“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” —Proverb 11:30
The Bible has much to say about winning the lost to Christ. All men are
sinners and deserve to be punished in Hell for violating God's holy Law.
Thankfully, Jesus paid the price for our sins with His literal blood so we
could be justified by faith and forgiven. Eternal life is a free gift from
God (Romans 6:23). All we must do is receive that gift by grace through
faith in the Son of God. Salvation is receiving; NOT giving.
There is much confusion in the world today concerning how to get to Heaven. But the Word of God clears up the matter—there is only ONE WAY to Heaven, and that way is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:10-12; 10:43). It is a terrifying thing to die in one's sins and stand trial before God . . . “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.” (2nd Corinthians 5:11). Here is a glimpse of how terrible it will be . . . “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” That is horrifying!
1. All people are sinners and lost in their sin.
We need to get people lost before we can see them get saved. There needs to be conviction of sin. God is "Holy," which means "separate from sin." If we have one sin to our account we cannot go to Heaven.
Romans 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"
Romans 3:12 "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
Romans 3:12 "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
Romans 3:19 "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
Ecclesiastes 7:20 "For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not."
Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
“And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” —Luke 14:23
2. Our good deeds cannot erase our sins.
Salvation is not by our by good works. If we could save ourselves from our sins by our own efforts, then Christ would not have had to die for us.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "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."
Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"
Romans 4:5 "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
Romans 11:6 "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."
Galatians 2:16 "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
“And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” —Romans 10:15
3. God must punish sinners for their sin.
Just as a judge in your town must punish criminals, so God must punish sinners. "Sin" is defined as "crimes against God's Holiness" that we have committed, I John 3:4, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." God is a God of Justice. He would not be just if He didn't punish sin, just as a judge would not be just if he let the guilty go free. God has determined that the punishment for sin must be death and eternal separation from God in a Lake of Fire.
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"
Ezekiel 18:4 "Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die."
Revelation 20:14-15 "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Revelation 21:8 "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."
“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man...” —Colossians 1:27-28
4. Jesus paid the penalty for your sin and suffered your punishment.
God is not only Holy and Just, He is also Love. Love is active. It compels a person to show their love by actions. God did this by sacrificing His Son on the Cross to die in our place and pay our penalty in full so we could go free. Someone perfect, without sin had to die to satisfy God's anger, only Jesus was without sin. Only His blood was perfect and could appease God's wrath.
Romans 5:6 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."
Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
1st Peter 3:18 "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"
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."
2nd Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
“Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” —1st Corinthians 15:34
5. Only Christ's blood can wash away our sins.
We must be cleansed of every single sin to go to Heaven and live in the presence of God's Holiness. There cannot be even one sin on our account. Christ's blood that He shed on the cross when applied to our account by faith, accomplishes the cleansing of us from all sin.
Romans 5:9 "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
Revelation 1:5 "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,"
Revelation 7:14 "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
Ephesians 1:7 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."
Colossians 1:14 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins."
1st Peter 1:18-19 "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” —Matthew 28:19,20
6. You must trust in Christ only for your salvation.
Having, no faith in yourself or your good works, you must believe only in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His death, burial and resurrection. Have faith in His blood to save you from your sin. The word "believe" does not mean to agree with mentally, but to "rely on." If you have just enough faith to obey the Gospel, by relying completely upon Jesus, that is all the faith you need to be saved. It matters not how much faith you have, just so long as you trust completely upon Jesus Christ and nothing or anyone else to forgive your sins and save you. We are saved by HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, i.e., the righteousness of Jesus Christ which God imputes (charges) to our record by faith in the Son of God. A man's faith is COUNTED for righteousness (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:5).
Romans 4:5-6 "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works."
Romans 10:9-10 "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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Ephesians 1:12-13 "That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise."
Acts 16:31 "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
1st John 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
Acts 10:43 "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins."
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
—Mark 16:15
The Hypocrisy of the Critics of Eternal Security
END OF ARTICLE
ABOVE: Geiranger Fjord, Norway
3rd John 1:8, “We therefore
ought to receive such,
that we might be
fellowhelpers to the
truth.”
Why There's A Hell (MP3 sermon by Pastor Danny Castle)
HE THAT WINNETH SOULS IS WISE! (Dr. John R. Rice)
“Baptismal
regeneration is one of the most damnable heresies!”
—Pastor Max D.
Younce, a quote from his excellent Bible study, “WHEN
I SEE THE BLOOD - AND NOAH BUILDED AN ALTER (361)”
The Gospel In Just One Minute (by Pastor Max D. Younce)
“In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God,
and that obey not
THE
GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
—2nd Thessalonians 1:8
Ye Must Be Born Again! | How to Be Saved
