Salvation Through Christ Alone:
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."" John 14:6
"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12
"A man cannot otherwise enter into the kingdom of God than by the name of His beloved Son."—Hermas
"Open your heart to the Lord, believing that you can be saved by no other name than by His great and glorious name."—Hermas
"But there is no other [way] than this: to become acquainted with this Christ, to be washed in the fountain spoken of by Isaiah for the remission of sins, and for the rest, to live sinless lives."—Justin Martyr
"Those who did that which is universally, naturally, and eternally good are pleasing to God. Therefore, in the resurrection, they will be saved through this Christ. They will be saved equally with those righteous men who were before them—namely, Noah, Enoch, Jacob, and whoever else there may be—along with those who have known this Christ."—Justin Martyr
"If you repent of your sins, and recognize Him to be Christ, and observe His commandments, then you may assert [that you have done no wrong]. For, as I have said before, remission of sins will be yours."—Justin Martyr
"No man can know God without both the goodwill of the Father and the agency of the Son."—Irenaeus
"Christ is present with all those who were approved by God from the beginning. He granted them His Word to be present with them."—Irenaeus
"At what time, then, did Christ pour out upon the human race the life-giving seed—that is, the Spirit of the remission of sins, by whom we are given life? Was it not then, when He was eating with men, and drinking wine upon the earth?"—Irenaeus
"If one loves himself, he loves the Lord, and he confesses unto salvation, so that he may save his soul."—Clement of Alexandria
"Christians have learned that their eternal life consists in knowing the only true God, who is over all, and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent."—Origen
"By this alone can the Jews obtain pardon of their sins: if they wash away the blood of the slain Christ in His baptism, come into the congregation, and obey His commandments."—Cyprian
"It is impossible to reach the Father except by His Son Jesus Christ."—Cyprian
""The law of the Spirit of life," which is the Gospel, is different from earlier laws. For, by its preaching, it leads to obedience and the remission of sins. It has delivered us from the law of sin and death, having entirely conquered sin that reigned over our flesh."—Methodius
Role of Grace and Faith in Salvation:
"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day." John 6:44
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," Romans 5:1
"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" Romans 6:1-2
"And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain—" 2 Corinthians 6:1
"even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)," Ephesians 2:5
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;" Ephesians 2:8
"who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity," 2 Timothy 1:9
"He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit," Titus 3:5
"What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?" James 2:14; see also Romans 4:1-4; 5:15-16; Galatians 3:1-3
"All of these persons, therefore, were highly honored, and were made great. This was not for their own sake, or for their own works, or for their righteousness which they wrought, but through the operation of his will. And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves. nor are we justified by our own wisdom, understanding, godliness, or works that we have done in holiness of heart. Rather, we are justified by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men." —Clement of Rome
"For what reason was our father Abraham blessed? Was it not because he worked righteousness and truth through faith?" —Clement of Rome
"Therefore, let us not be ungrateful for His kindness. For if He were to reward us according to our works, we would cease to be." —Ignatius
"Being convinced at that time of our unworthiness of attaining life through our own works, it is now, through the kindness of God, graciously given to us. Accordingly, it is clear that in ourselves we were unable to enter into the kingdom of God. However, through the power of God, we can be made able." —Letter to Diognetus
"Into this joy, many persons desire to enter. They know that "by grace you are saved, not of works," but by the will of God through Jesus Christ. . . . But He who raised Him up from the dead will raise up us also—if we do His will, and walk in His commandments, and love what He loved, keeping ourselves from all unrighteousness." —Polycarp
"For Abraham was declared by God to be righteous, not on account of circumcision, but on account of faith." —Justin Martyr
""Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute sin" [Ps. 32:2]. That is, having repented of his sins, he can receive remission of them from God. But this is not as you [Jews] deceive yourselves, and some others who resemble you in this. For they say, that even though they remain sinners, the Lord will not impute sin to them, because they know God." —Justin Martyr
"The Lord himself, who is Emmanuel from the virgin, is the sign of our salvation. It was the Lord Himself who saved them. For they could not be saved by their own instrumentality. Therefore, when Paul explains human infirmity, he says, "For I know that there dwells in my flesh no good thing" [Rom. 7:18]. He thus shows that the "good thing" of our salvation is not from us, but from God. And again: "Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from the body of this death?" [Rom. 7:24]. . . . Here we see that we must be saved by the help of God, not by ourselves." —Irenaeus
"No one, indeed, while placed out of reach of the Lord's benefits, has power to procure for himself the means of salvation. So the more we receive His grace, the more we should love Him." —Irenaeus
"These men [the prophets] did not impute unto us [the Gentiles] our transgressions, which we did before Christ was manifested among us. Therefore, it is not right for us to lay blame upon those who sinned before Christ's coming. For "all men fall short of the glory of God," and are not justified of themselves. Rather,they are justified by the coming of the Lord—those who earnestly direct their eyes towards His light." —Irenaeus
"Those men who are devoid of sense [i.e., the Gnostics] . . . endeavor to bring in another Father. They point to [the punishments of the Old Testament]. They then contrast this with the great things the Lord did at His coming to save those who received Him, taking compassion upon them. However, they keep silent with regard to His judgments and all those things which will come upon those who have heard His words, but have not done them. For it would be better for them if they had not been born." —Irenaeus
"He confers His free gifts upon those who should [receive them]." —Irenaeus
"Christ redeems us righteously from [the apostasy] by His own blood. But as regards those of us who have been redeemed, [He does this] by grace. For we have given nothing to Him previously. nor does He desire anything from us, as if He stood in need of it." —Irenaeus
"When man is grafted in by faith and receives the Spirit of God, he certainly does not lose the substance of flesh, but changes the quality of the fruit of his works." —Irenaeus
"Now he says that the things that save us are the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God." —Irenaeus
"The apostolic Scripture speaks in this manner: "After that, the kindness and love of God our Savior to man appeared, not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us." Behold the might of the new song! It has made men out of stones and out of beasts! Furthermore, those who were as dead (since they were not partakers of the true life) have come to life again!" —Clement of Alexandria
"Rightly, then, to those who have believed and obey, grace will abound beyond measure." —Clement of Alexandria
"Now the Lord Himself has most clearly revealed the equality of salvation, when He said: "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes on Him, should have everlasting life." —Clement of Alexandria
""Abraham was not justified by works, but by faith." It is therefore of no advantage to persons after the end of life, even if they do good works now, if they do not have faith." —Clement of Alexandria
"We have discovered faith to be the first movement towards salvation. After faith, fear, hope, and repentance (accompanied by temperance and patience) lead us to love and knowledge." —Clement of Alexandria
"Faith is power for salvation and strength to eternal life." —Clement of Alexandria
"This is what it means to "be drawn by the Father": It means to become worthy to receive the power of grace from God, so as to run without hindrance." —Clement of Alexandria
""For by grace we are saved"—but not, indeed, without good works. Rather, we must be saved by being molded for what is good, acquiring an inclination for it. And we must possess the healthy mind that is fixed on the pursuit of the good. For this, we have the greatest need of divine grace, of right teaching, of holy susceptibility, and of the drawing of the Father to Himself." —Clement of Alexandria
"Perhaps it is, then, that the Father Himself draws to Himself everyone who has led a pure life and has reached the conception of the blessed and incorruptible nature. Or perhaps the free will that is in us, by reaching the knowledge of the good, leaps and bounds over the barriers—as the gymnasts say. Either way, it is not without eminent grace that the soul is winged, sours, and is raised above the higher spheres." —Clement of Alexandria
"The apostle exhorts, "your faith should not be in the wisdom of men," who profess to persuade, "but in the power of God," who alone is able to save without proofs, but by mere faith." —Clement of Alexandria
"The same from the foundation of the world is each one who at different periods is saved, and will be saved by faith." —Clement of Alexandria
"The covenant of salvation, reaching down to us from the foundation of the world, through different generations and times, is one—although it is conceived as different is respect of the gift. For it follows that there is one unchangeable gift of salvation given by one God, through one Lord, benefiting in many ways." —Clement of Alexandria
"Choice depended on the man as being free. But the gift depended on God as the Lord. And He gives to those who are willing, are exceedingly earnest, and who ask. In this manner, their salvation can become their own. For God does not compel." —Clement of Alexandria
"Christ admonished [the rich man] to leave his busy life and to cleave to One, adhering to the grace of Him who offered everlasting life." —Clement of Alexandria
"Into the impure soul, the grace of God finds no entrance." —Clement of Alexandria
"To him who directs his eye to salvation and desires it, asking with boldness and vehemence for its bestowal, the good Father who is in heaven will give the true purification and the changeless life." —Clement of Alexandria
"We make petition, then, that He supply us with the substance of His will and the capacity to do it—so that we may be saved both in the heavens and on earth. For the sum of His will is the salvation of those whom He has adopted." —Tertullian
"Grace with the Lord, when once learned and undertaken by us, should never afterward be cancelled by repetition of sin." —Tertullian
"Her repentance as a sinner deserved forgiveness according to the mind of the Creator, who is accustomed to prefer mercy to sacrifice. But even if the stimulus of her repentance proceeded from her faith, she heard her justification by faith pronounced through her repentance, in the words, "Your faith has saved you." This was by Him who had declared by Habakkuk, "The just man will live by his faith."" —Tertullian
"it is the office of Christ's Gospel to call men from the Law to grace." —Tertullian
"He exhorts those who are justified by faith in Christ, and not by the Law, to have peace with God." —Tertullian
"There is not a soul that can at all procure salvation, unless it believes while it is still in the flesh. For it is an established truth that the flesh is the very condition on which salvation hinges." —Tertullian
"He seeks all and desires to save all. He wishes to make everyone the children of God. He calls all the saints unto one perfect man." —Hippolytus
"Some of the [heretics] . . . simply deny the Law and the Prophets for the sake of their lawless and impious doctrine. And under the pretense of grace, they have sunk down to the lowest abyss of perdition." —Caius
"It seems a possible thing that rational natures, from whom the faculty of free will is never taken away, may be again subjected to movements of some kind, through the special act of the Lord Himself. Otherwise, if they were always to occupy a condition that was unchangeable, they might not know that it is by the grace of God—and not by their own merit—that they have been placed in that final state of happiness." —Origen
"It is advantageous to each one for him to perceive his own particular nature and the grace of God. For he who does not perceive his own weakness and the divine favor, . . . not having tested himself nor having condemned himself, will imagine that the benefit conferred upon him by the grace of heaven is his own doing. And this imagination also produces vanity, which will be the cause of his downfall. . . . They have been revealed to babes—to those who after childhood have come to better things. These are those who remember that it is not so much from their own effort as by the unspeakable goodness of God] that they have reached the greatest possible extent of blessedness." —Origen
"How could Christ every be the Advocate, the Atonement, and the Propitiation without the power of God? For it makes an end of our weakness and flows over the souls of believers. It is administered by Jesus, who indeed is prior to it and is Himself the Power of God. He enables a man to say: "I can do all things through Jesus Christ, who strengthens me."" —Origen
"The passage declares that before God, no living being will be justified. This shows that in comparison with God—and the righteousness that is in Him—no one (even of the most perfect saints) will be justified. We might take an illustration from another scenario, saying that no candle can give light before the sun. By that, we do not mean that the candle will not give out light, but only that it will not be seen when the sun outshines it." —Origen
"The strength of our will is not sufficient to procure the perfectly pure heart. For we need God to create it. He, therefore, who prays as he should, offers this petition to God: "Create in me a clean heart, O God."" —Origen
"When the Word of God says, "No man knows the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him," he declares that no one can know God except by the help of divine grace coming from above, with a certain divine inspiration. Indeed, it is reasonable to suppose that the knowledge of God is beyond the reach of human nature. This is the reason for the many errors into which men have fallen in their views of God. [Our knowledge of God], then, is through the goodness and love of God to mankind and by a marvelous exercise of divine grace." —Origen
"The first law of God is the foundation of the subsequent law. To you [Gentiles], indeed, it has been assigned to believe in the second law. . . . Now astounded, swear that you will believe in Christ. For the Old Testament proclaims Him. It is necessary only to believe in Him who was dead to be able to rise again to live for all time. . . . You Reject, unhappy one, the advantage of heavenly discipline. You rush into death, wishing to stray without a bridle. Luxury and the short-lived joys of the world are ruining you." —Commodianus
"It is not necessary to pay a price either in the way of bribery or of labor—such that man's elevation or dignity or power would be begotten in him with elaborate effort. Rather, it is a gratuitous gift from God and is accessible to all." —Cyprian
". . . that the sanctification and quickening that is received from the grace of God may be preserved by His protection." —Cyprian
"Implore God, who is the one and true God, in confession and faith of acknowledgement of Him. Pardon is granted to the man who confesses. And saving mercy is given from the divine goodness to the believer. . . . Christ bestows this grace. This gift of His mercy He confers upon us—by overcoming death in the trophy of the cross, by redeeming the believer with the price of His blood, by reconciling man to God the Father, and by giving life to out mortal nature with a heavenly regeneration." Cyprian
"We must boast in nothing, since nothing is our own. In the Gospel according to John: "No one can receive anything unless it were given him from heaven."" —Cyprian
"He who does not believe is judged already." —Cyprian
Role of Obedience in Salvation:
"Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." Matt. 7:21
"Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able." Luke 13:24
"Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death." John 8:51
"Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel . . . by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain." 1 Cor. 15:1-2
"For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words." Eph. 5:5-6
"Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you." 1 Tim. 4:16
"Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience." Heb. 4:11
"You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." James 2:24; see also Matt. 25:33-35; John 8:31; 15:10; Acts 24:15-16; Rom. 2:6-7
"The way of light, then, is as follows. If anyone desires to travel to the appointed place, he must be zealous in his works." —Barnabas
"He who keeps them will be glorified in the kingdom of God. However, he who chooses other things will be destroyed with his works." —Barnabas
"We are justified by our works, and not our words." —Clement of Rome
"Take heed, beloved, lest His many kindnesses lead to the condemnation of us all [For thus it must be] unless we walk worthy of Him, and with one mind do those things which are good and well-pleasing in His sight." —Clement of Rome
"Let us therefore earnestly strive to be found in the number of those that wait for Him, in order that we may share in His promised gifts. But how, beloved, will this be done? If will be done only by the following things: If our understanding is fixed by faith towards God. If we earnestly seek the things that are pleasing and acceptable to Him. If we do the things that are in harmony with His blameless will. And if we follow the way of truth, casting away from us all unrighteousness and iniquity." —Clement of Rome
". . . that He may both hear you, and perceive by your works that you are indeed the members of His Son." —Ignatius
"Faith cannot do the works of unbelief, nor unbelief the works of faith." —Ignatius
"The tree is made manifest by its fruit. So those who profess themselves to be Christians will be recognized by their conduct. . . . It is better for a man to be silent and be [a Christian], than to talk and not be one." —Ignatius
"This, then, is our reward if we will confess Him by whom we have been saved. But in what way will we confess Him? We confess Him by doing what He says, not transgressing His commandments, and by honoring Him not only with our lips, but with all our heart and all our mind. . . . Let us, then, not only call Him Lord, for that will not save us. For He says, "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will be saved, but he that works righteousness." For that reason, brethren, let us confess Him by our works, by loving one another." —Second Clement
"Therefore, brethren, by doing the will of the Father, and keeping the flesh holy, and observing the commandments of the Lord, we will obtain eternal life." —Second Clement
"He will bestow on them the blessing which He has promised them, with much glory and joy, if only they will keep the commandments of God, which they have received in great faith." —Hermas
"The first of them, who is clasping her hands, is called Faith. Through her, the elect of God are saved. . . . Self-restraint is the daughter of Faith. Whoever then follows Self-restraint will become happy in his life, because he will restrain himself from all evil works, believing that, if he restrains himself from all evil desire, he will inherit eternal life." —Hermas
"And he said to me, "You will live if you keep my commandments, and walk in them; and whoever will hear and keep these commandments, will live to God."" —Hermas
"Only those who fear the Lord and keep His commandments have life with God; but as for those who do not keep His commandments, there is no life in them." —Hermas
"Life is the possessing of all who keep the commandments of the Lord." —Hermas
"We . . . hasten to confess our faith, persuaded and convinced as we are that those who have proved to God by their works that they followed Him, and loved to abide with Him where there is no sin to cause disturbance, can obtain these things." —Justin Martyr
"If men by their works show themselves worthy of His design, they are deemed worthy of reigning in company with Him, being delivered from corruption and suffering. This is what we have received. . . . Those who choose what is pleasing to Him are, on account of their choice, deemed worthy of incorruption and of fellowship with Him." —Justin Martyr
"Each man goes to everlasting punishment or salvation according to the value of his actions." —Justin Martyr
"Let those who are not found living as He taught, be understood not to be Christians, even though they profess with the lips the teachings of Christ. For it is not those who make profession, but those who do the works, who will be saved." —Justin Martyr
"The Son of God has promised again to deliver us and invest us with prepared garments—if we do His commandments. And He has undertaken to provide an eternal kingdom." —Justin Martyr
"The matters of our religion lie in works, not in words." —Justin Martyr
"He has set before you all these things, and shows you that, if you follow after evil, you will be condemned for your evil deeds. But, if you follow goodness, you will receive from Him abundant good, together with immortal life forever." —Melito
"To those who by patient continuance in well-doing seek immortality, He will give life everlasting." —Theophilus
"That, then, which man brought upon himself through carelessness and disobedience, God now vouchsafes to him as a gift through His own philanthropy and pity, when men obey Him. For man drew death upon himself by disobeying. So, by obeying the will of God, he who wants to can procure for himself life everlasting. For God has given us a law and holy commandments. And everyone who keeps them can be saved. And, obtaining the resurrection, he can inherit incorruption." —Theophilus
"To believe in Him is to do His will." —Irenaeus
"The Lord did not abrogate the natural teachings of the Law, by which man is justified. For those who were justified by faith, and who pleased God, observed those teachings previous to the giving of the Law." —Irenaeus
"We will give account to God not only of deeds (as slaves), but even of words and thoughts (as being those who have truly received the power of liberty). For under liberty, a man is more severely tested as to whether he will reverence, fear, and love the Lord. . . . God desires obedience, which renders [His worshippers]secure—rather than sacrifices and burnt-offerings, which avail men nothing towards righteousness." —Irenaeus
"Those who believe God and follow His word receive that salvation that flows from him. On that other hand, those who depart from him, and despise His teachings, and by their deeds bring dishonor on Him who made them . . . heap up against themselves most righteous judgment." —Irenaeus
"With respect to obedience and doctrine, we are not all the sons of God. Rather, it is only those who truly believe in Him and do His will. now, those who do not believe, and do not obey His will, are sons and angels of the devil. . . . Those who do not obey Him, being disinherited by Him, have ceased to be His sons." —Irenaeus
Before we continue, it is important that we say a few words concerning Clement of Alexandria. After his conversion, Clement traveled throughout the ancient world to learn Christianity firsthand from the most respected teachers of his age—men who taught by deeds, not just by words. He eventually settled in Alexandria, Egypt, where he was appointed to mentor new Christians.
"All of humanity stands in needs of Jesus, so that we may not continue intractable and remain sinners to the end—and thus fall into condemnation." —Clement of Alexandria
"To obey the Word, whom we call the Instructor, is to believe Him, going against him in nothing." —Clement of Alexandria
""Now the just will live by faith," which is according to the covenant and the commandments." —Clement of Alexandria
"It is the will of God that he who repents of his sins and is obedient to the commandments should be saved." —Clement of Alexandria
"Salvation is from a change due to obedience; it is not from nature." —Clement of Alexandria
"To keep from wrong is the beginning of salvation." —Clement of Alexandria
"He who does not believe god is cheated of his own hope. And he does not believe God, who does not do what God has commanded." —Clement of Alexandria
"He says, "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things that I say?" For "the people who love with their lips, but have their heart far away from the Lord" are another people. They trust in another god and have willingly sold themselves to another. But those who perform the commandments of the Lord, in every action "testify" by doing what He wishes, and consistently naming the Lord's name. They testify by deed to Him in whom they trust." —Clement of Alexandria
"Sinners are called enemies of God—enemies, that is, of the commandments that they do not obey. In contrast, those who obey become friends. The one group [of friends] are named so from their fellowship; the others from their estrangement, which is the result of free choice." —Clement of Alexandria
"When we hear, "Your faith has saved you," we do not understand Him to say absolutely that those who have believe in any way whatever will be saved. For works must also follow. But it was to the Jews alone that He spoke this utterance. Those persons were Jews who kept the Law and lived blamelessly. All they lacked was faith in the Lord. No one, then, can be a believer and at the same time be licentious." —Clement of Alexandria
"It is well-pleasing to Him that we should be saved. And salvation is effected through both well-doing and knowledge." —Clement of Alexandria
"He who obtains the mastery in these struggles [against fleshly desires], and overthrows the tempter, . . . wins immortality. . . . The one who has obeyed the directions of the trainer wins the day. . . . We are born to obey the commandments, if we choose to be willing to be saved. Such is the nemesis, through which there is no escaping from God. Man's duty, then, is obedience to God. For He has proclaimed salvation manifold by the commandments." —Clement of Alexandria
"God ministers eternal salvation to those who cooperate for the attainment of knowledge and good conduct. Since what the commandments command are in our own power, along with the performance of them, the promise is accomplished." —Clement of Alexandria
"Such is the reward of knowledge . . . abstinence from what is evil, activity in doing good, by which salvation is acquired." —Clement of Alexandria
"Whoever obtains this and distinguishes himself in good works will gain the prize of everlasting life. . . . Others, attaching slight importance to the works that tend to salvation, do not make the necessary preparation for attaining to the objects of their hope." —Clement of Alexandria
"Salvation does not depend on external things—whether they are many or few, small or great, illustrious or obscure, esteemed or not esteemed. Rather, it depends on the virtue of the soul—on faith, hope, love, brotherliness, knowledge, meekness, humility, and truth, the reward for which is salvation." —Clement of Alexandria
With the exception of Tertullian, that ends the 2nd century. Let us embark through the 3rd century, shall we?
"It is for this reason that [the Gnostics] neither regard works as necessary for themselves, nor do they observe any of the calls of duty, eluding even the necessity of martyrdom on any pretense that may suit their pleasure." —Tertullian
"This shows that transgressions are blotted out and that reconciliation is made for sins. But who are the ones who have reconciliation made for their sins—except those who believe on His name and propitiate His countenance by good works?" —Hippolytus
"It is to His saints who fear Him—and to them alone—that He reveals himself. For if anyone seems to be living now in the congregation and yet does not have the fear of God, his companionship with the saints will avail him nothing. "Your words were heard." See how much the piety of a righteous man avails! For to him alone (as to one worthy) things are revealed that are not yet to be manifested in the world." —Hippolytus
"Who are they who are chosen, but those who believe the word of truth? For they are to be made white thereby, to cast off the filth of sin, and to put on the heavenly, pure, and glorious Holy Spirit. In this manner, when the Bridegroom comes, they may go in straightway with Him." —Hippolytus
"You will resemble Him—provided you obey His solemn injunctions and become a faithful follower of Him who is good." —Hippolytus
"The apostolic teaching is that the soul, . . . after its departure from this world, will be recompensed according to its deserts. It is destined to obtain either an inheritance of eternal life and blessedness (if its actions will have procured this for it) or to be delivered up to eternal fire and punishments—if the guilt of its crimes will have brought it down to this." —Origen
"The Son of God, . . . taking the form of a servant, was made obedient unto death so that He might teach obedience to those who could not obtain salvation other than by obedience." —Origen
"We might interpret the saying [of Jesus] as follows: "If anyone who has grasped what salvation really is, and wishes to procure the salvation of his own life, let him do this: Bid farewell to this life, deny himself, take up his own cross, follow me, and lose his own life to the world." . . . If, then, we wish our life to be saved, let us lose it to the world. Let us be as one of those who have been crucified with Christ . . . so that we may gain our end—even the salvation of our lives. For such salvation begins from the time when we lose our life for the sake of the Word. . . . Therefore, let each one lose his own sinning life, that having lost that which is sinful, he may receive that which is saved by right actions." —Origen
"The conclusion of the parable, however, is adapted also to the simpler. For all of us who have obtained the forgiveness of our own sins, but have not forgiven our brethren, are taught at once that we will suffer the lot of the servant who was forgiven, but did not forgive his fellow servant." —Origen
"It is those who not only believe, but also enter upon the life that Jesus taught. This life elevates everyone who lives according to the commandments of Jesus. it elevates them to friendship with God and communion with Him." —Origen
"We do not teach concerning the unrighteous man that it is sufficient for him to humble himself on account of his wickedness. Rather, God will accept him only if—after passing condemnation upon himself for his past conduct—he walks humbly on account of it and in a righteous manner for his remaining days." —Origen
"We entertain the hope that by a virtuous life, and by acting agreeably to reason in all things, we may rise to a likeness with all these persons." —Origen
"It is the Son alone who leads to God whose who are striving to come near to God—by the purity of their thoughts, words, and deeds." —Origen
"Our bodies are the temples of God. If anyone by lust or sin defiles the temple of God, he will himself be destroyed for acting impiously towards the true temple." —Origen
"Whoever was willing to follow Him and to be His disciple would obtain the reward of being able to see the Father." —Novatian
"Place, occasion, and person are now given to you; but only if you believe. . . . Bring yourself into obedience; go to Christ and place your neck under Him." —Commodianus
"If you wish to live, surrender yourselves to the second law. . . . Turn yourselves to Christ, and you will be co-workers with God." —Commodianus
"I designate you as barren Christians. In the Word of the Lord, the fig tree without fruit was cursed. And immediately it withered away. You do not works! You prepare no gift for the treasury! And yet you vainly think you will deserve well of the Lord!" —Commodianus
"Why, then, has the law itself gone forth with so much pains? You abuse the commandments of the Lord and yet you call yourself His sons. . . . The Almighty seeks the meek to be his sons, those who are upright with a good heart—those who are devoted to the divine law." —Commodianus
"Abraham believed in God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. Assuredly, then, whoever believes in God and lives in faith is found righteous and is already blessed in faithful Abraham." —Cyprian
"How can a man say that he believes in Christ, if he does not do what Christ commanded him to do? From where will he attain the reward of faith, if he will not keep the faith of the commandment? . . . He will make no advancement in his walk toward salvation, for he does not keep the truth of the way of salvation." —Cyprian
"To prophesy, to cast out devils, and to do great acts upon the earth—these are all certainly a sublime and an admirable thing. however, one does not attain the kingdom of heaven even though he is found in all these things, unless he walks in the observance of the right and just way." —Cyprian
""Depart from me, you workers of iniquity." There is need of righteousness, that one may deserve well of God the Judge. We must obey His teachings and warnings, so that our merits may receive their reward." —Cyprian
"He that is freed owes obedience to his deliverer." —Cyprian
"By enduring suffering and by going forward to Christ by the narrow way that Christ trod, we may receive the reward of His life." —Cyprian
"He who has not been merciful will not be able to deserve the mercy of the Lord." —Cyprian
"When the servant does not do what is commanded, the Lord will do what he threatens. . . . "I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirst, and you gave me nothing to drink. . . . And these will go away into everlasting burning."" —Cyprian
"He follows Christ who stands in His commandments, who walks in the way of His teachings, who follows His footsteps and His ways, who imitates that which Christ both did and taught. . . . To put on the name of Christ, and yet not to go in the way of Christ—what else is this but a mockery of the divine name! It is a desertion of the way of salvation. For He Himself teaches and says that the persons who keep His commandments will come into life." —Cyprian
The Violent Who Storm the Kingdom of Heaven:
"From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force." Matthew 11:12
"Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." Luke 13:24
"The Lord declared that the kingdom of heaven was the portion of "the violent." He says, "The violent take it by force." By "the violent," He means those who by strength and earnest striving are on the watch to snatch it away on the moment. . . . This able Wrestler, therefore, exhorts us to enter the struggle for immortality. He does this so that we may be crowned, and so we may deem the crown precious—for it is that which is acquired by our struggle. . . . Since, then, this power has been conferred upon us, the Lord has taught and the apostle has commanded us even more to love God, so that we may reach this for ourselves by striving after it." —Irenaeus
"The "violent who storm the kingdom" are not persons who are argumentative in speeches. Rather, they are said "to take it by force" because they continue in a right life and in unceasing prayers. They thereby wipe away the blots left by their previous sins." —Clement of Alexandria
"The kingdom belongs pre-eminently to the violent. They reap this fruit from investigation, study, and discipline, so that they may become kings." —Clement of Alexandria
"The kingdom of heaven does not belong to sleepers and sluggards. Rather, "the violent take it by force." For this alone is commendable violence—to struggle with God and to take life from God by force. And He knows those who persevere firmly, or rather violently, and He yields and grants. For God delights in being conquered in such things." —Clement of Alexandria
"Offering up prayer to God as with united force, we wrestle with Him in our supplications. God delights in this "violence."" —Tertullian
Can Those Who Are Saved Ever Be Lost?:
"and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the LORD is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you."" 2 Chronicles 15:2
"And you, son of man, say to your fellow citizens, 'The righteousness of a righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not stumble because of it in the day when he turns from his wickedness; whereas a righteous man will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin.'" Ezekiel 33:12
"You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved." Matthew 10:22
"But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."" Luke 9:62
"If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us;" 2 Timothy 2:12
"For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins," Hebrews 10:26
"For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them." 2 Peter 2:20-21; see also Matthew 24:13; Luke 17:31-32; John 8:31-32; 15:1, 6; Galatians 6:9; James 1:12; Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:36
"We ought therefore, brethren carefully to inquire concerning our salvation. Otherwise, the wicked one, having made his entrance by deceit, may hurl us forth from our life." —Barnabas
"The whole past time of your faith will profit you nothing, unless now in this wicked time we also withstand coming sources of danger. . . . . Take heed, lest resting at our ease, as those who are the called, we fall asleep in our sins. For then, the wicked prince, acquiring power over us, will thrust us away from the kingdom of the Lord. . . . And you should pay attention to this all the more, my brothers, when you reflect on and see that even after such great signs and wonders had been performed in Israel, they were still abandoned. Let us beware lest we be found to be, as it is written, the "many who are called," but not the "few who are chosen."" —Barnabas
"[WRITTEN TO CHRISTIANS:] Since all things are seen and heard [by God], let us fear Him and forsake those wicked works that proceed from evil desires. y doing that, through His mercy, we may be protected from the judgments to come. For where can any of us flee from His mighty hand?" —Clement of Rome
"Let us therefore repent with the whole heart, so that none of us perish by the way." —Second Clement
"Let us then practice righteousness so that we may be saved unto the end." —Second Clement
"For the Lord has sworn by His glory, in regard to His elect, that if any one of them sin after a certain day which ha seen fixed, he will not be saved. For the repentance of the righteous has limits. Filled up are the days of repentance to all the saints. But to the unbeliever, repentance will be possible even to the last day. . . . For the Lord has sworn by His Son, that those who denied their Lord have abandoned their life in despair." —Hermas
"There is but one repentance to the servants of God." —Hermas
"If you do not guard yourself against [anger], you and your house will lose all hope of salvation." —Hermas
"Put away doubting from you, and do not hesitate to ask of the Lord, saying to yourself, "How can I ask of the Lord and receive from Him, seeing I have sinned so much against Him?" Do not reason with yourself in this manner. Instead, with all your heart turn to the Lord, and ask of Him without doubting. For then you will know the multitude of His tender mercies and that He will never leave you, but will fulfill the request of your soul. For He is not like men, who remember evils done against them." —Hermas
"The apostates and traitors of the congregation have blasphemed the Lord in their sins. Moreover, they have been ashamed of the name of the Lord by which they were called. These persons, therefore, at the end were lost unto God." —Hermas
"I hold further, that those of you who have confessed and known this man to be Christ, yet who have gone back for some reason to the legal dispensation [i.e., the Mosaic Law], and have denied that this man is Christ, and have not repented before death—you will by no means be saved." —Justin Martyr
"These men of old time, . . . for whom the Son of God had not yet suffered, when they committed any sin and served fleshly lusts, were rendered objects of great disgrace. Accordingly, what will the men of the present day suffer, who have despised the Lord's coming, and have become the slaves of their own lusts? Truly, the death of the Lord brought healing and remission of sins to the former. However, Christ will not die again on behalf of those who now commit sin. For death will no more have dominion over Him. . . . We should not, therefore, as that elder remarks, be puffed up, nor be severe upon those of olden times. Rather, we should fear ourselves, least perchance, after [we have come to] the knowledge of Christ, if we do things displeasing to God, we obtain no further forgiveness of sins, but are shut out from His kingdom. And for that reason, Paul said, "For if [God] spared not the natural branches, [take heed] lest He also not spare you."" —Irenaeus
"It was not to those who are on the outside that he said these things, but to us—lest we should be cast forth from the kingdom of God, by doing any such thing." —Irenaeus
"Knowing that what preserves his life, namely, obedience to God, is good, he may diligently keep it with all earnestness." —Irenaeus
"Those who do not obey Him, being disinherited by Him, have ceased to be His sons." —Irenaeus
"God's greatest gift is self-restraint. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you," as having judged you worthy according to the true election. Thus, then, while we attempt piously to advance, we will have put on us the mild yoke of the Lord from faith to faith, one charioteer driving each of us onward to salvation." —Clement of Alexandria
"He who hopes for everlasting rest knows also that the entrance to it is toilsome and narrow. So let him who has once received the Gospel not turn back, like Lot's wife, as is said—even in the very hour in which he has come to the knowledge of salvation. And let him not go back either to his former life (which adheres to the things of sense) or to heresies." —Clement of Alexandria
"It is neither the faith, nor the love, nor the hope, nor the endurance of one day; rather, "he that endures to the end will be saved." —Clement of Alexandria
"God gives forgiveness of past sins. However, as to future sins, each one procures this for himself. He does this by repenting, by condemning the past deeds, and by begging the Father to blot them out. For only the Father is the one who is able to undo what is done. . . . So even in the case of one who has done the greatest good deeds in his life, but at the end has run headlong into wickedness, all his former pains are profitless to him. For at the climax of the drama, he has given up his part." —Clement of Alexandria
"No one is a Christian but he who perseveres even to the end." —Tertullian
"The world returned to sin . . . and so it is destined to fire. So is the man who after baptism renews his sins." —Tertullian
"We ought indeed to walk so holily, and with so entire substantiality of faith, as to be confident and secure in regard of our own conscience, desiring that it may abide in us to the end. Yet, we should not presume [that it will]. For he who presumes, feels less apprehension. He who feels less apprehension, takes less precaution. He who takes less precaution, runs more risk. Fear is the foundation of salvation. Presumption is an impediment to fear. . . . More useful, then, is it to apprehend that we may possibly fail, than to presume that we cannot. For apprehending will lead us to fear, fear to caution, and caution to salvation. On the other hand, if we presume, there will be neither fear nor caution to save us." —Tertullian
"[The Valentinians claim] that since they are already naturalized in the brotherly bond of the spiritual state, they will obtain a certain salvation—one which is on all accounts their due." —Tertullian
"Some thing that God is under a necessity of bestowing even on the unworthy what He has promised [to give]. So they turn His liberality into His slavery. . . . For do not many afterwards fall out of [grace]? Is not this gift taken away from many? These, no doubt, are they who, . . . after approaching to the faith of repentance, build on the sands a house doomed to ruin." Tertullian
"God had foreseen . . . that faith—even after baptism—would be endangered. He saw that most persons—after obtaining salvation—would be lost again, by soiling the wedding dress, by failing to provide oil for their torches." —Tertullian
"Hoodwinking multitudes, [Marcus, the heretic] deceived many persons of this description who had become his disciples. He taught them that they were prone, no doubt, to sin. However, he said that they were beyond the reach of danger because they belonged to the perfect Power. . . . Subsequent to baptism, these [heretics] promise another, which they call Redemption. And by this, they wickedly subvert those who remain with them in expectation of redemption. As if persons, after they had once been baptized, could again obtain remission." —Hippolyus
"A man may possess an acquired righteousness, from which it is possible for him to fall away." —Origen
"Certain ones of those [heretics] who hold different opinions misuse these passages. They essentially destroy free will by introducing ruined natures incapable of salvation and by introducing others as being saved in such a way that they cannot be lost." —Origen
"The same reply must be given to them with respect to the statement of the apostle. . . . On whom does He have mercy? . . . He has it on those who are capable of incurring destruction if they did not receive mercy. They will obtain mercy in order that they may not incur that destruction of which they are capable. That way, they will remain in the condition of those who are saved." —Origen
"He who has not denied himself, but denied Christ, will experience the saying, "I also will deny him."" —Origen
"Being a believing man, if you seek to live as the Gentiles do, the joys of the world remove you from the grace of Christ." —Commodianus
"Let fear be the keeper of innocence, so that the Lord, who of His mercy has flowed into our hearts in the accesso of celestial grace, may be kept by righteous submissiveness in the home of a grateful mind. Otherwise, the assurance we have gained may beget carelessness, and so the old enemy will creep upon us again." —Cyprian
"There remains more than what is yet seen to be accomplished. For it is written, "Praise not any man before his death." And again, "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life." And the Lord also says, "He that endures to the end, the same will be saved."" —Cyprian
"You are still in the world. you are still in the battlefield. You daily fight for your lives. So you must be careful, that . . . what you have begun to be with such a blessed commencement will be consummated in you. It is a small thing to have first received something. It is a greater thing to be able to keep what you have attained. Faith itself and the saving birth do not make alive by merely being received. Rather, they must be preserved. it is not the actual attainment, but the perfecting, that keeps a man for God. The Lord taught this in His instruction when He said, "Look! You have been made whole. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." . . . Solomon, Saul, and many others were able to keep the grace given to them so long as they walked in the Lord's ways. However, when the discipline of the Lord was forsaken by them, grace also forsook them." —Cyprian
I ask . . . that you will grieve with me at the [spiritual] death of my sister. For in this time of devastation, she has fallen from Christ." —Cyprian
"He who wills that no one should perish, desires that sinners should repent, and by repentance, should return again to life." —Cyprian
"They should not think that the way of life or of salvation is still open to them if they have refused to obey watchmen. For in Deuteronomy, the Lord God says, "And the man that will do presumptuously and will not listen to the priest or judge, . . . that man will die." —Cyprian
"[ADDRESSED TO CHRISTIAN LEADERS:] Endeavour that the undisciplined ones should not be consumed and perish. As much as you can, by your salutary counsels, you should rule the brotherhood and take counsel of each one with a view to this salvation. Straight and narrow is the way through which we enter into life." —Cyprian
"It is clear that the evil is driven out in baptism by the faith of the believer. But he returns if the faith should afterwards fail." —Cyprian
"Although they forsake the fountain of life, the [heretics] promise the grace of living and saving water. . . . Begotten of treachery, they lose the grace of faith." —Cyprian
"Whoever that confessor is, he is not greater, better, or dearer to God than Solomon. Solomon retained the grace that he had received from the Lord, as long as he walked in God's ways. However, after he forsook the Lord's way, he also lost the Lord's grace. For that reason it is written, "Hold fast that which you have, lest another take your crown." Assuredly, the Lord would not threaten that the crown of righteousness might be taken away if it were not that the crown must depart when righteousness departs. . . . "He that endures to the end, the same will be saved." So whatever comes before the end is a step by which we ascend to the summit of salvation. It is not the finish, where the full result of the ascent is already gained." —Cyprian
"To anyone who is born and dies, is there not a necessity at some time . . . to suffer the loss of his estate? Only let not Christ be forsaken, so that the loss of salvation and of an eternal home would be feared." —Cyprian
"We pray that this sanctification may abide in us. For our Lord and Judge warns the man who was healed and quickened by Him to sin no more—lest a worse thing happen to him. So we make this supplication in our constant prayers, . . . that the sanctification and quickening that is received from the grace of God may be preserved by His protection." —Cyprian
"There is need of continual prayer and supplication so that we do not fall away from the heavenly kingdom, as the Jews fell away, to whom this promise had first been given." —Cyprian
"The quarrelsome and disunited . . . will not be able to escape the crime of brotherly dissension. For it is written, "He who hates his brother is a murderer." And no murderer attains to the kingdom of heaven. Nor does he live with God. A person cannot be with Christ if he had rather be an imitator of Judas than of Christ. How great is the sin that cannot even be washed away by a baptism of blood!" —Cyprian
"What a wonderful providence, how great the mercy, that by a plan of salvation it is provided for that more abundant care should be taken for preserving a man after he is already redeemed. . . . Nor would the infirmity and weakness of human frailty have any resource, unless the divine mercy, coming once more in aid, should open some way of securing salvation, by pointing out works of justice and mercy. So, by almsgiving, we may wash away whatever foulness we subsequently contract." —Cyprian
"You are afraid that perhaps your estate might fail if you begin to act generously from it. Do you not know, miserable man, that while you are worrying that your family property may fail, life itself and salvation are failing!" —Cyprian
"He says, "He that endures to the end, the same will be saved." And again He says, "If you continue in my word, you will truly be my disciples" [John 8:31-32]. . . . So there needs to be patience in order that hope and faith may attain their result." —Cyprian
"Let us press onward and labour, watching with our whole heart. Let us be steadfast with all endurance; let us keep the Lord's commandments. Thereby, when that day of anger and vengeance comes, we may not be punished with the ungodly and the sinners. Rather, we may be honoured with the righteous and with those who fear God." —Cyprian
"Those who are snatched from the jaws of the devil and delivered from the snares of this world, should not return to the world again, lest they should lose the advantage of their leaving it in the first place. . . . The Lord admonishes us of this in His Gospel. He taught that we should not return again to the devil and to the world. For we have renounced them and have escaped from them. He says, "No man looking back after putting his hand to the plough is fit for the kingdom of God." And again, "Let him that is in the field not return back. Remember Lot's wife." . . . So we must press on and persevere in faith and virtue. We must complete the heavenly and spiritual grace so that we may attain to the palm and the crown. In the book of Chronicles it says, "The Lord is with you so long as you also are with him; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you." Also in Ezekiel: "The righteousness of the righteous man will not deliver him in whatever day that he may transgress." Furthermore, in the Gospel, the Lord speaks and says: "He that endures to the end, the same will be saved." And again, "If you will abide in my word, you will be my disciples indeed.""—Cyprian
"In the Gospel according to Matthew: "Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit will be cut down and cast into the fire" [Matt. 3:10]. . . . Even a baptized person loses the grace that he has attained, unless he remains innocent. In the Gospel according to John: "Look, you are made whole. Sin no more, lest a worse thing happens to you" [John 5:14]. Also, in the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God abides in you? If anyone violates the temple of God, God will destroy Him" [1 Cor. 3:16-17]. Of this same thing in the Chronicles: "God is with you, while you are with Him. If you forsake Him, he will forsake you" [2 Chron. 15:2]." —Cyprian
"He put a seal upon him, for it is concealed as to who belong to the side of the devil and who to the side of Christ. For we do not know out of those who seem to stand whether they will fall or not. And of those who are down, it is uncertain whether they might rise." —Victorinus