GospelNotes.life

Tag: The Gospel

  • Freed From the Law and Sin (Romans, chapters 3-8)

    This note explains the somewhat confusing and complicated chapters of Romans 3-8.

    The first thing to understand is the dichotomy of the inner man vs the outward man. A brief overview: we are actually a soul, that has a spirit, and lives inside our fleshly body. For more details, see the note: The Inner Man vs the Outward Man (opens in a new window)

    The next thing to understand is that “sin” is not just some abstract concept or idea. It’s a literal living thing that lives in our fleshly bodies:

    • Sin “entered” the world when Adam ate of the forbidden fruit. (Romans 5:12)
    • Sin “lives” in our fleshly bodies. (Romans 7:17-18; Romans 7:20; Romans 7:21-23)

    What is a law?
    When you’re under a law, you must obey it. If the law says, “You shall not steal”, then you cannot steal. And with laws, there’s consequences for going against it. For the law (the 10 commandments), it’s condemnation and death with eternal hellfire.

    What is a master-slave relationship?
    Likewise, if we were under bondage as a slave to a master, the slave must obey their master. If the master says, “Steal”, then you must steal.

    What is the rule about being under laws?
    The rule that God instantiated about laws is that when you die, you are released from the law you were under.

    The same goes for master-slave relationships. When you die, you are no longer the slave of the master you were owned by.

    We are all born under the law, and sin quickly becomes our master. As slaves of our master (sin) we obey its commands to break the law. And when we break the law, we are condemned to death and eternal hellfire as just punishment.

    So the question is: “If we get freed from laws and masters by death, how do we get freed from the law (the commandments) and our master (sin)?” The answer: we must die, and then we will be released from our master (sin), and from the law that condemns us. Here’s how we “die”:

    For this next part, you must understand the gospel: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 — that Christ (1) died to pay for all our sins (2) was buried and (3) rose again the third day.

    The next logical question is: “How do we die?” The answer: when we believe the gospel, we are spiritually crucified with Christ. It is like our body/flesh was literally put to death on the cross (the gospel: step 1). So there, we just died (and the sin within us along with us). The moment we believed the gospel, our flesh died and we were released from our former master (sin), and from the law that condemned us when we sinned. Our dead outward bodies and the sin within were then buried (the gospel: step 2), and we as our inner man was spiritually reborn of incorruptible Seed and raised back to life (the final gospel step 3), and now our new selves are now slaves to God and are under His law of grace. All this is what’s meant by being baptized (following Christ) into Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.

    So, Christ redeemed us (freed us) from our master (sin), as well as the law that condemned us when we sinned, when we believed in His death on the cross (for the payment for our sins), His burial and His resurrection. And that believing He did that for us, we are then baptized (following Him) into His death, being set free from sin and the law, and are raised to new life under our new master (God) and His law of grace.

    We are now a slave of our new Master, God, who redeemed (freed) us from our old master, sin. What does God command us to do? He commands us to believe the gospel for salvation, and to “be holy”: “Be holy, for I am holy”. (If I’m saved by faith, why be holy? See note on: The Ways of God vs the Ways of the World [The best note on this site. Opens in a new window])

    And not only are we God’s slave now, we are now also under the law of grace, being set free (redeemed) from the former law that condemned us. What does the law of grace say? It says: “If you do sin and break the other law, you are forgiven instead of condemned.”

    And just because we’re now under the law of grace (forgiveness) instead of the law of condemnation, it doesn’t mean that we should use that as an excuse to let our flesh sin and break the old law. We absolutely could, but we are told not to. Instead of totally disregarding the old law, we uphold it because we agree that its statutes are good (it’s good not to steal, it’s good not to murder, it’s good not to lie, etc.). We’re just not condemned by it when our flesh does break it, because we’re no longer under it, as we’re now under the law of grace.

    Now, there’s the spiritual reality of our flesh being dead, but then there’s also the physical reality: that our flesh is not dead yet and is very much alive and sin still lives in it. But we’re to reckon/consider/pretend our flesh to be dead, which means that we are free from our former master (sin), and since we’re no longer sin’s slave, we no longer obey it when it tells us to sin. We are to act/behave as if our sinful flesh is actually dead and deprive our flesh of its desire to sin. Instead, we obey our new Master (God), who commands us to be holy. And when our flesh overtakes us and we fail to be holy in the flesh, remember, we are no longer under the old law that condemned us for it, we are now under the law of grace that forgives us.

    Does “being dead to sin” mean that we won’t sin anymore? No. Remember, spiritually we’re dead to sin, but the physical reality is that our sinful flesh is still alive and desires to sin. We’re simply to pretend it’s dead and deprive it of its desire to sin to the best of our ability. See this note on how to do this: The Ways of God vs the Ways of the World (The best note on this site. Opens in a new window)

    Even Jesus (God) took on human nature and had a fleshly body with sin in it. But since He was also God within that flesh, He was able to deprive that sin of its desires, thus fulfilling the law (something us humans couldn’t do). (Romans 8:3)

    On the cross, God the Father put all our sin in Christ’s fleshly body. Jesus bore our sin in His flesh on the cross, and God put His body/flesh to death, along with all our sins in it: 1 Peter 2:24 — “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree (the cross), that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes (wounds) you were healed.”

  • Sins: Paid, Forgiven, Removed, Forgotten

    All of our sins were paid for on the cross 2000 years ago, and the nanosecond you believed the gospel, your sins were:

    1. Forgiven
      Ephesians 1:7 — In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
    2. Removed
      Psalm 103:12 — As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
    3. Forgotten
      Hebrews 8:12 — For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.

  • The Savior brings The Good News

    Not good news:
    Behold! I am the messiah! I bring you good news on how to get to Heaven: keep the whole law perfectly and never once stumble! Good luck!

    Good news:
    Behold! I am the messiah and have come to pay for all of your sins so that you can get into heaven! Just believe in Me! That’s it!

  • Grace. Mercy. Justice.

    Grace = getting [good things] what we don’t deserve.

    Mercy = not getting what we do deserve [punishment].

    Justice = getting what we do deserve.

    Ephesians 2:8-9 — For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

  • The Stock Market of Salvation

    Stocks:

    • Christ alone – $777/share.
    • Christ + works – $0.01/share.
    • Judaism – $0.01/share.
    • Buddha – $0.01/share.
    • Allah – $0.01/share.
    • Atheism – $0.01/share.
    • The Mark of the Beast – $0.01/share.
    • All of the Above – $0.01/share.
    • Other – $0.01/share.

    Rules:

    • You get $777 to spend.
    • You can’t hedge your bets. You can only put all of your money into one stock. You have to, “put all your eggs in one basket.”
    • Only one stock will produce dividends. The rest will tank and you will lose your shirt.

    Stock Tips:

    • John 14:6 — Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
    • Ephesians 2:8-9 — For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

  • Do.Not.Mix.Faith.And.Works!

    4 types of people:

    • Those who have faith in Christ alone — the truth and only way.
    • Those who mix faith in Christ and their works — the most dangerous.
    • Those who reject Christ and try to work their way to heaven.
    • Those who flat out reject the concept of God altogether.

    To those who mix faith in Christ and their own works, it is the most dangerous and they will be rejected by the Lord:

    Matthew 7:21-23 — “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ [see they have “faith”] will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father [John 6:40 – believe on Jesus alone] who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name [bringing their work of prophesying] and in your name drive out demons [bringing their work of casting out demons] and in your name perform many miracles [bringing their works of miracles performed]?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers [We are all evil and all have sinned. None of us are righteous by our own works.]!’

  • Jesus Bought Me Everlasting Life

    Jesus and I walked into a large store, owned and operated by God the Father. Jesus said to me, “Pick out anything you want and it will be my gift to you.” So I spent hours upon hours searching through the store. Finally I came upon the item of Everlasting Life. I turned to Jesus and said, “This is what I want…Everlasting Life.” He said, “OK”, grabbed the package and we went up to the register to checkout. God the Father was behind the register. Jesus put the Everlasting Life on the counter and the Father rang it up. He said to me, “That will be a cost of ‘the blood of a single sinless man.’” Jesus stepped in and said to the Father, “No one but Myself can afford this. I am purchasing this Everlasting Life as a gift for him. Here is my blood.” The Father took the payment in full, handed Jesus the package of Everlasting Life and said, “The transaction is finished — paid in full — nothing else needed.” As Jesus and I left the store, Jesus handed me the package of Everlasting Life and said, “This is a gift from me to you. You did not earn it for yourself. It is simply an irrevocable gift from Me, paid for with my blood. Thank you for accepting it. I love you, my son. Enjoy!”

  • A Changed Life?

    Faith + nothing = salvation
    Faith + works = “a changed life”, false gospel

    Faith alone in Christ alone. Don’t be a fruit (works) inspector. The only fruit to inspect is the fruit of faith. Everyone grows at different rates. Everyone stumbles daily.

  • Childlike Faith

    A child doesn’t need to know the inner workings of something, or even how it works at all. They don’t need to see it. Nor do they have anything to bring to the table or offer. They are just told something simple and told that it’s true, and they simply believe.

    Believe with childlike faith the true, pure, unadulterated – and above all – simple Gospel message and you will be saved: that Christ died on the cross to pay for your sins, was buried and on the third day rose from the dead. It’s that beautifully simple, and it confounds and frustrates the prideful and wise who think they can be “good enough” to earn their way into heaven.

    Matthew 19:14 — Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these [who have nothing to offer and simply just believe who He says He is].”

    Acts 16:30-31 — He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
    They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household [as in – tell your household to believe in Jesus as well and they too shall be saved along with you – those who believe].”

    1 Corinthians 1:18-19 — For the message of the cross [the simple gospel] is foolishness to those who are perishing [the prideful, wise and learned], but to us who are being saved [those with childlike faith] it is the power of God [to save — Romans 1:16]. For it is written: “I [God] will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

  • Gospel Equations

    Equation for area of a square:

    True: area = length x width
    False: area = length + width

    Equation for salvation:

    True: salvation = faith + nothing
    False: salvation = faith + works

  • The Book of John: Faith, not works.

    John 1:7 – He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.

    John 1:12 – Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

    John 3:15 – that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

    John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

    John 3:18 – Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

    John 3:36 – Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

    John 4:14 – but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

    John 5:24 – “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

    John 6:28-29 – Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

    John 6:35 – Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

    John 6:40 – For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

    John 6:47 – Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.

    John 6:50-51 – But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

    John 6:54 – Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.

    John 7:38-39 – Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

    John 8:24 – I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”

    John 10:9 – I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.

    John 11:25-26 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

    John 12:36 – Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

    John 17:3 – Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

    John 20:31 – But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

  • Renew Mind Daily

    Romans 12:2 — And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

    Renew your mind daily. Meditate on these truths daily:

    The Gospel
    Christ died for ALL of my sins (past, present and future), was buried and rose from the dead the third day for my justification.

    Christ said on the cross upon death, “It is finished!”, meaning — sin debt paid in full, nothing more to do.

    The nanosecond I believed the gospel, I was indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of my salvation.

    The nanosecond I believed the gospel, I received the imputed righteousness of Christ. A righteousness apart from the law. A righteousness that is by faith. When God looks at me, He sees the righteousness of Christ – not my sinful flesh.

    Positional Truths
    I am:

    • Righteous
    • Holy
    • Blameless
    • Without spot or blemish
    • Justified (declared not guilty)
    • Sanctified (set apart, made holy)
    • A child of God
    • A citizen of heaven
    • An heir
    • A co-heir with Christ
    • Loved beyond measure
    • Redeemed
    • Forgiven
    • Receiving grace upon grace
    • Sealed by the Holy Spirit
    • Access to the Father
    • – Able to approach God with freedom and confidence

    Spiritual Baptism
    The nanosecond I believed the gospel alone, I was spiritually baptized into Christ’s death, burial and resurrection by the Holy Spirit. I have been “crucified” (with my old sinful flesh dying), been “buried”, spiritually reborn with the righteousness of Christ, and have been “risen” to newness of life. In the resurrection at the rapture, I will receive my new spiritual, sinless, glorified, incorruptible body.

  • Where to Find a Grace-only Church

    Lol. Can you find one anymore? A church that doesn’t preach some sort of front loaded or back loaded works-based salvation? It’s impossible. Especially not after the rapture – the snatching away of the only true Christians that have faith alone in Christ alone – no works. For, who will be all the “christians” left behind? Those that trusted in their works. So who will preach to you the truth? No churches that are left. That’s for sure.

    How to find a true church:

    1. Do they know the Gospel?
      That believing alone that Christ died for all sins, was buried and rose from the dead on the third day? 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
    2. Do they think you have to have any sort of works to be saved?
      Run! *See the note: The Works, The Will, The Command, The Overcomer, The Righteous, The Obedience
    3. Do they think you can lose your salvation, other than taking the mark of the beast?
      Run! You cannot lose your salvation. *See note: Eternal Security for details.
    4. Do they think that the “proof” of one’s salvation is their “changed life, sinning less, following the law, producing “fruit”, going to church, getting water baptized, speaking in tongues, tithing, helping the needy, etc.?”
      Run! The only proof of one’s salvation is the testimony of what they believe in — if they believe the gospel alone found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 — that Christ died for all their sins, was buried and rose from the dead on the third day – no works added. *See note, “You can know you’re saved” for details.

  • You Can Know You’re Saved

    In 1 John 5:9-13, John says that we can know for sure that we’re saved by if we believe in Christ – not by if we have a changed life of less sin: “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

    In Matthew 7:21-23 we can see that many will bring their works to show that they’re saved, ultimately to be rejected by having their faith in their works: “Not everyone who says to Me [Jesus], ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father [John 6:40 — the will of the Father is to believe in Jesus] in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name [a work they bring], cast out demons in Your name [a work they bring], and done many wonders in Your name [works they bring]?’ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity [the sin of unbelief].

    It’s not by having a changed life, sinning less, being a better person, etc. It’s by faith alone in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

    You can’t see someone’s salvation. But you can know they’re saved by their testimony of faith alone in the gospel. Hebrews 11:1 — Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen [their salvation].

    One of the Holy Spirit’s jobs for the believer is to convict them of their imputed righteousness in Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts the unbelievers of their sin, in order to lead them to Christ for salvation: John 16:8-11 — And when He [The Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me [unbelievers convicted of sin]; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more [to remind the believer of their righteousness in Christ]; of judgment, because the ruler of this world [Satan] is judged.

  • Front-loading and Back-loading works into the gospel

    The gospel found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 is: [1] that Christ died to pay for all your sins (past, present and future) according to the scriptures, [2] He was buried and [3] He rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

    By believing in the above gospel alone (and not adding any works to it), you are eternally saved and sealed – guaranteeing your salvation.

    Front-loading and back-loading works into the gospel is just that – adding works to the pure, simply gospel message, rendering it a false gospel that doesn’t save anyone who believes in it.

    What are works? [1] You can “work” the law by following the law. [2] Doing good deeds.

    The true gospel that saves (salvation) = Faith + Nothing

    What is front-loading the gospel with works?
    It is flat out saying that in addition to faith in the gospel, you must “turn from your sins” to be saved, which is essentially following the law to be saved. It is trusting partly in Christ’s sacrifice, but mostly in your own works of law keeping.

    False front-loaded gospel (that doesn’t save) = Faith + Works

    What is back-loading the gospel with works?
    This is the most deceitful, deceptive, fearful and evil false gospel out there, and there are many who claim to be Christian that fall for it. Back-loading works into the gospel is essentially saying that faith alone – no works – is salvation, but, if you don’t have a sufficiently changed life (which cannot be explained or quantified because it’s not in the bible), or you’re, “living like the devil” (again, cannot be explained or quantified because it’s not in the bible), you’re not truly saved. What this logic leads to, is to you examining yourself and saying to yourself, “Man, I don’t know if I’m truly saved because I don’t think I have a sufficiently changed life. I mean, I still commit this sin and that sin. I better turn from those sins to prove I’m truly saved.” Thus, “back-loading” works in the gospel (turning from “this” sin and “that” sin to prove you’re saved). So, when you go before Christ and He says, “Why should I let you into heaven?”, and you say, “Well, I believe in you and to prove it I’ve turned from this sin and that sin and that other sin.” This false gospel leads most people into some serious fear, depression and anxiety because they never have assurance of salvation because they know that they never measure up. The others who love this false gospel are so prideful and blinded that they actually think that they have a sufficiently changed life (based on their criteria) and have turned from all their sins, which they haven’t. So, a back-loaded gospel is saying, “You’re saved by faith alone, but if you haven’t turned from all your sins, you didn’t really believe.”

    False back-loaded gospel (that doesn’t save) = Faith + Nothing + (having a truly changed life of law keeping)

    Matthew 7:21-23 tells us that Christ will reject these people and their false gospels — “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father [the will of the Father is in John 6:40 — to believe in Jesus — not to “obey the law”] in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name [brought their works of prophesying], cast out demons in Your name [brought their works of exorcism], and done many wonders in Your name [brought many of their other works]?’ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (the iniquity of unbelief).

    Luke 18:9-14 — Also He (Jesus) spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

  • How the Cross Works

    Law
    God has laws – the 10 commandments. Much like how a country has laws. There’s due punishment for breaking one of those laws.

    Accounts
    You have an account with God – an account that stores all of the bad deeds (sins) you’ve ever committed. All humans have their account with God.

    Jesus is God, but became a human (fully human, fully God) and also had account with God.

    Justice
    God is a holy and just God – meaning that a bad deed cannot go unpunished. Much like how in the U.S. if you commit a crime, “you do the time.”

    The Judgement
    Just like when you commit a crime in the U.S., you go before the judge to get your due punishment.

    Same way with God. At the end of this present evil age, all will go before God – the judge – to give an account of everything they’ve ever done to break his law, and they will receive due punishment – eternal separation from God in hell.

    The Cross – The Switch
    In the U.S., if you commit a crime that must be punished, what if you could have someone who hasn’t committed a crime, take that punishment for you? In the U.S., you can’t. You yourself must pay your own penalty.

    However, with God, He does allow someone who has never committed a sin against Him to take the punishment for you in your place. There’s only one person that ever lived and will ever live that has a perfectly clean account with God – Jesus!

    So what did God do to Jesus on the cross? He opened your account. Took all of your sins and put them on Jesus’ clean account, and punished Jesus on the cross. Now you have a perfectly clean account and when you stand before God – the judge – He’ll open up your account and see a perfectly clean account, and can let you into heaven!

    Believe
    There’s only one requirement, and it’s dead simple. You must believe that Christ did this for you, and you will be forgiven of all your sins. If you try and bring your own good deeds (works), you will be rejected. Just as in the U.S., if you steal something, you can’t just say, “Well I’ll just give $50 to charity and we’ll call it even.” You must pay the penalty!

    And you also can’t take the mark of the beast, or else game over.

  • The Works, the Will, the Command, the Overcomer, the Righteous, the Obedience

    What are the “works”, the “will”, the “overcomer”, the “command”, the “obedience” and the “righteous” of God? Let’s find out:

    The Works
    John 6:28-29 — Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

    The Will
    John 6:40 — For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

    The Command
    1 John 3:23 — And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

    The Overcomer
    1 John 5:5 — Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

    The Righteous
    Romans 1:17 — For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

    The Obedience
    Romans 16:26 — but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith

  • How to Go to Heaven

    It’s dead simple. It’s by faith alone in Jesus’ gospel (scriptures below). You can’t earn your way to heaven by being a “good person” or “doing good deeds” or “following the law to some extent.” Salvation is a free gift (not earned). Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise:

    The first thing is to realize that everyone is a sinner and falls short:

    Romans 3:23 — for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

    Romans 3:10-12 — As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”

    Isaiah 64:6 — But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteous acts are like filthy rags [filthy menstrual rags]; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

    So you can see, everyone who has ever lived except Jesus is a sinner unworthy of heaven. Now, how do we get to heaven if this is the case? Simple, believe the gospel alone. What is the gospel (the good news):

    1 Corinthians 15:1-4 — Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the GOSPEL which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are SAVED, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: [1] that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and [2] that He was buried, and [3] that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures

    So by simply believing that (1) Christ died to pay for all your sins – past, present and future – (2) was buried and (3) rose again the third day according to the scriptures, you are saved. It’s about what Christ did on the cross – not about “being a good person.” There are many false gospels out there: “turn from your sins”, “follow the law”, “get water baptized”, “confess your sins”, “attend church”, “speak in tongues.” They all add to the one true gospel above, and therefore will lead you to hell.

    After believing the gospel alone, you’re instantly sealed with the Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of your salvation:

    Ephesians 1:13-14 — In Him you also trusted, after you HEARD the word of truth, the GOSPEL of your salvation; in whom also, having BELIEVED, you were SEALED with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the GUARANTEE of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

    Again, there are many false gospels out there in christianity, Catholicism and other religions, in which most believe in. The bible says the road to heaven is narrow, and only a few find it. Most people are on the “broad road that lead to destruction [hell]”:

    Matthew 7:13-14 — “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction [all false works based gospels, all other religions, atheists, etc], and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and confined is the way [the true gospel alone] which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

    Over the millennia, the institutional church has redefined the word “repent” and have added “of your sins” to the end of it. The biblical definition of repent does NOT mean to “turn from sins.” The true definition is: “to change your mind.” As in – to change your mind about who Christ is, and go from unbelief to belief in Him. It does NOT mean, “to turn from your sins.” Not once in the bible does it ever say to “repent OF YOUR SINS.”

    Proof that salvation is by faith alone, and that you can’t bring your “good deeds”:

    Ephesians 2:8-9 — For by grace you have been saved through FAITH, and that NOT of yourselves; it is the GIFT of God, NOT OF WORKS, lest anyone should boast.

    Matthew 7:21-23 — “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father [to believe in Christ] in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice iniquity [the iniquity of unbelief]!’

    As you can see, the person in the scripture above professed to “know” Christ, but brought their works along as the means for their justification: “prophesied in Your name”, “cast out demons in Your name” and “done many wonders in Your name.” They simply didn’t trust in what Christ did on the cross to pay for all their sins as enough. They thought it wasn’t sufficient, and that they had to have good works. Another example scripture next:

    Luke 18:9-14 — Also He [Jesus] spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee [religious leader] and the other a tax collector [sinner]. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

    What are the “works”, the “will”, the “overcomer”, the “command”, the “obedience” and the “righteous” of God? Let’s find out:

    The Works
    John 6:28-29 — Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

    The Will
    John 6:40 — For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

    The Command
    1 John 3:23 — And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

    The Overcomer
    1 John 5:5 — Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

    The Righteous
    Romans 1:17 — For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

    The Obedience
    Romans 16:26 — but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith

  • Jesus is the Promised Jewish Messiah

    God promised Israel a messiah (a savior) through them. This messiah was to save them from their enemies and set up his earthly kingdom and rule. 2,000 years ago, the Jews were under Roman rule. They were somewhat oppressed by the Romans, and had to pay hefty taxes to the Roman government. They didn’t like it – at all. The Jews thought that when the messiah arrives, he will get rid of their enemies and set up his earthly kingdom there in Israel. But God had bigger plans…

    The truth is, is that God actually first promised a messiah to Adam and Eve, after the devil had gotten them to sin in the garden of Eden: Genesis 3:14-15 — So the Lord God said to the serpent [Satan]: “Because you have done this [gotten Adam and Eve to sin], You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman [Eve], And between your seed and her Seed [the messiah]; He shall bruise your head [defeat Satan at the cross], And you shall bruise His heel [put Him on the cross].”

    This messiah was to come from the Jews, coming from children of the forefather of the Jews – Abraham. But as I said earlier – God had bigger plans than to just save Israel and the Jews. He had plans to save the entire world – Jews and gentiles (anyone that’s not a Jew) alike: Genesis 17:3-4 — Then Abram [Abraham – the father of the Jews] fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you [Abraham] shall be a father of many nations (not just Israel). Genesis 22:18 — In your [Abraham] seed [through the Jewish lineage] all the nations of the earth shall be blessed [have access to salvation through the Jewish messiah], because you have obeyed My voice.”

    This Jewish messiah did indeed come already 2,000 years ago. This Jewish messiah was indeed – Jesus.

    Several Old Testament prophecies concerning the birth and coming of the messiah are given:

    A virgin will conceive the messiah — This Scripture points to the manner in which he will be born, and also to one of the names given to Christ: Immanuel, meaning God with us. This was pointing to both his human birth and his divine nature. This was written over 700 years before Christ was born.

    Old Testament Prophecy: Isaiah 7:14 — “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

    New Testament Fulfillment: Luke 1:26-38 — Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus [meaning — God is salvation]. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man [have never had sex]?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

    The messiah will be born in Bethlehem — this Scripture tells us in advance the place Jesus would be born. This prophecy was written by Micah approximately 800 years before Christ was born.

    Old Testament Prophecy: Micah 5:2 — “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One [the messiah Jesus] to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”

    New Testament Fulfillment: Matthew 2:1 — Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,

    So Jesus the messiah was born of a virgin in Bethlehem, as prophesied. He grew up to about 30 years old when He began to start His ministry, teaching and performing many miraculous signs and wonders over the next few years to prove that He was indeed the messiah from God – as no mere man could perform those miracles without the hand of God on Him. You can read all about these many miracles in the first four books of the New Testament Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – which pick up from where the Old Testament left off and document the life and ministry of Jesus on earth.

    After about 3 years of Jesus’ ministry, many Jews were convinced that He was indeed the messiah to come, and tried to set Him up as King. As stated earlier, they thought Jesus was going to save them from the Roman oppression and set up His earthly kingdom and rule them. Again, as stated earlier, God had bigger plans – plans to not just merely save the Jews from earthly oppression, but plans to save the entire world from their sins, so that the whole world (Jews and gentiles) might receive eternal life (rather than just a “comfortable” life while alive on earth)! However, to accomplish this, it would mean that He would have to sacrifice Himself on the cross and shed His blood – to become the ultimate sacrifice for all of humanities’ sin. *See the note, “How the Cross Works” for more detail on how actually Jesus dying on the cross paid for our sins.

    A few days after Jesus was brought to Jerusalem by the Jews to be made King, the religious leaders of the Jews (the Pharisees and Sadducees) who hated Jesus convinced the Jews that He was a fraud and that He should be crucified and put to death by the Romans for claiming to be God. This eventually happened on Passover, where Jesus fulfilled the feast of Passover by becoming the perfect, unblemished lamb of God, sacrificed for our sins, shedding His blood, that whoever should “cover themselves by His blood” by believing in His sacrifice should be protected from death (the second death that is – hell) and receive eternal life.

    After Jesus died on the cross, He was buried in a tomb for 3 days (fulfilling the feast of Unleavened Bread) proving He was dead, and on the third day He was raised back to life (fulfilling the feast of Firstfruits – the firstfruits of many to be resurrected from the dead) proving His sacrifice was accepted by God for our justification.

    After He rose from the dead, He stayed around on earth for around 40 more days, witnessed by the apostles and over 500 others, and then ascended back into heaven, where He would spend the next 2,000 years building His church of true believers that have faith in His death, burial and resurrection. At the end of the 2,000 years, He will come again at His 2nd coming to defeat the antichrist and Satan, and will then set up His earthly kingdom and will rule all the nations for 1,000 years in what’s called the “Millennial Kingdom.” *See the note, “The Book of Revelation” for more details on the end times and 2nd coming, including the Millennial Kingdom.

    There’s another major prophecy in Isaiah 53 in the Old Testament, prophesying of what the messiah would do for humanity on the cross roughly 700 years before Jesus was born:

    Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He [Jesus] grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

  • The Fruit of Faith

    Matthew 7:15-20 — “Beware of false prophets [people who teach a works-based salvation message – “turn from your sins/follow the law to be saved”], who come to you in sheep’s clothing [their message sounds correct], but inwardly they are ravenous wolves [sending you to hell]. You will know them by their fruits [the fruit of their faith – what they believe saves a person]. Do men gather grapes [good fruit] from thornbushes [a worthless tree] or figs [good fruit] from thistles [a worthless tree]? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree [a tree that produces the fruit of the gospel – salvation by faith in Christ alone] cannot bear bad fruit [a works-based salvation message], nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire [unsaved people thrown into hell]. Therefore by their fruits [what they believe in] you will know them.

    The above verses are always taken out of context by the false teachers – the very people they’re talking about – to teach a works-based salvation message. They turn the “fruit” into works, to say that anyone that doesn’t turn from their sins or do good deeds will be thrown into hell.

    John 15:1-8 is where Jesus is explaining how He is the vine (like the root and trunk of a tree), believers are the branches that bear fruit, and God the Father is the vinedresser/gardener who cultivates the vine/tree.

    Christ = Tree
    Believers = Branches
    Fruit = The message of the gospel (salvation by faith in Christ alone 1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
    Vinedresser/Gardener = God the Father

    The vinedresser/gardener wants His tree to make good fruit that is useful for Him and others. The good fruit believers produce for the vinedresser is the fruit of our faith (the fruit of our lips – what comes from our heart/mind – what we believe in for salvation – the gospel). This is fruit that others can pick from the tree of Christ, eat it and become truly nourished and it will give them eternal life.

    The fruit of the good tree of Christ is not works. You can’t get nourished and saved by seeing my works – by seeing me turn from my sins or by seeing me do a good deed. So works can’t be the good fruit, and are not useful to the vinedresser or others. No one can eat my fruit of works and get nourished and saved.

    Romans 11:16-24 tells us that when you eat that good fruit of the gospel (believe in the gospel), you are grafted into the tree of Christ as a branch and now produce the good fruit of faith that others can then pick from your branch and eat and become saved themselves. They are then grafted into the vine/tree of Christ as a branch and produce the fruit faith as well that others can eat of and be saved, and so on.