Grace (and/or) Belief/Faith (and/or) Works?

[POI]

Seems there exists an unresolved topic amongst Christians... Seems as though the way to salvation is not unified among the many in which I engage. I'd wager they all have a case to support their position(s).?.?

For debate: How does one get to Heaven? What is God's criteria for His selection process? Is it by grace alone, belief/faith alone, works alone; or it is a combination of the three? Or is it maybe other? Please, not only present your case, but please also explain why the other asserted methods are incorrect.

[POI]

Being able to resist grace has nothing to do with if the grace is conditional or not. He gives grace unconditionally to everyone. We can choose to resist that or not.

So if a patron is unresistant, (s)he has no conditions to meet?

[AquinasForGod]

[Replying to POI in post #351]

He only has to not resist the grace. And by doing so he opens himself up to accepting Christ. God is giving you his grace right now, even though you did not do anything to earn it. The least you resist it, the more you will be pulled to Christ.

[POI]

[Replying to POI in post #351]

He only has to not resist the grace. And by doing so he opens himself up to accepting Christ. God is giving you his grace right now, even though you did not do anything to earn it. The least you resist it, the more you will be pulled to Christ.

So grace is conditional then, right?

[AquinasForGod]

[Replying to POI in post #351]

He only has to not resist the grace. And by doing so he opens himself up to accepting Christ. God is giving you his grace right now, even though you did not do anything to earn it. The least you resist it, the more you will be pulled to Christ.

So grace is conditional then, right?

No.

Conditional: subject to one or more conditions or requirements being met; made or granted on certain terms.

Suppose I wish to hand you a glass of water. It has nothing to do with anything you have ever done. You cannot earn my gratitude. I decide to hand you a glass of water because I want to. That is unconditional. There is no condition you have to meet.

But because you have freewill, you can reject it. You can knock it out of my hands as I hand it to you. You can turn your back to me and ignore my offer.

[POI]

No.

Conditional: subject to one or more conditions or requirements being met; made or granted on certain terms.

So you do not need to be baptized, repent of sin, etc?

Suppose I wish to hand you a glass of water. It has nothing to do with anything you have ever done. You cannot earn my gratitude. I decide to hand you a glass of water because I want to. That is unconditional. There is no condition you have to meet.

I agree here, but this is not what I'm talking about. See below...

But because you have freewill, you can reject it. You can knock it out of my hands as I hand it to you. You can turn your back to me and ignore my offer.

This analogy fails. God is not merely trying to hand you a glass of water, and you either take it or swat it away. Conditions still need to be met. See above in blue.

[JoeyKnothead]

Being able to resist grace has nothing to do with if the grace is conditional or not. He gives grace unconditionally to everyone. We can choose to resist that or not.

So if a patron is unresistant, (s)he has no conditions to meet?

Ain't unresistent a condition, he rhetoricallied.

[AquinasForGod]

[Replying to POI in post #355]

So you do not need to be baptized, repent of sin, etc?

To receive God's grace, no. To be saved, yes.

Thus, grace is not conditional, salvation is.

[POI]

[Replying to POI in post #355]

So you do not need to be baptized, repent of sin, etc?

To receive God's grace, no. To be saved, yes.

Thus, grace is not conditional, salvation is.

According to your belief system, you are either saved, or you are not.

Thus, to be 'saved', is your answer D)?

[AquinasForGod]

[Replying to POI in post #355]

So you do not need to be baptized, repent of sin, etc?

To receive God's grace, no. To be saved, yes.

Thus, grace is not conditional, salvation is.

According to your belief system, you are either saved, or you are not.

Thus, to be 'saved', is your answer D)?

To be saved is conditional, yes, but grace is not.

God gives his grace to all people. If we don't resist the grace, then it strengthens our faith. The stronger our faith the better our works. This is why all three are necessary for salvation, but that necessity doesn't entail that grace is conditional.

[AquinasForGod]

[Replying to POI in post #355]

So you do not need to be baptized, repent of sin, etc?

To receive God's grace, no. To be saved, yes.

Thus, grace is not conditional, salvation is.

According to your belief system, you are either saved, or you are not.

Thus, to be 'saved', is your answer D)?

To be saved is conditional, yes, but grace is not, thus F.

God gives his grace to all people. If we don't resist the grace, then it strengthens our faith. The stronger our faith the better our works. This is why all three are necessary for salvation, but that necessity doesn't entail that grace is conditional.