"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (Jesus speaking) God's creation (including all humans) are loved by God, BUT, whoever believes in Jesus becomes an actual child of God (John says so in John 1:1-14).
God sent Jesus as the perfect sacrifice in payment for the past, present and future sins of ALL mankind...the price has already been paid for you...the door is non-exclusively, non-elitist open for anyone and everyone...Please choose to step through to salvation in the belief and name of Jesus Christ!
As Martin Luther's life and actions attest that there is personal sin for which one is even unaware, one probably can't truly confess each and every sin; so, salvation can not depend on all sin being confessed and pardoned. The debt of sin is ALREADY PAID!
"For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son [Jesus] and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (Jesus speaking) [No one knows, nor has God necessarily fully revealed in a way that man has fully interpreted, all the potential powerful mechanisms God might soon or yet employ to help all men "look to the Son". Remember: though the Word had always been there, the clues to Protestantism, inapparent for over 1,000 years, were only revealed about 500 years ago. Yet the Bible is clear that the blood of Christ is the only way a person can be saved; so, whatever it might be that man has not understood, all routes (to heaven/life saved, everlasting...heaven) must go through the blood of Jesus.]....................Warning!
"Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord [Jesus] shall be saved."..............................Warning!
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Jesus speaking) [Same comment as #2Warning! ; plus, though God/Jesus may yet have many "unplayed" options for mankind; we Christians are still "under orders" to obey THE GREAT COMMISSION FROM JESUS TO ALL WHO BELIEVE IN HIM....MATT. 28:18-20 (said another way, Acts 1:7-8): Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples (make knowledgeable Christian followers) of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (spread the gospel). And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age"]. [another comment]
Get into the membership of a church which actively fosters a personal ministry aspect of your life, which can provide leadership on how to know and express your personal spiritual gifts as well as how to witness and exert your Christian stewardship, training you to be "light" and "salt" to your family and to the people you are in contact with. Active Church life is crucial to your Christian journey....crucial to your being able to respond to the "boss", our Lord, the divine authority....crucial to entering into full relationship with (and experiencing) God.
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." (Jesus speaking) [Is this hope for hearers...but not necessarily "believers" or Christians...who do believe, however, in God? If so, eternal salvation might be covered through the work of Jesus at least so as not to be condemned to hell; but, the life on earth would be void of the internal indwelling perfect guide/mentor provided to each Christian - the Holy Spirit of God! What a hell of a life on earth without this key part of the Jesus follower's position with the Trinity! See #2 above]....................Warning!
"I tell you the truth, he who believes (in Jesus) has everlasting life." (Jesus speaking)........................................Warning!
"I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood [abides/remains in Jesus] has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (Jesus speaking)..........................................Warning!
"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their grave will hear His voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." (Jesus speaking) [But note #2 and #5, above.] [And, even so, might a mechanism be revealed for salvation at that point? Does this verse, in addition, give hope to all people not just "believers" or "hearers", even non-Christians, that through Jesus, there may be a way to salvation for those who have "done good" not yet correctly interpreted by man's limited, non-God mind?] Warning! [Also see John 10:16, John 12:32 and Revelation 20:11-15.] [see this]
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." (Jesus speaking) [God pursues/draws (all?) people for a relationship with Him on earth and eternity; a person must yield his own desires and accept and work on that relationship ..."the elect"...; the knowledge of Jesus is then revealed, and the belief in Jesus then guarantees salvation.] (also see II Thessalonians 2:13 and, especially, Ephesians 1:4-5)
"This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." (Jesus speaking) [God draws us to him, "begins the good work in you"; then as Jesus knocks at our "door", it is up to our free will to open the door (or not open it) and let him in.] [see #9][see The Elect] The famous 1940s Warner Sallman painting, "Christ at Heart's Door" depicts Jesus knocking on the door with no exterior handle; the door to your heart must be opened to Jesus from within by you! A similar depiction was rendered by William Holman Hunt ("The Light of the World") in 1854.
"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (The Apostle Simon Peter speaking) [See promise #5, comment]..................................Warning!
"As a holy people you [the Israelites] belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth the Lord your God chose you to be his own people." (They obeyed God; gave blood sacrifices; that blood may be viewed by God as symbolic of the blood of the Messiah...Jesus...and no one saved except through the blood of Jesus, possibly even symbolic blood...........Warning!
Paul, the apostle to the gentiles, indicates that, "And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:..." The Israelites and their descendants would appear to be promised salvation by the grace of God (not by works or obedience to The Law); however, in our own times, who would qualify as an "Israelite"? A slightly less restrictive promise is in Psalm 34:22. (Therefore, Jews and other servants of The Lord should turn to Jesus to be safe and sure; "Jews for Jesus" and other Jewish Christian organizations [messianic...Christian...Jewish history and at least 16 links] exist to encourage Christian belief among Jews who are otherwise happy to remain Jewish; and there is now a TV program, "Discovering The Jewish Jesus" that has very interesting information for all.)................Warning!
"And this is the testimony [from God]: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." (The Apostle John speaking)..........Warning!
Even prior to Jesus' birth on earth, God indicated the sureness of His salvation to His chosen people: after David sinned greatly, he did not beg to be re-saved; he prayed, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation..." (Psalms 51:12)! If one of the foundational doctrines of Protestant Christianity is true...salvation is justified by God's grace, alone...then getting resaved over and over again through confession and repentance is a counter belief (the two cannot be reconciled..."works" would be a requisite for salvation)! "My sheep [the Jesus followers] listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." (Jesus speaking...John 10:27-30) [Once you are a true believer & truly saved, salvation is irrevocable; "once saved, always saved: eternal salvation. On becoming saved", your name is written in "the Lamb's book of life" (Philippians 4:3; Rev. 20:11-15) and you are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) until Christ comes again (Ephesians 4:30) for His Church. I am unaware of any Bible passage written since Jesus was on Earth referring to removing a name from the Lamb's book of life. This sealing with the Spirit is a form of pledge (2 Corinthians 1:21-22); who ever heard of a pledge...such as an engagement ring...that was taken back & returned many times...whose giver could ever inspire confidence and security? In fact, Revelation 3:5 reflects Jesus' promise that a name will never be blotted out. Also see Matthew 28:19-20 and John 6:37 and Romans 8:35-39. Finally, note Galatians 2:11-21 where Paul rebukes Peter for erroneous teaching and indicates that justification for eternal salvation is by the grace of God alone, through faith...that same God who spoke as Jesus and gave the above promise. The Truth is that you cannot fully trust One in whom you are never certain where you stand...your position is uncertain...with that One. The knowledge of your Eternal Security makes real intimacy with the Triune God possible now (while on earth), and the truth of this will set you free! Note: Colossians 1:23 does not actually counter or contradict "once saved, always saved"!]
"If you know that he (Jesus) is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right (through the un-acknowledged, unseen work of Jesus) has been born of him." [Hope for all "righteous" people?] (The Apostle John speaking) (see #2, above)..........................Warning!
"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you might know that you have eternal life." (The Apostle John speaking) (see #2, above)..................................Warning!
"That if you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (The Apostle Paul speaking).............................Warning!
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord (Jesus) will be saved.".............................................Warning!
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house [family]." Also see Acts 11:14, Acts 16:31-33, I Peter 3:1-2, and I Corinth. 7:13-16. [Your Jesus-belief can itself save family members who are otherwise as yet "unsaved"...possibly.]...................Warning!
"For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his [Christian believer] wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her [Christian believer] believing husband: else were your children [by those two spouses together] unclean; but now are they holy." Careful...in the preceding verse 12, Paul makes it clear that he...Paul...says (not the Lord) what follows verse 12. [and see Acts 16:30-33]................Warning!
"Salvation is found in no one else, [No other God or person] for there is no other name [than Jesus] under Heaven given to men by which we must [it's mandatory that God save Christians...true Jesus believers by his promise] be saved." [God speaking through Peter]
"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep [thought to be the Gentiles] that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." (Jesus speaking). Gentiles were all other humans than Jews. If Jesus arose from the dead and was seated at the right hand of The Father and given authority over all the earth and for the carrying out of God's will on earth through the Holy Spirit. And, if God has perfect foreknowledge of all that will happen, and part of His will is permissive. Then, if a family's son dies as an unbeliever and this death is the focal event which turns that unbelieving family to Jesus and to becoming true believers...might this not be how Jesus might have used a bad event to achieve good? Might Jesus consider this son to be "...other sheep who are not of this sheep pen."? Who can say that Jesus absolutely does not cover such things through this verse? "Other sheep" might not be restricted to "Gentiles". As believers take comfort in the doctrine of salvation by a decision of belief by faith, we would be wise to avoid turning it into a doctrine of limitation. That is, though "the way" to salvation is clear, we are arrogant indeed if we try to limit God who has the power to save anyone He chooses (and, being the trinitarian God, then that exceptional person comes to salvation through Jesus). (see #2, above)..........Warning!
[Paul quoted as testifying to a brief but entire review of God's interest in salvation.]
"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." [Not distant, but abiding in the relationship with you...even in you through the "person" of the Holy Spirit]
"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" [Those who are saved have the additional advantage of angels of protection and other types of ministering angels. When Satan originally rebelled from God, he took one-third of the angels with him...fallen angels...according to Revelations 12:4. Read a modern, biblically-based review of the truth about angels in Robert Lightner's book, Angels, Satan, and Demons.].......................................Warning!
The Rapture (of those saved): At an instantaneous and unscheduled time (which Jesus himself says is known only by God), Jesus will come for The Church (in the sky); dead Christians (immediately followed by Christians still alive) will rise up to be with Jesus (I Thessalonians 4:14-18) forever after. Christ, having been originally a "first-fruits" perfect sacrifice for us, was the first in Christ to arise (The Resurrection). His believers rise thereafter at The Rapture (I Corinthians 15:20-26, but more so, 15:51-54), their names having been previously written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Each will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ for a replay of each life and assigning of rewards for what each has done (Matthew 16:27). Back on earth, there will be the Great Tribulation period of seven years; then the "2nd coming of Jesus."
"When the order is given and the Archangel calls and God's trumpet sounds, the Lord Himself (Jesus) will come down from heaven, and the dead who are in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still living and left behind will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we'll always be with the Lord." [Rev. Charles Stanley says that this refers to all Christian believers since the descending of the Holy Spirit onto the believers at Pentecost. The Old and New Testament saints prior to Pentecost will be raised to heaven either at the end of the great tribulation or the end of Christ's second coming and millennial reign on earth. Where do believers who have died presently reside: "Absent from the body, present with the Lord". And, a number of non-believers, either unchurched or from the apostate (not truly believers) church of that period, additional Elect, will be saved who live during the great tribulation period of 7 years. But, there is no verse in the Bible saying that, having rejected the Gospel during your life on earth, there will be another chance to be a believer after you die!]
God loves every person He creates, and He counts every single one as valuable.
The Rapture may be seen as a parallel to the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. God sent His Son to die for all past, present, and future sins of all persons He created; and, for all who will believe that He did this and who are willing to believe in Jesus, He has guaranteed that eternal salvation is freely offered (and constantly available until you die) to every human. Don't take a chance on sudden death (hundreds of thousands of humans die each day and a high percentage without warning) catching you without guaranteed salvation. Be sure that you go up with Jesus at "The Rapture" time.] [Also see John 14:3 and Acts 1:9-11 and Matthew 24 and 25].
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins" And,
"...remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins."
and...after saved, if you tithe: (says God through the prophet Malachi 3:8-10) "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me [God]. But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' In tithes and offerings. You [the Israelites] are under a curse - the whole nation of you - because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."
(God owns all; each person is only a borrower...and a steward, and God requires us to give back 10% of the 100% he gave us...money, other valuable stuff...it is His and He claims it; what if He reversed himself and gave you back next year ten times what you give Him this year? Each of us experiences a self-imposed curse or limitation of our blessings when we fail to tithe.) Give your tithe first (God is honored by "first fruits" gifts), and give joyously, being honored and privileged to do so! When you give within your church, you are giving to
God; and it is not your personal responsibility to agree with what you think is done with the money. Gifts and offerings are actually something
in addition to...beyond...the tithe!
In addition to your gifts to the local church or to any of its direct, larger efforts, there are great numbers of other Christian efforts and charitable efforts. Many worthy efforts are not listed by accountability organizations. But such organizations can be a help to you as you try
to be responsible that your gifts outside of, and beyond, the church aren't wasted. In addition to looking up info about an organization with an internet "search engine", you can check the over 850 organizations (in 39 categories) as members of ECFA (Evangelical Council for
Financial Accountability). In South Carolina, one can check out charities through the office of The Secretary of State, 803-734-1790 or toll free, 888-242-7484.
According to The State newspaper of 26 Nov. 1998, page B9, South Carolina ranks number 9 of all states in total charitable giving and number 2 in per capita giving!
In the beginning God created everything and continues creating and the sustaining of all even unto today. God has a sovereign plan for all; and He can "will" that His plan work out in every respect. He allows (His permissive will) us to go against His will in our human condition of "free will". And, being all-knowing, He knew we would do it. In this manner, He seems to have predestined that all things work out as they work out AND that we go through the process (each and every step with each and every question and uncertainty) with ourselves not knowing any outcome ahead of time. God clearly knows in advance, has predestined, who will chose Jesus & be saved (Acts 4:27-28; Romans 8:29; I Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:5). Salvation is a GIFT from our all-powerful God (Ephesians 2:8); and givers give gifts to those whom THEY choose to give to! Matthew 7:13-14 indicates that the road to salvation is narrow. God chooses who (The Elect) goes down that narrow "road". We often describe His choosing as: on hearing of, and contemplating, the good news of Jesus Christ, "those that will" accept salvation (The Elect) are saved and "those that won't" accept salvation are not the elect...whosoever will vs. whosoever won't. YOU have the choice and must make it (even as God already knows what you'll do). You can't put the choice on hold, until you accept salvation; by not saying "yes", you have declined it and said "no". Predestination does not mean that history is, therefore, like a thoughtless wind-up doll. In fact, is not the fulfillment of prophecy confirmation of some of the "historical predestination"?
"Baptism" is a topic whose understanding divides the Christian body to my great distress! The word is derived from the Greek which means "your immersion". Keeping the various Biblical baptisms straight is confusing:
- there is Jewish baptism which John the Baptist performed & the disciples underwent (and, therefore, disciples had to have the Holy Spirit incoming later);
- then the unique water baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17) which was not for cleansing or remission of sin & the experiential baptism of Jesus (Luke 12:50)as he was immersed in God's mission that He died to atone, be buried, & then rise from the dead;
- the Holy Spirit baptism of true believers the past 2000 years by Jesus (Matthew 3:11) since His ascension;
- and the church-administered ordinance-type water baptisms of the past 2000 years.
Jesus' blood was shed on the cross for the remission/forgiveness (Matthew 26:28) of sin for all mankind!...period...it is finished. Christian literal water baptism performed by humans, though symbolizing things that underpin eternal salvation, does not add to Jesus' shed blood to cause any further forgiveness (remission) of sin. Only belief (and what flows from the consequences of belief) is needed for salvation (John 5:24). According to Jesus, the works of God...what we must do... is to believe in Jesus (John 6:29); and John says that the saving commands of God...what we obey...are to believe in Jesus and love one another (I John 3:23-24), the "loving one another" coming as part of sanctification. So, belief covers "works" and "obedience" (such as the "obey" in Hebrews 5:9).
When the word "baptism" is used in the church arena, most Americans would think of Christian "water baptism"...Holy
Spirit baptism, however, is the "real deal" (see below)...the entry
into membership in the church universal, the Body of Christ. This incoming of
the Spirit happens upon belief. And God, speaking
through Paul, assures us that there is just one baptism (Ephesians 4:4-6)
needed...my guess is that Paul refers to Holy Spirit baptism. Here is an outline:
- Holy Spirit baptism: Jesus does it as you come to belief in Him...it marks/seals one as "saved" (Matthew 3:11).
- Experiential baptism: The "baptism" of the immersion in "The Way" & struggle & difficulties of finding The Way...such experiences sharpen a "saved" believer.
- Water baptism: it has us go through the symbolizing of (got wet or baptized?) what Jesus did for us. Types:
- prior to (A), above
- without (A) ever occurring (they "got wet")
 | Jewish water baptism. |
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| water baptism of peoples in all the region of the Jordan River by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11 [for repentance]; Acts 18:24-26; Acts 19:3 & 4). |
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| the water baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17) [thought to be as a sort of identification with sinners]. |
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| the water baptisms of the Disciples |
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| Christian ritual believer's water baptism (after [A] above). |
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| Christian ritual water baptism: [essay...in-depth details...click here] |
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