1. Follow Jesus
2. Forsake all.
3. Put Jesus on the throne of your life.
4. Confess Jesus before men.
5. Promise to live for Jesus.
6. Give your heart or life to Jesus.
7. Ask Jesus into your heart.
8. Commit your life to Jesus Christ.
9. Get your life turned around.
10. Turn away from the world toward God.
11. Surrender your life to Jesus Christ.
12. Make Jesus Lord of your life.
13. Invite Jesus into your life.
14. Be water baptized.
15. Turn from your sins.
16. Be willing to turn from your sins.
17. Be sorry for your sins.
18. Keep the Ten Commandments.
19. Do the will of God.
20. Do your best, sincerely.
Now proceed and find out if you are going to heaven.
Explanation:
No. 1-5 Salvation is not obtained by what you do for God; salvation is based on what God has done for you through Christ’s death for your sins and resurrection. (Romans 3:24-28; 4:5; 11:6)
No. 6 Salvation is receiving Christ by faith—not based upon giving anything. (John 1:12; Ephesians 2:8-9)
No. 7 Christ comes into the believer’s heart as a result of salvation by faith. (Colossians 1:14, 27)
No. 8-12 It is not your commitment or surrender that saves you, but Christ’s finished work alone. Good works are to be the result of receiving the gift of salvation; they are not the means of obtaining or maintaining salvation. (Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5, 8)
No. 13 Issue is belief (trust) in the Savior. Both thieves on the cross invited Christ to save them. But Jesus saved the thief that trusted in Him. (Luke 23:39-43)
No. 14 Water baptism is a means of public testimony for those who are already saved. It is not our works that save us, but faith in Christ alone. The Bible says: “But to him that works not, but believes on Him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” (Romans 4:5)
No. 15-17 The unsaved have no power to turn from sin (Ephesians 2:1). Jesus Christ saves us as we are (Romans 5:8), and then gives us power to have victory over sin. (Romans 7:24-25)
No. 18 No one has ever been saved by the Ten Commandments. (Galatians 2:16; 3:10-11)
No. 19 God’s will for salvation is to trust Christ as Savior. (John 6:40)
No. 20 Salvation cannot be earned. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
No! None of these things can save you. You can do nothing to earn eternal life. It is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone that can save you.
And by Him (Christ) all that believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39)
The way to have eternal life is not found in what we do ourselves, but by having a perfect righteousness given to us. We receive this when we believe the Lord Jesus Christ took our sins on Himself and paid for them by His death on the cross.
For He (God) had made Him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
The Bible states in no uncertain terms that a man’s good works and good intentions have no part in gaining salvation for him.
For by grace are you 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)
Not by works of righteousness which we [have] done, but according to His mercy He saved us.” (Titus 3:5)
Our part in salvation is only to trust in the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. It makes good sense to believe the word of the One who came back from the dead—it makes good sense to trust Him, right now! The message of faith only and the message of commitment of life cannot both be the gospel; therefore one of them is a false gospel and comes under the curse of perverting the gospel or preaching another gospel. (Galatians 1:8-9) You do not receive eternal life by working for it or trying to make yourself behave. You receive eternal life by believing the record God gave of His Son. Remember, if you disagree with these statements you are calling God a liar.
…He that believes not God has made Him a liar: because he believes not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. (1 John 5:10-11)
God, in His sovereignty, permits man’s destiny to depend upon man’s choice.
He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)
AFTER you are saved, obedience to God brings love, joy, peace, and happiness into your life. (Galatians 5:22-23) When we disobey God, He will discipline us, but our discipline will never be hell. God deals with us as a father deals with his son. (1 Corinthians 3:15; 5:5; 11:32) God will never cast us out or lose us.
…him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out…all which He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. (John 6:37, 39)
Salvation is in trusting the Savior. Jesus died to pay the penalty for all sin. He solved the sin problem—God is satisfied with the payment Jesus made. Doesn’t it make sense to believe the One who came back from the dead and trust Him for the payment of your sin? Why not do it now and you can be sure of going to heaven when you die. He loves you. Right now, why not accept the payment He has made for your sins and you can KNOW you have eternal life.
These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may KNOW that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)
Christ died…That’s history.
Christ died for me…That’s salvation!
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believes on Me HATH (possesses now) everlasting life. (John 6:47)
Great post, Ian. If only people would accept that Christ did it all for them and all they need to do is accept it. They would realize they don't need to bring anything with them to get on board.
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