How saved are you? The importance of Eternal Security.

Tts 3:5 shows a CONTRAST between works of righteousness devised by man to obtain justification contrasted to obtaining justification by God's plan.




Good works are necessary to being saved (Matt 25:31ff; Titus 3:14; Eph 2:10; etc) while works of self-righteousness are not..... self-righteousness and good works are not the same things.

johann Said:
Was the repentant thief on the cross saved?

1) "And he said unto Jesus, Lord," (kai legen lesou) "And he said, Jesus," Savior or Deliverer, liberator, who sets men free from sin and death, Luk_4:18; Heb_2:14; Joh_8:32; Joh_8:36. He may have been encouraged by hearing Jesus pray for His murderers.

2) "Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." (mnestheti mou horan elthes eis ten basilelan sou) "Remember me when you come into your kingdom," to intercede for sin, Heb_7:25; 1Jn_2:1-2. It was a cry for mercy, much as the publican prayed, Luk_18:13; Psa_106:4-5; Psa_145:18-19; Rom_10:9-10; 1Co_6:10-11.

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That's the most common reply I always hear to the topic of "You must be water baptized" in order to be saved" Then the next statement is the thief on the cross was water baptized and his own perspiration. But of course, I always like to dig deeper than that. So I found this:

The thief on the cross was taken to Paradise under the old dispensation, he did not need to be baptized, his situation was like OT saints who had died; the church had not even come into existence yet. Peter on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:38 told prospective members of the church: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call."

And this:

Remember Jesus' own baptism?

Mat.3:16
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

Baptism makes us sons also! Gal. 3:26-27 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.
27 For as many [of you] as were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah] have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ.

--I did  show the contrast, I gave a break down of the Greek words.

--It appears you are trying to equate good works with self righteousness when these two things are totally different...good works save while self righteous works of merit do not.

--The Bible clearly teaches obedience to God's will saves and nowhere ever is obedience ever called a work of merit or self-righteousness.

everyone here agrees.

Yet he is saying a "work of righteousness (a good deed) is a work of the flesh. which is a bad deed..

Historically the church has viewed our responses to God's commands to be connected to 1) what we know, and, 2) what we're capable of doing. God is not a tyrant. But more will be expected of those given more, a principle outlined in Luke 12:48. Presumably, had the thief somehow been given more time and opportunity, he'd have come down from the cross and been baptized among other things.

1) You posted that a "work is a work is a work"...yet all works are not alike and this is the major failure of faith onlyism.   Nowhere is obedience to God's will ever said to be a work of merit or self-righteousness.  Christians are required to do good works else be fruitless and cut off as a fruitless limb and cast into the fire (Jn15) and nowhere are a Christians good works said to be works of merit or self-righteousness.

2) Per Tts 3:5 here again is what I posted earlier with a break down of the Greek words:

(1) Human salvation is not achieved “by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves”(v. 5a). The term “works” can refer to efforts of human merit – of which one might boast (cf. Ephesians 2:9), or it may refer to acts of obedience required by God (cf. John 6:27-29). Clearly, in this instance, the former is in view. One cannot earn his salvation with meritorious deeds. Note the concluding phrase, “which we did ourselves.”

The root verb is poieo, which simply means to “do” something. J.H. Thayer noted, however, that the term may be used with “nouns describing a plan or course of action,” and he cited Titus 3:5 as an example (Greek Lexicon, p. 526). Paul’s meaning is this; No man has the ability to plan and execute a course of action by which he can achieve salvation on his own. Redemption, as system, proceeds from God alone.

(2) Following the phrase, “which we did ourselves,” there is a contrasting conjunction, alla, which indicates that an “opposing thought” follows. One is not saved by his own righteousness; rather salvation is by God’s mercy. The preposition dia (translated “through”) is employed, which suggests that “by the agency of” or “means of” the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit" salvation is received.

One thing is clear. The “washing” and the “renewing” are not a part of those works of human righteousness that are repudiated."
www.christiancourier.com/articles/941-pauls-instruction-to-the-saints-of-crete
Wayne Jackson


And this verse is not talking about good works required of the Christian but self-righteous works which 'we did ourselves'...works devised by man not by God.

if those works are done to

1. Gain salvation
2. Keep salvation
3. Keep you from losing salvation.

Then they are works of self righteousness. and are in Gods eyes. works of bloody rags or evil deeds.. because they are motivated to serve self, not serve others. ie. they are not based on love (expecting nothing in return) but self (expecting something in return)