Salvation - A Conversation

 Salvation - A Conversation

'You preach 'easy believism.' Salvation isn't that easy!'

    Jesus himself equated salvation and believing in Him as easy as eating bread:

John 6:32-35: "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger;"

'Ha! I have celiac disease, I can't eat bread!'

    Good news, Jesus has you covered too, because He equated salvation and believing in Him as easy as drinking water:

John 4:14: "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

John 6:35: "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

'Well, I'm full.'

    Then I hope you become hungry, just as the prodigal son became hungry, for without Christ, you can't be saved:

Luke 15:15-16: "And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him."

Acts 4:12: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

'Faith without works is dead, so believing isn't enough, it has to be accompanied with works.'

    The apostle James isn't wrong, our faith is dead without works, but neither is the apostle Paul wrong who wrote extensively on the topic of faith, and how belief is the only way to be saved and that your works can't save you:

Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Romans 3:27: "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith."

Romans 11:6: "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."

Romans 4:5: "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

There is much more to be said on this topic, and we'll dive into into it in Part 2.

'Repentance is required for forgiveness, so you need to repent of your sins in order to be saved and forgiven.'

    Repentance has another meaning, and that meaning is to turn away from something and turn towards something else - like changing your mind or physically changing your direction. Repenting of your sins is good and it can lead you to salvation, but it isn't required to be saved, for the act of repentance is a work, and we aren't saved by works. We also have examples from the Bible of people getting saved without clearly being 'repentant of their sins.'

1 Kings 10:1-9: "And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice."

Matthew 12:42: "The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here."

    The Queen of Sheba came to Solomon to hear his wisdom, and left believing in the Lord. At no point does the Bible describe her as being repentant of her sins.

    The Ninevites from the story of Jonah and the Whale is another example. They believed God first, then repented (as you would say) of their sins.

Jonah 3:4-10: "And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not."

    So, in verse 5, the Ninevites first believed God, then in verse 10 they turned from their evil way, and this turning away is described as a work (which we've already established works can't save us).

Luke 11:32: "The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here."

    In the book of John, we have examples of Greeks seeking Jesus, and they don't sound repentant of their sins:

John 12:20-21: "And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus."

We also have examples from Acts.

Acts 10:1-2,22,44-48: "There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days."

    You can read whole story, I just selected the key points. We see that Cornelius is already a God fearing man, but he hadn't yet heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The apostle Peter preached to him the Gospel, Cornelius believed, was filled with the Holy Ghost, and was then baptized. Again, Cornelius isn't described as being repentant nor having repented of  his sins prior to believing and being baptized.

Acts 8:26-40: "And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea."

    Neither is the Ethiopian Eunuch described as being repentant or having repented of his sins prior to believing in Jesus. We can conclude thus that being repentant of your sins is good, and can lead to salvation, people can and do seek Jesus for other reasons and are led to salvation through their searching.

Matthew 7:7-8: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

    But, if you're absolutely adamant about repenting of sins, there is one sin you must turn away from, and that is the sin of unbelief in Jesus Christ.

Revelation 21:8: "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

Psalms 14:1: "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good."

Proverbs 24:9: "The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men."

John 3:15-18: "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 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"

'I don't need a middle man to get saved.'

    That is the exact opposite of what the Bible teaches. You in fact need three 'middle men:' a saved person to preach to you the Gospel, Jesus Christ who died on the cross for your sins, and the Holy Spirit who bares witness. The Bible teaches us that we need someone to preach the gospel to us in order to be saved, and that faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. 

Romans 10:14-17: "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? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

John 14:6: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Acts 15:8: "And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;"

1 John 5:7: "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."

    While Jesus walked the earth He preached the Gospel, and people believed on Him. Before His ascension, He charged the apostles and all Christians to preach the Gospel to every creature throughout the world. 

Matthew 4:23: "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people."

Mark 16:15-16: "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

    Now that Jesus has ascended, it's the job every saved person to preach the Gospel so that people may hear the Word of God and believe.

    It has also always been through hearing the Word of God that people believed and are saved - we see that with the Queen of Sheba and the Ninevites above. Even the apostle Paul, then Saul, had to be given the Gospel in order to be saved.

Acts 9:10-11, 17-18: "And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus."

'In your examples above, they were all baptized, thus you need to be baptized to be saved.'

    No. Water baptism doesn't save you, nor is it required to be saved. Jesus Himself said as much.

Mark 16:15-16: "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

    Jesus is clearly stating in Mark that believing on Him is what saves us, not water baptism, and not believing in Him damns us to hell. Neither was the thief on the cross baptized, yet he is saved.

Luke 23:39-43: "And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."

    There is one baptism that saves, and that is to be baptized in the Holy Ghost, but that first requires faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 1:8: "I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost."

'Someone can believe in, or follow, another god, and if they really seek and follow God, they're saved.'

    No. The apostles teach us that there is no other name, but the name of Jesus Christ, that can save, and Jesus tells us that there is no other way but through Him.

Acts 4:12: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

 John 14:6: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

'I believe the Nicene Creed/Book of Mormon/Catholicism/Mariology/etc.'

    The Nicene Creed, Book of Mormon, Catholicism, and Mariology are not the Gospel, and if you believe anything else, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ, at worst you're not saved, and at best you're carried about by diverse and strange doctrine. Neither can anyone add to, nor take away from, the Bible, and if anyone should, they aren't saved and are deceivers.

Galatians 1:6-9: "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."

2 Corinthians 11:13-15: "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."

Hebrew 13:9: "Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein." 

Revelation 22:18-19: "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

'You can lose your salvation, especially if you commit such an egregious sin as murder or suicide.'

    I haven't finished reading my Bible from cover to cover, but I have not yet encountered a story in the Old Testament or New Testament of anyone who was clearly saved, sinned, and then lost their salvation. Nor have I ever been taught such a story in all my years going to church. The Bible has plenty of stories about wolves in sheep's clothing, false prophets, unbelievers, and people who follow false gods (all of which it warns us against, all which aren't saved), but not one story of anyone losing their salvation. In fact, Jesus himself tells us that no man can pluck the saved out of His hand - and we are all men, and none of us, including ourselves, are greater than He.

John 10:28-30: "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one."

'Well, then God can let go of us, and thus we can lose our salvation.'

     The Bible teaches us that God will never leave us, nor forsake us.

Hebrews 13:5: "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

Hebrews 13:8: "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."

    Make no mistake, God will punish us if and when we do sin, but is not unto hellfire and damnation.

Galatians 6:7: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

Hebrews 12:5-9: "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?"

John 15:2: "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit."

    However, we do have many stories of saved men, sons of God, men of faith, who all believed, sinned, and are yet still saved and in Heaven now. I won't quote it here, in its entirety, but Hebrews 11 gives us a list of men of faith who were all saved by grace through faith. Yet all these men also sinned, some egregiously, and yet none of them lost their salvation. I will list these men here, and you can read their stories later.

1. Abel
2. Enoch
3. Noah
4. Abraham
5. Sara
6. Isaac
7. Jacob
8. Joseph
9. Moses
10. Rahab
11. Gedeon [Gideon]
12. Barak
13. Samson
14. Jephthae
15. David
16. Samuel
17. The prophets

'Judas was saved, and he's described as the son of perdition (hell), so he must have lost his salvation.'

    Judas was not saved, as he did not believe. Many others will feign belief in Jesus, but they are liars.

John 6:64: "But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him."

John 6:70-71: "Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve."

Mark 7:6: "He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."

'You can't know who's saved and who's not saved.'

    The Bible teaches that we can know who is saved who is not saved. Jesus says we can know where someone's heart is based where their treasure is. 

Matthew 6:19-21: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." 

    The Bible also tells us that whoever doesn't believe that Jesus gave us eternal life is calling Him a liar.

John 5:10-13: "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

'All of these are just straw man arguments.'

    I wish that they were. These are all arguments that I have either heard while out soul winning (evangelizing/preaching the Gospel), online, or they're cribbed from John 6. While I tried to be as complete as possible, this isn't an exhaustive list.

'I don't believe you.'

    I'm not asking you to believe me, but to believe the Bible, and most importantly to believe in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for your sins.

 'You're taking the Bible out of context/tearing the Bible apart and forcing it say what you want it to say/That's your opinion.'

    You are free to read all of these scriptures that I provided in their context and to draw your own conclusion.

John 5:39: "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." 

2 Timothy 3:15-17: "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

'I don't understand the Bible.'

    How can you without the Holy Spirit?

John 16:13: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." 

1 Corinthians 2:10: "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."

    How can you unless someone were to guide you and preach to you the gospel?

Acts 8:31: "And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him."

Romans 10:14-17: "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? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

'I don't believe the Bible.'

    Then you do not believe in Jesus Christ and you are not saved.

John 7:38: "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." 

    Nothing I've written here hasn't been written before or spoken before. I'm not making any new arguments. Many Christians and all of the apostles have made the same arguments - indeed I quoted them. My pastor, and many other pastors before him and today with him, are even making the same arguments. My brothers and sisters in Christ are making the same arguments as well.

    If you're saved and you read this, thank you. May this edify you. If you're not saved and you read this, thank you, you now have a decision to make: to believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who died for your sins and rose again on the third day, or not to believe and trust in Him.

TL;DR:

The Bible Way to Heaven