Are You Sure

Am I sure about or hope I am what? Eternity and where you will spend it is the answer. Everybody that I have talked to has his or her own opinion of death and the after life. Then there are those folks who would not rather think about the whole matter and just hope for the best. Well, no matter what your thoughts are on death,it WILL happen. We all will face that day when we get up in the morning and it will be our last day on earth. To that point I believe we all can agree. However, when it comes to the question of what happens after death, that's where "religion" or people with a philosophy try to answer. Some of these, as you well know, have wreaked havoc in our world. No matter your view or hope, I just ask you to read on and "come let us reason together."

The first thought is "how can anyone really know for sure about the afterlife." Well, everyone must decide first, what will I do with Jesus Christ? Do you believe that He is the only begotten Son of God the Father or not? Do you believe in God? Not an idea or abstract being, but an Almighty God. If you do not believe in God, then I plead with you to go to www.creation.com and just read their study on Creation VS Evolution, the site is dedicated to the facts. So if you do not believe in God then, again check out that site. If you do believe in God, then the next couple of questions would be, "can He lie?" Is God that powerful that He could tell different men, who lived hundreds of years, yes, even thousands of years apart and yet there is not one conflict, and when checked by style in a computer it comes up with one author? If you answered no to the first and yes to the second then read on.

DEATH

The fact that man sinned against God in the Garden of Eden, sin came into the world and with it spiritual and physical death. The Bible says "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" Romans, 5:12. The Bible also states "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans, 3:23.Man died spiritually and would die physically. Eternity from God in the "lake prepared for the Devil and his Angels." Matthew, 25:41. Romans, 3:10-12 states Vs 10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: Vs 11. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. Vs 12. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

SALVATION

Friends let me tell you what salvation is NOT!

1. Works based.

2. Belonging to a Church, no matter the name over the door.

3. Following a group and being an elitist. (those with enlightenment and always seeking more)

4. Just believing in that "good old boy feeling of God" and that he will never send anyone to Hell.

5. Just having hope in what you believe is true.

6. Having faith in any human being no matter their position, stature, knowledge or wealth.

7. Just believing in Jesus.

8. Baptism.

SALVATION IS

1. 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. If a gift is a true gift then you cannot earn it; it is given to you. You cannot work your way to heaven. Matthew 7: 21-23 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Vs. 22 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?" Vs. 23 "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity". Pretty clear that you can't work you're way to heaven.

2. The Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees were all "religious people" and yet Jesus called them "Dogs", Vipers and even said "Woe unto you" and when Christ said Woe it was not to stop a donkey. The Bible says in 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." No folks, going to church and acting good and giving your money isn't going to get you there either. Standing in your garage does not make you a car, any more than going to church makes you a Christian.

3. Galatians 1: 8-10 "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Vs 9 "As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Vs 10 "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ". If it is not in the Word of God, you can seek and follow to get so called enlightened but you will not have salvation.

4. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear. Isaiah, 59: 2. God is a holy God and cannot, and will not tolerate sin. He is not a "Good old Boy" He is a loving and just Father. "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;"

1Peter, 1: 15.

5. You can believe in anything but is what you believe in real? You will stand without excuse and you may have been be sincere in what you believed but any belief other than the Word of God is error. Romans 1: 19-2 "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them." Vs 20 "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:" Vs 22 "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." Vs 23 "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools," You have to take what God says is the way of salvation, Period.

6. "For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" No one else alive or dead is a mediator for you to God." (See Romans 3: 10-12).

7. Satan believes in Jesus, in fact he knows that he knows Him. However he's not making it to heaven. So just believing that there was this man Jesus is not going to get you into heaven either.

8. Oh boy!! Hot topic here for some "religious" people. I have heard People and even so called Baptist preacher's say that without Baptism you will not be saved. They throw 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 22:16 "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Mark 16: 16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." Those that hold this view of YOU MUST BE BAPTIZED to be saved, extrapolate that dogma from taking random texts out of context to make it a pretext. If their teaching is true then we have a problem with the whole of salvation and the personage of Jesus. Let me explain the problem. If water baptism saves you in conjunction with faith and Christ's shed Blood and his resurrection, then Christ lied to us in His Holy Word. Acts 10: 34 "Then Peter opened [his] mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:" Romans, 2: 11 "For there is no respect of persons with God. Colossians, 3: 25 "But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons." 1Peter 1: 17 "And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning [here] in fear:" Read Luke, 23: 39-43 Where Jesus hangs between to malefactors and one taunts Him and the other accepted Him By Faith and Repentance. Jesus says to the repentant thief "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." The thief was not baptized. So Did Jesus lie? What about respecter of persons? If we have to do it why did not he? Salvation is not baptism, Baptism comes from the word "baptizmo" meaning to dunk. If baptism is part of salvation then every time you go swimming or take a bath your saved. Totally ridiculous, isn't it? Baptism is a picture of following Christ in His death, burial and resurrection and you publicly showing that. It also is a ordinance given to the Church. Baptism does not save you.

So how are you saved or born again?

1. Agree with God that you are a sinner and lost apart from Jesus. Knowing that you deserve hell.

2. Confess your sins to God and believe that Jesus is the only Son of God and that he died was buried and rose again on the third day and He did it for you. ""That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans, 10: 9. "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans, 10:10.

3. Repent of your sins. The word repent means to "turn away from." Many a church now days teach that "Jesus loves you so accept him as your Lord" but leave out the part that you must turn away from your life style of sins and wanting to sin. "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke, 13:3. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; " Acts 3: 19. There has to be a turning around! You cannot keep going on the same path and really mean for the Lord to save you from your sins. If your driving from Ohio to California and decide that you want to go to New York instead. You can keep right on traveling west and saying your going to New York, but, you have to turn around, go opposite of the way you're going. Same thing with repentance.

4. Ask Christ to Be Your Savior and Believe ("faith" ) When you ask Christ to save you, then by faith believing you accept his promise that he will. "And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Acts, 2: 21. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." John 6 :37. You accept His finished work on Calvary and his shed blood to save you and there is nothing else you can do. Accept His gift of eternal life. NO MATTER what sins you have committed they will be wiped out, remembered no more by God.

If the Lord has convicted you today, won't you accept His gift of love. Just bow your head and ask him. Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and know that you died for me. I repent of my sins and know that I need your help. Wash me and cleanse me, come into my heart and be my savior and by faith I believe you will. Thank you Jesus. Amen

If you prayed that prayer, please let me know. I would like to send some material to you for a help in your new life. YOU are a new creation in Christ! God Bless You. Now go and find a KJV Bible teaching, preaching church and follow Christ in Baptism.

If you are a backslider and need to get back in fellowship with the Lord, just ask him to forgive you because He is waiting for you to turn around. He has open arms waiting. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1John, 1: 9. If I can be of help, please contact me.

If you don't know for sure that you are saved, pray the sinners prayer and you can know for sure that you are because God wants us to know for sure. "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."

1John, 5 :13.

If you want to contact me, I would like to send you some material on a new life with the Lord.

Thank you for your time. / Pastor Charles E. Wilson