Truth About Salvation
THE TRUTH ABOUT SALVATION – PART 1
Before giving my life to Christ, I often wondered why it was so hard to let go of what I knew was unacceptable to God. I have learned that human struggles are demonic (Ephesians 6:12). Change is impossible without supernatural intervention (John 15:5). Only God can set us free. All God asks in return is that we confess our sins and accept his Son, Jesus Christ, as Lord & Savior.
If you are one of those people who don’t smoke, drink, lie, party, steal, cheat or do anything that’s considered taboo, you still need Jesus, as we all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Be advised; God’s definition of good is different from man. Have a look at God’s law in the Book of Exodus and Leviticus, which outlines a fraction of what “good” is in the eyes of the Lord. He and He alone is good. It’s impossible to please God outside Christ, who died for us and stands in our place when we sin.
REPENT simply means to think differently, change your mind, and regret your sins. When we repent, we turn away from inherited lies and pagan traditions and return to the faith of 1st Century Saints clearly illustrated in the book of Acts. Repentance should lead the Believer to water baptist which will in turn, via faith, lead to the baptism of Holy Spirit, via Christ Himself, coming into our lives! A tremdous gift! The Holy Spirit will work with the Believer going foward so long as the Believer is willing to submit.
How will you know when Holy Spirit has been transmitted to you? You will have a solid desire to shun evil and serve Christ. Your relationship with Christ will blossom through Holy Spirit, ultimately resulting in the Truth about yourself, the world and sin. This is called conviction. The goal is not to condemn you but to help you see and understand the Truth (John 16:8-11).
Initially, we are born again when the Spirit of Christ, via Holy Spirit, enters into us, not in its full maturity. Still, we become what is referred to as “Babes in Christ” ( I Corinthians 3:1) and “new-born babes” (I Peter 2:2). From then on, as we grow, the Spirit of Christ grows and is formed in us as we go on to maturity (Galatians 4:19).
Believers must consciously decide to pick up their cross every day and follow Jesus by laying down their own will. The Grace of God (aka – God’s strength) takes over from that point, enabling believers to take on challenges of the day (2 Corinthians 9:8) and complete their work in Christ.
THE TRUTH ABOUT SALVATION – PART 2
How can man quench his thirst without water? There was no such thing as Saving Grace prior to the birth and ressurection of Christ. By giving his life, Jesus Christ has opened the offer of salvation to everyone on Earth. Now that the gift is here, the guy who is thirsty may drink. Yet it is up to humanity to take the initiative and go to the drinking fountain for themselves. Our Heavenly Father will not force any one of us to drink from the fountain of Life, Jesus Christ. The choice is ours to make. Our path to salvation, which begins here on Earth and leads to eternal life in Heaven, ought to include an educational adventure that resembles this:
Faith in Christ = Holy Spirit = True Repentance = Grace = Conversion of Heart = Salvation = Enternity in Heaven.
When an individual, through Faith, accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the gift of the Holy Spirit is imparted to that individual. Part of Holy Spirit’s job is to convict Believers of sin, open their spiritual eye and reveal the truth about the world and sin. This divine process triggers true Repentance inside the hearts of Believers. To overcome the world is impossible in and of ourselves. You will need God’s strength called Grace which flows via Holy Spirit. Grace works hand-in-hand with free will. So long as you make a daily conscious decision to stay out of the world and shun evil, God’s Grace will work wonders in your life. As you embrace God’s Grace and shun evil, your heart will begin to sway from evil to good, called Conversion of Heart. From glory-to-glory, you are now on your way to heaven and the gift of Salvation awaits you.
As you have come to learn, Salvation is a cooperative process between God and man. There are many scriptures which show that Salvation by manifestation is still future (I Corinthians 5:5, Hebrews 9:28, Matthew 24:13, Romans 13:11, I Peter 1:5, I Peter 1:9, Philippians 2:12)
Many Christians believe that to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior of the world in and of itself is enough to inherit the gift of Salvation. These Christians believe once saved always saved. This is a great lie of the devil.
Do not buy into that great lie that God would send His only Son into the world to suffer a horrible death, then turn around and impart the gift of Salvation to individuals who choose to live their life like His adversary, the devil — lying, stealing, cheating, self-righteousness, living in excess, lust, greed, sexual immorality etc. God made it very plain that even if I perform tens of thousands of good deeds, I will not be allowed to enter Heaven once I leave this world if I do dedicate my entire life to Christ, and obey God’s commandments (Hebrews 5:9). Because they have not turned from their sins and refused to give up their earthly lifestyle in order to live completely for God, the majority of Believers are headed for damnation.
A repentant heart will ultimately lead to a life of sacrifice which includes two components:
COMPONENT #1 – SACRIFICE YOUR BODY (I Corinthians 6:19-20, Romans 12:1)
Sacrificing your flesh is a pre-requisite to inherit the gift of Salvation. You must be willing to sacrifice all ungodliness in deed (Galatians 5:19-21) thought (Matthew 5:28) speech (Matthew 15:11) apparel (I Peter 3:3). No worries, Holy Spirit will be there to help you every step of the way.
COMPONENT #2 – SACRIFICE THE WORLD (2 Corinthians 6:17, Revelations 18:4)
Many Christians think that the abundant life that Christ speaks of in John 10:10 is a life that allows them to indulge in wordly pleasures. In fact, the life Christ is alluding to in John 10:10 is one of peace, pleasure, and happiness earned in and through Christ Himself and has nothing to do with worldliness, as I saw a renowned minister use the verse and exhort her audience to “get out there and enjoy their life.” The Bible states that one must be willing to lose their life in order to save it (Luke 17:33), and leave all they have behind to become a disciple of Jesus Christ (Luke 14:33). To lose your life and leave everything behind means to give up your selfish desires, the world and its pleasures.
THE TRUTH ABOUT SALVATION – PART 3
(Mark 7:6-9) “He answered and said to them, well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, these people honor Me with their lips but their heart is far from Me. However in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrine the Commandments of men. Laying aside the Commandments of God, you hold the traditions of men as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things you do. Full well you reject the Commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition.”
Here are some good examples of how the world disobeys God’s commands and clings to human tradition:
The world condoms homosexuality.
Open your bible and check out what God’s word says: (Romans 1:27, Leviticus 18:22)
We live in world that promotes sex, drugs and alcohol.
Open your bible and check out what God’s word says: (I Corinthians 6:19-20, Exodus 20:14, Isaiah 5:11, 22 )
The world is divided and has taken up arms and put up borders.
Open your bible and check out what God’s word says: (Galatians 3:26, Matthew 22:39, Psalm 133:1)
The world says materialism is the “in” thing.
Open your bible and check out what God’s word says: (Colossians 2:2-3, I John 2:15-16, Exodus 20:17)
The world promotes gluttony and greed.
Open your bible and check out what God’s word says: (Luke 6:30, Leviticus 25:35-38)
Keep up with the Joneses, invest & get rich, says the world.
Open your bible and check out what God’s word says: (Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 19:21)
Divorce and re-marry as many times as you please, says the world.
Open your bible and check out what God’s word says: (Romans 7:2-3, Matthew 19:6-9)
GOD’S LAW FULFILLED BY CHRIST, NOT ABOLISHED
Christ stated that he came to fulfill God’s law not to destroy it (Matthew 5:17). In other words, Christ came to complete God’s law by showing us human’s how to live the law out in its fullest capacity, in spirit and in truth. For example, God’s law commands us not to commit adultery. Well now, Christ, tells not even to think about committing adultery (Matthew 5:;27-28). Here we see Christ filling up the law of adultery — don’t even “think” about adultery. Christ stated that not one jot shall be removed from the law (the Torah) until all things are complete. Christians are therefore required to live by all of the commandments of God, in spirit (via holy spirit) and in truth (not being forced).
OLD TESTAMENT/NEW TESTAMENT COMPARISON CHART
I am the Lord, I change not (Malachi 3:6)
Many Christians discard the Old Testament, failing to recognize that the laws of God found there are reiterated in the New Testament and thus need to be followed.
| OLD TESTAMENT COMMANDMENTS THAT ISRAEL WAS REQUIRED OBEY. | NEW TESTAMENT COMMANDMENTS CONFIRMING THAT GOD HAS NOT CHANGED. |
| Exodus 20:8-11 (Sabbath) The 7th day is Saturday not Sunday! | Mark 2:27-28 |
| Leviticus 23:5-36 ( God’s Feasts & Festivals – Holy Days) | John 6:4-5, Rev 11:15, Acts 20:6, Acts 18:21, Luke 2:41-42, and many more |
| Jeremiah 22:3 (Looking Out for One Another) | I Corinthians 10:24/James 2:15-16 |
| Proverbs 7:5-27/Exodus 22:15-16 (Premarital Sex/Fornication) | Galatians 5:19/Ephesians 5:3 |
| Leviticus 20:6 (Witchcraft/Fortune telling etc.) | Galatians 5:20-21/Revelation 21:8 |
| Deuteronomy 11:1 (Unfailing Love For God) | Mark 12:30 |
| Zechariah 8:16-17 (Unfailing Brotherly Love) | Ephesians 4:25/Mark 12:31 |
| Jeremiah 9:23-24 (Glorify God Not Self) | Rev 14:7/Act 12:23 |
| Isaiah 1:16-17 (Learning/Doing Well) | Romans 15:4/Romans 12:9 |
| Exodus 20:3-17 (10 Commandments) | Mark 10:19 |
| Malachi 3:10 (Tithing) | Luke 11:42 |
| Exodus 22:25 (Lending/Not Charging Interest) | Luke 6:34 |
| Leviticus 5:4 (Breaking Promises) | James 5:12 |
| Leviticus 6:2-5 (Paying Back) | Ephesians 4:25/Matthew 5:25 |
| Leviticus 18:6-24 (Sexual Immorality) | Romans 1:24-27/Mark 6:17-18/I Corinthians 3:16-17 |
| Genesis 2:22-25 (Marriage – Man and Woman) | Mark 10:6-9 |
| Genesis 2:24 (Divorce – Forbidden with the exception of adultery *Jer. 3:8* as well as fornication/sexual perversion Lev. 18:1-30) | Mark 10:2-12/ I Corinthians 7:39/Matthew 5:31-32 |