Q&A: Salvation

Did Jesus Teach To Add The Law To Salvation?

Don Gerrity Q&A: Eternal Security (OSAS), Q&A: Salvation
door of salvation is Jesus Christ

What way to salvation was Jesus preaching to the Jewish people
at the time when Messiah came to Israel?
How are we forgiven sins?
How do we do what God requires of us to be justified in God’s eyes?

Jesus was asked these questions very directly. Let us have a look at Jesus’ own answers without adding or subtracting from the answers.  Inspect the Scriptures on salvation by Jesus’ own words and the words of the Apostles as well.

See the truth in context using these principles of Hermeneutics:

1. THE CLEAR INTERPRETS THE OBSCURE: No single verse of Scripture should be interpreted if it contradicts the overall message of the Scripture passage, especially if it is about the Gospel. When we are faced with an unclear verse, we find a clear verse to help interpret it. The more direct and clear verses are the ones to understand as the foundation of the truth, not the unclear verses, especially when taken out of context to a point of contradiction on the same topic.

2. SCRIPTURE INTERPRETS SCRIPTURE: Often Scripture interprets itself. In some cases, another Biblical writer interprets another Biblical passage. Teachings on a topic of the writers cannot contradict, otherwise we are interpreting incorrectly and need to dig a bit deeper, watch the exact words more closely etc. If Jesus taught one things and then later we read a Scripture in another book of the Bible from the same writer, or reads quoting what someone taught; they cannot contradict. If we see a contradiction, we are missing the context of the verses and need to find the proper context of each to see the truth. For example, if we read that Jesus said one thing in Matthew and what seems to be an opposing saying in another, we are missing proper context. If Paul wrote one thing to the Ephesians and another to the Corinthians that seem opposing, we have missed the proper context.

3. CONTEXT INTERPRETS SCRIPTURE: No single verse(s) in a chapter should be read without understanding the surrounding verses, the chapter being read, and the Book of the Bible the verses are read within. Sometimes cultural context matters as well. The point is that reading a few verses and making assumptions without seeing the actually context will produce very wrong interpretation, sometimes even a meaning opposite to the intent of the writer.  Such should never be used to make doctrine, and this is especially true regarding salvation.

4. INTENT OF WRITER INTERPRETS SCRIPTURE: All Scripture has an INTENDED MEANING. There can only be ONE correct interpretation of verses, while it may have more than one correct application.

I have found in my personal studies on Scripture that whenever I read what seems to be a contradiction it gives me a red flag to pay closer attention in greater detail to the specific words and intent of the writer or the saying of the person quoted. and the context the verse(s) are read within. Doing so has thus far helped me see the truth and even greater truths that amaze me. The Holy Spirit guides when we seek the truth of Scripture.

What way to salvation was Jesus preaching to the Jewish people at the time when Messiah came to Israel?

People take the teachings of Jesus and come up with all sorts of ways to be justified with God. They take His words like ‘pluck out your eyes’ and ‘cut off your hand’ and then conclude that our works matter in being justified in God’s eyes. Is that true or is the context of those verses not being seen correctly regarding the intent of the writer or the intent of the sayings of the one saying something?

Did Jesus teach to the Jewish people at that time that it is their behaviour and works of the Law that would justify them? Well, if He did, it would not be opposing their wrong view of the Law of Moses. All through the Gospels we see that the Jewish people at the time of Christ’s first coming had fallen away from the truth about the Law and were believing that doing the works of the Law and keeping the Law is what justified them. The Pharisees leaders thought they were more holy than anyone else because they knew the Scriptures in-depth and made themselves look clean on the outside to others by their works of the Law following. But were they? Not according to Jesus!

Because of their wrong belief regarding the Law of Moses, Jesus called them ‘VIPERS’ and ‘HYPOCRITES’ headed for damnation in hell (Matthew 23). Clearly they got it wrong about the Law and justification with God. Israel had fallen away from the truth that it was the belief in the promised coming of the Messiah who would save them by paying for our sins one day in His blood (Isaiah 53). The animal sacrifices were only a temporary covering of sins, year to year, and never paid for the people’s sins (Hebrews 10). They were a temporary covering until the promised Messiah came. The promise in Old Testament Scripture foretold that the Messiah would come and be the final sacrifice for sins. The Animal sacrifices were a reminder of how terrible sin is to God and their need for a Savior Messiah.

Jesus Was Not Opposed To The Truth Of The Law Of Moses

Not at all. The Law is 100% absolute truth. What Jesus taught is that HE IS the foretold Messiah who has come to fulfill all the Law perfectly, as a spotless Lamb brought to sacrifice, never sinning (1 John 3:5, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Isaiah 53:9), in order to be the once for all perfect blood sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10) in payment for all sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Living on this side of the cross event Apostle Paul taught this very clearly as well writing,

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:21 KJV)

Jesus claimed straight up that HE IS the foretold Messiah by quoting the Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah that would one day come to the Jewish people when He spoke to His fellow Jews, in the community He was brought up in by Joseph and Mary, in the synagogue in Nazareth, quoting Old Testament Scripture.

“16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, THIS DAY IS THIS SCRIPTURE FULFILLED IN YOUR EARS.” (Luke 4:16-21 KJV)

Jesus claimed this very directly to those whom He grew up with. To those who knew Him as the carpenter Joseph’s son it was hard to believe as we see in verse 22 where it reads they said to each other, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”. By claiming that this Scripture is fulfilled in Himself, Jesus was stating that He is the foretold Messiah to come and who was now among them in there own hearing! Jesus was basically calling Himself the only begotten Son of God, who is God, come to be this final sacrifice for the sins of humankind. That is why the Jews sought to stone Jesus on many occasions and kill Him claiming His teachings were blasphemy; because they would not believe the truth that He is the Messiah, the Christ. Again, this was all foretold in the Old Testament that this would be the case; and it all happened exactly as foretold so that we can all know Jesus IS that foretold Messiah.

John 3 And The Personal Interview Between Jesus And A Chief Pharisee, Nicodemus

One of the chief priests of the Pharisees was a man named Nicodemus. He had seen the teachings of Jesus when He preached to the people. He had seen all the miracles and healings and raising from the dead being spoken of. He knew that this man Jesus must be sent from God (John 3:2), but His teachings about justification, righteousness and claiming He is the Messiah come, caused great anxiety and confusion to Nicodemus. So much so, that he “came to Jesus by night” so the other Pharisees would not see him and went to Jesus to ask Him DIRECTLY what this all means. Think about that clear context for just a moment. If Jesus taught that works of the Law are required to be justified, why would Nicodemus be confused over Jesus’ teachings? I mean, following works of the Law is how the Pharisees and Jewish people at that time thought they were justified with God. See how this teaching by many today of ‘works required‘ for salvation is just not fitting here? How is a person justified with God according to Jesus’ teachings then? This is the very question Nicodemus had for Jesus.

This was a very intimate conversation with direct questions and Jesus gave direct answers. Being asked very directly and specifically like this, do you think that Jesus would only give a half answer? Certainly not and Jesus did answer Nicodemus’ questions about how a man is justified with God and no where does Jesus answer even mention doing good works of the Law. If doing works of the Law is part of how a person is saved why would Jesus leave that out of His answer to such a direct and honest question?

In John 3, we see that first Jesus answered Nicodemus that a person ‘must be born again in the Spirit’ (John 3:3-6) and then Jesus went on to tell Nicodemus HOW a person becomes born again in the Spirit,

“14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. 16 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. 17 For God SENT NOT his Son into the world TO CONDEMN THE WORLD; but that the world THROUGH HIM might be saved. 18 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.” (John 3:14-18 KJV)

Now that is a direct answer!  Talk about over emphasizing the word believe as the foundation of salvation! Look how Jesus repeated Himself to get the point to Nicodemus and us all today learning from this passage.  Jesus starts with the event in the Exodus from Egypt that Nicodemus would have known very well as a as Chief Pharisee. This is significant to understand as Jesus starts His answer to how a person is justified with God with verse 14. Let’s take a quick look in Numbers 21 about this event,

“And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” (Numbers 21:5-8 KJV)

I ask you, did Moses say to them that they must DO THIS or DO THAT? Nope. As long as they beheld and looked upon, IN BELIEF, that looking at the risen bronze serpent on the pole would prevent death if bitten. Every word in Scripture is important and Bronze is a metal in Scripture that is associated with judgment. And that is what Christ did for us when He took the judgment for our sins upon Himself on the cross, in our place.

Jesus was telling Nicodemus what He, the Messiah, would soon do; be put up on the cross. During the Exodus, believing that looking at that bronze snake lifted on the pole; they would be saved. Do you see how significant this event is in the interpretation of John 3? YES! It was an event that God used to foreshadow what the Messiah would one day do. It was for the benefit of our reading today to see the truth about the cross event. It was their BELIEF ALONE that saved them from the deadly serpent. And today it is by our BELIEF on Christ, beholding what He did on that cross to pay for the sins of the whole world (1 John 22, Hebrews 10:10), that saves us from condemnation and from the devil’s false narratives. Interesting how the pole in Exodus had a serpent on it. Who is the serpent in Scripture? The bronze serpent on that pole represented our sin which needed to be judged. God is a God of pure judgment for sin.  Looking at  how much Jesus went through, we see that is how much GOD went through to redeem us which kept His character traits intact; 100% justice and judgment was paid, 100% mercy was done for us, and with 100% pure love for us. In some ways, I also look at this in a way that the cross event defeated the devil and his fallen angels who tempts us to sin.

The devil and his fallen angels are constantly trying to hide the truth from people on Earth. Using deep deception and cunning, they want us all to believe the lie that we are our own little gods that should rely on our works for salvation. Satan does not even care of people go to a church religiously as long as that Church teaches ‘work  for salvation’, which is no salvation at all. To attend a church building based on a false gospel or where they use Jesus’ name but do not believe He is God. In fact, all world religions teach works for salvation or works from salvation as a requirement to be born again, except those that believe the true Gospel of grace through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Jesus is the only one way back to God (John 14:6). Satan wants no one to be saved! Jesus’ finished work on that cross paid for all our sins and defeated the devil and as Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 2:10-15, God made a shew of the devil and his angels by defeating them on that cross for us! He paid our sin debt COMPLETELY! Amen!

“10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, HE MADE A SHEW OF THEM OPENLY, triumphing over them IN IT.” (Colossians 2:10-15 KJV)

Wow! Look at that! The details of the cross event and how a person is saved eternally by belief on Christ! Jesus made a show of the devil and his fallen angels on that cross.

The Jewish people were relying on ‘works of the Law’ to be justified with God. Even later in John 3, we see John the Baptist state the same truth,

“He that BELIEVETH ON THE SON HATH EVERLASTING LIFE: and he that BELIEVETH NOT THE SON shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36 KJV)

Keep in mind this is the Holy Spirit who told John the Baptist this truth. He was not in that private meeting between Nicodemus and Jesus! It is yet another confirmation that salvation is NOT by good works of the Law or by being a ‘good person’. Salvation is only by being born again in the Spirit by believing on Christ and His finished work on the cross, having paid for the sin of the whole world (1 John 2:2).

It was, and is today, an impossible task to keep all the Law of Moses. We cannot even keep just the Ten Commandments perfectly (James 2:10)! That is why we see Jesus saying things to the Jews such things as ‘pluck out your eye’, and ‘cut off your hand’ if it causes a person to sin (Matthew 5 & 18). That is why Jesus said to the Jews at that time, that even just looking a person with lust, is the same as breaking the commandment against committing adultery. That being in anger with a person wrongly, even not acting on that anger, is the same as committing murder in the heart, breaking the commandment to not murder (Matthew 5). Jesus then poured on the extreme truth of Law following for righteousness saying to them,

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (Matthew 5:44 KJV)

What enemies? The Romans! Imagine what they thought about that one. Love the ones persecuting them. This would show them how extreme truth of the Law will pierce a person to see the truth that we cannot keep all the Law. It will never make us righteous with God! After the cross event, God sent Paul to save the Gentiles and look what he wrote, what the risen Jesus told Him to preach,

“I do not FRUSTRATE THE GRACE OF GOD: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is DEAD IN VAIN.” (Gal. 2:21 KJV)

“Christ is become of NO EFFECT UNTO YOU, whosoever of you are justified BY THE LAW; ye are FALLEN FROM GRACE. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness BY FAITH.” (Galatians 5:4-5 KJV)

“The sting of death is sin; and the STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory THROUGH our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:56-57 KJV)

Through who? Ourselves by our good works? No! It is only THROUGH the finished work of Christ alone who died for our sins so we could be made righteous.

By seeing the direct truth of John 3, we can now see that Jesus was presenting to the Jewish people that relying on works of the Law for righteousness will end in utter failure. That their wrong belief about the Law will end in condemnation. Jesus was using the Law as intended, and showing the extreme truth of the Law. Apostle Paul wrote the same about the purpose of the Law,

“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster TO BRING US UNTO CHRIST that we may be justified by faith. , BUT AFTER that faith is come, we are NO LONGER under a schoolmaster.” (Galatians 3:24-25 KJV)

“Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which NEITHER OUR FATHERS NOR WE WERE ABLE TO BEAR?“
(Acts 15:10 KJV)

“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)

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians and states that The Law is a ministry of death (2 Corinthians 3:7) and a ministry of condemnation (2 Corinthians 3:7). And Paul was not only talking about the 613 Levitical ceremonial Laws as some will mention against the truth of these verses, because he mentions the Law ‘written on stones’ and so that must include the Ten Commandments as well.

Jesus was clear from the very day in the synagogue in Nazareth that He is the foretold Messiah and told Nicodemus when asked directly, to BELEIVE in Him; Jesus as Messiah, the only begotten Son of God. Everything that has been added to His answer to Nicodemus for salvation, whether it be water baptism, works required once believing on Christ as a requirement of salvation, religious rituals, do this, do that to remain saved, repent of every sin we commit or lose salvation, has all been added by man. But it is not the truth by the very context of John 3. We read earlier in the book of John,

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them THAT BELIEVE ON HIS NAME:” (John 1:12 KJV)

We see the very same thing later in John 6 when Jesus was talking with those who would not believe who Jesus claimed to be. In John 6, Jesus was asked very directly what a person needs TO DO to accomplish the works of God and Jesus answer is astounding truth! It goes against what one would expect because we have a fallen sinful nature before believing on Christ.

“28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?…35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he THAT BELIEVETH ON ME shall never thirst. 36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and BELIEVE NOT. 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but THE WILL OF HIM THAT SENT ME. 39 And this is THE FATHER’s WILL which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is THE WILL OF HIM THAT SENT ME, that every one which seeth the Son, AND BELIEVETH ON HIM, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:28..35-40 KJV)

Again, see any WORKS in Jesus’ answer when asked so directly? NO. But we do read BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE ON CHRIST!

“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 KJV)

Are we our own door by our works to be in a righteous standing before God? NO! It is only by the work of Christ that we can be made clean and deemed as righteous and complete in Christ in our Spirit (Colossians 2), sealed in salvation (Eph. 1:13-14, Eph. 4:30, 2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Cor. 15:1-4, Romans 5). Jesus is the door and HIM ALONE! We have NO part in being justified and made righteous before God, except to believe on Him and His finished work on the cross.

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: HE THAT BELIEVETH IN ME, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth AND BELIEVETH IN ME shall never die. BELIEVEST THOU THIS? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I BELIEVE that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” (John 11:25-27 KJV)

Again here, we see Jesus stating about a person’s salvation that it is by BELIEF ON HIM, not by our works.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth MY WORD, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24 KJV)

“But these are written, THAT YE MIGHT BELIEVE that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and THAT BELIEVING ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31 KJV)

“And he said to the woman, THY FAITH hath saved thee; go in peace.” (Luke 7:50 KJV)

I could go on and on showing Scripture and the very words of Jesus regarding how a person is born again in the Spirit and saved and redeemed.

This is the clear and direct context from Jesus’ own words and later we see Apostle Paul stating the exact same thing. Salvation is by BELIEF ON the finished work of Christ – not by works of the Law.

“8 For BY GRACE are ye saved THROUGH FAITH; and that NOT of yourselves: it is the GIFT OF GOD: 9 NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should BOAST.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

Paul is saying that believing our works have anything to do with our salvation and justification is boasting in the sin of PRIDE. A very clear passage! Paul does go on in verse 10 to state we should have good works in love for others after saved by belief on the gift of salvation by belief on Christ, but that is about our walk as a person created in Christ. it does not negate the previous verse 8-9 that works do not save us nor keep us saved.

“O FOOLISH Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not OBEY THE TRUTH, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, CRUCIFIED AMONG YOU? 2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing OF FAITH? 3 Are ye so FOOLISH? having begun IN THE SPIRIT, are ye now made perfect BY THE FLESH? 4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. 5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the WORKS OF THE LAW, or by the hearing OF FAITH? 6 Even as Abraham BELIEVED God, and it was ACCOUNTED TO HIM for righteousness.” (Galatians 3:1-6 KJV)

Through what Spirit? Paul taught, through our born again Spirit with the Holy Spirit indwelling us and having had sealed us the moment we believed on Christ for righteousness.

“IN WHOM YE ALSO TRUSTED, after that ye heard the word of truth, THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION: in whom also AFTER THAT YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED with that holy Spirit of promise,  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14 KJV)

Jesus’ half brother James wrote the same,

“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and YET OFFEND AT ONE POINT, HE IS GUILTY OF ALL.” (James 2:10 KJV)

“And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham BELIEVED GOD, and it was IMPUTED UNTO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS: and he was called the Friend of God.” (James 2:23 KJV)

SALVATION IS NOT BY WORKS NOR KEPT BY GOOD WORKS, NOR BY LAW KEEPING

Even ‘many wonderful works’ can end up in condemnation (Matthew 7:21-23) unless a person is born again in the Spirit by believing who Jesus is; THE CHRIST (John 3:14-18, John 6:37-40) who paid for the sins of the whole world on the cross (1 John 2:2), a once for all blood sacrifice in payment for our sins (Hebrews 10:10).

Lordship Salvation Is False. Good Works Matter After Salvation – But Not To Remain Saved

Once we are created in Christ with a new Born Again Spirit (Eph. 2:10) with the Holy Spirit indwelling us and we should have good works. Our core being has been completely changed! We are Heaven ready, all sins forgiven, made the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:21) from the very belief on Christ for salvation and righteousness (Eph 1:13-14).

Jesus will reward us for our good works after salvation (1 Cor. 3). I think some read the Scriptures and do not see the proper context of passages regarding rewards and mixing them with salvation passages.  They mix together Scriptures that are verses about our eternal UNION with Christ and our DAILY WALK with Christ after being saved. Yet, they are separate meanings based on the context.

Salvation Is Not A Reward (by our works). Salvation Is An Inheritance Which Is Freely Given By Spiritual Birth Into The Family Of God

The truth is that salvation itself is not a reward; it is an inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-4) for all whosoever will believe on Christ alone for our justification and salvation. A person born physically is not  a child of God, they are a creation of God. Only when a person believes on Christ alone and accepts the free gift of salvation does a person become born again in The Spirit and then become part of God’s family, which is a Spirit nature. John stated this clearly,

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (John 1:2 KJV)

Romans 8:28-30. Who is the called? Who is the predestinated?

Don Gerrity Q&A: Salvation, Q&A: The Truth About...
Romans 8:28-30. Who is the called? Who is the predestinated?

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. For whom he did FOREKNOW, he also DID predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he DID predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30 KJV)

This is a very powerful passage. Apostle Paul wrote this and He also wrote basically the same truth in his letter to the Ephesians in the first chapter of Ephesians in the New Testament.

Who exactly is “the called” in this passage? What exactly is ‘his purpose’? Well, we just need to look at each point of the passage and the the truth is very clear.

1. GOD FOREKNEW

God foreknew all that would accept the gift of salvation. God lives outside of time because HE CREATED TIME. For us living inside of time it is hard for us to grasp but for God He sees all time as the forever now. That is He is the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega. God is not a created being. He ALWAYS existed, otherwise He is not God you see?

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8 KJV)

That is why the two words “I AM” in reference to God is so important. Not He was, not He will be; “I AM”. God lives in the forever present and sees every moment of all of time from the beginning of time to the end of time because God created time. He lives outside of time and inside of time. God created time, space and matter. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the part of the Triune God that created all THINGS in the universe. In John 1, we see that the Word was God. Notice that it is capitalized as “Word”. Why? Because it is a name. Later we see who this Word actually is; Jesus, the Christ.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made…And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.” (John 1:1-3..14-15 KJV)

So God foreknew, before He created time, space and matter, ALL THINGS CREATED and ALL THINGS that would happen. He created all time, space and matter and He also foreknew who would accept Christ as saviour and Lord in acceptance of the gift of salvation Jesus would one day in time purchase (John 3:14-18).

2. GOD PREDESTINATED

Knowing who would in one moment in time, accept Christ in belief, God predestined those in salvation. That is, He CALLED THEM and appointed to them and ordained them to receive all that comes with that gift of salvation. God reserved them from before time began and reserved them who would receive Him and choose Him, in salvation. Understand that God created each of us with a FREE WILL and it is not that God ordained us to be condemned to hell or to enter Heaven through salvation in Christ. In fact, Scripture tells us that the lake of fire was not created for humankind but for the devil and his fallen angels.

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” (Matthew 25:41 KJV)

God knew all that would happen and He is using everything to His purpose. And His purpose is to save as many people as would believe. We are the ones that make the choice to accept the gift of salvation in belief or reject salvation in unbelief.

Before the creation of the universe and humankind God drew a dividing line in the free will of humankind. This dividing line is that every person must choose a side. Choose Christ in belief and live. Choose the devil in unbelief and you will die and end up where he is going. The devil wants us to use PRIDE and be our own god. God wants us to be humble and choose Him. That is the dividing line in humanity.

3. GOD CALLED US

This passage reads that God CALLED us and even though we have free will to believe or reject salvation through Christ Jesus, God is the one that creates the situations in our life to bring us to the moment of decision regarding which side we will choose. It is God that reveals who Jesus really is to a person (Matthew 16:15-18 ). God does all that He can to keep our free will intact in this process, in fairness and justice, that each person will accept Him; knowing  those who will and will not. He loves us so much that as Peter wrote,

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, NOT WILLING that any should perish, but that ALl SHOULD come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 KJV)

The English translated word “repentance” is defined by the Bible as ‘change of mind”. Change of mind about what? Change of mind about how we are justified by God, not by works but by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9).

4. GOD JUSTIFIED US, GLORIFIED US

Because of Jesus’ once for all blood sacrifice atonement for all sins on the cross (Hebrews 10:10, 1 John 2:2), all who will accept this great free gift of salvation through belief on Christ (John 3:18) are deemed justified and righteous before God. In fact, God made all who will believe on Christ for righteousness (1 Cor. 15:1-4), complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10) and the very righteousness of God, in Christ (2 cor. 5:21), and has ALREADY sealed them in salvation (Eph. 2:8-9, 4:30) and given them ETERNAL LIFE (John 3:14-17, Colossians 2). Colossians 2 shows a present event takes place when a person believes on Christ for salvation and righteousness. Yet, it reads that at this present event in time, God foreknew we would believe on Christ and so 2000 years ago in the past tense, such a person WAS placed on the cross WITH CHRIST and it explains what happens to the person in the present tense moment they believed. Watch the tense of the words to see this truth!

“And YE ARE (present tense) complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also YE ARE (present tense) circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried WITH HIM (past tense) in baptism, wherein also YE ARE (present tense) risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who HATH (past tense) raised him from the dead. And you, BEING (present tense) dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, HATH HE  quickened together WITH HIM (past tense), having FORGIVEN you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that WAS (past tense) against us, which WAS (past tense) contrary to us, and took it out of the way, NAILING IT TO HIS CROSS (past tense); And having spoiled principalities and powers, he MADE (past tense) a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 210-15 KJV, added parentheses for tense of words & clarity)

This is how God glorified believers in the Spirit.

This is why we see Jesus’s words during His Earthly first coming ministering to the Jewish people in a manner saying ‘all that the Father give me’ such as in John 6 (KJV),

“35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: HE THAT COMETH TO ME shall never hunger; and he THAT BELIEVETH ON ME shall never thirst.”

We each have a choice to make to accept Christ as Messiah and Savior or reject Him in unbelief. This clearly shows a CHOICE we each must make.

“36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37 All THAT THE FATHER GIVETH ME SHALL COME TO ME; and him THAT COMETH to me I will in no wise cast out.”

Jesus is saying that only those that BELIEVE He is the Son of God, the Messiah foretold to come, will be saved and never cast out. Yet, it also reads only those the ‘Father giveth me’. This is the foreknowledge we see in Romans 8:28-30 and Ephesians 1. To those who believe on Christ for righteousness are predestinated to all the benefits of having received the gift of salvation.

“38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, AND BELIEVETH ON HIM, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:36-40 KJV)

And one day, at the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of church age believers, a believer’s physical body and mind will be changed, and become perfection with a new resurrected glorified body like Jesus now has. Only Spirit and mind and body that is perfected can enter what we know as Heaven. Sinless perfection is able to enter the New Heavenly Jerusalem, in bodily form. Our Spirit is already perfected from the moment we believed on Christ for righteousness (Eph. 1:13-14, Hebrews 10:14). When a believer physically dies, their Spirit is already in Christ and heaven ready. But our body is still corrupt with this thing, a noun called SIN, until our body is resurrected (1 Cor. 15:50). That is why we need our body resurrection.

Some are using Romans 8 and Ephesians 1 and teaching Calvinism; that God foreordained some to heaven and others to hell and that what they choose in life does not matter because God created some for heaven and others for hell which is unchangeable. This is complete heresy and turns God into a liar. God loves us far beyond anything we can imagine but He gave us a free will to choose him or choose the devil. God set the dividing line. God does EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to setup life circumstances so that each person has the opportunity to come to salvation through belief on Christ. He is long suffering so that none should perish and end up in the lake of fire. He sent His only begotten Son to die and take the wages of our sin upon Himself (Romans 6:23) so that we can be with Him forever. Yet, our free will matters to God and we each must choose which side of the dividing line we will be on at our death. The dividing line has been set from before the universe was even created. Before time was created. Before matter was created. Jesus stated so clearly,

“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.” (John 3:18 KJV)

Choose wisely. Choose God. Choose to accept Christ and His gift of salvation by belief on Him alone, in faith alone. Be humble not pride. it will change your life forever.

Are you saved yet? Are you sure?

> Learn About Salvation & How To Get Saved <

The True Salvation Equation

Don Gerrity Q&A: False Salvation Invitations, Q&A: Salvation
The True Salvation Equation

Do you know for sure that you are going to Heaven when you die physically?

If not, then you have not heard the true Gospel of salvation from the BIBLE.

God’s Salvation Equation:

FAITH is BELIEF that Jesus is the foretold Messiah, the Christ, The only begotten Son of God, who is God come as human through the Virgin birth. Not born in sin, and who lived a sinless life and died on the cross paying for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) and who rose again. FAITH IN HIS FINISHED WORK.

WRONG:

– Good Works=Salvation
– Faith+Good Works=Salvation
– Salvation Is Conditional On How We Live After Belief On Christ

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES :
John 3:14-17, John 6:36-40, Ephesians 1:13-14, 1 Cor. 5:17-21, Colossians 2, Ephesians 2:8-9 , Acts13:38-39, Romans 3:20, Romans 3:28, Romans 4:4-5. Romans 5:15-19, Romans 6:23, Romans 8:2, Philippians 3:9, Matthew 7:22-23, 1 Cor. 15:1-4, 2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 4:3., Galatians 1:6-8, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 3:1-12, Galatians 5:4-5 etc.)

CORRECT:

– Faith+Nothing=Salvation+No Works Required To Remain Saved.
– Faith+GoodWorks=Salvation +Rewards For Good Works

(ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Ephesians 2: 10,
1 Corinthians 3:10-15, 1 Corinthians 9:24, etc.)

CONCLUSION:

Salvation is a GIFT OF GOD, not a REWARD EARNED by our good works. By belief on Christ’s finished work on the cross our old sinful Spirit of Adam, Spirit of man, DIED on the cross with Christ and God, BY IMPUTATION, recreated us in The Spirit to The Spirit of God and forgave any sin in our entire life (past/present/future), and God MADE US the righteousness of God, in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17-21, Colossians 2, Romans 6). It is ALL CHRIST’s WORK…NOT OURS.

After Salvation, that is FROM Salvation, good works flow outwardly FROM our new Spirit being UNTO good works (Romans 2:10), not to remain saved, but from our NEW BORN AGAIN ETERNALLY saved Spirit (John 3).

Without Christ abiding in us, our works will not matter for the Gospel.
Jesus said,

“3 Now YE ARE CLEAN through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 ABIDE IN ME, AND I IN YOU. As the branch CANNOT bear fruit of itself, except it abide in THE VINE; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for WITHOUT ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING.” (John 15: 3-5 KJV)

Do not take this as my opinion. Read the Scripture references.

Does A Backslider and an Apostate Have The Same Meaning?

Don Gerrity Q&A: False Salvation Invitations, Q&A: The Truth About...
Does A Backslider and an Apostate Have The Same Meaning?

We  hear about Christians who ‘backslide’ from the faith. Some say they have lost salvation. Others say that this is what an Apostate person is. However, when we look at Scripture in context these two things are not the same. A believer who backslides is not an apostate.

A Back Slid Believer

A person that has believed on Christ for salvation, apart from their works, is a born again person in the Spirit and is saved eternally from the moment of belief on Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4, Eph. 2 :8-9, Eph 1:13-14, John 3:14-18). Some after they are saved fall into a sin, or sins, that leads to a loss of fellowship with God. That is not to say that God has left them, nor that the Holy Spirit has left them. It could be a guilt of such a believer that keeps them from confessing their sin to God. They feel God no longer will want fellowship after committing such a sin. They may turn from God because they fear and are ashamed. Instead, we should run to God and confess the sin and ask God to help us overcome the specific sin. God knows EVERYTHING and He also foreknew what sins you and I would commit before and after our moment of salvation. We cannot hide sin from God. Run to him for help. God will help us. God already forgave all our sins on that cross of Christ (1 John 2:2). Yet, we need to improve and live right for God. We will not doing this perfectly as we still need our minds renewed (Romans 12) and our mind will not be perfectly renewed until our bodily resurrection. But in gratitude, we should be striving to avoid sinning. We will fail at times and we should not deny that fact (1 John 1:10) but we should confess our sins to God, thank Him that He forgave us through the cross of Christ and ask God to help us do better. That is a healthy prayer of truth and faith.

Backsliding can also be a result of a person who, because of life circumstances, has turned from God in their life, after salvation. Does this mean the person has lost salvation? No. Ephesians 1:13-14 tells us that from the moment a person believes on Christ, they are sealed with the indwelling Holy Spirit until the day of our bodily resurrection. At that time, we will be in Heaven already and so this means for eternity. The Holy Spirit works to restore a believer who has back slid from the truth, for them to confess their sin and come back to fellowship with God. We see this in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The son made the decision to leave the father. The father did not kick him out of the house. While in the world, away from fellow shipping with his father, it brought the son to a place of being with the pigs and finally coming to his senses. He went back home to ask to be a servant in the father’s house, as he felt unworthy to be treated like his son. He came to an end of his self in sinful living, out of fellowship with his father. He confessed to his father. But what did the father do? He seen his son coming from a distance and he ran toward him and embraced him. And then he had a celebration because his son has come back to fellowship. This is our God!

All this to state that a back slid believer is not a person who has lost salvation. For whatever reason, they lost a solid fellowship with God, they lost that close relationship for living with God. They did not lose their salvation.

An Apostate

An Apostate is not a back slid believer. The English translated word ‘APOSTATE’ in Greek is the word ‘apostasia‘.  It is defined as a ‘falling away, to forsake’. When we read this Scripture, the English translated word FORSAKE is this very same word ‘apostasia’.

“And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to G575 forsake G646 Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.” (Acts 21:21 KJV)

To forsake Moses is to not believe Moses. Apostates are not believers. It is a person who has learned the knowledge of the truth of the Gospel of Salvation, yet when he came right down to it, they decided to NOT BELIEVE. An Apostate is a person that may seem to others as if they are actually a born again believer, yet do not believe the Gospel of salvation without works required. There are some who know the Gospel so clearly that they can teach it, yet they themselves never came to true belief on Christ for their righteousness.

Judas Iscariot is a person that comes to mind in Scripture. Judas lived and travelled with Jesus during His earthly ministry. He was in the inner circle of the disciples who would become known as the Apostles. He was one of the men sent out to the house of Israel, to p reach the good news. So, he could obviously teach the Gospel and knew the Gospel. Yet, in the end he never really believed Jesus was the Son of God. In the end, he was more interested in Jesus becoming leader and tossing out the Romans. He betrayed Jesus with a kiss.

Eventually an Apostate is a person that looks and acts like a believer but the true colours will show them to not be a believer. In 1 John 2, John wrote this,

“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.  Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.  Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.” (1 John 2:18-25 KJV)

They went out from us. These are not believers who lost salvation and left. They are those who, in the end, never believed even though they were among the believers and talked like them and may have even acted like them. But ACTED is the key word. They were not born again believers.

In 1 John, John is refuting the false teachings of the Gnostics, an enormous heresy in the early church. John tells believers to have NOTHING TO DO WITH APOSTATES and to stay away from them. Why? Because, THEY ARE ANTICHRIST. That means, they look like believers but they are AGAINST CHRIST. They deny that Jesus is the Son of God. They deny Jesus’ deity. We see the same Apostate teachings and religions today. People who use the name of Christ but deny His deity. People who call themselves CHRISTIANS but who deny being born again in the Spirit through belief and trust in Christ and HIS finished work on the cross alone and His rising from the dead (John 3). To them, being a Christian is all about living a Godly life, doing good deeds and being a good person. This is not the Gospel. The Gospel is not by our own efforts, nor our good works before salvation (Eph. 2:8-9), nor our good works after our moment of salvation (Eph 1:13-14, Galatians 3, 5:4-5). Salvation and a born again Spirit is only by BELIEF ON CHRIST and HIS FINISHED work on the cross and His rising from the dead.

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” (1 Cor. 15:1-4 KJV)

Believing that our works has anything to do with how we are born again in the Spirit is called BOASTING in pride by Apostle Paul,

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV)

Having good works in love of others is a good thing, but it will never make a person righteous before God. Only AFTER a person trusts on Christ’s blood atonement sacrifice on the cross , having paid for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), and His rising from the dead, will our good works count FROM our new Spiritual state of righteousness that God MADE US (2 Cor,. 5:17-21). This is what Paul is stating here. Works do not save us. God’s grace through faith in the FREE GIFT Of GOD by belief on Christ saves us. As a GIFT, it is unmerited. It is unearned. We do not earn gifts, we accept or reject a gift. By believing on Christ we have accepted the free gift of salvation as Paul had just stated earlier in Eph 1:13-14. Verse 10 then explains that good works will flow from our new born again Spirit. We are HIS workmanship, CREATED in Christ, UNTO good works. But the works are not what saves us, nor makes us a righteous person. So, as believers we should have good works because we had a heart transplant. We have a new Spirit which is fully redeemed and as righteous to the Father as Christ is. Good works after salvation do not keep us saved though (Gal. 3, 5:4-5).

An enormous truth that many Christians have not known nor believe but that Apostle Paul stated,

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
(2 Cor. 5:21 KJV)

Notice BE MADE. Who is doing the making? Us by our works? Paul says no in Ephesians 2:8-9 and so the answer is a resounding no! GOD MADE US! All our sins have been paid in full. Our Spirit is now the righteousness of God, because we are in Christ and Christ is in us. A perfect union which Jesus prayed for us in John 17 and that Paul explains in detail in Colossians 2. Two passages, that if you have not read, go read; SUCH A BLESSING TRUTH!

Jesus taught the same in Matthew 7 and gave a great warning to those who are not born again, but are using Jesus’ name in their false teaching. They are FALSE PROPHETS among true believers. They look like believers. Their works are good looking. They talk the talk but do not believe the Gospel. They are Apostates who are actually not believers, though they may think they are. Jesus warns them that on their judgment day, they will find themselves not at the Bema Judgment Seat of believers in Heaven, but instead they will find themselves at the Great White Throne judgment of Unbelievers to be condemned. They will have trusted in their own works and own perceived goodness by their works and rejected salvation by God’s grace through Christ Jesus on the cross. As such, they are not born again in the Spirit and they will have to pay the wages of sin (Romans 6:23) themselves. It was their choice and they chose wrong in boastful pride. Jesus stern warning,

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23 KJV)

What is the ‘will of the Father’ Jesus spoke of here? I will let Jesusu answer that question for you because in John 6 Jeus was asked and He answered what the will of the Father is.

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”  (John 6:37-40 KJV)

The will of the Father is to believe on Christ for salvation.

The apostates in Matthew 7 had an iniquity and it was not sins they committed. Their iniquity was their unbelief and boasting in their own works tio save themselves. They think they are good enough without belief on Christ alone! God states that “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isahiah 64:6 KJV).  These are Apostates. They are UNBELIEVERS who DENY Christ as Messiah, the Son of God who paid for all the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) and rose again. Yet, they are among the believer community and may look like they are believers by their works.

We see many religions today that are Apostate. Religions teaching our works are what matter for salvation and righteousness. So many, so called ‘Christian’ Religions rising and growing stronger, while true born again believers are leaving them.

Jack Kelly (RIP) wrote something to take notice about in Revelation. It is so right on the bullseye of truth and so relevant to us living today, here in the End Times generation just before the Church Age ends. Jack wrote:

“For the Lord’s prophecy to the churches of of our times, compare the Church of Philadelphia with the Church of Laodicea in Rev. 3 About Philadelphia, a model of the evangelical Church, He said, “I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and not denied my name.” (Rev. 3:8) But when it comes to Laodicea, a model of the apostate church, it’s a different story. Here Jesus said, “You say, ‘I am rich. I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” (Rev. 3:17)

– Jack Kelley from https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/the-declining-church/

Does that ever describe the declining state of Christianity today. Apostasy, a great falling away has occurred, and is still occurring increasingly, in many churches that were once teaching being born again in the Spirit by belief on Christ and not by works. And some apostates left true teaching Churches and started their own which completely deny Christ’s deity but who are still using Jesus’ name! Religions such as:

  • The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints
  • Jehovah’s Witness
  • Christian Science
  • and the list goes on.

The Church is NOT a building. The Church consists of members who believe salvation is a free gift of God, not of works, through belief in Christ and His once for all payment (Hebrews 10:10) for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) and His rising from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-4).

 

The Truth Most Christians Do Not Yet Know, But Should!

Don Gerrity Colossians, General OSAS Questions, Q&A: Salvation
Truth

Truth

This image is a depiction of Christianity today. There is one major missing piece that provides all the missing pieces. And when the puzzle pieces are all filled in, it is a truth that makes us want to shout. Filling in the pieces takes time; time in learning the knowledge of the truth;
The Gospel of Grace Through Christ Crucified, Died and Risen.

ALREADY RAISED WITH CHRIST? RIGHT NOW?

In Colossians 2 we see a truth that still today a large number of people who claim they are born again believers have still not heard, nor understand. It is not that Christ forgave our past sins, but now we have to not have any sins again. It is not that we have to have good works after salvation in order to remain saved and born again. Colossians 2 takes these false Christianity beliefs and tosses them into the same pile as following The Law For Righteousness; which is UNBELIEF in the sufficiency of what Christ accomplished on the cross for all humankind and especially for those who have gained eternal life by belief on Christ, and not by works.

Jesus taught not to judge others who are sinning more, or more grievous sins, then we have in Matthew 7,

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? THOU HYPOCRITE, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5 KJV)

Looking at others as if you are better than they are because you have less sin, or less grievous sins, in God’s eyes in nothing but UNBELIEF and being a hypocrite. Believing this way is screaming unbelief and yet this is what the majority of church pulpits are teaching in these last days of the dispensation of God’s grace. Just as Israel fell away from God many times, the Christian community in these churches surely has fallen away from the true Gospel Of Grace here nearing the end of the time period from the cross to the Rapture; The Church Age. At the time of Jesus’ Earthly ministry Israel had fell from true belief and trust that one day the Messiah would come and pay for all sins, as foretold in the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.) The leading Pharisees were teaching The Law for righteousness and favour with God.  Jesus comes on the scene and causes quite a turbulence because He started teaching the true extent of this false belief. To those who thought they were in right standing with God because of their good works and genealogy as Jews, Jesus shows them that they are far from the Holiness of God. Jesus is teaching them the falseness and impossibility to keep all of the Law of Moses, let alone just the Ten Commandments. We see Jesus teaching in opposition to their wrong belief in Matthew 5,

“27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
(Matthew 5 KJV)

Jesus took the Law and made it even more impossible for a person to actually keep the Law in a few points, if not all points of even the Ten Commandments. He was showing the Jewish people , God’s chosen people, how wrong their belief actually is. He was preparing them for the truth which is the Gospel of Grace. He was bringing them to their knees so that they would cry out to God for MERCY, instead of living in pride not knowing they were headed in the wrong direction. These teachings went against the very core of their wrong belief at that time and is the reason such resistance was encountered. Jesus is the foretold Messiah but he was rejected and as the Prophet Daniel wrote in prophecy, the Messiah was cut off, on that cross (Daniel 9:26).

Jesus taught that our works will not be what gains us entrance in Heaven when we die in Matthew 7:15-23. Jesus taught not to judge others who are sinning more, or more grievous sins, then we have in Matthew 7.

It is not just that believers in Christ are forgiven their sins by their belief in Christ.

In Colossians 2, we see a truth that still today a large number of people who claim they are born again believers have still not heard, nor understand. It is not that Christ forgave our past sins, but now we have to not have any sins again. It is not that we have to have good works after salvation in order to remain saved and born again. Colossians 2 takes these false Christianity beliefs and tosses them into the same pile as following the Law for righteousness; which is UNBELIEF in the sufficiency of what Christ accomplished on the cross for all humankind and especially for those who have gained eternal life by belief on Christ, and not by works.

Jesus taught not to judge others who are sinning more, or more grievous sins, then we have in Matthew 7,

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? THOU HYPOCRITE, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5 KJV)

Looking at others as if you are better than they are because you have less sin, or less grievous sins, in God’s eyes in nothing but UNBELIEF and being hypocrite. Believing this way is screaming unbelief and yet this is what the majority of church pulpits are teaching in these last days of the dispensation of God’s grace. Just as Israel fell away from God many times, the Christian community in these churches surely has fallen away from the true Gospel Of Grace here nearing the end of the time period from the cross to the Rapture; The Church Age.

Jesus taught that our works will not be what gains us entrance in Heaven when we die in Matthew 7:15-23.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23 KJV)

Where from most pulpits have you heard these words of Jesus? And if you did, did the pulpit teacher state this is about a saved person who loses salvation? Such as false teaching that is! Look at the clear context I have bolded in this passage and the truth becomes very clear. First notice that in verse 15 Jesus states that He is warning about FALSE PROPHETS, false teachers; not born again believers. They are teaching an iniquity with grave consequence; ending up condemned.  Their teaching words (fruit) shows their false belief. What is this iniquity? The context shows that it is believing their self righteous works in pride will save them and justify them with God. Here Jesus showed what it will be like for them at the final Great White Throne Judgment of all unbelievers in Christ. They will be in shock and will be told they are headed for the Lake of Fire. And they are seen still full of pride mentioning their ‘many wonderful works’, but never mentioning that Christ paid for their sins. They denied belief on Christ alone for salvation and righteousness. They are NOT BORN AGAIN BELIEVERS as Jesus clearly will say “I NEVER knew you”. These are not born again believer losing salvation.

What about ‘he that doeth the will of my Father’? Jesus taught what this will of my Father is for us to do.

“And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and BELIEVETH ON HIM, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:39-40 KJV)

What God wants us to do is TO BELIEVE ON HIM (John 3:14-18) and HIS blood atoning sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) and His rising from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-4).

Please, if you learn any truth about the Gospel of Grace Through Jesus Christ KNOW THIS TRUTH; WORKS WILL NEVER SAVE YOU, BEFORE OR AFTER YOUR SALVATION! Yes, we should have good works after our salvation. Yes, good works are good and the right thing to do in love for others with Christ living within us. Yes, with the Holy Spirit guiding us He gives us desires toward good works in love for others by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12, John 17:17, Ephesians 2:10). The point is that good works do not save us nor keep us saved. Apostle Paul wrote,

“Christ is become of NO EFFECT UNTO YOU, whosoever of you are justified by the law; YE ARE FALLEN FROM GRACE. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness BY FAITH.” (Galatians 5:4-5 KJV)

The English translated word ‘faith’ in the Greek text is defined not as TO DO. It is defined simply as BELIEVE.

Jesus Accomplished More Than Just Forgiving Our Sins

Thank God all my sins have been PAID FOR IN FULL by Christ. Not just my past sins, all of my sins. All of my sins of my entire life are all future from the cross. Jesus foreknew what sins I would commit in my life (Ephesians 1), yet to all that believe on Christ for righteousness He forgave us anyway! The thing is believer, this is not the only thing Christ did for us on that cross! He also…

MADE US a totally new creation in The Spirit with the Holy Spirit indwelling our new born again Spirit.
And this new Spirit we now have is present tense, ‘the righteousness of God, in Christ’ ! (2 Cor.5:17-21) READ THAT AGAIN and let the power of this truth sink in deep. Even though our body and mind is not yet fully redeemed (1 Cor. 15:50, the reason we need a bodily resurrection in our future) and Heaven ready, OUR SPIRIT IS as righteous to the Father as Christ is to the Father. It is a real mind blowing experience when a person believes this truth. It is a LIFE CHANGING moment. It is the TRUE GOSPEL OF GRACE THROUGH CHRIST CRUCIFIED.

God foreknew from the foundation of the world, before you and I even exited on this planet, who would believe and be saved and who would not belief.
God foreknew all who would accept the FREE GIFT of Salvation by belief on Christ alone apart from our works and deeds (Ephesians 2:8-9, Matthew 7:21-23), through belief alone on Christ’s finished work on the cross. Saved by grace (Romans 5). The cross happened 2000 years ago and so when a person believes on Christ and His death and rising from the dead that forgave sins they are eternally saved (John 3:14-18) and sealed by the indwelling Holy Spirit from that very moment of belief until the day of our bodily resurrection (Eph. 1:13-14), at which time we will already be in the Heavenly New Jerusalem (what most today call heaven).

You see, Christ accomplished this all at the cross. When we believe it now in a future time from the cross, it has already happened to us in God’s view. Remember that God created EVERYTHING and that includes TIME. We live within time; born in time, living in time and eventually dying in time. But God lives outside of time because He created time. To God, He sees all moments in time as right now. Hard for us to grasp because all we know is time. To God, all who accepted Him and His Son Jesus the Christ, He sees as already with Him in the New Jerusalem. Salvation happened at the cross. He foreknew who would believe and He placed our old sinful Spirit on the cross with Christ! This truth really clears up many questions people have about salvation. It is not a ‘work by work until we get to heaven’ salvation. No. It is a single event in time on the cross as Jesus paid for all sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2, Hebrews 10:10). And when a person comes to believe, the predestinated gift (Eph. 1) is credited to your account immediately upon your belief on Christ. Jesus bought and paid for all your sins (2 Cor. 5:21). He has perfected you on that cross (Hebrews 10:14) and your old sin bent spirit was on the cross with Him as you are about to see by Scripture.

If you never heard this taught from your church building pulpit, please let this truth sink in. And be careful what you are being taught by a pulpit. We do not ‘work our way’ to heaven before or after belief on Christ. It happened 2000 years ago on the cross and is credited to the account as a GIFT to all. The FREE GIFT OF SALVATION can be accepted or rejected; but never earned! (Romans 11:6) And never kept by ‘good works and deeds’ (Galatians 3).

Colossians 2. Putting The True Gospel All Together.

In Colossians 2, Apostle Paul does a great job explaining what exactly happened when Christ died on that cross. The passage shows an event that happened in the past tense (Jesus on the cross) and who it made every believer in Christ in the present tense. This truth cannot be refuted because the context of past tense and present tense cannot be refuted. If you never read Colossians 2 closely this is going to change your life and belief on salvation. It is all by the grace of God – not our works and efforts. The same Apostle Paul wrote this in Romans 6,

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 KJV)

The wages for even just one sin (and we have thousands!) is ETERNAL DEATH in the Greek it was written. The wages for our sin is NOT good works! Good works do not erase nor pay the punishment for our sins.

Colossians 2

“6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:6-15 KJV)

I have bolded some text so you do not miss the context. Watch the words of Paul carefully and the truth screams forth. And in belief, so should our minds! You see, Jesus did not only pay for our sins and forgive us. We were on that cross in the spirit and we died with Him, and rose again with Him in the part that is our core being; THE SPIRIT.  In verse 13 it reads “he quickened together with him”.  Looking at the Greek this was written we see the definition is in Strongs Concordance,

“from G4862 and G2227; to reanimate conjointly —quicken together with.” 

Powerful words !  Powerful truth!

Our old spirit that was dead in sins was born again just as Jesus described in John 3 and made a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Christ took our sin, paid for it and then ALSO GAVE US HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS! That’s right! What an exchange to our benefit! The very righteousness of God, in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). This is the truth that even Christianity today needs to hear above all else. It is the very foundation of our salvation and freedom in Christ. The truth that can change the effectiveness of our witness to others. Teaching them the knowledge of the truth. The true FREE GIFT OF GOD, The Gospel of Salvation Through Christ Jesus Crucified , Died and Risen.

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,

    1. how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
    2. And that he was buried,
    3. and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

 (1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV, bullet points added)

That is the True Gospel. Our very core being has been changed. MADE BY THE OPERATION Of GOD (Colossians 2:12), COMPLETE IN CHRIST in the Spirit in the present tense, as in we are complete in Christ in the Spirit, right now. But how can that be if we still fight sin and yet still have sin in our lives? As a born again believer we strive to avoid sin right. Yes! But we will still fail and sin at times right? If we are honest the answer is, yes. We hate our sin. We confess our sin to God and apologize. We thank Him that He foreknew and paid for that sin on the cross 2000 years ago. A FREE GIFT to us but Jesus suffered horribly to give us this salvation. It is free to us but Jesus paid dearly! Do not forget that. I once heard some say that the Jews killed Jesus. The truth is Jesus went to the cross to pay for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) and so the truth is that I killed Christ, you killed Christ, we all did! Because He would not have had to go to the cross if we did not have committed sins. We must not be puffed up with pride because God gave us the FREE GIFT of salvation and believe we need to earn some of it. Instead, we as Paul did, need to BE HUMBLE. Not thinking too highly of ourselves because Christ saved us. It is only Christ living  through us that even has any power at all.

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5 KJV)

Again we see Paul show this amazing truth of Colossians 2 in his writing to the Galatian believers, in humbleness. Paul states he IS crucified WITH CHRIST. It is a present tense statement!

“I am crucified WITH CHRIST: nevertheless I live; and the life yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: 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.” (Galatians 2:20 KJV)

Notice in specific that Paul did not write “by the amount of my faith and the son of god”. He specifically states it is the “faith of the son of God”. It is not Paul’s faith but trusting in Christ’s faith living within us as believers and working through our life. Works that count are HIS works through us. Do we have part of the works? Well, it is all Christ in us, working through us, but God gave us a free will. The real truth is that we live outwardly as WE BELIEVE in our MIND. Our core being, The Born Again Spirit of a believer is already fully redeemed, complete in Christ and as righteous as Christ to God from the moment we trusted Christ for salvation.  But our body is not yet redeemed. It is corrupt with this thing called sin (a NOUN in Romans – not a verb). The MIND is the connector between our Spirit and body. Paul taught to renew our MIND by God’s Word, the truth about who GOD MADE a believer (Romans 12). Paul also wrote this to the born again believers of the worst model of a group of believers in Corinthians,

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; ” (2 Cor. 10:5 KJV)

This is done by knowing the truth of who God made us as born again believers and renewing our MIND by God’s Word. We must know who God made us in Christ. The more truth we KNOW IN THE MIND, the better decisions we can make when temptation comes. Paul said we should ‘walk in the spirit to avoid the lusts of the flesh’ (Galatians 5:16). The indwelling Holy Spirit helps us and brings us to all truth and that truth is the Word of God. So if we read and study the Word of God, we will know more and more of the truth. Our old sinful thoughts and ways that stayed behind when our Spirit was redeemed on the cross with Christ gets thrown out and replaced by the truth and God’s world view. It takes time and accomplishes a few things in our lives:

      1. We see our sin and repent (change our mind) about our sins which helps us avoid the sin. This is walking in THE SPIRIT (Galatians 5:16). Perfectly? Not until we receive our bodily resurrection, but increasingly. Just remember, that all our sins are already paid in full.
      2. We start seeing things as Christ does. We live outwardly in love for others as Christ does. We do not seek revenge but love our enemies. We live toward others as Jesus does towards us.
      3. We become better witnesses for Christ and the Gospel so others come to salvation.

This is our sanctification from our inward new Spirit moving outwardly until our bodily resurrection. Jesus prayed for us in John 17,

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17 KJV)

 

A born again believer in Christ as a diagram

 

In the next chapter of Colossians 3 we see what that means for us and how we should be living as born again believers. It is the ‘walking in the Spirit’  that Paul told the Galatians in Galatians 5:16. Understanding this amazing truth of what God has done in us as believers is a life changing event!  I leave this article with Colossians 3, now understanding this truth, with the missing puzzle pieces now filled in.

“1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” (Colossians 3 KJV)

 

Romans 4: The Gospel Of Grace Through Christ Jesus, The Lord

Don Gerrity Q&A: Christian Living, Q&A: Salvation
Romans 4: The Gospel Of Grace Through Christ Jesus, The Lord

Verse By Verse, Romans 4 With Commentary

Stop trying to work your way to righteousness with God. Stop trying to work in order to keep your salvation. That is NOT THE GOSPEL! I will use Romans 4 as well as other passages so you can clearly see the truth. The truth that most pulpits are not even teaching in these last days.

 

“1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture?

Here Paul is writing about Abraham. Abraham, the one called ‘the FATHER OF OUR FAITH’ by so many. Abraham who believed God’s promises so much that he went up the mountain to sacrifice his only son. Do you know what happened before Abraham and his son went up that mountain? Let us have a quick look.

In Genesis we see what Abraham says when he decides on going to the place God told him to go to Sacrifice his son Issac,

“And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. ” (Genesis 22:5 KJV)

What stands out in this verse? It is some VERY important words ‘I AND THE LAD ‘, in essence ‘WE’. You see God had taught Abraham who He really is. Abraham had complete trust in God to always be good and do the just thing. Over the years, he learned that God is faithful and can be trusted. He did have a son as promised by God, even though his wife Sarah was in her older years and baron. It was not as Abraham expected the promise to be fulfilled by God, but it was fulfilled. It increased his faith in God.

Abraham tells his young helpers that ‘we will come back to you ’ . He did not say ‘I will come back to you’. Abraham is showing his faith! That is his complete faith that God would never allow him to actually murder his son unrighteously. And even if he did, he knew that God would have to raise him from the dead because God had already promised Abraham that it is through Issac’s bloodline, ‘I will make you a great nation’. Later we see Issac asking his father Abraham,

“And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.” (Genesis 22:7-8 KJV)

Again we see Abraham exercising his full faith and assurance that God would provide a Lamb in place of his son for the sacrifice. Abraham knew this must be a test of his faith and trust in God. God has never shown him to be like this. He moved forward with full faith in God and the attributes of God.

“Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”

We see this same exact truth in the book of James. A book many use to teach falsely that works are a requirement of salvation. We read in James 2,

“And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and
it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the
Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by
faith only.” (James 2:23-24 KJV)“

You see, righteousness cannot be worked for to achieve!  Righteousness is by BELIEF and not behaviour. Righteousness must be IMPUTED by God. That means that our perfectly Holy God, who is perfect in every way, must have a perfectly righteous and perfectly just foundation to be able to do so. That foundation is Christ Jesus on the cross, who by HIS once for all blood atoning sacrifice paid for ALL SINS of the whole world.

” Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, either hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;  Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:8-10 KJV)

 

“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.“
(1 John 2:2 KJV)

This is the truth of The Gospel of Grace of Grace Through Christ Crucified. This is the GOOD NEWS that all people need to hear and believe. Today we hear mostly that salvation is by being a good person and by having good works. And the Lordship Salvation heresy is rampant as well. Once we believe on Christ, good works are not required to remain being saved either. This is false by Scripture.

 

4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

When we work for our employers, we EARN our wages. We work for those hard earned wages. But when someone presents you with a GIFT, you have two options only; accept the gift or reject the gift. We do not earn salvation and we do not work to keep salvation either. Salvation is by God’s GRACE and this English translated word GRACE in the Greek has a meaning of ‘favour’. A gift is an unmerited favour. If we have to work to accept a gift, then it is no longer a gift and is something we earn through our own works.

 

5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Apostle Paul shows us that righteousness comes by BELIEVING and not BEHAVIOUR. Verse 5 here is very powerful truth because it shows that we are all UNGODLY to some extent. It only takes one sin and we are guilty. We see in this verse something that is very opposite to many pulpits in ‘christian’ church buildings in these End Times. Most pulpits are teaching are teaching the exact opposite of this verse! Paul tells us that those working for salvation is not counted as righteousness with God. Why? Because ALL HAVE SINNED and come short of the glory and righteousness of our perfect God Almighty as Paul taught in the previous chapter 3 of Romans,

“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.”
(Romans 3:23-26 KJV)

 

We also see in Romans 4:5 that God justifies THE UNGODLY! So to qualify for salvation we must be ungodly people and we all are, whether we admit it or not. Jesus Himself said that if we are anger at someone without cause, we have broken the commandment to not kill. If we even look at someone with lust, even though not taking action on it, that we have broken the commandment of adultery in our hearts. Jesus took the Law of Moses and Ten Commandments to the next level. Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees and Jews that were relying on their Law keeping for righteousness, which is an impossibility! Here we see that God justifies the UNGODLY! Now that is the best news ever. It certainly is what we would expect is it? We are all sinners who have sinned against God. We do not deserve salvation or God’s righteousness bestowed upon us. That is why salvation is said to be by God’s Grace. A FREE GIFT of UNMERITED FAVOUR from God. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul calls relying on our self righteous works being ‘boastful’. That is the very sin that caused all this mess. The sin of Satan; the sin of PRIDE. We also see Paul teaching against the belief of modern day Lordship Salvation which back loads salvation with works required in Galatians 5,

“ Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law;
ye are fallen from grace.  For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.”
(Galatians 5:4-5 KJV)

Paul even sternly warned against backing loading salvation with works required because it is the same sin of pride but subtly entices our fleshly thoughts and guilt of sin. The devil always uses our senses to deceive us because he cannot do anything to ‘unsave us’ or to affect our Spirit. The devil cannot touch our new born again Spirit which is the righteousness of God, in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17-21) and so he tries to influence our wrong beliefs in OUR MIND. The battle for an already born again believer is in the mind (Romans 12, John 17:17) and not the Spirit. For this reason also be on guard against false ‘Deliverance for believer’ teachings. The devil cannot touch our new born gain Spirit of God! God is not ever going to share this space with  the devil nor his fallen angels. The Bible says that our Spirit has been perfected (Hebrews 10:14, Colossians 2:10) and that is written in the present tense based on what Christ already accomlished on the cross in the past, 2000 years ago.

 

6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Here we see Paul going back to David. David was way ahead of his time in the Gospel of Grace and the power of a believer’s righteousness. God called David  man after His own heart. Wait a minute now, didn’t David have sin? Yes, David had sin. Did he ever! He had an affair with a married woman, got her pregnant and then killed her husband to cover it up.  Now do not judge his behaviour without being truthful about ourselves because we too have many sins committed, even as believers. The Gnostics during the time of Jesus first coming and shortly after ward taught wrongly that a believer has no sin and John refutes this false teaching.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
(1 John 1:8-10 KJV)

John wrote ‘HIS WORD IS NOT IN US”. The same John that lived with Jesus during His Earthly ministry. The same John that seen all the miracles and heard Jesus’s teachings. So, Jesus also taught this. Jesus also taught against ‘works for salvation’ in Matthew 7:15-23 mentioning the false fruit of words coming from false prophets teaching that good works save a person. Jesus gave stern warning against this wrong belief because many will find themselves at the Great White Throne Judgment of the unsaved, who thought they would make it to heaven by their works, but will not, and to whom will hear Jesus state,

“And then will I profess unto them,
I never knew you: depart from me,
ye that work iniquity.”
Matthew 7:23 (KJV)

 

But David knew the truth about God’s GRACE and unmerited favour. We have consequences for our sins; absolutely. Yet, look what David believed and wrote as Paul quotes him above. BLESSED is the person whom God imputes righteousness without the person’s works to somehow erase a sin. Instead, BLESSED is the person whose sins are covered. Blessed is the person the Lord will not impute sin upon.

 

9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of ALL THEM THAT BELIEVE, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

And this wonderful amazing GIFT of Salvation by the amazing Grace of God is not just for the Jewish people as some are teaching these days. No my brothers and sisters in Christ! All that is required is for a person to believe regardless of their heritage or blood line.

12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

There you have it. Plainly stated. Clearly stated. Salvation is not by being a ‘good person’, nor by having ‘many wonderful good works’. Salvation is definitely not by keeping the Law of Moses, or even the Ten Commandments. Salvation is through the righteousness of faith! Faith in what? Faith in Jesus, the Christ, who is God in the flesh (John 1) crucified, died and risen (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), having paid for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Paul wrote ‘where no Law is’ and he is talking about us today because Jesus paid for all transgression committed against the Law.

 

16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Salvation is of faith in Christ by God’s Grace. How much clearer can Apostle Paul be? Salvation is for all peoples, not just the Jewish peoples. Salvation is fully available to any person that will accept the FREE GIFT of salvation. If you move on and read the next chapter of Romans, chapter 5, you will learn that God’s free gift of grace washes over every sin we commit as believers! Christ’ sacrifice was fully sufficient as payment for our sins, though they be small sin, large sins, horrendous sins! All were paid in full by Christ.

 

18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

Abraham BELIEVED GOD’S PROMISE to him! He was promised to have a son and that son would be the father of many nations. So did God give his son when he was still younger? When Abrahams’s wife Sarah was young? No. God chose to show His power and His promise to Abraham and his son was born when Sarah was older and barren! Yet, the power of God showed up and she conceived and bore a son. A complete miracle for all to see. Now Abraham had his son and God instructs hi to sacrifice his only son on the mountain alter. Yet, Abraham believed God would not allow it and it was his BELIEF that showed his faith in God.

Have you ever gone through hard times that make you shake your head and ask God ‘why?’, ‘what did I do?’.  God’s got a plan brothers and sisters. Believe and trust God in ever circumstance in life and He will show up when you least expect it and then you will think to yourself ‘OH! That is why!’ That is true faith in God.

“23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;  24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification”

Verse 23 is a summary of salvation by Gods GRACE through faith (belief) in Christ Crucified died and risen. Continue reading into Romans 5 and you will see how God’s Grace wins over ever sin we commit, like waves rolling over the sands on the ocean. His grace is stronger than any sin because HE paid for all sins. He paid the full wages for our sins (Romans 6:23).

 

Does That Mean Our Good Works Do Not Matter?

Not at all. We have a new born again Spirit and the Holy Spirit indwells a believer in Christ. It is an inward change that moves outward in MIND RENEWING. We live outwardly as we believe in our mind. Right believing leads to right living outwardly in love for others.

“For we are HIS WORKMANSHIP, created in Christ Jesus UNTO GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that we SHOULD walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 KJV)

Apostle Paul wrote to ‘walk in the Spirit’ (Gal. 5:16) and to ‘renew our mind by God’s word’ (Romans 12) which will lead to right outward living. Perfectly? Not until our bodily resurrection, but most certainly increasingly if we do so. This is not about salvation which was accomplished the moment a person believes (Eph. 1:13-14, 1 Cor. 15:1-4, John 6:37-40, John 3:18, Colossians 2). This is about how we live AFTER we are born again in the Spirit and saved. The very same thing James taught in James 2.

Performing Good Works Is Good. Yet, Will Not Save Anyone Eternally.

Don Gerrity Q&A: Salvation
Ephesians 2:8-9

As a Born Again Believer, good works come from our new Spirit and move outwardly to good works with guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit, to change OUR MIND, and RENEW OUR MIND by the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17, Romans 12, Ephesians 2:8-10).

Right believing of TRUTH leads to good works in love for others. This is ‘walking in the Spirit’ (Gal. 5:16).

Good works are… well, good! YES! As born again believers, Christ can work through us. YES!

Yet, we should not look at good works as a REQUIREMENT NOR PROOF that a person is a born again believer having eternal life.

Both saved and unsaved have good works. Will our good works pay for any of our sins?

ABSOLUTELY -NOT-!!

Jesus warned about not believing that lie from FALSE PROPHETS. Having ‘many wonderful works’ will not pay for our sins (Matthew 7:15-23).

In God’s economy of PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS, the only way to enter Heaven (The heavenly New Jerusalem) is be righteous as Christ. Not by OUR WORKS. BY CHRIST’S FINISHED WORK, offered to us as A GIFT. As a GIFT, salvation IS NOT EARNED. (Ephesian 2:8-9). Yet, most pulpits are teaching a false works based gospel, which is no gospel (Galatians 3, 5:4-5). The foretold falling away is here..now. Works for salvation is the very ‘Doctrine of Demons’, Paul warned Timothy about. Today, it is known as ‘Lordship Salvation’. One of the biggest heresies of the End Times generation.

Salvation and righteousness is either accepted in belief on Christ and HIS FINISHED WORK on the cross, having PAID for all sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) as an ONCE FOR ALL PAYMENT EVENT (Hebrews 10:10). BELIEF ON CHRIST SAVES US ALONE, apart from good works! (John 3:14-18, 6:37-40, 1 Cor. 15:1-4) Salvation is either an accepted gift or rejected in UNBELIEF.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 KJV)

Believer.. yes, do good works in love of others. But do so with the right motive. Not to ‘remain saved’. Only Christ keeps us sealed in salvation (Eph. 1:13-14, 4:30). Only Christ MADE US RIGHTEOUS (2 Cor. 5:17-21, Colossians 2).

Do we deserve God’s GRACE? NO, that is why salvation is by belief on Christ and HIS finished work on the cross. We cannot ‘save ourselves’ by performing good works. Otherwise, grace is no longer an UNMERITED FAVOUR (Romans 2:8, Romans 5).

Let God’s GRACE motivate us to good works in great gratitude, as already eternally saved people.

“Let us therefore FEAR, lest, a promise being left us of ENTERING INTO HIS REST, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto US was the gospel preached, as well as UNTO THEM: but the word preached did not profit THEM, not being mixed WITH FAITH in them that heard it.” (Hebrews 4:1-2 KJV)

REST IN CHRIST believers! And good works of God will flow thru us.

MATTHEW 7: JESUS TALKS ABOUT TRUE SALVATION vs FALSE SALVATION

Don Gerrity Q&A: False Salvation Invitations, Q&A: Salvation
MATTHEW 7: JESUS TALKS ABOUT TRUE SALVATION vs FALSE SALVATION
 
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23 KJV)
Some are actually using these verses to state that a born again believer can lose Salvation. That is so very wrong when you look at all of Matthew 7 and the context. In Matthew 7 we see Jesus showing different roads people are believing to be saved and that only one road is the true way of salvation; BELIEF ON CHRIST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Jesus talked about TWO ROADS people are on regarding their salvation. One is by works and deeds and the other is by trusting in the finished work of Christ, the foretold Messiah. He also talked about two gates which are the strait gate and the wide gate. Jesus said,

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14 KJV)

The straight gate?

Well, Jesus said few will find it. So what about the wide gate then? What is the wrong belief of those entering the false wide gate to salvation if many are on that road to that gate? Well, other then Christianity, just about every other religion teaches that a person is saved by their works and deeds and religious rituals. If a person has more good than bad deeds, then they will make it to heaven. The thing is, Jesus is telling us that that is what FALSE PROPHETS are teaching (verse 15)!
 

What Is The Narrow Way, The Straight Gate?

In John 14 Jesus proclaimed that HE IS THE WAY to salvation,

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ” (John 14:6 KJV)
You see, Jesus is the narrow straight gate! Not our self righteous works and deeds. If we think our self righteous works and deeds and that we are ‘good enough’ will save us, it becomes are comparison game with other people who sin more. In fact, Jesus said that right from the start of Matthew 7,

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” (Matthew 7:1 KJV)
The truth is that,

“…we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6 KJV)
It is only by understanding this truth of how God sees the unsaved that we can find the truth about how to be saved. It is NOT by good works, deeds and religious rituals in self righteousness. When we start from this truth, we see how wretched we really are before God and that NO ONE is exempt in this regard! What we need is to now seek the truth about salvation and the good news is that next we see Jesus saying,

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7: 7-8 KJV)
Thank God for this promise! The gate is narrow because salvation is only through Christ. But a person cannot find this unless they acknowledge their own sinfulness and how wretched they really are first. Our sense of good and bad by comparing with others who sin more, or have ‘greater’ sins is not seeking salvation. It is actually just deceiving ourselves!

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8 KJV)
 
“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:10 KJV)

Those On The Wide Road

:: Not Born Again Legalists:

These are those who believe they are saved and they use Jesus’ name even. They state things in the sin of PRIDE such as ‘Jesus saved me through the cross but now I have to work to keep saved.’ or even worse, ‘I have kept the commandments and no longer sin.’ These are people who are not saved but only think they are. Then they tell others that they are not saved if they think they have sin! They are judgemental towards truly saved people. This is a haughty Spirit and not a born again believer. God says ‘haughty is naughty’! (Romans 2:1-4, Luke 6:37).

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18 KJV)
Some are even offended by a person saved by the grace of God through faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross. They use Scripture, but they ignore the context.
 

:: Miracle Working False Prophets:

They use Jesus’ name. They believe in their works and religious rituals. They try to get God to do what they want. They may even have or seem to have done miracles. Because of this they believe they must be saved. That is not truth though. That is false doctrine. Remember that when the Antichrist comes he will perform miracles that will deceive people into thinking he is the Messiah come!

“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” (2 Thes. 2:9-10 KJV)
This is a person on the wide gate to condemnation. I am not saying a born again believer can not have miracles in their life. But the FALSE PROPHETS are not born again by belief and trust alone in Christ and believe they are saved because they are able to perform miracles. And some are faking miracles as false prophets as well.

:: False Works Based Belief On Salvation:

These are people that believe in God. They go to church. They follow the church religion rituals. They seem to be ‘good people’ outwardly. They may even do many good and wonderful works for others. The problem is that they believe their good works erase their sinful deeds. Or they think if they have more good deeds than bad deeds that God will somehow just forget about their sins. Yet, They fail to realize that God is an eternal being who NEVER CHANGES. This is once again the sin of PRIDE and BOASTING in self righteousness, just as the Pharisees were believing in Law of Moses following for righteousness. And it is seriously wrong! Jesus called the Pharisees things like ‘vipers’ and ‘hypocrites’, ‘looking clean outside but inside full of dead men’s bones’.

“For I am the Lord, I change not…” (Malachi 3:6 KJV)
 
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 KJV)
 
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17 KJV)
Apostle Paul put it like this,

“For by grace are ye saved through 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)
And to God the wages of sin is not good works and deeds nor religious rituals. In God’s economy of righteousness, the wages of sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23)
 

:: False Belief That They Are Good Enough A Person:

If asking people if they will make it to heaven, how often do we hear someone say, “Well, I am a good and deceit person. I try my best to help others and to live a good life.” or “Well, I believe that most religions will lead people to heaven.” This is pure false belief regarding salvation. It once again hinges on the sin of PRIDE and BOASTING in self righteousness. Believing like this, they will not seek the truth and may not find it.
The most scary thing about those on this wide road is they have no idea they are headed for condemnation! They were never born again in the manner and way Jesus said is required.

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John 3:5-7 KJV)
So if we must be born again in the Spirit, how do we do that? First, we recognize that we have sin that we cannot eradicate by our good works. Then Jesus says this is how a person becomes born again in the Spirit,

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 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.” (John 3:14-18 KJV)
Look how much Jesus is over emphasizing how to be born again and saved! See any ‘works’ and ‘deeds’ required? No. See any religious rituals required? No. How about tithing? No. What did Jesus say? Nicodemus asked Jesus directly and this was Jesus clear answer: BELIEVETH ON CHRIST! Nothing more. Salvation is the work of Christ and it is a GIFT to be accepted or rejected. As a GIFT it is never EARNED.
Having good works is , well, a good thing! But good works will never give a person salvation. Only belief on Christ’s finished work on the cross will give a person true salvation. After salvation a believer SHOULD have good works because God gave believers a new born again Spirit but even then, we do not do these good works to remain saved. Only Jesus keeps us saved.

“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” (Galatians 5:4-5 KJV)

Matthew 13, The Parable Of The Sower Sowing Seed

Don Gerrity Q&A: Parables Of Jesus, Q&A: Salvation
door of salvation is Jesus Christ

“Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

 

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

 

But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

 

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

 

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
(Matthew 13:18-23 KJV)

 

This is Jesus explaining the parable of the Sower of Seed to His disciples and to us today as well. What is the topic? Jesus said ‘The Word Of The Kingdom’. This is the word and knowledge of the Kingdom Of God and it is what the Gospel is all about. But there are only TWO groups in this parable; the believer and the unbeliever. An important point to grasp.

What Is The Kingdom Of God?

This phrase, ‘Kingdom Of God’ is mentioned many times in the New Testament Gospels. A search of the New Testament King James Version of the Bible shows this phrase 70 times. The number 70 is an interesting number in the Bible. We see this in Daniel’s prophecy of 70 weeks, which is God’s timetable of human history and it is all about ‘completion of righteousness’.

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and TO BRING IN EVERLASTING RIGHTEOUSNESS, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” (Daniel 9:24 KJV)

It is also very interesting that Jesus spoke 70 parables as we read in the New Testament. We see also that Jesus sent out 70 disciples to preach the Gospel as read in Luke,

“After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.” (Luke 10:1 KJV)

Isn’t it interesting that when this phrase ‘Kingdom of God’ is used in Scripture, that the number 70 is related to it and which is seemingly having a meaning of the completion of God’s righteousness upon the believing? This is just one of so many amazing things of the Bible. It is not only words of truth. Every single word, number and name has significant meaning and it is all so amazing that it is an enormous testament that the Holy Bible is the true word of the one true God of the entire universe.

The Kingdom Of God Has Two Distinct Parts:

1. The Invisible Kingdom

The Invisible Kingdom consists of every single person who comes to belief in Christ for righteousness, who have been born again from above, in the Spirit. It is the body of believers who are members of this Kingdom, which Christ as the head (Colossians 2).

2. The 1000 Year Kingdom Age On Earth

The 1000 Year Kingdom Age On Earth that is to come after the Tribulation period. This is the Kingdom on Earth where Jesus will be ruling and reigning on Earth. The restoration of the world to the way it was before the fall of Adam and Eve. Everything we now see in today’s world system will be flipped 180 degrees to a Godly standard. We are right now living in the Biblical time known as ‘The Last Days’ and ‘End Times’. Our current dispensation we live in is the Dispensation of Grace which many call ‘The Church Age’. The Church Age is a time from the cross to the Harpazo Rapture and it will end once the last person that decides to accept salvation believes and then the Rapture happens (Romans 11:25-27). Then the next dispensation begins, The Kingdom of God Age, which is soon upon us, as is the Harpazo Rapture, the seven year Tribulation period and the Second Coming Return Of Christ to set His foot on the Earth and setup His 1000 year Earthly Kingdom.

The parable of the Sower sowing seeds is all about this Kingdom Of God. In specific it is about the ‘–word of–‘ the Kingdom Of God. God is letting the world know His plans so that we can each decide to continue living in pride and self-righteousness or to be humble and believe the Gospel. The Sin Of Pride is what started this whole mess we are in when Lucifer, who was closest to God’s Throne, had pride in his heart and wanted to be as God.

In Matthew 13 Jesus is expounding what He has been telling the Jews and the Pharisee leaders all along; that HE IS the foretold Messiah, the Son Of God, who has come at the appointed time (Daniel 9:26). From that time that Jesus spoke this parable and right up until today, the decision to accept this in belief or reject this, is what each person must face and decide upon. It is the most important decision for every person on the planet and it has our individual eternal destiny at stake.

SIDE NOTE: If you have not yet made a decision for Christ and need to know what that is all about, Click Here for a 10 minute read and then return to this article.

We see in this parable of the Sower that:

    1.  The FIELD is the world full of people.
    2.  The SOWER is God.
    3.  The SEED is the Word Of The Kingdom Of God

God wants every person to become a child of God in His Kingdom. This is the heart of the Father (2 Peter 3:9). We are all a creation of God and He created us with a FREE WILL to chose God or reject God. God is an eternal Spiritual being not confined to time and space. In fact, God CREATED the time and space that we live within. In simple terms, Jesus explained this in this way,

“The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John 3:2-3, 5-7 KJV)

All human beings were born with a ‘dead Spirit’ since the fall of Adam and Eve who committed the first sin as humans. This sin disease has been passed down through procreation ever since. In the book of Romans, the word SIN is a NOUN, it is a thing, it is this THING in us called sin; not a verb action word. Paul called this ‘The Spirit of Adam’ and a believer’s ‘Old Man’. Through belief on Christ we can be born again, ‘in the Spirit of God’.

Jesus continues in John 3 to explain how a person can be born again in the Spirit and it is not about our being a good person or doing good works to be righteous.

“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” (John 3:16-18 KJV)

This is how a person becomes a child of God and God becomes our Father. It is how a person is Born in the Spirit. It is only by trusting and believing in Christ and His once for all blood atoning sacrifice on the cross (Hebrews 10:10) having paid for all the sin of THE WHOLE WORLD, all of it (1 John 2:2). This is how to become a member of the family of God and how a person gains the inheritance of the Kingdom Of God. The knowledge of the Gospel that saves ‘whosoever will believe’ is the SEED in the Sower of Seed parable by Jesus.

A person only becomes a family member of God if they choose to believe on Christ for righteousness which is the central theme of the entire Holy Scriptures; both Old and New testaments all point to Jesus, The Messiah, The Christ. Belief on Christ is the only way any person can be redeemed in the Spirit.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6 KJV)

 

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14 KJV)

 

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26 KJV)

 

Four Things Happen When God Sows His Seed Of The Word Of The Kingdom Of God

1. Those that have, or will, receive the seed by the wayside.

These are people for whatever reason have heard the Gospel truth of God’s grace but the devil comes and snatches away the words of what they heard or read about The Kingdom Of God. Jesus is telling us that not everyone who hears the truth of the Kingdom of God and the Gospel of our salvation will believe it.

Remember Jesus also said this,

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, AND MANY there be which go in thereat:” (Matthew 7:13 KJV)

What is the straight gate? It is belief on Christ alone for righteousness and salvation as you just read above from John 14. So what is the WIDE WAY? Do you know that Biblical Christianity is the only teaching salvation by grace and not by works that we do? Every other religion from Hinduism to Islam teach ‘good works required’ to be justified by their god. There are also many FALSE religious organizations calling themselves ‘christian’ and even using ‘the name of  Jesus Christ’, that teach works are required and that is NOT Biblical salvation, nor the Gospel. Jesus warned sternly about believing it is our works that will save us in Matthew 7:21-23 and that ‘many wonderful works’ and ‘using the name of Jesus’ will not save ANYONE! On their judgment day before Christ they will hear the scariest words of all in shock,

“…And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:23 KJV)

This ‘depart from me’ is eternal separation from God in condemnation. They thought they were ‘good enough’ people to make it into Heaven. They thought they had ‘more good works than bad works’ and would make it to Heaven. They thought they were close to Jesus because they used His name in these good works even, yet they were never ready for Heaven because one must be born again in the Spirit to be part of God’s family; and that is NOT about good works but belief on what Christ did for us on the cross. The simplicity of the Gospel is mind boggling to many people. Many are okay if you mention ‘God’, but if you mention ‘Jesus’ they get offended. Why? Because to come to salvation through Christ one has to admit they are a dreadful sinner. Please, please, please do not be like that in pride and boasting. Instead, RUN TO Jesus, the Christ and receive full mercy and eternal salvation!

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” (1 Cor. 15:1-4 KJV)

In Galatians Paul taught that anyone teaching works of the Law for salvation are to be accursed! Apostle Paul wrote these verses as well,

“For by grace are ye saved through 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)

Here we se that salvation is belief on Christ alone as GIFT. A gift is never worked for, otherwise it is EARNED. A gift is either accepted or rejected and that is all. Paul even goes so far to say that believing our good works have ANYTHING to do with being redeemed and born again in the Spirit is all PRIDE and BOASTING.

And look at this passage by Apostle Paul,

“Christ is become of NO EFFECT UNTO YOU, whosoever of you are justified BY THE LAW; ye are FALLEN FROM GRACE. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness BY FAITH.” (Galatians 5:4-5 KJV)

Following our good works of the Law and Ten Commandments is ‘of no effect unto us’?! Yes, that is correct! Our works do not save us at all. What does saves us? What does MAKE US righteous and a member of God’s family in the Spirit? God’s GRACE through our faith (which in Greek is defined as BELIEF) in Christ.

2. He with no root in themselves.

These are people who at first hear about Jesus and are joyful about it but they never came to a real deep belief. They believed the Gospel intellectually but not real belief. They know and receive the knowledge of the Gospel in their minds but they never had a real deep heart felt belief. And when troubles enter their life they gave up thinking it is all just not enough truth to have a real heart felt belief on Christ. These are people who believe that Jesus was ‘a great teacher of life’ and ‘a prophet come from God’ as Nicodemus did coming to Jesus for help in understanding what His message was about in John 3. Without true belief, the spirit is still The Spirit of Adam, dead in transgressions and sins. Still not part of the family of God by Spiritual rebirth through belief on Christ.

This is why if you hear a preacher or Bible teacher telling you that once you are saved, God will make your life perfectly happy and content, that you should take a pause because Jesus never promised a trouble free life for believers!

“In the world YE SHALL HAVE tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 KJV)

Just one look at what happen to the Disciples of Christ in the early church testifies this is false. They were martyred for their faith. Killed by the sword, eaten by lions, burned at the stake and worse.  Apostle Peter was crucified on an upside down cross. Yet they stayed the course in their belief in persecution. Peter also denied knowing Jesus three times when confronted with persecution, but he still believed in his heart and was eternally saved.

3. The Unfruitful.

Jesus said these are those that hear the words of salvation but the worries an deceitfulness of riches choke it and they are ‘unfruitful’. They are too worldly focused instead of being Kingdom focused as people who are born again and as people looking toward the Kingdom Of God to come; saved people who “…are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (John 17:16 KJV).

Using the word ‘unfruitful’ is a tell tale because salvation is never by our works but only by belief and trust in Christ’s work on the cross and His rising from the dead. Every person who is not saved is unfruitful though because they do not have the Holy Spirit indwelling them and God working through their lives in righteousness. I believe these are the people who receive the knowledge of truth and have believed it and are eternally saved, yet their lives are not bearing fruit for God and His Kingdom. They are not helping others in love nor helping others as a witness to come to the knowledge of the truth as Jesus instructed believers to do.

As the half brother of Jesus wrote in James 2,

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:26 KJV)

A dead body is pretty much useless to do anything. A dead corpse cannot speak nor move nor write. It is DEAD just as believing and not having works for the Kingdom is DEAD and useless. That is what James meant when he wrote ‘faith without works is dead’. It is not about salvation but how we should be living after we become saved. They have a faith that is without works, a DEAD faith that is, as James wrote,  ‘not profitable’ nor fruitful. It is not about salvation but a ‘dead faith’ that is useless for the Kingdom of God.

Jesus told believers to,

“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15 KJV)

This does not mean every person is to become a preacher or pastor of a church. Yet, as saved believers by the grace of God in great love for us Jesus die on that cross and paid our debt of sins. Should we not in great gratefulness let others know the good news of the Gospel? God could have taken believers off the planet immediately following our belief on Christ but Jesus prayed that the Father would not do that in John 17. Jesus wanted believers to be part of His plan of getting the knowledge of the truth of salvation by grace through Christ crucified. It amazes me that God even wants to use me, how about you? Yet, that is His plan!

“I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.” (John 17:15-17 KJV)

And when Apostle Paul wrote about The Judgement Seat Of Christ For Believers there will be some that have no good works to receive a reward, yet they are eternally saved and already in their raptured and glorified bodies. Speaking about saved believers in Christ Paul wrote,

“If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: BUT HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED; yet so as by fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:15 KJV)

4. Crop Producers For The Harvest Of God’s Kingdom.

This are what believers should be striving to achieve in our Earthly lives. These are those who heard the Gospel and have accepted the Gospel of Salvation through belief on Christ and not by good works.They are born again in The Spirit of God and in great gratitude became learners, and disciples. They have as Paul taught been renewing their mind by God’s Word. They are not focused on this Earthly life as their focus. They know the truth of God’s word and the Kingdom Of God. They listened to Apostle Paul to be “not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”. This is where a believer need to seek to become in this world!

As we replace wrong thoughts and beliefs in our mind by God’s Word and guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14), we are actually displacing The Fleshly thoughts and beliefs. The Flesh is where the devil tries to tempt us and if we replace these sin bent beliefs, left from our now DEAD spirit of Adam that always wanted to sin, we will make better decisions which turn into good works outwardly in love towards others.

 

 

This is exactly what Paul mean in Ephesians 2 where he states that our works have nothing to do with how we are justified and saved in righteousness but it is from our new Spirit if God, created in Christ, that good works will flow outward into our lives. Not self righteous forced good works for salvation, but good works of God through us.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

For WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS –UNTO– GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV)

Paul did not write ‘good works FOR salvation’ right? NO, he wrote ‘UNTO GOOD WORKS’. It is all about being born again in the Spirit and now the Holy Spirit resides within a believer and that works outwardly into good works in love for others. It is all about Christ in us and us in Christ, being one with God in the Spirit (John 17:21-26, Colossians 2, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Ephesians. 1:13-14, Romans 6, John 15). We should have great gratitude for what God has done and for His amazing grace provided to us.

“…How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6: 2-14 KJV)

 

I Thought This Parable Was About A person’s Works?

The eternal security of the believer is a foundational truth of Christ Himself (John 3:18, John 6:37-40) and Apostle Paul (Ephesians 1:13-14). Once a person believes in Christ for righteousness, they are sealed and eternally saved and preserved by God in salvation from the moment of BELIEF ON CHRIST. The belief must be a real heart felt belief though; not just intellectual in the mind.

The first two who heard the seed of God’s Kingdom have not yet made a decision to believe the Gospel. They HEARD THE GOSPEL but in the end decided to not believe for the reasons Jesus gave when he explained the parable to the disciples.

Jesus was telling the Jews and Pharisee leaders that the truth is, Jesus is the fortold Messiah (as He proclaimed to the Jews and Pharisee leaders) who has come to pay for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Yet, some believe that one must –PERSEVERE in faith– in order to keep and have everlasting life, but that is not truth, and also not the truth in the Parable of the Four Soils.

The root, our Spirit, our core being, must be born again by BELIEF in Christ (John 3).

Some take this parable and make salvation about works but that is false. The seed is the Gospel. In context, the Pharisees and the other Jews that Jesus just spoke with had heard Jesus’ words of life (The Gospel of Salvation and the fact that HE IS Messiah), yet will not believe. Jesus describes this to the disciples when they asked Him privately why He is speaking in parables and not straight words.

“For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.” (Matthew 13:12 KJV)

To those who believe, more truth will be given but to those who refuse to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, what knowledge they heard will be taken away even more. Jesus knew their hearts. Self righteousness is a strong thing in a person and it hardens hearts against God! We must have The Spirit of God, not the old Spirit of Adam. Because regarding our fruit, only those with Christ living in them, and they in Christ, can be fruitful at all.

” I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: FOR WITHOUT ME, YE CAN DO NOTHING.” (John 15:5 KJV)

Salvation is by BELIEF ON CHRIST ALONE as the foretold Messiah, The Christ, the one who was foretold to come at the appointed time (Daniel 9:26) to be the once for all final blood atonement sacrifice  (Hebrews 10:10) for the sin of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Our works have NOTHING to do with being saved nor to keep ourselves saved. The belief has to be real and that is the point.

The Sower of seed parable is about the time when a person hears the true Gospel and how the devil tries to take the truth away from them BEFORE they decide to believe or not. Yes, saved people have had their Spirit REBORN. Our old spirit of Adam (a sin nature) DIED WITH CHRIST on that cross (Romans 6, Colossians 2) and we received a NEW CREATURE called The Spirit Of God. It is, RIGHT NOW, the righteousness of God, IN CHRIST and that is not something we work for, it was given to us by God through imputation by the operation of God (2 Cor. 5:17-21, Colossians 2:12). And having been recreated, IN CHRIST in our new born again Spirit, this works outwardly to mind renewing and good works.

Yet, look at the thief on the cross, all he did was BELIEVE JESUS IS who He said He is; God in the Flesh, the Messiah, which the Jews were looking for. He had no time to see his outward fruit change did he? He is in Heaven and saved eternally right? Just keep that truth in mind when reading the Parable of the Sower Sowing Seed.

The change of mind (repenting after salvation,Romans 12, John 17:17) found in the fourth group hearing the Word of the Kingdom, takes time and the amount of time is different for every individual that is saved and born again in the Spirit. And so, fruit bearing is evidence of faith OVER TIME, but we should never judge anyone by their fruit bearing, not necessarily ourselves either.

After all, God works on us inwardly in mind renewing at different paces. It is not our forced works, some 30, some 60 and some 100. It is the amount of knowledge and mind renewing that determines the amount of good works and that comes from God inwardly moving outwardly into our lives in love for others.

Apostle Paul tells us that, for eternally saved believers in Christ,

“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

This is when we can see how much we really have changed by God’s indwelling Holy Spirit and the Word of God. This is our sanctification (John 17:17).

A believer SHOULD see more and more of these things as our mind is renewed to match up with who God has now MADE US, which is the very righteousness of God, in Christ.

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might BE MADE the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor. 5:21 KJV)

That is GOD MAKES US RIGHTEOUS the moment we believe on Christ. Fruit bearing SHOULD follow. Why? Because we have been changed in our core being by belief on Christ. But NEVER JUDGE A PERSON regarding their salvation by their outward works. Saul (persecutor and murderer of Christians) became Apostle Paul (who wrote 2/3 of the New Testament and who GOD SENT to preach the Gospel of Grace to the gentiles). NOW THERE IS A CHANGE OF MIND!

But this transformation in our outward living takes time for each person.

Do You Believe That Works Are Required For Salvation?

Don Gerrity General OSAS Questions, Q&A: Salvation
Do You Believe That Works Are Required For Salvation?

The Ten Commandments are Holy and true. They are God’s Laws and they will be forever. However, a believer on Christ has been set free of every sin and is dead to the LAW OF MOSES FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. I will not try to convince you with any of my own enticing words. Works for salvation is a false gospel belief by Scripture. A belief Jesus warned sternly about. A belief that that Apostle Paul warned sternly about as well and he wrote 2/3 of the New Testament.

If you believe good works and being a good person are what save you, and are required to keep you saved, and yet also believe the Bible is God’s true word I ask you; have you been looking at your Bible to be sure what is being preached from the vast majority of church religion pulpits is what the Bible actually teaches about salvation? Understanding the Biblical truth is a matter of eternal destiny! Make sure what you believe about salvation is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ FROM THE BIBLE! Jesus gave stern warning about this.

Below are Scriptures that will speak for the truth, all in proper context. Do not take my word for it. Instead, go and check for yourself the surrounding verses and chapter contexts of these passages and verses and you will quickly see the truth about salvation and that our good works, which are good things that we SHOULD DO in love for others, are not what saves us, nor keeps us saved.

Happy hunting for the truth of God’s Word.

===JESUS, THE CHRIST===

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 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.” (John 3:14-18 KJV)

 

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but THE WILL OF HIM THAT SENT ME. And this is THE FATHER’S WILL which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is THE WILL OF HIM THAT SENT ME, that every one which seeth the Son, and BELIEVETH ON HIM, may have EVERLASTING LIFE: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:37-40 KJV)

 

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name DONE MANY WONDERFUL WORKS? And then will I profess unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU: depart from me, ye THAT WORK INIQUITY.” (Matthew 7:21-23 KJV)

 

(See John 6:37-40 above to see again what Jesus taught the Will of the Father is… belief on Christ alone. )

===JOHN THE BAPTIST===

“He that BELIEVETH ON THE SON HATH EVERLASTING LIFE: and he that BELIEVETH NOT THE SON shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36 KJV)

===APOSTLE PAUL===

+++EPHESIANS:

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also AFTER THAT YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14 KJV)

 

“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)

+++ROMANS:

“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)

 

“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 3:26-28 KJV)

 

“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)

 

“Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness OF ONE the FREE GIFT came upon all men unto JUSTIFICATION OF LIFE. For as by ONE MAN’S disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience OF ONE shall many BE MADE RIGHTEOUS.Moreover the law entered, that the offence MIGHT ABOUND. But where sin abounded, grace did MUCH MORE ABOUND:” (Romans 5:18-20 KJV)

 

+++GALATIANS:

“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)

 

“Knowing that a man is NOT JUSTIFIED by the works of the law, but BY THE FAITH OF JESUSU 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)

 

“O FOOLISH Galatians, who hath BEWITCHED YOU, that ye should not OBEY THE TRUTH, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, CRUCIFIED AMONG YOU? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by THE HEARING OF FAITH? Are ye so FOOLISH? having begun IN THE SPIRIT, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham BELIEVED GOD, and it was ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Gal. 3:1-6 KJV)

 

“Christ is become of NO EFFECT UNTO YOU, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are FALLEN FROM GRACE. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness BY FAITH.” (Gal. 5:4-5 KJV)

+++ CORINTHIANS:

“The sting of death is sin, and the STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW.” (1 Corinthians 15:56 KJV)

 

“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)

 

There are so many more verses and passages like these in the Bible and remember, if you see a contradiction on the Bible, that means you need to look closer at the context because there are no contradictions in all of the Bible.

Does that mean our good works AFTER salvation do not matter?

Oh yes.. THEY MATTER!

““Being then made free from sin, ye became THE SERVANTS of righteousness.” (Romans 6:18 KJV)

But these good works flow outward from our newly created Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Colossians 2, Romans 6), moving outwardly to mind renewing by guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God and study of God’s Word, The Holy Bible (Romans 12, John 17:17).

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what we have done whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10 KJV)

 

“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.).” (1 Corinthians 3:10-13 KJV)

Christ will be giving rewards to believers for their good works in love toward others. To those who trust and rely on CHRIST’S FINISHED WORK on the cross having paid for the sin of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Christ will reward for their good works done with the right Godly motives. Yet, even these works are NOT what keeps us saved. Only God keeps us saved and safe through Christ’s finished work on the cross; believers are IN CHRIST and CHRIST in IN US.