I am saved by grace through faith in Messiah Yeshua. Nothing else I
can do will “earn” salvation for me from my sins.
I try to be intentional about my faith. Here are some of my guiding
verses:
Luke 9:23 - “And He said to them all, ‘If any man will come after
Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’ ”
“take up his cross daily” = The relationship with God is not a
one-time decision, but a lifestyle and a series of choices each
day.
Philippians 2:12 - “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed,
not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out
your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
“work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” = I must think
about and choose what will bring me closer to God.
Romans 7:18-20 - “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that
is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the
good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the
very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not
want, Rom 7:17 I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in
me.”
“For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil
that I do not want.” = Temptation to do wrong still exists; I must
recognize and resist this. The temptation doesn't go away just because I
now belong to God by Yeshua.