Question #1:
Robert
Your study of Salvation is 192 pages
(link). I can see seminary students working on this and probably more
studies than this. But not the average searching Christian like myself.
One who desires to understand (maybe the basics) of salvation. Churches
certainly do not offer a serious basic study.
Why don’t you consider a condensed study, for many Christians like
myself? Then those that wish can go further with the longer study.
Respectfully
Response #1:
Have a look at this link: Salvation: God's free gift.
Question #2:
Bob
Back on Salvation again - Can we give a short description first which
then leads to the longer one:
The Christian Sinner 1 Cor 6:11 -
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were
sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by
the Spirit of our God.
Sinners by profession (Ungodly) - ps 1:5 -
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
A Christian - We need to Believe and seek forgiveness:
When seeking forgiveness from God, it is important to know that there is
a wonderful promise given in the book of John. "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 3:16). God has provided a
signed and sealed guarantee that "whoever" calls upon the name of the
LORD, shall be saved (Romans 10:13). The one who calls upon the name of
the LORD Jesus Christ and believes in Him is saved, born again, and
given the gift of eternal life.
James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons
believe that—and shudder.
Response #2:
When we are born, we are born with sin natures and we all sin. This
means that 1) we are dead to God as sinners, 2) we are going to die
physically, 3) we will be judged and thrown into the lake of fire after
death. That is a horrible fate – but God sent His Son to deliver/save us
from that fate. He did so by dying for our sins on the cross
(the
blood of Christ; link). Hearing about this – that Christ's
spiritual death has removed the sins which keep us from God, produce our
physical death, and guarantee an eternity in the lake of fire – is good
news! And when we respond to that good news, trusting in Jesus for
eternal life, both who He is (God and man) and what He has done for us
(dying for our sins) we are "saved" – which means many things as you
know, but first and foremost that we are saved from the lake of fire and
from a judgment of condemnation so that our physical death means nothing
because we will be resurrected and live with Him in paradise forever
(for the details see the link:
BB 4B Soteriology).
In respect the verses you include, salvation, like
sanctification
(link), is described in scripture in all three of its aspects, namely,
the fact of it based on history (our position in Christ by grace through
faith), the eternal future of it when we are resurrected (our ultimate
sinless state), and the process of it (our current experience while in
this world): since we are saved/delivered positionally when we believe,
but only ultimately when we are resurrected, scripture sometimes says
that we "are saved/delivered" (at belief), "will be saved/delivered" (at
resurrection) – and of course we are still in this world in between so
the fact that we "are [now] being saved/delivered" is also found,
meaning the process wherein our faith is confirmed and we respond to the
Lord in growth, progress and production (ideally) rather than falling
away back into unbelief (apostasy).
James 2:19 is not part of the picture. That verse merely makes the point
that believing a fact is much different from accepting who Jesus Christ
is and what He has done for us, then putting our trust for eternal life
in Him – all who do the latter will be able to show at least some small
production for Him in eternity (even if it is only a tiny bit of trust
and prayer, e.g.).
Yours in our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #3:
Hi, I want to ask you, if we are saved now or after second coming of Jesus? Some verses says we are saved now, but there are verses that say we will be saved.
Response #3:
Believers are "saved" when they put their faith in Jesus Christ for deliverance from sin and death. At that point we are "born again" and given eternal life. We are not yet experiencing that eternal life, however, and we will not experience it until we are resurrected. And God leaves us here on earth in the meantime to test the depth and quality of our faith. So scripture sometimes does speak about having been saved, being saved, and going to be saved. We have been saved (when we believed), and we have that hope as "an anchor" which secures us to heaven (Heb.6:19). We are being saved in that the Lord is bringing us safely through this world and this life in spite of all the fiery missiles of the evil one – if we are but resolved to maintain our faith in Him (1Cor.15:2; Heb.3:6; 3:14). And we shall be saved on that "day" when He calls us home or, should it be our lot to abide in this world until then, when He returns for us at the second advent. Here are some links where this threefold nature of salvation is discussed in more detail:
Yours in our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #4:
Thank you. People in the OT were saved like we? Through faith? They had faith that God would send Jesus for forgiveness. Our faith is that God did send Him? So it's almost same?
Response #4:
Yes, that is essentially the case. In the Old Testament, they (i.e., those who responded to the truth) knew they were sinners and needed God's deliverance, and the means of being saved and forgiven, the substitutionary death of the Savior, was represented in the animal sacrifices of the Law. So being saved was the same: trust in God's Substitute. However, the revelation of the truth is what is different – as it had to be different before Christ actually came in the flesh and suffered and died for all sin on the cross: they looked forward to the cross through shadows in the Old Testament, whereas today we look back to the reality of the cross and the salvation it provides. As Peter says:
(10) Even as they foretold this salvation that was to come to you, the prophets of old diligently investigated and inquired about this [gift] of grace, (11) being eager to discover the precise time the Spirit of Christ within them was signifying as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories [of salvation, among other things] that would follow [the cross]. (12) For it was revealed to them that in prophesying these things, they were not so much serving themselves as they were you – and these same things have now been proclaimed to you through those who gave you the gospel through the Holy Spirit, sent from heaven – even angels want to look into these things.
1st Peter 1:10-12
Here are some links on that with more details:
What is the Eternal Future of those who Lived before Christ?
Yours in our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #5:
And what about people in another country than Israel in OT times who couldn't know the true God? And what about Jesus seeing Moses and Elias? They didn't wait for judgment day?
Response #5:
These are two separate questions. Our Lord's meeting with Moses and
Elijah on the mount of transfiguration was a preview of things to come
during the Tribulation, not the resurrection of the Church.
Moses' and Elijah's
bodies have been uniquely preserved in heaven after their deaths in
order for them to be resuscitated during the Tribulation as the two
witnesses who administer the Jewish revival under the 144,000 (see the
link). But they will rise in eternal bodies when we do – at our Lord's
second advent return.
As to the salvation of Old Testament believers who were not Jewish, no
one was Jewish before Abraham, but there were believers before Abraham.
And there were gentile believers after Abraham. Many of these were
brought by the Lord to/into Israel so as to gain the salvation they
wanted and were willing to accept (e.g., Rahab the Canaanite, Ruth the
Moabite, Uriah the Hittite, etc.). And on one occasion of which we are
informed, the Lord sent Jonah to Assyria for the Assyrians to be saved
(those who were willing). So while we don't know all the details of the
lives of all of these people in antiquity, we do know that our Lord
knows all and has always known all. Everyone of us, every spirit ever
created, is put by the Lord in the right place and at the right time for
him/her to be saved (if at all willing) and to grow (if at all willing).
He planned your birth and life circumstances just as He has done for
every single human being who has ever lived or ever will – to a degree
of detail it is impossible for us to fathom at present. Once we
understand something of just how "BIG" God is, all of these little
problems and seeming complications vanish instantly.
"And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us."
Acts 17:26-27 NKJV
Yours in our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #6:
Dear Robert,
Your explanation regarding millennial believers and their future state
clarifies the matter.
The subject in this email addresses Peter's revelation as recorded in
Acts 15:11 "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.". A mystery
revealed to Paul, not known before as received from the risen Christ;
"... make known the mystery of the gospel, ... (Eph. 6:19c) and Acts
20:24 refers.
Why 'salvation point of contention'? I believe that I understand that
'the gospel of the kingdom of God' and that 'the gospel of the grace of
God' (Mark 1:14 and Acts 20:24 refers respectively) both have Christ as
the substance for salvation. However, Christ and the disciples
ministered to Jews and Paul mainly to Gentiles. Paul did minister to
Jews early in his ministry. My question is: it seems as if the
methodology of salvation may differ. The gospel of grace has 1
Corinthians 15: 3 - 5 as means of salvation by faith in His person and
work on the cross. The gospel of the kingdom as to be proclaimed by the
disciples is yet future, because they failed to or had no understanding
of the Cross (Luke 18:34). In short 'the gospel of the kingdom of God'
focuses on repent and be baptized ( with Matthew 28:20 ... to observe...
), whilst Paul's gospel focuses on grace (faith alone). Why Paul if the
command to the disciples to take the gospel to the end of the world
materialized. I believe that Paul had to 'step in' on behalf of their
lack of understanding. Yet, the Jewish nation will fulfill their
obligation in this regard during the millennium reign of Christ.
It seems to me that there is a 'to do' practical add on to their faith
that Jesus is the Son of God and that He is their Messiah and should
they believe then repentance and baptism must follow.
Faith in Him as the sent one fulfills the work of God whereby we receive
eternal life as the will of God.
Blessings,
Response #6:
Let me assure you that salvation has always been the same:
And [Abraham] believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
Genesis 15:6 NKJV (amplified)
Abraham believed "in the Lord", trusted in Him for deliverance from sin
and death. And that is what brings salvation. The Lord then was Jesus
Christ and the Lord now is Jesus Christ. Moreover, Abraham believed
before there were any Jews (he was only circumcised after faith as a
symbol of faith; cf. Rom.4:1ff.).
And let me assure you that the method of salvation for Jew and gentile
is likewise the same:
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
Romans 3:28-30 NKJV
It is true that Jews have a different background than gentiles do, and Paul spends much time throughout his epistles explaining Jews to gentiles and gentiles to Jews, weaning the one group away from insistence on the Law and the other from a too extreme anti-nomianism that would offend Jewish believers. But all these were saved, whether "by faith" or "through faith" – it is one and the same things; the prepositional phrases are varied by Paul in the verses above to make precisely the point that while it may look different it is not actually different. And if we all "knew and believed" everything in the Bible, all of its truths, we would all see it all the same way. The differentiations come from relative ignorance on both sides (whatever the sides; here Jewish vs. gentile). Hence Paul's explanations. Here are some links:
Trinity in Salvation in the OT
What is the Eternal Future of those who Lived before Christ?
The twelve apostles (I include Paul) are indeed a special case because they came from a Jewish background but were charged with proclaiming the gospel and establishing the Church beyond Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria throughout the whole world. That meant that they had to get to the point of "seeing it both ways", that is, of understanding everything in the Bible even as it was being completed. This took time, and we do see in Acts evidence of the steep learning curve they had to climb. Here are some links on all that:
Historical and Transitional Nature of Acts
Do feel free to write me back about any of the above.
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #7:
So all animals before eaten or sacrificed must gave their necks cut? When I read verses about animals and sacrifice its sounds brutal and cruel.
Response #7:
What verses are you talking about? The Bible says to pour out the blood;
it isn't particularly graphic about the process.
In any case, this is symbolic of what Christ did for us on the cross –
and that is the whole point. In dying for the least of your sins or mine
He suffered more than the whole human race put together – and He died
for every single sin. So the fact the slaughter of animals seems
terrible to watch, and it is, is meant to demonstrate to us by analogy
just a very small part of what Christ had to do for us to be saved.
Animals have spirits but not the image of God so that they are not
condemned as people who reject Christ are.
Yours in our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #8:
I mean when killing animals today (for food) we kill them quickly and
then we let them bleed. But in the OT people must cut their neck and let
them bleed to death. So its sounds painful for them but I don't know
what process is better.
Animals have souls? I thought only humans did.
Response #8:
There's no prohibition in scripture as far as I can see which conflicts
with present practice in slaughtering animals (i.e., today they are
knocked on the head then have their throats cut). The point is not to be
cruel to animals (the Law specifically prohibits cruelty; e.g.,
Deut.25:4); the point is to prevent the blood remaining in the flesh
when it is eaten. Many gentile nations had the practice of deliberately
retaining the blood in the flesh, but this confused the symbolism in the
animal sacrifices of the Law, because the blood is a symbol of Christ's
work,
His spiritual death whereby He died for all our sins that we might be
saved (link).
Animals and human
beings have spirits (Eccl.3:21; cf. Ps.104:29).
"Souls" are "hearts", the internal us – it's not some "thing" we have;
the "soul/heart" is where the spirit and body meet (see the link).
Yours in Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #9:
Thank you; so you want to say animals are similar like us? They know about themselves?
Response #9:
No, they don't have the image of God, so they don't have free will as we have it; they don't have self-consciousness as we have it, nor self-determination. But they do have spirits (link). The involuntary sacrifice of the animal having its literal blood spilled teaches the voluntary sacrifice of our Lord who bore our sins in His body and took them out of the way that we might be saved (that is "the blood of Christ"; see the link).
Question #10:
Hi, I have question: what about people who lived before Jesus or had no chance to hear the gospel? Like babies.
Response #10:
Anyone who dies without having a chance to express their choice for or
against God, as in the case of those who die before this
"age of
accountability" or else those who are mentally deficient, are saved
automatically: Jesus died for their sins and they neither rejected Him
nor had the opportunity of refusing to accept Him (see the link).
As to those who lived before the cross, ever since the Lord provided the
coats of skin for Adam and Eve (the
"protoevangelium"; link), and since Abel made animal sacrifices to
God, the Lord has used this symbol of animal sacrifice to foreshadow the
cross. All history before Calvary looks forward to it through these
shadow-teachings; all history afterwards looks back to it with a clear
view of what happened: Jesus actually having born our sins in His body
on the cross (2Cor.5:21; 1Pet.2:24). The cross is the great dividing
point in human history. But salvation has always been the same. Those
who wanted to be saved before the cross looked forward in faith to the
Substitute that God would provide to die for their sins; those who have
wanted to be saved afterwards have the actual Son of God who has now
actually died for them to receive as their object of faith.
You have to keep in mind that God has everything planned. He has never
let a single person perish for lack of information. This is a fallacy
which many unbelievers in their ignorance of the greatness and majesty
of our Lord are keen to throw at believers. But in doing so they admit
that they themselves have in fact "heard" and so are
without excuse. And it turns out that all unbelievers will be without
excuse, regardless of where they lived or when. If they were the least
bit interested in being saved, God provided the means. He always has,
and He always will.
If you are interested in more details on this, please see the following
links:
The mentally deficient are saved.
Salvation of those not able to understand the gospel
God has not forgotten anyone in respect of salvation
Natural Revelation and Accountability
Are Those Who Have Never Heard the Gospel Lost?
Yours in our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #11:
Hi Bob,
Occasionally, people who believe that God desires all to be saved point
to the verse Ezekiel 18:32
"For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!" (Ezekiel 18:33)
However, that is not what the verse is saying. The verse is saying that the
disobedience and death of the wicked makes God angry, with the effect that he is
displeased as a result. It does not say that he wants to save them.
Sincerely,
Response #11:
Of course God doesn't actually get angry (see the link:
anthropopathism). Also, this verse says not that He is angry but
that He "takes no pleasure in" the death of the wicked – it can't really
be turned round the other way.
So I do use this verse as clear evidence that God wants all to be saved
(cf. Jn.3:17) – and we know is true since He is love and since this
truth is also confirmed in many other passages (Matt.18:14; Jn.12:47;
1Tim.2:4; 2Tim.2:24-26; 2Pet.3:9). After all, what is the alternative to
this eventuality in which He takes no pleasure but that they might
repent so as to live? Jesus paid the price for everyone so everyone
could be saved; having already paid the price for them – and what a
price! – how would the Father not want the unbeliever to be saved? He
does . . . but all have free will and the opportunity to reject an
eternity with Him.
In Jesus Christ who died for the sins of us all.
Bob L.
Question #12:
Hi Bob,
You said that unbelievers if they were given an unlimited number of
chances would make the same choice. However, I found a verse in the
Gospels that may contradict that. Here:
"And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day."
(Matthew 11:23)
Jesus Christ said that if the residents of Sodom had seen his miracles, they would have become believers. So it might be possible that those who do not believe would have believed if they were given a second chance, but God in his sovereignty chose not to.
Response #12:
Not at all. This is a contrary to fact condition (protasis: aorist
indicative / apodosis: aorist indicative with the particle an).
Similar to "if you were born in Beijing, you would have learned how to
speak Chinese" – but you were not born in Beijing. So the circumstance
does not actually apply. For that circumstance to have applied,
moreover, many other things would have to have been changed in the plan
of God. But there is only one plan of God. So this statement by our Lord
exposes the incredible hardness of heart of the Jewish people of that
time – the
"this generation" which is still in place even today (link) –
towards accepting Him. So hardened are they in fact, that they are even
worse than the people of Sodom who, if they had been the chosen people,
would have reacted to the Messiah differently. But they were not for
many reasons and for many reasons this all could not happen and did not
happen – the whole plan of God would have to have changed for that to
happen.
That is the mistake that people often make with this and similar
passages. One has to understand that God is not reacting to events, that
He doesn't decide to do one thing today and another tomorrow based upon
how we behave – or based on anything else. Everything has already been
decreed. In this perfect plan, things happen as they happen, with the
free will of every one of us who possesses the image of God perfectly
taken into account, and, most significantly of all, with Christ (now)
having already died for the specific sins we actually did commit
(Himself having been committed to do so even before He did so).
So the comparison is valid without at the same time admitting of God
having made a mistake in how He set things up. And, perfect that He is,
we know that He set things up perfectly. If unbelievers might actually
be wooed away from unbelief by some change of circumstance, He knew that
– and provided for that. But being "who we are" is something that cannot
be changed, and our free will is the basis of that. Consider that the
fallen angels have been in a state of rebellion for eons, and even the
judgment on the universe, the re-creation of earth, the creation of
mankind, and everything that has happened since has not changed the
allegiance of a single one.
Similarly, unbelievers are not destined to hell but have chosen for it
resolutely – or at least have chosen against having any relationship
with God even at His own ineffable cost and even given the consequences
of such stubbornness. What life does is provide a fair demonstration of
all this (namely, that we are choosing freely based upon who we are) in
each individual case, longer for some, shorter for others, with all of
us having a period of proving less than the angels but more than
sufficient to demonstrate that we actually have made these choices for
ourselves from the heart. I would imagine that there will be all manner
of excuses given before the Great White Throne, but I also know that the
Lord will have no difficultly whatsoever in showing that no change of
circumstance will / would have made any difference concerning this most
fundamental choice.
In fact, the people of Sodom did not repent; if they had been given
miracles of the sort done by our Lord in Judea and Galilee, it might
have perhaps constituted an unfair pressure on their free will. After
all, without supernatural hardening as in the case of the Pharaoh of the
exodus, there comes a point for human beings where the demonstration of
divine power is so intense that free will is essentially removed from
the equation. Given circumstances wherein they were genuinely free to
choose, the Sodomites chose to reject God. So did our Lord's generation
– but in their case they did so even in the face of undeniable proof
that He was/is the Messiah. That is the truly amazing thing about all
this, and goes to show the incredible hardness we are dealing with here,
a hardness capable of resisting pressures which would have "flipped"
notoriously and outrageously sinful others (even against their will).
Yours in our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #13:
My friend says: all unbelievers and people who live before Jesus get a chance to repent in the time of the millennium.
Response #13:
People can say anything they please. But that doesn't make it true.
Scripture is very clear that God knows who wants to have a relationship
with Him and who does not; all who do, receive the truth they need.
Those who don't, don't – or if even they are given the truth but reject
it, then it doesn't make any difference to their eternal situation.
Let's be clear about
the resurrection (link): the Church (believers from Adam and
Eve until the second advent) are resurrected at Christ's return.
Millennial believers are resurrected at the end of history; unbelievers
are the last to be resurrected . . . so as to be judged and cast into
the lake of fire (see the link:
"The Last Judgment").. But no one is going to be
"resuscitated" in the Millennium for a second chance. One chance at life
is all we get:
(27) And inasmuch as it is ordained for (unbelieving) mankind to die once (i.e., the first, "physical" death), and after this [face] judgment (i.e., “the second death”; cf. Rev.2:11; 20:6; 20:14-15), (28) so Christ having been offered up once to bear the sins of many will appear without [any need to bear] a sin second time unto those who are awaiting salvation (i.e., believers).
Hebrews 9:27-28
And one life is all we need to demonstrate to ourselves and to all what it was
we really wanted: God or no God. All unbelievers would always choose to reject
Christ (or to refuse to accept Him), even if they had a thousand life times and
a thousand chances. God has set all this up very efficiently . . . in fact
perfectly (no surprise) so as to allow each person to determine where he/she
wants to spend eternity: with God or without God (those are the only two
choices). So there is no need of second chances: people "are who they are" by
their own free will choice, and, as long as that choice is not placed under
duress (so as to take away the freedom of the choice), would always choose the
same way, not matter how many "second chances" they were given.
I'll give you the key link on all this again:
"God's plan to save you".
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #14:
Hello Professor,
I hope that you are having a blessed day. I have a quick question that I
was presented with by someone. They asked me, how can someone that's
blind, deaf, and mute get saved? Personally I've never met anyone like
that so I'm stumped.
Response #14:
I don't know about the mute part, but Helen Keller was famously blind
and deaf, but learned (with the help of a dedicated teacher) to
communicate, and went on to be an author, lecturer and political
activist. Whether or not she was saved is another question. Someone in
that or a similar situation without the benefit of a teacher to
accomplish the same sort of thing HK did would clearly have a hard time
hearing the gospel – but nothing is impossible with God. What He did for
this famous woman He could certainly cause to have done for anyone in a
similar situation whom He knew wanted to have the truth (I'm not sure HK
was a believer; if not, she'd have been better off not receiving this
"blessing", even if that is not the way the world sees things).
That is the key, namely, our desire for the truth. God is not under any
obligation to provide the truth to those who have no use for it, and He
certainly knows who does and who doesn't want Jesus Christ. In fact, we
may intuit that a good deal of our life circumstances have to do with
our free will known by Him ahead of time. Someone born in South America
before the west discovered it would not seem to have had a chance to
have heard the gospel. However, it has to be taken into account that 1)
God knew about the person's free will before He created his/her spirit
at birth in that time and place; 2) if said person died before reaching
the age of accountability even so said person was automatically saved
(cf. Rev.5:9); 3) there are many things which have happened in history
which are not known to us – and certainly God is capable of doing things
in supernatural ways we can't even imagine. The one thing I know for
certain – based upon His perfect character – is that God has never
allowed anyone to perish eternally for lack of information. The only
people in hell are those who wanted to be there – that is to say, they
didn't want to share the universe with God at any price (so that is
where they end up as a result).
Please see the links:
What about those who've never heard the gospel?
Natural Revelation
Proving the existence of God
Natural and Special Revelation
*Natural Revelation and Accountability (in BB 4B)
Yours in Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #15:
Bob
Sorry to bother you - I have it in my heart to develop some cards to
leave at coffee shops etc. directed at those who may have thought or
never thought about Christ or new Christians. "small tent cards” are
available at Avery. They are like two business cards attached on the
side then folded - giving space for four messages. I am working on a
list - not deep - for People that are new to Christ or interested .
Something like this - Maybe like an introduction - then dig deeper
themselves
I am working on an attritional list - walk - works - Kingdom - Faith. We
will see how and if I am led.
Salvation
We are saved by faith.
We Need To
Believe the Gospel
Seek Repentance
Receive the Holy Spirit
Pray and invite Jesus to come into your life
GOSPEL
For God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life
John 3:16
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say
to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God.”
John 3:3
REPENTANCE
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has
come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 1:15
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
Ephesians 1:7
HOLY SPIRIT
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,
Ephesians 1:13
We receive the Holy Spirit by simply receiving the Lord
Jesus Christ as our Savior When do we receive the
Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit becomes our permanent
possession the moment we believe.
(John 3:5-16).
THINK ABOUT IT
Response #15:
My forte is not evangelism or apologetics, so please read what I write
here with that in mind. Also, everyone is called to the work of the
Kingdom by the Lord – once they reach a point of spiritual maturity so
as to be capable of truly helping others – according the gifts they have
been given by the Spirit and into particular ministries which the Father
has assigned (1Cor.12:4-6). We work for the Lord, and to the Lord we
answer, not to others who may or may not be free with their advice.
First, I think it's a wonderful idea (for what that is worth).
Second, scripture quotations on their own (without editorial headlines)
would be my preference. Why? Because people tend to look only at
headlines (which they can't do if there are none), and not at the denser
text following – but if there is only a Bible verse and they read that,
well, they're getting the actual truth; also, Bible verses such as the
one's you've put here contain a lot of information, a lot of truth,
whereas a headline will seem to limit what a person should do with /
think about that truth.
Third, I suppose there's nothing wrong with "inviting Jesus to come into
your life" – but I don't find that phrasing in the Bible. Especially for
those in the early stages – either of coming to Christ in the first
place or coming back to Him for those who have strayed – helping them to
keep as close to the wording of the scriptures themselves as possible
would be my choice.
Fourth, so when you say "We Need To Believe the Gospel, Seek Repentance,
Receive the Holy Spirit", let me point out that in terms of the way in
which the Bible mostly phrases it we need to "repent" and "believe in
Christ" (which things are two sides of the same coin: turning away from
the world/sin/self and toward the Lord Jesus Christ / the truth /
salvation by grace through faith in Him) after which we will
automatically "receive the Holy Spirit" (e.g., Rom.8:9).
However, I am reluctant to use the word "repent" without any
explanation, because in our culture it has come to be loaded down with
many extra-biblical connotations. In scripture it means to "change
directions mentally" away from the world, away from sin, and away from
self so as to turn to God instead (see the link), and that is necessary
for the unbeliever to do to then put genuine trust in Christ and His
work on the cross for salvation – but if a person does put genuine trust
in Christ for salvation, then ipso facto it is the case that he/she has
had a prior change of heart about their path and its inevitable result
in order to do so. So these two things are, as mentioned, two sides of
the same coin, and that is why they are sometimes conjoined as at e.g.
Mark 1:15 (which you cite). But if an unbeliever is led to think that
some sort of emotional display or demonstration of guilt is a
prerequisite to being saved, we are in danger of turning grace into
legalism, and no one can be saved if they think they are doing something
themselves (as in feeling guilty, crying, weeping, wailing, flagellating
themselves physically or merely emotionally) so as to be "properly
repentant" in order to be saved.
Mark 1:15 is problematic to use as a salvation verse for a number of
other reasons. First, because our Lord Jesus Christ took pains not to
make Himself obvious as the Messiah by proclaiming Himself as such
overtly. That is the reason why Christ says in the verse "believe in the
good news" rather than "believe in Me", although He is the good news.
Not making that critical point clear can confuse the whole issue. This
verse represents what the Lord said to contemporary Israelites who,
though they were "His own", yet "did not receive Him" (Jn.1:11). In
other words, the people Christ was preaching too had the status of
"believers who had strayed from the Lord" since they belonged to Israel.
For this important reason, even though most of our Lord's contemporaries
had never believed, still, because of their membership in the chosen
nation of God on the cusp of the coming of the Kingdom ("the Kingdom of
God is at hand" in the first half of the verse) – which would have
received the Messiah's kingdom, had its citizens responded properly –
they are treated as believers who need to repent and come back rather
than unbelievers who have never believed (this also explains the
uniqueness of John's water-baptism, by the way). This is a very long way
of saying that I find Acts 16:31, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you
will be saved", to be a better choice.
Helping believers get serious is a different "problem" entirely. This is
the era of Laodicea and lukewarmness is the order of the day. But just
as the low percentage of success in evangelism does not negate its worth
– the angels rejoice over a single person who repents/believes – so also
in "evangelizing" for spiritual growth. In my estimation, if one is
doing so they need to point the person/persons being urged to take the
truth seriously into a good direction. I'm more than happy to have you
point them to Ichthys! One thing I can say about this is that I expect
many who are lukewarm now to become red hot once the Tribulation begins.
One third of the Church is prophesied to fall away under the pressure of
that terrible time, it is true, but the other two thirds will make it
through, either through being martyred – which takes great faith and
much truth to endure – or surviving until the Lord's return – also
impossible without a deep faith and a more than superficial
understanding of the Bible's truths. So there will be much work for us
all to do once "the balloon goes up", and anything we can do to start
the process early is an entirely good thing.
Yours in our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #16:
Thanks Bob,
Great response - Lots to ponder over - I meet with 5 guys each week and
I do not plan to do this quickly if at all. My main frustration is that
the church (building) focuses on the second commandment and not the
first. (Matthew 22:37-39)
I was going to try and interest a new Christian or one just thinking
about it. Not to get too wordy - After reading your response - I may
need more words and not cover so many items on the card. Maybe add one
on Eschatology that can introduce the meaning on one card - for more
info go to
Response #16:
Feel free to write me any time!
Best wishes with this ministry.
Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.
John 4:35b NASB
And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
Luke 10:2 NASB
Your friend in Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
Question #17:
Bob
I am still working on the folded card idea - 4 sides 3-1/2 x 2) This is
the way it would be read - Trying to just ask them to read enough to
hope they will want to learn more. Next step could be to give them the
bible verses that have been listed on the card - then ? I am not a
scholar - just trying to get them to open the door. Open to suggestions
of specific wording
front
After becoming a Christian, the greatest thing you can
do for another person is to help them know Christ. But
how shall they ask Him to save them unless they believe
in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have
never heard about Him? And how can they hear about
Him unless someone tells them?”
God loves you. “Anyone who calls upon the name of
the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13,14, John 3:16;
Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:4-7.
inside top
Man is sinful. (Romans 3:23) We deserve separation
from God for our sins, no matter what they are:
“For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23)
Christ paid for our sins. Without the death of Christ
there would be no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 7:27;
1 Peter 2:24). Christ bore the penalty for our sins
(1 Timothy 1:15). He is the only way to God: “I am
the way and the truth and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
inside bottom
Christ was resurrected from the dead. Because of
the resurrection of Christ, we celebrate an empty
tomb. Without the resurrection, our faith would be
worthless (1 Corinthians 15:13-14,17).
We must respond by faith in order to have eternal life.
In salvation, I know that Jesus is God, that I am a
sinner, that He died in payment for my sins, and then
I accept His payment for my sins. I am accepting the
gift of eternal life, which I have not earned and do not
deserve, from a God who make us and chose to love
us even though it cost Him His Son (Ephesians 2:8-9).
back
But make sure that in your hearts you
honor Christ as Lord. Always be ready
to give an answer to anyone who asks
you about the hope you have. Be ready
to give the reason for it. But do it gently
and with respect. 1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV)
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were
still sinners, Christ died for us.
Ephesians 2:4-7
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He
loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together
with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together,
and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that
in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in
His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Romans 10:13-14
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”[a]
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And
how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall
they hear without a preacher?
Romans 3:23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord.
Hebrews 7:27
27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up
sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this
He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
1 Peter 2:24
24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we,
having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you
were healed.
1 Timothy 1:15
15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through Me.
1 Corinthians 15:13
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not
risen.
1 Corinthians 15:14
14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your
faith is also empty.
1 Corinthians 15:17
17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in
your sins!
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should
boast.
1 Peter 3:15
15 But sanctify the Lord God[a] in your hearts, and always be ready to
give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in
you, with meekness and fear;
Response #17:
These are quite good (in my opinion)!
A couple of small points:
1) "I know that Jesus is God": I suggest to add "as well as a genuine
human being" or similar language.
2) "But make sure that in your hearts you honor Christ as Lord.": I
guess I know more or less what you mean by this, but it's very likely
that a person who is not a believer will not know what you mean by this;
it's usually a mistake, in my opinion, to use phrases and concepts that
are not directly from the Bible [1Pet.3:15 is directed to believers and
there is no "as" present in the Greek], especially if the phrases are
open to interpretation as this one surely is; if I'm not mistaken,
evangelicals started saying things like this after WWII when they
weren't sure – for whatever reason – about the "actual" salvation of
supposed converts. That may be an issue, but I don't think statements
like this are the way to solve it; happy to discuss. N.b.,
there is no such thing as "accepting Christ" but not being saved because
of "not accepting Him as Lord" – either a person is a believer or
not (link).
I know that the Lord honors you godly purpose of your heart and your
hard work in Jesus Christ.
In Him.
Bob L.
Question #18:
Hi Bob,
Several weeks ago I had Japanese lessons with a woman and the topic of
religion came up. She said that she, like most Japanese people, was an
atheist and didn't believe in God. So I decided to explain to her that
it is wise to believe in God. I talked to her yesterday and she is
attending a local mixed Korean-Japanese church and is starting to
believe in God.
It's rather surprising that Japan is still considered an "unreached"
country despite the fact that so many people commute to it and it's a
developed country at least on par with Canada or Germany. And it's not
as if the mission ground is unfertile: there are lots of "low-hanging
fruit" that just need someone to speak the Gospel to them.
Response #18:
Good for you, Tom!
The fruit is only "low hanging" for those who are able and willing to
pick it.
I keep you in prayer daily for the development of your ministry.
In Jesus Christ our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #19:
"Where did I leave my keys?"
If you are blessed with a spouse, you can expect the reply "Well, where
did you leave them?' As you go through where you've been, you find the
unfinished coffee from yesterday, your reading glasses, the barbeque
chicken coupon you bought from the scouts (which was for last week!),
only to finally find your keys where you left them; in the ignition of
the car you forgot to lock last night. Remembering something, can lead
you down the unsettling path of 'did I ever know?' finding yourself at
the lonely crossroads of 'humility' and 'futility'. At the robe of our
Savior or at the mercy of Satan.
Today, reach out and encourage a brother or sister by sharing together
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These are days of distraction, and it has
become increasingly easy to misplace your 'Keys'.
Response #19:
Thanks!
Question #20:
Hi Bob,
Thanks and I will check out the MP3 audio files. Two of my best friends
passed away recently and are now in heaven. Both of them were the same
age as I am. This caused me to focus on eternity:
Only one life, ’twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.
CT Studd
I had to postpone my last mission trip overseas. Attached is the newsletter.
God's grace and strength for you,
Response #20:
I'm sorry to hear your sad news. Thanks for the quote – I'd heard it
(and used it) before, but I didn't know the provenance.
Sorry also to hear of your medical problems. It seems the older we get,
the more such baggage we pick up. I'm the same age and having some
"issues" myself – but we endeavor to persevere even so. Here's hoping
(and praying) that you are feeling better soon and are able to get back
out in the field for Church of Jesus Christ.
Yours in our dear Lord and Savior,
Bob L.
Question #21:
This is not mine, but rather http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/invictus-redeemed
Out of the light that dazzles me,
Bright as the sun from pole to pole,
I thank the God I know to be,
For Christ - the Conqueror of my soul.
Since His the sway of circumstance,
I would not wince nor cry aloud.
Under the rule which men call chance,
My head, with joy, is humbly bowed.
Beyond this place of sin and tears,
That Life with Him and His the Aid,
That, spite the menace of the years,
Keeps, and will keep me unafraid.
I have no fear though straight the gate:
He cleared from punishment the scroll.
Christ is the Master of my fate.
God is the Captain of my soul.
Response #21:
The original on which this is based is so anti-God and folly-filled,
giving false comfort to the heart of unbelief, that this new one is a
nice correction.
Thanks!