But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God. --Romans 4:5

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—your minds may well put be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ! --2 Corinthians 11:3,4

When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. - Romans 4:4,5  "But the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23


"How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying that a person has life.” But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, He has perfected those who are being sanctified. That through his death... he might emancipate all those who for fear of death were subject to slavery all through their lives.- Galatians 3:3,12; Hebrews 10:12-14;2:14,15


It is clear that Paul wrote to the Galatians, people who had already accepted Christ’s sacrifice, in order to correct them of their erroneous view of adding works as a requirement for righteousness:

“You are parted from Christ, whoever you are that try to be declared righteous by means of law; you have fallen away from his undeserved kindness. How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 



For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying that a person has life.” For such freedom Christ set us free. Therefore stand fast, and do not let yourselves be confined again in a yoke of slavery.” - Galatians 3:3,12; 5:4;1

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised.-- Romans 4:1-3, 10-11



Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." John 7:37-38; 4:10

Then he said to me, 'It has already happened. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water from the well of life free to anybody who is thirsty; whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” Revelation 21:6; 22:17

"At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." --Titus 3:3-6

At John 3:16,18,36 and similar Scriptures, the Greek word is “believing”. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Romans 10:9

But we can all think of examples of people who simply say that they believe or think they are saved with nothing to show for it, can we not?


Then what is the catalyst, what distinguishes a person from being either saved or not saved?
The Spirit.

"Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." --Romans 8:8,9

The guarantee of that salvation is the mark of the Spirit:

you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. (Ephesians 1:14 compare 2 Corinthians 5:5)

"If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." –Romans 8:10-11

And the fruit of the Spirit are things that the Spirit causes us to have, and by their fruits you will know them. The scripture does not say to work on these things. On the contrary these things are fruit, and the works of the flesh are opposed to this fruit. (Galatians 5:22-23)



Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God,  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 1 John 5


http://wolfmueller.wordpress.com/2011/10/30/oh-yeah-jesus-died-a-summary-of-reformation-teaching/