Your Invitation to the Kingdom
Have you ever asked yourself, “Where am I going to spend eternity?” It is curious that many people make elaborate plans for their short life on earth fail to plan for eternity. Yet planning for eternity is what accepting God’s plan of Salvation is all about. Are you ready to meet God?
Does it make any difference which gospel we believe? Yet, there is only “One Body, One Spirit," just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. “There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is the Father of all,” Ephesians 4:4-6. Why then, do people believe in so many gospels today?
I have a firm and deep conviction that there has never been a time in the history of Christian dispensation when there are more deceived people in the churches of our land than there are at this present time. It’s not as easy as many people supposed to find one who truly knows the Lord. Surely, they are not to be found in every church. John Wesley said: “Many people have been inoculated with a mild dose of Christianity that makes them immune to the real thing.” I believe this to be a descriptive and true statement today.
Sanctification, Justification, Reconciliation, Regeneration, Propitiation is just a few of the words the Bible used in the plan of Salvation. Then there is Manifestation, Transformation, Purification, Predestination, Preservation, and more, Transgression, Destination, Condemnation and Alienated. Let us be honest—don’t some of these religious terms seem vague, and meaningless, when you stop to think about it? But all of these words pertain to your Salvation and Eternal life. They all come into reality with the seven steps that we must tread. But, after this study you will understand this Biblical terminology in a Christian way.
Now let us make our journey down the seven roads to Eternal life. These roads to Salvation are as sharp as the razors edge. Anything less than total commitment to the goodness of God, which can be sins of omission or sins of commission, is short of sanctification. We are hallowed, set apart, to do and not to do as God’s words commands.
The problem we face in America and around the world is similar to the one that Jesus faced. There are churches on every corner; however, the salvation message that most people hear is not the Gospel He came teaching. The message that is being preached now by the mainstream Christian is that of a cheap grace. The world has never before seen an age when so many people are claiming the name of being a Christian as they are claiming today. But sad to say, among the great majority of these professing Christians, the “virtues of Christ” cannot be found.
By “cheap grace” we refer to the misconception that Salvation through the grace of God does not necessitate our trying to live a sinless life. By not having to give up our old ways, but becoming a new creature, (2 Corinthians 5:17-18; Galatians 6:15). How would continuing in sin compare with the effects of God’s grace so evident in the lives of the early Christians? “This Grace is so evident in the lives of the early Christians,” (Acts 4:33).
Jesus foretold of this period vividly; “For false Christ’s and false prophets will arise and show signs and
wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the very elect,” Matthew 24:24. It is time for all true people of God to awake to the great evil in many churches that have craftily put there by Satan through human agencies by their great evil one “Satan.” Christianity is the gospel of Salvation; it is also a way of life.
These false teachers are so deceptive with their novel doctrines that they creep in unaware, ungodly men,
denying the Lord Jesus Christ, Jude 4. And by their erroneous and counterfeit doctrine, they have denied our Lord! Do they deny the existence of God? No! They deny Him in other ways—mainly by claiming to be Christians, yet adhering to false doctrines, which were not the original teachings of the church.
The effect of grace on mankind could not possibly allow man to continue in sin for the very reason that we are “not under the law but under grace,” Romans 6:14. Grace removes sins! It cleanses our hearts and gives us a new outlook on life. John makes it very plain that Jesus came to take away our sins, not to annul or abolish the Law, Ten Commandments, that gives the knowledge of sin because the Ten Commandments is the “knowledge of sin,” 1 John 3:4.
But the Christian is not perfect upon conversion. He must grow spiritually, in grace and knowledge of Christ, 2 Peter 3:18. He is a creature of habit, and all former habits do not just automatically leave him. He must learn to overcome sin. It is inevitable that he may be caught off guard and make a mistake. Even though we may stumble occasionally, we are not turning back to the habitual and constant way of sin.
Now the true Christian intends to live for God. He tries to live God’s way. The occasional slip, or sin, does not mean that in his mind and heart he has rejected God and God’s way, but when we fail, (Isaiah 6:4-6; Romans 3:23), and confess our sins--and repent of it--God is faithful and just, (grace), to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” John 1:9.
“I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps,” Jeremiah 10:23. The Christian must grow spiritually. The newly converted person, born from above, sincerely has undergone a Transformation. As a child of God, the Christian now enjoys a personal relationship with God. God’s own divine nature lives within you and now you are walking down the pathway to eternal life.
As long as we, in our hearts, have the real desire to walk with God, we will be deeply sorry and repent when we commit sin. We will seek to overcome sin and make God’s way our only way of life then grace will cover those sins and God will remember them no more, Hebrews 8:12.
So, “Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to perdition wide and spacious, and many will take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to eternal life, and only a few find it,” Matthew 7:23-24. But salvation is not a free gift, but a way of escaping eternal death through the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ; God’s “free gift” to mankind was His only Son, Jesus Christ.
“If salvation is a free gift” why did Paul say confession and belief and much more were necessary? A “free gift” would make no demands whatever for one to be saved. Yes, there is a divine plan for one to have eternal life, that plan consists of Sanctification, Justification, Reconciliation and Transformation.
What is the first step to eternal life and the forgiveness of our sins? “We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:22. We all have to believe, this is the first step! The Bible says that when we believe in Jesus Christ, we are made right with God. Being brought into this relationship is the first step to finding peace of mind.
The necessary first step begins with Believing, but we must explain what that word means: it means, to have faith, trust, commitment, cling to, and rely on. It means to entrust our inner life in this present lifetime, and trust in our eternal life to Jesus Christ. It is the opposite of ignoring His existence. Belief in Jesus is not knowledge that He lived and was a great teacher, nor is it merely admitting that He is the Son of God who died and was resurrected. Rather, believing in Christ means placing our full confidence in Him. It is resting the entire weight of hope on Him, that He is the only Savior who can release us from the depth of sin.
In Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church, he said that since Christ died for all, “that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again,” 2 Corinthians 5:15. Take note of the fact that He is speaking of a Christian way of life. Here, the self-life ends. The Christian cannot serve God and Mammon, (world), it just cannot be done; it is impossible “to serve two masters,” Matthew 6:24.
One of the greatest fallacies of the so called “nominal” Christian is that it assumes that the only demand makes upon the believer is for him to accept Christ as his personal Savior. This novel idea claims that no work is required of any believer, regarding his soul’s salvation. Duty, obligation and the law are all downgraded to the trash can. This makes a very acceptable form of religion for the carnal mind, and the proof is in the millions that have gladly accepted its teachings.
He, who will faithfully study the Bible and the plain words of Christ, as they are presented in the four gospels, will surely come to the conclusion that the Christian Faith demands all the believer’s life. “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble,” James 2:19.
The second step we all must take to receive Justification instead of condemnation is the Repentance of one’s sins. Then, through Jesus Christ we can have Sanctification and be able to have Transformation to a new life.
What does it mean to Repent? How does it affect our salvation? “Except ye Repent ye shall all likewise perish?” Luke 13:3. Conviction is a strong sense of guilt with the realization of a need of help. This works out in two ways: Man’s part and God’s part. Man’s part has to do with his conscience, that inward knowledge of right and wrong. “And they which heard it, being convicted, by their conscience, went out one by one,” John 8:9. This inner knowledge, or conscience, is given to every rational person as a personal guide for protection and well-being. The Conscience can be strengthened or abused, (1 Timothy 4:2). But with the right conscience and motivation it can be the means of leading a person to God.
In the second chapter of Acts: Peter, a disciple of Christ, preached a sermon in which he told of Jesus Christ identity. He called upon his listeners to believe Jesus. The text then informed us that Peter’s words brought a sense of conviction to the people’s heart. They cried out, “men and brethren, what must we do?” Acts 2:37.
Jesus placed repentance in form of, or with Belief of the gospel, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: Repent ye, and believe the gospel,” Mark 1:15. And the great commission was given that they were to preach “Repentance and remission of sin in the name of Jesus,” Luke 24:47. Paul obeyed the command in his entire ministry; he kept back nothing that was profitable to the Jews and Greeks. To all, the message was “Repentance toward God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ,” Acts 20:20-21. This Salvation, Reclamation, Redemption, Reconciliation, Ransomed, yes Salvage of all mankind rests totally upon the willingness of Jesus the Son of God to suffer and die the death of a vile sinner.
The process of feeling sorry for one self and confessing our sins is called Repentance. Genuine Repentance always brings about a change. “Godly sorry brings Repentance that leads to Salvation and leaves no regret,” 2 Corinthians 7:10. In other words, God used our sorrows for sin to lead us to a change of heart that leads to Sanctification. Before we Repent, we accept sin as a normal way of life. But when we repent, we see how serious sin is. It brings death. Therefore, Repentance causes us to be aware at all times of God’s will for our lives. True Repentance is an absolute necessity in order to obtain Salvation.
The third step to Sanctification, Justification and Reconciliation is water Baptism. There are several verses of scripture, which are used to prove that water baptism is necessary for a person to acquire Salvation. Baptism will not save anyone; only the blood of Jesus Christ can wash away sins. But when we Repent and are Baptized we enter into a covenant, (contract), with God.
Yes, the gospel commands us to do both, “Repent and be Baptized in the name of Jesus for the Remission of sins,” Acts 2:37-38. Baptism is an act of faith required to seal our part of the New Covenant with God. Why? Baptism is the third step in becoming a Christian or a “New Creature” in Christ Jesus. Water Baptism alone cannot wash away our sins, (Acts 22:14-16). Many a sinner who has gone into the water a dry sinner, comes up out of the water a wet one.
After Repentance we must be Baptized in Jesus’ name for the forgiveness of our sins, (Acts 2:38). We may express Faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as our personal Savior, we may be sorry for our sins and confess that we are sinful; we may determine to obey God’s word, but until we are Baptized in water, (Immersion), in the name of Jesus, our response to God’s offer of eternal life is incomplete.
Jesus commanded that all His Believing followers be Baptized. Just before His ascension to heaven, He told His disciples: “Go and make disciples of all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you,” Matthew 28:19-20.
The New Testament describes Christian Baptism as a burial ceremony. “Know ye not, that as many of us were Baptized into Jesus Christ were Baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by Baptism into His death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by glory of the father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For we have been planted together in likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection,” Romans 6:7.
The fourth step that we must have to receive eternal life is Faith; which is of the utmost importance and essential to Salvation, for “without faith” it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him,” Hebrews 11:6.
True Faith is a belief in, or having confidence in our attitude toward God, involving commitment to His will for one’s life. Faith was already in the experience of many people in the Old Testament as a key element of their spiritual lives. In Chapter Eleven of Hebrews the various heroes of the Old Testament is describe as living Faith.
Faith is part of the Christian life from the beginning to the end, as it is the instrument, which receives the Gift of Salvation. Faith is thus distinct from the basis of Salvation, which is Grace, and from the outworking of Salvation, which is God’s work. The Apostle Paul declared that Salvation is through Faith, not of works, (Ephesians 2:8-9). Faith can also refer to the teaching of the Bible, “the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints,” (Jude 3). Faith has been weakened in meaning; so that many people use it to mean self-confidence, but the Bible, true Faith is confidence in God or Christ, not in oneself.
Since Faith is a gift from God and it is an essential part of Salvation it must be kept alive and operating, otherwise it dies. And when Faith dies, the person dies also, spiritually. Dead faith is worthless. It is a dead person, which is buried under a mound of worldliness, pleasure, greed, carnality and self.
Faith is a trust, trusting God to be in control of our lives and all that we do. It is trusting God to be in control in every condition in which we find ourselves. Most Christians today decide what they will do and expect God to make it work. They have their own plans, their open program, their way of life and they want God to bless them. This is not Faith; it is not trust. This is not the position of a Christian in relationship with God.
God-given Faith is a reward for Obedience. The more one obeys His will and the Word of God; which is God’s Will, will be our Faith. Faith is the gift of God. To get or receive the Justification by Faith, we must first Believe, Repent and then be Baptized, “Therefore being Justified by Faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom also we have access by Faith into this Grace wherein we stand. And rejoice in Hope of the Glory,” Romans 5:1-2.
What is meant by man’s Justification by Faith in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ? The word “just” means “righteous, or right.” To “justify” means, “to make, or declare right” or righteous. Since all are under sin and death before God, it took Jesus Christ, the Son of God to pay the penalty for our sins, the Justification by Grace, through Faith, would mean the forgiveness of all our past sins, making our record as though we had committed no sins.
The fifth step for a person who is seeking Salvation is to be Born Again. Do you know what being Born Again means? Don’t be so sure that you know! Many religious people talk about being “Born Again” —yet they do not really know what Jesus meant by those words. This is surprising, startling—here made so plain that you will understand the meaning of Salvation and being “Born Again” (John 3:3).
It may come as a surprise to some that Salvation and being “Born Again” are not synonymous. As we all know, a child’s birth is an event that happens at conception, the beginning of life. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Ye must be “Born Again,” (John 3:7). He then explained that He was speaking of a spiritual birth. As with a physical birth, the spiritual birth also is the beginning of life, a new spiritual life. It is often referred to as being saved, but unlike being “Born again,” to be “Saved” is an ongoing rather than a once only event. The brief being “Born Again” is an event, that happens only once in a lifetime.
Being “Saved” is a process, (1 Corinthians 15:1-2). The babe in Christ was forgiven and saved from sin, from then on we are “Being Saved,” and as long as we walk upright and we who “endure to the end, shall be saved,” Matthew 24:13. The scripture gives no credence to such doctrines as “once Saved, always Saved.”
Peter advised that “as Newborn” babes desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby,”
1 Peter 2:2. Thus babes become children, but adolescents need more nourishment than milk alone can provide. We must grow to maturity.
After becoming a new babe in Christ, we must first “Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness,” Matthew 5:6. Then, “Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life,” John 5:39. To a person just beginning his or her journey unto Salvation it is best to begin reading the plain teachings of Jesus and His Apostles called the Bible, which is the road map to eternal life. Why? Because Paul says, “the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto Sanctification to everyone that believes,” Romans 1:16.
The joy of the Gospel is that our relationship with God is not in daily jeopardy based on our performance
of works. The message of the New Covenant is that we have the right to be in God’s household because we were Born to Him. He called us. He brought us to a spiritual New Birth and placed us in His family. He made us Heirs of His kingdom through Jesus Christ His Son. Wherefore my brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things, ye shall never fail.
The sixth step in the plan of Salvation is Obedience. This is speaking of the Ten Commandments as Romans 7:7 clearly quotes from that law. And the divine rule says, “Follow peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord,” Hebrew 12:14-15. Holiness means Obedience from the heart of all to conform to that Holy Law. Without that obedience to the Holy Law, the Ten Commandments, no man will see God, or be Saved. Obedience is showing our Lord how much we love Him and that He comes first, before all.
We received Justification, (Romans 5:1), free pardon from all our past sins, (Romans 3:23-25). We are clean, “seeing ye have Purified your soul in obeying the truth through the spirit—being “Born Again,” (1 Peter 1:21-23). By God’s words, we have seen so far: Grace, mercy, kindness, clemency, unmerited favor, merciful, divine influence upon the heart and reflection in our life, compassion, gratitude, love, law- all the rules of conduct established by God; that are applicable for the Christian today.
Is obedience to God’s Ten Commandments required for us to have eternal life? Yes, by drawing close to God is the process of Sanctification. The cleansing of the soul is Sanctification. Purification of the heart is Sanctification. Sanctification assures that we will be effective and productive Christians if we love and keep His Commandments. The fact remains that keeping the Commandments that Jesus gave is the only acceptable evidence that we love God. The Bible says, “If you love Jesus you will Keep His Commandments," John 14:15.
God, after this, said of His Salvation for bringing people from this fallen world into Eternal and Perfect life with God: “My Salvation is gone forth--My Salvation shall be forever—that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My Laws,” Isaiah 51:5-7.
“If you keep my Commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s Commandments, and abide in His Love,” John 15:10.
“He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them, he is that Loveth Me,” John 14:21a.
In sum, growing Christians not only maintain Faith in Jesus, but also, strive daily to follow in His steps. It is inappropriate to claim Christ and not be willing to do what He says. “He that rejected Me, and received not my words, hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last days,” John 12:48. This includes our Obedience, not just the moral standard of the Ten Commandments, but to all that Christ Commanded concerning attitudes, lifestyle and concern for others. We must not only talk like Christians, but we must walk like Christians, dress like Christians. Anything less is mere lip service. Why should we be so concerned about God’s Commandments? Because the Apostle James said, we will be judged by the law of liberty, the Ten Commandments, without mercy, (James 2:12-13).
God’s speaks of “Foundation of paths of generations to dwell in” and says of His Sabbath being a very important Commandment of His Ten Commandment Law, and emphasizing the blessing He bestows for keeping His Sabbath by saying, “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My Holy Day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable and shall honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, or speaking thine own words, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon high places of the earth,” Isaiah 58:12-14. Why? Because “God Blessed and Sanctified the Seventh Day Sabbath and made it Holy,” (Genesis 2:3; Exodus 20:11). This account and others illustrate that Paul and the first century church made the Sabbath and the Ten Commandments the principal day to congregate for worship and preach the word of God.
The seventh and final step we must take is to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, first, let us get the record straight about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Being baptized by the Holy Spirit is the same as being filled with the Holy Spirit, (Acts 1:5; 2:4). The Holy Spirit appears in the Gospel of John as the Power by which Christians are brought to Faith and Help them to understand their walk with God. The Holy Spirit brings a person to a New Birth, “That which is born of the flesh, and that is born of the Spirit,” (John 3:6). “It is the Spirit who gives life,” (John 6:63). The Holy Spirit is our helper, whom Jesus promised to send to His disciples after His Ascension into heaven. The Holy Spirit reveals to Christians the deep things of God, (1 Corinthians 2:10-12), and the mystery of Christ, (Ephesians 3:3-5). The Holy Spirit seals the Believer for the day of Salvation, (Ephesians 4:29-30), by which they walk and live, (Romans 8:3-6).
For Christians, through the Spirit, through the operation of the Holy Spirit, under this Spiritual dispensation of the gospel, wait for the hope of righteousness—which is the object of our hope, on being Justified by Faith in Christ. Righteousness here, as in many other places of Paul’s epistles, means “Justification.” And the home of Justification, or hope excite and inspired by it, is the possession of eternal glory, says the Apostle, (Romans 5:1-2). “Being Justified by Faith, we have peace with God,” Galatians 5:5.
The primary work of the Holy Spirit is in the Individual, and the Church, is with the Gospel, (Romans 1:16-17), to cleanse and sanctify each person from all sin, making them new creatures in Christ our Lord, (Ephesians 5:25-27). Having the Spirit of God within us carries some responsibility. The Holy Spirit is the power, not a person, sent into the heart that knows Jesus Christ by true and living Faith.
So by now you should know that Salvation is not a Free Gift from God. These seven steps are necessary to obtain eternal life. He gave us a manual for guidance; this manual is called the Holy Bible. It simply lays down the guidelines for your own safety and the safety of those about you. The Grace of God is amazing to those who truly recognize their human fragility in contrast to God’s love, Character and Power. It is a blessing when we understand God’s plan of Salvation that leads to eternal life.
We have studied the seven steps to eternal life and how to become a Christian, at conversion; we become a child of God, (1 John 3:2). But suppose, like a baby we “stumble and fall” and sin, is he or she condemned—lost—no longer a Christian? No, the Christian is not perfect upon conversion. He or she must grow spiritual, in grace and the knowledge of Christ. It is inevitable that we may be caught off guard and make mistakes, then we ask God to forgive us He is more than willing to forgive us for our mistakes. So get up and press on!
Because many do not correctly understand conversion, they become discouraged. Some give up trying to live a Christian life. We do not become perfect all at once, but we continue to strive for perfection, it takes time to overcome our sinful habits and become righteous. We still live in this present evil world, but we must live above the evil world to have eternal life.
We simply do not have the necessary power, character, or ability to deal with sin on our own. The Christian must always focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of our Faith. So as long as we, in our hearts, have the real desire to walk with God, we will be deeply sorry and repent when we sometimes fall and commit sin we know we will be forgiven. Remember, God looks on the heart—the attitude—the intent. But no Christian, young or old, is perfect, but saved by Grace.
There is a definite time when God’s Spirit enters into a person. At the very moment he or she receives the Holy Spirit, at the very moment he or she repents and they are baptized in the name of Jesus, (Acts 2:28), he or she is a Christian, he or she has been born from above as a child of God, (John 3:3).
The Gospel gives the free pardon of past sins. With that pardon God gives us a clean and pure heart, makes us upright as Adam was in the Garden of Eden. He starts us out with a new life of obedience after we choose life. The condition remains the same as with Adam. We retain the right to life eternal by our Obedience. To leave that life brings death. God gives everything we need to maintain this Holy life, (2 Peter 1:2-11). “For the wages of sin is death; but the Gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” Romans 6:23.
God gave us the intelligence to recognize the answers. So, we should express our gratitude for the words of God and for His Gift. God gave us the ability to reason, and the evidence to determine the possibility and the impossibility. So those of us who have received God’s Salvation and experience His wonderful deeds must make us eager to tell others that God can deliver and save us. We have the ability to read the Bible and find passages that will direct us to the answers to our most serious fundamental questions. We must never seek glory for ourselves, but rather always desire to manifest God’s glory and honor his name before the world. We can apply our intelligence to find the answers to our questions. But if God is to bless us, we must sincerely seek the Lord and not just study the Bible. It is our right to search for greater understanding and the truth with our intelligence and reasoning minds. If you want real values, get them from the Word of God. So, let us go to the Word, it is priceless when we seek the truth. It is our right to study and to discover a new way of life in Jesus Christ, and when you live by the Word of God, your life becomes amazingly full because the Word of God is powerful and brings joy.
If you are one who has never really accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, and repented, been baptized and received God’s Holy Spirit—and yet earnestly desire to be saved, let me encourage you to do so today, right now, call upon Jesus, as Jesus is waiting.
Have you ever asked yourself, “Where am I going to spend eternity?” It is curious that many people make elaborate plans for their short life on earth fail to plan for eternity. Yet planning for eternity is what accepting God’s plan of Salvation is all about. Are you ready to meet God?
Does it make any difference which gospel we believe? Yet, there is only “One Body, One Spirit," just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. “There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is the Father of all,” Ephesians 4:4-6. Why then, do people believe in so many gospels today?
I have a firm and deep conviction that there has never been a time in the history of Christian dispensation when there are more deceived people in the churches of our land than there are at this present time. It’s not as easy as many people supposed to find one who truly knows the Lord. Surely, they are not to be found in every church. John Wesley said: “Many people have been inoculated with a mild dose of Christianity that makes them immune to the real thing.” I believe this to be a descriptive and true statement today.
Sanctification, Justification, Reconciliation, Regeneration, Propitiation is just a few of the words the Bible used in the plan of Salvation. Then there is Manifestation, Transformation, Purification, Predestination, Preservation, and more, Transgression, Destination, Condemnation and Alienated. Let us be honest—don’t some of these religious terms seem vague, and meaningless, when you stop to think about it? But all of these words pertain to your Salvation and Eternal life. They all come into reality with the seven steps that we must tread. But, after this study you will understand this Biblical terminology in a Christian way.
Now let us make our journey down the seven roads to Eternal life. These roads to Salvation are as sharp as the razors edge. Anything less than total commitment to the goodness of God, which can be sins of omission or sins of commission, is short of sanctification. We are hallowed, set apart, to do and not to do as God’s words commands.
The problem we face in America and around the world is similar to the one that Jesus faced. There are churches on every corner; however, the salvation message that most people hear is not the Gospel He came teaching. The message that is being preached now by the mainstream Christian is that of a cheap grace. The world has never before seen an age when so many people are claiming the name of being a Christian as they are claiming today. But sad to say, among the great majority of these professing Christians, the “virtues of Christ” cannot be found.
By “cheap grace” we refer to the misconception that Salvation through the grace of God does not necessitate our trying to live a sinless life. By not having to give up our old ways, but becoming a new creature, (2 Corinthians 5:17-18; Galatians 6:15). How would continuing in sin compare with the effects of God’s grace so evident in the lives of the early Christians? “This Grace is so evident in the lives of the early Christians,” (Acts 4:33).
Jesus foretold of this period vividly; “For false Christ’s and false prophets will arise and show signs and
wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the very elect,” Matthew 24:24. It is time for all true people of God to awake to the great evil in many churches that have craftily put there by Satan through human agencies by their great evil one “Satan.” Christianity is the gospel of Salvation; it is also a way of life.
These false teachers are so deceptive with their novel doctrines that they creep in unaware, ungodly men,
denying the Lord Jesus Christ, Jude 4. And by their erroneous and counterfeit doctrine, they have denied our Lord! Do they deny the existence of God? No! They deny Him in other ways—mainly by claiming to be Christians, yet adhering to false doctrines, which were not the original teachings of the church.
The effect of grace on mankind could not possibly allow man to continue in sin for the very reason that we are “not under the law but under grace,” Romans 6:14. Grace removes sins! It cleanses our hearts and gives us a new outlook on life. John makes it very plain that Jesus came to take away our sins, not to annul or abolish the Law, Ten Commandments, that gives the knowledge of sin because the Ten Commandments is the “knowledge of sin,” 1 John 3:4.
But the Christian is not perfect upon conversion. He must grow spiritually, in grace and knowledge of Christ, 2 Peter 3:18. He is a creature of habit, and all former habits do not just automatically leave him. He must learn to overcome sin. It is inevitable that he may be caught off guard and make a mistake. Even though we may stumble occasionally, we are not turning back to the habitual and constant way of sin.
Now the true Christian intends to live for God. He tries to live God’s way. The occasional slip, or sin, does not mean that in his mind and heart he has rejected God and God’s way, but when we fail, (Isaiah 6:4-6; Romans 3:23), and confess our sins--and repent of it--God is faithful and just, (grace), to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” John 1:9.
“I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps,” Jeremiah 10:23. The Christian must grow spiritually. The newly converted person, born from above, sincerely has undergone a Transformation. As a child of God, the Christian now enjoys a personal relationship with God. God’s own divine nature lives within you and now you are walking down the pathway to eternal life.
As long as we, in our hearts, have the real desire to walk with God, we will be deeply sorry and repent when we commit sin. We will seek to overcome sin and make God’s way our only way of life then grace will cover those sins and God will remember them no more, Hebrews 8:12.
So, “Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to perdition wide and spacious, and many will take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to eternal life, and only a few find it,” Matthew 7:23-24. But salvation is not a free gift, but a way of escaping eternal death through the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ; God’s “free gift” to mankind was His only Son, Jesus Christ.
“If salvation is a free gift” why did Paul say confession and belief and much more were necessary? A “free gift” would make no demands whatever for one to be saved. Yes, there is a divine plan for one to have eternal life, that plan consists of Sanctification, Justification, Reconciliation and Transformation.
What is the first step to eternal life and the forgiveness of our sins? “We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:22. We all have to believe, this is the first step! The Bible says that when we believe in Jesus Christ, we are made right with God. Being brought into this relationship is the first step to finding peace of mind.
The necessary first step begins with Believing, but we must explain what that word means: it means, to have faith, trust, commitment, cling to, and rely on. It means to entrust our inner life in this present lifetime, and trust in our eternal life to Jesus Christ. It is the opposite of ignoring His existence. Belief in Jesus is not knowledge that He lived and was a great teacher, nor is it merely admitting that He is the Son of God who died and was resurrected. Rather, believing in Christ means placing our full confidence in Him. It is resting the entire weight of hope on Him, that He is the only Savior who can release us from the depth of sin.
In Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church, he said that since Christ died for all, “that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again,” 2 Corinthians 5:15. Take note of the fact that He is speaking of a Christian way of life. Here, the self-life ends. The Christian cannot serve God and Mammon, (world), it just cannot be done; it is impossible “to serve two masters,” Matthew 6:24.
One of the greatest fallacies of the so called “nominal” Christian is that it assumes that the only demand makes upon the believer is for him to accept Christ as his personal Savior. This novel idea claims that no work is required of any believer, regarding his soul’s salvation. Duty, obligation and the law are all downgraded to the trash can. This makes a very acceptable form of religion for the carnal mind, and the proof is in the millions that have gladly accepted its teachings.
He, who will faithfully study the Bible and the plain words of Christ, as they are presented in the four gospels, will surely come to the conclusion that the Christian Faith demands all the believer’s life. “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble,” James 2:19.
The second step we all must take to receive Justification instead of condemnation is the Repentance of one’s sins. Then, through Jesus Christ we can have Sanctification and be able to have Transformation to a new life.
What does it mean to Repent? How does it affect our salvation? “Except ye Repent ye shall all likewise perish?” Luke 13:3. Conviction is a strong sense of guilt with the realization of a need of help. This works out in two ways: Man’s part and God’s part. Man’s part has to do with his conscience, that inward knowledge of right and wrong. “And they which heard it, being convicted, by their conscience, went out one by one,” John 8:9. This inner knowledge, or conscience, is given to every rational person as a personal guide for protection and well-being. The Conscience can be strengthened or abused, (1 Timothy 4:2). But with the right conscience and motivation it can be the means of leading a person to God.
In the second chapter of Acts: Peter, a disciple of Christ, preached a sermon in which he told of Jesus Christ identity. He called upon his listeners to believe Jesus. The text then informed us that Peter’s words brought a sense of conviction to the people’s heart. They cried out, “men and brethren, what must we do?” Acts 2:37.
Jesus placed repentance in form of, or with Belief of the gospel, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: Repent ye, and believe the gospel,” Mark 1:15. And the great commission was given that they were to preach “Repentance and remission of sin in the name of Jesus,” Luke 24:47. Paul obeyed the command in his entire ministry; he kept back nothing that was profitable to the Jews and Greeks. To all, the message was “Repentance toward God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ,” Acts 20:20-21. This Salvation, Reclamation, Redemption, Reconciliation, Ransomed, yes Salvage of all mankind rests totally upon the willingness of Jesus the Son of God to suffer and die the death of a vile sinner.
The process of feeling sorry for one self and confessing our sins is called Repentance. Genuine Repentance always brings about a change. “Godly sorry brings Repentance that leads to Salvation and leaves no regret,” 2 Corinthians 7:10. In other words, God used our sorrows for sin to lead us to a change of heart that leads to Sanctification. Before we Repent, we accept sin as a normal way of life. But when we repent, we see how serious sin is. It brings death. Therefore, Repentance causes us to be aware at all times of God’s will for our lives. True Repentance is an absolute necessity in order to obtain Salvation.
The third step to Sanctification, Justification and Reconciliation is water Baptism. There are several verses of scripture, which are used to prove that water baptism is necessary for a person to acquire Salvation. Baptism will not save anyone; only the blood of Jesus Christ can wash away sins. But when we Repent and are Baptized we enter into a covenant, (contract), with God.
Yes, the gospel commands us to do both, “Repent and be Baptized in the name of Jesus for the Remission of sins,” Acts 2:37-38. Baptism is an act of faith required to seal our part of the New Covenant with God. Why? Baptism is the third step in becoming a Christian or a “New Creature” in Christ Jesus. Water Baptism alone cannot wash away our sins, (Acts 22:14-16). Many a sinner who has gone into the water a dry sinner, comes up out of the water a wet one.
After Repentance we must be Baptized in Jesus’ name for the forgiveness of our sins, (Acts 2:38). We may express Faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as our personal Savior, we may be sorry for our sins and confess that we are sinful; we may determine to obey God’s word, but until we are Baptized in water, (Immersion), in the name of Jesus, our response to God’s offer of eternal life is incomplete.
Jesus commanded that all His Believing followers be Baptized. Just before His ascension to heaven, He told His disciples: “Go and make disciples of all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you,” Matthew 28:19-20.
The New Testament describes Christian Baptism as a burial ceremony. “Know ye not, that as many of us were Baptized into Jesus Christ were Baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by Baptism into His death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by glory of the father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For we have been planted together in likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection,” Romans 6:7.
The fourth step that we must have to receive eternal life is Faith; which is of the utmost importance and essential to Salvation, for “without faith” it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him,” Hebrews 11:6.
True Faith is a belief in, or having confidence in our attitude toward God, involving commitment to His will for one’s life. Faith was already in the experience of many people in the Old Testament as a key element of their spiritual lives. In Chapter Eleven of Hebrews the various heroes of the Old Testament is describe as living Faith.
Faith is part of the Christian life from the beginning to the end, as it is the instrument, which receives the Gift of Salvation. Faith is thus distinct from the basis of Salvation, which is Grace, and from the outworking of Salvation, which is God’s work. The Apostle Paul declared that Salvation is through Faith, not of works, (Ephesians 2:8-9). Faith can also refer to the teaching of the Bible, “the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints,” (Jude 3). Faith has been weakened in meaning; so that many people use it to mean self-confidence, but the Bible, true Faith is confidence in God or Christ, not in oneself.
Since Faith is a gift from God and it is an essential part of Salvation it must be kept alive and operating, otherwise it dies. And when Faith dies, the person dies also, spiritually. Dead faith is worthless. It is a dead person, which is buried under a mound of worldliness, pleasure, greed, carnality and self.
Faith is a trust, trusting God to be in control of our lives and all that we do. It is trusting God to be in control in every condition in which we find ourselves. Most Christians today decide what they will do and expect God to make it work. They have their own plans, their open program, their way of life and they want God to bless them. This is not Faith; it is not trust. This is not the position of a Christian in relationship with God.
God-given Faith is a reward for Obedience. The more one obeys His will and the Word of God; which is God’s Will, will be our Faith. Faith is the gift of God. To get or receive the Justification by Faith, we must first Believe, Repent and then be Baptized, “Therefore being Justified by Faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom also we have access by Faith into this Grace wherein we stand. And rejoice in Hope of the Glory,” Romans 5:1-2.
What is meant by man’s Justification by Faith in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ? The word “just” means “righteous, or right.” To “justify” means, “to make, or declare right” or righteous. Since all are under sin and death before God, it took Jesus Christ, the Son of God to pay the penalty for our sins, the Justification by Grace, through Faith, would mean the forgiveness of all our past sins, making our record as though we had committed no sins.
The fifth step for a person who is seeking Salvation is to be Born Again. Do you know what being Born Again means? Don’t be so sure that you know! Many religious people talk about being “Born Again” —yet they do not really know what Jesus meant by those words. This is surprising, startling—here made so plain that you will understand the meaning of Salvation and being “Born Again” (John 3:3).
It may come as a surprise to some that Salvation and being “Born Again” are not synonymous. As we all know, a child’s birth is an event that happens at conception, the beginning of life. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Ye must be “Born Again,” (John 3:7). He then explained that He was speaking of a spiritual birth. As with a physical birth, the spiritual birth also is the beginning of life, a new spiritual life. It is often referred to as being saved, but unlike being “Born again,” to be “Saved” is an ongoing rather than a once only event. The brief being “Born Again” is an event, that happens only once in a lifetime.
Being “Saved” is a process, (1 Corinthians 15:1-2). The babe in Christ was forgiven and saved from sin, from then on we are “Being Saved,” and as long as we walk upright and we who “endure to the end, shall be saved,” Matthew 24:13. The scripture gives no credence to such doctrines as “once Saved, always Saved.”
Peter advised that “as Newborn” babes desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby,”
1 Peter 2:2. Thus babes become children, but adolescents need more nourishment than milk alone can provide. We must grow to maturity.
After becoming a new babe in Christ, we must first “Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness,” Matthew 5:6. Then, “Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life,” John 5:39. To a person just beginning his or her journey unto Salvation it is best to begin reading the plain teachings of Jesus and His Apostles called the Bible, which is the road map to eternal life. Why? Because Paul says, “the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto Sanctification to everyone that believes,” Romans 1:16.
The joy of the Gospel is that our relationship with God is not in daily jeopardy based on our performance
of works. The message of the New Covenant is that we have the right to be in God’s household because we were Born to Him. He called us. He brought us to a spiritual New Birth and placed us in His family. He made us Heirs of His kingdom through Jesus Christ His Son. Wherefore my brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things, ye shall never fail.
The sixth step in the plan of Salvation is Obedience. This is speaking of the Ten Commandments as Romans 7:7 clearly quotes from that law. And the divine rule says, “Follow peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord,” Hebrew 12:14-15. Holiness means Obedience from the heart of all to conform to that Holy Law. Without that obedience to the Holy Law, the Ten Commandments, no man will see God, or be Saved. Obedience is showing our Lord how much we love Him and that He comes first, before all.
We received Justification, (Romans 5:1), free pardon from all our past sins, (Romans 3:23-25). We are clean, “seeing ye have Purified your soul in obeying the truth through the spirit—being “Born Again,” (1 Peter 1:21-23). By God’s words, we have seen so far: Grace, mercy, kindness, clemency, unmerited favor, merciful, divine influence upon the heart and reflection in our life, compassion, gratitude, love, law- all the rules of conduct established by God; that are applicable for the Christian today.
Is obedience to God’s Ten Commandments required for us to have eternal life? Yes, by drawing close to God is the process of Sanctification. The cleansing of the soul is Sanctification. Purification of the heart is Sanctification. Sanctification assures that we will be effective and productive Christians if we love and keep His Commandments. The fact remains that keeping the Commandments that Jesus gave is the only acceptable evidence that we love God. The Bible says, “If you love Jesus you will Keep His Commandments," John 14:15.
God, after this, said of His Salvation for bringing people from this fallen world into Eternal and Perfect life with God: “My Salvation is gone forth--My Salvation shall be forever—that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My Laws,” Isaiah 51:5-7.
“If you keep my Commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s Commandments, and abide in His Love,” John 15:10.
“He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them, he is that Loveth Me,” John 14:21a.
In sum, growing Christians not only maintain Faith in Jesus, but also, strive daily to follow in His steps. It is inappropriate to claim Christ and not be willing to do what He says. “He that rejected Me, and received not my words, hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last days,” John 12:48. This includes our Obedience, not just the moral standard of the Ten Commandments, but to all that Christ Commanded concerning attitudes, lifestyle and concern for others. We must not only talk like Christians, but we must walk like Christians, dress like Christians. Anything less is mere lip service. Why should we be so concerned about God’s Commandments? Because the Apostle James said, we will be judged by the law of liberty, the Ten Commandments, without mercy, (James 2:12-13).
God’s speaks of “Foundation of paths of generations to dwell in” and says of His Sabbath being a very important Commandment of His Ten Commandment Law, and emphasizing the blessing He bestows for keeping His Sabbath by saying, “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My Holy Day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable and shall honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, or speaking thine own words, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon high places of the earth,” Isaiah 58:12-14. Why? Because “God Blessed and Sanctified the Seventh Day Sabbath and made it Holy,” (Genesis 2:3; Exodus 20:11). This account and others illustrate that Paul and the first century church made the Sabbath and the Ten Commandments the principal day to congregate for worship and preach the word of God.
The seventh and final step we must take is to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, first, let us get the record straight about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Being baptized by the Holy Spirit is the same as being filled with the Holy Spirit, (Acts 1:5; 2:4). The Holy Spirit appears in the Gospel of John as the Power by which Christians are brought to Faith and Help them to understand their walk with God. The Holy Spirit brings a person to a New Birth, “That which is born of the flesh, and that is born of the Spirit,” (John 3:6). “It is the Spirit who gives life,” (John 6:63). The Holy Spirit is our helper, whom Jesus promised to send to His disciples after His Ascension into heaven. The Holy Spirit reveals to Christians the deep things of God, (1 Corinthians 2:10-12), and the mystery of Christ, (Ephesians 3:3-5). The Holy Spirit seals the Believer for the day of Salvation, (Ephesians 4:29-30), by which they walk and live, (Romans 8:3-6).
For Christians, through the Spirit, through the operation of the Holy Spirit, under this Spiritual dispensation of the gospel, wait for the hope of righteousness—which is the object of our hope, on being Justified by Faith in Christ. Righteousness here, as in many other places of Paul’s epistles, means “Justification.” And the home of Justification, or hope excite and inspired by it, is the possession of eternal glory, says the Apostle, (Romans 5:1-2). “Being Justified by Faith, we have peace with God,” Galatians 5:5.
The primary work of the Holy Spirit is in the Individual, and the Church, is with the Gospel, (Romans 1:16-17), to cleanse and sanctify each person from all sin, making them new creatures in Christ our Lord, (Ephesians 5:25-27). Having the Spirit of God within us carries some responsibility. The Holy Spirit is the power, not a person, sent into the heart that knows Jesus Christ by true and living Faith.
So by now you should know that Salvation is not a Free Gift from God. These seven steps are necessary to obtain eternal life. He gave us a manual for guidance; this manual is called the Holy Bible. It simply lays down the guidelines for your own safety and the safety of those about you. The Grace of God is amazing to those who truly recognize their human fragility in contrast to God’s love, Character and Power. It is a blessing when we understand God’s plan of Salvation that leads to eternal life.
We have studied the seven steps to eternal life and how to become a Christian, at conversion; we become a child of God, (1 John 3:2). But suppose, like a baby we “stumble and fall” and sin, is he or she condemned—lost—no longer a Christian? No, the Christian is not perfect upon conversion. He or she must grow spiritual, in grace and the knowledge of Christ. It is inevitable that we may be caught off guard and make mistakes, then we ask God to forgive us He is more than willing to forgive us for our mistakes. So get up and press on!
Because many do not correctly understand conversion, they become discouraged. Some give up trying to live a Christian life. We do not become perfect all at once, but we continue to strive for perfection, it takes time to overcome our sinful habits and become righteous. We still live in this present evil world, but we must live above the evil world to have eternal life.
We simply do not have the necessary power, character, or ability to deal with sin on our own. The Christian must always focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of our Faith. So as long as we, in our hearts, have the real desire to walk with God, we will be deeply sorry and repent when we sometimes fall and commit sin we know we will be forgiven. Remember, God looks on the heart—the attitude—the intent. But no Christian, young or old, is perfect, but saved by Grace.
There is a definite time when God’s Spirit enters into a person. At the very moment he or she receives the Holy Spirit, at the very moment he or she repents and they are baptized in the name of Jesus, (Acts 2:28), he or she is a Christian, he or she has been born from above as a child of God, (John 3:3).
The Gospel gives the free pardon of past sins. With that pardon God gives us a clean and pure heart, makes us upright as Adam was in the Garden of Eden. He starts us out with a new life of obedience after we choose life. The condition remains the same as with Adam. We retain the right to life eternal by our Obedience. To leave that life brings death. God gives everything we need to maintain this Holy life, (2 Peter 1:2-11). “For the wages of sin is death; but the Gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” Romans 6:23.
God gave us the intelligence to recognize the answers. So, we should express our gratitude for the words of God and for His Gift. God gave us the ability to reason, and the evidence to determine the possibility and the impossibility. So those of us who have received God’s Salvation and experience His wonderful deeds must make us eager to tell others that God can deliver and save us. We have the ability to read the Bible and find passages that will direct us to the answers to our most serious fundamental questions. We must never seek glory for ourselves, but rather always desire to manifest God’s glory and honor his name before the world. We can apply our intelligence to find the answers to our questions. But if God is to bless us, we must sincerely seek the Lord and not just study the Bible. It is our right to search for greater understanding and the truth with our intelligence and reasoning minds. If you want real values, get them from the Word of God. So, let us go to the Word, it is priceless when we seek the truth. It is our right to study and to discover a new way of life in Jesus Christ, and when you live by the Word of God, your life becomes amazingly full because the Word of God is powerful and brings joy.
If you are one who has never really accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, and repented, been baptized and received God’s Holy Spirit—and yet earnestly desire to be saved, let me encourage you to do so today, right now, call upon Jesus, as Jesus is waiting.