God said, you can do nothing of your own works to earn salvation. That salvation comes through grace and the blood of the cross of Jesus.
But, Jesus says man will be judged by his words, actions, and thoughts for his right to salvation.
Are we saved if we believe in Jesus or are we judged by our actions to be eternally punished or glorified?
—Ray, USA
Dear Ray,
Belief itself is simply the beginning step towards faith. Believing in Jesus is not going to be enough. People believed centuries ago that the world was flat but didn’t make it true.
Faith is the experience of knowledge, which is much deeper than just belief.
A good way to understand this is that grace is indeed what ultimately brings us true salvation (or realizing our oneness in God) but our part is to attune and align our whole being with God. Jesus stated in the Gospels, “Love the Lord, Thy God, with all thy heart; with all thy mind; with all thy soul; and with all thy strength” Our role is to offer ourselves completely to God so His grace will flow through us without obstructions. That grace is always there waiting to bless us; all we need to do is open ourselves to its flow.
Our actions will never result in us being eternally punished. God is always offering forgiveness to us if we but awaken into His love and joy. As Paramhansa Yogananda said, “we need to improve our knowing” of God’s presence. That is what brings us the deepest fulfillment.
In divine friendship,
Nayaswami Pranaba
