Are you saved?

Pastor Ricky Kurth

[cowboyfan88]

The assurance of salvation is the most important thing in life. It should be the number one concern of every human being. Sadly, too often it is not.

The good news is, the Bible teaches that you can know for sure that you are going to heaven. I John 5:13 says: "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW THAT YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE..." Notice that this verse doesn't say, "that ye may HOPE that you can GET eternal life." It says that you can know that you have it, as a present possession.

How do you get it?

Acts 16:31 says: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." Notice again that it doesn't say, "Believe and you will someday be saved." It rather says, "Believe...and BE saved." Of course, the word "saved" makes a lot of people nervous.

A man told me once, "We don't speak in those terms at our church." But that's a shame, because the Bible uses this word over and over again. John Newton used it hundreds of years ago when he wrote that most beloved of all Christian hymns, "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that SAVED a wretch like me." You've probably even sung that song! Well, it was written by a man who was saved, and you can be saved too. Ephesians 2:8,9 says: "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."

Here we see that people are saved "by grace," and "through faith." By God's grace. Through your faith. Faith and believing are the same thing. If you believe something, it means you have faith in it. Notice also the contrast to "works." Works are things that we can DO.

Most people think that they can be saved by the things that they do. If they don't do bad things, if they instead do good things, they think that they will be saved. The problem with this system is that you can never be SURE that you've done enough good things, and avoided enough bad things, to be saved. That's why the people who believe this are generally not sure they are saved. But Romans 4:16 says, "Therefore it is OF FAITH, that it might be BY GRACE, to the end THE PROMISE MIGHT BE SURE..." The only way you can be sure of salvation is by faith. If you had to do as little as lift your finger to be saved, you could never be sure that you had done it right.

But by faith we can believe that the Lord Jesus Christ did it right. We can be sure that He lived a sinless life. He never did anything wrong, He did everything right. A person like that didn't deserve to die. The Bible says that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). But He was no sinner. Why did He have to die? Ah, He died OUR death. He died our death so that we could have His righteousness and be saved. II Corinthians 5:21 says: "For God made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."

Two thousand years ago, God laid all of our sins on Christ as He hung on Calvary. But that doesn't mean that everyone is saved! Two thousand years later, WHEN YOU BELIEVE that Christ paid for all of your sins, God then takes Christ's righteousness and puts it on you, completing the transaction that must be completed for the redemption of your soul.

I like to explain it this way. God says to us in the Bible that Christ paid for all of your sins. The only question is,

Do you BELIEVE God when He says that all of your sins are paid for? Do you TRUST Him when He says that?

If you do, the Bible says that you are SAVED.

If you don't, well, you just have to go on trying to pay for your sins in your own way. By being good. By not being bad. But these are things the Bible says you can't do well enough to be saved. Romans 4:5 says: "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, HIS FAITH is COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Titus 3:5 says: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

That big word "regeneration" is just a big word that means to be "born again," as the Lord talked about in John 3. But in both of these verses, you can see that salvation is by faith alone, and has nothing to do with your conduct. Most people think that we are all born GOOD, and on our way to heaven, and that we have to do something REALLY BAD to blow it and go to hell. But the Bible teaches the opposite. The Bible teaches that we are all born bad, and have to get saved by faith to go to heaven. Sometimes when we explain this, people then ask, "Why then should I be good?"

The answer to this question is, we should be good out of gratitude for God for saving us. Earlier I quoted Ephesians 2:8,9 to show that we are saved "by grace" and "through faith." But the NEXT verse in Ephesians 2 tells us where "being good" comes in: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus UNTO good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).

When we are saved, we are made "new creatures" in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17). But Ephesians 2:10 here says that we were "created in Christ Jesus UNTO good works." That is, we were saved by faith, but we were saved FOR A PURPOSE, for a reason. God saved us and made us new creatures in Christ so that we would THEN do good works.

Most people get the cart before the horse, as the saying goes. Most people think you do good works, then God saves you. The Bible teaches that instead we are saved by believing, then we SHOULD do good works. Right after Titus 3:5 says we are saved "not by works of righteousness," three verses later it says, "...these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful TO MAINTAIN GOOD WORKS. These things are good and profitable unto men."

Do you see it? We are not saved by good works, but after we are saved by faith, we are told we should do good works to please the One who saved us. Romans 6:23 says: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Here there is a contrast drawn between "wages" and a "gift." Wages are something that we EARN. We go to work, and work all week, and the boss pays us. If we want to be polite, we can say "thank you" when he hands us the check, but we don't have to. He OWES us that money, we EARNED it.

But a gift is something altogether different. You can't earn a gift. If you did, it wouldn't be a gift. That's why the verses BEFORE Romans 4:5 says, "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." You can't earn a gift, you can only receive it. And the way you receive the gift of salvation is by faith, by believing God when He says your sins are paid for. Suppose you were a gambler, and racked up a debt of a million dollars to the Mafia. They threatened to kill you unless you paid up. A wealthy friend learns of your plight and comes to you and says, "Don't worry, I've paid your debt."

Now in this case, you must REALLY BELIEVE that your friend paid your debt. You must really TRUST your friend when he says that. That's why the other word that the Bible uses besides "believe" is "trust." Ephesians 1:12 talks about people... "...who first TRUSTED in Christ "In whom ye also TRUSTED, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13).

If you DON'T trust that your friend paid your gambling debt, then you will most likely continue to make payments to your bookie or loan shark. But if you DO trust your friend when he says that your debt has been paid, then you will rest comfortably in that knowledge, knowing that you've been "saved" from an awful fate, and you will be forever grateful to the one who saved you. That's how salvation works too.

In John 5:24, the Lord said: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, 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." Here we see that the Bible teaches that not only are you saved if you believe on the Lord, you already possess eternal life, and it is NOT POSSIBLE for you to ever be condemned for your sins, for you are ALREADY passed "from death unto [eternal] life." Remember, Acts 16:31 says, "believe...and...be saved." It DOESN'T say, "Believe and be good." It doesn't even say, "Believe and be religious." It just says believe and be saved.

If you believe that Christ died to pay for all of your sins, and that you don't have to pay for any of them, the Bible says you are saved. In I Corinthians 15:1-4, the Apostle Paul identifies “the gospel” that he preached to the Corinthians, by which they were “saved”: “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” You too can be among those who are “saved,” if you will simply put your faith in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 3:25).

[Cap'n Crunch]

The bible nor history supports your statement that being 'born of water' means from your mother's womb.

Do you have any such evidence?

[Cvengr]

A murderer, though he were "saved" earlier, by declaration in a church or even in solitude, who dies unrepentant will not be close to God in the afterlife. Of this I am sure.

If you drive 22 mph in a 20 mph school zone, but are unrepentant of that excessive speed drive, would you also 'lose' your salvation?

[Titanites]

Iscool: Noah wasn't really saved by water

Scripture:

1 Peter 3:20-21: when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while [the] ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us -- baptism

2 Peter 2:3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words

God will mess you up if you don't take his word seriously.

[Titanites]

Whereunto baptism being of the like form, now saveth you also:

Iscool: You see any water in that verse??? I don't...There isn't any...

Yes, we see water in that verse, just as the eunuch and Philip saw water and thought baptism:

Acts 8:36-39 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, [here is] water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

And baptism saveth you:

1 Peter 3:20-21 when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while [the] ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us -- baptism

Please do not deny Scripture.

[Titanites]

Heads-up, brother. Here comes a stampede of hamsters...

Now that was funny!

[Cvengr]

You choose to sacrifice a loaf of bread. We sacrifice the old man. Which sacrifice is greater?

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that the disciples walked around telling people "accept Jesus as your personal saviour" and every thing would be peachy.

Act 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Act 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Rom 10:9 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.

[Between the Lines]

There is no distinction between a venial or mortal sin...

Here John is speaking to Christians about Christians: 1 John 5:16 If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

There is only one sin which leads to death for those who are saved.

[bornacatholic]

You choose to sacrifice a loaf of bread

*You prolly don't realise that in making that statement you are implicitly rejecting Jesus and His Doctrine about His real presence in the Eucharist

[Uri’el-2012]

The bible nor history supports your statement that being 'born of water' means from your mother's womb.

Do you have any such evidence?

81 posted on 12/30/2006 7:11:12 AM MST by Cap'n Crunch

You will find it in the Rabbinical writings of the first century.

Remember Nicodemus was one of the members of the Sanhedrin.

This was part of the discussion of being "born again"
See John 3:3 , John 3:7 & 1 Peter 1:23

You will see that Peter clarifies the common Jewish understanding of the first century.

1 Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed,
but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

b'shem Yah'shua

[bornacatholic]

Well, if the protestant revolutionaires couldn't falsify scripture everywhere (as they did in Malachias) then they were compelled to repudiate it.

The Lustful Lunatic Luther commanded his followers to deny Scripture when it disagreed with his personal opinions...

That shall serve you as a true rule that whenever the Scriptures orders and commands to do good works, you must so understand it that the Scriptures forbid good works. If you should not sin agianst the gospel, then be on your guard against good works, avoid them as one avoids a pest

*Rules of Faith, Accrd. to Big Brother Luther

WAR IS PEACE

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

SCRIPTURE MEANS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT IT TEACHES

[Iscool]

Let us just note the difference in our Worship. We Christian Catholics have always taught the Last Supper/First Mass is the way God Himself as Jesus Christ, taught us how He ought be worshiped.Only that which includes Sacrifice is worthy of being called Worship.

And where did you get that nonsense from??? Where, in either Testament has anyone sacrificed God??? You guys made this up to try to justify your cannibalistic rituals...

Mat 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

Did the Wise Men sacrifice God, or take a bite out of the baby Jesus??? Of course not...

Mat 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

See any sacrifice there??? NO???

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Worship is a spiritual thing...Not a flesh thing like you guys do...And there is no sacrifice involved...

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Again, it's spiritual...

1Co 14:25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

You see any animal, human or Godly sacrifice here??? NO????

Phi 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Worship God in the spirit...Not by eating flesh and drinking blood...

Heb 1:6 And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

Do the angels eat Jesus' flesh and drink His blood when they worship him, which they certainly do??? Of course not...

1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

We are to offer 'spiritual' sacrifices, not flesh and blood...Especially not God's flesh and blood...

[bornacatholic]

Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.

[Cap'n Crunch]

Read a little further in Acts 16... like through 33. ''he and his whole household were baptised.''

Acts 16: 15 "After she and her household had been baptized..

[Iscool]

It's easy to go through scripture and pick out every verse that says 'call on the Lord and you will be saved.'

So then, you admit that you are 'not' saved...

[Cap'n Crunch]

How about 1 Peter: 3: 21 "you are now saved by a baptismal bath which corresponds to this exactly."

[Iscool]

Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.

And you look in the cup and it's full of wine...And you chew the bread and it's, bread...There's no place in scripture that says a priest will miraculously turn the wine and bread into flesh and blood...There's nothing 'mystical' in it...

It looks like wine and bread...It tastes like wine and bread...It IS wine and bread...

It's a metaphor...A parable...

[Kolokotronis]

Hey, BAC, looky what the Protestants have resurrected from 2000 year old pagan and heretical thought!

"You guys made this up to try to justify your cannibalistic rituals..."

Ah, well,

"They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins, and which the Father, of His goodness, raised up again. Those, therefore, who speak against this gift of God, incur death in the midst of their disputes. But it were better for them to treat it with respect, that they also might rise again. It is fitting, therefore, that you should keep aloof from such persons, and not to speak of them either in private or in public, but to give heed to the prophets, and above all, to the Gospel, in which the passion has been revealed to us, and the resurrection has been fully proved." +Ignatius of Antioch

[Iscool]

Is that from the actual historical writings, or the forged ones???

[bornacatholic]

And where did you get that nonsense from??? Where, in either Testament has anyone sacrificed God??? You guys made this up to try to justify your cannibalistic rituals.

*LOL

One of your problems, brother, is you think Scripture is the sole rule of Faith.

Acts 9 ...And Saul, as yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, And asked of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues: that if he found any men and women of this way, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. And as he went on his journey, it came to pass that he drew nigh to Damascus; and suddenly a light from heaven shined round about him. And falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Who said: Who art thou, Lord? And he: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the goad. And he trembling and astonished, said: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said to him: Arise, and go into the city, and there it shall be told thee what thou must do.

*Most folks think Saul was just persecuting the Church. However, Jesus Teaches him the truth. In opposing the Church, Saul is opposing Jesus...remember... He who hears you hears me..

*Further, what did Jesus order Saul to do? Did he order him to "read the Bible?

Nope.

*Let's continue in Acts, while we are already here (I just happened to be listening to this today on my drive home from Confession)

And there was a certain man in Caesarea, named Cornelius, a centurion of that which is called the Italian band; A religious man, and fearing God with all his house, giving much alms to the people, and always praying to God. This man saw in a vision manifestly, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in unto him, and saying to him: Cornelius. And he, beholding him, being seized with fear, said: What is it, Lord? And he said to him: Thy prayers and thy alms are ascended for a memorial in the sight of God. And now send men to Joppe, and call hither one Simon, who is surnamed Peter: He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side. He will tell thee what thou must do.

*OK, what is going on here? God sends an Angel to faithful Cornelius and tells him to go and hear Peter's authoritative Teaching. God does not send an Angel to Cornelius and tell him to "Read the Bible."

*Let's continue in Acts...

... Now, whilst Peter was doubting within himself, what the vision that he had seen should mean, behold the men who were sent from Cornelius, inquiring for Simon's house, stood at the gate. And when they had called, they asked, if Simon, who is surnamed Peter, were lodged there. And as Peter was thinking of the vision, the Spirit said to him: Behold three men seek thee. Arise, therefore, get thee down and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them. Then Peter, going down to the men, said: Behold, I am he whom you seek; what is the cause for which you are come? Who said: Cornelius, a centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and having good testimony from all the nation of the Jews, received an answer of an holy angel, to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.

*What? No "Read the Bible?" Nope. Hear the authoritative Teaching of the First Pope.

... I ask, therefore, for what cause you have sent for me? And Cornelius said: Four days ago, unto this hour, I was praying in my house, at the ninth hour, and behold a man stood before me in white apparel, and said: Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thy alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. Send therefore to Joppe, and call hither Simon, who is surnamed Peter: he lodgeth in the house of Simon a tanner, by the sea side. Immediately therefore I sent to thee: and thou hast done well in coming. Now therefore all we are present in thy sight, to hear all things whatsoever are commanded thee by the Lord.

*Oops, that sort of shoots down the "Sola Scriptura" ideology. Cornelius was sent to to Peter who Taught with authority. Let's continue...There is no "Read the Bible" comand from God.

... While Peter was yet speaking these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word. And the faithful of the circumcision, who came with Peter, were astonished, for that the grace of the Holy Ghost was poured out upon the Gentiles also. For they heard them speaking with tongues, and magnifying God.

* My, my. That happened in perfect synchronisation with the First Pope's Preaching. It is almost as if God was giving visible signs He was confirming Peter's authority....:) There certainly is Nothing there about "Read the Bible"...Let's continue...

Then Peter answered: Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Ghost, as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

*My, my. The Bible is opposed to all of your assertions, isn't it?

You know, brother, in opposing the Church you are acting just like Saul did - only with less violence and far less cause.

And, who did Jesus tell Saul he was persecuting?

According to the Bible, You are persecuting Jesus when you attack His Church