Technically you only have to believe. But Christians like to change the rules. For example- God hates me and wants nothing to do with me because I'm Deaf and was raped as a child. So, even though I think I'm saved, Christians declare I'm not and have asked me to kill myself to rid the world of one more broken, Deaf whore.
REMAINING a saved Christian is hardly a "lazy" experience although that is exactly the message taught in some churches who promote the dangerous "once saved always saved" heresy.Fighting the continual temptations of the world and remaining spiritually strong is an extremely difficult assignment because the sign of a true Christian is:
Matthew 10:22
All nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved.:close look:
After faith in Jesus saves us we need HOPE to sustain us. Sinning keeps us from having hope so it is important to stop sinning. People can lose their salvation because of sinning.
This is one of the biggest problems i have with Christians. The salvation by faith clause is absolute b.s. and it makes me so mad. The fact that someone who is of worse character will have a preferred spot over me in the afterlife just because of faith makes me mad.
Nothing that we as humanity could ever do would be good enough in a hundred million eternities to be "GOOD ENOUGH" to go to Heaven. Jesus came and laid down His life, as the perfect PASSOVER LAMB to pay the penalty for our sins on the cross, because He was and is the ONLY One Who could.
One is only saved IF and When they personally ask Jesus to come into their life and save them, based ONLY on what He has done for them on the cross..........and NOTHING else............
It is GOOD to be "GOOD".....as long as one KNOWS that they can NEVER be "GOOD ENOUGH" to become RIGHTEOUS before God........That is NOT going to happen............ It is the pride of fallen mankind, deceived by satan and Religion, that believes that man can ever be good enough for Heaven by their own effort.
God is the One Who initiated the plan of salvation..........even before the foundation of the earth out of His mercy and grace and love for mankind, whom He would create in His image and likeness....
Ephesians 2:8-9 (New King James Version)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Hebrews 7:25 (New King James Version)
25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Romans 6:23 (New King James Version)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Salvation is a GIFT.......Unearned and Undeserved. A gift of mercy and grace. We were bought with a price.
John 3:18 (New King James Version)
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18 (New King James Version)
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
True faith brings about good works. A liar says one thing and does another.
Matthew 7:16-20
(16)"For ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"
(17) "Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit."
(18) "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit."
(19) "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."
(20) " Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."
Hebrews 10v26 ........ http://bible.cc/hebrews/10-26.htm
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received
the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,