Episode 509: 2 Timothy 2 Part 2 Man’s Ideas or God’s Word?

How many times have you heard something like this, “You don’t have to do anything to be saved. Only believe.” I agree one hundred percent salvation is through faith in Christ given to us by his marvelous grace, but I am not sold on the “you don’t have to do anything” bit because if you are believing, you are doing something and Paul tells Timothy many things in chapter 2 that he must do in order to remain strong in his faith in Christ. In vs15 Paul tells Timothy to “work hard” and “be a good worker” so that he will “receive God’s approval.” James says that faith without works is dead. Most of this type of teaching came from a few people in the late 1500 to early 1600s. Believe what you will, but if I were you, I’d stick with the truth of God’s word over man’s opinion, especially when eternity is at stake!