₦airaland Forum

Easter – God’s Grace Gift – Guarantees Eternal Security

The Word of God is very clear on the issue of eternal security. Regrettably, because of ignorance many Christians still think they can ADD to Christ’s work on the cross to be guaranteed a place with God forever. Salvation is contingent ONLY upon a person’s belief in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Salvation is a grace gift from God.

Because of the cross there is NO CONDEMNATION (or judgement, or punishment, or doom) for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). Those in Jesus Christ will NEVER come into judgement – not ‘may not’ but ‘will not’. Why? because they have passed from death into life – John 5:24.

The grace gift of salvation is irreversible because those who believe in Jesus Christ have eternal life – John 3:16. This eternal life is dependent on the integrity of God and not on man’s works. Believers are KEPT by the power of God – 1 Peter 1:5; not by their works or will power.

Mankind was still helpless when Christ died for all – Romans 5:6-9. If God was able to do the work of salvation when the individual was “helpless” to say that the believer now has to do something to keep him safe is blasphemous!

God’s holiness or integrity AS FAR AS THE SIN ISSUE IS CONCERNED, was ONLY SATISFIED AT THE CROSS. Not anywhere else. God is the perfect and FAIR judge. He never renders any wrong decision. He cannot declare the believer perfectly righteous “at the cross” and then turn around to say at some future point that the believer is now unrighteous. That would suggest that God made a wrong decision in the first place; to even suggest that is again blasphemous!

The CROSS was the defining point in history – both human and angelic. It showed the length God was willing to go to show his holiness and love. The cross also showed the faithfulness of God in keeping his word. And when man is faithless he still remains faithful – 2 Tim. 2:13. God remains faithful to his promise based on the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Our relationship with God is based on his integrity, not ours. The integrity of God is what guarantees our eternal security and not our integrity, morality or our success or failure. Man may be impressed by any or all of these but ultimately man’s measure of any of these CANNOT attain to the perfect holiness of God. Man can only “QUALIFY” because he has ticked himself ‘ok’ in his own list of things. But God requires nothing short of his perfect standard. Only the cross provided this. The only work that earn any point with God is the work of Jesus Christ on the cross at Easter. NOTHING ELSE DOES OR CAN!

The believer still possesses the old sin nature. That in itself is offensive to God. It therefore takes God’s judicial imputation to qualify any man for eternity with God. The cross made it possible for God to justly impute his righteousness on the believer in order to, as it were, overlook man’s inadequacies.

“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” – Titus 3:5. Easter is the greatest display of that mercy – the mercy that guarantees eternal security for all who express faith alone in Christ alone.

Hymns Teaching God’s Guarantee Of Eternal Security (3)

Hymns with doctrinal content orient the Christian to God’s way of thinking and operation – GRACE: An expression of kindness that is done NOT because of any MERIT or WORTH on the part of the recipient but ONLY as a result of the freeheartedness of God.

Grace DOES NOT depend upon us, but upon God. In other words, no Christian can WORK FOR grace, he can only adjust or respond to grace. The focus in grace is always God because of his character not on what man is and what he can do.

JESUS PAID IT ALL
1 I hear the Savior say,
"Thy strength indeed is small,
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all."

Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

2 Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow'r and Thine alone,
Can change the leper's spots
And melt the heart of stone. [Refrain]

3 For nothing good have I
Where-by Thy grace to claim;
I'll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv'ry's Lamb. [Refrain]

4 And when, before the throne,
I stand in Him complete,
"Jesus died my soul to save,"
My lips shall still repeat. [Refrain]
Baptist Hymnal, 1991

Author: Elvina M. Hall
Hall, Elvina Mable, was born at Alexandria, Virginia, in 1818; and was married, first to Mr. Richard Hall, and then, in 1885, to the Rev.

tartar9:
Well,let's look at just a few of your Jesus achievements;

[b]warning:graphic
.................
.................
....his followers continued his work,making daddy proud murdering millions in his name throughout the course of history

How does this your claim justify Mohamed's and Islam's crimes?

Tithers are legalists.
They derive satisfaction from what they 'DO' for God.
Getting them to ACCEPT that "Jesus did it all; and all to him I owe" is VERY difficult for them to do because it robs them of the pleasure they get from presenting their 'good works' before God as the basis for getting from God or standing right before God.

The very first thing the CHURCH dealt with included tithing. Jewish believers were insisting that "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses" (Acts 15). The Holy Spirit gave his VERDICT: It was a big 'NO!'.

When today's pastors and believer REFUSES to accept the Holy Spirit's declaration but insists on doing things his own way he is actually working IN OPPOSITION to God.

God was very clear: The Christian, as a Son, stands in freedom in CHRIST. He is not tied to any SYSTEM before Christ because what Christ brought is SUPERIOR to anything under the LAW or before the Law of Moses (Hebrews).

Because tithers are looking for a SCORECARD of their good deeds to present before God rather than who they are in Christ they are blinded to these very clear declarations about the Christian. That is why many of them even IGNORE how the Apostles lived and taught and seek justification for their stand from elsewhere.

A major issue that needs to be placed in focus is the JUSTICE of God.
God cannot compromise any part of his essence.
Therefore ANY stand taken on this issue that does not stand against the JUSTICE of God would need to be re-examined.
It would either be a wrong understanding or a wrong interpretation of Scripture.

EazyMoh:
Even UN 1946 that literally created Israel that Jerusalem should belong to neither Israel nor the Arabs.
Check out land grabbing scale of Israel over the decades.

Historically did the Palestinians ever have a nation under which they ruled themselves as a national entity or are talking about Arab settlers who are now in recent times desiring a place of their own?

petra1:
We are not giving tithes as commanded under the law . Our tithing dates to Abraham before the law came . And that it why the other kinds of tithes were not emphasized . So daddy freeze only dwell on the feast party which is not abrahamic . And antitithers are jumping up that they have a hero (who is not even a Christian )

As much as you are not giving tithes under the Law you also have NO justification to base it on Abraham's.

Looking into NAIRALAND, tithing has been discussed well before now. To want to beat a guy who joined the train along the way smacks of insincerity and deceit.

You have NO AUTHORITY to determine who is a Christian or not. NONE!

petra1:
Every shadow has real . There’s a real sin offering , there a real circumcision

1. How do we distinguish between the shadows and the real? "HOW"?
2. Explain to us your use of the word "principles"

petra1:
The curcumcission of the Old Testament was a shadow of the real
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Christ has fulfilled the real . Tithes and offering ,alms ,prayers has no fulfillment . The were not shadows . They were principles . And principles transcend dispensations .
...
I prefer toe the word "necessity " tithes and offerings ,prayers ,alms ,fastings etc are all necessities
...
The principles of the kingdom cut across both Old and new . The New is based on the old principles

1. How do we identify the shadows?
2. What is your definition of "principles"?

petra1:
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I'm sure you read the portion i quoted. or you still want to do'SHOW ME FROM BIBLE'
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thats a digression

kindly enlighten us

Petra1, like I've stated earlier Christianity is founded on knowledge. Not on feelings or some esoteric ideas that can't be clearly explained to others.

Are you aware of this statement: "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." in Luke 24?

Jesus "EXPLAINED" to the two disciples. He did not just throw short phrases or sentences at them.

When you pick verses out of context, assume the meaning of others outside what they clearly say and create terms and phrases you can't clearly communicate to others then something is not quite in order.

God's PROGRESSIVE REVELATION found its fulfilment in Jesus Christ. With that God created a new spiritual entity - the Church. With the Church came "mystery doctrines" unknown to previous dispensations. These doctrines were communicated largely through the Apostles.

Therefore, anything ESSENTIAL for the spiritual life under the New Covenant was given to us in the EPISTLES.

Incidentally the issues of the whether Christians are to run their spiritual lives under the law or pre-law was CLEARLY DEALT WITH in the NT. The answer was a clear 'NO!'.

So, when you and other tithers INSIST today that this pre-New covenant practice, which the Apostles NEVER DEMANDED of Christians, is a part of the spiritual life of the New Covenant believer you've not just gone overboard, you're belittling the work of Jesus Christ.

When you think that THE BASIS OF YOUR BLESSINGS FROM GOD is not what Jesus Christ did but on what you can do, like through tithes, then I dare say that you still need more understanding of what Christianity is all about.

What can any Christian do to repay what Jesus Christ did for man not to talk of now exacting a blessing from God on the basis of tithing?

petra1:
[/quote]Petra1, to say i'm disappointed at your responses would be an understatement.

One would have thought that this tithing issue is serious to you for you to be able to give clear scriptures to support your answers to questions but that HARDLY happens.

Also, FACTS that a kindergarten Christian should know seem unclear to you.

Is it that you've been so shaken by this tithe thing that it's beginning to unsettle you?

Now, please react to these from your response:
[quote author=petra1 post=63534556]Federal law supercede state laws . The lesser is included in the greater.

In the case before us now, which is the Federal law and which is the State law?

petra1:
At one time men didn't know about praying or worship or personal relationship with God . But in the days of Enos God granted man the understanding. And it became part of Godd principles for us .

Are you saying, from the above, that Cain and Abel were not worshipping God and had no knowledge or relationship with God? They were before Enosh.

petra1:
Because tithes and offerings have been part of God system. And there is never an ending to it. It's a principle . Why do you take some and leave some .
The kingdom of God has been . And there are spiritual principles in the kingdom. God unveil to man from time to time and grant him ability to know these spiritual laws.
The principle is still on today . Also in the days of Abraham God introduced tithing . Abraham was a prophet who had insight into principles . God gave testimony of him that He trusted Abraham to pass his knowledge to next generation.
The fact that the law mentioned them it's only and endorsement of an existing principle .
Church age is temporal it existed in the bigger which is Gods kingdom . Christ is the head of the church . God is the head of the kingdom

If like you've been holding on to, tithing is an "eternal principle", why would it now be that it was "in the days of Abraham God introduced tithing"?
Is it that God did not want previous generation to be part of the "eternal principle"?

Is the Church Age superior to any other age under God's kingdom?

Is it expected that God's revelation in the Church Age will be more than was in the past dispensations?

I ask again a QUESTION you have been avoiding:
Petra1, is there a clear picture in the NT as to how Christians gave? If so, was tithing involved?

petra1:
Because tithes and offerings have been part of God system. And there is never an ending to it. It's a principle.
........

I will shortly answer you BUT I'm seriously considering putting up a thread titled either:
Petra1 MONIKER HAS BEEN COMPROMISED! or
IS Petra1 MONIKER USED BY A NUMBER OF PERSONS?

You will know why later.

bodmasfem:
please, I need the book "people and Muhammad". I have searched for it but I did not see it

It was on NL discussion for quite a while.

Check if this will also help:
https://www.nairaland.com/3239137/lets-read-book-people-vs#47734437

petra1:
why didn't you apply this berean principle to daddy freeze lie.
.......
what if you realise you believed wrongly about tithe. as long as you believe in ofering and alms ,you should give tithe also . They are principles in the kingdom of God . church age is only an interuption . church age is not for ever. the kingdom of God is bigger than the church.

Why should the Christian give tithe also?
What are "principles" in the kingdom of God?
The church age is only an interuption of what?
Why is the church age not for ever?
How is the kingdom of God is bigger than the church?

As long as you KEEP RUNNING AWAY from clearly answering questions but you feel people should just ACCEPT what you say, then you're no better than those you keep on accusing.

Christianity is founded on KNOWLEDGE not on feelings or some esoteric ideas that can't be clearly explained to others.

It is that knowledge and understanding that should inform the Christian's stand on any issue.

petra1:
He still made changes in the area needed . "It is said . . . But I say unto you. . . .

You guys like to say Jesus has brought a new law which is love. Was it not under the same circumstances when the law was in forced ? Yet Jesus said we should tithe .

Christ fulfilled them . He's our sin offering , he's the sabbath ( rest) he's not tithe . But rather he's the high priest who now receives our tithe not Levi

Pastors are tithers not tithe collectors . Tithe is given to God just as offering is given to . And it is hypocritical to condemn tithe and leave offering . It only shows that' there is something special about the tithe that makes the devil mad .

Tithe must not be money . You tithe from his blessing , it's left to you what form you give it

I was right! Petra1 never gives up even in the face of clear evidence.

In 2 Corinthians 3: 6 Paul writes: "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant - not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."
The Apostles were INSPIRED, as ministers of the new covenant, to communicate church-age doctrines.

In Galatians 2: 18 he says: "If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a law-breaker."
This he said in referring to the Law.

In Galatians 3: 10 - "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."
He shows us here that THE ONES THAT ARE REALLY UNDER A CURSE are those who seek to go back to the Law for acceptance before God BECAUSE they need to fulfil ALL and not just part of the Law.

Perhaps that is why you gyrate between the Law and pre-law (picking on the Law when it suits you and using 'tithing by faith' when you think that will work best) all in a bid to justify what Jesus himself said was not a significant issue of the Law.

Petra1, confusion comes when you attempt to lump so many things together. Look at TITHING alone for now and see if it was MENTIONED by the Apostles as necessary for the Christian. If you don't see it as necessary accept that position. Then you can move on to other matters. If you want to accept a position of Scripture ONLY when you've satisfied yourself about all others then you may never accomplish anything meaningful.

So, Petra1, is there a clear picture in the NT as to how Christians gave? If so, was tithing involved?

Rashduct4luv:
One thing you would never understand in Islam (unlike Christianity) is that some Islamic rulings need to be used at a specific environment. The observance of these rulings are determined by the environment and there can be other factors. We can not carry this rulings out if one or more of the factors are absent.

Example of this is Major Jihad.

And other examples abound from what you Christians abuse the Prophet. And some of these things are still recorded in your Bible till today.

May Allah open your eyes.

There are outsiders who READ Islam more than Muslims.
We know that Islam and Muslims can speak from both sides of the mouth. Many of us are not DECEIVED by that.

As to recordings in the Bible; because a story is in the Bible doesn't automatically means Christians are to follow them. You ought to know that there is difference between mere recording of stories as learning aid and DIRECT INSTRUCTIONS to do something. Some things applied to Israel that do not apply to the Church today.

There is no INTEGRITY in Islam, as a result anything goes; it becomes a matter of SITUATIONAL ETHICS. Anything convenient for any point in time goes. That's one reason for it's wide acceptability.

asuustrike2009:
Deut 14:22-23 is the answer to your question.

Do you obey Deut. 14: 23? If so, how EXACTLY?

malvisguy212:
Matthew 23:23 (NIV)
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. YOU SHOULD HAVE PRACTICE THE LATTER WITHOUT NEGLECTING THE FORMER.

this is not the scribe speaking, this is our Lord speaking,this verse is self explanatory.

You should do well to note these:
1.Galatians 3: 10 - "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."
You CANNOT PICK ONLY ONE aspect of the Law and disregard others. If you do you're under a curse. James 2: 10 states the very same thing.

2. Was their tithing of HERBS considered by Jesus as part of the MORE IMPORTANT MATTERS of the Law? If not, is anyone justified in turning it into a "WEIGHTIER" matter for the Christian today?

The video is a vintage Muslim mind-set.

Warped logic and lopsided thinking.

Muslims say they are to follow Mohamed. And now the Islamic cleric claims they are not following Mohamed on this one because Christians are not following Jesus's celibate life.

How does some other people's lifestyle now translate into their not following the example of their second god Mohamed?

Were they instructed to use Christians as examples or Mohamed and the quran?

When men have no answer to simple questions they can resort to all kinds of gimmicks and deceit.

That's what we see this Islamic cleric do here.

petra1:
On what ground? . Why would Paul quote the law which was condemned ? Who legalized those parts of the condemned law ? What gave Paul such right . Isn't that a contradiction ?

Petra1, calm down and make yourself clearer.
On what ground is what?
Contradiction where?
Pick my points one by one and respond.

petra1:
Ephesians 6:2 (KJV Strong's)
2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise

If content in the law are as you present it . On what ground will paul be quoting the above . Knowing also that he was quoting it to gentiles

I have said it before; WHERE ANYTHING IN THE OLD is still required of the Christian, either directly or in a modified form, it will be CLEARLY stated in the NEW.

It is the NEW that interprets the OLD. The NEW replaced the OLD. The NEW SUPERCEDES the OLD.

petra1:
You’re generalizing now . But when it comes to tithe you want specific scripture.
But you know even if for any reason the case you mentioned in First Corinthians is adoptee as incest . On what ground will Paul be justified to condemn it .sjey We are not under the law ?

Nobody is saying that the Law is not good. God gave the Law.

However, when God DECIDED to replace the shadow with the reality NO ONE has a reason to still insist on clinging to the shadow.

Jesus NEVER CONSIDERED TITHING a 'weightier' matter of the Law. What should this tell you?

If you think incest was not highlighted in the NT does the same apply to GIVING?
Did the NT mention giving at different times, in different ways and in different places?

If in all these mentions NO TITHING was brought up what should that tell you?

The fact that there was NO SINGLE MENTION of tithes or tithing among believers in the New Testament shows that it is low in the totem pole as far as God's order for the Christian is concerned.

The physical RITUAL OF GIVING TITHE is nothing before God when the heart giving it is doing so out of a wrong motive. What did Paul say about giving all of one's possesion or one's body to be burnt without love?

Let's stress the more important things for the Christian. Tithing is not one of them.

Maybe this issue of incest (which was unnecessarily brought into this tithe discussion by Petra1) will be now be clear to him.

I don't think he'll give up though. He will go BACK TO pre-law or the Law to seek for something else to use RATHER THAN concentrate on the precepts given to him for his life under the New Covenant.

A serious and honest student of the Word will be diligent to ensure that he, as much as possible, accurately handles the word of truth. Petra1 appears to be putting himself on the opposite side of that.

He has been pointed to SEVERAL INSTANCES in the NT about giving. Instances that covered decades of the church life. And NOT ONCE was tithing ever mentioned. But he wants to go back to the past to seek justification for tithing.

I'm sure he's one of those who will readily shout 'Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty!' Yet when it comes to fund raising for the Church he runs to the opposite end. Ask him about the 'liberty' and he'll run to 'eternal principle'.

Petra1 needs to understand these:
"It was for this freedom that Christ set us free [completely liberating us]; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed]." GALATIANS 5:1 AMP

"For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has set you free from the law of sin and of death." ROMANS 8:2 AMP

Ubenedictus:
I think you are the person getting things mixed up.

you are looking at salvation as justification only, that is why you are running into trouble. maybe you have to define what you mean when you say salvation.
........

Did you read my first paragraph where I wrote: "Salvation is a package with so many things in it.?

And now you're saying I'm "looking at salvation as justification only"?

I think it's good not to be rushing to push your points without taking time to carefully read through others' posts.

Perhaps you need to go back and do that with my post.

petra1:
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Money was already introduced into the system
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Was Melchizedek a Levites ? Tithe existed long before levitical order. The only qualiducation is because they were full time ministers .
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If people could give offering in cash , They could give tithes in cash as well

Petra1, You're REFINING your tithes doctrine. Very soon you'll arrive at your destination.

Tithing under the Law was a COMMAND by God. It was NOT voluntary.

Its purpose was CLEARLY stated; it was for the Levites because they had NO LAND inheritance in Israel.
Numbers 18:25-28

Now, if you're to apply this to the Church, like you're struggling to do, how does any of these line up in the Church?

The pre-law reference to tithe - Abram's tithe to Melchizedek - was descriptive. Nothing there says Abraham was OBLIGED to give it. He gave voluntarily. He chose to give. Nothing there says there was a "principle" that Abraham was responding to. Abraham gave AFTER the blessings were pronounced on him and NOT because he wanted the blessings.

So, again, if you're to apply this to the Church how do these line up with your push for tithing for the Christian today?

That a thing EXISTED LONG BEFORE our time does not make it APPLICABLE to our time. Circumcision was before the Law and included in the Law but when it came to the Church IT IS NO LONGER binding nor a condition for identification with God.

The Holy Spirit's decision in Acts 15 is clear that the Christian is not bound to tithing. 2 Corinthians 9: 7 then DIRECTS how the Christian is to give. To disregard these, along with instances of how christians gave in the New Testament, and continue to INSIST on the validity of mandatory tithing for the Christian is not only a hardening of the heart but an expedition into ERROR.

How come INSTANCES AFTER INSTANCES of how Christians gave in the New Testament NEVER ONCE mentioned tithing? And these instances covered DECADES of church life!

Today's tithers have simply designed their own system for fund raising and have used tithe as their name for it.

In order to make the BAZAAR more attractive the promises of financial blessings, promotion, health and wealth have been sprinkled on it.

The Christian is to freely decided how much to give. It is the motive that matters. Even when he gives a mite and his motive is right it is acceptable to God.
If any Christian tithes for the wrong reason or with a wrong motive it will be counted as ZERO by God.

Unless the Christian does things God's way it will not be accepted by God. No Christian has a right to choose how to worship God. It MUST be done God's way. And Jesus said that the worship of God (part of which giving is) must be motivated by the Holy Spirit and in line with biblical directive. The biblical directive for the Church is clear. Any other thing is tithers' razmataz.

Grace is the policy of God.

Romans 11:6 simply and concisely differentiates between God’s grace and man’s works: “And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.”
Grace excludes man’s efforts or involvement completely. To introduce human good into the matter of salvation is to put to death grace.

The Mosaic Law revealed our hopelessness to meet God’s standards – Romans 5:20.

The Christian life is totally dependent on grace. By grace we are kept because grace completes what grace began: Romans 6:14 “Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace.”
1 Cor. 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”

If salvation is by works then it is only as dependable and reliable as human nature. If it by grace then it as reliable as God himself.
Ephesians 2: 8 & 9: “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”

The Law demands perfection and demands that perfection all the time. Law keeping cannot bring righteousness to man that is acceptable to God. It may produce righteousness to men that is acceptable to man but not God. Romans 3:20: “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”

With God righteousness is determined another way: it comes by means of faith, not good works Romans 4:5 – “But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.”

Salvation by works exalts man. If anyone can be saved by works then Christ died in vain: Galatians 2:21 “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! Titus 3:5 – “he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.”

The one who owned up to his inability and found grace as the only recourse for righteousness in the sight of God is the one that left justified before God. Luke 18:11-14 – “The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

God’s grace and man’s faith made effective by the Holy Spirit makes possible the salvation blessings.
Regeneration, justification, reconciliation, expiation, propitiation, sanctification and glorification: None of the salvation blessings are earned by the works of man. They come by faith alone in Christ alone.

Grace (which is dependent on the integrity of God alone) completes what grace began.

Ubenedictus:
let me put it down in simple terms,
when people say salvation they are usually referring to one or more of these works that God does in the life of believers.
1. justification: that act by which God translates us from the state in which we were born as sons of Adam into Sons of God by the merits of Christ. here the bible says we are saved by grace without works.
2. sanctification: the work of the HOLY spirit by which we are caused to live HOLY lives. here the bible says we should work out our salvation.
3. glorification: God crowns his graces in us and rewards our work. here works again plays a role.
therefore
1. work is a by product of salvation I.e justification.
2. work assures our salvation if by salvation we mean our eternal inheritance

You're getting things mixed up.
Salvation is a package with so many things in it.
Redemption, regeneration, justification, propitiation, imputation, forgiveness, etc, etc are all in the package.
No works is involved here. They are the results of FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE.
Remember the jailor in Acts 16 asked "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved"

After salvation, our christian production - works - is what will count toward eternal rewards. "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Corinthians 3.
Jesus Christ the foundation gives us salvation. What we build on it determines our eternal rewards.

petra1:
GIVING IS GODS WAY OUT OF POVERTY
There was a brother s poor who even steals from others . I love what paul said concerning him .
Ephesians 4:28 (KJV)
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
But rather nairaland blames the pastor for everything even for teaching Gods word

Allta:
Dear friend, which Tithe is sacred and which is not sacred? Let’s not put a semantical spin on this. Tithe is Tithe, it is a mosaic law as commanded by God to Israelites.

Also, I have a question....have u ever paid Tithe to Levites before? Did you ever eat your Tithe everywhere and share Tithe with the needies and foreigners?

The only time money was referenced with Tithe was if your produce is so big that you can’t carry it to your choice of place to eat it.

There is never a place in the Bible where Christians were told to Tithe their church. 10% is too limiting of a giving principle for Christians. Rather, we were encouraged to generously give. Who cares if I choose to give 100% or 5% towards the work of God or help the needies? God loves a cheerful giver.

Christians are Givers, not Tithers!
Jews are Tithers, not Givers!!

Indeed!
The bolded is the summary of the matter.
The Christian is to be a giver. But he is not TIED to a specific type or way of giving such as TITHING.

Tithers are using what their high priest - Jesus - never considered as a "WEIGHTIER" matter to harass, threaten and even ridicule other believers. They are majoring in the minor. They have ignored GRACE in giving to God and turned to WORKS like the Pharisees.

Ubenedictus:
dictionaries are usually correct except when we are talking in a particular field. I'm talking about theology not contemporary English.
actually the Bible teaches that the GIFT of eternal life is also a REWARD.
Matthew 5:12
"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is
great; for in the same way they persecuted the
prophets who were before you.
Luke 6:23
"Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold,
your reward is great in heaven For in the same
way their fathers used to treat the prophets.
Revelation 22:12
"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is
with Me, to render to every man according to
what he has done.
Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the
upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 11:26
considering the reproach of Christ greater riches
than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to
the reward.
Matthew 16:27
"For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory
of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN
REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.
it is a gift because we can never merit it for our self, the Bible says no one can pay his own ransom.
it is reward because God promised to crown his graces with a reward as long as we receive it and walk in accordance to it.
that is why the Bible talks of heaven as both a gift and a reward.
it isn't and either/or case as Calvin taught, it is both/and

1. "Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation." Romans 4: 4
According to the above verse our "works" are not credited as "gift".

2. Entrance into eternity with God is ONLY on the basis of his GIFT.

The inheritance we get, beyond salvation, is on the basis of how we lived our post-salvation lives:
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward." Colossians 3:24-25.

3. "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames." 1 Corinthians 3: 11-15.

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5: 10.

The above two Corinthians passages clearly distinguish between a person being saved and loss of rewards.

4. Therefore,
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2: 8-9.

"he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy....." Titus 3: 5a.

"He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time" 2 Timothy 1:9.

The "PRIZE" we'll receive as REWARD depends on how well we live in line with God's mandates. The SALVATION we possess is on the basis of faith ALONE in CHRIST ALONE.

Ubenedictus:
so yes, In Christ gift can turn to reward, not because we strictly merit it but because God has bound himself by promise to give it to us.

Reward: to give money or another kind of payment to (someone or something) for something good that has been done.

Gift:
something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation.

1. Freewill offering is the ONLY way God requires the Christian to give under the New Covenant.

2. Each Christian today is a member of what constitutes the BODY of Christ. The body of Christ is not a geographical entity like Israel but a spiritual entity.

3. Any talk about the "house of God" today that does not take cognizance of it as being made up of individual Christians BUT RATHER as a physical ORGANIZATION misses the mark as to what God's operational system is today.

4. Therefore, when some claim that "Tithe to God is given in the house of God" , the question is: which house? Is it a physical entity or the individuals that constitutes the body of Christ?

5. God does not bless necessarily because a Christian gives money. A Christian who gives to get from God does not understand that God had already blessed him with Christ who is beyond money and that his GIVING is expected to be an expression of his WORSHIP of God for who and what he is.

6. Just as the MOSAIC LAW replaced everything before it, and no one will be justified in going back to any previous system, the NEW COVENANT replaced the Law, and by extension everything before it. Where ANYTHING in the OLD is still required (or modified, confirmed or endorsed) under the NEW it will be clearly stated.

7. It was the ENTIRE LAW that was regarded as a SHADOW and not just parts of it. The reality is said to be in Christ. Any part required of the Christian in the New reality in Christ will be EMPHASISED in the New Covenant.

8. It should be clear to tithers that tithing was NOT regarded by Jesus as a "WEIGHTIER" matter of the Law. Why they have now ELEVATED it to the point of attaching blessings and cursing to it today shows that there is an ulterior motive to its propagation.