Thursday, July 05, 2007

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  The Only Way to Heaven: Faith alone in Christ alone (Part 1)

   

  This short article is meant to help anyone who is wondering 'If I died today, would I be going to Heaven'. I pray that anyone who reads this article and is unsure (OR SURE from wrong reasons) will have assurance this very day that if they perished today, they would forever be with God in an eternal relationship.
  
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  There are many wonderful people who call themselves 'Christians'. Many of my friends are 'Roman Catholic' but call themselves 'Christians'. Many of my friends are 'Mormons' but they call themselves 'Christians'. A LOT of my friends attend different protestant denominations: Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentacostal, Charismatic, Baptist, Anglican, Church of Christ, Brethen, Disciples of Christ, Bible Churches, etc.
  
  Now anybody can understand that ALL of these groups cannot be essentially 'Christians', can they? No. When I talk about being a Christian I mean how one becomes a Christian, how Christ Himself describes one 'entering the Kingdom of God'. Practicing Christian ethics and morals does not save you from the penalty of sin, bring you the new birth, give you status as a child of God, or give you entrace to the Kingdom of God. Christ said that one cannot enter the Kingdom of God unless one is born again (Jn. 3:5). In the prologue of the Book of John, John speaks that those who are 'born of God are given the right to become children of God, to those who have received Him, specifically, by believing in His name.' (Jn. 1:12)
  
  This 'believing in His name' means to believe in Christ's authority, and from that authority, what He promises by it. The promise Christ makes to all those who believe in Him is this: Eternal Life. Eternal Life is the life that only God Himself has the right to give. Jesus says in John 6:47 that 'He who believes in me has eternal life.'
  
  So, those who believe in Jesus have just that: Eternal Life with God, a new birth which allows them to enter the Kingdom of God, and have now been given the right to be called a child of God.
  
  Why does Christ alone have the authority to give these things? Because He, being God, came to earth and became a man, lived a perfect life unto God's Law, commands and character, and died a sacrificial death for the sin of the entire world (Jn. 1:29).
  
  So, to become a child of God, to receive eternal life and to be born again thus entering the Kingdom of God is all based on whether one HAS or HAS NOT believed in Christ for the gift of eternal life. His promise is that those who believe in Him shall NOT come into condemnation, but have already passed out of death into life! How amazing is that? Christ did all the work, lived perfectly to God and did everything in which we, being sinful and fallen, could not.
  
  So - there is only one way to Heaven. Grace through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. Do all these different groups agree on this one essential truth? Obviously the answer is a resounding - No.
  
  1. The Roman Catholic says that one must believe but also practice the sacriments, be water baptized, confess sins continually to priests and continue in the faith until the end of one's life. Is this what Jesus said? --- No. So, one can practice religious things, live a 'pious' life, live totally reformed in lifestyle - yet NOT be saved from the penalty of sin. This is because no one will be saved based upon anything they have done, are doing, or will do.
  
  Eph. 2:8-9 says 'for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is a gift from God so that no one can boast.' So, the Roman Catholic message is not the message of the prophets (Gen. 15:6, Isa. 55:1-3), of the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:14-18, 5:24, 6:47) and the apostles (Rom. 1:16-17, 3:21-27, 4:16, 5:1; Gal. 2:16; 1 Pet. 1:1-5; Titus 1:1-2, 1 Tim. 1:16, Jn. 20:31; Rev. 22:17), but contrary to it and 'another gospel' (though NOT 'good news') because it adds extra conditions (works) to the message of faith alone in Christ alone.
  
  2. Mormon belief of salvation in Jesus Christ is very simliar to the beliefs of Roman Catholicism, and all other works-related beliefs, though they differ largely on many things in other areas of theology (such as being Polytheistic, while R. Catholics are monotheistic). The essential thing to understand in this discussion is that they not only believe Jesus Christ to be 'A' god, but that he is one of MANY gods after becoming a god. Thus Mormons are polytheistic, like Jehovah's witness and many other non-Christian cults. They believe in the age-old heresy known as 'Arianism' which essentially is the belief that Jesus was the first created being of god, but through his life of good works on earth, 'became' god's son and thus a god in his own right. Thus, the message of salvation from the penalty of sin in Mormonism is nothing like that of the prophets, the true, historical Jesus Christ, or the true apostles - that it is faith alone in the finished work of Jesus Christ alone which saves.
  
  Once again, Eph. 2:8-9 says 'for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is a gift from God so that no one can boast.' So, the Roman Catholic message nor the Mormon/Jehovah's Witness message is that of the prophets (Gen. 15:6, Isa. 55:1-3), of the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:14-18, 5:24, 6:47) and the apostles (Rom. 1:16-17, 3:21-27, 4:16, 5:1; Gal. 2:16; 1 Pet. 1:1-5; Titus 1:1-2, 1 Tim. 1:16, Jn. 20:31; Rev. 22:17), but is essentially contrary to it because it adds extra conditions (works) to the message of faith alone in Christ alone.
  
  3. So, even though we think Protestant denominations are somehow 'fine' from this heresy of polluting the gospel of grace through faith alone in Christ alone - we are NOT. I speak with many protestants weekly about Christian ethics, morality and biblical practice and study. COUNTLESS times these people's belief on the Gospel ('Good News') that saves us from the penalty of our sins is NOT GOOD NEWS. It is similiar to that of the Roman Catholic, to the Mormon/Jehovah's Witness, that we must do good works to 'get to Heaven'. Countless times I discuss with people that it is grace through faith alone in Christ's finished work. Yet I continue to see people confused and unclear about what the saving message's response is.
  
  Just last week I was talking to man with a Pentacostal background who said 'If we get to Heaven, I don't think there will be different denominations ... (etc.)'
  I said to myself 'If we get to Heaven???'
  
  You see, Jesus didn't say, 'I came so that you might someday get to Heaven if you hold on long enough, do enough good works and stop drinking and living like Hell.' No.
  
  Jesus the Christ said:
  
  'He who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life and will not come into condemnation, but has crossed over from death into life.' (Jn. 5:24)
  'He who believes in me has everlasting life.' (Jn. 6:47)
  'He who believes in me will never die (spiritually).' (Jn. 11:25)
  
  This is NOT the same message as my Protestant friend who said 'If we get to Heaven ... '
  Why? Because he is not certain he's going! He is basing his eternal destiny on whether or not he lives morally and ethically 'biblical' enough to 'go to Heaven'.
  How is this ANY DIFFERENT from the Roman Catholic? From the Mormon? From the normal person on the street who believes in a Heaven/Afterlife? It isnt! Because everyone who believes in a Heaven/afterlife believe you get there by doing enough good works to please God! Thats the false gospel of this world system which is run by the evil one - its simply NOT GOOD NEWS.
  
  But the message of God is different - it is the promise of eternal life to all those who simply believe in Jesus Christ FOR IT. So, the moment you believe in Jesus Christ for this eternal relationship with God - you have it! You can have assurance that you have this and can never lose this because Christ, on His authority, says:
  
  'the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.' (Jn. 6:37b)
  'he who believes in me will never die (spiritually)' (Jn. 11:25)
  'My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”
  
  So, God promises eternal life to all those who simply believe in His son, Jesus Christ for it. There is only one way to be certain of eternal life with God - knowing that you have believed in His son, Jesus Christ, for it.
  
  The Apostle John states this truth very plainly in a comparison of the one who has eternal life and the one who does not ---
  
  “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.' (Jn. 3:18)
  
  10 '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. 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 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.' (1 Jn. 5:10-13)
  
  Know that the one who has believed HAS Eternal Life and shall not be condemned - shall never spiritually die, going to Heaven when they die.
  Know also that the one who has not believed this truth - that Jesus Christ gives eternal life to all those who believe in Him for it - do not have life but are currently under the wrath of God and are presently condemned.
  
  Being a Roman Catholic does not save you. Attending Protestant Church will not save you. Being a 'Good Christian' does not save you. 'Holding onto God' does not save you. Practicing abstinance, not drinking and living a moral life of Christian ethics and piety will never save you --- only those who have believed in Jesus Christ alone for salvation have been given Eternal Life, been made a child of God, been born again into a new life and forever have been reconciled and made right with God.
  
  ONLY THEY will enter the Kingdom of God.
  
  Grace always,
  
  Ross ~ Jn. 5:24

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