What happens when Believers don't obey the Gospel...
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
[22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
[23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
[24] Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
We are told to hear and "do". But we all believe in Jesus, isn't that good enough?...
Acts 10:1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
[2] A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
[3] He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
[4] And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
[5] And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:
[6] He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
Here, we find Cornelius believed in God and was a devote man, and one that feared God. His prayers and alms had come up for a memorial before God. But was he saved?
No, he was not saved. He was told to go and listen to what Peter has to say. Peter began to tell him the New Testament plan of salvation - the scene picks up from verse 10:44...
Acts 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
[45] And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
[46] For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
[47] Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
[48] And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
Now, Cornelius and company get saved (the Bible way), for they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Water baptism was part of that preaching, saying, can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And Peter commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
When we OBEY the Gospel, we get saved (the Bible way). When we try it "mans way", we are not saved. And Cornelius, who was also a believer, was NOT SAVED until he obeyed the gospel and did what Peter commanded.
To be saved, the Bible way, is to obey the gospel.
The core of the gospel is that He died, was buried and raised himself from the dead (John 10:18), thus having overcome death and the grave. Now, to receive unto our selves what he has done for us, is to obey the gospel. That is to obey the death, burial, and resurrection.
Jesus said that we must be born again to enter the kingdom. Let's turn to John chapter three...
John 3:3 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.
[4] 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?
[5] Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Born again is of water and spirit. And, without this we cannot enter the kingdom. In fact, the book of Acts will cross reference this in chapter two...
[37] Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
[38] Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Question: Why didn't Peter lead them through a sinner's prayer? Why didn't Peter say to accept Jesus as their personal saviour? Why didn't he say to simply "believe"? If there was ever a time to do all that, this certainly would have been it. None of that happened because that is NOT the way to be saved.
If we are to obey the gospel, we would have to symbolize the death, burial, and resurrection. And, that is what Peter said to do...
1. Death = repent
2. Burial = baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins
3. Resurrection = Holy Spirit
Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
[4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
[5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Remember, Cornelius was a devote man which feared God and who's alms came up as a memorial - but he was Not saved until he Obeyed the Gospel and did what Peter said to do.
God bless!
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
[22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
[23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
[24] Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
We are told to hear and "do". But we all believe in Jesus, isn't that good enough?...
Acts 10:1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
[2] A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
[3] He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
[4] And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
[5] And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:
[6] He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
Here, we find Cornelius believed in God and was a devote man, and one that feared God. His prayers and alms had come up for a memorial before God. But was he saved?
No, he was not saved. He was told to go and listen to what Peter has to say. Peter began to tell him the New Testament plan of salvation - the scene picks up from verse 10:44...
Acts 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
[45] And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
[46] For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
[47] Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
[48] And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
Now, Cornelius and company get saved (the Bible way), for they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Water baptism was part of that preaching, saying, can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And Peter commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
When we OBEY the Gospel, we get saved (the Bible way). When we try it "mans way", we are not saved. And Cornelius, who was also a believer, was NOT SAVED until he obeyed the gospel and did what Peter commanded.
To be saved, the Bible way, is to obey the gospel.
The core of the gospel is that He died, was buried and raised himself from the dead (John 10:18), thus having overcome death and the grave. Now, to receive unto our selves what he has done for us, is to obey the gospel. That is to obey the death, burial, and resurrection.
Jesus said that we must be born again to enter the kingdom. Let's turn to John chapter three...
John 3:3 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.
[4] 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?
[5] Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Born again is of water and spirit. And, without this we cannot enter the kingdom. In fact, the book of Acts will cross reference this in chapter two...
[37] Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
[38] Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Question: Why didn't Peter lead them through a sinner's prayer? Why didn't Peter say to accept Jesus as their personal saviour? Why didn't he say to simply "believe"? If there was ever a time to do all that, this certainly would have been it. None of that happened because that is NOT the way to be saved.
If we are to obey the gospel, we would have to symbolize the death, burial, and resurrection. And, that is what Peter said to do...
1. Death = repent
2. Burial = baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins
3. Resurrection = Holy Spirit
Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
[4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
[5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Remember, Cornelius was a devote man which feared God and who's alms came up as a memorial - but he was Not saved until he Obeyed the Gospel and did what Peter said to do.
God bless!