1. Obey the Ten Commandments.
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is
guilty of all" (James 2:10). "For as many as are of the works of the law are
under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in
all things which are written in the book of the law to do them" (Galatians
3:10, 11). If we will be honest and appraise ourselves in the Light of God's
moral law (Exodus 20:3-17)
we will unmistakably see that we have fallen short of the glory of God. The
law could only provide evidence that testifies that we are without doubt
transgressors of the law and therefore sinners. The law then, could never give
life nor make one righteous and acceptable to God.
2. Believe in God.
"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also
believe, and tremble" (James 2:19). "God spared not the angels that sinned, but
cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be
reserved unto judgment" (2 Peter 2:4). Certainly one must believe in God, but
believing in God will not get you to heaven for the Scriptures have proven that
even the angels that sinned, although they believed in God were cast down to
hell.
3. Be Baptized.
"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom
of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the
preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which
are saved it is the power of God" (1Corinthians 1:17). God has promised to
"save them that believe" (v. 21) the "gospel". Jesus said, "He that heareth my
word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not
come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). Those
who believe God concerning His Son Jesus Christ will never come into
condemnation. Water Baptism as evidently set forth in the Scriptures certainly
cannot save one from the fires of hell, neither can it wash away sin. Rather,
it is a confession of those who have already been saved and redeemed by the
precious blood of Christ, which alone can wash away sin. In the Bible, only
believers are ever baptized. The Ethiopian Eunuch asked, "What doth hinder me
to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou
mayest" (Acts 8:36-38).
4. Going to Church.
"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more
grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no
more work" (Romans 11:6). There can never be any admixture of grace with that
of works. The verb "go" is something that an individual does. But we are not
saved by anything we do, rather we are saved when we believe what Christ has
done for us. If salvation was by church attendance, we would never have the
security of salvation because the question is never answered, How much is
enough? Adding human works to God's grace would only "frustrate the grace of
God" (Galatians 2:21), and Christ would become of no benefit to you.
5. Keeping the Sacraments.
"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of
men" (Matthew 15:9). "Making the word of God of none effect through your
tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye" (Mark
7:13). The word "sacrament" is never mentioned in the Bible but is the
invention of men who claim they are necessary for salvation. The Bible says "To
the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is
because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20). (See also # 4 above)
6. Doing Good Works.
"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But
to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his
faith is counted for righteousness" (Romans 4:4-5). "For by grace are ye saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works,
lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8, 9). "Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us through Jesus
Christ our Saviour" (Titus 3:5-6). If we could be saved by our own good works
"then Christ is dead in vain" (Galatians 2:21), but the Bible tells us we were
called "not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace,
which was given us in Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 1:9). (See also: Philippians
3:9, Galatians 2:16, Isaiah 64:6, Acts 13:38-39; see also #'s 4 & 5)
7. Live a Decent and Honest Life.
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that
understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of
the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good,
no, not one For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans
3:10-12, 23). Trying to live a decent and honest life could never pay off the
debt of sin for "the wages [payment] of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). This is a
binding transaction called "the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2). (See also
#'s 4, 5 & 6)
8. I don't believe in God or heaven.
"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have
done abominable works, there is none that doeth good" (Psalm 14:1). "There is a
way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death"
(Proverbs 14:12).
9. Everyone goes to Heaven.
"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their
part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second
death" (Revelation 21:8). "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1Corinthians 6:9-10).
"The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the
nations that forget God" (Psalms 9:17).
10. Believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins, was buried, and rose
from the dead according to the Scriptures.
The Bible teaches that there is only one condition for salvation, and that is faith. Faith is a synonym for "believe" (John 3:16) or "trust" (Ephesians 1:12-14) or "receive" (John 1:12). The Bible tells us, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17) And the GOSPEL, the Good News, reads like this:
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you,
which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved,
if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried,
and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1Corinthians
15:1-4).
This is the only right answer!
God can not lie (Titus 1:2). Today take Him at His Word, believe Him, trust only in Him for the saving of your soul and you shall receive the free gift of everlasting life..
Summary:
The Bible is absolutely clear. Man is defiled with sin and nothing that defiles
shall enter into heaven (Revelation 21:27). Man will spend eternity separated
from God in hell if he dies in his sin. What then ought we to do? Pious men may
go through all sorts of religious activities "and yet are not washed from
their filthiness" (Proverbs 30:12). "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth
death" (James 1:15). No kind of religious activity whatever it may be is able
to wash away our filthy stains. Death is the payment for sin; therefore blood
is required "for the life of the flesh is in the blood" (Leviticus 17:11). If
man pays with his own blood surely he will perish. "But God commendeth his love
toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more
then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through
him" (Romans 5:8-9).
The Philippian Jailor asked, "what must I do to be saved?" and the simple
answer came back, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,
and thy house" (Acts 16:30,31).
Trust God alone believing His Word and He will save you. "For when we were yet
without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). "For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not
his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him
might be saved" (John 3:16-17).
But be warned, what you believe can also bring a curse on you. "But though we,
or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we
have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8). To add anything
to the "gospel" is to reject the sufficiency of God's grace and thereby
"pervert the gospel of Christ" (Galatians 1:6-7). Such were certain men from Judea who
"believed" the gospel but added circumcision and law keeping as a necessity for
salvation (Acts 15:1, 5, 24, Galatians 2:4-5). These Paul condemned with the
harshest words found in the New Testament saying, "If any man preach any other
gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed" (Galatians
1:9). This reminds us of those same frightful words of Christ, "Depart from me,
ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels"
(Matthew 25:41).
The "wages [payment] of sin is death", but the "good news" (the gospel) is that
"Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried,
and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" conquering sin and death.
Believe God today, and by faith receive Christ, trusting Him alone
to cleanse you from your filthy stains and save you from your sin, and you will
receive God's free gift of eternal life!
"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves"
(1Corinthians 13:5).
"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and
election sure"
(2 Peter 1:10).
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Last Update: 9/12/2000