Reason for Salvation

Is the main reason to accept Jesus Self-Preservation. Escape from Hell to heaven, accept Jesus . Does this not cause a person to become a Christian for the wrong reasons ?

What else can you expect from a sinner, except contrition or to beg for mercy. Ps 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise".

But remember we must conform to the terms of the Gospel for salvation and that includes repentance and a living faith in Jesus Christ.

THe good news is the Gospel also promises these:

Ezekiel 36:26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

Rom 6:14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

I don't know if there is such a thing as becoming a Christian for the wrong reason.

For one to become a Christian, a genuine Christian, we must repent of our sins, preached by John the Baptist, Jesus, and later in the book of Acts by Peter, Paul and others.

It tells us in Matthew 1v21, ' ...you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

Our sins are our ticket to hell. If we are saved from our sins, we are saved from hell. If not, then we are not saved from hell.

It wasn't the fear of hell that made me become a Christian, rather, it was the fear of missing out on Christ's return. How many chances would I have to make it to heaven, if I missed Christ's return?

That was my fear.

We can't pull the wool over God's eyes. He knows who is and who isn't a Christian.

Let's see to it that He sees us as genuine.

Many people do not go beyond the fact that being saved is for their ultimate benefit. I believe salvation goes far beyond the bounds of our own good self. We are saved for God's praise of his glory as it is mentioned 3 times in Ephesians chapter 1:

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he[c] predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

11In him we were also chosen,[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

I am also saved for the benefit and help of others and to be a living witness of him.

The fact that I enjoy eternal life and bliss is rather a welcome byproduct than the main thing.

narrowpath

KJV Luke 18:9-14

9. And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

10. Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

11. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

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Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked: who can know it?
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Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

paris reidhead describes that the reason we should come to Christ is because we deserve to give god the obedience he deserves for his glory. Not to get a ticket to heaven but so we can be made righteous in the eyes of God and be brought back to him through repentance and trusting jesus. Not for us but for him, we do not deserve his grace but he loved us.

paris reidhead describes that the reason we should come to Christ is because we deserve to give god the obedience he deserves for his glory. Not to get a ticket to heaven but so we can be made righteous in the eyes of God and be brought back to him through repentance and trusting jesus. Not for us but for him, we do not deserve his grace but he loved us.

Is this not susceptible in turning the gospel into a one with a 'legalistic' character.

How did David in Psalm 51 went before God and so with the Publican in Luke 18:9-14.

Are we not adding something here?

Why did God create man or the universe? So that his glory would be known! The earth declares his glory! Man would never be able to glorify god unless he was saved!

So the ultimate reason for salvation is included in the answer to the question what is the purpose of life the purpose of creation! Which is God being so completely worthy of all praise, glory and honor due to his immense holy character which is to such a extreme degree that all of mankind will give an account to God of what he did to know God and his glory and how you allowed God to use your life to to be a light in this dark and lost world! Our benefits are secondary to Gods glory!

Holy, Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty!

Is the main reason to accept Jesus Self-Preservation. Escape from Hell to heaven, accept Jesus . Does this not cause a person to become a Christian for the wrong reasons ?

Main reason? No.

The most common reason? I would say, Yes.

I don't believe it would be right to deny people from seeking after God because they desire self-preservation. Paris Reidhead's excellent sermon ([url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=282]Ten Shekels and a Shirt[/url]) speaks of the different types of reasons people come to Christ. There is certainly a great deal of wisdom to gain from hearing that sermon.

Many come to Jesus for what we may consider to be "all the wrong reasons." Yet, I would not necessarily hold this against sinners who are desiring and seeking salvation or to know God. When it comes down to the line this very selfishness may be just the thing that brings them to a saving relationship with Christ.

Honestly, what can we require a sinful heart to do?

"No, no," we may say, "you can't be saved until your sinful heart is pure and upright in your intentions for being saved before Christ will come and wash you with clean water and sprinkle you with His blood."

I would much rather place the danger on what these sinners do AFTER they meet Jesus. After meeting the merciful and loving God, do these change the intentions of their hearts as the Lord works in them both to do and to will according to His good pleasure?

We may very well come to Jesus by the diligence of selfish intentions (fear of death or even fear of not going to heaven) but the real question would then be [b]what are our reasons for salvation when we meet Him?[/b]

After these sinners meet Jesus do they continue to act selfishly and take advantage of His lovingkindness for their own selfish ambitions?

What are our intentions after we meet Jesus and He says we must first deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him, and whosoever will lose his life for Christ's sake shall find it? This is the determining factor in our faith towards God and repentance which God will say whether or not it is an acceptable sacrifice.

I loved the last 2 replies, great answers. Everything be to the glory of God.

We cannot add anything to the Glory of God. He is Glorious through out eternity. The Glory of God is the sum total of His Atrributes. We can only glorify God in spirit and in truth when our being by the help of the Holy Spirit is given a glimpse of His Majesty.

When a sinner is found in genuine adoration of God's Glory it is because the infinite mercy and love of God has flooded his soul.

LUKE 7:37-47

“This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

37 There was a woman who was a notorious sinner in that city. When she learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's home, she took an alabaster jar of perfume

38 and knelt at his feet behind him. She was crying and began to wash his feet with her tears and dry them with her hair. Then she kissed his feet over and over again, anointing them constantly with the perfume.

39 Now the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who is touching him and what kind of woman she is. She's a sinner!"

40 Jesus said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Teacher," he replied, "say it."

41 "Two men were in debt to a moneylender. One owed him 500 denarii, and the other fifty.

42 When they couldn't pay it back, he generously canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him the most?"

43 Simon answered, "I suppose the one who had the larger debt canceled." Jesus said to him, "You have answered correctly."

44 Then, turning to the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You didn't give me any water for my feet, but this woman has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.

45 You didn't give me a kiss, but this woman, from the moment I came in, has not stopped kissing my feet.

46 You didn't anoint my head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with perfume.

47 So I'm telling you that her sins, as many as they are, have been forgiven, and that's why she has shown such great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little."

I think we are leaving out 1 thing besides God's glory and that is God's purpose/will.

As for us coming to Christ with 'bad/selfish motive' ie to escape from hell, I think many of us do (and I'm talking about real believers). What else can be expected. When we are born again, we are legally cleanse and made right with God (but we are like babes and spiritually immature). So how can we come to God with any other thing but selfish motive. The thing is some people think that then, God will not accept these people. But don't forget, God sees everything--past, present, future. His knowledge is not limited by this current point when we first come to him because of self preservation. So, to think that the people who come with selfish motive is unsaved, then I think maybe none or hardly any of us will make it.

Also, don't forget many good preachers as far as I know will preach hell and fire sermons and 'scare' us about eternity. Paul Washer when witnessing shows the unsaved person, how sinful he is and the only way he can be saved is to come to Jesus. Jonathan Edwards prayed to God to 'stamp eternity on his eyeballs' and his congregation was very scared.

In trying to glorify God, don't become legalistic. We have only ourselves to look.

Some may say they didn't come to God because of selfish motive (ie escape hell). Other reasons for example are :
--Wanting to go to heaven to be with God
--loving God
etc
But what does it all mean for the other reasons. Isn't it the love of God that is shed abroad in our hearts that cause us to come to him if our motives are not for self preservation.

So I can think of 2 main reasons (that most probably may be mixed together somehow) why we come to God (in accordance with God's will that we are to come--but I'm not Calvinist) ie our own selfish motive of self preservation and the love of God that is shed abroad in our hearts

It is then when we walk with God, that we grow to love and obey Him. This is when I think Paris Reidhead's sermon of 10 shekels and a shirt is more appropriately applied

I see it as if the only reason someone is coming to jesus is not really to believe in Jesus but just coming to him to get to heaven, then it would definitely not be wholehearted and would be decietful. But the ones who come to christ with a true heart to be saved and surrender to him will be saved. I don't think people can just say the prayer and have no intentions within theirselves to live for him and repent and be saved, they must want Christ and to live for him in obedience for good , not lukewarm.

bible1985 wrote:
I see it as if the only reason someone is coming to jesus is not really to believe in Jesus but just coming to him to get to heaven, then it would definitely not be wholehearted and would be decietful. But the ones who come to christ with a true heart to be saved and surrender to him will be saved. I don't think people can just say the prayer and have no intentions within theirselves to live for him and repent and be saved, they must want Christ and to live for him in obedience for good , not lukewarm.

Isn't it by grace through faith that we come to Jesus. So believing in Jesus is certainly a requirement. But that does not preclude the thing that people come to Him for self preservation. (Mixed in it will be repentance and the repentance can be as little in its initial stage as 'I can't save myself, Jesus help me') If to deny self preservation as 1 of the purpose for coming to God, then these preachers like Paul Washer and Jonathan Edwards have been preaching wrongly when trying to convert people. Also, in the bible, isn't Acts 16:30-31 say He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your household.

Walking and serving in obedience with the Lord is a process. Most are very unlikely to repent wholeheartedly the first time one comes to Christ. As Ravenhill states, "I believe in instant purity but not instant maturity"

This is a very good clip from Paul Washer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIGpLcJSeoU&feature=related

Thank you for the link 'learn'. It's a real pity to see unduly scrupulous ('weak in faith') believers suffer much pain because of 'legalistic teachings'.