RESCUE ME
I want to look at something from a logical, common sense perspective. Most of the religions of the world are work oriented. People have to work themselves into heaven. If you take a close look at any of these religions, you will find they will not tell you how much work is needed to achieve the goal of eternal bliss. But this is not what I wish to focus on.
When researching these beliefs I found that they all had every one ending up in heaven, in some god like state, or eternally repeating life over and over and over. Very few of them had a person in hell or torment for eternity. This means that, as someone striving to be a Christ like person, I will eventually get to heaven or godhood or become a brain cell in the galactic mind, even if I’m wrong in my Christian belief.
Christianity tells us that the only way to eternal bliss is through the blood of Jesus. A person cannot earn salvation, it is a free gift to those that will accept it.
Acts 4:12 (NKJV) Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
1Jn 4:20-21 (NKJV) If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? :21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
John 17:21 (NKJV) that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
satan has won a great victory in dividing God’s people.
Lk 6:27-28 (NKJV)“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, :28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
Romans 3:10-11(KJV) As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.
Romans 3:23-25 Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; 24yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins. 25For God sent Christ Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to end all God’s anger against us. He used Christ’s blood and our faith as the means of saving us from his wrath.
Again, if I am wrong I will eventually end up in Glory. If I am right, I will end up in Glory. I have a one hundred percent chance of making it.
However, those that reject Jesus will lose and burn in the lake of fire for all eternity.
Revelation 20:11 - 15 (ESV) 11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
How do I know salvation through Jesus is real?
The lunch story:
You are walking down town. You turn a corner and meet up with an old friend. You stop and talk for a few minutes then go on. After you take a few more steps you smell food and see that you are passing a restaurant. Taking a look at your watch you see it is 1:00 pm. Then you wonder if your friend might have just come from their, since you had not discussed lunch. Your friend knows whether or not they ate, they feel the food in them, but you don’t know, if they didn’t spill it on their shirt. When I truly accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I sensed His spirit present in me. I can feel him every day. His loving presence is with me now.
A true Christ like person will start changing. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Ezekiel 11:19 (KJV) And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: Colossians 3:5 - 10 (ESV) 5Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
There are so many people that have gone to the altar, done the repeat after me thing, spoke it with their mouth but never believed it in their heart. They have never been saved. They did this in order to get their mom, dad, girl friend, wife etc. off their back.
Rom 10:9-10 NKJV that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. :10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
The ones that have not truly accepted Jesus find it hard to make changes for any length of time and end up going back to their old ways.
2 Peter 2:22 (TMSG) They prove the point of the proverbs, “A dog goes back to its own vomit,” and, “A scrubbed-up pig heads for the mud.”
Galatians 5:22 - 26 (NKJV) 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
You can know them by their fruit.
Matthew 7:16 - 17 (NKJV) 16You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
Until you accept Jesus with true faith, sense him touch and change you, it will be impossible to understand why we true Christians believe the way we do.
We are all human and we all sometimes give in to the battle with the flesh. The difference is a true Christ like person will regret what he or she has done and quickly stop what they are doing which is not pleasing to God.
Eph 2:4-5 NKJV But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
Romans 5:8 (NKJV) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
John 3:16 - 17 (KJV) 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
2 Corinthians 5:21 "He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we may be made the righteousness of God through Him."
Romans 3:10 - 12 (KJV) 10As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12… there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Romans 3:23 (KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 6:23 (KJV) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:8, "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!"
John 14:6 (NKJV) 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Romans 10:13 "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved!"
Romans 10:9,10 "...If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
Romans 8:1 (KJV) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 1:16 (KJV) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; …
The gift of God is eternal life. Will you accept this gift? All you have to do is reach out to him with an honest, repentant heart.
