Ephesians 2:8-9; “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so no one may boast.” Galatians 2:16; “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ; so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” (ESV – all emphasis is mine.)
Galatians 2:20-21; “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.”
Certain man-made religions are based totally on the works one does to promote their so-called faith. Numerous places in the Bible, such as the verses given above, verify that we are saved by grace through the faith we have in our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.
Everyone who truly receives and accepts Jesus as their eternal Savior will be saved. Yes, there are certain steps, but none are hard except in the mind of those who believe they must do something to “earn” their Salvation.
Numerous verses tell us specifically how we may gain our Salvation, and nowhere in the Bible does it say, “If you do so many “whatevers” to earn the Savior’s love; or you must give such-and-such amounts of money and other valuables to buy your way into Heaven.
John 14:6; “Jesus said to him, I am the Way, and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” Acts 4:12 definitely attaches itself to this with, “And there is Salvation in no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Jesus knew that we would need divine assistance, or we would never be able to have an eternal Home with Him. John 14:26; “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to remembrance all that I have said to you.” He said this to his apostles, but it applies to us as well.
Paul tells us in Romans 8:9-11, “You however are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Please remember, our time on this earth is limited because of sin that came into this world in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. In 1 John 2:15-16, we read, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life – is not from the Father, but is from the world.”
What we do for our Jesus is what will last. He gave us the two greatest commandments in Matthew 22:37-40; “And He said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”
A song penned by Raymond Rasberry in 1963 is titled “Only What You Do for Christ Will Last.” There is no other information about the author, but the words are convicting.
1.) You may build great cathedrals large or small, you can build skyscrapers grand and tall, you may conquer all the failures of the past, but only what you do for Christ will last.
Ref.) Remember, only what you do for Christ will last. Remember, only what you do for Christ will last. Only what you do for Him will be counted at the end. Only what you do for Christ will last.
2.) You may seek earthly power and fame; the world may be impressed by your great name. Soon the glories of this life will all be past, but only what you do for Christ will last. (ref)
3.) Though your armies may control each hemisphere, and your orbits out in space cause men to cheer, your scientific knowledge may be vast, but only what you do for Christ will last. (ref)
4.) Though your song and prayers are heard and preached by man, they’ve no meaning unless you’re born again. Sinner, heed these words: don’t let the harvest pass, for only what you do for Christ will last. (ref)
Some may say they don’t really know the will of the Father or His Son. All who have called on the Lord to be their Savior and are now a part of His flock need to talk (pray) to the Father regularly. Read His “Love Letter” (Bible) on a regular basis, and ask Him to give you more understanding of His messages. Have the knowledge that the Holy Spirit is in you.
Please note that you don’t have to pray with any special words or phrases for the Father to hear you. Just talk to Him and tell Him your feelings and wishes. Ask Him to provide your needs and to forgive your sins. Understand that even though you have received and accepted Jesus as your Savior, you will still sin. We all will until we are taken from this earth, given a new, forever immortal body, and will have the mindset of our Savior. Then we will no longer be subject to Satan’s temptations.
Also, be reassured that all who belong to Jesus will not go through the seven-year tribulation/wrath. You’ll find that in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, and Revelation 3:10. When 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 talks about the “Restrainer” being taken away so that the ultimate antichrist may be revealed, that would be the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is taken away so that the tribulation can begin, all whom He indwells will be removed from this earth, as described in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. That would be the Rapture.
After the Rapture has taken place and Satan’s ultimate antichrist is turned loose, this earth will go through the most terrible seven years that has ever taken place before. People will still be able to call out to Jesus and be saved, but the cost will most likely be martyrdom.
Today, to take your last breath on this earth without having received and accepted Jesus as your Savior is an unforgivable sin. All in this category will appear at the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15.
There will be a second unforgivable sin, and that’s found in Revelation 14:9-11. This will be for anyone who takes the “mark of the beast,” signifying they worship and accept Satan’s antichrist as their god. Their fate will also be the lake of fire.
Please know we pray daily that the Holy Spirit would touch the hearts of our loved ones, friends, acquaintances, and even those who may not really like us, that they might call out to our Savior to be forgiven and added to His precious flock before it’s too late. Jesus is ready to build a home in Heaven for all who do (John 14:1-3).
If you haven’t done so already, now would be a great time to call out and choose an eternity of life with our Savior. We’re not guaranteed another day here, and with all that’s happening around the world, this age is rapidly coming to an end. Don’t be left behind.
Shalom! (Peace be with you!)
