You mean helping people in a good samaritan type of way? Love your fellow man? I mean we did hear that didn't we? The Good Samaritan parable is a great example of a person giving of himself to help others. I believe that is the path to what is termed as reaping the eternal rewards just as a person reaps a diploma after doing good in school. It is easy to see that is what we are suppose to do on our short time on Earth.
This is a belief of mine so I will throw out an idea. Let's take someone from a country where Christianity is not dominant. If a person follows the Golden Rule and all the parables given to us by Jesus but has never been exposed to Jesus is on the correct path. Sometimes I think in religion people think well damn I can sin, cause harm, and other bad things because I believe in Jesus and he died for our sins. He died for our sins by being a human on the same journey as the rest of us and showed us the way home. He Let himself get nailed to a cross for us because humans were lost. But dying on a cross does not wipe out any of our bad actions that continue. It is following the path that was given. Love God and love your neighbor. So my belief is anyone that follows the gentle rules of life, give of themselves as they would want given is on the path. An inuit in Greenland that never gets exposed to Jesus but is a Good Samaritan and does love his fellow brothers is also on the right path. He is doing what Jesus said we should do. Actions are important. The Good Samaritan's action was presented for us to see. It was an action move.
I hear where you are coming from, the person who has never heard the teachings of Jesus yet is following the golden rule is also fulfiling Romans 2:15.
And someone that says, I believe Jesus died for me so I can sin to my hearts content has missed the point entirely, Romans 6:1-2.
Someone who truly believes that Jesus died for them should be compelled to live no longer for themself but for him that died for him.
Of course actions are important, the parable of the good samaritan you referred to shows that we should show love for our fellow man.
In Mark chapter 12 when the pharisee is asking Jesus what the most important commandment is, he states that loving God with all his strength and understanding and loving his fellow man as himself is worth far more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifice, to which Jesus replies, you are not far from the kingdom of God.
Love is the laws fulfilment and anyone who doesn't show love to their fellow man does not know God.
If we follow the example that Jesus showed we will be happy in this life, it has been proven that forgiving is good for your mental health, holding a grudge only causes pain to ones self.
Giving is better than receiving, don't stress about tomorrow, just focus on today, so many of Jesus teachings have been proven to be good for our mental health.
A true follower of Jesus will be a peace maker, honest and should be trying to follow in the footsteps that Jesus left.
Howeverwhen it comes to our salvation, all we can do is trust in Father God and Jesus, we are not capable of saving ourselves by anything we do.
The scripture I stated in my earlier post puts it very succinctly. Ephesians 2:8-9.
When the diciples asked Jesus, who really can be saved, after Jesus had said it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God again states it very clearly.
Jesus said, with men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
I believe the day is coming when all will stand before the throne of God and all ambiguity will be removed, there will be no more unanswered questions.
The spirit and the bride keep saying, come, let anyone who wishes take lifes water free, we all are children of God and in God's time and order all will be saved.
The only way to be saved is to accept that Jesus is God's only begotten son and that he died on the cross for the salvation of all.
I believe we will all come to this realization...some will come willingly...some will take more convincing...and some will be dragged kicking and screaming...but in the end all will accept Jesus and be save.
Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is lord to the glory of God the father.
) from Catholicism and I think it would be a shoo in myself. Yes, I spent the first 8 years of my education in a school uniform, the first few years of that it included knickers.
