Randy Bell
29 Jan 2017

Be Sure You Are Going To Heaven

Evidence of Salvation 6: Do You Believe the Bible is The Truth?

John provides seven clear-cut proofs of salvation, and today we look at what is truth according to Evidence #6. Don’t skip the others, read through these proofs in his letter we call 1 John.

The apostle proves that life-changing evidence of salvation will remove doubts and fears about your relationship with God. And in Evidence #6 we see John pressing forward by demanding that it is a non-optional fact that only true believers accept and live by the Bible as God’s revelation and absolute truth.

He continues his onslaught with the evidence that separates the real believer from the false. John does this by establishing what constitutes truth and what is not. And what is not true is nothing more than the lies that spew from the deceiver of mankind. “They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” [1 John 4:2,3]

The source of the information determines what is true and what is false. The eyewitnesses who walked with Jesus the Son of God shared the truth. All the rumors, false information, and twisted teaching that was propagated by others as if from Jesus was false.

So the line is drawn in the sand. Listen to Christ or listen to the world. The eyewitnesses of Jesus, such as John, Matthew, Peter, Paul, etc wrote down what they saw with their own eyes, what they heard directly from Jesus, and what they actually did through God’s Holy Spirit empowering them. Inspired by God, they supernaturally wrote the words God wanted all people to receive about salvation and a relationship with Him. These books are the New Testament Bible we have today and it is God’s absolute truth for every person.

 

scorm-icon1 John 1:1-4 (NLT)

1  We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life.

2  This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us.

3  We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

4  We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.

In any court of law, only eyewitnesses and evidence are the foundation for truth. Doubters and unbelievers who were not in Israel, not standing next to Jesus, and not hearing Christ the Lord speak have no testimony of truth. Anyone can invent an opinion about anything, but that opinion is not equal to evidence! It is false information created by fools!

scorm-icon2 Peter 1:20-21 (NLT)

20  Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding,

21  or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

 

The Holy Spirit is a person, not a force or some kind of energy. God revealed Himself to certain people in the ancient past, and the Old Testament is the written testimonies of the people who experienced God. It is historical fact, not mythological stories. Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham and all the others are real people with real stories about the God of heaven, our creator.

Many of these prophets revealed unknowable information about the future to prove they were speaking by the revelation and in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the evidence of God himself reaching out to the world and offering eternal life.

But there is a dynamic war of what is truth versus what are lies or error in the world. The world rejects the Bible and the testimony of the followers of Jesus who lived with Him. We find the apostle Paul also explaining the difference between TRUTH and ERROR in many places of his writings. For example, in his letter to the church in Galatia, he writes,

 

scorm-iconGalatians 1:6-9 (NLT)

6  I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News

7  but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.

8  Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you.

9  I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed.

You have turned from God and His truth if you will not follow the message that Jesus gave to humanity and instead listen to anyone else, including your own opinions. Who do you think you are? You are not important enough, nor powerful enough to create truth. God is divine and creator of you and everything. Your words have no power to change the future or eternity. God’s Word establishes truth, life, and all creation. Contradicting God leaves you cursed and under everlasting death. Your opinion is NOTHING BUT ANOTHER COSTLY ERROR that you will suffer from unless you LISTEN TO GOD.

 

scorm-icon2 Corinthians 11:3-4 (NLT)

3  But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.

4  You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.

 

A different Jesus, a different spirit, and a different gospel will lead you to a different place than heaven. The world and popular opinion of today will agree with a new and different message, but deception, not truth is that path of darkness. Believe me when I tell you, that old serpent the devil wants you destroyed through new novel ideas.

False preachers, teachers, and religions will offer you every new idea that can possibly be thought of to twist you from believing the historical reality of God’s salvation through Christ Jesus the Lord. There are a heaven and hell, therefore religion has nothing to do with making yourself satisfied and happy. Truth determines your eternal destiny. Your way will land you in the devil’s path to eternal hell.

options-iconAn Evidence of Salvation Is Believing The Truth of God’s Word The Bible!

A person who agrees with the Bible is of God. A person who listens to new religious leaders in contradiction to the Bible is not saved! The Bible is the standard of truth and the determiner of error. Any person, movement, or religion that contradicts the plain and clear teaching of the Bible is in error, even if they claim their message came by the special way of angels from God to correct and improve the old message of the Bible with a new revelation.

There are no new prophets sent by God to correct or contradict His Son’s message of salvation. IT DOES NOT NEED CORRECTION! There are no new messages from God to correct the old-fashioned churches that follow the old New Testament Bible written nearly 2000 years ago.

So how can we tell the truth?

“We are of God [John and the other disciples], He who knows God hears us [listens to their teaching from the Bible]; he who is not of God does not hear us [listen to us] . . .” [1 John 4:6]

This means the New Testament portion of the Bible must be completely believed also, not just the Jewish scriptures, to prove you are really of God. Remember John along with all the original followers of Messiah were Jewish. Most Jews want God without Jesus, their Messiah, even though He fully revealed Himself to them, and fulfilled all the prophecy given by the Old Testament prophets.

There is no plan “B” for them or anyone else. The GOOD NEWS is Yeshua, son of David, sacrificed His life for all sin. How plain can it be? The message of John and the other Jewish followers of Jesus, the Messiah, is still the same. Eternal life is given by God to all who believe His Word and repent.

Paul, the apostle, wrote to his fellow Jews…

scorm-iconRomans 10:1-4 (NLT)

1  Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved.

2  I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.

3  For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.

4  For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

Your way versus God’s way is the issue! Truth is God’s way, lies are the world’s ways. Your thoughts versus God’s thoughts. Your ways, versus God’s! Only the true saint sees this truth, leaves his ways, and follows Jesus.

You are not smarter than, wiser than, nor greater than God. When you are convinced of your own importance, which includes all your ideas, you are in error. Your life is based on lies. Jesus is the only truth (John 14:6). Do not live a life of misdirection, but instead, humble yourself and listen to God Almighty. Every time you contradict the Bible you are denying the Lord Jesus. Any personal opinion that contradicts Jesus denies Christ and is a lie.

Jude wrote a brief letter to further this warning, “Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” [Jude 1:3-4 (NLT)]

Jude warns that anyone inside the community of the church who contradicts Jesus is a person who denies Christ. No matter who you are, when you contradict the God in the flesh, Jesus the Messiah, and put words in His mouth, or twist His teaching, you have denied God, and called Him a liar. Therefore truth is what the Bible clearly states, and you can measure everything to be true or false by the real standard of truth, THE WORD OF GOD, WHICH IS THE BIBLE.

It is the will of God written for all people. It is the path of life, the narrow road, given for all people to follow. It is the truth, without error because the all-knowing God has supernaturally written, preserved and given it to mankind.

Jude continues to reveal God’s opinion of people that contradict Him and follow their own truth. “In the same way, these people—who claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority and scoff at supernatural beings. But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’ (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body.)”

“But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.” [Jude 1:8-11 (NLT)]

Jude gives examples of many people who dream up their own truth, their own opinions of what they want to do, even though it contradicts the clear revelation of the Bible. The people of error, follow their instincts and natural passions but claim God is on their side. The people of error clash with truth to their own destruction.

History is filled with many, many people who have lived and died demanding that their way was right. For example, Cain killed Abel and was angry with God because He did not accept his own way of practicing religion. Or others, like Korah, who clashed with Moses, God’s chosen leader, and demanded God accept his opinion on worship and spiritual authority. The people of error clash with the people of truth.

John warns there are many who will try to confuse and twist the truth in 1 John chapter 4…

scorm-icon1  Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.

2  This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.

3  But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.

4  But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

5  Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them.

6  But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.

How can you hear the truth spoken by John and the other first-century disciples of Jesus?

options-iconJohn clearly demands that only those who listen to him and the other writers of the New Testament are of God. “… BY THIS WE KNOW THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH AND THE SPIRIT OF ERROR.”

Every teaching outside of the Bible is driven ultimately by the spirit of Antichrist, the blinding force that keeps the whole world in darkness from the loving God. So only the born again child of God has the miraculous new birth that gives Christians the eyes to see the truth.

John says, “… it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.” [1 John 5:6b] And again, the apostle Paul agrees by saying, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” [1 Corinthians 2:12-13]

The powerful end time deception that will sweep the last generation of this era into the arms of the devil is based on strong delusion through lies. Every bump in our culture that pushes the envelope into deeper sin, forces the world one more step into Antichrist rule. The people go deeper into darkness, blinded and cursed, and run to complete rejection of the church and its message.

This is not the church’s fault unless they shrink in fear and refuse to SPEAK THE TRUTH expecting God to miraculously raise dead sinners to eternal life.

scorm-icon1 John 2:18-27 (NLT)

18  Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.

19  These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.

20  But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth.

21  So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies.

22  And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist.

23  Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24  So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father.

25  And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.

26  I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray.

27  But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

The truth will set you FREE!

scorm-iconJohn 8:31-47 (NLT)

31  Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.

32  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

33  “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”

34  Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.

35  A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever.

36  So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

37  Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message.

38  I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.”

39  “Our father is Abraham!” they declared. “No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example.

40  Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing.

41  No, you are imitating your real father.” They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.”

42  Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me.

43  Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me!

44  For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

45  So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!

46  Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me?

47  Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.”

Well, do you belong to God? Prove it!

options-iconSo remember, there are things we can disagree on, but you cannot disagree with the Bible over your salvation and eternal life. Unless you allow God through the Bible to direct your faith and beliefs you will be lost forever. God so loves you that He gave His Word to be clear and concise to prevent you from being confused and miss His gift of eternal life.

If you do not know how to repent and follow Jesus contact us immediately and ask for help. That is why we are here!

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Randy Bell
29 Jan 2017

Be Sure You Are Going To Heaven

Evidence of Salvation 7: Do You Believe in Jesus the Messiah?

Now let’s look at the last proof John gives for salvation in his letter we call 1 John. Evidence #7 asks the question,  “Do You Believe in Jesus the Messiah?”

Here is our final proof. Faith in the Jesus that the Bible describes as Jesus the Messiah, is non-optional, because the Biblical Jesus is the only savior of the world.

“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ [promised messiah of O.T.] is born of God” [1 John 5:1, 10-12]

Jesus made this important to the first century disciples. “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” [Matthew 16:15-16]

If you have a problem with the idea that Jesus is God and cannot accept it or hold to it, then you are NOT going to heaven. You are NOT born again. And the word “believe” means more than the American usage. John demands that a born again person trusts in, clings to, and relies upon Jesus the long promised Messiah for their salvation. He is Almighty God, the redeemer. They trust Him as their savior from sin. He is their only salvation.

Think it through, the Bible describes what God means by the term, Christ [Greek for Messiah].

1/ The Messiah was promised through the prophets to be the sacrifice for sin.

glossary-icon“He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 9 And they made His grave with the wicked– But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.” [Isaiah 53:8-10 (NKJV)]

The apostle Peter proclaimed this truth when he preached to a huge crowd of people in Jerusalem. “And it is one of King David’s descendants, Jesus, who is God’s promised Savior of Israel!” [Acts 13:23 (NLT)]

2/ Prophecy said he would be both Almighty God and a human son born miraculously by a virgin.

glossary-iconLook carefully at Isaiah 9:6:

For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Let me clarify the dual teaching by first quoting the same prophet, Isaiah, who again uses the same words “Mighty God” clearly to mean the Almighty God as illustrated here. “And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel, And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, To the Mighty God.” [Isaiah 10:20-21 (NKJV)]

Other prophets use the same word when they speak of Almighty God. “The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” [Zeph 3:17 (NKJV)]

3/ Jesus is ALMIGHTY GOD not a lesser, created god

glossary-icon“You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. 11 I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior. 12 I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses,” Says the Lord, “that I am God. [Isaiah 43:10-12 (NKJV)]

Make no mistake, there are no other gods. God never formed any gods, and promised He never would. All so called gods are enemies of the Almighty God, and are not really gods, but demons. Deuteronomy 32:17 (NLT) explains, “They offered sacrifices to demons, which are not God, to gods they had not known before, to new gods only recently arrived, to gods their ancestors had never feared.” Fallen angels are worshipped, but they are not gods. Fallen angels were followed as gods by deceived ancient peoples and their power was real, BUT there is only one GOD!.

So Jesus cannot be a created god, or another god, or a divine lesser god; which means as He himself claimed, IS GOD ALMIGHTY, even if you do not understand how that can be. Let me prove it.

In Isaiah, God says He is the only savior. And yet Jesus was both the savior and sacrifice for sin. Luke 2:10-12 (NLT) quotes the angel of heaven, “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Jesus was announced to be Messiah, the Savior! You cannot reject Christ’s divine origin, He is God, not a god.

And Peter proclaimed it in Acts 5:30-31 (NLT) “The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross. 31 Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven.”

4/ Jesus was already God before He came to earth as a baby

glossary-iconIn John 8:58 Jesus claimed to be Almighty God, not a divine, lesser god by saying, “‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’” Was Jesus a liar? If He was, He sure would not be divine!

Look at the words Jehovah, the Almighty God used as He revealed Himself to Abraham.“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.” [Gen 17:1 (NKJV)] But remember Jesus said, before Abraham was even born, HE WAS “I AM.”

Look at the way Almighty God revealed Himself to Moses. “So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” 6 Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father–the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.” [Ex 3:4-6 (NKJV)]

“Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.‘” [Ex 3:13-15 (NKJV)]

When Jesus said He was “I AM” every Jew knew He was stating He was ALMIGHTY GOD, THE GREAT “I AM”! Why do you think the unbelievers wanted to stone Him? Jesus did not lie, nor claim to be a god. He truthfully told the people in Israel He was GOD!

Here is another exchange He had with unbelievers again speaking clearly in their language that He was Almighty God. He said, “The Father and I are one.” 31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him.

32 Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?” 33 They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.” [John 10:30-33 (NLT)]

They clearly understood Him saying He was ALMIGHTY GOD, not a god.

5/ His disciples worshiped Him and called Him God

glossary-icon“And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” [John 20:28]

Paul agrees “…while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.” [Titus 2:13 (NLT)]

6/ Jesus was fully a human and fully God

glossary-iconA person who says they are of God but teaches and believes that Jesus was not a human also is not of God. The facts are miraculously, ALMIGHTY GOD BECAME A REAL MAN born of a real virgin woman.

Look in 1 John 4:2,3 for this. “Here’s how you test for the genuine Spirit of God. Everyone who confesses openly his faith in Jesus Christ — the Son of God, who came as an actual flesh-and-blood person — comes from God and belongs to God. 3 And everyone who refuses to confess faith in Jesus has nothing in common with God. This is the spirit of antichrist that you heard was coming. Well, here it is, sooner than we thought!” (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

7/ You Cannot Be Born Again and Reject Jesus Christ as God and Man

glossary-icon“He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” [1 John 5:12]

“This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.” [Matt 1:18 (NLT)]

“And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” [Matt 1:21-23 (NLT)]

It is obvious by now that 1 John demands proof of salvation, not just mental belief. He learned this from the Lord Jesus as recorded in the Gospels.

Matthew 7:21-27 [21] “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven… [26] But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: [27] and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

You must understand that Jesus is the only begotten son of God, and the second person of the godhead, and the Messiah.

15  But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

16  When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

17  And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” [Matthew 3:15-17 (NKJV)]

The previous scriptures already proves Jesus is not a different god, but Almighty. Even though the word trinity is not used here, THREE DISTINCT PERSONS, are revealed in this event. Almighty God, the Messiah Jesus is baptized in the water. As He comes up from the water, Almighty God the Holy Spirit descends from heaven and falls upon Jesus. And then Almighty God the Father speaks from heaven and proclaims Jesus is His beloved Son. Three different persons, but ONE ALMIGHTY GOD! An unexplained mystery of Almighty God, but fulfilling prophecy, and verifying Jesus is both God and man.

All three things are true about God, plus many more! Jesus is Almighty God and always existed as the great “I AM.” And yes He also was miraculously placed inside the real human body of Mary, and was born a human, the only begotten Son of God. And He was sent to earth to save us from our sins because He is the promised Messiah of Almighty God.

REMEMBER:

What you really believe changes what you do. And when you really believe in Christ as you trust in Him to pay for your sin on the cross, His power changes your life to be able to do what God demands. But normal man only wishes he could change. The Word of God declares, “By grace you are saved through faith…” This is not in theory, but God’s salvation actually transforms people, that is why proof is essential, and fruit is the evidence. Jesus stated it plainly,  “Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” [Matthew 7:20 (NLT)]

The fruit of change is the character, attitudes, and actions of God coming through the lives of those who are born again. The “wanna be Christians” are actually hypocrites, and they can deceive people, but not Jesus, because some hide their sins in secret where only God sees them. But He will bring justice on judgment day.

So I must ask you one more time,  do you pass all seven tests? If not, please stop right now and make a change. Repentance starts with getting real with God and yourself.

HERE IS HOW TO BE BORN AGAIN

Acts 2:38-39 (NLT) “Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins, turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ to show that you have received forgiveness for your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”

options-icon1/ THE LAW OF GOD MUST BE EXAMINED AND FACED JUST LIKE YOU WOULD IN A COURTROOM [Read Exodus 20, Matthew 5-7, Galatians 5, Ephesians 2]

Why? because the law of God creates guilt

“Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.” [Romans 3:19 (NLT)]

“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” [Gal 5:19-21 (NLT)]

Jesus first explains the process,  Matthew 5:3 (NLT) “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. You must see clearly as God sees you…

Romans 3:10-18 (NLT)
10  As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one.
11  No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.
12  All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”
13  “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.”
14  “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15  “They rush to commit murder.
16  Destruction and misery always follow them.
17  They don’t know where to find peace.”
18  “They have no fear of God at all.”

Complete spiritual poverty is  already everyone’s plight and God knows it. But until you have no more excuses, explanations, or evil lies and simply bow before your holy creator and admit your sin you can never be connected to God or ever live forever in heaven. And it must be so real to you that you move into the second step.

 

options-icon2/ NEXT RESPOND TO THE GUILTY VERDICT WITH FULL ADMISSION OF YOUR SPECIFIC CRIMES, FOLLOWED WITH DEEP SADNESS

Why? because guilt creates godly sorrow

“Come close to God and he will come close to you. Realize that you have sinned and get your hands clean again. Realize that you have been disloyal and get your hearts made true once more. As you come close to God you should be deeply sorry, you should be grieved, you should even be in tears. Your laughter will have to become mourning, your high spirits will have to become heartfelt dejection. You will have to feel very small in the sight of God before he will set you on your feet once more.” [James 4:8 (Phillips NT)]

 

options-icon3/ THEN FULLY REPENT AND FOLLOW JESUS [OBEDIENT LIKE A SLAVE], YOUR NEW LORD – Why? because only deep godly sorrow creates true repentance

“For godly grief and the pain God is permitted to direct, produce a repentance that leads and contributes to salvation and deliverance from evil, and it never brings regret; but worldly grief (the hopeless sorrow that is characteristic of the pagan world) is deadly [breeding and ending in death].“ [2 Cor 7:10 (AMP)]

“Let the thief steal no more, but rather let him be industrious, making an honest living with his own hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need.” [Eph 4:28 (AMP)]

True repentance means first to stop your sinful crime, and in our example of a thief that is only the first step because this is only partial repentance. Next, the thief must get a job and earn his money. But this is still partial repentance because it does not deal with the heart of the sin, GREED. A greedy person steals and cheats, but a fearful or careful greedy person just works hard to stuff his own pockets. Here the Bible explains that true and full repentance is only proven when the ex-thief makes a 180 and joyfully gives some of his hard earned money to needy people.

AN EXAMPLE PRAYER WOULD BE LIKE THIS

Dear Almighty God,

Just like I am subject to the laws of my nation, I realize you are my Almighty Creator and ruler of the universe. You are the only one who is all powerful,  good and fair. Because of this you have the right to establish the law of the world and I now bow to your authority. I have broken your law _________ [fill in the blanks], and I am sick with sadness in how I have acted.

Please forgive me! I believe and accept your offer of forgiveness through Jesus dying in the place of my judgment. I turn from all the crimes I am practicing, I have no excuses, And I now am grateful for your mercy. I choose to follow and love my Lord Jesus by obedience to His commands all my days. AMEN

options-iconFINAL THOUGHT

And remember, there are things we can disagree on, but you cannot disagree with the Bible over your salvation and eternal life. Unless you allow God through His Word the Bible to direct your faith and beliefs you will be lost forever. BUT… God so loves you He gave His Word to be clear and concise to prevent you from being confused and miss His gift of eternal life.

If you still do not know or understand how to repent and follow Jesus contact us immediately through our website and ask for help.

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