To obtain salvation the Bible says one must:
- Know they are a sinner and that they have not pleased God.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:23 - Know that they are going to hell because of their sin.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 - Know that God loved them so much, that He let His only son, Jesus, die a terrible death on the cross as the ONLY payment for their sins.
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 - Know that Jesus rose again and got victory over death, so we could also.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9 - Ask God to save you from your sins, and you will be saved!
“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed..” Romans 10:10-11
The Bible DOES NOT say that salvation can be obtained by:
- Doing many good works and earning one’s way to heaven.
“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 - Believing there is a God and Jesus. Satan knows and has talked to both the Father and Son, and he is certainly not going to Heaven. Believing and knowing there is a God is not enough.
“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” Matthew 25:41 - Believing you are a good person and worthy of Heaven.
“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” Romans 3:10 - Obeying all the doctrines of a church, or even the Bible. Without Jesus as one’s Saviour they are just good deeds. Unless one receives Jesus as personal Saviour, all “religion” is in vain.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:22-23 - Being a member of any church or religion alone will not guarantee anyone Heaven.
“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:8-9 - Just having a saved mother, father, or a “grandfather that was a preacher”. Anothers’ salvation cannot get anyone else into Heaven. Salvation is a personal relationship with God. No one can get saved for us.
What about getting forgiveness from and reconciliation restoration to those who have been hurt? Can salvation be granted just by asking God?
Salvation is only granted by God. But it’s not just “magic” words that saves anyone. A knowledge that one is a sinner and there is no hope of escaping Hell unless one totally trusts that Christ’s sacrificial death is the only payment God will accept. Attached to that saving faith is a rependent heart that God can detect. If one only trusts repentance to save oneself, than that is not salvation it is a “work.” and no good works can save — only Christ’s payment for our sin. Anything else is a useless, conterfeit payment.
As for getting forgiveness from others, no one can determine or detect if they do forgive us. Our job, if we are convicted of past transgressions is to admit our failures to them and ask their forgiveness. Acceptance is in their wheelhouse.
The desire to get it right is often the Holy Spirit’s stirring in a saved person’s heart and is often proof of one’s salvation. Pride may get in the way but doing right will be done as it is important to a humbled, saved person.
I hope I answered your questions. IF not, please contact me at brinkworth@frontier.com.
As i stated on the other devotion to be saved is a gift . Come to think of it this gift from Jesus is not just once a year either is is everyday .
Bro. Brinkworth,
The deceptions you list in the second part of this article are, in my opinion, Satan’s greatest tools to keep people lost. He deceives them into to thinking the are going to heaven by telling them those exact lies you have listed. It is the saddest of all things to me, that people believe in Jesus and yet sit right on the church pew and go to hell because they never accept Him as their Savior and make Him Lord of their life. It is absolutely heart-wrenching to me to see so many so very close to salvation yet so utterly lost. It grieves me because it is nigh to impossible to ever convince them of their lostness. They truly have eyes but cannot see, ears but cannot hear. I pray the Holy Spirit will break through the deception, and they can somehow come to know the truth.
Thank you for your daily word. It is truly a blessing!
I know. Many times you can talk and plead with them until you are blue in the face and they are just hardened to their own form of religion.
Bro Brinkworth,
You know I have been thinking a lot lately about how so many people identify as Christian, but are lost… The list of deceptions you spoke of in this article are 99% of what keeps them lost. What people “think” damns them. The tyranny of self and the flesh keeps them there, creating these deceptions you spoke of.
One brother said to me… The Word has always been the key to this.. The written Word of God and the Living Word of God…Christ.