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I see a lot of false teachers today concerning the core doctrine of salvation. Doctrines concerning other elements of Christianity are negotiable but salvation is not. "What must I do to be saved". The answer is found in the Word of God(btw, there are MANY more verses than I could list than what I will list here):
"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." Acts 16:30-31
"Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." John 20:27
"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
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18
"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
“To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Acts 10:43
"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Romans 4:5
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:9
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13
"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." Matthew 7:21
"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." 1 John 2:17
"Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." John 6:28-29
"And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:40
"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
John 7:38
"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
"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." 1 John 5:13
"I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life FREELY." Revelation 21:6
Good works, water baptism, etc....Do NOT save!(They are EVIDENCE of genuine faith. See James 2:18) No merits of your own can you say that you were saved but on the merits of Christ ALONE. It is a FREE gift given to anyone who, in understanding of their sinful condition, believes(ie:has faith) in Christ as the Savior! Man goes to the Savior because of their sins!(Romans 3:19-20, Romans 7:7, 1 John 1:10, Galatians 3:24)
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." 1 Corinthians 1:14-17
“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 64:60
"To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
Romans 3:26-28
“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” Romans 4:5-8
"For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Romans 10:3-4
“And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But IF IT BE OF WORKS, THEN IT IS NO MORE GRACE: otherwise work is no more work.” Romans 11:6
“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
“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
"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." Galatians 2:21
"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" Galatians 3:1-3
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;" Titus 3:5
If it weren't by works to begin with, then it is not by works that you keep salvation as the above verses allude to. You are kept by the power of God who is faithful to perform a good work in you until the day of Jesus Christ(1 Peter 1:3-5, Philippians 1:6, Ephesians 1:13). If you are trusting in your good works to get and/or remain saved, you are not completely trusting in Christ. The book of James speaks of being justified in the eyes of men by our works. Saving faith produces good works. Man looks on the outward appearance of other men, but DOES NOT know their hearts! Only God knows the heart. Man can fool man quite well, but you cannot fool God!(1 Samuel 16:7)
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” Galatians 1:6-9
There is ONE gospel. No other variant form of the gospel is a saving gospel. The gospel is not complicated(2 Corinthians 11:3-4), but man makes it that way. If you believe a false gospel it will cost you ETERNITY in the lake of fire. I hope and pray for this site, that people will turn to the truth!
"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." 2 Thessalonians 1:8
"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15
"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." Acts 16:30-31
"Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." John 20:27
"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
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18
"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
“To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Acts 10:43
"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Romans 4:5
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:9
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13
"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." Matthew 7:21
"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." 1 John 2:17
"Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." John 6:28-29
"And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:40
"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
John 7:38
"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
"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." 1 John 5:13
"I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life FREELY." Revelation 21:6
Good works, water baptism, etc....Do NOT save!(They are EVIDENCE of genuine faith. See James 2:18) No merits of your own can you say that you were saved but on the merits of Christ ALONE. It is a FREE gift given to anyone who, in understanding of their sinful condition, believes(ie:has faith) in Christ as the Savior! Man goes to the Savior because of their sins!(Romans 3:19-20, Romans 7:7, 1 John 1:10, Galatians 3:24)
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." 1 Corinthians 1:14-17
“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 64:60
"To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
Romans 3:26-28
“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” Romans 4:5-8
"For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Romans 10:3-4
“And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But IF IT BE OF WORKS, THEN IT IS NO MORE GRACE: otherwise work is no more work.” Romans 11:6
“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
“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
"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." Galatians 2:21
"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" Galatians 3:1-3
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;" Titus 3:5
If it weren't by works to begin with, then it is not by works that you keep salvation as the above verses allude to. You are kept by the power of God who is faithful to perform a good work in you until the day of Jesus Christ(1 Peter 1:3-5, Philippians 1:6, Ephesians 1:13). If you are trusting in your good works to get and/or remain saved, you are not completely trusting in Christ. The book of James speaks of being justified in the eyes of men by our works. Saving faith produces good works. Man looks on the outward appearance of other men, but DOES NOT know their hearts! Only God knows the heart. Man can fool man quite well, but you cannot fool God!(1 Samuel 16:7)
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” Galatians 1:6-9
There is ONE gospel. No other variant form of the gospel is a saving gospel. The gospel is not complicated(2 Corinthians 11:3-4), but man makes it that way. If you believe a false gospel it will cost you ETERNITY in the lake of fire. I hope and pray for this site, that people will turn to the truth!
"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." 2 Thessalonians 1:8
"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15