God will not be bought off by anyone. No one can serve God and demand repayment. Romans 11: 35 says "Who has ever given to God, That God should repay him?" (NIV)
Many people are offended that the Bible teaches that their good works do not buy them a stairway to heaven. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. The Bible repeatedly states that our good works do not erase or counterbalance our sins. This is the offense of the cross.
The greatest gift -- forgiveness of sins -- becomes the greatest insult. The cross is the rejection of our works. Our works, however noble, cannot bring us to God. We must humbly admit that God's holiness, God's perfection, is beyond us. Our only recourse is to embrace the cross.
The Pharisees who were the religious leaders of Jesus' day thought that their strict observance of Old Testament law qualified them to walk straight through heaven's gate. Jesus said to them "Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you."
A harlot knows she's a sinner. She has no good works with which to buy heaven. The harlot gladly embraces the cross and receives the gift of salvation purchased by the sufferings of Christ. Also please realize that once she receives forgiveness she stops being a harlot and starts living a godly Christian life in profound gratitude for her salvation!
On the other hand a virtuous woman must also admit that she can't buy heaven with good deeds. She also must embrace the cross. It is harder for the good woman because she must let go of her trust in her good works. That's the offense of the cross!
Paul the Apostle wrote the following under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 2:8&9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." (NAS) No matter whether a person is a death row inmate or a philanthropist both can receive forgiveness of sins by humbly asking God by faith on the basis of Jesus' death and resurrection. Forgiveness is given by grace. Grace means gift!
Once they receive forgiveness both the death row inmate and the philanthropist can humbly present themselves to God and say What good works do you want me to do? Salvation comes before good works!
Let's not be offended by the cross but rather be humbled by it. We must humbly receive the gift of eternal life by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus and asking for forgiveness.
The Bible is scientifically accurate! Find the evidence at www.icr.org.
Steps to salvation:
Jesus said "Ye must be born again." (John 3:7)
- Believe that God created you and loves you and sent the Messiah (Messiah is Hebrew for Christ) to redeem you.
- Believe that Jesus the Messiah came in fulfillment of over 300 Bible prophecies to die for you to take upon Himself the penalty for your sins. (Isaiah 53:5-6, John 6:29, Romans 4:5, First Peter 3:18)
- Turn from sin and call on the name of Jesus to receive forgiveness. (Romans 10:13)
- Receive Jesus as Savior and experience the new birth. (John 1:12, Acts 2:38)
- Follow Him as Lord. (John 14:21)
"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13)
To receive the salvation that Jesus purchased for us at the terrible cost of His suffering and death on our behalf I invite you to pray this simple prayer:
"Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Jesus, the promised Messiah, to die for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit to empower me to serve you under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, Amen."
If you prayed that prayer in the humble sincerity of your heart then you have received everlasting life, which includes power to live right in this life and entrance into heaven in the afterlife!
Bill Nugent, Overcomer Ministries of West Harrison, New York, USA
(C) 2010 William P. Nugent, permission granted to email or republish if credit given
Read Bill Nugent's award winning Christian book, Lawful or Legalistic: How New Testament Believers Must Understand Old Testament Laws. For more information and to order click here.
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DEFENDING THE FAITH
APOLOGETIC ARTICLES
Bill Nugent currently writes a series of articles called "Defending the Faith" which, as the title suggests, defend the Christian faith from the many attacks leveled against it in our postmodern world.
The articles deal with such topics as evolution, UFOs, cults, modern/postmodern philosophy, liberal theology and popular culture. At the end of each article is an invitation to receive Christ as Savior and Lord. These articles are sent out over the Internet to several opt-in email lists. People who receive these articles are encouraged to resend them to their own lists and in this way reach their own unsaved relatives and friends with the Gospel.
All Defending the Faith articles are © 2009 William P. Nugent, permission is granted to email or republish if credit given.
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