Good News/Gospel | End Times Prophecy Report

February 27, 2021 • 07:30 0

The Unknown Language of the Lost

Not long ago–while engaged in a quiet conversation with a non-believer about Christianity–the non-believer’s various puzzled looks and incredulity prompted a thought which has steadfastly resisted all attempts at removing it from one’s head.

It’s like the lost are speaking another language; an UNKNOWN language: a language completely different than the one spoken by the believer–it is like the believer is trying to communicate with someone who does not understand what the believer is saying.

After much thought–and a few trips back to memory lane to a time when one was VERY MUCH a heathen-ized member of the world’s population–it was decided that: YES, the believer IS speaking a COMPLETELY different language than the non-believer.

It’s not like the non-believer has not ever heard this language spoken before.

He has.

He just does not, in the least, understand it.

And the little he does understand, he disbelieves.

The believer KNOWS–through many infallible proofs which the non-believer does NOT have access to–that when unbelievers breathe their last in this life and pass on to the next, then their eyes will, at last, be opened to what REALLY constitutes reality.

But, it is almost impossible to pass this information along to the non-believer.

EVEN IF the non-believer is sympathetic to the believer’s point-of-view, he most likely feels the believer is suffering from some sort of temporary case of insanity: that the believer MEANS well, but is just another person who means well but is somewhat annoying.

And the non-believer is focused like a laser beam on THIS LIFE–NOT the next–because it is all that he believes: the non-believer places GREAT faith in that which he can see, hear, taste, smell and touch.

Once given a bit of thought, this is completely understandable. This world is all the non-believer knows: every day he can hear, taste and see the world around him.

He CANNOT see the kingdom of heaven because he does not believe.

The non-believer is FIRMLY focused on this world and on NOW; on tomorrow and the day after and next week. What is happening around him is the MOST IMPORTANT things to him because it is what he REACTS to, to ensure that he lives his life as comfortably as possible.

And there is NOTHING to ensure one’s comfort in this world like agreement with the prince of this world–Satan: the devil.

The believer is talking about ETERNAL SALVATION, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, JESUS CHRIST and the like. These are all ABSTRACT terms which mean very little to the non-believer. Even if the non-believer is one of the church folk and CLAIMS to believe, these concepts the believer brings up are methodically examined mentally–and almost just as quickly and methodically, rejected.

It’s not that the unbeliever cannot understand what these words mean: the non-believer does NOT understand how these concepts apply to his life. Therefore, when the believer is saying something to him, the unbeliever see the lips moving, but he really doesn’t hear anything of consequence.

BUT, the believer has ONE powerful tool–should he decide to use it.

The gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

So, even if the non-believer does not immediately show signs of belief–and even if he does–once he has heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, he has a chance to LATER accept, believe and be saved.

Regardless of what else may be said in that conversation, IF the gospel of Jesus Christ is not utilized by the believer, the non-believer will remain a non-believer.

NOT because the believer did not make good points.

NOT because the believer was not convincing enough.

NOT because the believer did not present a good enough case for converting.

But basically: because the believer is speaking a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT language than the one spoken by the non-believer. The non-believer can’t understand what was being said to him in this strange language the believer is speaking.

For the one who believes, it is important NOT to speak some unknown language of the lost.

For the one who believes, it is IMPORTANT to speak God’s language: the gospel of Jesus Christ.

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

DOES the reader know what the gospel of Jesus Christ is?

DOES the reader believe it?

It is not YET too late: there is still time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.

DOES the reader believe he is saved?

Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival

DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?

Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the 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, 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:

And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ”
–1 Corinthians 15:1-8

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: February 22, 2021.]

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

RELATED ARTICLES

by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier

image: Image by athree23 from Pixabay.com

© Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report, 2012-20. © Mondo Frazier and End Times Prophecy Report, DBKP 2007-2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Filed under: Eternal Salvation through Jesus Christ, Good News/Gospel, the unknown language of the lost

January 24, 2021 • 09:00 0

ETERNAL SALVATION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST: Believe First

“But 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

One almost NEVER knows what will cause consternation among the readers.

A few days ago, while expounding upon “Saved By God’s Mercy (Grace),” the following statement apparently stirred up a commotion among some readers.

“Having faith and believing are prerequisites to being saved–not salvation itself.”

The statement was made while commenting about the deceptive practice of begging people to “make a decision for Christ.”

NO ONE makes a ‘decision for Christ.’

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
–John 15:16

A great many apparently feel that IF they say “I believe” out loud, that is quite enough and they are now eternally saved, thank you very much.

Apparently, many believe that God will get lonely in heaven and needs to welcome anyone who SAYS they have faith and believe.

The Bible is very clear: one must believe in his heart in order to be saved.

His whole heart.

“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.”
–Romans 10:9

What does it mean to ‘believe in the heart?’ The following will serve as a good working definition of ‘believe in the heart.’

To believe in your heart means to believe apart from your mind and your body. Thinking is of the mind; believing is of the heart. Believing in your heart means believing independent of what your five physical senses may indicate.
—What does it mean to Believe in Your Heart?

When the Ethiopian eunuch asked Philip ‘what hindered him [the eunuch] from being baptized,’ Philip told the eunuch:

“And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
–Acts 8:37

It is not enough to merely claim “I believe.”

It is not enough to merely claim “I have faith.”

One must SINCERELY believe with all thy heart FIRST.

THEN, if one’s faith and belief are true, one will achieve eternal salvation.

Sincere, true belief and faith are pre-requisites: belief and faith come first, THEN, God in His great mercy will grant eternal salvation.

Saying “I believe” is NOT eternal salvation.

Claiming to have “faith“–even claiming to have “great faith“–is NOT eternal salvation.

BELIEVING is eternal salvation.

The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that ALL who believe are saved eternally. Shouldn’t the reader inquire further into such an opportunity?

“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.”
John 3:16

Believing in the heart–with one’s whole being–comes FIRST.

THEN, come eternal salvation.

prerequisite

Required as a prior condition of something else; necessary or indispensable.

Believing and faith are pre-requisites to eternal salvation: NOT eternal salvation itself.

HAS the reader been led to believe that he must ‘make a decision for Christ?’

It is not YET too late: there is still time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.

DOES the reader believe he is saved?

Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival

DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?

Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: January 22-24, 2021.]

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

MORE

RELATED ARTICLES

by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier

image: ETPR/Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash.com/ETPR

Link Disclaimer: inclusion of links to other blogs/websites is not necessarily an endorsement of all content posted in those blogs/websites.

ALL such links appearing in End Times Prophecy Headlines, such as those below, should originate at ETPR.

Filed under: Biblical Teachings, End Time Deception, END TIMES PREPARATION, Eternal Salvation through Jesus Christ, Good News/Gospel, eternal salvation: believe first

January 24, 2021 • 07:30 0

Saved By God’s Mercy (Grace)

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
–Ephesians 2:8-9

A great many fables concerning eternal salvation have grown up in the buildings we call “the churches.”

These fables sow deception and confusion among those who, usually with the best of intentions, congregate in the churches.

One of the BIGGEST fables has to do with the person choosing God and receiving eternal salvation as a sort of lovely parting gift.

A person does NOT “make a decision for Christ.”

Man does NOT choose God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus was VERY clear on this point.

This can be found elsewhere in God’s Word.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love”
–Ephesians 1:3-4

However, when one informs certain of the church folk of this biblical point, they grow highly agitated in their disagreement–particularly if you mention that God KNOWS now who will be saved and who will not.

“I don’t even know myself. How could God know?”

“God knows EVERYTHING.”

“What about John 3:16?”

“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.”
–John 3:16

“Yeah, what about it?”

“It says WHOEVER BELIEVES has everlasting life.”

“And that’s true.”

“So, if I say I believe then I’m NOT saved? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Maybe you’d say you believe but you didn’t. God will knows whether a person is just saying he believes or whether he REALLY believes or not. God knows now. We are saved by GOD’S MERCY, not by our “decisions. Old Testament, New Testament: a man was saved, it was due to God’s mercy.”

Having faith and believing are prerequisites to being saved–not salvation itself.

God’s GREAT mercy and grace are what saves poor man from eternal damnation.

And so, a GREAT MANY believe they will “make a decision for Christ” and choose Jesus.

ALL who believe this are already deceived.

Particularly all those who wait until they have squeezed every drop the world has to offer out of life before “making a decision for Jesus.”

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
–Ephesians 2:8-9

IS the reader waiting before he “comes to the LORD?”

WHY is the reader waiting?

There is NO good reason to delay eternal salvation–unless one does not believe in eternal salvation.

It is not YET too late: there is still time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.

DOES the reader believe he is saved?

Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival

DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?

Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: January 20, 2021.]

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

MORE

RELATED ARTICLES

by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier

image: ETPR/hyena reality, FreeDigitalPhotos.net/ETPR

Link Disclaimer: inclusion of links to other blogs/websites is not necessarily an endorsement of all content posted in those blogs/websites.

ALL such links appearing in End Times Prophecy Headlines, such as those below, should originate at ETPR.

Filed under: Biblical Teachings, End Time Deception, END TIMES PREPARATION, Eternal Salvation through Jesus Christ, Good News/Gospel, saved by God's mercy (grace)

January 23, 2021 • 09:00 0

The Better Covenant

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
–Jeremiah 31:31-34

When God established the Hebrews as His people, he made a covenant (agreement) with them concerning how to behave as His covenant people.

This covenant was originally based on God’s promises to ABRAHAM (with whom God made the original agreement), who was the anscestor of the Hebrews. (Abraham was originally known as ABRAM, before his name changed to ABRAHAM as part of the covenant agreement.)

This agreement was explained in Genesis 17.

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. (Abraham means “father of a great multitude.”)

“And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

“This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

“And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. (Sarah means “princess.”) And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: (Isaac means “one who laughs.”) and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.”
–Genesis 17:1-21

AND, this agreement was with the Hebrews EXCLUSIVELY: no other tribes or nations were involved.

God’s covenant with the descendants of Abraham (the Hebrews) involved CIRCUMCISION as a sign of obedience to the covenant agreement. And God had MOSES deliver the Ten Commandments to the Hebrews as a guide (law) to behavior which was good and acceptable to God.

In return, God watched over and protected the Hebrews.

All in all, a good arrangement.

Except for ONE thing.

The Hebrews kept breaking their end of the bargain. Try as they might, they could not keep those Ten Commandments.

But God–inhabiting all points in time, past, present and future–KNEW beforehand that the Ten Commandments could not be kept by the Hebrews–or any other man.

God–who created man–made man from the dust (dirt) of the earth. So, man is inherently wicked.

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
–Romans 3:10-12

BUT, besides being a guide for how to live a righteous life, the Ten Commandments were ALSO a teaching TOOL of God’s. Over the centuries, they taught the Hebrews that NO MAN can keep the Ten Commandments; that NO MAN is good enough to warrant eternal salvation; that EVERY MAN needs God’s mercy/grace and EVERY MAN needs a savior.

AND SO, God promised the Hebrews that He would update their agreement: that He would bring about a NEW COVENANT; a BETTER COVENANT.

This declaration by God was recorded in Jeremiah 31.

To seal this new covenant, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice ACCEPTABLE TO GOD for man’s wicked behavior–FOR ALL TIME.

“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
–Matthew 20:28

The new covenant was a BETTER one for several reasons. A few of these reason are:

1- God sent His Holy Spirit to reside within the believer’s body.

This did not automatically give the believer a total victory over sin, but it gave the believer a COMPASS which unerringly provided him with INNER INFORMATION about which behaviors were sinful. With God’s Holy Spirit as a guide, the believer KNEW when he was sinning and could immediately confess his sin to God–who would then dispense mercy for that sinful behavior.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. “
–1JOHN 1:7-10

Previously, certain folks received the Holy Spirit temporarily (such as Sampson), but NOW, all believers received the Spirit of God as part of the NEW COVENANT.

2- Man NOW explicitly depended WHOLELY upon the mercy and grace of God. NO LONGER did man have to spend time, effort and concern over trying to be “good enough.” Those of the NEW COVENANT knew they were not good and ONLY were acceptable to God because of God’s great mercy.

Eternal salvation was ALWAYS a matter of God extending mercy to sinful man. The new covenant made this mercy VERY clear.

“For by grace (mercy) are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
–Ephesians 2:8-9

3- Jesus was not only a sacrifice of the new covenant, He also afterwards became an intercessor for ALL who put their faith in Him. After He ascended to heaven, Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for all those who are His.

“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
–Romans 8:34

4- The new covenant was made with ALL men, not just the Hebrews. Therefore, ALL men were now eligible to receive God’s great mercy and be eternally saved from torment.

There are other additional reasons the new covenant is a BETTER covenant.

As Hebrews 8 explains:

“For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.”
–Hebrews 8:7-13

And now, ALL men can take advantage of God’s GREAT mercy by putting their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

HAS the reader taken advantage of the upgrades in the better covenant?

WHY or WHY NOT?

It is not YET too late: there is still time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.

DOES the reader believe he is saved?

Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival

DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?

Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: January 19, 2021.]

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

RELATED ARTICLES

by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier

image: Image by Prawny from Pixabay.com

Link Disclaimer: inclusion of links to other blogs/websites is not necessarily an endorsement of all content posted in those blogs/websites.

ALL such links appearing in End Times Prophecy Headlines, such as those below, should originate at ETPR.

Filed under: Biblical Teachings, END TIMES PREPARATION, Eternal Salvation through Jesus Christ, Good News/Gospel, the better covenant

December 13, 2020 • 09:00 0

Salvation NOW: Do NOT Wait!

“…behold, now is the day of salvation.”
–2CORINTHIANS 6:2

Do good things come to those who wait?

Perhaps–but not always.

And when the subject is the lost soul who wanders through this life looking for some landmark to get his bearings, the answer is “NO!”

Modern man is CERTAIN that he is the brightest that has ever been; yet every day modern man staggers about, falling over various deceptions which he has, not only accepted, but EMBRACED wholeheartedly. Whether it is a stack of face masks or a pile of the latest government economic statistics, not only can’t modern man see the forest for the trees–modern man stumbles into the tree, gets frustrated because he can’t find the forest and begins banging his head against the trunk of that tree!

“Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.”
–Isaiah 59:9-20

Therefore, it is fitting that modern man is entertained by deception. So much so, that modern man is found cheering those scripted events he calls “professional sports” and throwing his money at those homosexual music fests he calls “concerts.”

And through it all, modern man is COMPLETELY CONVINCED he is the best and brightest EVER to walk the earth.

HOWEVER, when the topic is “eternal salvation,” even cocksure modern man is not altogether too sure of himself.

Over the years, it seems that a great many moderns have decided the most wise course of action to be “I think I’ll wait and see what happens first.”

As far as salvation goes, this decision will directly contribute to untold MILLIONS of moderns spending eternity in hellfire.

God’s Word advises that it is FAITH which saves a man. Indeed, without faith, man cannot even please God.

“But 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

So, of all those who ‘wait and see what happens,’ there MIGHT be some who are able to spot that train called the end times chugging down the track on which they are standing.

BUT, as they can see it, it requires NO faith to believe the train is headed straight for them.

“For we are saved by hope [faith]: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?”
–Romans 8:24

And so, a great many who advised ‘wait and see’ will be able to see calamity about their heads–but by then, it will be TOO LATE for them to do anything about their predicament: that which is seen require NO faith.

And NO FAITH = NO SALVATION.

Will this information change the minds of supremely intelligent modern man?

Perhaps a very few–but not very many.

As it is, devilishly clever modern man would rather spend his time banging his head against the trunk of the latest tree he has wandered into.

DO NOT WAIT!

TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION!

DO NOT WAIT!

MORE: Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

WHAT is the reader waiting for?

DOES the reader believe that if he opts for eternal salvation, he will miss out on all of the ‘fun’ this world promises him?

It is not YET too late: there is still time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.

DOES the reader believe he is saved?

Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival

DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?

Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: December 8, 2020.]

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

MORE:Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

RELATED ARTICLES

by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier

image: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.com

Link Disclaimer: inclusion of links to other blogs/websites is not necessarily an endorsement of all content posted in those blogs/websites.

ALL such links appearing in End Times Prophecy Headlines, such as those below, should originate at ETPR.

Filed under: Biblical Teachings, END TIMES PREPARATION, Eternal Salvation through Jesus Christ, Good News/Gospel, salvation now: do not wait!

November 29, 2020 • 09:00 0

The Modern Relationship With Sin

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”
–Psalm 32:1-2

For the past two thousand years or so, man has had MOSTLY a self-serving, unBiblical relationship with sin.

Modern man even more so.

The modern relationship with sin seems to follow one of THREE paths.

1- The first path is walked by those rebellious in nature. They do NOT follow God’s Word–and they make no bones about it. In fact, they may even attack or otherwise try to undermine the Word of God. Apparently, they feel justified in attacking that which they do not follow.

This merry band of rogues–even with end times man at his MOST REBELLIOUS against God–make up about 10 to 20 percent of mankind–even though God’s Word declares that ALL who dwell upon the earth during the last days–with the exception of those whose names are written in the book of life–will worship Satan and Satan’s beast.

“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
–Revelation 13:4,8

Some who are on this first path may even deny that God exists.

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.”
–Psalm 14:1

There is not a whole lot one can do with this group. They feel they are getting by in this world just fine without having to concern themselves with any thoughts about whether they are sinning against God–who, at least for some, may or may not even exist. Thank you very much.

It is extremely fortunate that, in His complete and total mercy, God Himself will save some of this group.

Because He can.

Perhaps God enjoys seeing the complete turnaround that takes place in a person once he has the complete story?

2- The second group is, by far, the largest of the three. It consists of those who really do not understand what God’s Word has to say about sin (perhaps because they do not spend much time trying to understand); most preferring to follow along after what they have been taught in one of the churches.

This group has a vague understanding of sin, many believing that they will “somehow make it through” because they TRY TO BE “a good person.”

And if anyone tries to point out that they have built their futures on a SHAKY, unBiblical foundation?

As one woman put it: “I try to do the best I can.”

Sounds like she is rehearsing what she will say on judgment day?

Some have a vague notion that if they do good, then that will “balance out” the bad?

The Good-o-Meter

Their idea of sin centers around BOOKKEEPING: that records are kept of their good deeds and their not-so-good works. On judgment day, God will see if they have roughly as many good as they do bad deeds and make his judgments accordingly.

While there ARE records of one’s life kept, when judged by an all-holy God (the concept of “holy” being completely foreign to man), the bad will GREATLY outweigh the good.

Most get around this by comparing themselves to someone else who isn’t such a good person.

Still others prefer NOT to think too much about it at all.

Perhaps they believe that “everything will turn out fine in the end“?

Maybe they tell themselves that they cannot spare the time: that they are just “too busy” living their on-the-run, overstuffed lives?

“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.”
–Psalm 10:4

Though many of this bunch of people believe they mean well, they do NOT look at sin Biblically. Many treat sin as if it was a commodity which can be exchanged for “good works.”

And it does not matter much that MOST of this band is deceived.

Although they have been warned to NOT be deceived, they feel their “busy lives” make it too difficult to pay much attention to their any of that. Besides, who can say what is and what is not deception?

UNFORTUNATELY FOR THEM, the Bible is clear: the deceived end up in the same place as those who are deceiving them.

“But he [Jesus] answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”
–Matthew 15:13-14

3- The last group consists of those FEW who have been saved by God’s great and abiding mercy (grace). They KNOW that they will become entangled with sinful behavior: man was formed from the dust of the earth. So, even a man who is saved is little more than a sack of dirt with God’s Holy Spirit residing within him.

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
–2CORINTHIANS 4:7

This tiny group of believers KNOW that they will sin. But after their new, spiritual birth, they also know they must FIGHT against sin and those who would lead them into it. That sin is something to be struggled against, NOT something to be embraced.

But they also KNOW that, having sinned, they must confess their sin to God, who will put it away in His great mercy. In fact, they KNOW that if not for God’s grace, they would be totally and completely LOST.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
–1JOHN 1:9

Because they are believers, they are not judged, but they ARE chastened (lovingly taught) by God Himself.

“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”
–Hebrews 12:6

If not for God’s great mercy, this small band of believers KNOW that they would be lost. The Bible says that their sin is not charged to their account by God once they are saved.

As King David wrote:

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”
–Psalm 32:1-2

David was saved by God. David’s sins are well-known to those who study their Bible.

Murder, adultery, pride–and that is just a start to the list of David’s transgressions.

BUT God did not count David’s sin against him–as David’s seer (prophet) Nathan related to David In 1SAMUEL’s chapter 12.

“And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

“And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

“Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.”
–1SAMUEL 12:1-12

SO, there were consequences to David’s sin, but Nathan then points out that the LORD has extended to David His ultimate mercy.

“And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.”
–1SAMUEL 12:13

Nathan was relaying that David would not suffer the second death.

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”
–Revelation 2:11

The second death is what happens to those who suffer the judgment of God at death.

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
–Revelation 21:8

MORE: Blessed Is the Man Unto Whom the LORD Imputeth Not Iniquity – Part One

MORE: Blessed Is the Man Whom the LORD Imputeth Not Iniquity – Part Two

And so, the modern relationship with sin closely mirrors the same mistakes made by man from the beginning. Those who abide in the first two groups are on the wrong path: that path leads to destruction.

The third group contains those who realize man will sin and that man depends TOTALLY on the mercy of an all-merciful God for deliverance from the consequences of that sinful behavior. This third group has ALWAYS been a SMALL group–because most men are focused on THIS present world, not the world to come.

And so, of the three groups of men, the third (very small) group is the only one which has a Biblical relationship with sin.

WHICH of the three groups is the reader in?

It is not YET too late: there is still time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.

DOES the reader believe he is saved?

Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival

DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?

Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: November 23, 2020.]

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

RELATED ARTICLES

by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier

image: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.com

Link Disclaimer: inclusion of links to other blogs/websites is not necessarily an endorsement of all content posted in those blogs/websites.

ALL such links appearing in End Times Prophecy Headlines, such as those below, should originate at ETPR.

Filed under: Biblical Teachings, END TIMES PREPARATION, Eternal Salvation through Jesus Christ, Good News/Gospel, the modern relationship with sin

November 21, 2020 • 06:00 0

What Does One Say to the Church Folk?

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”
–Proverbs 11:30

Except for the odd believer scattered here and there, the ENTIRE world is eligible to be saved from the fires of perdition.

“After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”

So, for the person intent on winning souls, all the world is his oyster.

HOWEVER, standing in the way of trying to win those souls are the lost themselves.

MANY are offended that someone might think THEY need saving!

MANY others are not happy with the idea that someone might think they know where to find the answer to eternal life: “Don’t push your religion on me. Keep that God and Jesus stuff to yourself!”

ALMOST ALL are CONVINCED that they are a “good person.”

“Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
–Psalm 53:3B

HOWEVER, near the top of the list for stubbornness, resistance to Biblical commands and sheer defiance are the great majority of the church-goers.

MORE: The Primary Reasons the Lost Stubbornly Remain Lost

IF a person does not believe they need saving (feeling they already have all the knowledge and understanding they need), that person will not likely be very open to listening to reasons WHY they are lost.

Lest the reader feel this is too harsh an assessment, it comes from a LONG-TIME member of the churches over most of his life–continuing to even AFTER he became spiritually reborn and entered the kingdom of heaven.

For one thing, no group on earth is as heavily indoctrinated as the church folk. And no group is carefully shepherded by more friendly, smiling wolves in the pulpits than those who occupy the pews at their Sunday meeting club they call the “church.”

And so, those who are supposed to be filled with the power of God complain endlessly about their lack of spiritual power.

And the ones who prowl the pulpits are only too happy to provide excuses why the congregations have no power–EXCEPT they will NOT breathe a word about the powerless person NOT being reborn or saved; i.e., a Christian.

SO, to the one who is trying to win souls: the church members are a HUGE pool of SEEMINGLY potentially-winnable souls. NOW, those who frequent that pool had better take a life preserver, BUT if one is around when God “pries one of their eyes open,” then the church member usually becomes one of the most fervent Christians imaginable.

“What does one say to the church folk to wake them from their slumber?”

The answer is a hard one to live with for any who attempt to win souls.

One simply says NOTHING.

Oh, one should preach the gospel to them. After all, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation.

But one should be prepared to be scolded for thinking someone who attends church should hear the gospel!

BUT, at some point, that church person SHOULD hear the gospel of Jesus Christ: he certainly will not hear it preached in his church building.

MORE: Counterfeit Churches: Do Not Know the Gospel, Can’t Preach It

There is little one can say to the deceived to improve their circumstance.

Deception is a spiritual problem. Only God Himself can change a man’s heart.

IF the church folk get new hearts, THEN they are an end times force to be reckoned with–instead of Satan’s prime recruiting ground for his end times Church of the Dragon.

DOES the reader attend a local church?

DOES the reader ever wonder if he is bound for heaven?

It is not YET too late: there is still time to change direction (repent), place your faith (hope) for the future entirely on Jesus Christ and enter the kingdom of heaven.

DOES the reader believe he is saved?

Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival

DOES the reader believe he is NOT saved?

Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: November 18, 2020.]

MORE: Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report

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