#2 of #5 “Can You Lose Your Salvation?”
Continued from Crumb 0037
“God has just one purpose today”, and that is, “to take out of them (the Gentiles, that’s us in this age of Grace) a people for His Name” [Acts 15:14].
“Purpose” is one of the Awesome attributes of God.
SO how exactly is God accomplishing this Great Purpose of His?”
Only through ‘believing + nothing else’ in the Gospel of salvation revealed exclusively to the apostle Paul for us.
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel (only Paul’s 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 [Galatians 1:11-12], 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:” [1 Corinthians 15:1-4].
Paul tells us in [Romans 1:16] that this good news, this Gospel, “is the Power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes”.
In other words, this Gospel of Paul’s releases the “saving Power Of God” into a believing heart.
All that God needs is a true believing heart, not just a mental ascent.
“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made (coming into agreement with) unto salvation” [Romans 10:10].
The Gospel Of Satan
Satan has a gospel of his own too. It is a counterfeit one.
His gospel is one of good works and the world falls for it.
Satan the devil is a liar and is the “father of lies” [John 8:44].
HE is a great promoter of good and charitable works and teaches us to be good human beings through many ways. He teaches us a lot about self-righteousness, positive thinking, and to be self-made men and women.
“Name it and claim it” and “mind over matter” are very popular teachings of his. The world loves it.
Religion in every form and shape is his greatest weapon.
These days he desperately promotes the goodness of humanity, especially through social media. We see so much of it everyday.
Breath taking videos of men saving cats and dogs and other animals are very popular.
“ARK”, Acts of Random Kindness are big hits. Does that sound familiar?
There is nothing wrong with any of these for they are indeed good. And these we will do as and when we have opportunity.
But Satan is promoting all these things desperately with an agenda to “hide the cross”.
For he knows the truth of the cross. He knows that salvation is a free gift from God and is void of any kind of works.
And he knows that if you see the cross, he’ll lose you forever.
Satan Has His Agents
Satan, also with purpose, has no shortage of false apostles, deceitful workers, “transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ” [2 Corinthians 11:13].
We are seeing this rampantly mushrooming all over the place these days. These self-made apostles are ordaining themselves as ‘anointed’ men and women of God.
Paul tells us, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as ministers of righteousness;” whose end shall be according to their works” [2 Corinthians 11:14-15].
How does Paul the apostle further put it? “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world (Satan) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God should shine unto them” [2 Corinthians 4:3-4].
How does Satan blind the minds of men?
Satan has successfully led the world at large to believe that God is kind, loving and merciful and will not allow any of his creation to go to hell. Just keep doing good and you’ll be just fine.
He deceptively tells us that God knows our heart and it is the heart that really matters.
Really? What does Scripture say concerning God knowing our heart?
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” [Jeremiah 17:9]
So Satan will do everything possible to hide the cross from our sight.
The Cross Is Where It All Takes Place
God indeed is kind, loving and merciful, but HE has displayed that kindness, Love and mercy through the cross.
He had to sacrifice Himself first through His Son Jesus, in order to release His Grace and mercy to reach out to a lost and sinful world.
It is only through the cross that He reaches out to us. Hence it is only through the cross that we can reach out to Him.
God can never accept us as sons until we accept His Son at the cross.
The Cross is the meeting point between God and man. God will NOT accept any other ground.
God travelled from eternity to the cross and that is where His work was perfectly finished. That is where He has now rested and waits to meet us.
It is to the cross where to we need to journey to meet Him.
And it is only at the cross where we get to “cross over” from death to life.
We do that by acknowledging our sinful nature. Having done so we truly believe in His Gospel of Grace as revealed to Paul the apostle.
“The Cross Before Me, The World Behind Me”
[Continues in the next article CRUMB 0039 – SALVATION OUR GREATEST NEED]
Crumb 38
So many are looking to steal
gods glory by their so called good works whilst shunning him – it won’t work – your still in sin – we are saved for our works not by our works – you will naturally want to please your father once you have tasted his forgiveness – you MUST come via the cross.
“We are saved for our works not by our works” – well put Bro Jimmy. I’ll use that. Do check out my next one of this 4 part series. Your feed back is always so valuable. Cheers mate!