“For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” — Ephesians 2:8
What a precious Scripture! God
couldn't be any planer in His Word... eternal life is a free GIFT from God. A
“gift” means something acquired without compensation, that is, you cannot earn
it. If a person were required to do anything to have eternal life, other than
simply receive it, then it wouldn't be a gift. Romans 5:15 states...
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.”
May I say, you don't have to
qualify to receive “a gift.” There are no obligations before, during, nor after
receiving “a gift.” You don't have to live a certain way to authenticate if
you've really received “a gift.” A gift is a gift is a gift! Eternal life and
forgiveness of sins is a free gift offered to us, but it cost God His only
begotten Son (John 3:16 - all quotes from trustworthy King James Bible). God
paid the greatest price because He loves us! Anyone who personally receives the
Biblical good news (Gospel) of Christ crucified, buried and risen is saved!
It's that free and simple! If you believe that Christ died on the cross for
your sins, and that He rose, you are saved! It is a gift! John 6:28-29, “Then
said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on
him whom he hath sent.”
And again, in Romans 5:18 we
read...
Romans 5:18, “Therefore as by the
offence of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by
the righteousness of one [Jesus] the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life.”
God freely offers eternal life to
all mankind, to anyone who desires to have it, by faith in the gospel of Jesus
Christ. The Bible tells us that Jesus died upon the cross for our sins. Jesus
was buried. Then Christ miraculously resurrected bodily from the dead three
days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Jesus took His literal physical blood and
ascended into Heaven, entering into the Holy Place and SPRINKLING His precious
blood upon the Mercy Seat in the presence of God the Father (Hebrews 9:12;
22-24).
My friend, get that word into your
mind concerning eternal life... it is a GIFT. A free GIFT! It cannot be earned,
nor merited, nor are there any living requirements to obtain it. Our churches
today are plagued with all sorts of false teachings on salvation that add human
effort to faith, corrupting “the simplicity that is in Christ” (2nd Corinthians
11:3-4). Eternal life is a gift, no different than a gift that is sitting under
the Christmas tree just waiting for you to open it. Nothing you can give will earn
for you eternal life. God promised to save them that believe the Gospel.
Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that
come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
It's that easy to be saved.
Ephesians 2:8, “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.” Whether doing good works or ceasing from bad
works, both are DEAD WORKS!
Jesus Paid For Everyone's Sins
Jesus paid for the sins of all
mankind with His own precious literal blood. We read in 1st John 2:2 that Jesus
paid for the sins of the whole world...
1st John 2:2, “And he is the
propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the
whole world.”
Notice that Jesus is the SAVIOR OF
ALL MEN (which includes women too) ...
1st Timothy 4:9-11, “This is a
faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and
suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all
men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach.”
Jesus paid for the sins of all
unbelievers, including false prophets who refuse to receive God's free gift of
salvation...
2nd Peter 2:1, “But there were
false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers
among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord
that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”
How could anyone say that Jesus
didn't die for everyone in view of such plain Scriptures? Calvinism is a false
doctrine, and John Calvin (1509-1564) was a heretic. Followers of John Calvin
believe that Jesus only died for the saved, and not for unbelievers.
However, the Word of God condemns
such heretical teaching. According to the Bible, from the Scriptures we've
read, Jesus died for the sins of the whole world. Thus, eternal life is a free
gift that is available to anyone who wants it. Tragically, most people are
sinful proud, and refuse to come to God by way of the Son of God. Jesus plainly
stated...
John 5:40, “And ye will not come to
me, that ye might have life.”
Jesus said “will not,” but He
didn't say “cannot.” You can be saved if you want to be, but you MUST come to
God the Father through Jesus Christ His Son...
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.”
Christ died on the cross for our
sins, was buried, and bodily raised up three days later. This is the Gospel
(good news) by which we are saved. Simply receive the Gospel as full payment
for your sins...
1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover,
brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also
ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep
in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 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.”
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.”
Many churchgoers are confused about
the plan of salvation, because there is so much debate over what it really
means to be a Christian. If you keep in mind the Biblical truth that eternal
life is a free gift, then you won’t be led astray. Beware of false prophets
like Jehovah's witnesses who say that eternal life is a free gift, but you must
also have works to get it. This is the demonic forked-tongue, double-talk, that
satanic religious cults are notorious for using. Satan fully knows that the
best place to hide a lie is between two truths. This is why Satan uses false
religions like Mormonism and Seventh Day Adventists, who claim to be Christian,
to deceive people. Get you a King James Bible and don't let religion blind you.
Remember, religion wants to fit you with glasses, but the Lord wants to open
your eyes!
God Has An Unconditional Love For
Mankind
The Holy Bible tells us that God
has an unconditional love for all mankind...
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.”
Only a misguided fool would dare
claim that God doesn't love all people, sinners included. The truth is that we
are ALL sinners (Romans 3:10,23). It's a good thing that God loves sinners, or
else none of us could go to Heaven. God loves sinners; BUT, He does not love
the sins they commit. God hates all sin. The ONLY basis upon which a person may
be accepted by God is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross, and the
precious blood that He sprinkled upon the mercy seat in Heaven to wash away our
sins (Hebrews 9:12,24; 1st Peter 1:18-19; 1st John 1:7).
God loves you and me because of Who
He is, not for who we are. Likewise, the offer of eternal life is a gift based
upon what God has done for us by the sacrifice of His Son on the cross, and not
upon what we can do for Him. God sent His only begotten Son into the world to
die on the cross for man's sins. Jesus (Who knew no sin), because as sin for us
(who knew no righteousness). He 2nd Corinthians 5:21, “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.” Amen. Eternal life is a completely free gift from God, with no hidden
bombshells in the contract. The gift of eternal life is rooted in God's
unconditional love for humanity, which compelled Christ to willingly go to the
cross to suffer, bleed and die for us (Romans 5:8; 1st John 3:16). Hebrews
12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down
at the right hand of the throne of God.”
No one hates sin as much as God. We
read in Hebrews 1:9 that Jesus hated iniquity. In John 2:15 we find Jesus
extremely angry because of greedy men who had turned the church into a
money-making business.
In Psalm 97:10 the Bible instructs
all believers who love the Lord to HATE EVIL. As believers we should hate sin,
but love the sinner with an unconditional love. God's love is unconditional,
i.e., God loved us enough to send His only begotten Son into this world to pay
for our sins, knowing just how sinful we would one day be...
Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his
love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Every Christian ought to have a
hate life. I realize this goes contrary to the ecumenical compromise of our day
that preaches love, love, love; but Psalm 97:10 tells us to hate evil. Psalm
94:16 asks...
Psalms 97:10, “Who will rise up for
me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of
iniquity?”
If you think God is a big Teddy
Bear Whose love surpasses His moral perfection and demand for justice, then you
are woefully deceived! All Christ-rejecters will burn in the Lake of Fire...
“In flaming fire taking vengeance
on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ.” —2nd Thessalonians 1:8
Do not be deceived, anyone who
refuses to obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ, i.e., to BELIEVE on Jesus Christ
for the forgiveness of one's sins, they will burn in Hell one day. Salvation is
not a trifle matter, or a magical prayer, or a religious experience—it is when
a guilty sinner (under the condemnation of God's Law, who deserves to burn in
Hellfire) comes to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, believing solely upon the
Savior to forgive their sins and save them.
No One Can Turn From All Their Sins
Beware of false prophets who add
the unbiblical requirement of “turning away from your sins” as being necessary
to go to Heaven. The truth is that no one can turn away from their sins. I
don't care how much you reform and clean up your act, you will still have sin
in your life. Everyone sins! We all sin every day, whether in deed, word or
thought. We sin by not doing good things that we should do (James 4:17), like
praying for others (1st Samuel 12:23). Oh, how we are all horrible sinners! The
very notion of having to make Jesus one's Lord to be saved, forsaking the world
and purposing in one's heart to turn away from sinful bad habits, is a woeful
fraud! Who can turn away from all his sins? If repentance means “turning away
from sin,” then we are all going to burn in the Lake of Fire forever, because
no one can turn away from all their sins!
The truth is that Biblical
repentance means “to think differently,” which is entirely different than the
modern English definition of the word. On page 114 of the excellent book by
Michael Patrick Bowen titled, “I NEVER KNEW YOU,” the author provides an accurate
explanation of true Biblical repentance...
“Repent, as Christ meant it to be
in terms of salvation, means to change your mind from trusting in what you can
do for God to trusting only in what He can do for you.”
Our evangelical churches are filled
with Christians who commit and tolerate envy, discord, hatred, gossip, lust and
self-righteous hypocrisy (and much worse) in their personal lives. It's not
right. God does not approve. Yet, we are all sinners. Don't judge others
because they sin differently than you do! Pastor Bob Gray Sr. says...
“Repentance means to change your
mind—change your mind—change your mind about how you want to get to Heaven to
what God says you've got to do to get to Heaven. If you've got to repent of all
your sins, you're still headed for Hell tonight.”
Eternal life is a free gift. If
repentance means turning from sin, then salvation cannot be a free gift. It
would instead become a reward. Salvation is not partial faith in Christ plus
human effort; but rather, it is completely resting in Christ, by total faith.
Human effort has no place in the salvation of man. We receive the gift of
eternal life by childlike faith in Christ, believing that He died on the cross
for our sins and rose from dead three days later. 1st Thessalonians 4:14, “For
if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in
Jesus will God bring with him.”
Eternal Life CANNOT Be Earned
As simple as this Biblical truth
is, religious groups everywhere today have perverted the simplicity which is in
Christ. We read in 2nd Corinthians 11:3...
2nd Corinthians 11:3, “But I fear,
lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your
minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
Many religious denominations
require their followers to perform good works, get baptized, keep sacraments,
tithe, observe the Sabbath Day, forsake sins, pray, recite the Rosary, or
partake of other religious practices to merit Heaven. These are all lies of the
Devil. John 8:44 calls Satan a "liar" and the "father of all
liars." There are many liars in the world today who teach the heresy of
works salvation. This is in sharp contrast to the simple teaching from God's
Word that eternal life is the gift of God.
A gift cannot be earned. You don't
have to be water baptized nor attend church services to go to Heaven. You
simply need to believe on the Savior—that He is the Christ Who died upon the
cross for our sins, was buried, and then resurrected from the dead after three
days. This is THE GOSPEL (good news) message by which we are saved if we
believe! No church died for you. No priest or minister bares the nail-scared
hands and feet as does the Lord Jesus Christ. No religious organization died on
the cross for you, nor would they be willing to. Ninety-nine percent of the
religious groups in America today just want your money. Jesus asks for nothing.
Eternal life is the free gift of God.
It is simple to be saved—we are
sinners and Jesus is the Savior. It's that simple. The important thing to
always remember is that eternal life is a free gift from God, paid for by the
precious literal, physical, blood of Jesus...
1st Peter 1:18-19, “Forasmuch as ye
know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,
from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with
the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
The apostle Paul writing under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God states...
Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin
is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
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