May 11 – Working Towards a False Salvation Ephesians 2:8-10; “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
_____
Many Catholics & all Mormons share a common problem. They both believe your merits earn salvation. Neither will know how many good works is good enough. Share Paul’s exhortation with both the Catholic and Mormon you know! Genuine salvation is a gift from the Lord which leads to a genuine outward manifestation of the Holy Spirit working inside of the believer.
Tirelessly, and lovingly, explain how the true believer isn’t saved by the good works he/she does, but are saved to do the good works God will have them do!
_____
Introduction to the Gospel (1955; LDS Sunday school material), chapter 20, ‘The Way of Salvation’ “We believe in individual merit as a means of gaining salvation” – Lowell L. Bennion
We first have to come to terms with the fact that we are all sinners.
Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”. And further in Romans 6:2-3 says “for the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.
You can’t earn eternal life (salvation). It’s a gift, by keeping in memory 3 things as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15 1-4 “, 1 that Jesus died on the cross for all our sin 2 was buried and 3 He rose.again on the 3rd day as the Scriptures say. That is the gospel which we stand.
And again, Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly tells us savation a GIFT of God, and not by works.
Catholics don’t believe we’re saved by works exactly. Salvation is certainly a free and undeserved gift of God.