Thursday – June 2, 2016
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us, each one, prepare to receive the Word of God making His Words our words. God is so good, because His intent, His will, is for His Words to work in our mouths just as they do in His mouth.
Just to refresh, most denominations or sects believe that the others are up the proverbial creek with no paddles (not saved and headed to hell) and some of them are even cults when they pass some imaginary line. Yesterday I established that there really is no standard definition of a cult, it really boils down to people who don’t believe what I believe and at some point they fall into a cult as opposed to other people that don’t believe what I believe yet as not classified as a cult. For example the Assembly of God denomination do not call Episcopalians a cult but border on calling Catholicism a cult and definitely view Mormons as a cult. Is any of this true? I sat down to lunch with a Christian Pastor one day and he starts talking about angels having sex with women today in the earth creating a super-race of humans like in the days of Noah. This is a common teaching among Christians at least the part about fallen angels having sex with human women in the days of Noah producing giants (Genesis 6:1-7). This is an absolutely false doctrine, a doctrine of devils. I have neither the time, space or for that matter patience (due to its utter absurdity) to pursue this today, perhaps another time.
As a way of sorting this out let’s take a look at the criteria for salvation. The question is this: if you meet the criteria for salvation but you also have some other belief like the pastor I mentioned above are you lost. Keep in mind that most of what we believe has nothing at all to do with the Bible yet it does not disqualify us from the Kingdom of God. For example I have never had a person come into my house and not sit down on the couch without a single examination of the couch. Those of us who drive vehicles have absolute faith that if we turn the steering wheel clockwise the vehicle will go right. Of course this list could go on and on. We don’t put this in the “religious” bucket but it is a part of our belief system and I hope all would agree does not disqualify us from the Kingdom of God. What did Jesus say about salvation, entry into the Kingdom of God.
John 3:3 (KJV)
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Criteria number one: We must be born again, born from above, born from death to life by the Holy Spirit upon confession of Jesus as Lord and Savior. At that point we enter and can partake of the Kingdom of God. I know it does not say all of that in this one verse but it does as we take in the fullness of Scripture.
John 3:5-6 (KJV)
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Criteria number two: To be saved, born again, you must be a human being born again by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. Salvation is not available to spirits (those who have already died and departed their bodies) and salvation, redemption is not available to angels including Satan or even the Holy Angels.
John 3:14-18 (KJV)
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
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.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
1 John 4:15 (KJV)
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
Criteria number three: Each of us individually must believe upon and confess Jesus as the Son of God to enter into everlasting life, the Kingdom of God.
Romans 10:9-10 (KJV)
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Criteria number four and five: Each of us must (4) confess the Lord Jesus and (5) believe in our hearts that God (the Father by the Holy Spirit) raised Him from the dead.
1 John 4:1-3 (KJV)
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
Criteria number six: Each of us must confess that Jesus has come in the flesh (as a human/man).
1 John 2:21-23 (KJV)
21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
Criteria number seven: Each of us must believe that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah, Anointed One).
So, if a person confesses, believes with their heart all seven criteria listed for salvation but have some off the wall, so to speak, other belief are they lost? Of course not! We all have some nutty ideas but thank God they don’t disqualify us from the Kingdom. Monday I will again pick-up with this again and finish.
By Dr. David R. Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
