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[Keifer]

The Truth

You cannot be saved by being a 'good person':

"For by grace are ye saved through faith...Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8a-9 KJV)

And there are not 'many paths

[Keifer]

Salvation

"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 10:9-10 KJV)

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;" (Acts 3:19 KJV)

Jesus said He is the only way you can receive eternal life. The Bible says you must repent of your sins and receive Him as your Lord and Savior. If you don't you will be condemned for eternity:

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:18 KJV)

To receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior simply do as the Bible tells us in Romans 10:9 above: Believe in His resurrection with your heart and confess Him as Lord with your mouth. You can say this prayer or one similar for your confession:

Dear Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins and God raised You from the dead. I'm sorry for my sins and want to turn from them and follow You. I now confess that You are Lord and ask You to come into my life and be my Savior. Thank You for saving me Lord Jesus. In Your name, amen.

But you may be thinking, there's no example in the Bible of a 'sinner's prayer'. True, we’re saved by God’s grace through our faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8), not by a prayer. But we're told to "confess with our mouth" (Romans 10:9a) because the verbal confession is a product of our salvation (Romans 10:10b). If we’re not willing to confess Jesus as Lord before others, He will deny us before the Father in Heaven (Matthew 10:32-33).

And heartfelt belief in His resurrection must also accompany the verbal confession (Romans 10:9b) because that belief produces righteousness (Romans 10:10a). Our outward confession is a product of our inward belief. One can say their own prayer for their confession, I only offer an example.

Remember the thief on the cross? He believed in Jesus and was saved by God’s grace, so he addressed Jesus as Lord and asked Him to remember him when He came into His Kingdom (Luke 23:42). That was the thief’s verbal confession of Jesus’ Lordship and his acknowledgment of Jesus’ resurrection by alluding to the Lord's future Kingdom to come.

So if you

[Keifer]

What

[Keifer]

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (Acts 20:28)

[Jeremiah Joel]

Hello Keifer and all:

I thought it good to respond to this posting. I do not mean to pick at things and scriptural references. I just would like to bring forth some food for thought. There have been some very good scriptures brought forth. Sometimes though we have been conditioned to see things, that the scriptures may not be saying. This can happen simply by leaving out other scriptures. So I hope that no offense will be taken, but rather "Wow" I have never really seen this before.

I quote this passage of scripture as a point:

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13 KJV)

It also speaks in this same chapter in vs 10, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

But what is the confession that is made? There must be a preacher sent declaring what is to be believed.... how we are to believe. The confession that is to be made, and what is to be done (acts/works of faith), must be based on what the preacher says.

We can see this in Romans 10:13-17

Throughout the book of Acts there is only one Word preached for salvation that I see, which is Repent, be baptized in the name of the Lord (Jesus), and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost being the power to overcome all sin. This is the confession that I make based on what the preacher (Apostles) always preached.

I look forward to hearing responses.

Jeremiah

Edited June 21, 2008 by Jeremiah Joel

[Keifer]

But what is the confession that is made?

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus..." (Romans 10:9 KJV)

Or, in more modern vernacular:

"that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord..." (Romans 10:9 NASB)

Why?

"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32-33)

Because eventually:

"...As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." (Romans 14:11)

One can either confess His Lordship now as Savior, or later as Judge. It's your choice. Welcome to the boards Jeremiah Joel, and here's today's verse...

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:12)

[Keifer]

For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28)

[Keifer]

For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. (Hebrews 9:16)

[Keifer]

For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. (Leviticus 17:11)

[Keifer]

And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20)