From: MSNBC.com

Mike Hermanstorfer was clutching his pregnant wife’s hand when her life slipped away in a Colorado hospital on Christmas Eve, and then he cradled his newborn son’s limp body seconds after a medical team delivered the baby by Cesarean section.

Minutes later he saw his son come to life in his arms under the feverish attention of doctors, and soon he learned his wife had inexplicably come back to life.

“My legs went out from underneath me,” Hermanstorfer said Tuesday. “I had everything in the world taken from me, and in an hour and a half I had everything given to me.”

Hermanstorfer’s wife, Tracy, went into cardiac arrest and stopped breathing during labor on Thursday, said Dr. Stephanie Martin, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, where the Hermanstorfers had gone for the birth of their son.

“She had no signs of life. No heartbeat, no blood pressure, she wasn’t breathing,” said Martin, who had rushed to Hermanstorfer’s room to help. “The baby was, it was basically limp, with a very slow heart rate.”

After their miraculous recovery, both mother and the baby, named Coltyn, appear healthy with no signs of problems, Martin said.

She said she cannot explain the mother’s cardiac arrest or the recovery.

“We did a thorough evaluation and can’t find anything that explains why this happened,” she said.

Mike Hermanstorfer credits “the hand of God.”

“We are both believers … but this right here, even a nonbeliever — you explain to me how this happened. There is no other explanation,” he said.

Asked about divine intervention, Martin said, “Wherever I can get the help, I’ll take it.”

Tracy Hermanstorfer, 33, was getting prepped for childbirth at the hospital Thursday morning and her 37-year-old husband was by her side when she began to feel sleepy and laid back in her bed.

“She literally stopped breathing and her heart stopped,” her husband said. Pandemonium erupted as doctors and nurses tried to revive her with chest compressions and a breathing tube, but nothing worked.

“I was holding her hand when we realized she was gone,” Hermanstorfer said. “My entire life just rolled out.”

Doctors told him, “We’re going to take your son out now. We have been unable to revive her and we’re going to take your son out,” he recalled.

‘His life began in my hands’
After the Cesarean section, some of the team rushed his wife to the operating room while the others attended to Coltyn.

“They hand him to me, he’s absolutely lifeless,” Hermanstorfer said. The doctors went to work on Coltyn as Hermanstorfer held him, and soon he began to breathe.

“His life began in my hands,” Hermanstorfer said. “That’s a feeling like none other. Life actually began in the palm of my hands.”

Martin said Tracy Hermanstorfer’s pulse returned even before she was wheeled out of the room and into surgery. She estimates Hermanstorfer had no heartbeat for about four minutes.

Hermanstorfer remembers getting sleepy and closing her eyes in her hospital bed, then awakening in the intensive care unit.

Friends have asked if she saw a light or had other experiences described by others who have survived near-death experiences, but she didn’t.

“I just felt like I was asleep,” she said.

When doctors told her what happened, “I’m like, ’Holy cow, was it that bad? Wow.”’

Read the full article at: MSNBC.MSN.com

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve.

They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished.

On December 19 a terrible tempest – a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.

On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.

The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity, so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

B y this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later.

She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. “Pastor,” she asked, “where did you get that tablecloth?” The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria .

The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten “The Tablecloth”. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria . When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home. That was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn’t leaving.

The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike?

He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier.

He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman’s apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

True Story – submitted by Pastor Rob Reid who says God does work in mysterious ways. I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for you today, to guide you and protect you as you go along your way. His love is always with you. His promises are true, and when we give Him all our cares we know He will see us through.

S o when the road you’re traveling seems difficult at best, just remember I’m here praying and God will do the rest.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Then Moses and the elders of Israel charged all the people as follows: ‘Keep the entire commandment that I am commanding you today. On the day that you cross over the Jordan into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall set up great stones and cover them with plaster. You shall write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over.” (Deuteronomy 27:1-3).

Rubble on floor may have fallen from the ceiling during earthquakes since the cavern was fashioned.

Built on the foundations of an ancient Byzantine church, the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George is home to the oldest, most precise map of biblical Israel and the surrounding areas. The church is northwest of Madaba, a provincial town of the Roman Empire that is now a Jordanian village. During the reign of Justinian (527-565 CE), the long central hall of the cross-shaped Byzantine structure was covered from wall to wall by the Madaba Map, which originally spanned 94 square meters, though only 25 are preserved. The map (see Page 36) identifies Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley with astounding accuracy, and depicts a site called Galgala near Jericho. The Greek inscription next to Galgala reads Dodekaliton, which translates as “Twelve Stones.” The inscription was believed to refer to the 12 stones the Israelites carried from the Jordan River bed and set up in Gilgal (Joshua 4). However, it is also possible that these stones are those mentioned in the above passage from Deuteronomy. In that passage, Moses commanded the Israelites to inscribe “all the words of this law” on large plastered stones after they crossed the Jordan near Jericho.

Galgala, so accurately located by the Madaba Map, is believed to be the site recently discovered by Prof. Adam Zertal and a team from the University of Haifa which has been surveying the region since 1978. They unearthed a huge man-made cavern 30 feet underground, which they believe may have been a quarry that was already sacred to ancient Christians.

The largest man-made cavern in Israel, the excavation is about 100 yards long, 40 yards wide and four yards high. Inside, Zertal and his team found a ceiling supported by 22 huge columns bearing various carved symbols. Thirty-one crosses were discovered, in addition to a possible zodiac and the symbol of a Roman legion. Recesses for holding oil lamps were found in the columns, along with holes to which animals hauling stones out of the cavern could have been tied. The column carvings and fragments of pottery enabled Zertal to date the cavern back at least as far as the beginning of the Common Era, and the multitude of crosses leads him to believe it might have also functioned as a monastery and hiding place.

Rumored to be haunted, the cave had been known to local Beduin for centuries. Zertal explained that one of the first visitors to the cave contracted “cave fever” or a parasite, which may have been the reason the Beduin thought the cave was bewitched.

Working on the theory that the site may have also seen use as an ancient quarry, Zertal and his team are examining microorganisms in the stones to determine where they might have been transferred. Their next move is to date the symbols on the pillars and compare them to other Jewish, Roman and Christian sites in the Jordan Valley. 

According to the Civil Administration for Judea and Samaria, Zertal has only received a permit to survey the northern part of the Jordan Valley, and the cavern is south of the survey boundaries. In order to begin excavating, Zertal says his team will have to raise NIS 1 million. Once excavation is permitted, his next step is to examine the rubble on the floor before removing it, hopefully to reveal coins.

Though he would like the cave to open to the public, Zertal appreciates the great amount of work this would require. “We would need to build a road and an entrance, install electricity, and raise money for a visitor’s center,” he says.

THE MOST perplexing question, according to Zertal, the answer to which might support the notion that this is where the “great stones” described in Deuteronomy were quarried, inscribed and left for safekeeping, is why anyone would dig such a large quarry with such a narrow entrance so far underground. The Madaba Map may shed some light on this mystery. Zertal explained that scholars had always supposed that “12 stones” referred to the biblical story of the stones removed from the Jordan River bed to commemorate the miracle that the river stopped flowing when the Israelites passed over it. However, the discovery of this cave suggests that the “12 stones” inscription on the map may refer to the location of the “master copy” stones of Deuteronomy and Joshua 8. Though this theory appears to provide a logical reason for the quarry being constructed underground, Zertal points out that “it is just a theory” and “much more research needs to be done.”

Rabbi Menachem Leibtag of Yeshivat Har Etzion in Gush Etzion doesn’t think the 12 riverbed stones are connected to the cavern at all. “The 12 riverbed-stone memorial was built in Gilgal, nearby and a bit to the east of Jericho, but by now it is long gone. The cavern found in the Jordan Valley is clearly not connected to it. It’s simply a quarry from thousands of years later that had a possible secondary use as a monastery,” he said.

Like Zertal, Liebtag believes that “it would not be surprising if in Byzantine times they named a site near the Jordan River Gilgal.” He explained that the Byzantines tried to identify many sites of the Bible and build churches in those areas, but the naming was usually not based on careful archeological study, but rather on “assumption or ancient traditions.”

Leibtag, however, highlighted a key difficulty with conjectures that the cavern may be where the “master copy” stones were left for safekeeping. He notes that Joshua is described as having constructed an altar out of special stones on Mount Ebal near the city of Shechem (Joshua 8:30-35) 10 years after the death of Moses. Zertal claims to have found Joshua’s altar, but the site is far from the recently discovered cavern and devoid of inscribed stones. 

Discovering the stones from either story would be an archeological feat of epic proportions, heavily supporting those who, like Zertal, believe that all the events in the early books of the Old Testament happened and can be proven. Opposing Zertal’s camp are the biblical minimalists, who claim that the Old Testament is literary rather than historical. A third group tries to bridge the gap and believes the Bible to be folk memory converted into myth, a fusion of fact and fiction. 

Religious Studies Prof. Michael Satlow of Brown University, who specializes in early Judaism, thinks such a discovery “would be a terrific find from the point of view of biblical scholarship.” However, he is not convinced that it would have any ramifications regarding religious beliefs. “Archeological discoveries really have little impact on living religions,” he said. “Think about how the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls might have changed the Judaism of your parents or grandparents. I’m sure it didn’t.” 

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=1&cid=1249418627506&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

ByDr. Scott Johnson • January 3, 2009

This paper is drawn substantially from an excellent website called For Gospel Truth (http://www.4gospeltruth.org/index.html), which is highly recommended. Any changes to the text reproduced herein are intended solely to enhance clarity.

Many thanks go to: Edited by Robert Pye [Ireland]

To hear an excellent set of sermons on this material, see those given by Scott Johnson on entitled True Salvation and the True Gospel (1-3).

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 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 thatbecause 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).

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 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 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 inLost 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).

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 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-through-believing andsalvation-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 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).

By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christonce 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; Butwith 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 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 itpleased 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. 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:

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.

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).

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.

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 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:

__________________________________________________________________

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.

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.

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.

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).

APPENDIX D 

APPENDIX E

The Parable of the Four Soils:

Do the Middle Two Soils Represent Believers or Unbelievers?
(Matthew 13:20-22)

by Bob Wilkin http://www.faithalone.org/news/y1988/88aug2.html 

²⁰But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
²¹Yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
²²Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke out the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

Recently I received a question from a reader regarding this parable. The reader wanted to know how I viewed the spiritual condition of the people represented by the second and third soil types, the ones mentioned in Matthew 13:20-22 cited above.

The text notes that the second soil type of person does receive the word. With joy even. Only believers receive the word. Indeed, the parallel account in Luke actually says that this second soil type of person believed (Luke 8:13).¹ The problem with the second soil person is that he falls away when affliction and persecution arise (Matthew 13:21). Other passages of Scripture confirm this implicit warning: believers, if not careful, may fall away from the faith (Luke 8:13; James 5:19-20; 2 Peter 3:17). The thing which distinguishes the second, third, and fourth soils is not whether they receive/believe the word–they all do–but whether they produce fruit or not.

The expression “yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while” (Matthew 13:21) leads some to doubt the plain meaning of the text. If one believes that anyone who fails to persevere proves that he was not a believer in the first place, he must conclude that the person in question here is an unbeliever. But note why he comes to that conclusion. It is not the text which compels him. It is his presupposition. Thus the texts’ explicit assertion that the second soil person received and believed the word (Matthew 13:20; Luke 8:13) is treated as though it didn’t exist.

Verse 21 pictures a believer who fails to grow and mature and become well grounded in the word and in a local church. Such a believer is unstable. He lacks the depth of character and commitment needed to endure persecution for Christ’s sake.

The third soil, the thorny soil, represents those who receive the word, believers, who then allow the cares of the world to stunt their growth and block their production of fruit. Once again, there can be no doubt that believers are in view–unless of course one predecides that no believer is ever overtaken by the cares of the world and becomes unfruitful.

Let’s accept for the moment the premise that the second and third soils picture unbelievers. What would we then conclude about salvation and assurance?

We would say that there is a type of faith in Christ which does not save.

We would surmise that unfruitful people in the church probably/surely are not saved.

We would doubt our own salvation since the world’s cares sometimes seem to get to us and we sometimes wonder how fruitful we really are.

We would stop giving anyone immediate assurance of salvation since only those who endure in good works prove that they are saved. We would give up thinking that anyone could be absolutely sure that he was saved since no one can know for sure if he will endure in the future or how long he must endure in order to prove absolutely that he is saved.

Are these conclusions valid? No! The Scriptures are clear that there is no such thing as a faith in Christ which will not save. Whoever believes in Him has everlasting life (John 3:16). And, all believers–even brand new Christians–can have absolute assurance of salvation which is based on the promises of the Word and not on the prospects of our works (John 5:24; Romans 8:38-39; 1 John 5:13).

The Lord did not give us this parable to cause us to question our salvation. Rather, He gave it to motivate us to strive to produce much fruit. When we appear at Jesus’ Judgment Seat He will judge our faithfulness and fruitfulness (2 Corinthians 5:10). If we have overcome the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and have faithfully served Him in spite of persecution, then He will say “Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over five/ten cities” (Luke 19:16-19) and He will give us heavenly treasure (Matthew 6:19-21; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 9:24-27).

However, if we prove to be unfruitful, while we will suffer the loss of rewards that we could have had, we will nevertheless enter the kingdom and enjoy our Lord and His people forever (1 Corinthians 3:15; Luke 19:11-27).

Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). Nothing.

¹In the Lukan account the text explicitly says regarding the first soil that the devil came and took away the word lest they should believe and be saved (Luke 8:12). Thus when the next verse says that the ones represented by the second soil believed, it is clear that it is saying that they were saved. While the text does say that they believed “for a time” (pros kairos), that doesn’t call into question the genuineness of their faith or their salvation. Compare 1 Corinthians 7:5 where the same expression “for a time” is used. It is impossible to get around the fact that Jesus in Luke 8:13 said that they believed for a time. Unless He was teaching there that salvation can be lost if and when one stops believing–which He was not teaching (cf. John 3:16; 5:24; Romans 8:38-39)–He was saying that the second soil people believe, are saved, and then fall away due to testing. While Jesus doesn’t say what fate awaits these type of believers–other than that they will be in the kingdom since they are saved–we know from other teachings of Jesus that rebuke and shame, and loss of reward and rulership are in store for them (cf. Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 19:11-27; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 9:24-27; Galatians 6:7-9; Colossians 1:21-23; 2 Timothy 2:12; 2 Peter 1:5-11; 3:14; 1 John 2:28).

Photo taken in  Alabama   ~ 

Bob Frew sent this out.

“I took this picture on Int.20, traveling to Leeds , AL . It has given me strength in the times of trouble. I feel I should share it with the rest of the world. I hope it is an inspiration to you. It just goes to show what we already know…We have a God, and he’s watching over us.

I e-mailed this picture to News Channel Fox6. I was contacted by Meteorologist James Spann. He said that this picture of the sky is showing up in all states and around the world. He wanted to know where I was from and where I took it. He saw a similar picture taken in Texas . He said this is amazing to him.

Would you look at this picture? It reminds me of that song ‘He’s got the whole world in his hands.’ He is definitely in control. I needed this today more than ever. Enjoy and pass it along!”