Are you a Christian? Are you sure?
- Going to church does NOT make you a Christian.
- Doing good works and being good to others alone does NOT make you a Christian.
- Being a “good person” does NOT make you a Christian.
- Being born into a family of a certain denomination does NOT make you a Christian.
- Being baptized as a baby does NOT make you a Christian.
- Speaking in ‘tongues’ does NOT make you a Christian.
- Asking a priest in a confessional booth to absolve your sins does not make you a Christian.
- Doing penance does not make you a Christian.
- Following Sacraments does not make you Christian.
There is NOTHING we can DO to become a Christian except one; believe that Jesus was the Son of God who came and took upon Himself the punishment we deserve for our sins.
God is a Perfectly Just being and He MUST punish the sins we committed. But God also loves us perfectly and is Perfect in His Mercy towards us. By sending Himself in the human person of Jesus Christ, living a completely sinless life and taking the punishment that we deserve, God has paid the penalty for our sins. But have you accepted His FREE GIFT of forgiveness? Do you believe?
Salvation through Christ is a FREE gift to you and me. An undeserved and unmerited favor from God to you!.
“For by GRACE are ye saved THOROUGH FAITH; and that NOT of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should BOAST.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)
Never Boast Of Your Goodness Or Good Works
Will your good works save you? No.. they never will. That is why Jesus came to redeem us from Gods wrath to come. Do you need to confess your sins to a priest or pastor to be forgiven sins? No. In fact the Bible is clear that you should ask for forgiveness of sins only to one person…
“For there is ONE God, and ONE mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2: 5-6 KJV)
Paul is clear on this point! His teachings make up two thirds of the New Testament and it is through Paul God reveals the plan of salvation of grace through faith – not works. Salvation is NOT OF WORKS. PERIOD.
“Now to him that worketh is the reward NOT reckoned of grace, but OF DEBT. But to him that worketh NOT, but BELIEVETH ON HIM (Jesus) that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Romans 4:4-5 KJV)
Any Denomination Teaching Works For Salvation Is Teaching A False Gospel
It is so clear. Yet this is MADE unclear by the teaching of many religion denominations. The thing is when one reads the Scriptures, (start in Romans and Galatians) it is very clear that what is currently being taught in many pulpits is NOT what the Bible teaches about the number one purpose for Jesus coming and suffering on that cross.. our penalty of the sins we commit and the sin nature in us – PAID IN FULL.
Paid not in a wishy washy way. Jesus BECAME SIN on that cross and suffered physically and spiritually. The Bible is clear that our sins during our life were nailed on that cross with Him and we are 100% forgiven all ours sins. It is not we who accomplish our salvation by works.. it is 100% Christ who redeemed us. Salvation is 100% grace through faith and not of works. Period. Believing any other way is a false Gospel.
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
1 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is DEAD IN VAIN.” (Galatians 2:16-21 KJV)
The real problem here is not with Church going Christians. Many who attend various denominational churches do not believe the faith plus works equals salvation equation. Why? Because they read the Bible and it is very clear how wrong it is. It is a false Gospel which I have come to realize myself. But the problem is that the large majority of church members are not reading the Bible to see for themselves if what is being preached is actually Biblical. More times than not.. what is being taught about the Gospel is NOT TRUE to what the Bible teaches. Because most are not reading the Bible, there are no checks and balances happening with what is being taught.
In Galatians we can see how serious this is. The Galatian church had some who infiltrated and told members that works were needed for salvation. They basically were saying that it is faith PLUS WORKS that saves a person. It amazed Paul how quickly the devil can deceive even believers. And what did Paul, the teacher of the true Gospel of Christ, have to say about this?
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 2:6-8 KJV)
You can see how serious this issue is. This is such an important issue because if you believe that works are a requirement for salvation, such teachers are giving you a false Gospel. It is not different than trying to save yourself through your own efforts – which is basically following the Law which the Bible calls “the ministry of death” and the “ministry of condemnation”.
“But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.” (2 Corinthians 3:7-9 KJV)
Do NOT continue in he Ministry of death, trying to keep the Ten Commandments for your salvation as if you could actually do so with your sin nature. Impossible! Do not think you are a “good person” or that you are better than anyone else regarding your sin. Do not use a human standard to compare yourself with “other evil sinners” while you think you are good using human standards. Human standards regarding your sin are MEANINGLESS. God is perfectly HOLY and JUST. (See my other article What is God Really Like?)
It is against God’s own character of perfect Holiness that you should be comparing yourself with – and believe me WE ALL FAIL MISERABLY! We are all SINNERS. We have a sin nature within us and it is impossible to never sin – even after you become a Christian! And of course to make things worse there are those who believe in a works based salvation and believe they are better than others when the fact is they are completely wretched within.
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” (Galatians 2:16 KJV)
Paul makes this clear. The LAW (Ten Commandments) SAVES NO ONE! Trying to fulfill the law yourself is impossible! The Law shows us how terribly guilty of sin we are before our Holy God. The Ten Commandments are like a mirror so we can see how terribly sinful we actually are.
“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20 KJV)
“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” (Romans 5:20 KJV)
“”The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.” (1 Corinthians 15:56 KJV)
And remember that it is through Paul that the Gospel of Grace was directly given to reach the Gentiles (that is all non Jews):
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by HIS grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in HIS blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time HIS righteousness: that HE might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. ”
(Romans 3:19-28 KJV)
I capitalized ‘HE’ above because you need to see clearly that this HE is GOD and Jesus Christ. The Law (Ten Commandments) was given so that we could see what we look like from God’s perspective, using HIS standards, not our human standards of good or evil.
We must rely on the FINISHED work of Christ on the cross. He paid the sin penalty for all the sins of the entire world, past , present and future. Once a person accepts this free gift/pardon by faith in Christ and believing what He did as the Son Of God, your sins are completely BLOTTED OUT! God no longer holds any of your sins against you because He knew every sin you were going to commit before he created you. That is why Jesus came – to die for you and AS YOU. So that the penalty is paid in full. Double jeopardy rule applies here folks. At the point of belief and salvation you are made a new creation in the spirit. You cannot be punished for that which Christ already took upon Himself as punish FOR YOU.
Again in Romans 4 we see how true this is when Paul writes,
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:4-5 KJV)
To be saved you must rely 100% on Salvation by faith in Christ’s act of atonement, apart from works, to be saved. Otherwise, you may be lying to yourself, thinking you are saved when you are actually NOT! That is a scary position to be in and it is exactly where the devil wants you! Thinking you are saved by your works because you were taught so in church, yet headed for condemnation and judgement. This is NOT where you want to be friends! So many pastors and preachers and priests and TV Evangelists are teaching a false Gospel. This is called The Apostate Church and is rampant in these end times. In fact, it is a prophecy fulfilled in our time that points to the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus came to FREE you from your prison of sin!
Jesus came NOT TO CONDEMN but to SAVE YOU and FREE YOU!
“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John3:15-18 KJV)
Let your guilt turn you towards God in mercy. Ask for His forgiveness of your sins. Acknowledge that you cannot be “good” and”sinless” and that you are not better than any other regarding you sin and He will save you and free you and you will BE the very righteousness of God, IN CHRIST (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is called living in the spirit with the Holy Spirit living within you, teaching you, guiding you and working through you. It is not following the law to save you, the ministry of death. No it is the ministry of liberty through Christ!
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 KJV)
A Positional Problem Of Sin
Positionally, those called the unsaved, are in a state of spiritual unrighteousness, with many sins committed – prisoners and slaves to sin. (John 8:34) There is a boundary and we are stuck in the prison of sin because of our debt of sins against a Holy God which we can NOT erase by our own effort, leaving us heading for the full wrath and Holy judgement of God. You cannot escape this prison by your own effort, try as you may by performing good deeds. Even if you do more good deeds than evil deeds it will not erase your sinful acts. Your sin WILL remain until God judges you for your sins. And the punishment is eternal separation from God in hell.
The good news is that the opposite is also true. The saved person, who accepts Christ’s atonement for sin on the cross, was translated from the spiritual prison of sin and unrighteousness to the new prison of righteousness where God abides. And those saved have a new boundary of being 100% forgiven and righteous…and the saved cannot escape this wonderful prison by their own efforts either! Christ made sure of that on the cross!
Jesus says clearly,
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37 KJV)
Those who turn to God asking for mercy, and accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior. Those that believe Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, born without the sin curse passed down since the fall in the Garden of Eden. That Jesus died on the cross and at that time accepted the punishment for the sins of the whole world and took upon Himself our sins. Instead of God punishing us for our sins, He became a human (Jesus the Christ) and bore our deserved punishment so that His perfect justice would be served. Those that accept this eternal pardon of sin are now called now “the SAVED”.
It is not working your way out of sin – which is a hopeless endeavor. It is not a religious thing; it’s a relational, positional issue between you and God Almighty. It is by faith, believing in the grace and mercy of God toward us and by believing and accepting this great gift of forgiveness; believing in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Savior from what? From your sin debt!
“Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” (Romans 6:18 KJV)
There you can see the big flip in our relationship with God! It is a positional change. A prisoner transfer from the prison of unrighteousness, separated from God to the prison of righteousness with God. What a gift!
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” ( John 8:31-36 KJV)
So have you sinned? YES YOU HAVE! And Christ tells us plainly the servant of sin will NOT abide in the house forever. That means, judgment is coming and those who have not accepted Christ for the remission of their sins, will have sins remaining and will be punished – an eternal punishment an separation of God in a place of torment. However Christ gives us the hope and freedom because the Son of God (Jesus Christ) does abide forever and is seated at the right hand of God the Father. So if Christ makes you free from your sin debt.. you are free indeed! And you will abide with Christ forever and ever. What a promise! What a hope!
Is Your Christian Church Religion Teaching A False Gospel?
Bible Prophecy is clear that in the Last Days (the time in which we live) there will be a falling away from the true Gospel. False Gospel teaching religions will arise before Christ returns.
I ask you this, Is it here? Yes, it is! I say this to all people in any formal denominational Christian religion… has your religion become a teacher of a False Gospel? You can know by a few things…
- Does it teach faith PLUS works equals salvation?
- Does it omit teaching Bible Prophecy which is two thirds of all Scripture? (If you did not know this, it is a big sign!)
- Does it teach that the Ten Commandments and fulfilling them in your life is what saves you?
- Is it legalistic, you must not do this, you must not do that, you must do this or that or lose your salvation.
- Does it promote worship to idols? That is anything or any person that is not GOD HIMSELF?
- Does it teach a person can lose their Salvation?
!! If any of these apply – I say to you, that organization is teaching a False Gospel message.
READ YOUR BIBLE and make sure what is taught in the pulpit is what is taught in the Bible! THEN you will know the truth and never again be deceived by any group or person. Let every man be a liar and GOD be TRUE.
Will some, or many even, take offense to this? Yes. The true Gospel of Jesus Christ is offensive to many. But as Paul said,
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.” (Romans 1:16-19 KJV)
This is NOT my personal opinion!!
Know this; it is what the word of God teaches, used in proper context. If you do not believe this, then start reading the Bible and find out what I found out. Do not just rely on what a priest or pastor tells you, or even what I am telling you in this article, thinking “he must know, he reads the Bible.” NO! Start reading the Bible yourself. There are so many free tools for understanding the Scriptures in proper context, even the tough passages like in the book of Revelation! All right here online and FREE.
I will conclude with this Scripture which basically sums up the true Gospel Of Jesus the Christ and His Kingdom to come. The Law (Ten Commandments) condemns us. It SHOWS us how sinful we are so that we will turn to God and ask for mercy because we cannot keep them!
“Therefore by the deeds of the law (ten commandments) there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the KNOWLEDGE OF SIN. But now the righteousness of God WITHOUT THE LAW is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is BY FAITH OF Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them THAT BELIEVE: for there is no difference: For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified FREELY by His GRACE through the redemption that is IN Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time HIS (Jesus) righteousness: that HE might be just, and the JUSTIFIER OF him (believers) which BELIEVETH in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? NAY: but by the LAW OF FAITH. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith WITHOUT THE DEEDS of the law. ” (Romans 3:20-28 KJV)
Thanks be to God to save a wretched sinner like me (and you).
