the many calls of Christ to His own to come and be His disciples as the call to believe the Gospel. Consequently, the expression "Follow me" becomes the way of salvation. Hence, until one becomes a disciple, he is not a Christian. The call to become disciples of the King, extended to Jewish individuals, is very different from the call to believe and therefore be saved by grace and become a member of the Body of Christ.

10. It misunderstands repentance. To translate metanoia as "repentance" has been most unfortunate. "To do penance" is not its meaning. It means "a change of mind." Too often this will be thoughtlessly defined as "a turning about," "sorrow for sin," "being sorry enough to quit," "a complete change of character," or "making restitution"–all such definitions are falsehoods. By these inaccurate definitions, faith in Christ is freighted with burdens impossible to bear. Such defective epistemology has demoralized many a Christian.

11. It disorganizes the Christian mind. Salvation is either by grace or by works. They cannot be mixed (Rom 11:6). Works produce no standing before God or merit for heaven. Mixing grace and works overly strains the Christian mind. With these inchoate ideas (exhumed doubtless from the vicinity of Rome) who can say with assurance "I know whom I have believed" (2 Tim 1:12)? Paul could

Conclusion

These and many other considerations should be kept in mind when one examines the various ways of salvation being offered on the evangelical scene of our time. Much of the confusion of these days would be instantly resolved if we would remember that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone. To redefine these words is not permitted, for they have real, changeless, and eternal meaning. Let us then remember: "Now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that works not, but believes on Him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom 4:4-5).

We know that we are people of eternal consequence because we were made in the image of God. We were redeemed by the most precious substance in the universe, and that is the blood of Jesus Christ. We were called by the Holy Spirit into a life of great purpose.

Romans 10:1-11 Dealing with salvation, being saved, and confessing with one’s mouth

How many times have you heard a preacher use Romans 10 in a message on how to be saved from hell?  If one truly looks at Romans 10 critically they will find that has nothing to do with salvation from hell.  Only faith alone in Christ alone can save us from the lake of fire.  Read the following and I think you will agree.

It would be difficult to find a concept which is richer and more varied in meaning than the biblical concept of salvation.  The breadth of salvation is so sweeping and its intended aim so magnificent that in many contexts the words used defy precise definition.  Yet these difficulties have not thwarted numerous interpreters from assuming, often without any contextual justification, that the words used invariably mean “deliverance from hell” or “go to heaven when you die.”  It may come as a surprise to many that this usage of “salvation” (Gk. Soteria) would have been the least likely meaning to come to mind of a reader of the Bible in the first century.  Indeed, in 812 usages of the various Hebrew words translated “to save” or “salvation” in the Old Testament, only 58 (7.1%) refer to eternal salvation. 

Unfortunately, the tendency to assume that salvation always refers to final deliverance from hell has led many to interpret certain passages incorrectly.  When James, for example, says, “Can faith alone save a man,” the Experimental Predestinarians understandably are perplexed about the apparent conflict with Paul.  However, if salvation means something other than “go to heaven when you die,” the apparent conflict evaporates.

In order to completely understand the meaning of salvation in various passages we must learn more about the Greek verb sozo (“to save”), and the noun soteria, particularly as they were used in secular Greek and in the Old Testament.  Then we must consider the references of these words in the New Testament (over 150 references).  Much of the time their meanings are other than “final deliverance from hell.”  This is precisely the case in Romans 10. 

In Romans 10:1-14, the usage of the word “salvation” seams to equate it with deliverance from the enemies of the people of God in the present.  Old Testament prophecy has a wonderful richness.  Couched in oriental thought, it is often mystifying to Western man.  We can see that God is fulfilling His promises in many individual historical events which will finally culminate in a complete fulfillment.  There is a long line of fulfillment of many predictions.  Paul refers to the Old Testament doctrine of the salvation of the remnant through many individual historical events in Romans 9 and 10.

Romans 10:1 states, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.”

But what salvation is in view?  To answer that, we must turn to the preceding and following contexts.  In the preceding context we discover that a deliverance from temporal devastation was his meaning.  Quoting Isaiah 1:9, the apostle directs our attention to the Assyrian invasion (ca. 722 b.c.).  Unless the Lord leaves some survivors, the nation will end up being completely destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah (see Romans 9:29).  But a remnant did survive the Assyrian invasion.  And this remnant becomes a fulfillment of the promise that a remnant would one day return to the Lord.  Paul refers to this in Romans 9:27 and 28.  There he quotes Isaiah 10:22-23 and refers to the remnant that will be saved (Romans 9:27).  The salvation in view is not deliverance from hell but the fulfillment of the promise to Israel that she would one day be resorted to Palestine.  Israel once again faces temporal destruction.  The Lord announced it in His predictions of the total devastation of the temple and the people of Israel that occurred in A.D. 70.  Because He knew Jerusalem would become desolate, the Lord wept for their failure.

The fact that Paul quotes Scripture related to Israel’s temporal destruction and the certain knowledge he had of the Lord’s prophecy surely suggests that, when he says he desires Israel’s “salvation,” he refers to the line of cumulative fulfillment of the remnant doctrine.  The terrible devastation that would come upon Israel in A.D. 70 was their judgment for rejecting the free gift of the righteousness of God in Christ, their Messiah (Rom. 10:2-4).

The following context (10:2-8) does not define the salvation of vs. 1 (as Experimental Predestinarians teach) but explains why they cannot experience this salvation in daily life.  It is because they had not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God and therefore woud not receive His free righteousness (10:2).  We conclude then that being “saved” in v. 1 refers to God’s promise of divine aid to His people in time.  It is His provision for victory over their enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Passing over the next few verses for the moment, we come to an unusual confession:

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved (Rom 10:9 NASB).

This confession is unusual because it is the only place in the New Testament where a condition in addition to faith is added for salvation.  The Gospel of John, which was written expressly for the purpose that we might believe and as a result be saved (Jn. 20:30-31), never mentions confession of Christ as Lord as a condition.  If we must confess Jesus as Lord in order to be saved, then a man would not be saved by reading John’s gospel.

A very simple solution to this difficulty is to return to the definition of salvation in the immediate context.  This salvation is not deliverance from hell but is the same salvation mentioned in vs. 1, divine aid to the believer as he struggles against his temporal enemies.  This was the deliverance Israel failed to enjoy.  Only one thing is necessary, according to the book of Romans, for salvation from hell: belief.  But two things are necessary for us to enjoy the full salvation spoken of in this context which includes God’s blessing, His individual and spiritual salvation in this life: (1) faith in Christ and (2) submission to His Lordship.  Furthermore, it is not inevitable that a man who believes in Christ will also confess Him as Lord.  Paul makes this plain in the next verse: “For with the heart man believes, resulting in the righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Rom. 10:10 NASB).

Salvation in this verse has the same meaning it did in vs. 1 and vs. 9, God’s divine aid to his people in time.  Believing with the heart results in deliverance from hell, but confession of the lordship of Christ is necessary for the kind of salvation mentioned here, salvation form present enemies.  Instead of confession of Jesus as Lord being the inevitable result of salvation as the Experimental Predestinarians teach, Paul, to the contrary, says that salvation is the inevitable result of confessing Jesus as Lord!  But this is not a salvation from hell.  Just as confession of Jesus as Lord results in salvation , so calling upon the name of the Lord has the same effect:  “For whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13 NASB).

Galations 6:8 Eternal Life

On July 26, 2009, a pastor I have high regard for gave a message on Galations 6:9 entitled “In Due Season”.  While this pastor's teaching style is from what I refer to as the “Old School”, his messages are always well organized and give me much to consider in my heart.  This message fulfilled what I believe to be this pastor's purpose in motivating believers to keep on doing the work of the Lord without ceasing, resulting in unbelievers coming to Christ.  However, like the overwhelming teachers of today, he did not get into the true consequences of the conditional statement Paul makes in Galations 6:8. 
 This is a crucial verse since it has been misinterpreted for several centuries by the Reformed and Armanian theologians, not to mention Roman Catholicism.  The conditional statement is that, if we sow to the flesh (fail to follow Christ) we will reap corruption but if we sow to the Spirit (Do good works in Christ – persevere) we will reap eternal life.
What Bob and others did was skip the eternal life issue altogether and teach that we must continue doing good to see fruit from the Spirit.  However, the Reformed and Armanian’s equate the condition in Galations 6:8 with going to heaven or hell.  That is a crucial point, and it is wrong.
The eternal life presented here is “Abundant Life”, not salvation from hell.  He is talking to regenerate Christians about the consequences they will face at the Judgment Seat of Christ at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom if they fail to persevere in their walk with Christ.  The eternal life (abundant life) referred to here is close fellowship with Christ in His Kingdom, inheriting the right to rule with Christ in His Kingdom, and receiving crowns and praise at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
The corruption presented in this verse means loss of fellowship with Christ in the Millennial Kingdom, loss of inheritance and the right to rule with Christ in the Kingdom, and shame and loss of rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  It does not mean, nor does it make any reference to, a believer going to hell as a consequence of sowing to the flesh.
He is actually concluding his teaching on the battle between the flesh and the Spirit discussed in Galations 5:16 – 26.  Again, in 5:19 – 21, Paul makes a conditional statement where the negative consequence is to not inherit the kingdom.  Again, there is no reference to a believer going to hell.  It is specifically referring to the Millennial Kingdom.
It is important to distinguish between “obtaining eternal life (salvation from hell)” and “the consequences to the Christian who fails to follow Christ”.  These are two distinct events and must be separated.  And to say that a true Christian must not act or think a certain way or they will lose their salvation or that they never had it in the first place because their faith was not genuine is absolutely wrong and there is nothing in the entire Word of God to support such thinking without taking the verses or passages out of context. 
In fact, if it were not possible for true, regenerate believers to fall away from Christ then   why does Paul warn them not to do the things of the flesh and encourage them to sow to the Spirit?  It is obvious that Paul is writing to Christians and encouraging them to follow Christ while warning them of the great opportunities they will lose in the Kingdom Life if they do not follow Christ.
In conclusion, if you believe (are convinced) that Jesus is Lord and will raise you from the dead then you have eternal life and, since it is eternal, it cannot be taken away from you.  You can never lose it!  However, you also now have an obligation to follow Christ and keep His commandments.  If you fail to persevere in that goal then you may not inherit the kingdom (be involved in Christ’s government on earth during His Millennial Kingdom), may lose close fellowship with Christ, may suffer shame and loss at the Judgment Seat of Christ, may not be welcome at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.  However, while all these things may happen (during a moment or period in time) as a consequence, you will not go to hell.
In closing, consider Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say then?  Are we to continue to sin that grace might increase?  May it never be!  How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”

Can I Lose My Salvation and Go to Hell?

First we must establish when eternal life begins.  John 3:16 says that if we believe then we will not perish, but have everlasting life.  Every time we see this throughout the Book of John it implies that eternal life begins the moment you believe.  In Romans 6:4 it states that we who believe in Him “have been buried with Him through baptism into death in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”  Also, Romans 6:11 states, “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus”.  2 Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away; behold new things have come.”   Galatians 2:20 states, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”  And Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Looking back at each of these passages, it is obvious that we could not have a change, receive a new creation, etc. without receiving eternal life.  Therefore, eternal life begins at the moment we believe in Jesus Christ.

Second, we must establish how long eternal life lasts.  Webster’s dictionary defines “everlasting” as enduring forever, eternal.  It defines “eternal” as ceaseless, everlasting, perpetual, never ending.  Therefore, according to John 3:16 and other similar passages, we can never lose eternal life.  So, once you receive it, you cannot lose it.  Anyone who states otherwise simply does not understand the Word of God or is too stubborn to believe that we cannot lose eternal life no matter what we do.

Now that we have established that eternal life begins the moment a person believes in Jesus Christ to raise him from the dead and that, by its very nature, eternal life never ends, the only logical conclusion is that we can never lose our salvation from hell.  Eternal life is eternal, it never ends.  It is not dependent on what we do or don’t do.  It is dependent upon God who gives it.  If you believe in Jesus Christ to raise you from the dead you will be saved from hell (receive eternal life).  While some critics may not agree with this it is the truth of God.  It has nothing to do with our works.  That is an entirely different matter that has to do with our fellowship with God and rewards or rebukes we will receive in His kingdom.  It has nothing to do with our salvation from hell or entering into heaven.

How Long Does Eternal Life Last?

Webster’s dictionary defines “everlasting” as enduring forever, eternal.  It defines “eternal” as ceaseless, everlasting, perpetual, never ending.  Therefore, according to John 3:16 and other similar passages, we can never lose eternal life.  So, once you receive it, you cannot lose it.  Anyone who states otherwise simply does not understand the Word of God or is too stubborn to believe that we cannot lose eternal life no matter what we do.

Faith Alone In Christ Alone!

Faith Alone In Christ Alone!

     Faith alone in Christ alone?   There are many people who consider themselves to be Christians, yet they often call this easy believism.  I recently read a publication on the Internet that used those very words, easy believism, to describe faith alone in Christ alone.  My response to that is...you bet it is!!!
     Salvation is by grace. This means that it results from unmerited favor, that it is not earned or deserved in any way.
     Salvation is accessed by faith, by believing in Jesus Christ's sacrificial death on the cross for our sins.   God the Father poured the sins of the whole world on to His Son, Jesus Christ, and punished Jesus for what we have done.
     Salvation through faith is not of yourselves.  There is nothing that you or I can do to work for it or to add to it.
     Salvation is a gift from God.  A gift is simply received, and by making it a gift, God shows us His fairness.  He makes it available to everyone, regardless of their abilities, because anyone can accept a gift.  A gift depends on the work, merits, love, and generosity of the giver.  All you or I can do when offered such a gift is to refuse it or take it.
     Salvation is not as result of works.  It costs us nothing to be saved.  If we had to earn it or add to it, Jesus Christ's work on the cross would not be complete and sufficient.
     Salvation by faith alone means that no one should boast.  God gets all of the glory because God does all of the work. Whether or not some believers will admit it, the primary reason for adding any kind of works to the gospel is pride, and that can be mental or actual verbal "boasting". They may not actually say it, but it gives them credit for a part of their salvation. They did something that an unsaved person has not done.
     All of the above facts about salvation are taught in two simple verses:

Ephesians 2:8-9:

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

     These are two of the clearest verses in God's word.  You don't need to be a Bible scholar to understand the apostle Paul's words in these verses.  Nevertheless, many believers deny such teachings.  Apparently, they can't deal with the idea that someone whom they believe has been a "great sinner" or "carnal believer", can still go to heaven through a simple decision to believe in Jesus Christ.
     Well I say, that's their problem, but don't let such people make it yours.  No matter what kind of tricks these legalistic religious types play with other verses in the Bible, don't fall for it! Don't let them bully you into working for your salvation (of course, what they consider to be working), and don't even argue with them (did you ever see a Christian change their mind about anything in the Bible because you argued with them about it?).
     Stand firm on Ephesians 2:8-9. Quote it over and over again.  Believe these verses.  Salvation is a free gift from God to all who choose to accept it.
     The greatest Biblical example that proves this doctrine is the criminal crucified next to Jesus, who placed his faith in Christ and was saved. This man who Christians often call the "good thief" asked Jesus to "remember me when you enter your kingdom". Jesus responded by promising him that he would be in Paradise that very day (Luke 23:32-33, 39-43).  Had Jesus not responded verbally to the thief's request, many Christians today would tell you that there is "no way" that man was saved.
     The "good thief" lived his life as a criminal, finally being sentenced to death for it.  In the end, he made an "easy death-bed" confession of faith, doing nothing more than believing in Jesus:

·         He didn't walk an aisle to "publicly proclaim his decision" or to "seal his commitment";

·         He was never baptized;

·         He never made restitution for what he had done;

·         He  never showed fruit or a changed life, or any other "evidence" of repentance;

·         He never spoke in tongues;

·         He didn't "make Jesus Lord";

·         He didn't "invite Jesus into his heart";

·         He didn't recite the sinner's prayer;

·         He never joined or became active in a church;

·         He never received "the second blessing" nor was he ever "slain in the spirit";

·         He never "shed tears of repentance";

·         He never sang "Do Lord", threw a twig on a fire, or committed his life to full-time service;

·         God didn't heal him, rescue him, or bless him with material assets or good health;

·         And "worse" of all, he never tithed, made a pledge, "planted a seed", or gave one penny of his money.

     The "good thief" simply placed his faith totally in Jesus Christ. He believed in a situation where he had "nothing to lose" by doing so, on a "death-bed" when it couldn't have been more "convenient", where it didn't cost him a thing. Today's "fruit inspectors" would have this man burning in hell had Jesus not told us different.
     In fact, such legalistic people who add works to the gospel are in danger of hell-fire themselves, because they may not have fully trusted in the work of Jesus Christ for their own salvation.  If you add your own works to salvation, then you are not putting your faith solely in the work of Jesus Christ. One day, these religious types who work to make Jesus their "Lord" (when, in fact, He already is Lord) may hear those dreaded words, "I never knew you", from Jesus Himself on Judgment Day.
     Salvation is easy for us, because Jesus did all of the work.  Don't confuse salvation with discipleship.  People who trust in Jesus Christ for salvation but then never grow in their faith, never abide in God's word, will still go to heaven.  However, the believer who chooses to live in carnality after salvation, will not have a life here that is easy:

·         God will discipline His children who disobey Him;

·         Carnal believers will not enjoy God's maximum blessings in their life here on earth;

·         They will not earn rewards for eternity.

     Salvation is a one-time decision to trust Jesus Christ.  Being a disciple (student) of Jesus is a series of day-to-day decisions to learn and obey God's Word, the Bible, to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
     Don't let another person steal away your assurance of salvation by making you "carry the cross", "pay the cost", or "make Jesus Lord" to get it.
     No person ever did less to be saved than the "good thief" on the cross. In fact, no person ever did more to be saved either.

Salvation = Faith in Jesus Christ + NOTHING!