I just heard on Three Cosmic Messages Earth’s Final Conflict, “We do not follow God’s Commandments in order to be saved, but because we are saved.” I have heard a similar message before: “We are not saved by our best efforts”, “Jesus finished the work on the cross.”
To be frank, these statements are misleading. In fact they aren’t far from the false doctrine “once saved, always saved”. They imply there is nothing we have to do on our part.
I’m not convinced Jesus is finished working. If he were finished, why do we yet pray?
Jesus dying on the cross is an offer of salvation. What must we do? Accept by believing in accordance with John 3:16, be baptized by immersion in water in the name of Jesus or in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Mark 16:16.
What else must we do to be saved? What does the Bible say?
Ecclesiastes 12:13 KJV Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Romans 2:13 KJV (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
And let’s not forget 1 John 1:9 and Proverbs 28:13. If we err and sin these verses instruct us on how to be free.
Finally, with belief, we are saved by our best efforts in Christ who gives us both strength and guidance that we may walk in the Light. And when we need help with our efforts, we call upon the Lord. Roman’s 10:13.
Tag Archives: John 3:16
On His Behalf
It is very dangerous to speak on behalf of God. If you say, “God said …” and he did not, you are flirting with disaster and perhaps damnation.
God will not be made a liar.
Even saying something like “God loves you he really does” may be dubious. The truth: it could be true and it can have a strong sales aspect to new converts. However, it could be false. Certainly Esau is not the only person God ever hated.
To be safe when you want to quote God, quote him from the Holy Bible. His word is true and worthy of repetition.
John 3:16-21 KJV
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. [17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [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. [19] And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [20] For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. [21] But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Conditions Too
Some claim the love of God is unconditional. They do not know God nor the scriptures.
In an earlier post we discovered the first condition of Christianity in John 3:16. It is belief.
What are some other conditions? Mark 16:16 tells us that in addition to belief in Christ we must be baptized to be saved!
Let’s look at some other verses to see if we can spot the condition:
2 Corinthians 6:17-18 KJV Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing ; and I will receive you, [18] And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
If we want to be a son or daughter of God Almighty, what must we do? The condition is clear. Be separate and touch not the unclean thing.
John 14:21 KJV He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
If we want the Father and son’s love we keep his commandments.
Learning to spot conditions in scripture will help teach you proper discernment and help you in rightly dividing the Word of God.
The First Condition
God’s love is not unconditional. If you believe it is, I suggest you read John 3:16 KJV:
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.
Read it again. Did you catch the first condition to everlasting life?
Belief. One must believe Jesus is the Son of God.
Endrun
Is it the endrun for Jeshurun?
Deuteronomy 32:15 KJV
But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness ; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
Jeshurun or Israel has forsaken God, not by ignoring him, but by ignoring his Son. In their hubris they believe they are allowed to approach God the Father directly. Deuteronomy 32:18 KJV
Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.
1 Timothy 2:5-6 KJV For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; [6] Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
He is the scepter extended to Jew and Gentile alike. If one would live they must accept him. John 3:16
If they recognize him, the men of Israel can move out of their shame which they have confused with righteousness and uncover their head when they pray. 1 Corinthians 11:4 KJV
Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
You can’t run around our Rock, Jesus, to get to Jehovah. And you can’t get to Heaven relying on your Culture (fatness).
Matthew 23:8 KJV
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
A Better Way
I have heard it said by various preachers and teachers that if you were the only person to ever live, Jesus would have died just for you.
Personally, I think this is either an exaggeration of God’s love or an attack on his intelligence, but I could be wrong.
Look at it this way. He didn’t die just for you. Read John 3:16. He died for all those in the world that would believe. Instead of saying he would die millions or billions of times for every single believer, he did it once for all. His love was made manifest in that he died once.
Rather than ask if Jesus would die for just me, I think a better perspective is to ask yourself, if I were the only person on Earth, what could I do so that Jesus wouldn’t need to die?
The answer is to not sin. Don’t get me wrong we need Jesus’ blood. Mark 16:16, 1 John 1:9. If it was just you, though, would you ask your Savior to die for you alone or would you try to live your life so that he didn’t need to die?
. . . go, and sin no more. John 8:11
Our Part
So what’s our part of John 3:16? What’s the condition of eternal life?
John 3:16 KJV
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.
We must believe. God’s love is evident throughout the Holy Bible, but it is not unconditional. Salvation requires something on our part.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:14 KJV For many are called, but few are chosen.
What part do we have then? It is not us that calls, but God. It is not us to choose, but God’s. The answer is found in Revelation. Revelation 17:14 KJV says, …they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
It is God’s to call and to choose. It is our part to believe and be faithful.
A Quick Love Test
Many today preach that God’s love is unconditional. Let’s take a quick test.
John 3:16 KJV
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.
What’s the condition?
Why your Bible translation matters!
I believe in and promote the King James version Holy Bible.
I do not say that Salvation cannot be found in other translations.
I do say Damnation can be found in other translations.
Here are two examples I’ve come across in the last few weeks:
In John 3:16 one and only son
In KJV one and only begotten son
Why does it matter? Our hope like angels is to be the sons and daughters of the most high God. 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 KJV Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing ; and I will receive you, [18] And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
If God has one son, we and angels should lose hope. Yet the correct translation includes begotten to indicate Jesus was born of God and through miraculous conception Mary.
1 John 1:9 when are sins are revealed in his light he is faithful to forgive
1 John 1:9 KJV
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The KJV correctly places the onus of confession on us, not mere happenstance or accident.
Proverbs 28:13 KJV
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
A Matter of Degrees
I worry for the future of the Church. I had a recent conversation with someone attending a Church of Christ preaching school in which he said everyone who was not of the Church of Christ denomination was unrighteous. I have heard before of certain denominations or individual churches believing they were the only ones saved, but was somewhat shocked that this was the spirit of a church I attend.
Is this the future spirit of the Church? The Bible tells us the righteous are scarcely saved. 1 Peter 4:18. And yet I have not found a congregation that worships perfectly. Where is that church, one that keeps the Ten Commandments and understands the gospel?
There are keys of Salvation that cross denominational barriers?
- John 3:16 Belief in Jesus
- Mark 16:16 Correct Water Baptism
- 1 John 1:9 Forgiveness After Baptism
Does the use of musical instruments in worship make one unrighteous? Does receiving sprinkling as an infant make a person unrighteous? Does not keeping the Sabbath make one unrighteous?
It’s a matter of degrees from the straight and narrow. Being unable to discern God is accepting of both a cappella and musical worship may not make one worthy of damnation. However, believing you are holier because you only worship a cappella may be a stumbling block. Being sprinkled with water as an infant doesn’t make one unrighteous. However choosing not to read the Holy Bible to learn baptism requires knowledge of Jesus, knowledge of sin for repentance, and being immersed by another in the name of Jesus or in the name if the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost may jeapordize one’s salvation. Keeping the Sabbath is a commandment, yet we are told not to judge one another in regard to the keeping of holy days. Colossians 2:16.
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