avid observer of religious people. This is also for all others who believe they
are above Jesus and what He came down to earth to accomplish in our behalf.....
THE FINISHED WORK
ON THE CROSS
How is a Man Saved?
To Honor Jesus Christ, Glorify God, Encourage Believers, & Warn All
Updated 05-26-2007
This information is offered with the hope that YOU can come to KNOW the Lord personally.
You must NEED A SAVIOR. If you do NOT NEED A SAVIOR, you can NOT BE SAVED. Only LOST people can be saved. If everything is "fine" with you, you can not be saved. If you are good, you can not be saved. Being saved has everything to do with understanding your true self, totally unable to please God on your own, completely lost, helpless, and in need of grace. If you had any merits on your own, you would not need grace. If you could save yourself, Jesus would not have died in your place. To fully understand salvation, you must increasingly know that you are NOTHING and all that is in you is useless to God. If you feel that you NEED a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ is calling you now. Answer His call. I'll say again - the maker of heaven and earth is calling you by His Spirit. How can you resist?
There is nothing cheap about ACCEPTING SALVATION. ACCEPTING SALVATION requires you to SURRENDER to the Almighty God and His Way (and none other). It requires you to GIVE UP YOUR WAY COMPLETELY. There is nothing cheap about repentance. It is like going through the birth canal. Your head will be mashed flat to get you to yield to the salvation of the Lord. It is all the Lord's doing, including the preparation of the "birth canal" and the mashing.
There is no need to manufacture any feelings. The Almighty will do it Himself.
This is all the Lord's doing. At NO point in the process of coming to God should you do anything but this:
Psalms 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and HE [not us] shall bring it to pass.
The beauty of God's salvation is that He does it ALL. Our salvation is certain because it does not depend on us. It depends solely on the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, "slain from the foundation of the world." There is no way to describe in my own words how wonderful it is to KNOW for a certainty that I will spend eternity with my "brother" and "friend" Jesus of Nazareth. This same Jesus of Nazareth is the CREATOR of all things and is the Most High God, "wonderful, counselor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." The government shall be upon His shoulders - and He no longer calls me servant but "friend."
"Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to HOPE" - Psalms 119:49
There are no words to tell of this awesome truth! He has caused me to HOPE in His Word! This is the same WORD that my Dad was amazed to find when he read "ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God." Dad said, to himself, "Man, this Book is the Word of God ."
I will never forget the words of my Dad-
He said, "Son, when I was 32 years old, the people at church were asked if they had anything to say. I stood up (having NO idea what I was gonna say) in the Church of the Open Door on Fremont Ave and the words just came out -
"Pray for me; I am lost."
You think that you are planning out your "religion" and life but you are not.
Proverbs 16:9 A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
You can not even understand your own way, your goings are of the LORD.
Proverbs 20:24 Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?
We do not know where we are going; the LORD does. The LORD Himself is bringing you.
Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
What is going on in your heart is from the LORD.
Proverbs 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
Just remember this:
I know that, whatsoever God doeth , it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. -- Ecclesiastes 3:14
LISTEN TO WHAT GOD SAYS:
Ephesians 2:8-9 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.
Commentary: Even our faith is a gift. Think on this. Not of works. There is no boasting by any man of what he has done (or refrained from doing).
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Commentary: Eternal life through Jesus is a gift from God.
One does not become righteous.
One does not become righteous even by the work of the Lord.
One is DECLARED righteous by the righteousness of Jesus Christ alone which is imputed to us in an instant.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Commentary: “All” includes you and me.
Romans 3:12 ...There is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Commentary: The human race entered into sin through the sin of Adam.
John 3:16 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.
Commentary: When my three brothers and I were growing up, we had to say John 3:16 every night and not just the text, but, the words “John 3:16” before and after the text. This was done every night by each of us individually. So, that is eight “John 3:16s” and eight John 3:16 texts every night. In the month of December of my father’s 80th year, he was placed in the hospital and was given two weeks to live – the Room Number? Room 316.
This reminds me of the following verse which shows how the Word of God saves us:
Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth : it shall not return unto me void , but it shall accomplish that which I please , and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it .
(By placing my Dad in Room 316 God said, "I told you what I would do.")
Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Commentary: This verse is the one that struck Martin Luther - not by the law but by faith. The reformation began here. It was the liberating Word of God that set Martin Luther free from his religion. The Bible was unavailable to the common man prior to the reformation. We have the Bible now. Let us believe it and be thankful.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Commentary: All those who call on him. Shall does not mean “might.”
Why should YOU call on the Lord?
Why? Because the Father is calling YOU (drawing you) with His Word:
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Why? Because He chose YOU before the foundation of the world. How can you not call on this Lord?
Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Why? The Lord's work ABSOLUTELY can not fail!!! And what is His work? You were GIVEN to the Son by the Father.
John 6:39 And this is the Father's WILL which hath sent me, that of all which He hath given me I should lose NOTHING, but should raise it up again at the last day.
Why? Because you can not do it yourself. Even your mind is opposed to God and it is IMPOSSIBLE for your natural mind to be subject to the law of God.
Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Why? His Word is telling you that it is IMPOSSIBLE for you to please God through self.
Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Why? Your works do not do it, he chose you.
Romans 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Why? The Almighty has spoken. Can you resist? He loved YOU.
Romans 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Why? He is showing you mercy now.
Romans 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Why? Your will and your actions do not save, it is His mercy that save you.
Romans 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
Why? If God has chosen you to receive His mercy, how can you resist?
Romans 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
Why? He Chose You, You Did not Choose Him
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Why? He Did it All - He decreed to save you, He called you, He justified you, He glorified you
Romans 8:28-30 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
This is our true standing in Jesus Christ. It is all His work.
Why? Jesus Himself is the author (and finisher) of your faith. Can the Almighty fail? Will He not do what He purposed to do?
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith ; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love : therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee .
Why? The LORD Himself IS our Salvation
Psalms 62:2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.
Why? Your Salvation is Provided Not by Your Will, but by God Himself. Human ego is brought to dust by these words.
John 1:13 Which were born , not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man , but of God.
John 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
The VERY Word of God Saves You
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God
1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God , which liveth and abideth for ever.
John 5:24 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.
Commentary: (1st) The Word spoken,
(2nd) hearing (receiving the Word)
(3rd) believing the Word.
Even your faith is the gift of God. You are born again BY THE WORD OF GOD. "Hath everlasting life " means you have it NOW. " Is passed from death unto life" means that this is a FINISHED transaction. If the life you NOW have is " everlasting ," your eternal salvation is a settled matter, now and forever.
You Must Agree with God and REPENT
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Commentary: Repent means to turn away from. There is very little repenting these days. You MUST repent. Your thinking is messed up. You can not even think right. Stop it!
Proverbs 23:4 ... CEASE from thine own wisdom
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Commentary: Even our righteousnesses are filthy rags. Think on this.
Titus 3:5 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;
Commentary: Only by the mercy of God is anyone saved; there is NOTHING we can do to earn salvation . Not membership in churches, not membership in ANY denomination, not being Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, Confuscian, not baptism, not sprinkling, not being good, not refraining from sin. The ONLY thing that saves us is the Grace of God through faith in the Only Begotten Son of God and His finished work on the cross. He saved us, regenerated us, renewed us.
Romans 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Commentary: Remember this principle – the 1st man brought sin by disobedience, the 2nd man (Jesus) brought righteousness by obedience. God rejected the 1st man, Adam, accepted the 2nd man, Jesus. See Romans 5:12. God rejected Saul, accepted David. God rejected Esau, accepted Jacob. God rejects our person. The second man, Jesus, is God's way. See this .
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Commentary: It is difficult to emphasize any individual words in this verse. Begin to understand the awesome truth of these words:
follow Jesus, the way,
believe Jesus, the truth,
receive life from Jesus.
Is it any wonder He is called the Alpha and the Omega? It is Jesus from start to finish!
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Commentary: Once in a mandatory religion class in college we had to read Faith by Paul Tillich, the essence of which (the best I could tell) was “faith ain’t believing.” Now, we had a room full of obligatory attendees none too excited about being there. I asked the professor – “What about John 3:18?” He asked, “What does it say?” In reply, I quoted it verbatim. He then, asked, “Well, what does that MEAN?” In reply, I quoted it verbatim again. The attendees burst into laughter – THEY knew exactly what it meant. Whereupon the professor, said, in a condescending manner, “Son, what we are dealing with here is the problem of the Greek language.” At this point the conversation came to an end. However, the truth of the matter is that many of us are having a problem with the English language, including the professor. The problem is not that we do not understand what it says, we DO understand it; the problem is we just do not BELIEVE it.
BELIEVING means RELYING ON God's Word and His Son, Jesus Christ, plus NOTHING.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Commentary: This is our only chance.
Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Commentary: Not “might” be saved.
He declared it from the beginning and He chose YOU and saved YOU from the foundation of the world. Fall down on your knees before the only true God, Jesus Christ.
According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world... Ephesians 1:4
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you... John 15:16
Since Jesus Christ is the author of our faith and since no man can come to [Jesus] lest the Father which hath sent [Jesus] DRAW [the man], if the Lord moves you, how can you not respond to so sure a salvation? The word "draw" is word # 1670 in Strong's Concordance.
It means to "drag". These verses amplify the meaning of the word draw. And He said unto them, cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. John 21:6.
...Do not rich men oppress you and draw you before the judgment seats? James 2:6 These 2 examples are word 1670.
Can this possibly be true???
Yes, the Lord is dragging you to Himself on account of His love, ...YEA (yes, yes, yes, it is true!!) I have loved thee with an EVERLASTING LOVE: therefore with lovingkindness have I DRAWN thee. Jeremiah 31:3
Now we are compelled by this awesome love to bow before the LORD and gladly receive Him:
Lord, I know I am a sinner. You have shown me that ONLY YOU are good. Oh, how much you loved ME and called me and how much I stubbornly and self-righteously resisted you. Thank you for giving me faith in your finished work. Thank you for dragging me through the "birth canal" of circumstances you lovingly created to defeat me so that I could begin to know you. You made me drink the wine of astonishment. THOU, THOU only are my ROCK and my SALVATION. Thou, Lord, HAST MADE me GLAD through THY WORK.
I know there is NO way for me to get to heaven by my own works or by my own efforts; I know I am a wretch. I know that religion is a menstrous cloth (Isa 30:22) to you, the Almighty. I know that church ritual is a feast you hate (Amos 5:21) - because if ANY of these things could save me, you would not have sent YOUR ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, JESUS CHRIST, TO DIE IN MY PLACE . Eli, eli, lama sabachthani, My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me?..... is the lonely CRYING of MY Savior, who, before the world was made, loved ME with an everlasting love.
Trying to work my way to heaven is a burden too heavy, Lord. Take away my burden. Even my righteousness is a filthy rag in your sight. Thank you, Lord, for choosing me as your child. Please show me how full of pride I am and lead me to know you.
In Jesus' NAME and FOR HIS SAKE and HIS glory only I pray to you now. Please, merciful Lord, receive my prayer, and have mercy on me a sinner.
Amen
God can save any of us, protestant, catholic, muslim, hindu, atheist, IF we RELY on Jesus Christ only for salvation.
Matthew 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected , the same is become the head of the corner : this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Matthew 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken : but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
The "stone" is Jesus Christ. We all will either fall on this stone (in dependence) or the stone will fall on us and grind us to powder. In either case Jesus Christ is "the judgment of the world." His judgment will "grind us to powder" if we reject Him.
If we DO accept Him, we shall be broken eventually in God's time. It is more accurate to say that if you are not broken, then, you have not accepted Him. Only the broken fall upon the mercy of Jesus Christ. Being broken is a certain condition of a true believer when he is brought to rely totally on the Lord. We must have our ego brought to nothing.
To help you "prove" the Word of God, the following is provided. Once you realize that WE are NOTHING and God is EVERYTHING, then, you can rest in the knowledge that HE saved us.
God is in charge and we have no place to complain because all things are from God
We must be broken, a basic "bending" of ourselves must occur
We need to have God give us an attitude adjustment, our very being is rebellious
Waiting on the Lord is our task
The Lord uses suffering to bring us to Him, all our circumstances are His arrows
Who is Christ and How Important is His Work?
How Important is God's Word to Me?
How to Know We are Saved
I have found that ALL men do things for the same reason - SELF. Men can not stop building things on their own anvil. If a man is not defeated, he does not NEED grace. Grace can not come to a "rich" man. Grace comes to "poor" men - men with needs, defeated men. There are not many "wise" men chosen. It is the helpless "babes" whom God nourishes and saves. "These things are hid from the wise and the prudent, but revealed unto babes."
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