(John 3:15-16; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18).
All judgment for our personal sin was poured out upon Christ and judged (John 5:27). At the First Advent (Christ coming as a man, as Messiah), Christ was judged for our sin, at the Second Advent (Second Coming) Christ is Judge! Everyone who has rejected the Cross of Christ at His first advent must face Christ as Judge when He returns at His Second Advent. Everyone must either accept His love demonstrated on the Cross, or His Justice at the Great White Throne.
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them” (Revelation 20:11).
What must I do to be saved? Answer: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Jesus said: “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9-11; 14:6; 1 John 5:12).
How can I become a child of God? Answer: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:22-26; John 1:12).
If you say: “I believe in God,” you are saying I believe God exists… and He does… that is fine, but you are not saved by ‘believing in God.’ “The devil believes in God and trembles!” The devil is not going to heaven because he believes in God. People are not going to heaven because they believe in God.
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HEAVEN BECAUSE THEY ARE SAVED BY GRACE, THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD. CHRIST IS “THE WORD.” (Acts 4:12; John 1:1-14; John 3:15-18, 36; John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:4-6; Romans 5:8; James 5:12).
“Well, I’m a good person, especially compared to most people, and God knows I love Him and do my best. So, what do I need to be saved from?” People are not going to heaven because they are “not as bad as someone else.” People are not going to heaven because they keep the golden rule, or because they help a lot of people, and try to be good, or because they are religious, or are Roman Catholic or Baptist, or any other denomination or religion. People are not going to heaven because they know Christ died on the cross. No one is going to Heaven (the Kingdom of God) because they are doing the best they can. Why not? Because they have sinned and because they are sin-natured. THERE IS NO AFFINITY WHATEVER BETWEEN GOD’S ABSOLUTE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND OUR STATUS OF TOTAL DEPRAVITY. Finite human beings cannot ever be good enough to satisfy the INFINITE God.
God has already provided deliverance (salvation) because mankind is incapable of innocence or perfection (Isaiah 53:6; Hosea 8:5; Romans 3:10-18, 23). Mankind can only be saved from God’s wrath (judgment) against sin by faith in Christ (Acts 16:31; Romans 3:21-29; Romans 5:8).
To be saved, you must not add anything to “FAITH IN CHRIST.” It is not faith plus your good deeds. Good deeds come AFTER you receive Christ as your personal Savior as an act of obedience (John 1:12). It is faith in Christ, plus NOTHING ELSE. After faith comes good works, NOT before you have trusted Christ. God sent His Son to die for you, which means there was/is NO OTHER WAY TO BE SAVED (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Salvation is a gift, you simply turn from disbelief to belief, which is to repent from not believing to believing — trusting Christ (Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9).
We are all descended from Adam. Therefore, we all have Adam’s nature that sinned — we are all sinners by default (Romans chapters 5 through 7).
Listen, if we could save ourselves from God’s wrath by any acts of righteousness, then Jesus Christ would not have gone to the cross to save us (Galatians 2:21). But, Christ did go to the Cross! Therefore, no matter what we do or what else we believe, we cannot get to heaven unless we trust the subsitutionary atonement for sin provided by Jesus Christ on the Cross. Christ gave His Life to save yours.
Here is what you must understand: “All men are sinners both by nature and by practice” (Romans 3:4; 3:23-28; 5:12; 1 John 3:4).
As stated above in John 3:36, “we are already condemned.” All men are “sons of disobedience.” Men are judicially reckoned to be “disobedient” and guilty under sin (Romans 3:9, 19; 11:32; Galatians 3:21-22). “All our good works (that’s us trying to be good) are as filthy rags (unacceptable)” (Isaiah 64:6).
God sent Christ Jesus to take our punishment, to pay our price (wage), for our sins. Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Be sure to read 1 John 5:10). When we trust the “finished” (John 19:30) work of Christ on the Cross we are saved once and for all.
The Cross of Christ is a historical fact. Please see “Josephus, The Complete Works,” translated by William Whiston, A.M. Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, beginning on page 927 and following concerning Jesus Christ. Josephus was a Historian during the first century and an unbeliever, but he was not biased. He reported the crucifixion of Christ.
“No one can ever be made right in God’s sight by doing what the law commands, in fact, the Law reveals (proves to us) that we cannot keep it.”
We are not saved by keeping the Ten Commandments or doing the best we can. No human being except Jesus Christ has ever kept the Ten Commandments — NO ONE. The greater our understanding of the Ten Commandments, the greater our recognition that we cannot keep them perfectly. God’s Commandments reveal that we are sinners. “For all have sinned and come short of the perfect righteousness of God” (Romans 3:23 – King James Bible).
Jesus Christ bore our sins in His Body on the Cross. “For Christ has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, in order to bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but (made alive) by the spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18). Christ died for you.
Without faith in Christ, you have no hope. You are under condemnation until you receive Christ as your Savior (John 3:36).
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
“And they said, ‘”believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31).
Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved; the only door into heaven: “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” (John 10:9).
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
“Much more then, being now justified by His Blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:9). “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
See also Isaiah 45:22; Joel 2:32; Acts 10:43.
“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
You have the freedom to accept or reject the Gospel of Christ. What is your decision? If you will trust what Christ did for you, you can have eternal life right now, right where you are.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Your decision determines your eternal destination. Count on it. “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not believe in the Son shall not see life, (why not?) because the wrath of God is on him” (John 3:36).
You are under God’s wrath until you decide to trust Jesus Christ. Eternal life (God’s own life) can be yours right now. In the privacy of your soul, you can decide to trust what Christ did on the Cross for you, to save you from your sins.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). “God demonstrated His His Love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that (salvation) is not of yourselves, it (salvation) is the gift of God; not of works, so no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
“And this is the record, that God hath given to us (believers) eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (1 John 5:11).
PRAY: “God, I realize I have sinned against you many times, and I admit that I am a sinner and I believe Christ died for me; that He took my place on that Cross, and I am trusting Christ’s death in my place to save my soul.” Amen!
If you prayed this simple prayer, in faith, believing, you are “born again.” Welcome to the family of God… you are now a child of God: “But as many as received Him (Christ), to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name” (John 1:12).
Now what? After salvation what? Next step of faith is to find a good Bible Teaching Church in your area and start attending — ask God to direct your path to a good Church.
God has so much that He wants to teach you about His Son and His great Love for you, demonstrated by the Cross. Oh, and be sure to tell the Pastor that you just received Jesus Christ (if you did) as your personal Savior. God Bless!
Repetition in this salvation message has been exercised because for some, this repetition will lead to salvation… and this too is worth repeating. Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow. Amen.
Now, read this salvation news again, and again. Ask the Holy Spirit to convince you and give you faith to believe the integrity of God.
Happy Studying in Fields of Grace.