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..."Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?'!--Luke 13:23 ..."Who then can be saved?"--Mark 10:26
..."Men, what must I do to be saved?"--Acts 16:30
These are the most searching questions asked in the New Testament, the most important anyone could ask or answer. Who will be saved? What must I do to be saved? Am I saved, am I in the kingdom of God? Will I be accepted and welcomed by Him into His kingdom in the end or rejected? These are the most important questions one could ever ask because their answers will determine our eternal destiny, whether it be heaven or hell.
The Word of God itself--not the opinions of men no matter how sincere, nor the creeds of denominations--is the only true Source for the answers to these questions. And far too often, even when we use the Word of God to answer these questions, we cling to an incomplete answer. We do not take all that the New Testament says on the subject of salvation but only part of it. Of course, you could not tell someone everything the New Testament says about salvation at one time or every time the question was raised. But we should, in the course of time, instruct him in the whole counsel of God on the subject, beginning with what he needs to know first and progressing from there.
For the most part among "evangelicals," those who emphasize a personal experience and relationship with Christ for salvation, only those Scriptures that speak of the necessity of faith in Jesus Christ, in His blood, His death and resurrection are emphasized. But there are many other Scriptures that talk about the requirements for salvation that are either deliberately or unknowingly ignored or set aside.
For example, many make a false distinction between what Jesus said about salvation in the Four Gospels and what the apostles said about it in Acts and the Epistles. Certain statements of Christ concerning the necessity of being born again and believing on Him are retained while the rest is discarded as "teaching under the law." Scriptures that speak of the necessity of faith in Christ and the fact that salvation is a gift of grace are designated "salvation" Scriptures. Other verses in the Gospels and the Epistles that plainly refer to salvation or entrance into the kingdom of God are interpreted as referring to something else entirely, to "salvation in the temporal, not spiritual, sense" or are simply explained away. This false and dishonest handling of the Word of God has resulted in millions being deceived--thinking they are on the way to heaven even though they exhibit little evidence of being a true Christian and are actually on the broad way to hell instead.
We must beware of anyone who presents a way to heaven that is "easier" than Jesus' or that does not include the statements He made about the true way to heaven. Such a son, whether sincere or insincere (and both of these abound today) is properly a false prophet according to what Jesus said in Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:13-15. Jesus could not been wrong about how to get to heaven. He came from heaven for the express purpose of making it possible and showing us to get there. Jesus said, "There is a judge, for the one rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day" (John 12:48,NIV). Jesus said about entering the kingdom applies to all men everywhere for all times and is not "teaching under the law." He said, "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it" (Luke 16:16 NIV). In the great commission as recorded in Matthew, Jesus said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end o age" (Matthew 28:19,20,NIV). And in Hebrews 2:3 we read, shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed by those who heard him" (NIV).
Jesus is the door to heaven; what He said about salvation must not be set aside for any reason or falsely contradict what the apostles wrote concerning it. The apostles claimed nor even suggested that a "new dispensation" had Christ's words about salvation obsolete. Yet such is the i claim of many today! In addition, all of the apostles' teaching on salvation must be considered, not just a select part--the Scriptures that tell us to "believe." When we take a comprehensive approach to the Scriptures, we see that there is no real conflict between what Jesus said in the Gospels and what the apostles wrote in the Epistles about salvation but that each compliments the other.
One rule of sound Bible interpretation is that any doctrine must take into consideration all the Scriptures on subject, not just part of them. This study is an honest attempt (though not necessarily complete) to bring together all the Scriptures concerning the question, "Who Will Be Saved?" All of following are "salvation" Scriptures. The question of our eternal destiny is too crucial for us to guess at or play games with but deserves our full attention and diligence in answering and carrying out.
--Pastor Leon Stump
1. Those who do the will of God
2. Those who obey Jesus and keep His commandments
3. Those who deny themselves, take up their cross,and follow Him
8. Those who continue patiently in doing good
9. Those whose righteousness exceeds the Scribes' and Pharisees'
10. Those who are ready when Jesus returns
11. Those who strive to enter at the narrow gate
12. Those who have been born again
13. Those who have Christ in them
14. Those who repent
15. Those who believe on, call on, and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and are baptized
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