What does the Bible say?
What must I do to be saved? That question was asked almost two thousand years ago by a tough Philippian jailer to the Apostle Paul. The Apostle’s answer was very straight forward; ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved’ (Acts 16:30). We will answer in this article the necessity of this all- important question for each and every one of us.
If we look at the culture in which we live, it is very materialistic. We seem to gravitate toward the false notion that the more we possess or the kind of lifestyle we live will define true contentment or meaning in life. The eternal makeup of every human being makes this a burden-some struggle, since as the Bible puts it ‘He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds’ (Ecclesiastes 3:11 Amp.). Every one of us knows deep down that life goes on after the death of the body! We have a conscience that speaks to us regarding morals, right and wrong, decency and justice. The conscience CANNOT be explained apart from the God who gave it.
The Bible is an eternal document simply because God is eternal; ‘from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God’ (Psalm 90: 2), and the Bible is Gods revelation of Himself to us. The Bible does not begin with philosophical arguments but with fact: ‘In the beginning God created’ (Genesis 1:1). With the beginning of creation, the Bible tells of the wonderful lovingkindness of Gods hand in making everything I.E., man himself, to the animals and to the heavens; the stars and all that is in our great universe which shouts of an intelligent designer ‘The heavens declare the glory of God’ (Psalm 19:1). God gave man a wonderful gift it is called free will, in which he has the freedom to choose how he conducts his life and the choices he makes. In time we see that he chose to go his own way; ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way’ (Isaiah 53:6). This is what the Bible calls sin, and sin always separates man from God; the One who created him; ‘But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, that He will not hear’ (Isaiah 59:2). Where will you be the moment you die? Heaven or hell, you have a choice; ‘And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account’ (Hebrews 4:13).
God knows everything about you, your thought life, your deepest secrets—all of those things that you wish could be forgotten, all of your sins! God so loved you that He sent His Son Jesus to endure the punishment for your sins; and three days later He rose from the dead as proof that God was satisfied with Christ dying in your place. God is saying to you today; “what will you do with My Son who died for you”. ‘God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance’ (2nd Peter 3:9). The Bible says that it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. ‘This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent’ (John 17:3 KJV). This is how much God loves you: ‘For He (God) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him’ (2nd Corinthians 5:21). Listen to this wonderful news: ‘that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation’ (Romans 10:9,10).
Most people do not realize that they will face God when they die, they do not think at all about the awesome reality of facing their Creator! The fact is we will all have to give an account to the One who gives us our very breath. Are you willing to face a holy God on your own in the guilt of all your sinfulness; or stand before Him ‘Justified in His sight’ because of the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ! ‘And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life’ (1st John 5:11,12).
Can you imagine the One who spoke, and the universe ‘sprang’ into existence, making this statement: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 1:18). As a late great Bible teacher once said: “there is a muscle in your chest, and it is pre-programmed”. We do not know the date or the hour of our death— ‘For man also knows not his time [of death]: as the fishes are taken in an evil net, and as the birds are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time when [calamity] falls suddenly upon them’ (Ecclesiastes 9:12 Amplified). With all of our reasoning so far, will you please get your life in order, and be reconciled to God!
What makes the Bible so relevant today is the fact that it speaks of the time in which we live! Gods word is undeniable: ‘Behold the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare before they spring forth, I tell you of them’ (Isaiah 42:9). I have written in articles past of the complete out of control of violence, murder, malice, greed, absolute corruption at every level of society from the highest office in the land, to business, government at all levels, down to our families and public school system. We have allowed the slaughter of millions of unborn babies on the altar of convenience, have spent billions a year on the business of pornography, we have made lying and cheating a way of life.
Many years ago, I asked a man of business “what is your greatest fear”, to which he replied, “going to hell”, what this man needed was his sins forgiven and peace! We must be honest with ourselves and start thinking past the end of our ‘nose’ and into the future! For some of us the end of our life could be today; are you ready for the end of life? ‘FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH; BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD’ (Romans 6:23).
THE LAST DAYS ARE HERE
We live in a world that is literally falling apart at the seams! The nations are raging for power and control with nuclear threats abounding. The last estimate this writer heard was the world has enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world ten times over—this is insanity! The world of humanity is going exactly the way the Bible foretold; the hour is very late, and still man goes on his defiant way as if there were no God, this is the definition of foolishness! Everywhere we go in society we see restlessness and fear abounding! People are looking for answers to the reason why the world is literally falling apart. Solid answers simply cannot be found apart from the Bible; this is just a proven fact! This present world can offer nothing but judgment, because it has rejected God. The nation of Israel is of profound importance in these days in which we live, the only nation in the history of the world to become a nation did so in one day; just like the Bible foretold (Isaiah 66:8 etc.), yes in one day; Mat 14th, 1948. God said in these last days Israel would be a ‘cup of trembling’ and a ‘burdensome stone’ for all people (Zechariah 12:2,3). God also said that Israel would be hated worldwide; this is happening as we speak! The last series of battles (Armageddon) will end in a valley in northern Israel! The worldwide flood that destroyed all living things (Genesis 7), and the utter destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19), are literally laughed at. God will not be mocked, there is a coming day of judgment for all who reject God’s gift of forgiveness and eternal life in His Son Jesus Christ. ‘For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God’ (1st Peter 3:18).
I love you all—Jeff
