Salvation– Four Possibilities
I was listening to an old Tim Bayly sermon yesterday and realized that there are four ways one might achieve salvation, in any religion:
1. Good actions. If you obey the Law and are good in everything you do, you will be saved.
2. Good feelings. If you have good feelings towards God and your fellow man you will be saved.
3. Good belief. If you believe the truth about God and are an ally of his, you will be saved.
4. Grace. If God wants you to be saved, you will be.
Religions differ in which of these are (a) necessary conditions and (b) sufficient conditions. Christianity really has only (4)–Grace– as either necessary or sufficient. Natural law makes us think that (1)–Good Actions– is necessary and sufficient, which results in either self-deception or despair.
We must also think about causation versus correlation. Biblical Christianity has (1) as a necessary condition, but says that it implies, to some extent, (3) Good Beliefs and (2) Good Feelings and (1) Good Actions. Thus, all of those are correlated with salvation, though not necessary or sufficient.