by David Brenneman
"What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." James 2:14-26.
Atheism doesn't exist among Satan or his demons. Did you know that?
Did you likewise know that it isn't at all enough to just believe that God exists, or that the Father exists, or the Son of God Jesus Christ or even the Holy Spirit?
If you only believe that they are real but have never come to the place where you have asked Jesus to be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life...you are still yet dead in your sins and will never see Heaven.
Jesus said that in that future judgment day many people will both claim to believe in Him and will have claimed even to have done things in His Name...but they never asked Him to be the forgiver of their sins and the leader of their lives.
There has to be those steps or you will die in your own sins. You will not see Heaven. You will be forever separated from Jesus and all whom you knew who did ask Him to be the forgiver of their sins and the leader of their lives.
People who claim to know Jesus are all around the world. Yet they live defeated lives. There's no fruit growing in them that shows that Jesus is their Savior and Lord. These same people just won't cross that line and ask Jesus, whom they do claim to be real and who He said He was, to forgive their sins and to be their Savior.
All the day long the wide open maw that is Hell is receiving thousands and thousands of people who cry out that they believe in God that they believe in Jesus. Yet in their crying out they are without excuse, they know they never asked Jesus to be the forgiver of their sins and the leader of their life.
A very distinct hallmark in Heaven as well as in Hell is the utter clarity of thought. There is the plain unadulterated truth. There's nothing that stands in the way. Those in Heaven know that they are there only by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. They know that it's by faith alone in Christ alone that they are there. In Hell everyone there knows that they never did, that they rejected Jesus's free gift of salvation.
My Dear Reader only in this life you have been given do you have the choice to come to Christ for salvation or to reject His free gift of salvation. Once you die that's it. Your eternity is sealed.
All who come to Christ for salvation are to be growing in Christ. He took care of their sins and now they live for Jesus. There's fruit, evidence as it were, that they are indeed a new creation in Christ Jesus. They certainly have stepped beyond saying they're saved to living the saved life that evidences it.
A life that more and more shows Jesus to the world around them.
The works that Believers do aren't part of their salvation. They are evidence that they are saved.
So my Dear Reader...be sure of your salvation in Christ Jesus alone for the forgiveness of your sins.
Only believing that Jesus was who He said He was or believing that He existed will never save you. You will still end up in Hell. He must, must, must, be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life.
All the promises of God are all beginning with that choice to ask Jesus to be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life. Otherwise none of His wonderful promises apply to your life.
"But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:8-13.
When you do choose Jesus to be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life...then and only then do any works you might do matter for anything.
So if you are wondering why when you cry out for God to do something in your life because of how bad it is and nothing is happening, nothing is getting any better...start with the truth. Are you really saved in Christ Jesus?
Good deeds, positive thoughts, warm feelings, will accomplish absolutely nothing with regards to your thoughts on Jesus and Heaven.
Jesus had to live a sinless life, die a horrible death, arise from the dead in order to pay the price for your salvation. We who are saved rely solely on what He did to save us. Then we're living lives that reflect that and show Jesus to the rest of the world.
Move beyond just believing that Jesus is real. As today's Scripture shows...even demons believe that.
If you're ready to move beyond that...call or text the word "Jesus" to 330-264-9459. There are people ready to show you how to be sure that you are saved.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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