6-15-23
What Is Salvation In The Bible?
The Day of Judgment Loving your neighbor is the REAL “SALVATION ISSUE.” Those who know THE LAWS OF GOD, of course, should obey ALL of them – all that God has revealed to them. To fail to do so would be SIN and REBELLION against God! Those who know God’s commandments, and still disobey, and fail to keep them will be judged accordingly! As Christ said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the WILL of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not PROPHESIED [PREACHED] in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will 17 declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice LAWLESSNESS’” (Matt.7:21- 23). So in the end, a “salvation issue” would be continual and deliberate DISOBEDIENCE to God, or presumptuous REJECTION of truth, knowingly. It is the sin of being confronted with the truth, understanding it, and then deliberately rejecting it and refusing to repent and change and accept God’s jurisdiction and authority over your life.
It is also known as the “unpardonable sin” (write for our article on this subject). This is not something to take lightly, but nor is it something in which we should attempt to judge others. Only God knows the hearts and minds and inner motives and thoughts of people (Heb.4:12). But as the apostle Paul wrote: “For it is impossible for those who were once ENLIGHTENED, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come, IF THEY FALL AWAY, to renew them to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame . . . whose end is to be burned” (Heb.6:4-8).
Paul also wrote, “For if we sin WILFULLY after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Heb.10:26-29). The Bottom Line For all of those being called of God now, who understand His Word, who have been given the knowledge of God, the requirements of salvation are clear. As Peter put it, “REPENT, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). “REPENT therefore and BE CONVERTED, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19).
The keys to eternal life, therefore, are to believe on Christ as the Messiah, and to follow His steps in all ways (I Pet.2:21) – to obey His every Word (I John 2:3-6). To strive to live by and obey “every word of God” (Matt.4:4; Luke 4:4). But the “bottom line” for ALL people, even those who are not called now, is to LOVE your neighbor – for if you don’t do this, then all the rest is nothing but vanity and hypocrisy – empty air and foolishness! You can keep ALL the commandments – the weekly Sabbath, the annual Holy Days, avoid unclean meats, abjure Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and all the other PAGAN holidays; you can wear 18 fringes on your garments (Num.15:37-41; Deut.22:12), you even give your life as a martyr, but unless you have LOVE for your neighbor, it would ALL BE IN VAIN – just a VAIN SHOW – NOTHING BUT VANITY! In truth, Yeshua summed it ALL up when He said, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for THIS IS the Law and the Prophets” (Matt.7:12). All the rest, you might say, is “commentary.
Love, Walter and Debbie
What Is Salvation In The Bible?
The Day of Judgment Loving your neighbor is the REAL “SALVATION ISSUE.” Those who know THE LAWS OF GOD, of course, should obey ALL of them – all that God has revealed to them. To fail to do so would be SIN and REBELLION against God! Those who know God’s commandments, and still disobey, and fail to keep them will be judged accordingly! As Christ said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the WILL of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not PROPHESIED [PREACHED] in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will 17 declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice LAWLESSNESS’” (Matt.7:21- 23). So in the end, a “salvation issue” would be continual and deliberate DISOBEDIENCE to God, or presumptuous REJECTION of truth, knowingly. It is the sin of being confronted with the truth, understanding it, and then deliberately rejecting it and refusing to repent and change and accept God’s jurisdiction and authority over your life.
It is also known as the “unpardonable sin” (write for our article on this subject). This is not something to take lightly, but nor is it something in which we should attempt to judge others. Only God knows the hearts and minds and inner motives and thoughts of people (Heb.4:12). But as the apostle Paul wrote: “For it is impossible for those who were once ENLIGHTENED, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come, IF THEY FALL AWAY, to renew them to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame . . . whose end is to be burned” (Heb.6:4-8).
Paul also wrote, “For if we sin WILFULLY after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Heb.10:26-29). The Bottom Line For all of those being called of God now, who understand His Word, who have been given the knowledge of God, the requirements of salvation are clear. As Peter put it, “REPENT, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). “REPENT therefore and BE CONVERTED, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19).
The keys to eternal life, therefore, are to believe on Christ as the Messiah, and to follow His steps in all ways (I Pet.2:21) – to obey His every Word (I John 2:3-6). To strive to live by and obey “every word of God” (Matt.4:4; Luke 4:4). But the “bottom line” for ALL people, even those who are not called now, is to LOVE your neighbor – for if you don’t do this, then all the rest is nothing but vanity and hypocrisy – empty air and foolishness! You can keep ALL the commandments – the weekly Sabbath, the annual Holy Days, avoid unclean meats, abjure Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and all the other PAGAN holidays; you can wear 18 fringes on your garments (Num.15:37-41; Deut.22:12), you even give your life as a martyr, but unless you have LOVE for your neighbor, it would ALL BE IN VAIN – just a VAIN SHOW – NOTHING BUT VANITY! In truth, Yeshua summed it ALL up when He said, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for THIS IS the Law and the Prophets” (Matt.7:12). All the rest, you might say, is “commentary.
Love, Walter and Debbie