(no subject)
"Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner and that I deserve to go to hell. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I do now receive Him as my personal Lord and Savior. I promise to serve you the best I can. Please save me. In Jesus' name, amen."
So many are taught the mistaken notion that if they only believe and repeat these words or something similar their eternal destiny is secure. Sadly, this formulaic response to the truth of the Gospel is not the end-all and be-all of salvation, as some suppose. It is only the beginning. The Bible contains a whole wealth of evidence to support this, but i will concentrate only on the Gospels and mostly what Jesus Christ, our Lord himself, has spoken concerning salvation and the kingdom of GOD. For the sake of clarity, i've used the New Living Translation this whole post, unless otherwise indicated.
"Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God. Don't just say, 'We're safe-we're the descendants of Abraham.' That proves nothing. God can change these stones here into children of Abraham." -John the Baptist, Luke 3:8. Emphasis mine.
Or, don't just say, "I'm safe-Jesus forgives me." Don't just say, "Once saved, always saved!" That proves nothing.
"Even now the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever your roots. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire." -John the Baptist, Luke 3:9.
If your kind of repentence is not the kind that means you have turned away from your sins and turned to God, then it does not matter what you have prayed, you will go to hell.
"When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love." -Jesus Christ, John 15:10.
"You are my friends if you obey me." -Jesus Christ, John 15:14.
Jesus demands obedience.
"'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." -Jesus Christ, Matthew 22:37-40.
"I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you." -Jesus Christ, John 15:12.
We have been given a clear command to love. We are to follow the example Jesus Christ has given us. What did he do? Read the Gospels.
"If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it." -Jesus Christ, Matthew 10:37-39.
"Anyone who does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." Jesus Christ, Mark 3:35.
"Anyone who isn't helping me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me." -Jesus Christ, Luke 11:23.
Jesus is supposed to be more important to us than our very families. In fact, if we do GOD's will, which is to love as Jesus commanded and gave us the example of, we are considered GOD's family. But if we cling to this life and its comforts, and not the cross, we are not worthy of being his. And worse, we are actually working against him.
"If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And you cannot be my disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow me." -Jesus Christ, Luke 14:26-27.
"Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it." -Jesus Christ, Matthew 7:12-14.
"Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you, anyone who doesn't have their kind of faith will never get into the Kingdom of God." -Jesus Christ, Mark 10:14b-15.
If you do not have the faith of a child, or you only seek the easy way out, or try to put your own life or the lives of your family ahead of Jesus Christ, you cannot be his disciple and you will never get into the kingdom of GOD. You need to count the cost before you get into this path. Your life will be required of you.
"But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if there is enough money to pay the bills? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of funds. And then how everyone would laugh at you! They would say, 'There's the person who started that building and ran out of money before it was finished!' Or what king would ever dream of going to war without first sitting down with his counselors and discussing whether his army of ten thousand is strong enough to defeat the twenty thousand soldiers who are marching against him? If he is not able, then while the enemy is still far away, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace. So no one can become my disciple without giving up everything for me." -Jesus Christ, Luke 14:28-33. Emphasis mine.
"But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." -Jesus Christ, Matthew 5:48.
Jesus our Lord wants nothing short of perfection. Of course, we cannot do this apart from him. But by his grace we are given the ability to "bear good fruit," both in word and deed.
"A tree is identified by its fruit. Make a tree good, and its fruit will be good. Make a tree bad, and its fruit will be bad. You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart." -Jesus Christ, Matthew 12:33-35.
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned." -Jesus Christ, John 15:1-6. Emphasis mine.
You cannot expect to part from Jesus Christ and be saved.
"Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for fertilizer. It is thrown away. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!" -Jesus Christ, Luke 14:34-35.
"If a person is ashamed of me and my message, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in my glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels." -Jesus Christ, Luke 9:26.
You cannot expect to be embarassed of Jesus Christ and be saved.
"If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before my Father in heaven. But if anyone denies me here on earth, I will deny that person before my Father in heaven." -Jesus Christ, Matthew 10:32-33.
You must be willing to acknowledge him publicly.
"If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?" -Jesus Christ, Luke 9:23-25.
You must be willing to put aside your selfish ambition.
"Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who despise their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. All those who want to be my disciples must come and follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And if they follow me, the Father will honor them." -Jesus Christ, John 12:25-26.
You must be willing to lose your life in his service.
"But I say, if you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the high council. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell." -Jesus Christ, Matthew 5:22.
"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." -Jesus Christ, Mark 11:25-26. NKJV.
You must forgive.
And finally, be honest.
"So why do you call me 'Lord,' when you won't obey me? I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then obeys me. It is like a person who builds a house on a strong foundation laid upon the underlying rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who listens and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will crumble into a heap of ruins." -Jesus Christ, Luke 6:46-49.
The Gospel is not easy. The Gospel is not a ticket to heaven, it is the freedom to live in Christ and share in his sufferings and inheritance. He guarantees it will be difficult and that people will despise you for it. Even your own family could turn against you. Don't be surprised when it happens. But Jesus the Christ is The LORD. He is your greatest friend, and wants to give you supernatural peace and ability through it all. There is no greater love than what he offers, and no greater way to have love inside and flowing out of you. Just be honest. You are expected to go all the way. The prayer i started this entry with is how you begin. There are people here, myself included, who want to help through the rest. GOD bless.
Relevant Scriptures from the Gospels:
Matthew 3:7-8, 10-11; 5:13-16; 5:22; 5:48; 6:24; 7:12-14; 10:22; 10:32-33; 10:37-39; 12:30; 12:33-35; 13:40-42; 16:24-27; 18:3; 21:28-31; 21:44; 22:34-40; 22:44-51; 25:1-13; 25:14-30; 25:31-46.
Mark 3:35; 8:34-38; 10:14-15; 11:25-26 (NKJV).
Luke 3:8-9; 6:44-45; 6:46-49; 8:21; 9:23-26; 9:62; 11:23; 13:23-28; 14:26-27; 14:28-33; 14:34-35; 18:17.
John 3:3-7; 3:36; 8:31-32; 12:25-26; 14:23-24; 15:1-6; 15:10; 15:12; 15:14.
So many are taught the mistaken notion that if they only believe and repeat these words or something similar their eternal destiny is secure. Sadly, this formulaic response to the truth of the Gospel is not the end-all and be-all of salvation, as some suppose. It is only the beginning. The Bible contains a whole wealth of evidence to support this, but i will concentrate only on the Gospels and mostly what Jesus Christ, our Lord himself, has spoken concerning salvation and the kingdom of GOD. For the sake of clarity, i've used the New Living Translation this whole post, unless otherwise indicated.
"Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God. Don't just say, 'We're safe-we're the descendants of Abraham.' That proves nothing. God can change these stones here into children of Abraham." -John the Baptist, Luke 3:8. Emphasis mine.
Or, don't just say, "I'm safe-Jesus forgives me." Don't just say, "Once saved, always saved!" That proves nothing.
"Even now the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever your roots. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire." -John the Baptist, Luke 3:9.
If your kind of repentence is not the kind that means you have turned away from your sins and turned to God, then it does not matter what you have prayed, you will go to hell.
"When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love." -Jesus Christ, John 15:10.
"You are my friends if you obey me." -Jesus Christ, John 15:14.
Jesus demands obedience.
"'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments." -Jesus Christ, Matthew 22:37-40.
"I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you." -Jesus Christ, John 15:12.
We have been given a clear command to love. We are to follow the example Jesus Christ has given us. What did he do? Read the Gospels.
"If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it." -Jesus Christ, Matthew 10:37-39.
"Anyone who does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." Jesus Christ, Mark 3:35.
"Anyone who isn't helping me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me." -Jesus Christ, Luke 11:23.
Jesus is supposed to be more important to us than our very families. In fact, if we do GOD's will, which is to love as Jesus commanded and gave us the example of, we are considered GOD's family. But if we cling to this life and its comforts, and not the cross, we are not worthy of being his. And worse, we are actually working against him.
"If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, more than your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And you cannot be my disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow me." -Jesus Christ, Luke 14:26-27.
"Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it." -Jesus Christ, Matthew 7:12-14.
"Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you, anyone who doesn't have their kind of faith will never get into the Kingdom of God." -Jesus Christ, Mark 10:14b-15.
If you do not have the faith of a child, or you only seek the easy way out, or try to put your own life or the lives of your family ahead of Jesus Christ, you cannot be his disciple and you will never get into the kingdom of GOD. You need to count the cost before you get into this path. Your life will be required of you.
"But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if there is enough money to pay the bills? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of funds. And then how everyone would laugh at you! They would say, 'There's the person who started that building and ran out of money before it was finished!' Or what king would ever dream of going to war without first sitting down with his counselors and discussing whether his army of ten thousand is strong enough to defeat the twenty thousand soldiers who are marching against him? If he is not able, then while the enemy is still far away, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace. So no one can become my disciple without giving up everything for me." -Jesus Christ, Luke 14:28-33. Emphasis mine.
"But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." -Jesus Christ, Matthew 5:48.
Jesus our Lord wants nothing short of perfection. Of course, we cannot do this apart from him. But by his grace we are given the ability to "bear good fruit," both in word and deed.
"A tree is identified by its fruit. Make a tree good, and its fruit will be good. Make a tree bad, and its fruit will be bad. You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart." -Jesus Christ, Matthew 12:33-35.
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned." -Jesus Christ, John 15:1-6. Emphasis mine.
You cannot expect to part from Jesus Christ and be saved.
"Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for fertilizer. It is thrown away. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!" -Jesus Christ, Luke 14:34-35.
"If a person is ashamed of me and my message, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in my glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels." -Jesus Christ, Luke 9:26.
You cannot expect to be embarassed of Jesus Christ and be saved.
"If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before my Father in heaven. But if anyone denies me here on earth, I will deny that person before my Father in heaven." -Jesus Christ, Matthew 10:32-33.
You must be willing to acknowledge him publicly.
"If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?" -Jesus Christ, Luke 9:23-25.
You must be willing to put aside your selfish ambition.
"Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who despise their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. All those who want to be my disciples must come and follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And if they follow me, the Father will honor them." -Jesus Christ, John 12:25-26.
You must be willing to lose your life in his service.
"But I say, if you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the high council. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell." -Jesus Christ, Matthew 5:22.
"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." -Jesus Christ, Mark 11:25-26. NKJV.
You must forgive.
And finally, be honest.
"So why do you call me 'Lord,' when you won't obey me? I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then obeys me. It is like a person who builds a house on a strong foundation laid upon the underlying rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who listens and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will crumble into a heap of ruins." -Jesus Christ, Luke 6:46-49.
The Gospel is not easy. The Gospel is not a ticket to heaven, it is the freedom to live in Christ and share in his sufferings and inheritance. He guarantees it will be difficult and that people will despise you for it. Even your own family could turn against you. Don't be surprised when it happens. But Jesus the Christ is The LORD. He is your greatest friend, and wants to give you supernatural peace and ability through it all. There is no greater love than what he offers, and no greater way to have love inside and flowing out of you. Just be honest. You are expected to go all the way. The prayer i started this entry with is how you begin. There are people here, myself included, who want to help through the rest. GOD bless.
Relevant Scriptures from the Gospels:
Matthew 3:7-8, 10-11; 5:13-16; 5:22; 5:48; 6:24; 7:12-14; 10:22; 10:32-33; 10:37-39; 12:30; 12:33-35; 13:40-42; 16:24-27; 18:3; 21:28-31; 21:44; 22:34-40; 22:44-51; 25:1-13; 25:14-30; 25:31-46.
Mark 3:35; 8:34-38; 10:14-15; 11:25-26 (NKJV).
Luke 3:8-9; 6:44-45; 6:46-49; 8:21; 9:23-26; 9:62; 11:23; 13:23-28; 14:26-27; 14:28-33; 14:34-35; 18:17.
John 3:3-7; 3:36; 8:31-32; 12:25-26; 14:23-24; 15:1-6; 15:10; 15:12; 15:14.