Heaven is a Gift, Not a Reward

Salvation is a gift freely offered to whosoever will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, with no strings attached.  Acts 16:30: And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31: And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved .... A gift is something that is paid for by the giver, not the receiver.  The free gift of salvation was purchased by the sufferings and the shed blood of Jesus when he died on the cross to pay for our sins and then rose from the grace in three days. We cannot in any way at all earn or deserve to go to heaven. Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Romans 5:15: But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.  This means many were made sinners because Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden when he ate the forbidden fruit. We have now inherited a sin nature and everyone in the world ever born is a sinner, as the bible says in Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.  The bible says sin must be punished, so if we had to pay for our own sins we would have to go to hell forever because God is a just God and cannot allow sin to go into heaven.  But God loves us so much that he didn't want us to pay for our own sins and go to hell, so he sent his only begotten son, Jesus, to earth to live a perfect sinless life and pay for our sins through much mocking, scourging, and enduring the cruel cross in torture and agony.  No one ever suffered like Jesus. He didn't deserve the sufferings he went through because he never sinned, but he did it for us. He was taking our punishment for us.  Jesus paid the full price for our salvation. That is why salvation is a free gift to us because he paid for it.  A gift is paid for by the giver, not the receiver.  A person only needs to put their full trust in Jesus' sacrifice and what he did for us on the cross, and how he rose from the grave, to receive this free gift.  John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.  Jesus wants to save you, but he will not force you to receive this free gift of salvation.  God loves you and has already done everything he can do to save you. There is nothing else he can do. You have to decide for yourself whether you will receive salvation or reject it. It has to be one or the other;. There is no other way to have your sins forgiven and washed and to spend eternity in heaven.  John 14:6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Being saved by grace means we receive something we didn't earn or deserve, but was given to us freely as a gift, and mercy means we don't receive what we do deserve, which is an eternity in hell.  Titus 3:5a: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us ....  Titus 3:7: That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

You may think that just believing on Christ is too easy and there must be something else a person needs to do to go to heaven, but it truly is easy to get saved because Jesus did the hard part for us. To clarify what believing on Jesus means, it doesn't mean to just believe about him or believe he was the Son of God and that he died on the cross.  To believe on him means you put all your faith in him and what he did for you. You must trust in him alone completely and rely and depend on his sacrifice and shed blood as your only hope of redemption and going to heaven when you die.  Jesus paid it all. You have to apply Jesus' payment to your own heart personally and have zero faith in anything you do.  All our own self righteousnesses are as filthy rags.  Isaiah 64:6: 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.  When you put your total faith and trust in Jesus to give you the free gift of eternal life, that is when you become born again, because no one is just born believing on Jesus as savior.  Some people will say "I've always believed in Jesus", but that is not true.  There has to be a time in your life when you realize you are a sinner that deserves to go to hell and that Jesus loves you and paid for your sins and you put your faith in everything Jesus did for you to keep you out of hell.  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. 

There are many people and false prophets in the world today, who say well, sure you have to believe in Jesus, but you also have to do good works for Jesus too; that is so false.  You cannot be saved if you are trusting in yourself one iota. It has to be 100% total faith in Christ, and 0% yourself. It's a free gift. If you had to pay one dime for it, then it wouldn't be free.  Galatians 2:21: I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.  That means if there was anything we could do to help save ourselves, then Christ died for nothing.  Why would Jesus go through all the suffering he went through if we could be saved by doing anything additional to get saved, like good works, etc.  If you think you have to do something else other than only fully trusting Christ, that is like saying Christ's payment was not enough and was not sufficient, but it IS sufficient. There is absolutely nothing to be added to it or subtracted from it.  Jesus is enough period, he paid it all. 

Some will say you have to serve Christ faithfully and make him lord of your life in order to go to heaven, but that is not true either. If that was the case, then going to heaven would be a reward instead of a gift.  After you get saved you can choose to serve Jesus with your life if you want to try to get other people saved and to receive the free gift that you have received, and the bible says there will be rewards in heaven for that, but actually getting saved is an unearned, undeserved merciful gift, by the grace of God. 

All you have to do to receive the free gift of salvation is to admit you're a sinner who deserves to go to hell, but you will now put all your faith and trust in what Jesus did for you when he paid for your sins on the cross and rose from the grave in three days.

God's Simple Plan Of Salvation

It's Easy To Be Saved

By Cindy Wyatt

It is easy to be saved because Jesus did the hard part because of his great love for us.  All we have to do is believe and receive it. There are many false prophets in the world today who pervert the gospel and complicate it by saying you have to do more than just believe, that that is too easy. Galatians 1:6: I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  Salvation is easy.  It's as easy as depositing money in a bank when you put your trust in Jesus. In the bible salvation is likened to eating bread or opening a door. How hard is it to eat a piece of bread or open a door?  John 10:9a: I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.  John 6:51: I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: That's why John 3:16 says "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. The false prophets say you have to give up your sins or try to quit sinning and make Jesus Lord of your life and commit to following him completely and living for him or you're not saved. That is so unbiblical and is actually a false gospel that will cause many to go to hell because instead of trusting alone in Jesus and what he did, they are trusting in what they do. No one can stop sinning; that's why we need a savior in the first place. You just need to come to Jesus as a lost sinner that can in no way stop sinning and put your trust in what He did for you to keep you out of hell; how he died on the cross, shed his blood to cleanse us from our sins, and rose again the third day. He paid the price for our sins so we wouldn't have to pay for them ourselves and go to hell for all eternity, where Jesus doesn't want us to go, which is why he purchased salvation for anyone who will put their trust in Him only.  Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

False teachers have a false definition of repent.  They say repent means to repent of your sins, but the bible never says to repent of your sins. In the bible, God is the one who repents the most, so clearly repent does not mean repent of your sins because God has no sin. What the word repent means according to the bible is changing your mind about God and Jesus and the only hope of ever receiving eternal life. What it means is to turn from unbelief to believing on Christ and trusting only him for your salvation, not trusting in anything you can do like giving up sins, turning over a new leaf, going to church, etc. It means to stop trusting in your religion  and put your trust in Jesus. It is not trusting in your own self righteousness, for the bible even says our own righteousness is like filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6: 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. Salvation is a totally free gift; all you have to do is receive it. It is free because Jesus paid for it over 2000 years ago when he died on the cross for our sins to pay for them, and then he arose from the grave three days later.  All you have to do to be born again is receive the free gift of salvation that is offered to anyone who will receive it. Jesus died for everyone, but only the people who personally receive the free gift for themselves will go to heaven. John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Repenting is when you admit that you are a sinner that deserves to go to hell for your sins, but you will now accept Jesus' payment for your sin and apply his payment to your heart. When you do that, that is when you are born again. You are then made a new creature. II Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. That is why it is called being born again. It is putting 100% faith and trust in what Jesus did for you and putting 0% trust in anything you could ever do to earn it. We don't deserve salvation, we cannot earn it. It is only through Christ's sufferings and shed blood that he gave us because he loves us so much. It is all through mercy that we can be saved. Titus 3:5: 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.

It's easy to be saved because Jesus did the hard part, not us. Please don't listen to false teachers, who are wolves in sheep's clothing, like John MacArthur, who wrote a book called "Hard To Believe".  For a more detailed article on John MacArthur click here. People like that will say it is too easy to just believe, that you must do more than that or you're not saved. That is so untrue.  They just confuse people and complicate the gospel. The gospel is not complicated.  You either believe on Jesus for salvation or you don't believe on him. John 3:36: 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. Just listen to what the bible says, not false teachers. The word believe means to trust. You just need to put your trust in what Jesus did for you.  John 3:16: 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.  It is not hard to believe. The way to be saved is just to look to Jesus. John 3:14-15: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.  It is clear, clear, clear that whosoever believeth on him receives the gift of eternal life.  It is not trying to live it, it's believing. There will be no one in Heaven boasting about what a great Christian they were and how they lived it and did so much for Jesus. No, the people in Heaven will be saying "I'm only here because of God's amazing grace and saving a poor sinner like me who doesn't deserve it." Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Here are a couple stanzas from the hymn called "At Calvary" that pictures what salvation is. Calvary is where Jesus died on the cross for our sins.

O the love that drew salvation's plan

O the grace that brought it down to man

O the mighty gulf that God did span

At Calvary

Mercy there was great and grace was free

Pardon there was multiplied to me 

There my burdened soul found liberty

At Calvary

Our pardon was purchased by Jesus at Calvary. He did the hard part with all his suffering he went through for us so that we could go to Heaven on a free pass. If you think that believing is not enough, that you also have to live right, etc., then that is saying Jesus' sacrifice for us was not enough; but it IS enough.  His sacrifice is sufficient. Our salvation is fully paid for by Jesus alone. If we had to do anything more added, other than just believe, then that would mean Christ died for nothing. Why would Jesus go through all that suffering if we could be saved by what we ourselves do. Galatians 2:21: I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. If you have never received this free gift, I hope you will do so right away because we never know how much time we have left on earth.  You only have two choices of where you will spend eternity and the choice is up to you. You can either pay for your own sins and go to hell forever, or you can receive the free gift of salvation that was paid for by Jesus and live eternally with him in Heaven.  Jesus loves you and longs to save you.  Just trust him and put your faith in him alone. There is a wonderful song called Only Trust Him and one stanza says "Only trust Him; only trust Him, Only trust Him now, He will save you; He will save you, He will save you now." 

If you would like to put your trust in Jesus now, you can tell that to God, and pray something like this, remembering that it is not mere words that save you, but the faith in your heart.

 Dear Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner and I know I deserve to go to Hell, but I believe you died on the cross and rose again the third day to pay for my sins. I am now putting all my trust in you and what you did for me. Please save me now. I am only trusting you Jesus, to receive your gift of eternal life, Amen

Poetry About Jesus And Salvation

What Does it Mean to Be Born Again

Many people have heard the phrase "a born again Christian," but have absolutely no idea what that means. I will try to show you from the bible what it means to be born again. The third chapter of the book of John tells us that we must be born again to have everlasting life. 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. Absolutely no one will make it into heaven unless they have been born again. There is no other way. Jesus says in John 14:6: I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me. Since we know it is imperative to be born again in order to enter heaven someday, let's see what the bible says about it in John chapter 3.

John 3:1: There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. So Nicodemus was a very religious man called a Pharisee. A Pharisee is a person who thinks keeping the law, being a good person, and attending church faithfully is the way to go to heaven, but Jesus showed Nicodemus he was wrong and that he needed to be born again (get saved) in order to enter the kingdom of God.  Being religious or living a good life will not get you to heaven.

John 3:2: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

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? 

Nicodemus was talking about his physical birth, when he came into this world in the flesh from his mother's womb, but Jesus was talking about a new birth, a spiritual birth.

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.

6: That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Just as we are born in the flesh the first time we are born, we are born of the Spirit when we are born again. As in a moment in time we were born into this world as a human being, in a moment in time we are born again of the Spirit when we put our trust in Jesus to save us.

7: Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8: 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.

So you see, the first time you are born in the flesh you can actually see your body and that you are a person, but when you are born again, it is a spiritual birth and you cannot see it. The bible says it is like the wind, you can hear it and see it blowing things around, but you cannot actually see it; it is invisible. 

So the question now is, how do you become born again and receive new spiritual life so that you can enter the kingdom of heaven. 

To be born again the bible says you must repent. Luke 13:3: I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Mark 1:15: And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.  

So clearly by these scriptures it shows that it is imperative for you to repent in order to be born again and have your name written down in heaven for all eternity.  Repent and believe the gospel means to repent of your unbelief and believe the gospel as payment for your own sins personally,  It means to apply the blood that Jesus shed for us on the cross upon your own heart. You must put all of your faith and trust in what Jesus did for you and absolutely no trust whatsoever in anything you yourself do. It is all faith in Christ alone and nothing else. If you are trusting in being a good person, going to church, or being religious, then you need to repent of that and only trust Jesus. The moment you put all your trust in Jesus, that is when you become born again. The word repent actually means to change your mind. So say you are trusting in your religion, you would change your mind about that and trust only in Jesus. There are some people that would pervert the word repent and say that it means to repent of your sins or stop sinning, but the bible says no such thing. It is impossible to stop sinning; that is why we need a savior, to save us from our sins and the penalty of them,  When you put your trust in Jesus he forgives you of all your sins and cleanses you from your sin with his shed blood. I John 1:7; ..... and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.  Rev. 1:5: .....and washed us from our sins in his own blood.  You only need to come to Jesus as you are, put all your trust in him, and say "Lord save me". When you do that, he will do all the working in your heart and change your heart. II Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Some people will say "Well I've always believed in Jesus".  My friend, that is not being born again. You may have always believed there was a Jesus and that he is the Son of God, but in order to go to heaven, you must put all of your faith in him. It is not just believing about the gospel and Jesus, it is putting your faith in the gospel and Jesus that saves you. You may believe someone is a good doctor, but not go to him and trust him for your treatment.  It is the same way with being born again, you must come to Jesus as a lost sinner that can in no way save yourself and trust him to save your soul and give you the free gift of eternal life. You must receive this free gift personally for yourself to be saved. John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. It's that simple, my friend; if you accept the free gift offered, you become God's child and inherit eternal life.  If you do not accept the gift and say "no I don't want it", you will be doomed to hell for all eternity to pay for your own sins.  Notice how it says "become the sons of God".  You were not always a child of God, you become one when you receive Christ as your own personal savior, and that is when you are born again.  John 3:7: Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

It conclusion, the bible divides the world into two groups of people, those who believe on Jesus for salvation and receive everlasting life, and those who do not believe on Jesus and so must pay for their own sins forever in hell.  John 3:36: 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.  If you have never placed your complete trust in what Jesus did for you, I hope that you will trust him today and receive this wonderful gift and be born again.  Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  II Corinthians 9:15: Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

If you would trust Jesus as your savior, just tell God in your own words that you know you are a sinner that deserves to go to hell, but you are putting all your faith in what Jesus did for you when he died on the cross, was buried, and rose again the third day as payment for your sin so you wouldn't have to go to hell, but could go to heaven instead.

Poetry About Jesus And Salvation

What Does It Mean to Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ by Mrs. Oliver B. Greene

This is an article written by Mrs. Oliver B. Greene to explain how to believe on Jesus for salvation.

The Bible teaches, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31), But how does one believe on Jesus? How can we know when we have believed on Him?  To many, "believing" was easy - but to countless thousands, the words "believe" and "faith" are mysteries hard to understand. 

They say, "I have always believed in Jesus, I have always believed the Bible; yet I do not know whether or not I am saved."  That little word "faith" stops them - yet it is faith that makes salvation so simple and so easy that man has a hard time accepting it. 

Paul said, "But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; In whom the god of the world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (II Corinthian 4:3,4),

The devil has blinded the spiritual eyes of mankind to the simplicity of salvation, and put it into the human heart that man must DO something in order to be saved.  "Faith" is the stumbling stone.  Some interpret faith to mean praying, working, feeling - and countless other things that have to do with man's efforts and emotions.

Perhaps it is because I, too, used to wonder if I really had "saving faith," that I have so much sympathy and patience with those who do not understand.  I grant you it is a miserable position to be in.

It is not God's will that we live in uncertainty.  It is His will that we know and understand what "believing" means.  Therefore I want to tell you, as simply as I know how, what it means to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 1:12 says, "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.

You know that Jesus is the Savior, and that according to Romans 3:23 "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."  All are born in sin and are therefore on the road to hell.  You know that Jesus took your place.  He died for you - your substitute, your Savior.  You also know that before His death can help you, you must RECEIVE Him of your own free will. 

Now, you have acknowledged yourself a sinner and know in your heart that you want to be saved. You know that by receiving Jesus you can be saved, but your problem is HOW to receive Jesus.

You have never seen him.  If you could reach out and literally put your hand in His nail-scarred hand, that would be easy - and you would not hesitate to say, "Yes, Jesus, I will take you as my Savior."  But you cannot do that, and some of you do not know how you will know when you have received Him.  The most simple way I know to show you how to receive Christ by faith and to know when you are saved is just this:

Romans 10:13 says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."  In other words, God says, "I have given you the record of how I love you, and I have sent Jesus into the world to die for you.  I have told you that if you will receive My Son I will make you My child.  You will not be an adopted child - but I will give you a new birth; you will be born into My family and become My child (John 1:12, 13).  I have told you all of this in My Word.  Now when you are ready to receive My Son, just call - and I will do the saving!"

Born Again by the Word

I Peter 1:23 says, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed (like our first birth), but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever."  That is what you want, is it not?  You want to be born again.  Jesus said, "Except a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God ... Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again" (John 3:3, 7).  God's Word says we are born again by the Word of God.  Keep that in mind now as we turn to Ephesians 2:8.  (We will use several Scripture passages, turn to them and mark them in you Bible.

Saved by Faith
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8).  We are saved entirely by grace - nothing added, nothing taken away.  Salvation is all of God - God's grace; but we have to receive it by faith.  (We cannot see Jesus nor literally take hold of Him).  Faith is believing what?  Peter says we are born again by the Word; so then - we BELIEVE THE WORD.  Our faith is in the Word of God - not in our feelings, our prayers, our life, or anything we can do.  Faith is believing God.  (Notice, I did not say "believing IN God," but believing God.)

God says, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). God wants you to BELIEVE Him.  When you call on Him and ask Him to save you, and deep in your heart you sincerely tell Him you will receive Jesus as your Savior, God wants you to KNOW you are saved because He said He would save you.  That is believing God.  He wants you to trust Him to do exactly what He said He would do - and He said He would save you if you called on Him.

Does Salvation Produce Feelings?

If you pray for God to save you and then you say, "I know I am saved because I feel better," you have faith in the wrong thing.  Some people have faith in a dream, some in visions, some in feelings, and others in emotions.  But by the authority of God's Word I declare that if you are basing your salvation on any of those things, you do not have "saving faith."  Saving faith is BELIEVING GOD, instead of believing your feelings.

We are born again by the Word of God.  If faith is believing - then we must believe the Word.  I am just as sure I am saved, as I am sure the Bible is the Word of God.  Now what does this add up to?  You hear the record God gives of His Son - that Jesus died for you, and if you will receive Him as your Savior, God will "born" you into the heavenly family and you will be His child.  When you have heard God's plan for your redemption, you call on God and ask Him to save you.  You believe God and trust Him to save you because He said He would.  Then - you know you are saved because God said He would save you.

Have you sincerely asked God to save you?  Have you believed God?  It does not matter how you FEEL about it - God wants you to believe Him and His Word.  Peter says that the Word "liveth and abideth forever."  Your feelings will never change nor alter the Word of God.  The Word never changes - but your feelings do.  Never put your faith in your feelings - but in the Word of God.

Now let us go back to John 1:12: "As many as received Him...."  You know in your own mind and heart that you want to receive Jesus.  You know you told God you would receive Jesus, and you know you meant it.  Any sane person knows whether or not he wants to receive Jesus, and he knows whether or not he really means it when he asks God to save him.  The devil does not make you doubt that part; what he tries to make you doubt and wonder about is whether or not God kept His word. 

God Cannot Lie
According to Hebrews 6:18, it is "impossible for God to lie."  And Paul wrote to Titus concerning the "hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began" (Titus1:2).

When you, the very best you know how, receive Jesus as your Savior, that is as far as you can go, the rest is up to God.  Are you going to believe God?

Faith is believing.

We are born again "by the Word of God."

So - I am born again by believing God's Word!

He said if I would call, He would save me.  I have sincerely called - and I know He saved me because He said he would.

Those who have sincerely called and still do not know whether or not they are saved simply DO NOT BELIEVE GOD.  Yes, they believe there is a God, they believe Jesus died and rose again,  they believe God WILL save them - but they are not willing to believe God DOES save them NOW, this is not taking Him at His Word.  They are not willing to believe He saved them because He said He would.  They want Him to prove His truth by giving them some emotional experience.  They are not willing to believe Him on His Word alone.  They insult Him by asking for proof that He told the truth - but "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 make it good?"  (Numbers 23:19).  

Nine out of ten people wait for a "feeling" before they are willing to believe God.  They ask God to save them, then tarry for Him to give them a feeling - and then they will believe Him.  Do you not see how wrong this would be?  You would then believe because of "feelings" - not because of God's Word.  Those who are not willing to believe God's Word are calling God a liar.  "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that BELIEVETH NOT God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son" (I John 5:10).  

The record God gave was that He would save whosoever called upon Him for salvation.  Anyone who calls upon God and then says he does not know whether or not he is saved does not believe God and has made Him a liar.

Oh, how simple salvation is!  God wants you to BELIEVE Him.  We are saved by grace through FAITH.  Faith is believing.  What do we believe?  Remember - we are "born again by the Word."  Believe it because God said it.  Do not ask for proof; that is not believing God, and it proves that you do not take Him as His Word.  

Some people treat God as though they cannot trust His Word.  They want proof (in an unusual feeling, a vision, or dream) that He meant what He said, and that He did what He said He would do.  Feelings or no feelings, I know I am saved, praise God, because I know His Word is true, and He said He would save me if I called on Him.  I know I am saved because God said He would save me!  I have God's Word for my salvation - do you?

May God help you to believe Him.  "For what saith the Scripture?  Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Romans 4:3).

Jesus said, 'He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him, THE WORD THAT I HAVE SPOKEN, THE SAME SHALL JUDGE HIM in the last day" (John 12:48).

Spiritual Growth is Different

I believe many people have difficulty in "believing" because they have salvation and Christian growth confused.  We have discussed salvation by faith, but Christian growth is an entirely different matter.

1 Peter 2:2 says, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may GROW thereby."

2 Peter 3:18 says, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 

After we are born into God's family by the Word of God, we grow.  In this, many people become confused.  They expect to be and want to be mature Christians when they are just newborn babes.  The older we grow in grace, the more we will read the Word.  The longer we live for Jesus, the more joy we have.  Truly - "Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before."

Paul admonished the Ephesians to "be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine....but....grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:14, 15).

Take God at His Word; do not doubt Him any longer.  Be saved NOW - and have the assurance of your salvation!

"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 (1 John 5:11-13). 

THAT SETTLES IT!

Having a Relationship With Jesus is not the Same as Salvation

by Cindy Wyatt

The question is not "do you have a relationship with Jesus?" The question is "are you saved?"  There is a very common and popular teaching these days coming from many churches and pastors, even independent fundamental Baptist churches, that says in order to get saved and have eternal life you must have a relationship with Jesus.  Many say "begin a relationship with Jesus."  It is true that we must know Jesus to be saved.  In that sense it is okay to say we must accept Jesus as our savior personally.  So it is okay to say, do you know Jesus?  John 17:3: And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent.  But you don't begin a relationship with Christ to get saved, you simply put your trust in what Jesus did for you on the cross and receive the gift of eternal life that was paid for by him.  Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  And the bible also puts it this way: You must receive Jesus.  John 1:12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  It is very misleading to tell unsaved people that they need to have a relationship with Jesus to get saved.  An unsaved person has no idea how to have a relationship with Jesus.  What they need is to get saved first by believing on the name of Jesus, trusting in his shed blood, and receiving the free gift of salvation. 

It is also a dangerous teaching because it can lead to people thinking they are saved when they are not.  Some people when they hear all you need to do to be saved is have a relationship with Jesus, they will start praying and think they are saved because they supposedly pray and talk to God.  Many unsaved people pray.  Just praying alone does not save you, you have to come to a place in your life where you admit you are a sinner and deserve to go to hell for eternity, and then call upon the name of the Lord to save you. Romans 10:13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. You must put all your faith and trust in what Jesus did for you on the cross to pay for your sins.  That is how you get saved, not by starting to pray and trying to have a relationship with Jesus.  In fact, in Matthew 7:23 it says this: Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast our 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.  These people thought they were saved, but Jesus said "I never knew you", so they ended up going to hell.  Even though they did all those things in Jesus's name, they were still unsaved.  The only prayer that God will hear from an unsaved person is in Luke 10:13:... "God be merciful to me a sinner" or something similar to that, where you admit you are a sinner and can only be saved by God's mercy when you put your faith and trust in what Jesus did for you on the cross to pay for your sins and rose again the third day.

Nowhere in the bible does it ever use the term relationship or anything close to that in regards to salvation, but the one word used to describe salvation is believe.  In the book of John the word believe or believeth is used over 85 times.  This is the main book in the bible that talks about how to get saved; that is why it uses the word believe, believe, believe over and over again.  And also in the book of Acts is where a man asked what he needed to do to be saved and the apostles said to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Acts 16:30: And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?  
31: And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

There are many saved people who never read the bible, never pray, never go to church, never do anything for God, but they know in their heart that they have definitely trusted in the name of Jesus for salvation and have been born again.  These are the people who are saved, but do not have a relationship or close communion with Christ.  They are missing out on all the joy and happiness that being an obedient child of God brings, but they are still saved and will go to heaven when they die.  That is the difference between having a relationship with Christ and salvation.  We should walk with Jesus and talk with him by reading the bible, applying it to our life, and praying and being filled with the Holy Spirit, but not all saved people do.  It is like sometimes when a child grows up and moves away from home, they will go for years without speaking to their parents.  They still know their parents, they are just not having a relationship with them.  They are still their parents child, just like a saved person is still a child of God, even if they never pray or read the bible.

It is much better to be saved and to be in fellowship with the Lord.  Jesus wants us to have a relationship with him AFTER we get saved so that he can bless us and use us, but saying you have to have a relationship with Jesus in order to be saved is getting the cart before the horse. We get saved FIRST and then grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and get to know him better and learn to obey him if we want to follow him and live for him.
II Peter 3:18: But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever Amen.
Jesus wants us to follow him and be close to him and to be our friend, but that's not what saves us.  A wonderful passage of scripture about this is in John chapter 15.
John 15:14: Ye are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you. 
15: Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Did you notice how it says the word "if".  There is a condition to being Jesus's friend and that is to keep his commandments.  The only condition for salvation is faith.  That is the difference.

To follow Jesus and keep his commandments the best we know how, as we learn and grow, brings so much joy.  1 Peter 1:7: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
I Peter 1:8: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.: 
.
John 15:10: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.  11: These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Notice, it doesn't say to believe on him for your joy to be full, but to keep his commandments for your joy to be full.  Salvation is free, but after we are saved we should try to keep Jesus' commandments so we can have the full joy of our salvation. We should try to obey his commandments just like he obeyed his Father's commandments.

Living for Jesus is definitely the most joyous and rewarding life that any saved person could possibly live here on earth and it will be even better when we get to heaven and receive the rewards for our labor and the works we did for the Lord.  Even when we suffer for Christ's sake, and especially when we suffer for him, we will have great joy. 

I Peter 4:12: Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14: If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

So it is one thing to be saved and it is another thing to have a relationship with Christ.  Salvation is free, having a relationship takes work. It involves being in God's word and learning more and more about Jesus and striving to please him.  Of course, we are not perfect and all of us have sin in our life, and also we are all in different stages of growth in our walk with the Lord. We fail many times and fall into sin, but Jesus will forgive us and cleanse us if ye confess our sins. He is still our friend, though. 
I John 1:3: That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4: And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 
5: This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6: If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If you are reading this and you do not know Jesus as your own personal savior, you do not need to begin a relationship with Jesus in order to be saved, you only simply need to believe on Jesus and trust him with your heart as the one who died on the cross to pay for your sins and rose again the third day.  

To any saved person who is reading this, I would like to encourage you to love Jesus, walk with him, and be his friend (having a relationship with him), so that you will know all the abundant joy that he has in store for you, and that you will lay up treasures in heaven and receive great rewards there.  It will be worth it when you come to the end of your life and you hear Jesus say "Well done, thou good and faithful servant".
Matthew 25:21: His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

For more information on how to trust Jesus as your savior, please click here for a clear presentation of the gospel.

Why Relationship Evangelism is Unbiblical

by Cindy Wyatt

There is a very unbiblical trend going on these days, that has even crept into some Baptist churches, called "Relationship Evangelism."  This is a total man-made philosophy found nowhere in the scriptures whatsoever.  Because these kind of churches have forsaken door to door or confrontational soulwinning, like most independent fundamental baptist churches used to do in the past, they have to come up with some newfangled alternative method to try to reach people to supposedly keep their churches going. The main principle in this type of evangelism is to form a relationship with a person first before you witness to them. In reality and biblically speaking, you don't need to form a relationship with someone before you witness to them.  If that were the case, there would be a whole multitude of people that would have never heard the gospel and gotten saved.  Along with this philosophy of seeking a relationship with an unsaved person, is also the trendy promotion called "Who's Your One?"  In other words, we are supposed to just pick out one person who we are going to work on and build a relationship with and try to get them saved. That is just totally unbiblical.  That actually throws a wet blanket on soulwinning and does more harm than good.  How many people you could have witnessed to, but didn't because you didn't have time to build a relationship with them first. They even have seminars and training materials about using the "Who's Your One" method.  We don't need some newfangled methodology and seminars; we just need to do exactly what the bible says about evangelism and reaching the lost God's way.  God's way is this: Mark 16:15: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Some pastors will quote this verse and then say right after that, "go make disciples," like that is part of the verse also, but it is not.  The bible never says "go make disciples."   

In the first place, the bible tells us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, not just one person, but to every person.  Mark 16:15: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  Many people have gotten saved on airplanes, buses, trains, and in hospitals, etc. by a stranger giving them the gospel.  You could win many souls that way and none of them replenish your church with people.  If people are busy preaching the gospel to every creature like the bible says, they would not even have time to form relationships with people.  

Secondly, the bible says the harvest is plenteous and ready now.  Matthew 9:37: Then saith he unto his disciples.  The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.  John 4:35: Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields: for they are white already to harvest.  According to the relationship evangelism method of first forming a relationship before you witness to someone, this could very probably take more than four months.  And how do you know when the relationship is ripe enough to witness?  One article I read about this method even said you may have to wait two or three years before you can share the gospel with someone.  I ask you, what if that person were to die suddenly while the relationship phase was ongoing without the witnessing part yet.  So you see, it is much better to get people saved now, not wait four months.  II Corinthians 6:2: (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)  People are not promised another tomorrow.  

Furthermore, there is no guarantee that after you've spent much time with this one person, hanging out with them, and getting to know them, etc., that at the end of all that, they are going to get saved.  Mark 16:15: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  16:16: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned.  So you see, it is God's plan for us to witness to many people, and some will believe on Jesus and some will not believe on Jesus.  You don't know which people will believe the gospel and which people will not.  Instead of spending all your time with just one person, who may end up being one of the ones who do not believe and get saved, you could have used that time to preach the gospel to many people, and seen many come to trust Christ.  Just being a friend to someone does not mean they will automatically believe the gospel just because you are a friend to them.  The bible doesn't say to go into all the world and form relationships with people so you can share the gospel with them; it just says to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

For example, in the book of Acts 3,000 souls were saved on the day of Pentecost.  Acts 2:38: 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.  Acts 2:41: Then they that gladly received his word were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.  There was certainly no relationship evangelism there.  What if the apostles who preached that day had decided to just pick out one person that they were going to work on and forget all the rest of the people.  There surely wouldn't have been 3,000 saved. 

The following bible passage in the book of Acts is the story of someone (an Ethiopian) who got saved by a stranger (Philip) giving him the gospel, and then Philip baptized him and left him, and never saw him again.  Clearly, the bible teaches us to witness to strangers.   
Acts 8:26: And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. 
27: And he arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship.
28: Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29: Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30: And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31: And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
32: The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth.
33: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34: And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35: Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
36: And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37: And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.  And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38: And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39: And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

But the people who teach you should form a relationship first, will say, but we are trying to get people saved who we can get in church and keep our church rolls and attendance replenished with new people so it doesn't die off.  They even go as far as saying you have to get someone to replace you.  If that is your motivation for trying to win someone to Christ, that is the worst motivation ever.  The whole purpose of winning a soul to Christ is to keep them out of hell, which is a lake of fire where there is weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth forever and ever; that is the motivation for soulwinning, not to make your church grow or be replenished.  I don't want people to replace me; I want to keep them out of hell.  The bible says that Jesus will build his church.  We just have to obey his word about giving the gospel to every creature and leave the church growth part to him.  Matthew 16:18: And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  The main reason Jesus came was to seek and to save that which was lost, and if we are a true disciple of Christ, that will be our main goal as well.  He bore the punishment of our sins on the cross, so we wouldn't have to go to hell and pay for them ourselves.  Luke 19:10: For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.  Thinking about whether that person is going to be a good church member and help fill a pew in your church, should be the furthest thing from your mind when you are trying to lead someone to the Lord.  Many people get saved and never come to church, but at least they are not going to hell; that is the most important thing.  Jesus came to keep people out of hell pure and simple.

The following account is where Jesus cleansed ten lepers, but only one returned to give thanks to him. 
Luke 17:12: And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14: And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests.  And it came to pass, that as they went, they were cleansed.
15: And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God.
16: And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17: And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18: There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19: And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
So in the same manner, some people who get saved are not very thankful to the Lord for all he did for them.  Of course they should be, but many are not.  That is why many people who are saved don't come to church.

Another very important aspect to consider, and probably the most important, is that the bible teaches us that we should be separate from unsaved people, not have a relationship with them.
II Corinthians 6:14: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
6:15: And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
6:16: And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
6:17: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
6:18: And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Of course we should love unsaved people the way Jesus loves them and let our light shine to them and try to win them to the Lord, but we should not try to have a relationship with them because according to the above scriptures, what fellowship hath light with darkness, righteousness with unrighteousness, etc.  We are supposed to come out from among them and be separate from them, and according to the above passage, that will cause us to have a closer relationship with God our Father.  If you spend a lot of leisure time with unsaved people, they will wear off on you and not vice versa.  Even Jesus, as our example, was separate from sinners.  Hebrews 7:26: For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;  He loved sinners and ate with them, but he was still separate from them; he did not form relationships with unsaved people.  He only had relationships with his disciples after they already trusted in him for salvation.  In the same manner, we may have acquaintances that we want to win to the Lord, but an acquaintance is not the same thing as having a relationship with someone.  The main reason Jesus came was to seek and to save that which was lost.

The bible is very clear about the way to evangelize the lost, and that is through preaching the gospel to people.  Mark 16:15: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Romans 10:14: How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
10:15: And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tiding of good things.
Notice how it says we are to "go" and "be sent."  This is talking about actually going somewhere to win souls.  It is not to pick out a coworker who you are going to work on, and call that your going; you were already going to work.  You need to purposely go out into all the world to preach the gospel to every creature.  Luke 14:23: And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. The bible says in the book of Acts that the apostles went house to house proclaiming the good news of the gospel.  Acts 5:42: And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.  They were not out forming relationships with people, they were out preaching the gospel to every person and in every house. 

So in conclusion, we should have a burden for the souls of the lost people around us and tell them that Jesus loves them and laid down his life for them when he died on the cross for their sins and rose again the third day.  Jesus suffered immensely to keep them out of hell and all they have to do is believe on him and fully trust him alone for salvation.  Keeping people out of hell should be the only motivation for soulwinning.

If you are reading this and have never put your complete trust in Jesus alone as the one who paid for your sins on the cross and rose from the grave so that you could receive the free gift of salvation and be sure you are on your way to heaven, please click on the link below.  John 3:16: 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.


The Bible Way to Heaven

How To Have Peace In A Troubled World

by Cindy Wyatt

The world is full of strife and misery and woe.  Just turn on the news and all you see is war, murders, rioting, mad gunmen, disease, tornadoes, and hurricanes.  You may be wondering if there is any hope, if there is any way to find peace in the troublesome world we live in.  But there is a way to have peace in the midst of it all, and that peace comes only from Jesus.  The bible tells us that Jesus has overcome the world.  John 16:33: These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.  You see, Jesus left his father's home from heaven, where everything is perfect and no sin, and he came to this world of woe just to be able to live a sinless life, and to suffer and die for us.  It was not easy to leave heaven to come to this world, but that is how much he loved our souls and wants us to be saved.  He came from heaven to earth and then he went back to heaven.  John 16:28: I came forth from the Father; and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. 

John 6:33: For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.  

John 6:51: I am the living bread which came down from heaven.....

Souls everywhere are troubled and perplexed on every hand and don't even know where to turn.  The answer is to turn your eyes upon Jesus.  John 14:27: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Real genuine, true peace comes only through the peace that Jesus alone can give.  There is no other peace apart from Jesus.  You can try everything in the world to find peace, but you will never find it.  Money cannot buy it.  It cannot be obtained through education, careers, hobbies, worldly accomplishments, fame, relationships, pleasures in life, or anything else in the world. 

Philippians 4:6: Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7: And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Once we are saved we know that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. Hebrews 13:5b .... for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  Just knowing that Jesus will never forsake us no matter what kind of trial or tribulation we are going through, brings great peace.  We can absolutely count on it because the bible says he will keep us.  Isaiah 26:3: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

No matter how bad the turmoil is in the world, we can have perfect peace in the midst of it all by keeping our mind on the Lord by thinking on his Word.

And if you've never trusted in Christ as your savior, maybe not only is the world in turmoil, but your life may be in turmoil and distress also.  In that situation, it is important to trust Christ.  Jesus can give you life more abundant and forgiveness of sins, and peace in your heart.  John 10:10: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

When your sins are forgiven, you receive peace into your heart and the gift of eternal life.  The following verses show how Jesus forgives sins and gives peace. 

Luke 7:48: And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

49: And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

50: And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

If you would like to find out more about trusting Jesus as your savior, please click on the link below to hear a clear presentation of the gospel from the bible. 


The Bible Way To Heaven