BIBLE REFERENCE:
“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5
ENCOURAGING WORD:
In the Christian sect of religion, most of today’s churches are teaching that we are saved by good works. That is probably the most deceptive teaching in the mainline denominational churches. The only way for us to be saved by acts of self-righteousness is by living a completely pure sinless life. And then when you accomplish that and you get to heaven, you say to Jesus, “Move over, now there are two of us.” How Ridiculous is that. If you think that you can even get close, let me enlighten you to a truthful fact. The best human being, outside of Jesus Christ, sins at least seven times day, minimum.
Most people think they will go to heaven because, in their estimation, they are good people. Yet Psalm 14:3 says, “They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one” Not one human being other than Jesus Christ was without sin.
We have all sinned Romans 3:23; “As Jesus said, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Just in case you didn’t read what I just said, It says “ALL” have fallen short, so right there, nobody can earn their way to heaven, because entrance into heaven aside of grace, cannot and will not happen. God cannot allow sinful man into heaven. Sin has to be dealt with, and the only way it can be dealt with is when we look to the cross and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
Luke 18:19; “So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” This verse is taken way out of context in the Jehovah Witness sect of religion. Jesus is not saying that He is not God, He is saying to the rich young ruler, “Why do you call me good?” The rich young ruler does not know that Jesus is God in the flesh, so Jesus is making appoint. If we don’t acknowledge Jesus as God in the flesh, then we are saying that Jesus is not good. Why would Jesus say that He isn’t good, when the rest of the bible declares that Jesus was sinless from birth to death. If Jesus is not good, then that would mean that Jesus had sinned. A little common sense can go along way when you just think about it. I hope this clears up the misconception of this verse for those of you that didn’t understand it. When the Bible says that “there is none who does good,” it doesn’t mean that people are as bad as they can be or that people are morally incapable of doing anything right. People are capable of doing good things in terms of how we perceive good. They can be kind or thoughtful, give generous gifts, and care for the disadvantaged. Even an atheist can be a philanthropist. However, no amount of “good deeds” can change the fact that all people are sinful by nature.
Psalm 14:2–3 explains: “The LORD looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Often we will ask someone, “Are you going to heaven? If they say, “Yes, they believe so, then ask them why they believe they will go to heaven. Probably 90 percent will answer, “Because I’m a good person.” This is what the denominational churches teach. Since most of the Christian body is made up of Catholics and Lutherans, it will be a horrible days when they stand before Jesus at the “White Throne Judgement” and find out that they have been deceived by the pastors and priests that they put their faith in. So, I can say this with complete boldness, if you continue to put your faith in any pastor or priest, you will most likely perish. Gods words, not mine.
Acts 4:10-12; “let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone, which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Salvation is not found in Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism or any other sect of Christianity. It is only through Jesus Christ that one can be saved. The Pope can’t save you; Mary can’t save you nor any other human being that ever walked the earth. 1 Timothy 2:5; “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,” One mediator, Jesus Christ. Most of us can read, so why do we not take Gods Word as truth? You will be held accountable for what you believe, and you won’t be able to blame it on your pastor or priest. You have a choice, learn what the Bible says, not what religion says.
Only God is good all the time and in all things and He declares that all people are sinful. “Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins” 1 Chronicles 16:34; “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Ecclesiastes 7:20; “For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin. No one is naturally inclined to do what is good or to seek after God.
Isaiah 64:6; “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousness’s are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.” This is saying, the best thing we could ever do, in Gods eyes are as filthy rags. The original version of this verse is much more descriptive than the English version.
I’ll share this with you, so you get a better picture of what this is saying; The term “filthy rags” is quite strong. The word filthy is a translation of the Hebrew word iddah, which literally means “the bodily fluids from a woman’s menstrual cycle.” The word rags is a translation of begged, meaning “a rag or garment.” Therefore, these “righteous acts” are considered by God as repugnant as a soiled feminine hygiene product. This is compared to the best we have to offer God.
Paul affirms that Jews and Gentiles alike are under the power of sin Romans 3:23; “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,’ He quotes Psalm 14:3 in Romans 3:12: “There is none who does good, no, not one” All people are in need of God’s salvation; the unsaved will pay the consequence for their sin, which is death. Romans 6:23; “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If we die with even one sin accounted to us, we will perish into everlasting torment in the Lake of Burning Fire. So, don’t think for a moment that you can earn your way into heaven. As the Bible clearly states, salvation is not based on a person’s goodness; if it were, no one would be saved, since there is none who does good. The Bible teaches that we can never be good enough to get to heaven. Matthew 5:20; “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.’
If you don’t understand what this is insinuating, know this. The Scribes and Pharisees were the most religious group in those days. No one kept the law better than they did. So, God is saying that even the Scribes and Pharisees in all their infinite wisdom and knowledge and obedience to the Law, were not saved. If anybody could earn their way into heaven, it would have been those two groups that I just mentioned. Hear what Jesus had to say to them, speaking of the Scribes and Pharisees. John 8:44-45; “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.”
These self-righteous leaders were comparable to the Catholic Hierarchy of today, and I’m sure that God is saying the same thing to them. “You are of your father the devil.” You won’t understand this until you search the scriptures for yourself and hear what the Bible teaches us. Once again, believe what you will, in the end you will hear the truth, and it will most likely be too late. Religion does not save you, and in most cases it deceives you, but again, you will not believe this until you hear it right from the mouth of Jesus Christ and then it will definitely be too late. You will not be able to use the excuse, “I never knew”. The Bible is the most published book ever. There are billions of them in circulation. There will be no excuse for your ignorance.
Titus 3:5; But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,”
We must recognize that we are sinners who fall short of God’s glory. Fortunately, God made a way for us to be forgiven of our sin and be saved through Jesus Christ. Salvation is based on Jesus’ goodness, and “in him is no sin” 1 John 3:5; “And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.”
While we were in our sinful state, Christ died for us, Romans 5:8; “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” and if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved Romans 10:9; “ 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.” Christ alone was good enough to enter heaven, and He declares righteous, those who trust in Him for salvation Romans 1:17; “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
Notice what it says; “and believe in your heart.” Words alone do not save you. There are a lot of people who just give God lip service. I’ve heard from a very good Bible scholar that put it this way. Many people will miss heaven by eighteen inches. That is the distance from your brain to your heart. You can have all the knowledge of the Bible, but if it doesn’t reach your heart, and you don't apply it to your life, then it is worthless. Matthew 7:21-23; “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. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I (Jesus) will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” There are going to be billions of people that will stand before Jesus that believed their good works should have saved them. Those are the ones that will hear the most scary words in the Bible, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” There is none who does good, is a universal indictment of mankind. No one lives up to God’s standard of righteousness; everyone lives in a state of depravity. Everyone has turned from God and His rule, from truth into error, from rightness into sin, and from wisdom into foolishness. While people can do good things, none of their good deeds are inherently good, untinged or unaffected by sin, and none of those good deeds are good enough to undo the penalty of sin. The only One who is good, God Himself, offers the free gift of salvation to all who believe Ephesians 2:8–9; “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” and invites everyone to “taste and see that the Lord is good” Psalm 34:8; “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Now, let me explain what I mean by direction with the following Bible verses. John 14: 1-11; “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.”
You give your life to Jesus Christ and He will directs your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6; “ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
There are two directions in our lives. One we choose for ourself and one that God chooses for us. Galatians 6:7-8; “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
Most of the world population chooses to serve the flesh. There are a few reasons for this. Probably the most popular reason is because nobody wants to be held accountable to anybody but themselves, including the God who created them. Another reason is because people are not taught that God created them for a purpose and if we submitted to Gods will, then, and only then will we reap the rewards that comes with serving Jesus Christ. What does it say above? If we sow to the flesh, we will reap destruction, and if we serve the Spirit, we will reap eternal life. People Are also under the dilution that if we serve Jesus Christ life will be boring. This depends on what you define as fun. If you live in sin, or choose a sinful life style, you may enjoy life for a season according to your standards, but what is fifty years of enjoying sin for a season compared to eternity in heaven or eternity in hell if you don’t repent and turn from your sinful ways.
Once again the sad thing is this, as I mention quite often, the denominational church of today don’t teach the consequence of sin once you die. They are told that if your good deeds out way your bad deeds you will go to heaven. This is one of Satan’s greatest deception’s. If you belong to a church that teaches that, then get out, you have a choice. Roman Catholicism teaches that you can pray the dead into heaven. Another huge lie from the pit of hell. Listen to the following Bible verse and then tell me if you believe that you can pray the dead into heaven.
Hebrews 9:27; “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,” Short but direct! Praying for the dead is not a biblical concept. Our prayers have no bearing on someone once he or she has died. The reality is that, at the point of death, one’s eternal destiny is confirmed. Either he is saved through faith in Christ and is in heaven where he is experiencing rest and joy in God’s presence, or he is in torment in hell forever.
Here is another false teaching, we all choose to lean on our own understanding, but hear what the scripture say, Proverbs 3:5-6; “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (The Holy Spirit will direct your paths, not us.) In mentioning this, most churches lean on their own understand, because they have not been born again, nor do they teach that you should be born-again.
John 3:3-8; “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
This does not mean born-again into the Catholic sect of Christianity, which is another huge deception in the Catholic church. If you want to be born-again into the Catholic faith, go ahead, it will have no bearing on where you spend eternity. Jesus is saying, you must be born again into the Holy Spirit. Let me put it this way. If you are born once, you die twice, if you are born twice, you die once. I’ll be willing to bet that not one soul in the denominational churches has ever heard this, nor do they have a clue what it means.
Let me explain in terms that you might understand. We are all born once, which is the day we enter into this world through our mothers womb. From birth until we reach the age of accountability, we are safe from being condemned to hell if we were to pass before that age, and this includes all those unborn babies that were torn out of their mothers womb. Yes, every aborted child will go directly to heaven.
We really do not know what is considered the age of accountability, but I believe it is when a child hears about Jesus for the first time and then makes a rational decision whether or not they will believe in Jesus or reject Jesus. If you hear about Jesus and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, no matter what age you are, then you are born a second time into the family of the saved. Those that reject the truth will stand before Jesus Christ at the White Throne Judgement and be judged for all their sins. Since the price of sin is death, they will be cast into “The Lake of Burning Fire” forever, which is the second death. Those that receive Jesus and become born again will not stand before Jesus at the White Throne Judgment. Therefore, since they were born once and have no sin accounted to them, they will enter heaven without judgment because they will have nothing to be judged for. Jesus paid for their sins. Pretty simple.
Most people feel that they could never hold up to the standards of the Law, which in reality, nobody can. Some actually believe they can. Once you become a true follower of Jesus Christ, you are no longer under the law. That doesn’t mean that we have the right to sin, it just means that sin will not reign in your life. Hear what the scriptures say about this.
1 Corinthians 10:13; “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.’
Philippians 4:6-7;“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
When we become born again, that doesn’t mean we won’t sin, we are all sinners. Even if we fall into a situation where we are week, and we know we shouldn’t give into it, God will make away for you to escape. God will watch over you, He will not leave you nor forsake you. But once again, if you do fall into a situation and succumb to it, you will still not lose your status of being in Gods family. You will probably suffer some kind of trial from our Father in heaven just as we suffer consequences from our earthy father if we do wrong. God will not let us get away with something that will harm us.
Keep in mind these precious words found in; Matthew 6:33; “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” This is so true, if you seek the things above, you will not fall, if you seek earthly things, you will perish into everlasting torment.
With all this understanding, know this, even as born-again believers we will fall into various trials. There are verse in the Bible that we don’t particularly like, but nonetheless, it is something that we need to be aware of so when they happen we will understand why. I’ll share a few verse with you that we need to know.
James 1:12; “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”
Acts 14:22; “strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
John 16:33; “ These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Know this, there are false teachers in America that are telling their congregation that if they come to Jesus, their life will be full of prosperity and trial free. They are what we refer to as prosperity and seeker sensitive teachers. They have deceived millions and are continuing to this day, all for the money. They tell their congregations what they want to hear, not what they need to hear. If you want to know who they are, follow the money, check out their million dollar mansions, their yachts and jets they have. They have a net worth that is well into the millions of dollars, yet they don’t do a thing to help people that are in need. If you feel that you are following one of these wolves in sheep’s clothing, get out and get to a church that teaches the truth.
Now, ask yourself this question, are you searching for perfection, or are you following Gods direction for your life? You will fail at perfection, and you will die unhappy. Following Gods direction will bring you to the place that He created you for. Everlasting life in the Kingdom of heaven for all eternity. Remember, God created you for a purpose, but it is up to you to submit to that purpose, He will not invade your sovereignty. You will reap the choices that you make.
Let me end with this benediction: The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. Amen
The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”
May God Bless you all, and Take Care!
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