Attend church faithfully for 30 years sounds more like it..right? Or perhaps this may be more of what you expected....be a "good" person, stay faithful to your spouse, fast twice a week, give to Feed the Children www.feedthechildren.org or perhaps Convoy of Hope http://www.convoyofhope.org/go/who, go to prayer meeting, pray the rosary, go to mass as often as possible, read the bible, observe Lent, go on a mission trip, adopt a child, vote pro life. You may even be a philanthropist running a marathon for under privileged kids, etc., etc.
Although these good works may make you feel good about yourself and cause you to be recognized in your community or even across the world, guess what? this is not earning your salvation. " NOT by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us" Titus 3:5 " For by grace are you saved through faith; and that NOT of yourselves ( or due to what we do): it is the gift of GOD: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 8,9
There are many people today that do what they do in the name of religion and quite frankly are doing much to relieve the suffering that is in the world today. Unfortunately, they mistakenly believe that this will help them be saved or guarantee their entrance into the "pearly gates" This is religion in a nut shell...mans attempt to redefine the way of salvation by doing as much good as he can and hopefully the good will out weigh the bad and God Almighty will certainly allow such a nice man into heaven. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" Isaiah 64:6
One of the prayers of the bible that stands out like a sore thumb the most is found in Luke 23:42 " Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." If this thief on the cross was going to heaven it wasn't because he was good enough or because of all that he did prior to the point of his crucifixion. He believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. He humbled himself and understood that Jesus was his only hope of salvation..you too can be saved " if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved" Romans 10:9....and verse 13 " For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
I believe the reason Jesus said: "many are called, but few are chosen." is because they refuse to go the way of the cross. Now be careful here, I am not saying that one should exemplify the way of the cross as a means of his own personal salvation; if you know me at all you know that's not what I am implying. What I am trying to say is that God by the Holy Spirit is drawing everyone and anyone to Himself through the merits of that painful transaction that took place over 2000 years ago...the death of Jesus his only begotten Son on the cross of Calvary. What if I were to say to you that Satan would have not been defeated and there would be no one going to heaven if Jesus Christ did not shed his blood on that cruel cross on Golgotha's hill? If you said that I was right you would have been wrong. What? Are you serious? Isn't the death of Jesus Christ the only hope of salvation? I would answer yes and no.A prayer of the bible that Jesus prayed is found in Matthew 27:46 " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Satan must have been loving these words coming out of Jesus' mouth, and rightly so..if Jesus who knew no sin and became sin for us... and He went through that horrific, excruciating, painful death and that was it..Satan would be having a party until this day!
It is because of His resurrection that we can be saved and not just His shedding of blood at the cross . This is our only hope of salvation. " But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain." 1 Corinthians 15:13,14 So then, "the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God" 1 Corinthians 1:18
You will be numbered with the many that were called but not saved if you continue to "work your way" into heaven. Jesus said: " I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man ( you are not the exception) cometh unto the Father, but by me" John 14: 6 Luke 13: 23,24 .." Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait (narrow) gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able" Why? Does the Lord favor some and not others? "The Lord...is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance' 2 Peter 2:9. The reason many miss heaven is because even though they are introduced to the truth that leads to everlasting life they continue on practicing there religion trying to gain the approval of a sinless God there way, " There is a way which seems right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death." Proverbs 14:12
Someone reading this prayer of the bible "what must I do to be saved" has got to be saying to himself, well that may be OK for someone else but not me, I don't need this...surely heaven awaits me..I try to live up to the 10 commandments..I mind my own business..I support my wife and children.I...I....I.That is your problem. You have an I problem. " " For there is not a just man upon earth, that does good, and sins not" Ecclesiastes7:20 " Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may you also do good , that are accustomed to evil? Jeremiah 13:23 " For ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God.' Romans 3:23 Besides,..."whosoever shall keep the whole law , and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" James 2:10
OK? It is application time. What changes in your thinking do you have to make in order to make sure you too will be saved and thereby go to heaven? Will you increase your giving to your local church? Will you grit your teeth and try to be more cool, calm, and collective at home and at work? Cut back on your drinking and carousing around? Volunteer at your local charitable organization? Give blood to the Red Cross? http://www.redcross.org/ Remember to do all the good to all the people all the time everywhere you go! Please also remember that salvation is OF THE LORD Jonah 2:9
You and I could not enter heaven just because we do good no more than we could enter hell just because we do bad. Hell was/is prepared for the devil and his angels. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people...you will go to hell because you did not prepare for heaven by choosing to get there your way? AMEN!
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