The Simple Truth
By Matt Leasher
In a world full of spiritual diversity the general
consensus of the way
to salvation has
always been a
subject of
conclusive
differences.
One of the
main culprits to
this confusion is
the many different
religions and
denominations within
those religions that
propose their
manmade doctrines of
how man can earn his
way to heaven.
If so many different faiths and religions have
their own conclusion
as to the way to
salvation then how
do we know who is
right?
They can't
all be right?
Surely the
Lord Himself would
not leave us
unknowingly stranded
with something as
important as how we
can spend eternal
life in His
presence. So then
how do we know what
the Lord has to say
about this issue?
The answer is
simple and the
source for that
answer is obvious –
The Bible!
You say, but the Bible was written by men!
That is the
classic cop-out for
many that breeze
through the Bible
like its a doctor's
office magazine and
claim that they have
evaluated it to be
false or errant.
The person
that studies the
Scriptures humbly
seeking God won't
take long to hear
God speaking to him
through His Words
and will soon see
that there is no way
that men on their
own accord could
have compiled those
66 books to reveal
God in the way that
they do.
Even if God
Himself wrote the
entire Bible in the
presence of the
whole world it would
only take one or two
generations later,
(that didn't
physically see Him
do it), to deny that
He did it.
So it is only
natural that the
Lord would have His
children write down
His Words at His
dictation via the
Holy Spirit.
With that said, it only seems logical that we turn
to God's Word for
the answer to the
way to salvation,
(and almost all
other issues as
well).
In turning to
the Word of God we
find that the answer
to the way of
salvation is a
simple one:
"I am the way, the
truth, and the life.
No one comes to the
Father except
through Me." (John
14:6)
There you have it!
Jesus is the
way to heaven.
This
statement from Jesus
is case closed.
You say, how
so?
Because Jesus
is Lord (Hebrews
1:8), so what He
says is truth and
the Lord cannot lie,
(Titus 1:2 & Hebrews
6:18).
More
importantly Jesus
made it simple for
us to get to heaven
but at a great
price.
He did the
hard part by
willingly suffering
a cruel Roman
crucifixion and then
taking on the sins
of the entire world.
He satisfied God's
wrath towards sin
therefore freeing us
from condemnation.
All we have to do is
put our faith in His
atonement on the
cross for our sins.
Faith in Jesus
Christ is the only
way to heaven.
"Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and you
will be saved" (Acts
16:31)
The above verse was what the apostle Paul told the
jailer when he asked
how to be saved.
It is such a
simple statement and
yet so hard for so
many to grasp. All
of today's religions
and doctrines of
self-acclaimed works
make it hard for
others to see the
simple truth.
If you are
trusting and relying
on your good deeds
to get you into
heaven then you are
on the wrong path.
"Enter by the narrow
gate; for wide is
the gate and broad
is the way that
leads to
destruction, and
there are many who
go in by it.
Because
narrow is the gate
and difficult is the
way which leads to
life, and there are
few who find it."
(Matthew
7:13-14)
Many will enter through the wide gate that leads to
destruction because
they follow the
"works based"
doctrines of their
religion or
denomination instead
of simply relying on
Jesus Christ alone –
the way that leads
to life.
The simple
message of grace
through faith is too
difficult for their
pride and ego to
accept.
They want to
say, "look what I
did" at the end of
their lives as their
pass into heaven.
But if you are
saying, "look what I
did" at the end of
your life.... you
won't be in heaven!
By deciding
that you want to
earn your salvation
by your own merit
you are actually
cursing yourself
because then God
would also have to
judge all of the bad
things you did as
well and if you ever
sinned against God
so much as once then
you can't dwell with
a perfect and holy
God.
So it isn't
at all about what
you did, it is all
about what Christ
did for you at
Calvary.
The biggest misconception of the religions that
teach a "works
based" salvation,
(such as Islam,
Catholicism,
Mormonism, and
Judaism), is that
they do not fully
recognize Christ's
sacrifice as the
complete atonement
for our sins, if
even at all. In fact
“religion” in itself
is a dangerous
thing. Islam is a
religion of
submission and
demands. You earn
your way to heaven
with fasting, prayer
calls and giving
alms.
It even
teaches that your
own martyrdom at the peril of your enemies will grant you
an instant
high-ranking
position into
heaven. A deceptive
Satanic lie if there
ever was one. In
Islam Jesus Christ
is only a prophet.
They do not
acknowledge Him as
Lord, Messiah or as
the sacrificial
substitute for sin.
In the case of
Mormonism and
Catholicism they
want to add to the
redemptive work of
the Cross of Christ.
As if Christ's
crucifixion and
resurrection were
not enough.
Catholicism even
teaches the doctrine
of purgatory where
one goes after death
to obtain
purification to make
them worthy to enter
into heaven. Again,
insinuating that
Christ’s sacrifice
was insufficient for
the atonement of
sins. Furthermore,
the Bible teaches
nothing of an
intermediate state
between heaven and
hell whatsoever! If
the Bible doesn’t
mention it then it
simply does not
exist so don’t put
any trust in it.
Judaism is
still living by the
Old Testament law
disregarding Christ
as the Messiah. We
can certainly see
that “religion” does
not lead us to
heaven. If you are
counting on the
doctrines of these
religions for your
eternal salvation
then you are simply
spinning your
wheels. No matter
how many times you
say the rosary, or
how much you try to
perfect yourself, or
how well you try to
keep the Old
Testament law, at
the end of the day
you still fall short
of God's standards!
"For all have sinned
and fall short of
the glory of God"
(Romans 3:24)
"For whoever shall
keep the whole law,
and yet stumble in
one point, he is
guilty of all"
(James 2:10)
James 2:10 tells us that even if we sinned only
once in our entire
lifetime we cannot
go to heaven.
If you are
counting on your
deeds to get you
into heaven then you
would have to live a
completely perfect
sinless life that
adheres to God's
perfect standards.
God standards can be
found in the Ten
Commandments,
(Exodus 20:2-17 and
again in Deuteronomy
5:6-21).
There is only
one person that ever
walked the earth
that was able to do
that – Jesus Christ.
Only a
perfect being would
be able to qualify
to make atonement
for sin.
That perfect
being is God come
down to us in the
flesh to do what no
man could do. Save
us from our sins.
Praise be to the
Lord Jesus Christ!
The giving of the law was not only God's way of
advising us how we
should live but it
was also so that we
could recognize what
sin is. Furthermore
it also reflects
just how perfect we
would have to be to
live up to His
standards.
"Now we know that
whatever the law
says, it says to
those who are under
the law, that every
mouth may be
stopped, and all the
world may become
guilty before God.
There by the deeds
of the law no flesh
will be justified in
His sight, for by
the law is the
knowledge of sin."
(Romans 3:19-20)
Realizing that we cannot keep the law should bring
us to repentance.
When many people
hear that they need
to repent they get
offended.
"What do you mean I need to repent? I'm not a bad person."
We must
remember that God
does not judge us by
human standards but
by His divine holy
standards and His
standards are much
higher than ours.
God knows our sinful
condition and He
wants us to come to
Him. Repentance is
not a reprimand.
Repentance is an
invitation!
"Come to Me, all you
who labor and are
heavy laden, and I
will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon
you and learn from
Me, for I am gentle
and lowly in heart,
and you will find
rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy
and My burden is
light". (Matthew
11:28-30)
"Come now, and let
us reason together,”
Says the LORD,
"Though your sins
are like scarlet,
they will be white
as snow;
Though they are red
like crimson, they
shall be as wool."
Our God is reasonable. No matter what you've done
or what burdens you
are lugging around
with you He wants
you to come to Him.
That is what
repentance is about.
It is a change of
heart.
The Lord does
not want our good
deeds, or our
charity, or our
alms. He wants our
hearts.
King David
knew this when he
wrote:
"For You do not
desire sacrifice, or
else I would give
it; You do not
delight in burnt
offering. The
sacrifices of God
are a broken spirit,
a broken and a
contrite heart –
these O God, You
will not despise".
(Psalm 51:16-17)
After our hearts have been changed through
repentance then it
should show in our
life and our deeds.
Our good deeds are a
reflection of our
salvation and our
devotion to the One
that has saved us.
Our newfound
salvation should
result in our desire
to please the Lord.
Everyone's
conversion is
different. Some may
change slowly,
others may change
immediately but one
way or another there
should be some kind
of change in us.
This change is a
result of the grace
that we have freely
received from God.
"For by grace you
have been saved
through faith, and
that not of
yourselves; it is
the gift of God, not
of works, lest
anyone should boast.
(Ephesians 2:8-9)
There will be no boasting in heaven.
There will
only be praise to
Jesus Christ who
saved us from the
depths of sin and
death. He did it
all. There is
nothing that can be
added by us to
obtain salvation.
When Jesus
took His last breath
on the cross He
said, "It is
finished" (John
19:30).
You can
rejoice and rest in
peace in those three
words!
Any religion
or denomination that
adds to the work of
the Cross of Christ
is on the path to
destruction and
leading many others
down that road.
Deception
from religions and
denominations can be
avoided by knowing
your Bible.
The Bible
contains the Truth.
Christ does
not want to play
religion with you.
Christ wants
a relationship with
you.
Jesus Christ
is offering
forgiveness at no
cost to you other
than an honest and
humble heart.
However this
forgiveness that He
offers came at a
high price for Him.
That price is
evident in the scars
on His hands, feet
and chest, which are
still there! (see
Zechariah 12:10).
They are the
only man-made things
in heaven!
If you can’t accept Christ’s offer of forgiveness
then you can’t be
forgiven.
He did the
hard part all you
have to do is accept
it.
It’s free,
cost you nothing,
and you don’t even
have to leave your
house to get it.
You can
obtain eternal
salvation right
where you are
sitting.
He makes it
simple for us.
Religious deeds will
run you ragged but
accepting the Lord
into your heart is a
simple matter that
only requires
humbling yourself to
the Holy Spirit.
Such a simple
task but yet with so
much at stake!
I would like to illustrate this in an analogy.
Suppose you
contracted this
fatal disease (sin)
and your doctor
(Jesus) gives you a
pre-paid formula
(The Cross) that is
the
only cure
for that disease but
you decide that you
are going to cure
yourself with your
own remedies
(works).
Who is to
blame when you die
(hell) without being
cured?
Accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior means that
God doesn’t see your
sins at Judgment.
He sees the
pure righteousness
of Jesus Christ that
you have been
clothed with,
(Romans 13:14).
THAT is what
qualifies you into
heaven and then you
can enter into the
presence of the
Father. Receive the
grace of Christ and
make the Lord your
Father, not your
Judge!
The gospel, (good
news), of Jesus
Christ is such a
simple matter that
Jesus says we need
to be like little
children to accept
it, (Matthew 18:4).
The core of the
gospel is this:
We are all
sinners.
We need to
recognize that we
are sinners. We need
to accept that Jesus
Christ paid the
price for our sins
on the cross and
then we need to ask
Him into our heart
and for His
forgiveness.
If we do that
with a sincere and
contrite heart, He
will not turn any of
us down. No
“religion” is able
to that for you.
That is the
simple truth!
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and
the one who comes to
Me I will by no
means cast out."
(John 6:37)