Re: Vektek, what is the Bible to you?

Saywhatagain, I believe we receive salvation because of God's grace alone. I believe any true understanding I have comes from God's grace alone. I believe any truth I know from reading the bible is from God's grace alone, and any truth I've learned from preachers who are preaching truth, is from God's grace alone. I boast in nothing but God's grace alone!

I mean all that with all sincerity. It's really what I believe, that it's all about God's grace. And I believe the Bible is very important because it's God's way of revealing himself to us, by his grace!

Titus 3:4-7

4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his GRACE, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

I certainly have nothing to boast about, not even conjuring up my own faith. I believe my faith was God-given, not something I conjured up, and that it was God's grace that I received that gift of faith. Now that opens up another whole can of worms, and starts a debate that has been going on for centuries. But I believe God has shown me that is what the scriptures say, and I have to believe what the scriptures say, not what is popular or more comfortable to believe. But what I believe the scriptures are saying also matches my experience, which I never look to for truth, but my experience just further confirms what I believe God has shown me in scriptures.

Hebrews 12:12
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I believe just what it says there, that Jesus is the author of my faith, and that he will be the finisher or perfecter of my faith. How could we be the authors of our faith, if it says right here that Jesus is the author of it?

Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has CAUSED us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Romans 9:16
15For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

Ezekiel 36:26
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

That's what I believe happened to me. God did a heart operation on me, and then I believed. Just like he did with the Apostle Paul who was on the road to Damascus planning to persecute and have christians killed. He had nothing but evil intentions, and God stopped him in his tracks, gave him a heart operation, and everything changed from there. And who better to preach the gospel to the Gentiles than someone who really got it, that salvation was truly from God's grace alone!

Jonah 2:9 Salvation is of the LORD.

And so if I appear confident in any way, I believe that is only because I am depending on God for everything, and I know He cannot fail, and he will finish the work he has started in me.

Phil. 1:6
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.