October 2005
 In
an August 2005 survey of 1004 Americans,
NEWSWEEK magazine and Beliefnet
found that 67% say the soul goes to heaven
or hell when we die. Remarkably, 81% of
Protestants and Catholics believed that
a good person of another faith can attain
salvation or go to heaven, even though
their Savior Jesus declares: "I am
the way, the truth, and the life. No
one comes to the Father except
through Me." 1
Myth or Fact?
There are numerous myths
deceiving the minds of Christians. One
is that you can get to heaven by being
good. They believe God weighs your good
and bad works, and if your good works
outweigh your bad, you get in, otherwise
you go to hell. This is not the way God
saves. Without faith in Christ, our works
will signify nothing but rebellion.
I hear people say, "God
helps those who help themselves,"
thinking they are quoting the Bible. To
the contrary, God helps those who understand
they cannot help themselves. Jesus said
if any of you wants to be my follower,
you must put aside your selfish ambition,
shoulder your cross daily, and follow
me. If you try to keep your life for yourself,
you will lose it. But if you give up your
life for me, you will find true life.
2
This is a true saying,
and everyone should believe it: Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners,
and I was the worst of them all. 3
The problem we have is a sin debt that
we can not pay. Our only hope is in Jesus
Christ, Who on the cross suffered and
died so that His blood could cleanse us
of our sin. He pays our debt of sin and
obtains for us His righteousness and gives
us the resurrection life. 4
There is no hope in selfish ambition,
which includes everyone who trusts in
their good works or religious ceremonies
to attain heaven. There is salvation in
no one else! There is no other name in
all of heaven for people to call on to
save them. 5
The Error of these Days
It is incredible how
someone professing Christianity could
believe in such myths. I remember being
asked years ago at a parole hearing if
I thought that believing in Christ was
the only way to go to heaven. I said,
"Yes!", and I was scoffed at
because of my reply. I feared being accused
of narrow mindedness, but I recalled Jesus
saying narrow is the gate and difficult
is the way which leads to life, and there
are few who find it. 6
He also said if anyone acknowledges Him
publicly here on earth, I will openly
acknowledge that person before my Father
in heaven. 7
The apostle Paul warned
Timothy saying that in the last days people
will love only themselves and money. They
will be boastful and proud, scoffing at
God, disobedient to their parents, unloving,
unforgiving, slanderers, cruel, reckless
and ungrateful. They will love pleasure
rather than God. They will act as if they
are religious, but they will reject the
power that could make them godly. You
must stay away from people like that.
But many will follow new teachings and
never be able to come to the knowledge
of the truth. Evil people and impostors
will flourish. They will deceive many,
and they themselves will be deceived.
He commends Timothy and points out that
he has been taught the holy Scriptures
from childhood, and they have given him
the wisdom to receive the salvation that
comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 8
Those who have not been
taught the holy Scriptures from childhood
are missing the wisdom to receive the
salvation that comes only by trusting
in Christ Jesus. It is a fact that all
Scripture [The Holy Bible] is inspired
by God and is useful to teach us what
is true and to make us realize what is
wrong in our lives. It straightens us
out and teaches us to do what is right.
It is God's way of preparing us in every
way, fully equipping us for every good
thing God wants us to do. 9
As Christians, we must all stand before
Christ while to be judged, but not
as sinners. We will each receive the rewards
we deserve as Saints for the good or evil
we have done in our bodies. 10
Saved from Error
Christianity is all about
being delivered from the error of darkness
and brought into the light of truth. Jesus
said to the people, I am the light of
the world. If you follow me, you won't
be stumbling through darkness, because
you will have the light that leads to
life. Believe in the light while there
is still time; then you will become children
of the light. 11
Often, I encourage people
to pray the truth of Scripture. May you
be filled with joy,
always thanking the Father, who has enabled
you to share the inheritance that belongs
to God's holy people, who live in the
light. For He has rescued you from the
one who rules in the kingdom of darkness,
and has brought you into the Kingdom of
his dear Son. God has purchased your freedom
with His blood and has forgiven all your
sins. 12 It is important
to express thanksgiving to God for your
gift of His righteousness as a result
of the finished work of the cross. 13
Listen to what Jesus
said to the apostle Paul when asked, "Who
are you sir?" I believe Jesus is
also saying to some of us, "I am
Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Now
stand up! For I have appeared to you to
appoint you as my servant and my witness.
You are to tell the world about this experience
and about other times I will appear to
you. And I will protect you from both
your own people [Jewish] and the Gentiles
[non-Jewish] ... to open their eyes so
they may turn from darkness to light,
and from the power of Satan to God. Then
they will receive forgiveness for their
sins and be given a place among God's
people, who are set apart by faith in
Me." 14
Understanding the Truth
The Lord wants everyone
to be saved and to understand the truth.
For there is only one God and one Mediator
who can reconcile God and people. He is
the man Christ Jesus. He gave His life
to purchase freedom for everyone. This
is the message that God gave to the world.
15 For God so loved
the world that He gave His only Son, so
that everyone who believes in Him will
not perish but have eternal life. 16
In May 1975, I finally
understood God's love, and how He gave
His Son for me to have eternal life. The
Lord had been drawing me to Himself for
a long time. 17
Until then, I could not understand His
love, but that night God revealed the
things he had prepared for me by His Spirit.
18 He came into
my heart and revealed what had been hidden
all my life: Christ lives in me, and this
is my assurance that I will share in His
glory. 19
There have been many
spiritual battles since receiving Christ.
I am human, but like the apostle Paul,
I don't wage war with human plans and
methods. I use God's mighty weapon, not
mere worldly wisdom, to knock down the
Devil's strongholds. His Word breaks down
every proud argument that keeps me from
knowing God. By His Word, I conquer all
rebellious ideas, and through the Holy
Spirit, others are taught to walk in obedience
to Christ. 20
Wake Up Time
Salvation was a wake
up call for me, when His Light came on
in my life. For though my heart was once
full of darkness, now I was full of light
from the Lord, and I knew that my behavior
should show it. I found when the light
shines on the works of darkness, it becomes
clear how evil these things are. And when
our light shines, it will expose evil
things. This is why it is said, "Awake,
0 sleeper, rise up from the dead, and
Christ will give you light."
21
So be careful how you
live, not as fools, but as those who are
wise. Make the most of every opportunity
for doing good in these evil days. Don't
act thoughtlessly, because that will ruin
your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit
fill and control you. Then you will sing
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
making music to the Lord in your heart.
And you will always give thanks for everything
to God the Father in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ. 22
The Lord is the only
One who can open your eyes to His great
love. He sent the Holy Spirit to reveal
the secret concerning Christ and the church.
Christ loved the church [that's us] and
gave Himself for her, that He might make
her holy and cleanse her with the washing
of water by the Word [His love], that
he might present her to Himself, a glorious
church, not having spot or wrinkle or
any such thing, but that she should be
holy and without blemish. 23
A Prayer for you...
Father, I thank you for the spiritual
wisdom and understanding, so that I might
grow in the knowledge of Christ. I pray
that my heart will be flooded with light
so that I can understand the wonderful
future and calling You have promised me
in Christ. I want to realize what a rich
and glorious inheritance You have given
to Me.
I pray that I will understand the incredible
greatness of Your power in us who believe
in Christ. This is the same mighty power
that raised Christ from the dead and seated
him in the place of honor at Your right
hand in the heavenly realms. Now Christ
is far above any ruler or authority or
power or leader or anything else in this
world or in the world to come.
You have put all things under the authority
of Christ. You have given Him this authority
for our benefit. We are His body; the
body of Christ, filled with His presence.
For You raised us from the dead along
with Christ, and we are seated with Him
in the heavenly realm, all because we
are one with Christ Jesus. Amen! 24
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