TRULY EMBRACING THE SCRIPTURES

Consider this verse, which is about testing your faith in the Scriptures:

"If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).

As a young boy preacher, I quickly learned this verse. It became one of the most important but misunderstood verses in all of Christendom. Is this verse not an essential part of our faith that all Christians ought to embrace?

Let’s break it down:

First, we need to "confess Jesus." This means more than recognizing Him as a historical figure; it means acknowledging everything He represents, which is "Jehovah-Saviour." Who is He saving?

Here's a scriptural answer:

"We have seen and testify that the Father sent His Son [Jesus—Saviour] TO BE THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD" (1 John 4:14)!

Is there a verse that says Jesus will FAIL at being "The SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD"?

Do you believe Romans 10:9 as the true Word of God? Do you believe Jesus is what His name implies—the Saviour of the WORLD? Can you accept that His Father gave Him a job that was meant to fail? If you accept Jesus as the Saviour of the world, you must also reject the idea that He will save only a few and punish most for eternity.

What will convince us to genuinely BELIEVE THE SCRIPTURES ?

Do you want to know what the Great Commission really is?

Did Jesus take His mission seriously?

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What will convince us to genuinely BELIEVE THE SCRIPTURES?

We hear a lot about "THE GREAT COMMISSION," yet many misunderstand it. Sharing the gospel is essential, but the most significant aspect is often overlooked. The belief that Jesus died only to save a small number of sinners is a hoax. The full gospel is much larger than the Great Commission.

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Do you want to know what the Great Commission really is?

Here it is: "We have seen and testified that the Father sent [to be on a mission] TO BE THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD" (1 John 4:14)! Can anyone tell me of a greater mission than this? I'll wait. 

It makes sense that someone with such a big mission would have a name that reflects it: The greatest signatory in existence.

 

"God has highly EXALTED Him and given Him A NAME ABOVE EVERY NAME: so that at THE NAME OF JESUS..." (Philippians 2:9). 

 

So, we have the mission and the qualifying name, but will Jesus carry out this mission, or will He fail?

"...the works the Father has given Me to do, the same works that I DO, testify about Me..." (John 5:36).

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Did Jesus take His mission seriously?

"I MUST work the works [SAVE THE WORLD] of Him who sent Me..." (John 9:4)!

What power could Jesus possibly lack that would make this mission impossible?

"ALL POWER HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18)!

But don't people have to use their so-called "free wills" to accept him? What if they don't will to accept him?

Has Jesus shown that He can handle all the "free wills" of people?

"Take heart; I have OVERCOME THE WORLD" (John 16:33).

Maybe God doesn’t want everyone to be saved.

"Who WILL have all men to be saved" (1 Timothy 2:4).

 

Another confirmation:

"For this reason, we labor, trusting in the living God, who is the Saviour of ALL MEN, especially [but not only] of those who believe" (1 Timothy 4:10).

 

Doesn't God want most people to be punished in a lake of fire?

"The Lord...is NOT WILLING that ANY should perish..." (2 Peter 3:9).

Certainly! Here’s a reworded version of the points you provided:

 

More proof:

"If I am lifted up from the earth [on the cross], I will attract ALL PEOPLE to myself" (John 12:32). However, doesn't the entire world need their sins to be atoned for first?

 

"And He is the atonement for our sins, not just for ours, but also for THE SINS OF THE ENTIRE WORLD" (1 John 2:2).

More proof:

"The following day, John spotted Jesus coming toward him and exclaimed, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who REMOVES THE SIN OF THE WORLD'" (John 1:29).

 

Hasn't the Church demonstrated through its interpretation of the "lake of fire" that it's "impossible" to save all of humanity?

 

"Who then CAN be saved? Jesus replied to them, 'With man this is impossible, but with God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE'"

 

Isn't it each person's responsibility to "CHOOSE CHRIST" to receive salvation?

"You did NOT CHOOSE ME, but I CHOSE YOU..." (John 15:16).

 

But don't most preachers state during one of his crusades that "we must come to Christ on our own"? He even advised against praying for those making that decision, as it must be theirs ALONE.

 

"NO PERSON CAN COME TO ME [by personal choice] unless the Father who sent me DRAWS HIM [Greek: DRAGs HIM], and I WILL raise him up on the last day" (John 6:44).

 

Are you implying that I never sought God ON MY OWN?

"There is NONE who seeks after God" (Romans 3:11b).

 

What if I believe that I can and do WILL to serve God independently?

"For it is GOD who works IN you both TO WILL and TO ACT according to His good purpose" (Philippians 2:13).

I recognize that Hebrews 11:6 states that without faith, it is impossible to please God, so we must create and use our OWN FAITH to please Him, correct?

 

"For by grace you have been saved through FAITH; and that faith is NOT OF YOURSELVES [if not from US, then where does it come from?]; it is the GIFT OF GOD" (Ephesians 2:8).

 

More Proof:

"...and what do you have that you did not RECEIVE...?" (1 Corinthians 4:7).

 

However, everyone will ultimately have to acknowledge the Risen Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior [Jehovah-SAVIOR] to be saved; when does this acknowledgment occur?

 

"That at the name of Jesus [Jehovah-Savior-THEIR Savior] EVERY knee shall bow, in heaven, on earth, and beneath the earth; and EVERY tongue shall confess ['If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, YOU WILL BE SAVED, Romans 10:9] that Jesus Christ [The Christ whom God 'raised from the dead.'

 

He was already 'RISEN' when this was written in Philippians 2:11 is Lord ['Lord' signifies 'master,' acknowledging Christ as Master of their lives], to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11).

 

Doesn't this imply that everything we do toward salvation is OF GOD, rather than of ourselves?

 

"God is working ALL in all" (1 Corinthians 12:6).

"Yet ALL is from God" (2 Corinthians 5:18).

"For OF Him, and THROUGH Him, and TO Him, ARE ALL THINGS: to whom be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:34).

"...being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works ALL THINGS according to His OWN WILL" (Ephesians 1:11).

This suggests that we can do absolutely NOTHING on our own to secure our salvation.

"I am the vine; you are the branches... apart from me, you can do NOTHING" (John 15:5).

These verses remind us much of what is being taught in the church today ate nothing more than the philosophies, commandments, and traditions of men rather than practices of truth grounded in the Scripture.

"In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men... You completely reject the commandments of God, [such as: 'LOVE YOUR ENEMIES'] to uphold your OWN TRADITION" (Mark 7:7 & 9).