v1 Now, friends, we want to say this to you. We taught you how to live so that you make God happy. And certainly, you are living like that. Now we ask you very strongly to continue to live like that more and more. On behalf of the *Lord Jesus, we ask you to do this. v2 You know what we told you. We told you what you must do. The *Lord Jesus gave us authority to tell you those things.
v3 What God wants is this: He wants you to be completely good, and separate from everything that is bad. So you must not have wrong sex. You must not have sex with anyone who is not your own wife or husband. v4 Each of you must learn how to rule his own body. So then you will always do what is right and proper. v5 You should not be like the people who do not know God. They are always wanting very much to have sex. They cannot stop themselves, because they want it so much. But you should not be like those people. v6 No man among you should ever have sex with a woman who is not his own wife. He would be taking something that is another man’s. So, he would be doing a wrong thing to that man, who is like his brother. The *Lord will *punish everyone who does things like that. We have told you this very seriously before. v7 God did not choose us to do bad and dirty things. He chose us to be completely separate from everything that is bad. v8 So anyone who does not obey this rule is not refusing to obey a human person. Instead, he is refusing to do what God says. And God gives you his Spirit, who is completely good.
v9 But I do not need to write to you about how you should love other *believers. God himself has taught you to love each other. v10 Certainly, you do love all the *believers in all Macedonia. But we ask you strongly, friends, to love each other more and more. v11 Try very much not to cause trouble for anyone. Be busy only with your own things, not with other people’s things. And work with your hands. We told you before that you must do these things. v12 Then, if you do these things, other people will think good things about you. People who do not believe Christ will think good things about you. They will know that you are honest and good. Also, if you do these things, you will not need anyone else to supply anything for you.
On Wednesday afternoon at precisely 13.35 I believe God smiled on me. I was on the outskirts of Bedford sitting in the forecourt of a BP garage wondering whether to continue searching for my rendevous or come home. I’d been last year to a meeting in Bedford of the Trustees of Highway Projects, a Christian charity working in the Middle East with which I assist. I knew the location of the venue, 43 Harrold Priory, Bedford. I also knew it was near a supermarket.
Using my innate navigational skills, and with a keen spirit of adventure, I had managed to locate Bedford but somehow found myself enjoying a delightful if involuntary hour exploring the pretty villages south of Bedford due to some less than helpful road signs that didn’t correlate with my AA map. I eventually found two large supermarkets on the outskirts of Bedford but neither looked familiar. I even stopped a lady to ask if there was an alterative to Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s. “No there isn’t” she said.
Trying my old trusty Plan B – Directory Enquiries 118 118 I was told that no one with the name of Gundry lived in Harrold Priory. Try telling Directory Enquiries “Oh yes they do.” 118 500 told me there was indeed a person by the name of Gundry in Harrold Priory but that he was ex-directory. So it was that I stopped in a petrol station thinking, Plan C, I could look in a Bedford A-Z without buying it, but no, they didn’t sell them.
Just as I was beginning to think whether there was a Plan D or whether it was time to head home, the Lord smiled on me. At 13.35, James telephoned. Where are you? He asked. For the second time in less than an hour I admitted I did not know… precisely. But with the click of his mouse he opened Microsoft AutoRoute, found Bedford, zoomed in to the road where I was sitting in the petrol station forecourt, found Harrold Priory, and for the next fifteen minutes, in a calm reassuring voice he proceeded to guide me across Bedford to Harrold Priory, albeit by now, two hours late. But what did it matter. The Lord had smiled on me and I was smiling too.
I am pleased to say I did not need James’ services to get home. And if you find yourself in a similar predicament on the outskirts of Bedford, you might like to know that this fine market town is blessed with two Tesco supermarkets. God smiled on me. He showed that he loved me and cared for me when I was at my lowest point. And he used a phone call and a computer programme to do it. What makes God smile?
If “…pleasing God is the first purpose of your life, your most important task is to discover how to do that.” In Ephesians, Paul tells us, “Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.” (Ephesians 1:5 Message). The Bible gives us many examples of people who did. One of these is Noah. In his day everyone lived for their own pleasure, not for God.
God couldn’t find anyone on earth willing to please him – except one man. On man made God smile – Noah. The Living Bible translates Genesis 6:8 this way “Noah was a pleasure to the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8). It was as if God were reflecting “This guy brings me pleasure. He makes me smile. I’ll start [again] with his family.” Think about it – you and I are alive today because God smiled on Noah. Why did God smile on Noah? Rick Warren highlights five ways – five acts of worship Noah demonstrated that made God smile.
1. God smiles when we love him supremely
“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9 NIV)
The Living Bible paraphrases it beautifully. “Noah consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with Him.” (Genesis 6:9 LB)
”This is what God wants most from you” This is what God wants most for you. “A relationship! It’s the most astounding truth in the universe…” “God made you to love you, and he longs for you to love him back.” As we are going to discover tonight in Hosea 6:6, God says, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6 NIV)
The Living Bible paraphrases it powerfully, “I don’t want your sacrifices – I want your love; I don’t want your offerings – I want you to know me.” (Hosea 6:6 LB)
“Can you sense God’s passion for you in this verse? God deeply loves you and desires your love in return. He longs for you to know him and spend time with him. This is why learning to love God and be loved by him should be the greatest objective of your life. Nothing else comes close in importance. Jesus called it the greatest commandment.” “Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38)
When does God smile? God smiles when we love him supremely. Secondly,
2. God smiles when we trust him completely
The Book of Hebrews says, “By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told… As a result, Noah became intimate with God.” (Hebrews 11:6)
Noah trusted in God’s word when he couldn’t understand God’s reasons. Every command in the Bible has two reasons. Two positive reasons. God never gives a command to stop us enjoying life the way he intends. God’s commands are there to protect us from harm and provide for our future. To protect and to provide. God warned Noah he was going to flood the earth. God commanded Noah to build a giant barge to save his family and the animals. Noah had plenty of reasons to doubt.
Noah had never seen rain. (Genesis 2:5-6 tells us that God watered the earth from underneath). Noah lived a long way from the sea. Noah had no experience of caring for large numbers of animals. Can you identify with Noah? Feel like you are being asked to do things beyond your experience?
Beyond your comfort zone? Are there areas of your life where you need to trust God’s word, even though you cannot understand his reasons or comprehend his motives? “Trusting is an act of worship. Just as parents are pleased when children trust their love and wisdom” trusting God makes him happy” Also. Isn’t it interesting that just before the writer to the Hebrews mentions Noah, he says “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6). God smiled because Noah loved him supremely & trusted him completely.
3. God smiles when we obey him wholeheartedly
“Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” (Genesis 6:22).
Undertaking the work of the World Wild Life Fund single-handedly required considerable skills in animal husbandry as well as logistics and attention to detail. “Notice that Noah obeyed completely.” The New Living Translation says “Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.”
“Noah obeyed God wholeheartedly… without reservation or hesitation.” No wonder God smiled on Noah.
“God doesn’t owe you an explanation or reason for everything he asks you to do. Understanding can wait but obedience can’t. Instant obedience will teach you more about God than a lifetime of Bible discussions. In fact, you will never understand some commands until you obey them first. Obedience unlocks understanding.” Often we try and palm God off with partial obedience. We want to pick and choose which commands we obey. We make a mental list of the commands we like and of those we think were written for other people. Then we ignore “the ones we think are unreasonable, difficult, expensive, or unpopular. I’ll attend church but I won’t tithe. I’ll read my Bible but won’t forgive the person who hurt me.” Partial obedience is actually disobedience.
On the other hand, “an act of obedience is also an act of worship. Why is obedience so pleasing to God?” For the same reason it is pleasing to you when your child obeys joyfully and willingly. It proves they trust you. It shows they love you. It demonstrates they respect you. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15). God smiles when we love him supremely, when we trust him completely, when we obey him wholeheartedly.
4. God smiles when we praise and thank him continually
“Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.” (Genesis 8:20)
“Noah’s first act after surviving the Flood was to express his thanks to God by offering a sacrifice… Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we don’t offer animal sacrifices as Noah did.” Instead we are told “in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)
Joanna is a great cook. When we have guests, one of the things I love to do, is thank her for her lovely cooking, before they do. Why? “Few things feel better than receiving heartfelt praise and appreciation from someone else.” God has put that feeling in our hearts because it reflects his character too. Like Noah, “we praise God for who he is and we thank God for what he has done.” “An amazing thing happens when we offer praise and thanksgiving to God. When we give God enjoyment, our own hearts are filled with joy.” Learning to praise and thank God continually makes God smile, and our we are warmed by the radiance of his glory. God smiles when we love him supremely, when we trust him completely, when we obey him wholeheartedly, when we thank him continually.
5. God smiles when we receive his gifts joyfully
“Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth… Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” (Genesis 9:1,3)
Its easy to think God is only pleased “when you’re doing spiritual activities – like reading the Bible, attending church, praying, or sharing your faith… Actually, God enjoys watching every detail of your life, whether you are working, playing, resting or eating. He doesn’t miss a single move.” After the flood, God gave Noah and his family the same command he gave Adam and Eve. “Make love, have babies, enjoy one another.” We dress it up with expressions like “Be fruitful” but the bible shows, God delights and blesses us when we receive his gifts, including his physical gifts of our bodies, joyfully and reverently. The Bible says, “The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives.” (Psalm 37:23)
This means everything we do can be done for God’s pleasure if we do it with an attitude of praise. This includes washing the dishes, fixing the car, weeding the garden, raising a family. “Like a proud parent, God especially enjoys watching you use the talents and abilities he has given you.” Even the little things can bring a smile to God’s face.
“In the film Chariots of Fire, Olympic runner Eric Liddell says “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast, and when I run, I feel God’s pleasure.” On another occasion he said, “To give up running would be to hold him in contempt.” As Rick Warren says, “There are no unspiritual abilities; just misused ones… use yours for God’s pleasure … God also gains pleasure in watching you enjoy his creation. He gave you eyes to enjoy beauty, ears to enjoy sounds, your nose and taste buds to enjoy smells and tastes, and the nerves under your skin to enjoy touch. Every act of enjoyment becomes an act of worship when you thank God for it.” Paul writes to Timothy “God… generously gives us everything for our enjoyment.” (1 Timothy 6:17 TEV). “God even enjoys watching you sleep.”
When our children were smaller, before going to bed myself, I would check on them. Sometimes I would just sit and watch them breathing, fast asleep. Its instinctive to feel protective if you are a parent but its also very satisfying. No matter what the day had been like, no matter what they had got up to, no matter what may have been said, or more usually, broken, I’d smile and thank God for them. “When you are sleeping, God gazes at you with love, because you were his idea. He loves you as if you were the only person on earth.” Parents do not expect their children to be perfect, or even mature to enjoy them. Parents derive enjoyment at every stage of a child’s development. “In the same way God doesn’t wait for you to reach maturity before he starts liking you. He loves and enjoys you at every stage of your spiritual development.”
As you were growing up, you may have had parents or teachers who were impossible to please. You may still do. “Please don’t assume God feels that way about you. He knows you are incapable of being perfect or sinless.” Noah certainly wasn’t. Psalm 103 reminds us, “for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14).
What God is looking for in you and I is an attitude. The attitude of your heart. Your motivation. So let me ask you this morning – “Is pleasing him your deepest desire?” – I mean your deepest desire? Paul put it this way in his second letter to the Corinthians, “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” (2 Corinthians 5:9) Could you say that? “My goal is to please him.”
“When you live in light of eternity, your focus changes from “How much pleasure am I getting out of life?” to “How much pleasure is God getting out of my life? God is looking for people like Noah [today] people willing to live for the pleasure of God.” Willing to live to make God smile. Psalm 14 says, “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who are wise, who want to please him.” (Psalm 14:2).
God smiles when we love him supremely.
God smiles when we trust him completely.
God smiles when we obey him wholeheartedly.
God smiles when we thank him continually.
God smiles when we receive his gifts joyfully.
“Will you make pleasing God the goal of [the rest] of your life? There is nothing [absolutely nothing] that God won’t do for the person totally absorbed” with the desire to make God smile. Lets pray.
All quotations, apart from biblical references, are taken, with grateful thanks, from Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life” (Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 2002) pp. 69-76.
Mystery Babylon the Great, the Mother of HarlotsWho is mystery Babylon? Revelation 17:5 reads, “And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” Just from analysing scriptures alone from the Book of Revelation a consistent theme can be seen of an Apostate Church that persecuted the Christian Saints through the dark ages for 1260 years. Further analysis reveals that this Apostate Church is the key component of mystery Babylon and changed God’s law in favour of pagan traditions. The ultimate climax seen is God taking justice on this Apostate Church and those that supported her, for her crimes and fornication just before the second coming of Christ, which is also part of what is known as the Battle of Armageddon. Just before this happens the issue of 666 and the Mark of the Beast will be enforced and all will have the choice to bow down to the image made to this Apostate Church or to Worship God only and keep His Commandments. Those who willingly disobey God in favour of bowing down to the commandments of this Church and mystery Babylon, the mother of Harlots, will ultimately receive her Mark and “shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God.”
Before continuing please allow me to emphasize that this document is not intended to offend any person or their Church. Some of the best missionaries and humanitarians have been part of this Apostate Church and have taken no part in her crimes. What the scripture refers to in these chapters of Revelation are not all the wonderful Christians that have been in this Church, but the system itself, so no offence is intended in any way towards people that belong to this Church or have ever been part of this Apostate Church. Much of this is very distressing and as much as it may hurt to hear these truths, we must teach what the Bible says as God’s true Church is called to do. God does not want mystery Babylon to remain a mystery.
Clues to the identity of Mystery Babylon
In Revelation, the Apostle John tells the tale of TWO WOMEN. One is dressed in pure white, revealing the purity of true faith and doctrine. This pure woman of Revelation 12 is committed to Christ. She’s absolutely loyal to Him and her heart burns with a love for Jesus. Nothing can break her loyalty to the One she loves so much. This woman represents all the faithful believers who have loved Jesus Christ, kept His commandments and been obedient to Him down through the ages. Revelation 17 pictures another woman. Now we have the opposite picture. Who is this woman in scarlet riding on a Beast?
Mystery Babylon is a CHURCH: In the Bible a WOMAN symbolizes a CHURCH. This is an extremely important point that must absolutely not be overlooked as it proves beyond all shadow of a doubt that this “WOMAN” with mystery Babylon written upon HER head and riding a Beast (Kingdom) has to be a “Church.” Below are several scriptures that prove this is undeniable fact. The only question that then remains is which Church? Note that an unfaithful Church commits spiritual adultery.
NOTE: God also refers to Israel as a “Woman” (HER) as it represents the Old Testament Church that brought forth the Man child (Jesus Christ) in Revelation 12. Do not miss this really important point which is that God called Israel a “Harlot” and a “Whore” when she worshipped other gods and committed spiritual adultery. Which Church deleted the Commandment on idolatry and worshipped the SUN and has many pagan traditions? Which Church changed the Sabbath to SUNday in favour of SUN worship? Which Church has the statue of St Peter in St Peters Cathedral which was originally the statue of the pagan god Jupiter? This statue has had its foot kissed away and replaced several times because of the multitude that have bowed down to this statue and kissed its foot. This is unmistakable idolatry and especially when this was originally a pagan god.
In the following verse you will note that God calls the fourth Commandment “MY” Sabbath.
Exodus 31:13 “Speak you also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily MY Sabbaths you shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that you may know that I am the LORD that does sanctify you.”
Now note the following verse refers to the ceremonial sabbaths and the various feasts days and new moons which were associated with a temporary law that was for Israel only. It is called the Book of the law, Mosaic Law and the ordinances. The term Ceremonial law is also used. Speaking of Israel, note that God calls them HER Sabbaths and HER feast days etc. Israel is all through the Old Testament referred to as a “Woman” (HER) and when she worshipped other gods was called a “Harlot.”
Hosea 2:11 “I will also cause all HER mirth to cease, HER feast days, HER new moons, and HER sabbaths, and all HER solemn feasts.
When the Church apostatized it was compared with a corrupt Woman
Jeremiah 3:1-25 “…If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? …but you have played the HARLOT with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD. 2 …you have polluted the land with your WHOREDOMS and with your wickedness. 3 …you hadst a WHORE’S FOREHEAD, you refusedst to be ashamed… 6 The LORD said also unto me… Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the HARLOT… 8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed ADULTERY I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the HARLOT also… 20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have you dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.”
Ezekiel 16:26-32 “You have also committed FORNICATION with the Egyptians your neighbours, great of flesh; and have increased your WHOREDOMS, to provoke me to anger… 28 You have played the WHORE also with the Assyrians, because you were unsatiable; yes, you have played the HARLOT with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. 30 How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord God, seeing you doest all these things, the work of an imperious WHORISH WOMAN; 31 In that you buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and have not been as an HARLOT, in that you scornest hire; 32 But as a wife that committeth ADULTERY, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!”
Revelation 17:1-3 “…Come hither; I will show unto you the judgment of the great WHORE that sitteth upon many waters: 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed FORNICATION, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her FORNICATION. 3 …I saw a WOMAN sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy… 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON the great, the MOTHER OF HARLOTS and abominations of the earth.”
God’s true Church is frequently represented as a Woman
Isaiah 54:5-6 “For your Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and your Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. 6 For the LORD has called you as a WOMAN forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when you were refused, saith your God.”
2 Corinthians 11:2 “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
Ephesians 5:31-32 “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning CHRIST AND THE CHURCH.”
Christ is represented as the Bridegroom and the Church is the bride which of course is a “Woman.”
Matthew 9:14-15 “Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but your disciples fast not? 15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.”
Revelation 19:7-8 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his WIFE has made HERSELF ready. 8 And to HER was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”
Revelation 12:1 “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a WOMAN clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:”
Some have wrongly concluded that this woman is Mary but the following verse demonstrates that this woman represents God’s true Church by the symbolism used. The time period here represents the 1260 years called the dark ages where the Church had to flee into the wilderness to survive the persecution. Mary did not live for 1260 years or have eagles wings!
Revelation 12:14 “And to the WOMAN were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”
Mystery Babylon is a CORRUPT Church: Just as a pure woman represents a pure Church, a corrupt woman represents a corrupt Church. The woman in white is Christ’s bride, the true Church. But Revelation 17:1, 15-16 and 19:2 call this second woman a “WHORE” or “HARLOT”, a fallen Church teaching false doctrines.
Mystery Babylon is a RICH Church: This symbolic wicked woman, this corrupt Church is a rich one with gorgeous display. Revelation 17:4 says she’s “decked with GOLD and PRECIOUS STONES and PEARLS, having a GOLDEN cup in her hand.” Which Church would you say is the richest in the world?
Mystery Babylon is a Church built on SEVEN HILLS or MOUNTAINS: This identification given in Revelation 17:9, is impressive and clear, for ROME is proverbial as “the city built on seven hills.” Webster’s large unabridged dictionary says this under the entry “seven-hilled”: “as, the SEVEN-HILLED CITY, that is, ROME, Italy.” Furthermore, Revelation 17:18 tells John, “The woman whom you saw is that GREAT CITY which reigns over the kings of the earth.” John wrote this using the present tense for the word “reigns” and he knew as well as anyone else that “that great city” was ROME.
Mystery Babylon is a LARGE, WORLDWIDE Church: She sits on “many WATERS,” explained as being many “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” Revelation 17:1 and 15. The very word catholic means “universal,” and the Papal Church has the largest, most widespread membership in Christendom.
Mystery Babylon is a Church that revives BABYLON’S pagan teachings: “On her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT…” Revelation 17:5. Long before John wrote the Book of Revelation, the ancient city of Babylon had been completely destroyed and never rebuilt. For centuries it lay in ruins and had faded into insignificance. The apostle Peter could not have been referring to literal Babylon when he wrote in 1 Peter 5:13 that: “She who is in Babylon … greets you.” For there was no Church or any other human institution in the desolate ruins of ancient Babylon. He was referring to ROME as all authorities agree. It is easy to see why early Christians used “Babylon” as a code word or nickname for Rome, for there are many striking parallels between the twin cities of literal Babylon of ancient times and figurative “Babylon” or Rome. Consider just a few: Babylon was the dominant warring power of its day and Rome was the dominant warring power of its own era. Babylon conquered Israel and centuries later, Rome also conquered Israel. Babylon destroyed the first Jerusalem Temple and Rome destroyed the second. Each carried sacred vessels from the Jewish Temple back to Babylon in the east and Rome in the west; each completely destroyed and devastated the city of Jerusalem; each carried away surviving Jews into captivity. Rome was Babylon all over again. As Babylon’s “carbon copy,” Rome provides a perfect example of history repeating itself! But more to the point, this woman who sits on seven hills which is this Church located in Rome, has revived the same pagan teachings that ancient Babylon taught ages ago. She baptizes them, sanctifies them, and brings them into the Christian Church. Ages ago, when presumptuous men tried to build the Tower of Babel at Babylon, God confused their language. Genesis 11:1-9. So here in the last book of the Bible, “Babylon” is a spiritual term referring to confusion, not the confusion of languages in the Old Testament but religious confusion as the Church drifted away from God’s Word.
Mystery Babylon is a RELIGIOUS power dominating the CIVIL powers: Revelation 17:3 and 7 tell us the harlot, or fallen Church, is RIDING the beast. Daniel 7:17 and 23 tell us a beast represent a king or kingdom. When we ride a horse, we direct it and control it, so the picture God gives here is of a Church dominating the civil power. For centuries, the Papacy dictated to kings. When she wanted to punish or execute any who dared to question her teaching, she would often call on the police power of the state. Revelation 17:2 describes this harlot: “with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication.” She has influence over the kings of the earth, great influence over heads of state. Today, unlike other Churches, the Vatican exchanges ambassadors with every major nation on earth. They come to her city on seven mountains, and they bow before her, having “lived luxuriously with her.” Revelation 18:9
The Harlot and NATURAL Immortality: Sincere Catholics often bow down before a statue of a SAINT and devoutly pray, even though the saint is DEAD. But the Roman Church doesn’t teach that they’re dead. Even though the idea that man’s soul is naturally immortal is a PAGAN one. All the ancient pagan religions, without exception had the idea that the soul, or man’s essential being, was immortal. That non-biblical concept, inherited from Babylon was a common thread running through them all. In Egypt for instance, the pyramids were great monuments, great houses for the dead to hold their immortal spirits. But the heathen idea of man’s soul being naturally immortal comes from Egypt and Babylon and Greece, not the Bible whose teaching directly contradicts it. See such verses as 1 Timothy 6:15-16, Ezekiel 18:4, 20, Ecclesiastes 9:5, Psalm 6:5; 13:3; 115:17, John 11:11-14, Ephesians 5:14 etc.
The Harlot and IMAGE Worship: Many false doctrines entered the Church, but let’s focus on just three: IMAGE worship, IMMORTALITY of the soul, and SUN worship. First of all, Babylon was the center of idol worship. Everywhere you turned there were images, idols representing the pagan gods, not just statues of Bel-Marduk, their chief god. King Nebuchadnezzar set up a huge golden idol and commanded all to bow down before it. But God’s Second Commandment in Exodus 20:4-5 FORBIDS using images in religious worship, FORBIDS bowing down before them. Today the Papal Church not only fosters those very things but also has DELETED the Second Commandment from its catechisms (official training manuals).
The Harlot and SUN Worship: The main deity of Babylon and Egypt was the Sun god. Astrology and worship of the heavens originated in Babylon. But God calls it one of the greatest of “abominations” in Ezekiel 8:15-16. Roman Emperor Constantine was a sun worshiper who never gave it up. The Roman Church disregards not only the Second Commandment about image worship but also the Fourth Commandment about the Creator’s Seventh-day Sabbath, substituting the unscriptural SUNDAY.
Mystery Babylon is the Mother of Harlots: This is because SHE has continued to have a massive impact on what truly does matter to God, i.e., His Church. She is the root of many false doctrines, has changed God’s law and shed the blood of millions of Christians etc. When Israel committed spiritual adultery, God called His Old Testament Church a “WHORE”, a “HARLOT” and a “WHORISH WOMAN” and accused her of “FORNICATION” and “ADULTERY.” The Catholic Church is guilty of much worse than Israel. In a recent address to the nations, Pope Benedict caused a major uproar among many Churches as he referred to the Catholic Church as being the “MOTHER” Church and called for all the daughter Churches to come back to HER. They are referred to as daughter Churches because they originally came from the Catholic Church, eg: Martin Luther, who had been a Catholic priest established the Lutheran Church. Some say mystery Babylon represents all false religion but not so as SHE is the Mother of Harlots as in SHE has many daughters that came from her so SHE is one Church. It is very sad that so many of the daughter Churches have ignorantly inherited her various false doctrines and again, this is why SHE is called the “Mother Of Harlots.” See mark of the beast and paganism for many images that reveal more on why God also calls her Babylon. See also the origins of 666 and how it relates to Babylon and the Catholic Church.
The Testimony of History:
“It has often been charged… that Catholicism is overlaid with many pagan incrustations. Catholicism is ready to accept that accusation and even to make it her boast… the great god Pan is not really dead, he is baptized” — The Story of Catholicism p 37.
“The use of temples, and these dedicated to particular saints, and ornamented on occasions with branches of trees; incense, lamps, and candles; votive offerings on recovery from illness; holy water; asylums; holydays and seasons, use of calendars, processions, blessings on the fields; sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure, the ring in marriage, turning to the East, images at a later date, perhaps the ecclesiastical chant, and the Kyrie Eleison are all of pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption into the Church.” — An Essay on The Development of the Christian Doctrine John Henry “Cardinal Newman” p.373.
“It is interesting to note how often our Church has availed herself of practices which were in common use among pagans … Thus it is true, in a certain sense, that some Catholic rites and ceremonies are a reproduction of those of pagan creeds…” — (The Externals of the Catholic Church, Her Government, Ceremonies, Festivals, Sacramentals and Devotions, by John F. Sullivan, p 156, published by P.J. Kennedy, NY, 1942).
“The Sun was a foremost god with heathendom. … The sun has worshippers at this hour in Persia and other lands. … The PAGAN Sunday dedicated to Balder, became the Christian Sunday, sacred to Jesus.” — Catholic William Gildea, Doctor of Divinity, wrote in The Catholic World, March, 1894, page 809.
Doctor Alexander Hislop, in his classic work, The Two Babylon’s, page 105, says this: “To conciliate the Pagans to nominal Christianity, Rome, pursuing its usual policy, took measures to get the Christian and Pagan festivals [that’s the Sabbath and Sunday] amalgamated, and … to get Paganism and Christianity now far sunk in idolatry in this as in so many other things, to shake hands.” He says further: “A glance at the main pillars of the Papal system will sufficiently prove that its doctrine and discipline in all essential respects have been derived from BABYLON.”
“In ancient Babylonia the SUN was WORSHIPPED from immemorial antiquity.” — Sir James G. Frazer, an authoritative scholar, makes this statement in his book The Worship of Nature, Volume 1, page 529.
“The doctrine of natural, as distinguished from Christian, immortality … crept into the Church, by a BACK DOOR. … When arguments are offered for the purely natural immortality of the soul, they are rarely, if ever, derived from Scripture. … The natural immortality of the soul is a doctrine wholly unknown to the Holy Scriptures, and standing on no higher plane than that of … PHILOSOPHICAL OPINION … of philosophical speculations DISGUISED as truths of Divine Revelation.” — William E. Gladstone, four-time Prime Minister of Great Britain and a theologian in his own right, wrote in Studies Subsidiary to the Works of Bishop Butler, pp. 195-198.
“The adoration of idols that is in Babylon was succeeded by the adoration of saints.” — Henry Thomas Buckle, a world-famous historian, says in his book The History of Civilization, Volume 1, page 188.
The book Catholic Belief, by Roman Catholic scholar Father Joseph Faà di Bruno, page 45, states this: “Like two sacred rivers flowing from Paradise, the Bible AND divine Tradition contain the Word of God, the precious gems of revealed truths. Though these two divine streams are in themselves, on account of their divine origin, of EQUAL sacredness, and are both full of revealed truths, still, of the two, Tradition is to us MORE clear and safe.” Are the traditions, customs and practices of man safer than the Bible? Rome baptizes tradition with the word “divine” and dares to hold it above the Bible.
“Reason and sense demand the acceptance of one or the other of these alternatives: either Protestantism and the keeping holy of Saturday, or Catholicity and the keeping holy of Sunday. Compromise is IMPOSSIBLE.” — Cardinal James Gibbons, archbishop of Baltimore and noted writer, said in The Catholic Mirror, December 23, 1893.
“One cannot well refer to those cults of Babylon and Egypt and the rest as DEAD religions. For the echo of their ancient thunder is still to be heard reverberating in almost every form of faith existing today. Ancient Babylonian image worship is in the church today. Ancient Babylonian sun worship is there. Ancient Babylonian belief in the immortality of the soul is there. Yes, the echo of that thunder is still heard in the church today!” — Lewis Brown says this in The Believing World, page 112.
“His coins bore on the one side the letters of the name of Christ; on the other, the figure of the SUN GOD, as if he could not bear to relinquish the patronage of the bright luminary.” — Historian Arthur P. Stanley in his book, The History of the Eastern Church, page 184, says this about the Roman Emperor Constantine.
MYTH #1: “In eternity past, God and Satan engaged in a great battle. Today, the cosmic struggle still rages between them.”
This particular myth contradicts one of the most well-established, fundamental truths about God that is revealed in Scripture—the truth that He is all-powerful, or omnipotent, to use the theological term. From cover to cover the Bible affirms God’s omnipotence.
On page one of the Bible we learn that God created everything. He spoke the universe into existence. How much power did that require? Whatever amount was necessary, God had it!
Has God’s power diminished since then, now that He has grown so much older? No, Jesus told us that all things are possible with God (See: Matt. 19:26). Jeremiah affirmed that there is nothing too difficult for Him (see Jer. 32:17). No person or force can stop Him from fulfilling His plans (see 2 Chron. 20:6; Job 41:10; 42:2). Through Jeremiah God asks, “For who is like Me….And who then…can stand against Me?” (Jer. 50:44). The answer is no one, not even Satan.
Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, the Holy Spirit said, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired” (Is. 40:28). Paul wrote that God is able to do “exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Eph 3:20).
If God is truly all-powerful as the above-mentioned scriptures affirm, then to say that God and Satan were – or are – in a battle is to imply that He is not all-powerful. If God lost even a single round, was slightly overcome by Satan even to a small degree, or had to struggle against him for even a short time, then He is not all-powerful as He declares Himself to be.
Christ’s Commentary on Satan’s Power
Jesus once said something concerning Satan’s fall from heaven that will help us understand how much power Satan has in comparison to our omnipotent God:
And the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning” (Luke 10:17-18).
When Jesus sent out seventy of His disciples to preach and heal, they returned exuberantly to report that even the demons were subject to them in His name. They should not have been so surprised, however. Jesus informed them that in His pre-incarnate state, He had witnessed a very revealing demonstration of the Father’s supreme power over Satan: When the all-powerful God decreed Satan’s expulsion from heaven, Satan could not resist. Jesus chose the metaphor, like lightning, to emphasize the speed with which Satan fell. He fell, not like molasses, but like lightning. He didn’t fall like a leaf from a tree or a rock from a cliff. Oh no. Satan was in heaven one second, and in the next—BOOM!—he was gone!
If God can so quickly and easily expel Satan himself, it should have been no surprise that His commissioned servants could also quickly and easily expel demons.
Previously, those disciples possessed great respect for the horrible power that demons exercised over their victims, but now they had witnessed a far greater power, causing their joyful amazement. How some of us need this same revelation. Too many Christians have a great respect for the power of the devil and have not yet grasped that God’s power is far, far, far greater. God is the Creator, and Satan is only a creation.
Satan is no match for God. There is no comparison between God’s power and Satan’s power. Satan cannot even struggle against God’s great power, as Jesus so aptly put it.
The War That Never Was
As strange as it may seem to some of our ears, we need to understand that God and Satan are not, have never been, and never will be in a battle. Yes, they do have differing agendas, and perhaps it could be cautiously said that they are in opposition. But when two parties are in opposition to one another, and one is immensely more powerful than the other, their conflicts are not considered battles. Could an earthworm fight with an elephant? An earthworm might make a very feeble attempt to oppose an elephant, but their contention could hardly be described as a fight.
Satan, like that earthworm, made a feeble attempt to oppose One who was immensely more powerful. His opposition was quickly dealt with, and he was expelled from heaven “like lightning.” There was no battle—there was only an expulsion.
If God is all-powerful, then Satan doesn’t have a ghost of a chance at slightly hindering God from doing what He wants to do. And if God does permit Satan to do something, ultimately it is only to accomplish His own divine will. This truth will become abundantly clear as we continue to examine the Scriptures in later chapters.
Obviously, God permitted Satan to make a choice regarding obedience or disobedience, which is what we call free will. But the only reason Satan possessed the authority to make a choice was because God gave him that authority.
The Future Binding of Satan
God’s supreme authority over Satan was not only demonstrated in eternity past, but will also be demonstrated in the future. We read in Revelation that one solitary angel will bind Satan and incarcerate him for a thousand years:
And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. (Rev. 20:1-3)
This future incident could not be considered a battle between God and Satan any more than Satan’s original expulsion from heaven could be considered a battle between God and Satan. This unnamed angel will simply lay hold of Satan and put him out of operation for a thousand years. There is no mention of any skirmish.
Notice also that Satan will not have the power to break out of his prison and will only be released when it suits God’s purposes (See: Rev. 20:7-9).
God could easily bind Satan right now if He desired. To say that He could not is to say that He is not more powerful than Satan.
Then why doesn’t God put a stop to Satan right now? Simply because it doesn’t suit His purposes at this time. There are reasons why God permits Satan to function upon the earth, reasons which we will explore in later chapters.1
What About the Future “War in Heaven”?
If it is true that God and Satan are not, have never been, and never will be in a battle, then why do we read in the book of Revelation of a future war in heaven that involves Satan? That’s a good question, and one that can be easily answered. Let’s first read about that future heavenly war in Revelation 12:7-9:
And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Rev. 12:7-9)
If you will read the verses which immediately precede and follow those quoted above, you will see that this incident of which John wrote is not a description of Satan’s original expulsion from heaven, when he “fell like lightning.” Rather, it is a description of a future expulsion.2 Other scriptures indicate that Satan, even since his original expulsion, may still have some limited access to God’s heaven (See: Job 1:6; 2:1; Zech. 3:1-2, Luke 22:31; Rev. 12:10).
Notice that this war will be between Michael and his angels and Satan and his angels. God Himself is not mentioned as being involved in the battle. If He were, the conflict could hardly be described as a war, because God, being all-powerful, could easily squelch any opposition in a flash of time as He has already proven.
Angels, including Michael, are not all-powerful, and thus their conflict with Satan and his angels can be described as a war because there will be some actual conflict for a portion of time. Still, they, being more powerful, will overcome Satan and his hordes.
Why would God not become personally involved in this particular battle, leaving it to His angels? I have no idea. Certainly God, being all-knowing, knew that His angels could win the war, and so perhaps He figured there was no need for Him to be involved personally. And I suppose that if God did everything Himself, the angels would have nothing to do!
I have no doubt that God could have easily and quickly annihilated the wicked Canaanites in the days of Joshua, but He chose to give the Israelites the task. What God could have done effortlessly in seconds He required them to do, expending great efforts over a period of months. Perhaps this was more pleasing to God as it required faith on the part of the Israelites. Perhaps that is the reason He will not be personally involved in that future war in heaven. The Bible, however, does not tell us.
Just because there is going to be a war someday in heaven between Michael and his angels and Satan and his angels is no reason for us to think that God is not all-powerful—any more than Israel’s battles in Canaan are reason for us to think that God is not all-powerful. Remember, God’s angels are not all-powerful—God is.
Was Not Satan Defeated by Jesus on the Cross?
In regard to this first myth of God and Satan’s reputed battles, I would like to conclude this chapter by considering the commonly-used statement: Jesus defeated Satan on the cross.
In years past, I had often stated that Jesus defeated Satan on the cross until I realized that what I was saying was not entirely biblical. Scripture never actually states that Jesus defeated Satan on the cross.
Am I, perhaps, splitting theological hairs? No, there is good reason to be so particular. When we say that Jesus defeated Satan, we make it sound as if Jesus and Satan were in a battle, which implies that God is not all-powerful and that Satan was not already under the complete authority of God. That is why I no longer say that Jesus defeated Satan on the Cross. There are more biblical ways of describing what happened to Satan when Jesus gave His life on Calvary.
Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us: “Since then the children [that’s us, the children of God] share in flesh and blood [that is, we have physical bodies], He Himself [Jesus] likewise also partook of the same [a physical body], that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” (emphasis added).
Note that Jesus, through His death, rendered Satan powerless. To what extent did He render Satan powerless? Obviously, Satan is not completely powerless, or else the apostle John would never have written that “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19, emphasis added). Neither would James and Peter have told us to resist the devil, because if Satan had no power, there would be nothing for us to resist (see James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8-9). Nor would Paul have written, “And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Rom. 16:20)
If you overheard me say to someone, “I’m powerless,” you probably wouldn’t conclude I meant that I was incapable of doing anything. You would assume that I meant I was powerless to change a certain situation, or that I had lost some jurisdiction over something I had previously controlled. If you had heard the context of my comment, you would probably know exactly what I meant. That is why it is so important to read verses of the Bible within their context, otherwise, we can wrongly interpret what God is trying to communicate to us.
We’ve already determined from other scriptures that Satan was not rendered totally powerless or inoperable by Jesus’ death. Thus we need to know in what area or to what extent Satan was rendered powerless. Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us. It says that through His death, Jesus rendered “powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives” (emphasis added). Satan was rendered powerless in regard to “the power of death.” What, exactly, does that mean?
This question is answered by looking at what other parts of the New Testament have to say about death.
Three Kinds of Death
Scripture makes reference to three kinds of death: spiritual death, physical death, and the second death.
The second death (or eternal death) is referred to in Revelation 2:22; 20:6,14; 21:8, and is described as the time when unbelievers will be thrown into the lake of fire.
Physical death occurs when a person’s spirit departs from his body, and his body then ceases to function.
Scripture teaches that we are tri-partite in nature: spirit, soul, and body (See: 1 Thes. 5:23). Our body is our physical person, the flesh and bones and blood. Our soul is often considered to be our emotions, intellect and will. Our spirit is referred to in Scripture as “the inward man” (2 Cor. 4:16), or “the hidden man of the heart” (1 Pet. 3:4). In both cases, the spirit is called a “man.” The spirit is a person who is made of spiritual material, rather than physical material, just like angels, for example. The spirit has been described by some as the “real you.” Your spirit is eternal.
With this in mind we can better understand the third kind of death of which the Bible speaks—spiritual death.
Being spiritually dead describes the condition of a human spirit which has not been born again by the Holy Spirit. A spiritually dead person has a spirit that is alienated from God, a spirit that possesses a sinful nature, a spirit that is, to some degree, joined to Satan. Ephesians 2:1-3 paints for us a picture of the spiritually dead person:
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
Paul said the Ephesians Christians were dead in their trespasses and sins. Obviously he was not referring to physical death because he was writing to physically alive people. Therefore, he must have been saying that they were dead, spiritually speaking.
What killed them, spiritually? It was their “trespasses and sins.” Remember God told Adam that in the day he disobeyed, he would die (see Gen. 2:17). God was not speaking of physical death, but spiritual death, because Adam did not die physically on the day he ate the forbidden fruit. Rather, he died spiritually that day, and did not die physically until hundreds of years later.
Paul continued by saying that the Ephesians, as spiritually dead people, had walked in (or practiced) those trespasses and sins, following the “course of the world” (that is, doing what everyone else was doing) and following “the prince of the power of the air.”
Who is “the prince of the power of the air”? He is Satan, who rules his dark domain as commander-in-chief over other evil spirits who inhabit the atmosphere. Those evil spirits are listed by various ranks in a later chapter of Ephesians (See: Eph. 6:12).
Paul said that dark prince is a “spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” The expression, “sons of disobedience,” is just another description for all unbelievers which emphasizes that their nature is sinful. Paul later said that they “were by nature children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3, emphasis added). Additionally, he said that Satan was working in them.
The Devil for a Dad
Whether unsaved people realize it or not, they are following Satan and are his subjects in the kingdom of darkness. They have his evil, selfish nature residing in their spiritually dead spirits. Satan is actually their spiritual lord and father. That is why Jesus once said to some unsaved religious leaders: “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father” (John 8:44).
This is the bleak picture of the person who has not been born again! He is walking through life spiritually dead, full of Satan’s nature, heading for an inevitable physical death which he greatly fears; and, whether he realizes it or not, he will one day experience the worst death of all, eternal death, as he is cast into the lake of fire to suffer there forever.
It is extremely important that we understand that spiritual, physical, and eternal death are all manifestations of God’s wrath upon sinful humanity, and that Satan has a part in all of it. Satan has been permitted by God to rule over the kingdom of darkness and over all those who “love the darkness” (John 3:19). In effect, God said to Satan, “You may hold in captivity through your power those who are not submitted to Me.” Satan became a subordinate instrument of God’s wrath upon human rebels. Because all have sinned, all are under Satan’s power, filled with his nature in their spirits and held captive to do his will (see 2 Tim. 2:26).
The Ransom for Our Captivity
We can thank God, however, that He had mercy upon humanity, and because of His mercy, no one has to remain in that pitiful condition! Because Jesus’ substitutionary death satisfied the claims of divine justice, all those who believe in Christ can escape from spiritual death and Satan’s captivity because they are no longer under God’s wrath. When we put our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes into our spirit and eradicates Satan’s nature from it, causing our spirit to be born again (see John 3:1-16) and allowing us to become partakers of God’s divine nature (See: 2 Pet. 1:4).
Now back to our original question. When the writer of Hebrews stated that Jesus, through His death, rendered “powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,” he meant that the power of spiritual death, which Satan holds over every unsaved person, has been broken over all those who are “in Christ.” We are made spiritually alive because of Christ; He has paid the penalty for our sins.
Moreover, because we are no longer spiritually dead and under Satan’s dominion, we no longer have to fear physical death, since we know what awaits us—a glorious inheritance in heaven. Some of us may even escape physical death—if we are alive when Jesus returns (See: 1 Cor. 15:51; 1 Thes. 4:13-18).
Finally, because of Jesus, we have been delivered from suffering the second death, being cast into the lake of fire.
Did Jesus defeat (In other words, destroy) the devil on the cross? No, He did not, because there was no battle between Jesus and Satan. Jesus did, however, render Satan powerless in regard to Satan’s power over spiritual death, by which he holds unsaved people captive in sin. Satan still holds the power of spiritual death over unsaved people, but as far as those who are in Christ are concerned, Satan is powerless over them. This is why in Revelation 12:11, we read, “And they [the believers] overcame him [Satan] because of the blood of the Lamb.” It was because Jesus shed His blood on the cross that we have overcome Satan.
The Disarming of the Powers
This also helps us understand Paul’s statement about the “disarming of rulers and authorities” found in Colossians 2:13-15:
And when you were [spiritually] dead in your transgressions…He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him (emphasis added).
Paul uses obvious metaphorical language in this passage. In the first part, he compares our guilt to a “certificate of debt.” What we could not pay was paid for us by Christ, who took our sin-debt to the cross. There our account was paid in full.
In the second part, just as ancient kings stripped their defeated foes of their weapons and triumphantly paraded them through their city streets, so Christ’s death was a triumph over “rulers and authorities,” the lower ranks of demons who rule over rebellious humans, holding them captive.
Could we not say, based upon this passage, that Christ defeated Satan? Perhaps, but with some qualification. We must keep in mind that, in this passage, Paul was writing metaphorically. And every metaphor, whether written or spoken, has a point where the similarities turn to dissimilarities.
For example, if I say to my wife, “Your eyes are like pools,” I mean that her eyes are deep, dark, blue, and inviting. But I mean nothing more, because those are the only similarities between my wife’s eyes and pools of water. I do not mean that fish swim in her eyes, or that they freeze over in the winter, or that ducks might want to land on them. Every metaphor is like that. It reaches a point where, if pushed beyond the intended similarities, would darken understanding rather then enlighten it, as metaphors are supposed to do. (This very thing is often done by people trying to find some significance in every minor detail of Jesus’ parables, when Jesus was usually only trying to make one major point.)
In interpreting Paul’s metaphors in Colossians 2:13-15, we must be equally cautious. Obviously, there wasn’t an actual “certificate of debt” that had all our sins written on it that was nailed to the cross. That is, however, symbolic of what Jesus accomplished.
Similarly, the demons who ruled over unsaved humanity were not literally disarmed of their swords and shields and paraded publicly through the streets by Jesus. The language Paul uses is symbolic of what Jesus accomplished for us. We were held captive by those evil spirits. By dying for our sins, however, Jesus released us from our captivity. Jesus didn’t literally fight against those evil spirits and they were not at war with Him. They, by God’s righteous permission, held us in their power all of our lives. Their “armaments,” as it were, were pointed, not at Christ, but at us. Jesus, however, “disarmed” them. They can’t keep us captive any longer.
Let us not think that there was some age-long fight between Jesus and Satan’s evil spirits, and finally, Jesus won the battle on the cross. If we are going to say that Jesus defeated the devil, let us be certain we understand that He defeated the devil for us, and not for Himself. He didn’t need to overcome the devil for Himself.
In my front yard I once chased away a small dog who was terrifying my baby daughter. I might say I defeated that little dog, but I hope you understand that dog was never any threat to me, only to my daughter. It was the same with Jesus and Satan. Jesus chased away a dog from us that never bothered Him at all.
How did He chase away that Satan-dog? He did it by bearing the punishment for our sins, thus releasing us from our guilt before God, thus delivering us from God’s wrath, and thus the evil spirits whom God righteously permits to enslave human rebels no longer had any right to enslave us. Praise God for that!
Myth #2: “In eternity past, God and Satan engaged in a great battle. Today, the cosmic struggle still rages between them.”
No, we can thank God that in eternity past Satan was expelled from heaven without a fight. God will someday, through one powerful angel, bind Satan and render him inoperable for a thousand years. In the meantime, Satan’s power in holding people captive through spiritual death has been broken over all those who are in Christ. Satan is no longer our spiritual father and lord. God Himself is not, never has been, and never will be in a battle with Satan. God is all-powerful.
Perhaps prayer is a burden to you. Is prayer boring to you? Is it more of a duty than a pleasure?
So few Christians enter God’s presence with delight, simply for the pleasure of His company. Some think of it only as “work.” Yet, when we commune with a dearly loved one here on earth, do we think of it as work? No, it is a pleasure to us! If you are happily married, you don’t think of your times of intimacy with your spouse as “work.”
Christ likens His relationship with His people to that of a husband and wife and the Bible says Jesus delights in us! The fact is, a husband’s pleasure in enjoying intimacy is not simply the satisfaction of his own needs. No, his real pleasure is in the joy of knowing his wife shares his delight. He says in his heart, “She really wants to be with me. I’m first in her heart—I’m everything to her!”
We know the Lord delights in His people. David said, “He delivered me, because he delighted in me” (Psalm 18:19). The Scripture gives us a picture of the Lord and His exuberant delight in us.
Yet, do we delight in Him? The Bible tells us: “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4). Delighting in the Lord does not mean simply being happy in His presence. I asked the Lord what the word “delight” means and He answered:
“David, delighting in Me means simply being able to say: ‘I would rather be with Jesus than with anyone else on earth. I prefer His company to that of my spouse, my family, my friends. I prefer Him over all celebrities, world leaders, even great men and women of God. He is my delight!’”
It also means being able to say, “I long to be shut in with Jesus because He is the only One who can satisfy me. All others leave me empty and unfulfilled. No one but Jesus can touch my deepest needs and I rush to Him as often as I can.”
True Salvation and the True Gospel
________________________________________________________
How do I get saved? What do I need to do in order to get saved? Where will I
go when I die? How do I know if I’ve been saved? Can a saved person die
and and go to hell? Do all lost people go to hell?
These are all important questions. In fact, they are the most important
questions that you could ever ask. Why? Because the answer to these
questions will affect you for all of eternity. Eternity is “endless or everlasting
duration in the future, dating from the present time (Webster’s 1828
dictionary). Where will you spend eternity?
The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to man. Using only the Bible this
paper will explain how to get saved.
In order to get saved, a person must hear the true Gospel. The Bible says
that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth
(Romans 1:16). The Bible also says that there are many false gospels out
there (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 (Galatians 1:6-7).
If you have heard and believed another gospel, a gospel that is different from
the one that the Bible teaches, it has no power to save you from your sins.
You are still in danger of eternal condemnation. Don’t be deceived. Don’t be
tempted to think you can believe what you want about salvation. God has told
us in His Word (the Bible) that there is only ONE faith that saves sinners:
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your
calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all…
(Ephesians 4:4-6)
There is only one true Gospel. Believe God, not your feelings. He never lies.
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should
repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he
not make it good? (Numbers 23:19).
Let us examine, then, what God tells us about salvation:
I You cannot get saved unless you know and believe that you are a
sinner. The Bible tells us that man is a sinner:
The Bible says that we are all (each and every one of us) born in sin
and condemnation. “For as by one man’s [Adam's] disobedience many
were made sinners…”(Rom 5:19).
The Bible says that there is NO natural or inherent goodness within
you. “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become
unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Romans 3:12).
It says that though you might try to do right, you are destined to fail. This
means that it is IMPOSSIBLE for you to save yourself or to do anything
in any way to earn your salvation: “For I know that in me (that is in my
flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to
perform that which is good I find not. (Rom 7:18). It says that your “good”
deeds and your “good” works are worthless in the sight of God: “But we
are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken
us away” (Isaiah 64:6).
The Bible says that if you attempt to earn salvation through your
good deeds (this would mean your deeds or the deeds of other, fallen,
human beings), you only earn further condemnation: “For if Abraham
were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For
what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted
unto him for righteous-ness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not
reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth
on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness”
(Romans 4:2-5).
The Bible says that fallen man is an enemy towards God and has
earned God’s wrath: And you, that were sometime alienated and
enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
(Colossians 1:21). For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in
unrighteousness (Romans 1:18).
The Bible says that the human heart is wicked, and deceitful. The
heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can
know it? (Jeremiah 17:9). The Bible says that unsaved man is spiritually
DEAD in sins. And you hath he quickened [given life], who were dead in
trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). And you, being dead in your sins
and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with
him, having forgiven you all trespasses (Colossians 2:13).
The Bible says you are a sinner who has earned God’s wrath and is
already condemned. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8) “…we…were by nature
the children of wrath, even as others (Ephesians 2:3). Therefore as by
3
the offence of one [Adam’s sin] judgment came upon all men to
condemnation (Romans 5:18).
II In order to get saved, you need to hear about the Saviour. The Bible
says that because we stand condemned before God for our sins,
we (all of mankind) NEED a Saviour. The Bible says that there is
only ONE Saviour for man – the Lord Jesus Christ:
For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I
gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (Isaiah
43:3).
I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour (Isaiah
43:11).
And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath
rejoiced in God my Saviour (Luke 1:46-47).
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which
is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11).
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. (Matthew
1:21)
And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy
saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is
indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world (John 4:42).
Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a
Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins
(Acts 5:31).
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other
name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved (Acts 4:12).
III In order to get saved, you must understand that Jesus, who saved
you from your sins, is GOD in the flesh. The Bible teaches that
Jesus Christ is God:
For in him [Jesus Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead
bodily (Colossians 2:9).
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God (John 1:1).
…I and my Father are one (John 10:30).
He that hath seen me hath seen the Father (John 14:9).
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin
shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel
[which means ‘God with us’] (Isaiah 7:14).
4
For unto us is a child born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be
called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands
of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be ruler in
Israel: whose goings forth have been from of old; from everlasting (Micah
5:2).
For by him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and
that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or
dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by
him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things
consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the
beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might
have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him
should all fullness dwell (Colossians 1:16-19).
IV If you want to know how to get saved, you MUST hear the truth
about what God did to save you! The Bible says that Jesus (God the
Son) was crucified, and He bore the sins of the world upon the
cross:
And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that
it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted
my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots
(Matthew 27:35).
For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received, how
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that
He was buried and that He rose again the third day according to
the Scriptures
(I Corinthians 15:3-4).
V After three days Jesus rose again and He ascended into heaven,
where He now sits at the right hand of God the Father.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how
that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that
he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to
the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the
twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at
once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but
some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of
all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one
born out of due time (I Corinthians 15:3-8).
Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power
of God (Luke 22:69). So then after the Lord had spoken unto
5
them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand
of God (Mark 16:19).
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that
is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also
maketh intercession for us (Romans 8:34).
VI Now that you know that you are a sinner, condemned before God
for your sins, you are ready to ask, How Do I get Saved? What must I do
in order to be saved? The Bible tells us that although Christ has already
paid for the sins of all mankind, the only way to receive His gift of
forgiveness is to be born again. Therefore, in order to be saved, you
must be born again!
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?
can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born of water [of the flesh, from the water of the womb] and of the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born
of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind
bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but
canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every
one that is born of the Spirit (John 3:3-8).
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by
the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever (I Peter 1:23).
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things
are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians
5:17).
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor
uncircumcision, but a new creature (Galatians 6:15).
VII The truth is, salvation is not by works; it is not about something
you must do. Salvation is by grace. The Bible teaches that through
the work of the Holy Spirit and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
repentance and faith work together as two inseparable graces to
produce the new birth. The power of God to produce the new birth
is present when the Gospel is preached. Be not ashamed of the
Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every
one that believeth. According to the Bible, repentance and faith
are equally necessary for Salvation.
Repentance and faith are not works – the Bible tells us that salvation is
by grace – yet they are essential for salvation. The power of God is
needed for salvation. It is only through the power of His Spirit – which
6
is present when the Gospel is preached – that true repentance and
saving faith are found:
…Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (Lk 13:5)
Jesus required that repentance be preached in His name: And said
unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and
to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission
of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem
(Luke 24:46-47).
The apostle Paul was obedient to Jesus Christ. When he preached the
Gospel he testified “…both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance
toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). Here we
see the necessity of repentance and faith coming together in the preaching of
the Gospel.
Once we repent, it is through our faith in Jesus’ sacrifice that we are
justified: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)
The Bible clearly tells us that neither repentance nor faith are in any
sense a work: “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” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
VIII What does it mean to repent?
“Repentance is a turning from a life of self and sin to a life of
submission and obedience to God’s will. Repentance means sins
perceived, sins abhorred and sins abandoned. This change is
wrought by the power of God through the Holy Spirit, the word of
truth (the Bible) being used as a means to convict the sinner of
sin and lead him to forsake it and to resolve henceforth to walk
before God in all truth and uprightness.” (W.D. Nowlin, Baptist
preacher)
The Bible tells us that the Pharisees did not get saved because they
“rejected the counsel of God against them.” What does that mean? It
means that they did not believe what God said about them in His Word.
They did not believe that they were lost sinners, and they did not
believe what God said about lost sinners. You can read more about
this in Lost or Saved: How do these states differ? (Appendix A). It is
very important to understand the difference between the two.
…Dost not thou [thief on the cross, addressed by the other thief]
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 (Luke 23: 40-41).
7
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as
his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God
be merciful to me a sinner (Luke 18:13).
Those who repent are like the thief on the cross, who knew that he had
been justly condemned for his sins; they are also like the publican who
knew he could only be saved by God’s mercy and made no claim to
personal righteousness before God.
Their allegiance switched from Satan to God – they knew that they
were turning away from Satan and accepting God through Jesus
Christ. The Bible says that those who are unsaved are children of the
devil: Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will
do…(John 8:44).
Before salvation, they knew that they were lost: That at that time ye
were without Christ…having no hope, and without God in the world
(Ephesians 2:12).
They knew that they had no goodness, no righteousness, and no
personal worthiness before God: For I know that in me (that is, in my
flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to
perform that which is good I find not (Romans 7:18).
They knew that their works, the good that they felt that they had done,
were as filthy rags in God’s sight. Our works before salvation are dead
works, and the Bible says that we should repent of these: Therefore
leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto
perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead
works, and of faith toward God (Hebrews 6:1).
They knew that they were utterly incapable of saving themselves, that
salvation, as a free gift, must come through God alone, through His
grace, imparting the good that we do not deserve, rather than the
punishment that we justly deserve.
The Bible tells us that Salvation is a free gift and when we come to
repentance we need to receive it as such: And not as it was by one that
sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but
the free gift is of many offences unto justification (Romans 5:16).
IX The Bible says that we are saved by faith. What does it mean to
have faith? There are many people who have faith and believe
that they are saved, but there is only ONE faith that saves.
The Bible says that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. This does
not mean simply believing that Jesus exists, or even believing that He
is God. It means that you believe, fully and completely, that Jesus
Christ paid for your sins when He died on the cross. It means believing
that He took your place and endured the wrath of God for you. It means
believing that Jesus’ payment for your sins is entirely sufficient to
cleanse you from your sins and to make you fit for heaven. Someone
had to pay the penalty for your sin. This is the only way for man to be
8
forgiven. Jesus paid that penalty on the cross – not merely through His
physical sufferings, but in the fact that He bore your sins in His own
body. It is faith in this sacrifice for sin that saves the soul from eternal
condemnation. The Bible has much to say about this.
Please consider each of the following Bible verses, and pay careful
attention to what they teach regarding salvation, as they all point to
Jesus’ work on the cross as the only means of salvation. They clearly
teach that we are saved through faith in His sacrifice on the cross.
Most Christian churches teach you to “receive” Jesus or to “invite
Jesus into your heart” in order to get saved. However, this is not what
the Bible teaches.
This false belief turns the repentant sinner away from faith in Christ’s work on
the cross and toward a separate act of some kind. This is very dangerous.
In order to gain salvation, our faith must be in Jesus’ work on the cross.
This was accomplished for us some 2,000 years ago and is the only
means of salvation that God has provided.
To understand more about the difference between salvation-throughbelieving
and salvation-through-receiving, see Appendix B.
Also, it is strongly recommended that you read the definitions of key
Gospel terms given in Appendix C. Become very familiar with them
since you will encounter them again and again in numerous Bible
verses dealing with salvation. If you do not understand them properly,
you will not be able to interpet important verses correctly. And if you
can’t do that, you will not have a proper understanding of the Gospel.
As you read through the following verses you will see that faith in
Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is the only means of salvation.
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to
minister, and to give his life a ransom for many (Matthew
20:28).
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the
remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might
be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus
(Romans 3:24-26).
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now
justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through
him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God
by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall
be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God
9
through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received
the atonement (Romans 5:8-11).
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God
(I Corinthians 1:18).
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2
Corinthians 5:21).
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being
made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that
hangeth on a tree (Galatians 3:13).
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace
(Ephesians 1:7).
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise,
having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye
who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he
is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle
wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even
the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself
of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both
unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby
(Ephesians 2:12-16).
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given
himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweetsmelling savour (Ephesians 5:2).
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:14).
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by
him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether
they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were
sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works,
yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through
death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable
in his sight (Colossians 1:20-22).
Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up
sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this
he did once, when he offered up himself (Hebrews 7:27).
For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the
world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to
put away sin by the sacrifice of himself (Hebrews 9:26).
10
By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the
body of Jesus Christ once for all (Hebrews 10:10).
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for
ever, sat down on the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12).
For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified (Hebrews 10:14).
Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with
his own blood, suffered without the gate (Hebrews 13:12).
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and
peace, be multiplied
(1 Peter 1:2).
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,
as silver and gold, from your vain conversation [behaviour] received by
tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a
lamb without blemish and without spot (I Peter 1:18-19).
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree,
that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by
whose stripes ye were healed (I Peter 2:24).
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the
unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit (I Peter 3:18).
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.
And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins:
and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world (I
John 2:1-2).*
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that
God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live
through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he
loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins
(I John 4:9-10).*
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first
begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.
Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his
own blood (Revelation 1:5).
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the
book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and
hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred,
and tongue, and people, and nation (Revelation 5:9).
* As already noted, Romans 3:24 tells us that Jesus is the
11
propitiation for our sins through faith in his blood.
All of the above verses are from the New Testament, but the Old
Testament gives exactly the same message. In the following verses
Isaiah describes the sacrifice that will be made by the Messiah, and
that through this sacrifice alone will man receive atonement for his
sins:
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the
LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender
plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor
comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that
we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a
man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were
our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him
not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our
sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he
was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our
peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All
we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to
his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of
us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he
opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he
openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from
judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut
off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my
people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the
wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no
violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the
LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou
shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed,
he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall
prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul,
and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall
divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out
his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the
transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made
intercession for the transgressors (Isaiah 53).
Please be aware that the people who tell you that you are saved by
“receiving” Jesus or by “inviting Jesus into your heart” use only a small
handful of verses, usually Romans 10:9-13, to support this erroneous
teaching.
However the above verses from Scripture clearly teach that we receive
salvation only through faith in Jesus’ sacrificial work on the cross.
12
Other scriptural verses, not cited above, give further confirmation of
this.
X Following salvation you will no longer be a slave to sin because
Jesus has freed you from its power.
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed
(John 8:36).
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the
body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not
serve sin (Romans 6:6).
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under
the law, but under grace (Romans 6:14).
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to
God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting
life (Romans 6:22).
This does not mean that a Christian will never sin. It simply means that
he will strive against sin and will be able to overcome temptation
through Christ because, as a born-again Christian washed in the blood
of Jesus Christ, he is no longer in bondage to sin.
XI Now we can answer the question: Where will I go when I die?
There are only two possibilities: The Bible says that once you are
saved, you also receive the gift of eternal life. This means that you will
go to heaven when you die. You might have asked, can a saved person
die and go to hell? The Bible says the answer to that question is NO, he
cannot.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath
everlasting life (John 6:47).
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
(I John 5:11-13).
XII What happens if you do not get saved? Do all lost/unsaved
people go to hell? Where will unsaved people go when they die?
The Bible tells us what happens to those who refuse to repent
and put their faith in Christ to save them. No one is excluded, not
even you.
The Bible says that you will be sentenced to an eternity in hell:
13
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. (Mark
9:46)
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God,
and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2
Thessalonians 1:8)
God does not want to send people to hell. Jesus came here to save us
from our sin and condemnation before God. But, if you refuse His offer
of free salvation, then you must pay for your sin as the Bible has
stated.
[END]
Appendix A: Lost or Saved: How do these states differ?
Appendix B: Salvation through believing v Salvation through
receiving
Appendix C: Definition of Key Gospel Terms
Appendix D: Bible verses linking salvation to belief in the
Gospel
Appendix E: Salvation verses containing the word ‘receive’
APPENDIX A
Lost or Saved: How do these states differ?
A lot of churches today urge us to get “close” to God, to attend church,
become part of a small group Bible study, listen to Christian music, read the
Bible more, become more loving towards others, and try to change our bad
habits.
Some will even tell us to “receive Jesus” or “invite Jesus into our hearts.”
These are very nice-sounding and seemingly helpful suggestions, but
something is missing. Without salvation, it is impossible to “get close to God”
no matter how hard you try, no matter how many times you read the Bible, no
matter how many Bible study groups you attend or how much you change
your life or how much you try to “receive Jesus” or how many times you ask
Him to come into your heart.
WHY? Because without salvation, you are lost – separated from God by your
sin.
Many people believe that they are getting closer to God by doing the things
listed above, but they have never been saved. Many believe they are saved
even though they never recognised at any time that they were lost. Many
have never even heard or considered what the Bible says about lost sinners.
14
According to the Bible, there is a dramatic difference between the saved and
the lost. The Bible verses below will illustrate this difference. Once you see
what it means to be lost, you will understand why you cannot, as a lost
person, through any human effort whatever, get closer to God. There is only
one way to get close to God and that is through salvation – Biblical
repentance before God and faith in Jesus Christ. It is the BLOOD of Jesus
Christ that brings the lost sinner to God and makes him or her a new creature.
This study will describe the position of a lost person (before salvation) and the
position of a saved person (after salvation).
CURSED
Every lost person is under the
curse of God and is cursed in his
soul because of his sin:
Then shall he say also unto
them on the left hand
[unsaved people], Depart from
me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for
the devil and his angels.
(Matthew 25:41)
TARES
Every lost person is a tare (weed)
– a child of the wicked one. As
Jesus said:
The field is the world; the
good seed are the children of
the kingdom [saved people];
but the tares are the children
of the wicked one” (Matthew
13:38)
CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE
Every lost person is a “child of
disobedience” – a rebel against
God. The following verse is
speaking to people who are saved,
BLESSED OF GOD
Every saved person is blessed of
God through Jesus Christ:
Then shall the King say unto
them on his right hand [saved
people], Come, ye blessed of
my Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the
world.
(Matthew 25:34)
THE GOOD SEED
Jesus is the One who sows the
“good seed.” Therefore, the “good
seed” are Christians who have
been saved through Jesus Christ:
He that soweth the good seed
is the Son of Man. The field is
the world; the good seed are
the children of the kingdom
[saved] but the tares [lost] are
the children of the wicked
one. (Matthew 13:37-38).
CHILDREN OF PROMISE
Now we, brethren, as Isaac
was, are the children of
promise. But as then he that
was born after the flesh
persecuted him that was born
after the Spirit, even so it is
15
telling them about their state prior
to salvation:
Among whom also we all had
our conversation [behaviour] in
times past in the lusts of our
flesh, fulfilling the desires of
the flesh and of the mind; and
were by nature the children of
wrath, even as others
(Ephesians 2:3).
DEAD IN SIN
We are dead in sin. Every lost
person has a dead soul – it is dead
because of sin. Adam and Eve’s
soul died the day they sinned
against God (Genesis 2:17). Our
souls are dead at birth because we
are born in sin; we inherited the sin
of Adam and Eve.
For since by man came death,
by man came also the
resurrection of the dead. For
as in Adam all die, even so in
Christ shall all be made alive.
(I Corinthians 15:21-22).
For the love of Christ
constraineth us; because we
thus judge, that if one died for
all, then were all dead. (2
Corinthians 5:14).
ARE (in) DARKNESS:
All lost people are (in) darkness
and all saved people were (in)
darkness before they were saved:
Be ye not unequally yoked
together with unbelievers [lost
people]: for what fellowship
hath righteousness with
unrighteousness? and what
communion hath light with
darkness [the unsaved]?
(2 Corinthians 6:14).
For ye were sometimes
now. (Galatians 4:28-29)
ALIVE IN CHRIST
The souls of lost sinners are
“made alive” by salvation through
Jesus Christ:
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves
to be dead indeed unto
sin, but alive unto God
through Jesus Christ our Lord
(Romans 6:11).
For as in Adam all die, even
so in Christ shall all be made
alive
(I Corinthians 15:22)
ARE LIGHT IN THE LORD.
Lost sinners are brought from
darkness to light through Jesus
Christ. A Christian is light in the
Lord, in and through Jesus Christ.
The change from darkness to light
comes through salvation:
For ye were sometimes
darkness, but now are ye light
in the Lord: walk as children
of light.
(Ephesians 5:8).
Ye [saved people] are all the
children of light, and the
children of the day: we are not
of the night, nor of darkness
16
darkness, but now are ye light
in the Lord: walk as children
of light
(Ephesians 5:8).
A GENERATION OF VIPERS
John the Baptist told “the
multitude” (meaning everyone) that
they were a generation of vipers –
Satan’s brood, lost in sin.
Then said he to the multitude
that came forth to be baptized
of him, O generation of vipers,
who hath warned you to flee
from the wrath to come?
(Luke 3:7)
SERPENTS
Ye serpents, ye generation of
vipers, how can ye escape the
damnation of hell?”
(Matthew 23:33).
Jesus said these words to the
unbelieving [lost] Pharisees and
scribes – but the same applies to
all lost people. There is no special
class of lost sinners. All are equally
sinful. All have the same Adamic,
fallen, nature – the same lost
nature. This fallen, serpent-like
nature is shared equally by all lost
sinners.
CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL
There are several verses that very
clearly teach that all lost people
are children of the devil and that
they belong to him, have his
nature, and are in service to him –
whether they are aware of this or
not. Most lost sinners are
deceived – they do not realize that
Satan rules them and that they are
(I Thessalonians 5:5)
A CHOSEN GENERATION
But ye are a chosen
generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a
peculiar people; that ye
should show forth the praises
of him who hath called you
out of dark-ness into his
marvellous light. Which in
time past [when lost] were not
a people, but are now the
people of God
(I Peter 2:9-10).
SAINTS
The Bible declares that all saved
people are saints. Here are just
two of several verses which
confirm this:
Unto the church of God which
is at Corinth, to them that are
sanctified in Christ Jesus,
called to be saints… (I
Corinthians 1:2).
God is not the author of
confusion, but of peace, as in
all churches of the saints
(I Corinthians 14:33).
CHILDREN OF GOD
According to the Bible, all
Christians are children of God
through their saving faith in Jesus
Christ:
The Spirit itself beareth
witness with our spirit that we
are the children of God
(Romans 8:16).
And it shall come to pass, that
in the place where it was said
17
his children. However some lost
sinners are aware of this and
worship Satan openly. As lost
sinners, we can try to ward off
Satan and cast his burden from us
but we can never succeed, since
we are powerless against him
without Christ.
It is clear from the following verse
that there are only two categories
of people in the world: Either one is
a child of God (via salvation
through Christ Jesus) or one is a
child of the devil (through natural
birth via the sin inherited from
Adam and Eve):
In this the children of God
[saved] are manifest, and the
children of the devil [lost]:
whosoever doeth not
righteousness is not of God,
neither he that loveth not his
brother (I John 3:10).
ALIENATED FROM GOD
Having the understanding
darkened, being alienated
from the life of God through
the ignorance that is in them
[lost people] because of the
blindness of their heart
(Ephesians 4:18).
This verse tells us that all lost
people: (i) have their
understanding darkened, (ii) are
separated from the life of God, and
(iii) have blindness of heart – they
cannot even see what they are.
ENEMIES OF GOD
And you that were sometime
alienated [from God] and
enemies in your mind by
unto them [lost Gentiles], ye
are not my people; there shall
they [saved Gentiles] be
called the children of the living
God
(Romans 9:26).
For ye [saved people] are all
the children of God by faith in
Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26)
Be ye therefore followers of
God as dear children
(Ephesians 5:1)
MADE NIGH TO GOD
Lost people are brought near to
God through faith in the blood
sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which He
accomplished once and for all on
the cross.
But now in Christ Jesus ye
who sometimes were far off
[lost] are made nigh by the
blood of Christ
(Ephesians 2:13)
For Christ also hath once
suffered for sins, the just for
the unjust, that he might bring
us to God, being put to death
in the flesh, but quickened by
the Spirit: (I Peter 3:18)
FRIENDS OF GOD
Henceforth I call you not
servants; for the servant
knoweth not what his lord
doeth: but I have called you
friends; for all things that I
have heard of my Father I
18
wicked works, yet now hath
he reconciled
(Colossians 1:21).
For if, when we were
enemies [when we were
lost], we were reconciled to
God by the death of His
Son, much more, being
reconciled [through
salvation] we shall be saved
by His life
(Romans 5:10).
MIND IS ENMITY AGAINST GOD
Because the carnal
[unsaved] mind is enmity
against God, for it is not
subject to the law of God,
neither indeed can be
(Romans 8:7).
Having abolished in his flesh
the enmity, even the law of
commandments contained
in ordinances; for to make in
himself of twain one new
man, so making peace; And
that he might reconcile both
[Jews and Gentiles] unto
God in one body by the
cross, having slain the
enmity thereby: And came
and preached peace to you
which were afar off, and to
them that were nigh.
(Ephesians 2:15-17).
THE WICKED
So shall it be at the end of
the world: the angels shall
come forth, and sever the
wicked [the lost] from the
just [the saved] (Matthew
13:49).
Jesus is clearly telling us that all
lost people are wicked.
have made known unto you
(John 15:15)
THE MIND OF CHRIST
Lost people do not have the mind
of Christ. Instead their minds are
set against God, in rebellion –
even if it does not feel that way.
Saved people, however, DO have
the mind of Christ and can walk in
agreement with God, in obedience
to Him.
For who hath known the mind
of the Lord, that he may
instruct him? But we [the
saved] have the mind of
Christ.
(I Corinthians 2:16)
Let this mind be in you [the
saved], which was also in
Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5)
THE JUST
So shall it be at the end of the
world: the angels shall come
forth, and sever the wicked
[the lost] from the just [the
saved] (Matthew 13:49).
It is the saved who go to heaven.
They are made just through Jesus
Christ.
SERVANTOF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Being then made free from sin
19
CHILD OF HELL
Woe unto you scribes,
Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye
compass sea and land to
make one proselyte, and
when he is made, ye make
him twofold more the child of
hell than yourselves
(Matthew 23:15).
If the scribes and Pharisees (being
Jews, God’s chosen people) were
described by Jesus as children of
hell, then so too are all lost
sinners. We all share the same
fallen human nature, which we
inherited from Adam. What fallen
nature did the scribes and
Pharisees have? The same one
that we inherited from Adam.
There is no difference.
EVIL
If ye then, being evil, know
how to give good gifts unto
your children, how much more
shall your Father, which is in
heaven give good things to
them that ask Him? (Matthew
7:11).
Jesus calls us evil. He wants us to
know that we are evil so that we
will repent and come to Him for
salvation.
[through salvation], ye
became the servants of
righteousness
(Romans 6:18).
For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to every
one that believeth (Romans
10:4).
In salvation, we are made the
servants of righteousness through
Jesus Christ. No fallen human
being can perform righteous works
without salvation. God has said
that our human righteousnesses
are as “filthy rags” in His sight
(Isaiah 64:6). A Christian works
righteousness through Jesus
Christ alone, whereby God alone
is glorified. Therefore, no man can
work righteousness, either through
the law or through good works, but
only through salvation in Christ
Jesus.
DECLARED RIGHTEOUS
A saved person is declared
righteous because he has trusted
in the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on
the cross:
What shall we say then? That
the Gentiles, which followed
not after righteousness, have
attained to righteousness,
even the right-eousness which
is of faith. But Israel, which
followed after the law of
righteousness, hath not
attained unto the law of righteousness.
Wherefore?
Because they sought it not by
faith, but as it were by the
works of the law [good
deeds]…and whosoever
believeth on him [Christ
Jesus] shall not be ashamed
(Romans 9:30-33)
20
APPENDIX B
Salvation through Believing
versus
Salvation through Receiving
Purpose: This article will compare two different plans of salvation, only one of
which is Biblical. The first is ‘salvation through believing,’ which is supported
by Scripture, and the second is ‘salvation through receiving Jesus into your
heart,’ which is not supported by Scripture. Unfortunately, the false plan, the
second plan, is the one that most people are familiar with and the one that
most ‘Christians’ believe in.
The goal of this article is to expose the false plan so that those who trust in it
can turn to the Gospel – the plan provided by the Lord – before it is too late.
Salvation through Believing: This is the Biblical plan of salvation. It is
offered to the repenting sinner on the basis of his faith alone. In this plan, the
repenting sinner places his faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ (His
death on the cross) for our salvation (forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal
life). Nothing is added to this plan. Nothing else is necessary. You do not
need to pray a special prayer to bring about salvation. You do not need to do
anything other than believe. Once you turn to God in repentance and believe
in the finished work of Christ on Calvary, you are saved.
Salvation through Receiving: This is the false plan of salvation. In this plan,
sinners of course know that Jesus died for them on the cross, but this is never
seen as the focal point of salvation. The cross of Calvary is rarely
mentioned. Instead, sinners who wish to repent are told that they must do
something to make salvation possible – invite Jesus into your heart, receive
Jesus, call on God, etc.
This plan of salvation is so familiar that you might not understand initially what
the problem is all about. In fact, at the present time, it is the only plan of
salvation offered in most gospel tracts and from most local churches.
Unfortunately, this is not God’s plan of salvation at all! Why? Because it has
no Biblical foundation.
It was introduced into mainstream Christian churches by imposters (false
teachers) whose doctrine was seriously flawed in a variety of ways. It was
then extensively popularized by a group of misguided Evangelicals. Sadly,
today, it is everywhere. It is virtually impossible to find a gospel tract that does
not employ this plan of salvation or to hear a sermon for salvation that does
not rely on it.
21
These are very sobering facts, especially in light of Jesus’ own words:
…Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
(Luke 18:8)
Everywhere we turn we find that a corrupt faith has been substituted for the
true faith taught by Our Lord Jesus Christ. We will now demonstrate this,
point by point.
While different churches express the ‘Receiving Jesus’ plan in their own way,
they all have the same broad pattern, as follows:
1. We all have sin in our hearts. We were born in sin and are
controlled by sin. Admit that you are a sinner.
2. Understand that sin results in death. Sin leads to the worst
death possible, alienation from God for all eternity. Recognise
that you deserve death for your sin.
3. Salvation is a free gift from God. You can’t earn this gift, but you
must reach out and receive it. Ask God to forgive you and save
you.
4. Know that Jesus loves you. When He died on the cross He paid
your sin debt. He did this because He loves you. His love saved
you. Give yourself to Jesus. Call out to God in the name of
Jesus.
5. God is knocking on the door of your heart. Ask Him to come into
your heart. Believe in Him. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you.
God will help you. He loves you.
What is the problem with the ‘Receiving Jesus’ plan of salvation?
You are probably thinking, What exactly is the problem here? While it may not
be obvious at first, the fundamental problem is that this is NOT a means of
salvation based on faith only.
Under the ‘Receiving Jesus’ plan of salvation, in all cases the repentant sinner
is required to do something to get saved or to ask that something be done for
him or her.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that you must try to receive Jesus, that you
must pray and ask Him to save you, or that you must accept Him into your
heart in order to get saved. Salvation in the Bible does not centre on some
kind of interchange between the lost sinner and Jesus Christ at the moment of
salvation. Salvation in the Bible focuses only on the cross of Calvary, where
Jesus has already done the work of saving lost sinners.
The Bible directs the lost sinner to look to Calvary as the point of salvation, to
understand that the work has already been done. The Bible clearly states that
all that is necessary for salvation is to recognise this, to accept that Jesus
died for our sins and made full atonement for them once and for all on
Calvary. In doing this, He bore the full weight of the wrath of God for our sins
22
and drank the cup to the very last drop. Nothing else is owing. Nothing else
remains to be done. The debt has been paid.
As you can see, salvation in the Bible is NOT about something that Jesus is
doing for us now, today. He has already completed the work of salvation.
Before He died on the cross, the last words, Jesus spoke were, It is finished.
This meant His work was done.
He does not save sinners by coming into their hearts. He does not decide to
save them today when, in true contrition, they ask Him to do so. Why?
Because He has already offered the gift of salvation to all mankind. The only
thing necessary, at the moment of salvation, is simple faith in the fact that
Jesus’ work on the cross of Calvary is sufficient.
If the repenting sinner is directed to anything other than the work that Jesus
did on the cross of Calvary, then his faith will be based elsewhere, on a
counterfeit or a substitute. It will not be based on the Gospel of salvation as
set out in the Bible.
But doesn’t the ‘Receiving Jesus’ plan of salvation mention the cross?
Yes, it does, but you will notice that it is not given as the cornerstone of
salvation.
At the point where the sinner is brought to salvation, the cross mysteriously
disappears and another method of salvation is offered in its place. Sometimes
the cross is mentioned alongside several other methods of salvation, but this
too eliminates the cornerstone. Remember, there is only one cornerstone.
The only means of salvation in the Bible is faith in the blood sacrifice of Jesus
Christ on the cross of Calvary. It’s that simple.
If you believe your salvation rests on something additional to this, then you
have failed to accept the gift. In fact, you have refused to accept the gift. You
have in effect told the Lord that His sacrifice on the cross was not quite
enough.
Roman Catholics do this. They teach that Jesus died on the cross to save
them, but that salvation comes through the sacraments and good works. The
Lutherans teach that Jesus died on the cross to save us, but that sins are
washed away only at baptism. Other denominations teach that Jesus died on
the cross, but that salvation comes only from a life of obedience. The
‘Receiving Jesus’ plan is doing exactly the same. It is saying that something
additional is needed, that the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross was not
quite enough for our salvation.
We are not speaking here about a subtle distinction. Rather we are speaking
about the cornerstone of Christian faith, the whole basis of salvation.
Every true Christian must be clear about this. Otherwise, he is basing his faith
on a false foundation. And if he is doing this, then he is not saved.
The following table gives a stark summary of the entire matter:
23
_____________________________________________________________
_____
Faith in Christ’s sacrifice + Baptism = no salvation
Faith in Christ’s sacrifice + Receiving Christ in the Eucharist = no
salvation
Faith in Christ’s sacrifice + Good Works = no salvation
Faith in Christ’s sacrifice + Calling on God = no salvation
Faith in Christ’s sacrifice + Doing something to receive Jesus = no
salvation
Faith in Christ’s sacrifice + NOTHING = SALVATION
_____________________________________________________________
_____
In Appendix D we set out nearly 40 Biblical verses which demonstrate beyond
doubt that salvation comes by faith alone. You are urged to examine these
and satisfy yourself that this is the message of the Gospel and that any other
road to salvation is a false one.
In Appendix E we set out all Biblical verses relating to salvation which contain
the word ‘receive.’ If you examine these verses you will find that none have
the meaning ascribed to them by the ‘Receive Jesus’ doctrine of salvation.
APPENDIX C
Definition of Key Gospel Terms
Many terms are used in the Bible to describe salvation. These are defined
below. They are essential for understanding salvation in any true sense. They
are the very foundation of any explanation of salvation and are used
repeatedly in numerous Bible verses about salvation. Most are defined by
reference to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary and, where appropriate, David Cloud’s
Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible and Christianity.
These words are perhaps the most beautiful in the English language since
they confer a proper understanding of God’s unspeakable gift of salvation.
1. Propitiation: The act of making God propitious, which means,
disposed to be gracious or merciful; ready to forgive sins and bestow
blessings. The Bible says that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
When we consider this in light of the above definition, it clearly means
that Jesus’ sacrificial work on the cross made God “ready” or
“prepared” to forgive our sins. It made God “disposed to be gracious
and merciful” towards sinners (that is all of us), who are not otherwise
worthy of His grace and mercy and, because of our sins, are under His
just condemnation and wrath.
24
2. Grace: The free, unmerited eternal salvation of God. Saving grace
is the free, unmerited favor of God. Biblical grace means the
unmeritied eternal salvation of God, which comes freely to the
believing sinner through the atonement of Jesus Christ. It is receiving
the opposite of what we deserve. (We deserve His wrath and eternal
punishment in hell, but instead, because of Christ’s sacrifice for our
sins, we receive forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life.) It is the
free forgiveness of sin and the offer of free imputed righteousness
which was purchased by Jesus Christ. Webster’s dictionary (1828)
defines grace as: Appropriately, the free unmerited love and favor of
God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from Him.
3. Justification: In theology, remission of sin and absolution from guilt
and punishment; or an act of free grace by which God pardons the
sinner and accepts him as righteous, on account of the atonement of
Christ (Webster).
Justification means “to declare righteous.” Justification is God’s
declaration that those who trust Jesus Christ are perfectly righteous
before Him. This means trusting that His sacrificial work on the cross is
the full and complete payment for our sins before God. It is akin to a
legal concept, when a judge gives a verdict. God is the great Judge. It
is His law that we have broken. Before I am saved, God declares that I
am a condemned sinner.
Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne:
mercy and truth shall go before thy face. (Psalm 89:14)
After I come to Christ through Biblical repentance and faith, God declares
that I am righteous because of what Christ did for me on Calvary. Christ
took my place and endured the wrath of God for me on the cross.
4. Sanctification: To sanctify is to cleanse from corruption, to purify
from sin, to make holy by detaching the affections from the world and
its defilements and exalting them in and through a supreme love for
God.
5. Distinction between Justification and Sanctification: Cleansing
and purging are terms used in Scripture for both justifying and
sanctifying. Both are the fruits of the blood of Christ. The one
(justifying) is the act of the Father as a judge appeased by that blood.
The other (sanctifying) is the act of the Spirit as a Sanctifier purchased
by that blood.
This cleansing is to be doubly considered. There is a cleansing from
guilt and a cleansing from filth – both are the fruits of this blood. The
guilt is removed by remission, the filth by purification. Christ does both.
He cleanses us from our guilt (justification), as He is our
righteousness, and from our filth, as He is our sanctification. For us He
is both.
25
From the death of Christ flow two sorts of benefit, different in nature,
which ought to be differently considered. One is sanctification,
represented by water, meaning washing or cleansing, and the other is
justification, which implies satisfaction, represented by the blood shed
for the remission of our sins. These both spring from the death of
Christ. As blood and water flowed together from the side of Christ on
the cross, so blood and water flow into the heart of the sinner.
6. Atonement: This means expiation, satisfaction or reparation made
by giving an equivalent for an injury, or by doing or suffering that which
is received in satisfaction for an offence or injury. In theology, the
expiation of sin is made by the obedience and personal suffering of
Christ. His death on the cross was an offering to satisfy or make right
an offence or injury. He suffered to satisfy the debt for our sins before
God. This suffering of Christ on the cross was the complete
satisfaction for those sins before God.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied:
by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;
for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11)
7. Redemption/Redeemed: Redeemed means ransomed; delivered
from bondage, distress, penalty, liability, or from the possession of
another, by paying an equivalent. In theology, the purchase of God’s
favour by the death and sufferings of Christ; the ransom or deliverance
of sinners from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God’s violated
law by the atonement of Christ.
Redemption has 3 aspects: Past – we have been redeemed from the
condemn-ation of sin and the dominion of Satan. Present – we are being
redeemed from the power of sin and Satan in our daily lives. Future – we
shall be redeemed from the very presence of sin when Christ returns and
we receive our resurrection bodies.
It is the work of Jesus Christ on the cross that gives us all three:
freedom from sin and from bondage to Satan, freedom from the
penalty for sin (which is eternal hell), and the purchase of God’s favour,
which prior to salvation we could not have due to our defilement.
8. Remission: Forgiveness; pardon; the removal or cancellation of the
punishment due to a crime.
9. Faith: In theology, the assent of the mind or the understanding to
the truth of what God has revealed. Simple belief in Scripture, in the
being and perfection of God, and in the existence, character and
doctrines of Christ, founded on the testimony of the sacred writers.
True faith is based on God’s Word, the Bible (Romans 10:17; Hebrews
11).
True faith is not a blind wish or uncertain hope. The lost or unsaved
man believes everything will be all right with him after death no matter
what religion he follows, because he “feels” that he is okay with God.
This is blind faith, not true faith.
26
For Christians true faith rests upon the sure Word of God (John 20:30-
31; Acts 1:3). To have saving faith a person must hear and believe the
words of the Bible concerning God’s promises in Christ, namely that
Christ paid for our sins when He died on the cross, settled our account
forever with God, and purchased for us the gift of eternal life. To have
daily, saving faith, a Christian must read the Bible often and believe its
words: So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of
God (Romans 10:17).
10. Reconcile: To conciliate anew; to call back into union and
friendship the affections which have been alienated; to restore to
friendship or favor after estrangement. Brought into friendship from a
state of disagreement or enmity.
Enmity means the quality of being an enemy; the opposite of
friendship. This is the condition of man’s personal relationship with God
prior to salvation. The Bible says that God is “angry with the wicked
every day” (Psalm 7:11) and that we were “alienated” and “enemies” in
our mind by wicked works (Colossians 1:21). God and the
unregenerate man are very much at odds with one another!
The picture of our relationship to God prior to salvation is clearly set
forth in the Genesis account of the fall: So He drove out the man and
He placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubims and a flaming
sword to keep the way of the tree of life (Genesis 3:24). In a sense,
unregenerate man has his fist raised toward heaven and his back
toward God. He may not feel that this is the case, but it is. Therefore
God’s wrath abides on him.
Do not be tempted to believe the false teaching which says that God does
not need to be reconciled to man. As guilty sinners we are rebels against
God and need to be reconciled to Him. Jesus did this wonderful work of
reconciliation.
11. Ransom: The price paid for freeing a slave (Leviticus 25). A man
enslaved by sin cannot pay the ransom needed to free others enslaved
by sin:
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor
give to God a ransom for him: (Psalm 49:7)
“Ransom” is used to describe the price that Our Lord Jesus Christ
paid to free men from their enslavement or bondage to sin – For the
Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give
his life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28); Who gave himself a
ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (I Timothy 2:6).
27
APPENDIX D
Bible verses which clearly show that salvation
is based on belief in the Gospel
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the
gospel.
(Mark 1:14-16)
If salvation came by receiving Jesus into your heart or into your life,
then why did Jesus preach that we should believe the Gospel? Why
didn’t He tell them to receive Him into their hearts and lives?
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the
sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12).
The Bible makes it clear that we “receive” Jesus when we believe in
Him, when we believe the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and
taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and
be saved (Luke 8:12).
Jesus says that those who believe are saved. He said it is the word of
God, the Gospel, that is sown and that we need to receive into our
hearts. This means we need to believe with our hearts.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth
not shall be damned (Mark 16:16).
If one needs to “receive Jesus” in order to be saved, then why didn’t
Jesus say that? Why did Jesus say that those who didn’t believe would
be damned, rather than those who didn’t receive? Notice also that
Jesus did not say that those who are not baptized would be damned,
but only those who did not believe. Salvation hinges on belief alone,
with nothing added.
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
(John 3:16).
Salvation comes through believing in Jesus, believing in the sufficiency
of His sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.
28
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that
believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on
him (John 3:36).
If it were necessary for us to receive Jesus in order to be saved, then
why didn’t Jesus say that? Jesus tells us that our salvation is based on
our belief in Him, in His death on the cross as the means of our
atonement.
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
(John 20:31).
We receive life through Jesus by believing the Gospel, not receiving the
person of Jesus Christ.
Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number
of the men was about five thousand (Acts 4:14).
The Bible says that they were saved because they believed the word,
the Gospel message, not when they received the person of Jesus
Christ.
But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the
kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized,
both men and women (Acts 8:12).
They heard the Gospel preached by Philip and they believed. Once
they believed, they were saved. Belief was the basis of their salvation,
belief in Christ and His sacrificial work on the cross.
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
(Acts 8:37).
The baptism of the Ethiopian was based on his belief in Christ. Philip
had already “preached Jesus unto him,” beginning in Isaiah 53 (which
foretells Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross). The Ethiopian heard the
Gospel and believed. He did not receive Jesus into his heart as the
means of salvation.
And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word
of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed (Acts
13:48).
The Gentiles were saved because they believed the Gospel message
that was preached to them. When someone believes the Gospel, it
means that they believe on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the
cross for their eternal salvation.
29
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved, and thy house (Acts 16:31).
This is an account of a lost man asking Paul and Silas what he must do
to be saved. If it were necessary for him to invite Jesus into his heart in
order to be saved, or to somehow “receive” Jesus into his heart, or even
to pray and call on God to save him, then surely the apostle Paul would
have told him that? Instead, Paul tells him to believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God
unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to
the Greek (Romans 1:16).
The Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation for those that
believe in it.
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the
faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we
might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law:
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified (Galatians 2:16).
Salvation comes by faith, by believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith
of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe (Galatians 3:22).
Salvation – forgiveness of sins and eternal life – is given to them that
believe the Gospel.
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel
of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed
with that holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13).
We are saved by hearing the Gospel message and believing it.
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know
what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his
inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his
power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty
power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead,
and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places (Ephesians
1:18-20).
The greatness of God’s power, particularly in salvation, is given to them
that believe.
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye
received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the
word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually
worketh also in you that believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
30
They received the Gospel message by believing it. This is how they
were saved.
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for
this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew
forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter
believe on him to life everlasting (I Timothy 1:15-16).
Jesus Christ saves sinners that believe in Him and in the sufficiency of
His sacrifice for their sins.
For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have
sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works
were finished from the foundation of the world (Hebrews 4:3).
We enter God’s rest in salvation by believing the Gospel.
But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that
believe to the saving of the soul (Hebrews 10:39).
Notice it says believe to the saving of the soul. When we believe the
Gospel message, we are saved.
Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a
chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall
not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious:
but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders
disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner (I Peter 2:6-7).
Those that believe in Jesus are not confounded; they will not suffer guilt
and shame for their sins before God. Salvation is based on belief in the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.
And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of
his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us
commandment
(I John 3:23).
God’s commandment is that we believe the Gospel, not that we receive
Jesus into our hearts.
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 (I John 5:13).
Believing in the name of Jesus means believing and trusting in the
Gospel of Jesus Christ for eternal salvation.
And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace
(Luke 7:50)
31
Jesus said that it was her faith that saved her. Faith is not an act of
receiving, but a matter of believing.
And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by
faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of
the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But
we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be
saved, even as they (Acts 15:9-11).
Their sinful hearts were purified (made clean) by faith, not by somehow
receiving the person of Jesus Christ. It was this faith, through the grace
of Jesus Christ, that saved them.
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward
God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21).
Paul, one of the foremost of God’s servants, taught no other means of
salvation than turning to God in repentance and putting our faith in
Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross.
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from
the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins,
and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me
(Acts 26:18).
Jesus says that we are sanctified (washed from our sins) by faith alone,
not by receiving the person of Christ.
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all
and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference (Romans
3:22).
The righteousness of God is given to us in salvation. We receive this by
faith; it is given to them that believe, not them that receive the person of
Christ.
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood,
to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,
through the forbearance of God (Romans 3:25).
Through His sacrifice on the cross and His shed blood, Jesus disposed
God to be gracious and merciful toward all sinners who had faith in what
Jesus did. We are saved by our faith in the blood of Jesus Christ, which
He shed for us on the cross.
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds
of the law (Romans 3:28).
We are justified, cleansed of our guilt before God, by faith alone. Faith is
necessary for salvation, not the act of receiving the person of Jesus
Christ.
32
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the
ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness (Romans 4:5).
Our faith is counted for righteousness. God applies the righteousness of
Jesus Christ to our personal account, when we put our faith in the
sacrificial work of Jesus on the cross. This means believing that His
sacrifice was the full and complete payment for our sins. Receiving the
person of Jesus Christ into our hearts or into our lives has nothing
whatever to do with the forgiveness of sins.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).
We are justified (cleansed of our sin guilt before God) by our faith. Faith
is the agent of salvation, not receiving.
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the
faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we
might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law:
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified (Galations 2:16).
Again, the Bible emphatically assures us that we are justified (cleared of
all guilt before God) by faith. This faith believes in the sacrificial work of
Jesus Christ, the work that He did on the cross, bearing the full weight,
the full penalty, of our sins before God. This is the faith that saves, the
faith that justifies us.
This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the
law, or by the hearing of faith? (Galatians 3:2).
In salvation we receive the Holy Spirit. This enters into us the moment
we are saved. We do not ‘open’ ourselves to ‘receive’ the Holy Spirit.
Rather, we believe in the Gospel of Christ and the Holy Spirit then
enters into us. There is nothing we can do to make this happen. It
comes by faith and faith alone.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we
might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24).
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be
strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may
dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and
length, and depth, and height And to know the love of Christ, which
passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God
(Ephesians 3:16-19).
This verse clearly states that Jesus dwells in our hearts, but that He
33
does so by faith. This is the product or outcome of salvation, not the
means of salvation. Anyone who tries to ‘open’ himself to a ‘spirit’ to
‘receive’ salvation is making a great mistake.
APPENDIX E
Bible verses relating to Salvation which
contain the word ‘receive’
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God
as a little child shall in no wise enter therein (Luke 18:17).
Jesus speaks of receiving the kingdom of God in this passage. It does
not connect salvation with receiving Jesus into our hearts.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the
sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12).
This is the first of only two verses in the entire New Testament which
speak directly of “receiving Jesus” for salvation. However, if you examine
the context of this verse, and compare Scripture with Scripture, it will be
abundantly clear that we receive Jesus only by believing the Gospel.
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same
day there were added unto them about three thousand souls (Acts 2:41).
These people were saved by receiving “his word,” which is the Gospel
message of salvation. They were not told to “receive” Jesus into their
hearts.
Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had
received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John (Acts
8:14).
Again, these people were saved by receiving the word of God, which is
the Gospel message of salvation. They were not told to “receive the
person of Jesus” for salvation, but to simply believe in the sufficiency of
His sacrifice on the cross.
And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the
Gentiles had also received the word of God (Acts 11:11).
The Gentiles were saved when they “received the word of God.” Again,
this refers to the Gospel message. You “receive” the word of God by
believing the Gospel, not by receiving something into yourself.
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the
34
power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and
inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me
(Acts 26:18).
We receive forgiveness of sins when we are saved. This verse does not
teach us to receive Jesus for salvation.
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by
whom we have now received the atonement (Romans 5:11).
We receive the atonement when we are saved. This verse does not teach
that we need to receive Jesus into our hearts or into our lives for
salvation.
For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which
receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in
life by one, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17).
We receive abundance of grace when we are saved. Again, receiving
Jesus is not mentioned.
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto
you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also
ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye
have believed in vain (I Corinthians 15:1-2)
This verse speaks of getting saved by receiving the Gospel message.
God would not expect us to open up our hearts and invite the Gospel in.
We receive the Gospel in the same way we receive Jesus, by believing.
For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not
preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or
another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him
(2 Corinthians 11:4).
This verse speaks of false conversions and the risk of receiving another
spirit, a false spirit. We ought to be very careful when we try to receive
someone or something into ourselves for salvation, as this is contrary to
the Bible. By doing so it is possible to receive a false spirit from Satan.
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him
(Colossians 2:6).
This is the second of the two verses in the entire New Testament which
speak of “receiving” Jesus for salvation. Again, it does not refer to the
opening of one’s heart and inviting Jesus in, any more than John 1:12
cited above. It is clear from the context that we receive Jesus only when
we put our faith in the Gospel.
And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the
word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost (I Thessalonians 1:6).
35
In order to get saved, we must receive the word, which is the Gospel.
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye
received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the
word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually
worketh also in you that believe (I Thessalonians 2:13).
Again, salvation comes by receiving the word of God, which is the
Gospel.
And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by
means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under
the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of
eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15).
When we are saved, we receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Again, salvation does not come through receiving the person of Jesus
Christ.
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and
receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your
souls (James 1:21).
Again, the engrafted word, which is the Gospel, is able to save our souls
when we receive it, that is, when we believe it.
He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me
receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of
a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a
righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous
man’s reward (Matthew 10:40-41).
Some preachers who teach the ‘Receiving Jesus’ doctrine of salvation
like to cite this passage because the word ‘receive’ is used so often.
However, it is clear from the context that Jesus is referring to receiving
the message, the Gospel of Christ, and not the person.
I think the first thing I want to emphasize—well, I’ll come at it by asking a question. There are many different valid answers to this question. I’m not saying one answer is right and others are not. But if I were to ask you viewing God’s people all through the record of scripture, from the days before the flood, period of the patriarchs, the period of the law, the period of the church, viewing it in totality, what is the basic requirement of God in every such age to be the people of God? What is the thing that God asks for? Hearing God’s voice. I personally believe that runs through every period of God’s dealings with man. I believe it is the key to success and in fact, I believe success is impossible in a spiritual sense without it. And I think amongst us there has been a certain tendency to emphasize aspects of hearing but not focus on hearing as a whole. People said to me when I have spoken on this theme: How do you recognize God’s voice? And I would answer something like this: If the phone rings and I pick it up and it’s my wife on the other end, I don’t usually have to ask her who it is. I recognize her voice. Why? Because I know her so well. So how do you recognize God’s voice? By getting to know God. That’s why it’s such a crucial test.
I heard about a bank system, probably there’s somebody here that knows much better about this than I do—the main safe in the bank is electronically operated and responds only to the voice of a given person. So without that person’s voice you can’t open the safe. And nobody can imitate or actually copy somebody else’s voice. That’s another amazing thing. Every voice is individual. I think that somewhere deep inside every one of us there should be a safe that only opens to one voice. And there is no other voice that can copy the Lord’s voice.
I want to take some scriptures about this. It’s really an impressive list. I could double the list if I wanted to easily, but I want you to just follow with me a whole series of scriptures of which this is the emphasis. Starting at Exodus 15:26. I’m not going into the context at length, this is at the waters of Marah when the waters had been healed and God used that crisis and situation to give a revelation of himself to his people. And it always impresses me that it was God’s initiative to reveal himself to his people as their doctor. It wasn’t something that Israel asked for, it was something that God determined. And if Almighty God is willing to be our personal physician I think we should give the offer serious consideration. Verse 26, he said:
“If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians . . .”
How many of you have ever been in Egypt? I spent two years in Egypt in World War II. There are very few diseases which aren’t represented in Egypt. It would be hard to find any.
“. . . for I am the Lord who heals you.”
So there’s the revelation. I am the Lord who heals you. In modern Hebrew, I am the Lord your doctor. Exactly the same word is used in modern Hebrew. But God says if you want me as your doctor, I’ll be it on condition if—if—and there are four conditions. Number one, you diligently heed the voice of the Lord. Two, you do that which is right in his sight. Three, you give ear to his commandments. And four, keep all his
statutes.
One brother said what God asks for is obedience. And I said I want to go further back. You understand what I meant? Because you can’t obey God if you can’t hear his voice. You can hear his voice and not obey him but the problem with most Christians is not that they don’t obey but they don’t hear.
I don’t know how your translations go. I know the New International Version uses obey right at the beginning. What does it say for the first if? If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord. Okay, that’s good. The Hebrew is a repetition of the word hear which is a common Hebrew idiom for being emphatic. It says if hearing you will hear the voice of the Lord. All the emphasis is on that word hear. When I was sick in hospital and in need of healing and I came to this passage and I wanted the Lord to be my doctor, I said what does it mean when you say if hearing you will hear? I felt the Lord answered me, you have two ears, a right ear and a left. To hear hearing is to hear God with both ears. Many people listen to God with one ear and another source for the other. And the result is confusion.
Why don’t we look at those conditions just for a moment. I think it’s so important. I would point out to you that almost every passage of the Bible which states the conditions for being healed begin with what you hear. That is the key to healing. If you listen listening to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight. You must be determined that you will do what is right when you discover what is right. That’s number two. Number three, give ear to his commandments. Notice we go back again to the ears. Give ear to his commandments. And four, keep all his statutes. Very kind of generally, I believe statutes are the way God has appointed his people to live. They’re not exactly legal enactment. I think there are ways that God has appointed for us to live. I think being healthy is very closely tied to living the way God appointed us to live. So if you want God as your doctor, there’s the conditions. To listen listening, you’ve got to do what is
right in his eyes, you’ve got to give ear to all his commandments. Sometimes we’re very selective. We listen to the ones that suit us and ignore the ones that don’t. And finally, we’ve got to live according to his statutes. That governs our conduct in the body of Christ, living according to his statutes.
There’s one very significant example of the importance of listening to God’s voice. That really, having God as our doctor is conditional about that. I’m not setting aside human doctors. I appreciate them, go to them whenever I feel it’s right. But I do want to have the Lord as my doctor.
Okay. Let’s look on in Exodus 19:5–6. If we look at verse 3, the Lord says to Moses:
“Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel . . . [then we’ll miss out the next verse. Verse 5:] Now therefore if you will indeed obey by voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to me above all people. For all the earth is mine and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
Again, there’s a most tremendous offer from God but it’s conditional. If. And though the translation may vary, in Hebrew it’s precisely the same. If listening you will listen to my voice and keep my covenant. Again, we cannot keep the covenant if we do not hear the voice. And then God says you will be my people in the fullest sense. You will be my representatives. And I think the highest calling: you’ll be a kingdom of priests. I think those are the two highest ministries: king and priest. They’re offered to those who hear the voice of the Lord.
And then in Deuteronomy 28, first of all verses 1 and 2. Deuteronomy 28 is one of the longer chapters in the Bible. And it consists very simply of two kinds of things. Blessings and curses. And at the beginning of each section it tells you how you qualify for the blessings and how you qualify for the curses. It’s very simple. The blessings take much less space than the curses. Beginning at verse 1:
“It shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all his commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you on high above all nations of the earth. [It’s very similar to being kings and priests—in fact, it’s saying it another way.] And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you because you obey the voice of the Lord your God.”
Notice the condition is stated twice. And again in Hebrew it’s the same. If listening you will listen. I’ve always said that it’s so nice to be leading a life in which the blessings overtake you. It’s so much better than pursuing the blessings and seeing them always just a little way out of your reach. I don’t think it’s really the best way to focus on the blessings. I think it is to focus on hearing and obeying the voice of the Lord. Blessings God will take care of. You may be traveling at the maximum permitted speed but they will go faster and catch you up.
On the other hand, now verse 15:
“But it shall come to pass if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God to observe carefully all his commandments and his statutes which I command you today, that all this curses will come upon you and will overtake you.”
Curses also travel fast. And notice the basic principle is so simple. If you want the blessings listen carefully to the voice of the Lord. But, if you don’t, then the curses will come. So in a sense, that’s the watershed in a human life. Listening to the voice of the Lord or not listening.
Let’s go on to Psalm 95. I was reminded of this psalm as I was sitting here enjoying the worship. I don’t know how it is with you, but as a preacher, when people really begin to worship the Lord, I want to worship and I do, but my mind becomes so fertile that I have to kind of make room for what the Lord says to me. And I think this is very true in Psalm 95. We could read really, perhaps stage by stage the whole psalm.
“O come let us sing to the Lord; let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and let us should joyfully to him with psalms.”
So we begin with loud jubilant praise. Thanksgiving.
“For the Lord is the great God and the great king above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth, the heights of the hills are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.”
He is the creator of the universe. But from that jubilant vocal praise we move on to worship. And in the Bible, worship is primarily an attitude, not an utterance.
“O come let us worship, let us bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”
I really believe we don’t do enough kneeling. I’m not suggesting we do it now but I grew up in the Anglican church and there are a lot of things I can criticize but you never go through an Anglican church service without kneeling. And kneeling does something to you, bending your knees before God has got a definite effect on your attitude. So let us bow down, an attitude. Let us kneel, an attitude, before the Lord our Maker.
“. . . for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.”
Now when you come to that second phase, then you are ready to hear the voice of the Lord. It was a very beautiful illustration here this morning. First of all, there was loud jubilant praise, then there was a silence. Then the Lord spoke. That, I think, is a pattern that is normal in scripture.
“Today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, and as in the day of trial in the wilderness, when your fathers tested me, they proved me though they saw my works. For forty years I was grieved with that generation and said: This is a people who go astray in their hearts and they do not know my ways. So I swore in my wrath they shall not enter my rest.”
Why did they miss the rest of the Lord? Because they did not hear his voice. And they made God very, very angry and he said this people always goes astray in their hearts. In fact, he said in a sense, there’s nothing I can do for them. They didn’t hear his voice.
Now, in that context it’s interesting to look in Hebrews for a moment. In the third and fourth chapter of Hebrews, that psalm is quoted three times. It certainly brings the lesson right through into the New Covenant. We’ll just look at that. My particular version prints quotations from the Old Testament in a different type so they stand out. Hebrews 3:7. Notice for the writer of Hebrews the book of Psalms was what the Holy Spirit said.
“Therefore as the Holy Spirit says: Today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts . . .”
So this is carried over and applied directly to believers in the New Covenant. Verse 15 of the same chapter.
“While it is said: Today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts . . .”
And then chapter 4, verse 7:
“Today if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
God has certainly got something to say. I mean, that’s three times in two chapters. And the key theme of those two chapters is rest. The word rest occurs twelve times in those two chapters. What’s the way into rest? Hearing God’s voice. That’s why we have so many restless Christians. They don’t know how to hear God’s voice.
Going back to the Old Covenant, I want to look in Jeremiah 7 for a moment, verses 22–23. God is unfolding the way he dealt with Israel. And this is a very unexpected statement.
“For I did not speak to your fathers or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices.”
Now historically, that’s correct. Israel did not get out of Egypt by the sacrifices of the law. In fact, it was quite a substantial period later when God began to talk to them about those sacrifices.
“But this is what I commanded them saying: Obey my voice and I will be your God and you shall be my people.”
Again we go back to Exodus 19, if you will listen to my voice, keep my covenant, you will be my people. It’s important to see the relationship. God did speak to Israel about burnt offerings and sacrifices, but it wasn’t primary. What was primary was obeying his voice. And so, it doesn’t mean that it was wrong for them at a certain period to offer burnt offerings and sacrifices but what it means is merely offering burnt offerings and sacrifices without hearing his voice was of no avail. And what he was reproving them for in the period of Jeremiah was that they offered the burnt offerings and sacrifices but they didn’t hear his voice. And so whatever we do in the religious life, it is only acceptable if it springs from hearing God’s voice. I believe that’s just as true properly applied in the Christian life. Anything we can do can be good if it springs from hearing God’s voice. It’s fruitless if we do it without hearing God’s voice. I think that to me that is the shortest summation in scripture of what is required to be the people of God. Obey my voice and I will be your God. I think that runs all through the Bible. Obey my voice and I will be your God.
Now I just want to emphasize in moving on to the New Testament that the basic requirement doesn’t change. John 10:27. Jesus is speaking and he says:
“My sheep hear my voice: I know them, and they follow me.”
Again, I think that’s the simplest statement of what it is to be a Christian. To hear his voice and follow him. It’s not a matter of denomination, not primarily a matter of doctrine, it’s a matter of relationship that’s based on hearing the Lord’s voice and when you hear, follow it. But as you know with the customs of shepherds in those days, they couldn’t follow the shepherd unless they heard his voice. That was the way they related to the shepherd.
For me there is nothing more important in my Christian life and my relationship with God than hearing his voice. And one thing that that requires is sensitivity. It requires also having the right priority. We are a very earnest group of people. And earnest people have their own problems, one of which is being so earnest in doing the right thing that you don’t hear the Lord’s voice. Other groups have other problems. We can become, without intending it, very much involved in self effort. We have our list of duties, principles and we’re going to do it. We are going to do it. We are disciples. Well, that’s fine. But if you don’t hear the Lord’s voice it won’t work. I think all I can do really in speaking to help you is to point out to you this is a priority. Make room for it. I find the Lord speaks to me in the most unexpected times and places. When I’m on my knees and agonizing I frequently don’t hear from God. But when I’m looking in the mirror and shaving, God speaks to me. I think one of the keys is being relaxed. I was looking in the mirror and shaving in l966 and for some reason which I can never interpret, looking at myself in the mirror I said, “Of course, you’re not an evangelist.” And instantly God said very quietly, “You can be if you want.” So I thought to myself, “Okay.” That’s all there was!
Now I certainly do not regard my primary ministry as that of an evangelist but since that time there have emerged in my ministry basically the things that characterize the ministry of Philip: casting out demons, healing the lame and getting people baptized.
Another remarkable example of hearing God’s voice in an unexpected moment: Years back, about l943, when I was a relatively new Christian, I was a soldier in the British Army. I was in the Sudan and I was traveling in a train in which certain compartments were reserved for the military. Traveling north from Khartoum and I got to a small, very, very crowded station. And if you have never traveled in the third world you won’t be able to picture this but the platform was totally covered with living creatures. Men, women, children, nursing infants, old men and then donkeys, camels, goats, chickens . . . Everybody was bustling, making a noise. And I looked out of the window in my splendid isolation and I said to myself, “I wonder what God thinks about all those people.” I didn’t expect an answer. But I got an immediate answer, “Some weak, some foolish, some proud, some wicked and some exceeding precious.” That, I felt, was God’s categorization of the human race. You can think it over. There’s four basic reasons why people don’t come to Christ. Some weak, some foolish, some proud, some wicked and some exceeding precious.
One of the things about what God says is it has a quality of permanence. You have many impressions which may be very important at the time but they don’t have that quality of permanence. But when God has written something on your heart, it’s there to stay. In that context let me offer you this thought in 2 Corinthians 3:2–3. Paul is writing to the people to whom he had been ministering.
“You are our epistle [or our letter] written in our hearts, known and read by all men. You are manifestly an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not by ink but by the Spirit of the Living God not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh [that is, of the heart].”
There’s a deep principle there I believe. The only person who can write on the hearts of God’s people is the Holy Spirit. When he writes, it’s permanent. If we merely exhort people and preach at people and lecture people, apart from the Holy Spirit, it isn’t written on their hearts. But that which the Holy Spirit speaks and writes becomes permanent, becomes a part of us. That’s one of the things I felt would be important to share. Now these are kind of taken at random. There’s no special logical order except that I feel what I was saying about hearing God’s voice really is primary and it’s so neglected. Many, many times if I preach on hearing God’s voice, people who have been in churches for years will come up and say how do I hear God’s voice? My answer is usually, how did you get this far without hearing God’s voice? The answer is get to know God. When you know God you’ll know his voice.
And I would also agree when there are times when we are liable to be confused. There are times when we think we’ve heard God’s voice and it wasn’t God’s voice. But that’s a risk we have to take. If you want to go through the Christian life without taking any risks, you’ll never exercise any faith. There’s always a risk involved in exercising faith. So if you want to exercise faith and that’s the only way to please God, you have to be prepared to take risks. The most dangerous thing you can do in the Christian life is play it safe. Really. Because what you’re doing is eliminating faith. When you eliminate faith you eliminate life. The just shall live by faith. Don’t resent the challenges that God gives you to your faith. Because every time you respond positively you increase your measure of life. That’s the way God keeps us living and moving on. I think most of you would agree we tend to move on a certain spiritual plane and then God says you’ve been on that plane long enough. I want you to come up to a higher plane. But if you want to come up to the higher plane there’s only one way—faith. And God always has a specific step of faith to get us onto the higher plane. And if we don’t take the step we stay on the same plane.
I’ll give you a very simple example of that. In 1970 my first wife and I were living in a very nice house on a double lot in Fort Lauderdale, a far nicer house than we’ve ever lived in before. Four bedrooms, three bathrooms, we put in central air conditioning. I mean, to us it was a palace. And then we began to feel that God wanted us to move. It was just that feeling of restlessness. Not that there was anything wrong with the house, the payments were minimal. If anything, it was too easy. That’s probably the problem. And so we started to contact real estate agents and inquire. Then I was away preaching somewhere, phoned Lydia. She said, “I think I’ve found the house that God wants us to have.” Well, being a husband you know exactly the first question I asked. “What’s the price?” When she answered I said, “That is out of the price. Impossible.” Well, when I got back she said at least let the real estate agents come. There were two ladies, rather sort of hard boiled, ladies in their 40s who probably had a home and children grown up or else they were divorced or something. It was a comical situation. There they were sitting on the sofa. And as you remember Lydia, she was very seldom conventional. That’s an understatement! They were sitting there really giving us the hard sell and it was all so business. She looked at them and said, “You know, I think your legs are unequal!” And they stopped in the middle, got embarrassed and said, “Oh, are they?” “Would you like my husband to pray for you?” Before she really knew what was happening I crawled over to her, held up her legs, they were quite distinctly unequal and her short leg grew out. I tell you, she was astonished! Then I went to the lady beside her on the sofa and did the same thing. Then I said to the second lady, “Would you like me to check your arm?” She said, “Oh, no, that’s quite enough!” They were scared. But what happened was the atmosphere changed totally and in five minutes they were telling us their deepest sorrows and problems. We had penetrated that hard businesswoman shell. God had moved.
Well, from then they took us to see the house and of course you know the end of the story. Not only did we buy the house but we bought a vacant lot next door because we thought we’d build another house for some of our family. We never did build the other house. And it was a fantastic step of faith by my standards at that time. Within a few months I observed my income had doubled without any clear practical explanation. I had taken the step. Well, in l978 or ‘79 I sold that house. Meanwhile I had added on to it. But just to give you an example of how practical God is as a businessman, when I sold the house, just because of the rise in the value of property, I sat down and calculated that I had lived there nine years free. Now that’s not a bad deal by any standards. But if I had turned that challenge down, who knows what I’d be living in today? I’m not living in it any longer, I don’t miss it for five minutes. But it was a stepping stone in my walk with God. And a good part of the money we got out of the house we put into the house we built in Jerusalem. And looking back and knowing Lydia’s heart about Jerusalem, I realize nothing would have pleased her better than to take that money and use it that way.
That’s an example because there was no urgent need. We were very satisfied where we were. But it was God’s time to move up. And you cannot move up without a step of faith. So when the next step of faith is set before you by God then don’t resent it because he’s enlarging your capacity. He’s lifting you to a higher plane. There is no way to progress in the Christian life but by faith. There is no other way it can be done.
There are many who think they are hearing from God when maybe they are not. How annoying are the superspiritual who always say, “God told me this — God told me that — God told me this other.” It seems that their every thought is a revelation from God.
God does not customarily operate that way. He speaks to us, but He does not chatter away, day in and day out, the way some people claim He does. This has been my experience, and it is the concept that is in accordance with the biblical record.
The Bible says that we can tell if someone is a prophet by seeing if what he has said comes to pass (see Deuteronomy 18:22). That is a very pragmatic test, and it works.
A friend who purported to hear from God told me, “My second child is going to be a boy. God told me.” His second child was a girl. He said, “Well, God told me that it was not the second child who was going to be a boy, but the third child.” His third child was a girl, too. At that point I determined, that brother isn’t hearing from God. It was clear: He made a statement, supposedly from God, that did not come to pass.
There is no shortcut to spiritual understanding. You have to learn to walk with God and to know His voice; otherwise, you will mistake your own voice for His. You even may be fooled by the voice of Satan, or you may hear the clamoring voice of the world. It is so easy to get these voices mixed up. Usually, God speaks to us in a still, small, quiet voice (see I Kings 19:11-13). It takes time, prayer, and waiting on God to hear His voice.
Nor does God scatter His pearls around recklessly. He said, “You will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul” ( Deuteronomy 4:29). God does not reveal Himself to every casual onlooker who would take sacred things and play with them like toys. I have known some adults who treated the gifts of God as if they were just little baubles to play with. To please God and to receive counsel from Him, people must be both determined and serious.
How do we succeed in hearing God’s voice? By spending time with God. The ultimate is not merely to get direction from God; the ultimate is to know God. God can make it difficult for us to get into His presence because He wants to see if we truly will expend the spiritual energy and exercise necessary to do so. Will we stop certain sins? Will we get rid of things that hinder us? Will we truly seek Him with all of our hearts?
Some people only want a quick fix — “God, tell me how to make money on this business deal, please. See You next time!” And then that is the end of it. But God wants to be treated with reverence and deference that His nature warrants. He wants to change us, not merely give us quick answers to difficult problems. We will never be changed unless we come into His presence, spend time with Him, and allow Him to purify us from our sinful nature.
Hearing God’s voice is something we all long for-but did you know that it’s not hard to do? In fact, God wants you to hear His voice! He doesn’t speak to us through a quiver in our liver or through vibes or mediums. Hearing the voice of God is as natural as hearing your best friend talk to you. What’s more, we can hear Him everyday and not just on special occasions or by chanting special incantations. He speaks to us in the natural moments of life. Do you want to hear God’s voice? Then you must be ready to listen.
Hearing God’s Voice – Why Do You Want to Hear Him?
Why do you want to hear God’s voice? That may sound like a silly question, but motives are important in anything we do. The Bible says this about God’s Word: “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
Do you want to hear God’s voice? If you do, it’s possible you’re hearing Him already, for He may be the one giving you the longing to hear Him.
Hearing God’s Voice in the Bible
In his book Knowing God, J. I. Packer says, “God has spoken to man, and the Bible is His Word, given to us to make us wise unto salvation.”
The Bible itself declares, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). In another place, we read: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16).
You may hear people say that the Bible is just a book written by men, but the Bible itself claims to be God’s Word! Can we rely on it? The evidence of history, archaeology, fulfilled prophecy and personal testimony over thousands of years is overwhelming that the Bible is, indeed, God’s Word. Do you want to hear God’s voice? Then read the Bible. Find a good daily reading plan, and stick to it.
Hearing God’s Voice through Prayer
When you want to have a conversation with someone, how do you begin? Do you stand in front of the person and hope they will talk to you? That might work, if the other person is outgoing enough, but usually we begin a conversation by opening our own mouths and talking, engaging the other person’s attention. It’s the same with God! He loves to hear us talk to Him, and it’s in those moments that we prepare ourselves to hear the voice of God. Prayer is like saying, “Hello, God, it’s me. I believe You created me and that You know way more about how I should live my life than I do. I’d like to get to know You better. Here’s what’s going on in my life, and I’d sure like Your thoughts on how to handle it. Would You please speak to me about this today?”
In an ordinary conversation, we speak, then listen for the response of the other person. It’s the same with God! Once we’ve prepared our hearts to listen through prayer, we’re more likely to hear the voice of God. Does He speak to us through an audible voice? Some claim He does, but usually that’s not the case. We may not actually “hear” the voice of God, but He speaks to us in many ways. Here are some of them:
God speaks through His Word
God speaks through our thoughts
God speaks through conversations with others
God speaks through circumstances
Hearing God’s Voice through Jesus
The Bible also tells us that Jesus is God in the flesh. Therefore, if you want to hear the voice of God, you must study and know the teachings of Jesus. Here’s how John describes Him: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” (1 John 1:1). You must also have a personal relationship with Jesus. Have you ever tried to carry on a conversation of any depth with a person you did not know? It doesn’t usually go very far.
Shortly before He was crucified, Jesus met with His disciples to reassure them of what would happen after He was gone. He promised them a helper: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit, then, is the fulfillment of the way we hear God’s voice!
Hearing God’s Voice with the Help of the Holy Spirit
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26). The second chapter of Acts describes the events that occurred on the day of Pentecost, after Jesus ascended into Heaven. Verse 3 says they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, the Counselor promised by Jesus. This unique aspect of God’s personality did not come to them as someone they could see and touch, but rather He came to live inside them. That same Spirit is available to you and me today. Are you a Christian? If so, you already have the Holy Spirit available to you. Ask God for a fresh filling everyday, and He will prepare your heart to hear God’s voice. His Spirit, that still, small voice inside you, is the One who will remind you of what God said, and help you recognize God’s opportunities in your life.
Hearing God’s Voice – Conclusion of the Matter
So we have the Bible, prayer, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and our own hearts to help us in hearing God’s voice. Do you want to hear God’s voice? That is the final question, for God responds to willing hearts. In the book of Revelation, we read: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20). God will never force you to obey Him, but waits for your willing response to His call. Are you hearing His voice right now? Don’t let your final answer be the wrong one.
