{"id":25681,"date":"2011-01-20T21:31:00","date_gmt":"2011-01-21T03:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=25681"},"modified":"2024-11-16T14:05:41","modified_gmt":"2024-11-16T20:05:41","slug":"did-cornelius-need-to-work-before-or-after-his-salvation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-cornelius-need-to-work-before-or-after-his-salvation\/","title":{"rendered":"Did Cornelius need to work before or after his salvation?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

Hello,<\/p>\n

I just wanted to say thank you for the sermons you provide online. I actually came across your web site this evening as I was searching for resources on\u00a0Cornelius and his salvation<\/a>, as I think his life greatly parallels many in today’s culture.<\/p>\n

I do have an inquiry from the 15th paragraph, which I’m posting here:<\/p>\n

God had works for Cornelius to do, just as God has works for each of us. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them<\/em>” (Ephesians 2:10). These works do not merit the worker’s salvation,\u00a0but salvation will not be given if the works are left undone.<\/strong>\u00a0Cornelius would not have been saved if he did not obey the commands of God.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Referring to the bolded text above, do you feel these works are the actions of obeying God’s commands to seek Peter, or does this refer to works after salvation, which seals our sanctification? Specifically speaking, in our own lives what works must not be left undone in order to secure eternal salvation through the precious blood of Jesus Christ? I should preface that I am a born again Christian. After many years of believing I was saved from a simple pray at age six, I came to the realization in late 2009 that professing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is much more than a simple prayer. I have been longing to better understand the salvation of Cornelius for some time now, and I found your sermon quite helpful. Would you please clarify your statement above?<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

First, many wish to distinguish justification, salvation, and sanctification as if these occur at different times. Each of these words has different meanings, but God uses them to refer to the same moment in time. See “Are we judged based on justification or based on sanctification?<\/a>” for details.<\/p>\n

It has become a mantra among various denominations that salvation is by faith alone, even though James says the opposite: “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone<\/em>” (James 2:24). In the confusion caused by insisting something that is not true, people have come to believe that effort on man’s part is not in God’s design for salvation. To show the fallacy of the “alone” doctrines, I would like you to look at: “What Saves a Person?<\/a>“<\/p>\n

Regarding Cornelius, would he have been saved if he did not seek out Peter? What if he wasn’t interested in hearing Peter’s message? What if he refused to be baptized? In each of those things, Cornelius had to do something. What he did showed his faith. Refusing to do those things would have demonstrated a lack of faith. “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself. Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith<\/em>” (James 2:17-18).<\/p>\n

Many people are surprised to learn that the Bible never states that salvation comes to a person through prayer. There is no mention of a sinner’s prayer. See “Praying a Sinner’s Prayer<\/a>” for details.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: Hello, I just wanted to say thank you for the sermons you provide online. I actually came across your web site this evening as I was searching for resources on\u00a0Cornelius and his salvation, as I think his life greatly parallels many in today’s culture. I do have an inquiry from the 15th paragraph, which…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[144,212,47,55],"class_list":["post-25681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-acts","tag-cornelius","tag-salvation","tag-works"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":959,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/a-refusal-to-accept-that-salvation-came-to-cornelius-at-baptism\/","url_meta":{"origin":25681,"position":0},"title":"A refusal to accept that salvation came to Cornelius at baptism","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 10, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Baptism is not necessary for salvation. Cornelius was saved before he was baptized. There are two reasons why we know Cornelius was saved before being baptized. 1. Cornelius received the Holy Spirit before being baptized; that he had the Holy Spirit. 1 John 4:13\u00a0states that he abided in God\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":95205,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/were-cornelius-and-his-household-saved-before-baptism\/","url_meta":{"origin":25681,"position":1},"title":"Were Cornelius and his household saved before baptism?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 21, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I've been studying the Holy Spirit and have been reading some of the articles on your website. I'm a little confused. The article says that it's obvious that the gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:38 is salvation. If it's salvation, then the people in (Acts 10:45) received\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":45635,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/when-was-cornelius-saved\/","url_meta":{"origin":25681,"position":2},"title":"When Was Cornelius Saved?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 26, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 11:5-18 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Sometimes is it useful to examine the Scriptures in detail, to get more out of an account \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Today we will be looking at the conversion of Cornelius, recorded in Acts 10 and recounted in Acts 11. It is also mentioned in Acts\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":42638,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/incorrect-paradigms-on-grace-works-righteousness-and-believes-in-him\/","url_meta":{"origin":25681,"position":3},"title":"Incorrect Paradigms on Grace: “Works Righteousness” and “Believes in Him”","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 25, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jonathan Perz \"Then Peter opened his mouth and said: \"In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ-He is Lord\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24123,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-god-hear-the-prayers-of-those-who-are-not-yet-saved\/","url_meta":{"origin":25681,"position":4},"title":"Does God hear the prayers of those who are not yet saved?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 22, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am writing, after reading\u00a0your article, wondering your understanding of the Scriptures that point to God willing not to hear because of sins or God not hearing a sinner\u2019s prayer, or even yet, God hears open to the prayers of the righteous? From those Scriptures I arrive at the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1017,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-could-cornelius-be-righteous-if-all-of-mans-righteousness-are-filthy-rags-before-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":25681,"position":5},"title":"How could Cornelius be righteous if all of man’s righteousness are filthy rags before God?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 17, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hey Mr. Jeffrey, I'm having trouble in my understanding on a matter. In the book of Isaiah it seems to insinuate that a man's righteousness is filthy rags before God, and Isaiah, a righteous prophet, felt unclean in the sight of Holy Yahweh; yet, the Bible also states we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25681","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25681"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25681\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25681"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}