03/21/2019
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Do
you believe that Jesus is God in human form {John 1:1, 14}? Do you believe that Jesus died
on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins {1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians
5:21},
for which you deserve eternal separation from God {Romans 6:23}? Do you believe that the
sacrifice of Jesus, God incarnate, is the only adequate payment for your sins {1 John 2:2; John 14:6; Acts 4:12}?
Mankind
has made so many rules and regulations in the “Church” that people who are not
saved want nothing to do with Christ Jesus. It is time for the “Church” to
break away from all the rules and regulations and teach the Word of God when it
comes to Salvation.
The Fundamentals of Salvation:
SALVATION
Just before He departed this earth,
Jesus said:
Mark 16:16 “He
who has believed [in Me] and has been
baptized will be saved [from the penalty of God’s wrath and
judgment]; but he who has not believed will be condemned.”
Belief + Baptism = Salvation
FAITH
Faith is essential for
salvation:
John 3:16 For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever {ONLY} believes
and trusts in Him
[as Savior] shall
not perish, but have eternal life.
John 11:26 “and everyone who lives and {ONLY} believes in Me [as Savior] will never die. Do you believe this?”
Acts 16:31 And they answered, “{ONLY} Believe in the Lord Jesus [as your personal Savior and
entrust yourself to Him] and you will be saved, you and your household [if they
also believe].”
The KEY
to SALVATION is BELIEF
in Christ Jesus. Without Christ Jesus there is NO SALVATION. We learn
from Scripture that CHRIST JESUS is the ONLY way to SALVATION. Let us look now
at Acts 4:11-12:
This JESUS is the stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief Cornerstone. And there is SALVATION in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].
Three things that lead to salvation:
1. Repentance – Everyone {including LGBTQI+} must
REPENT of their sins in order to be SAVED
2 Corinthians 7:10 “For [godly] sorrow that is in
accord with the will of God
produces a repentance without regret, leading
to salvation; but worldly sorrow [the hopeless sorrow of those who do not
believe] produces death.”
John 3:14-18 Just as Moses lifted up the [bronze] serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must the Son of Man be
lifted up
[on the cross], so
that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life [after physical death, and will actually
live forever]. “For
God so
[greatly] loved
and dearly prized the world,
that He
[even] gave
His [One
and] only
begotten Son, so that whoever believes and
trusts in Him
[as Savior] shall
not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world
to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the
final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no
judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject
Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted
and sentenced], because
he has not believed and trusted
in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One
of His kind, the One who alone can save him].
2. Confessing Christ – Everyone {including LGBTQI+} confess
Christ Jesus as their Savior
Romans 10:10 “For with the
heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification
[that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made
acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.”
3. Baptism – Just as Jesus did and commands, everyone {including LGBTQI+}
must be Baptized
Acts 2:38 And Peter said to
them, “Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways,
accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the
name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit.
These six things take place before, during and after one is saved
3.
Repent of one’s sins –
Luke 13:3; Luke 5:32; 2 Corinthians 7:8-10; Acts3:19; 2 Chronicles 7:14; 1 John 1:9
5.
Be
Baptized like Jesus commanded – Acts 22:16; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:37-41; 8:5-13; 8:35-39; 9:10-18; 10:34-48;
16:13-15; 16:30-33; 18:8;19:1-6; Romans 6:1-11
6.
Show
your Faithfulness to God – Revelation 2:19; Psalm 37:28; Proverbs 3:12; Proverbs 16:6-7; Proverbs 28:20; Revelation 2:10
In
order for you to know you have been saved you must NOT get caught up in the
“TRADITIONS” and “REGULATIONS” mankind has created as the “LAW” for their
“CHURCH”. Instead of following mankind’s ways set your eyes on the Word of God
to give you assurance of your SALVATION.
FALSE Assurances of Salvation:
- Active in “Christian” Ministry – Not everyone who works in the “Ministry” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven Matthew 7:21-23
- Belief in God – Even demons believe in God James 2:19
- Church Membership – Anyone can join a local “Church” but unless you are SAVED you are NOT a part of “THE CHURCH” which is made up of individuals who have accepted Christ Jesus 1Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 4:1-6
- Following Church Ordinances – Ordinances of man cause confusion and hatred Ephesians 2:14-16; Matthew 15:3-9
- Being a “Good” person – Anyone can be a “Good” person even observing the Laws of God but without Christ Jesus you will NOT be SAVED Matthew 19:16-22
Evidences of being Born Again
{Salvation}:
- Water Baptism - Matthew 28:18-20
- Public Profession of Faith - Matthew 10:32-33; Luke 12:8; 1 John 2:23; 1 John 4:15
- He Holds the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ, in High Esteem – Matthew 6:33; Psalm 119; 1 Peter 1:22-25; Matthew 4:4
- He Strives (though Imperfectly) to Obey the Will of God – Hebrews 11:5-6; John 7:16-19 MSG, John 8:31-32
- He Struggles with His Personal Sins (of which He Is Aware) - Romans 7:14-25 NLT
- He Seeks What Is Best for His Spiritual Siblings in Christ - 1 Corinthians 10:24; Philippians 2:4
- He Experiences Suffering for the Sake of Righteousness - 1 Peter 3:8-17
- He Perseveres in the Midst of Trials - 1 Peter 1:6-9; John 16:33; 2 Timothy 3:1-9
- The Gospel of Jesus Christ - Matthew 28:18-20
It
is important to know that they “Preachers/Teachers” you listen to must be
teaching the TRUTH of God’s Word and NOT something they read in the morning
paper or heard on the news. The True News is this: You are HATED by Satan, You
are INDICTED {accused} by Satan, and CONVICTED by this world controlled by
Satan. HOWEVER, when you have given your life to CHRIST JESUS you NO LONGER
live under the BONDAGE that Satan tries to lay on you. So my friends, if the
person you are listening to from the pulpits of the world does not teach the
CONSEQUENCES of the SIN in your life, they are A FALSE TEACHER who has chosen
the ways of the world over the Word of God taught by our Savior, Christ Jesus.
You
can say you have loved God since you were a child; when in reality you have
loved an image of God that you created with your own mind and you loved what
you made. If someone would have come to you and pointed out the God of
Scripture, you would have said that you could NEVER love a God like that.
You
can wear the latest, greatest “Christian” T-Shirts, sing every word of the
hippest “Christian” Music, and even hang around with “Christian” friends, BUT
will you be one of the ones who will WEAR OUT a BIBLE because you want to KNOW
the TRUTH so much you are willing to DIE for it?
You
could die rescuing people from a blazing fire because that NOBLE ACT will NOT
get you into HEAVEN. You could die while feeding the hungry, another NOBLE ACT
that will NOT get you into HEAVEN. You could die while caring for the sick, but
this NOBLE ACT will NOT get you into HEAVEN. These are great works that bring a
temporary feeling of joy and accomplishment; however, they WILL NOT get you
into HEAVEN.
It is ONLY when you chose to LOSE your
life, GIVE IT UP, and YIELD it up for CHRIST JESUS that you will SAVE YOUR
SOUL.
Those
who decide to LIVE for CHRIST JESUS, actually come to HIM on HIS terms. There is
NO form you must sign on the dotted line. You don’t come to CHRIST JESUS by
sticking your hand in the air. You MUST decide to put an END to your OLD SELF.
You must be so enamored {in love with} and so desirous of the PRECIOUS GIFT of
SALVATION that CHRIST JESUS offers – that you will SACRIFICE even your LIFE.
One must heed the Word of God:
“And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure
whatever may come] and
follow Me [believing
in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps
dying because of faith in Me].”
Luke 9:23
For the [remarkable, undeserved] grace of God that brings salvation
has appeared to all men. It teaches us to reject ungodliness and worldly
(immoral) desires, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives [lives with a
purpose that reflect spiritual maturity] in this present age, awaiting and confidently expecting the
[fulfillment of our] blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God
and Savior, Christ Jesus, who [willingly] gave Himself [to be crucified] on our
behalf to redeem us and purchase
our freedom from all wickedness, and to purify for Himself a chosen and very special people to be His own
possession, who are
enthusiastic for doing what is good. Titus 2:11-14
“For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake and the
gospel’s will save it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God].” Mark 8:35
This righteousness of God comes through
faith in Jesus Christ for all those [Jew or Gentile] who believes [and trusts
in Him and acknowledges Him as God’s Son]. There is no distinction, since
all have sinned and continually
fall short of the glory of God, and are being justified
[declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal
life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption
[the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus, whom God
displayed publicly [before the eyes of the world] as a [life-giving] sacrifice
of atonement and reconciliation
(propitiation) by His blood [to be received] through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness [which demands punishment for sin],
because in His forbearance [His deliberate restraint] He passed over the sins
previously committed [before Jesus’ crucifixion]. It was to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so
that He would be just and the One who justifies those who have faith in Jesus
[and rely confidently on Him as Savior]. Romans 3:22-26
"Moreover,
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove
the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel
36:26
"Therefore if any person is engrafted in Christ the Messiah he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old previous moral and spiritual condition has passed away. Behold the fresh and new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore if any person is engrafted in Christ the Messiah he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old previous moral and spiritual condition has passed away. Behold the fresh and new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17
For
the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are
perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who
are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18
Just
as Moses lifted up the
[bronze] serpent
in the desert
[on a pole], so
must the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross], so that whoever
believes will in Him have eternal life [after physical death, and will
actually live forever].
“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly
prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only
begotten Son, so that whoever believes and
trusts in Him [as Savior] shall
not perish, but have eternal life.For God did not send the Son
into the world to judge and
condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final
judgment of the world], but that the world might be
saved through Him.Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as
personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no
condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been
convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who
alone can save him]. John 3:14-18
Just as people
from different “Religions”, which were made up by mankind, argue about SALVATION;
when it comes to BAPTISM there are just as many arguments. The ONE TRUE thing
is the FACT that you CANNOT ARGUE with the WORD OF GOD. If you have made it
this far into the devotional you will have read a lot of Scriptures. The reason
I give you so many Scriptures is because I want you to see the TRUTH for
yourself because I NEVER want anyone to say that I said something that was out
of line with the WORD of GOD. Let us now look at what the Word of God says
about Baptism.
It
is the act of baptism that puts a person into Christ. A person who has not been
baptized into Christ is not “in Christ.” A person who is not “in Christ” is not
saved.
Acts 4:11-12
“This Jesus is the stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which became the
chief
Cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else;
for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by
which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for
salvation].”
The
Cornerstone is the supreme foundation stone governing the structure of the
entire building. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone.
2 Timothy 2:10 “For this reason I [am ready to] patiently endure all things for the
sake of those who are the elect (God’s chosen ones), so that they too may
obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it the reward of eternal
glory.”
Romans 6:3 “Or are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been
baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?”
“Baptize” is a
transliteration of the Greek word baptizo,
which means to submerge an object into liquid. In this passage Christ becomes
the liquid, metaphorically, and those who are baptized into Him remain in Him
forever and benefit from His experiences, including His death. The best news is
that Jesus was resurrected, so believers will also experience resurrection
(those who are alive when Christ returns will experience a physical
transformation). But even now believers experience a kind of resurrection in
that they live new lives (as Paul says, “walk in newness of life”) in a
wonderful new relationship with God and their fellow believers.
Galatians 3:27 “For all of you who were
baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union with the Christ, the Anointed]
have clothed yourselves with Christ [that is, you have taken on His
characteristics and values].”
Colossians 1:13-14 “For He has
rescued us and has drawn us to Himself from the dominion of darkness,
and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have
redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins
[and the cancellation of sins’ penalty].”
I know it must seem like a lot to go through just to be Saved, so I leave you with the condensed version of “What you must do to be saved”:
In closing I want to say to you, DON’T get bogged down by the RULES and REGULATIONS of MANKIND concerning YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with CHRIST JESUS. Remember Jesus said “WHOSOEVER WILL” accept HIM as LORD will be saved; not “WHOSOEVER the “CHURCH DECIDES” can be saved!!!
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you
and for those [believers] at Laodicea, and for all who [like yourselves] have
never seen me face to face. [For my hope is] that their hearts may be
encouraged as they are knit together in [unselfish] love, so that they may have
all the riches that come from the full assurance of understanding [the joy of
salvation], resulting in a true [and more intimate] knowledge of the mystery of
God, that is, Christ, in whom
are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge [regarding the word and
purposes of God]. I say this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive
[but thoroughly deceptive] arguments. For even though I am absent [from you] in
body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, delighted to see your good
discipline [as you stand shoulder to shoulder and form a solid front] and to
see the stability of your faith in Christ [your steadfast reliance on Him and
your unwavering confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness].Therefore
as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in [union with] Him
[reflecting His character in the things you do and say—living lives that lead
others away from sin],having been deeply rooted [in Him] and now being continually built up in Him and [becoming increasingly more]
established in your faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing in it with
gratitude.See to it that no one takes you captive through
philosophy and empty deception [pseudo-intellectual babble], according to the
tradition [and musings] of mere
men, following the elementary principles of this world, rather than following
[the truth—the teachings of] Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity (the
Godhead) dwells in bodily form [completely expressing the divine essence of
God]. And in Him you have been made complete [achieving spiritual stature
through Christ], and He is the head over all rule and authority [of every
angelic and earthly power]. In Him you were also circumcised with a
circumcision not made with hands, but by the [spiritual] circumcision of Christ
in the stripping off of the body of the flesh [the sinful carnal nature],
having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him [to a new life]
through [your] faith in the working of God, [as displayed] when He raised
Christ from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision
of your flesh (worldliness, manner of life), God made you alive together with
Christ, having [freely] forgiven us all our sins, having canceled out the
certificate of debt consisting of legal demands [which were in force] against
us and which were hostile to us. And this certificate He has set aside and completely removed by nailing it
to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those
supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of
them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having
triumphed over them through the cross.Therefore let no one
judge you in regard to food and drink or in regard to [the observance of] a
festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. Such things are only a shadow of what
is to come and they have only
symbolic value; but the substance [the reality of what is foreshadowed] belongs
to Christ. Let no one defraud you of your prize [your freedom in Christ and
your salvation] by insisting on mock humility and the worship of angels, going
into detail about visions [he
claims] he has seen [to justify his authority], puffed up [in conceit] by his
unspiritual mind, and not holding fast to the head [of the body, Jesus Christ],
from whom the entire body, supplied and knit together by its joints and
ligaments, grows with the growth [that can come only] from God.If
you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if
you were still living in the world, do you submit to rules and regulations, such as, “Do not
handle [this], do not taste [that], do not [even] touch!”: {these things all perish with use} in accordance with the commandments
and teachings of men? These practices indeed have the appearance [that
popularly passes as that] of wisdom in self-made religion and mock humility and
severe treatment of the body {asceticism – severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of
indulgence}, but are of no value against sinful indulgence [because they
do not honor God].
Let love of your fellow believers continue. Do not neglect to extend hospitality to strangers [especially among the family of believers—being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as if you were their fellow prisoner, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body [and subject to physical suffering]. Marriage is to be held in honor among all [that is, regarded as something of great value], and the marriage bed undefiled [by immorality or by any sexual sin]; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” o we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently say,
“The Lord is my Helper [in time of need], I will not be afraid.
What will man do to me?”
What will man do to me?”
Remember
your leaders [for it was they] who brought you the word of God; and consider
the result of their conduct [the outcome of their godly lives], and imitate
their faith [their conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of
all things, the Provider of eternal salvation through Christ, and imitate their
reliance on God with absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and
goodness]. Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday
and today and forever. Do not be carried away by diverse and strange teachings;
for it is good for the heart to be established and strengthened by grace and not by foods [rules of diet and
ritualistic meals], which bring no benefit or spiritual growth to those who observe them. We have an altar
from which those who serve the tabernacle (sacred tent) have no right to eat.
For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by
the high priest as an offering
for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also suffered and died outside the [city] gate so
that He might sanctify and set
apart for God as holy the people [who believe] through [the shedding of] His
own blood. So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His contempt [the
disgrace and shame that He had to suffer]. For here we have no lasting city,
but we are seeking the city
which is to come.
Through Him, therefore, let us at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name. Do not neglect to do good, to contribute [to the needy of the church as an expression of fellowship], for such sacrifices are always pleasing to God.Obey your [spiritual] leaders and submit to them [recognizing their authority over you], for they are keeping watch over your souls and continually guarding your spiritual welfare as those who will give an account [of their stewardship of you]. Let them do this with joy and not with grief and groans, for this would be of no benefit to you. Keep praying for us, for we are convinced that we have a good conscience, seeking to conduct ourselves honorably [that is, with moral courage and personal integrity] in all things. And I urge all of you to pray earnestly, so that I may be restored to you soon.Now may the God of peace [the source of serenity and spiritual well-being] who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood that sealed and ratified the eternal covenant, equip you with every good thing to carry out His will and strengthen you [making you complete and perfect as you ought to be], accomplishing in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.I call on you, brothers and sisters, listen [patiently] to this message of exhortation and encouragement, for I have written to you briefly. Notice that our brother Timothy has been released [from prison]. If he comes soon, I will see you [along with him]. Give our greetings to all of your [spiritual] leaders and to all of the saints (God’s people). Those [Christians] from Italy send you their greetings. Grace be with you all.
I
pray you will let go of the things of this world that are keeping you from
accepting Christ Jesus as your personal Savior. I pray I have shown you how
simple it really easy to be SAVED by my Savior, Christ Jesus. I am leaving you
with two different lists of Scriptures to study. The two lists are “Scriptures
to increase your faith” and “Salvation throughout the Bible”.
May
the Holy Spirit be your guide as you continue your journey living in Christ
Jesus.
Forever
in Christ Jesus Service,
Salvation throughout the
Bible
Scriptures to increase your faith
Matthew 17:20
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