What makes you think you are going to heaven? Have you asked yourself that question before? Maybe someone has asked you, or you have asked someone. I have asked people why they think they will be in heaven when they die and received a varity of answers. Some will tell you that it is because they are good people, others because they go to church, others because they tithe to the church, some because their parents were Christians, or they go to confession once a week. I could mention many other reasons, but none of these will get you into heaven. These works done by man.
Now I'm not saying that we don't have to do good works in this life, but what I am saying is that works mean nothing when it comes to your entering heaven. I once heard a pastor say that there will be many good people in hell, and that is true. They tried to get to heaven by their own works, and it doesn't work. If we could have worked our way in, then why would Jesus of had to come down to earth and suffer and die in our place on the cross? Now God knows more than any of us. So He sent Jesus down from heaven to die in our place. This pretty much blows away the idea of working your way in.
We are told that we are saved by grace through faith. So we are given eternal life in heaven, which we don't deserve, through faith in Jesus.
Ephesians;2:8-9(For by grace you have been saved through faith; that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.)
2Timothy;1:8-9(Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,)
Faith first, and then followed by good works because of your faith. If a person is truly a believer in Jesus Christ, then there should be evidence of this faith by the works which follow. James explains it this way.
James;2:14-16(What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled" and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?) So we are told that we are saved by faith. If you say you are saved, then the works that follow your salvation should be proof of your salvation. Now I'm not saying that works save you. But I am saying that saving faith will be followed by good works. James explains it better.
James;2:17-18(Even so faith if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say,"You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.) James is not saying that there is two ways to be saved. We are told that salvation is by faith alone. But what James is saying is that true and genuine salvation will be followed by good works.
We are told all through the Scriptures that our salvation is in Jesus and Him alone. We cannot earn salvation. Paul tells us in the book of Titus,
Titus;3:4-7(But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.)
Do you realize that many of the books of the Bible were written hundreds of years apart, Yet they all tell the same story, that salvation is in Jesus Christ and Him alone. There is no other way!
Acts;4:12("And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.") Jesus is the way.
John;3:16(For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.)
Jesus tells us that we must have faith in Him.
Romans;10:8-10(But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart-that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.)
John;14:6(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me".)
[Faith Faith Faith]
So we see that we can have all the works in the world, but if we don't have faith in Jesus, we are not going to make it to heaven. I pray that you will put your faith in Jesus for your salvation. Good works will automatically come after faith. Jesus is the author of our salvation.
God Bless You!
No comments:
Post a Comment