The goal of many ministers today is to give the listener assurance that they qualify for heaven, no matter what happens. This effort to give certainty has replaced the message of the cross and the need for doing the Father's will.
God does not allow his ministers to set new terms and He is not bound by them.
All that is recorded in His word as the terms of salvation must be followed.
Not one part but all parts. A single verse taken out of context will not suffice. Not Even for the Minister which misleads you while quoting the Bible.
You may have been told to Just Believe and you may have repeated a sinner's prayer. You might have been sincere and the minister may have been sincere but this is not the standard Jesus set.
Think of your minister like a lawyer. A Lawyer may know the law but he is not the judge and jury. The verdict lies with the judge and jury...not your lawyer.
Your minister is supposed to edify you to good works but he is not the judge and jury. His assurance is worthless if it does not match ALL of the commands of Jesus.
Bottom line is that we are responsible for our own salvation and we have the word of God preserved in some trustworthy translations.
We are without excuse!
There is too much at stake to leave this to some other persons interpretation. Don't let someones use of part of the scripture to Mislead you.
Let's let the scripture do the talking. No opinions. Just Jesus words.
1) REPENT - Luke 13:5 "I tell you, Nay: but, except (unless) ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
2) BE BORN AGAIN -John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except (unless) a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
3) BELIEVE and BE BAPTIZED - Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
4) TAKE COMMUNION - Luke 22:19 "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me."
Mat 26:27-28 "And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
5) BE BAPTIZED WITH the HOLY SPIRIT - Acts 1:5 "For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.."
6) BE CONVERTED -Matthew 18:3 "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except (unless) ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."
7) BE RIGHTEOUS -Matthew 5:20 " For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."
1) REPENT - To change how one thinks and their opinions to those of the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Changing from a mind that hates God to one that like the mind go Christ, loved God and demonstrates this through obedience.
2) BE BORN AGAIN - To be born of the Holy Spirit, To be born from above. To be a brand new creation, a baby that must grow and be raised in the ways of Jesus.
3) BELIEVE and BE BAPTIZED - To Believe is to adhere to and cling to Jesus with all your might. The act of baptism is the symbolic act of dying with Jesus and being resurrected into a new life.
4) TAKE COMMUNION - The worthy eating the elements of communion, remembering the sacrifice of the body and Blood of Jesus to take away our sins.
5) BE BAPTIZED WITH the HOLY SPIRIT - This is demonstrated by the fruit of the Spirit being present in the believer and manifest foremost in the shedding abroad of the love of God in the heart of the believer.
6) BE CONVERTED - To change how one behaves and their action to those of the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Obey the Gospel. Stop Sinning. If one cannot stop sinning, they are not yet converted.
7) BE RIGHTEOUS - Equitable, Just, Holy
Not going to Hell is just a byproduct of genuine salvation not the object.
The goal is to Love The Father of our Lord Jesus and demonstrate that love through obedience.
Here is what the scriptures say.
This is how all humans start :
Romans 8:7 "Because the carnal mind is enmity (hatred) against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."
Here is the Holy Spirit at work:
Romans 5:5 "And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."
Here is What Jesus Said:
John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
John 15:10 "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."
Mrk 12:29-31 "And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is,Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."
Jesus who made it possible to love his Father in his mercy will one day judge us in righteousness. We must be righteous.
Act 17:31 " Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."
Revelation 19:11 "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war."
We are responsible to be righteous. Then we will be like Jesus!
1John 3:2 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
And how is Jesus?
Hebrews 1:8-9 "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."
We must love righteousness and hate iniquity (especially our own)!
1Jn 4:17 " Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world."
We are to be like him in this world!
1) Find a quiet place so that you will not be disturbed.
2) Make a list of all your past sins as you know them. (The Holy Spirit may remind you of others later.)
3) Talk to the Father. Be sincere. Ask him as you would a kind earthly father to forgive you for each of these past sins. It is okay to cry if this saddens you. Keep going that sadness is called Godly Sorrow and it leds to repentance.
4) Tell him if he will Save you, you will Serve and Obey Him. Mean it. He knows if you do not mean it.
5) Ask him to send his Holy Spirit into your heart and shed abroad in your heart the Love of God. He will do it.
6) Begin studying and learning his truth from the word of God. We recommend the King James Version and the William Tyndale New Testament (Yale University Press). Other versions may not follow the original documents word for word and may not even use the original documents.)
7) Tell Someone!
8) Find someone to Baptize you.
9) Stop Sinning. You have to Power to say no with the help of the Holy Spirit. Don't know if something is a sin? Read the Bible. It is in there.
10) Walk through your day talking to him the way you would talk to your best friend. Let him know your needs and concerns.
11) Thank him often for everything he has done for you.
12) Find a church that agrees with what you find on this site and fellowship with them and take communion.
13) Please fill out the form on the site so we know that our work blessed you.
We will pray for you!
Who I am is not important. Who Jesus is is everything. I am an ordained minister since 1997 and just don't want people to be deceived.
