It was an interesting weekend, the new Prophezine forum was totally hopping with action. Lots of people in the forum posting, responding and overall good fellowship.
But we had one post, actually on evolution/creation where there was a little bit of disagreement going. It appeared that we a visitor stood on the idea of theological evolution. Most in the room were of a literal six 24 hour day creation, which I am as well.
Finally the person posted… “By the way, lets point out this whole subject (creation) has no impact on Salvation!
Well, I could not let that pass, because believe it or not, it does have an impact on Salvation.
Here is what I said…
Actually it does, because if you cannot have faith that God created the earth in 7-24 hour days, you will not be able to have any faith in the Bible, God’s Word, at all.
In fact you will not have the faith to believe that you are truly a sinner in need of a savior because there will always be some part of you looking to yourself for the answer and not trust God or His Word.
Do you realize that in denying the literal creation, you are actually denying Christ.
How is that you may ask?
By not believing in a literal creation, you are calling God’s Word into question, thus you are calling God himself into question. What you need to understand is that God does not lie and is incapable of lying.
Scripture says
Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
By denying, not believing, questioning any of God’s Word, you deny Christ Himself.
Scripture says…
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
So either you stand on the complete Word of God, accept Him as God and Savior, or you don’t. God and His Word are one. You cannot accept one and question the other, to do that you are denying one or the other and in either case causes one to deny God.
See, if you are unable to believe in the first ten chapters of the bible literally, you cannot say that you believe in any part of the bible literally. You can not have your cake and eat it also.
If you cannot believe in a literal 7 day creation, a literal flood, a literal garden of Eden and the literal first sin, then you are unable to also accept a literal virgin birth, a literal death on the cross, burial, resurrection, etc.
Because of what I said, he came back and said that I was basically adding to the gospel, which I was not.
He said…
Salvation is only dependent on the following from God’s Word:
Romans 10:9 – 10:13
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
What this person is promoting here is what is called “Easy Beliefism.” I will show you why.
See the Devils believe in Jesus, and they know He was raised from the dead.
James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
The Devils recognize his authority and WORSHIPED HIM for who He is.
But here is the sticking point…
Mark 5:6-9 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
To refresh your memory, this is where Christ was met by the demon possessed man who held within him “Legion.”
Points to observe.
1- we see that Demons believe based on James 2.
2- In Mark 5 we see that the demons recognized Him and knew who he was.
3 – They worshipped Him.
4- They prayed to Jesus – “what have I to do with thee, Jesus,…
5- They acknowledged his Lordship…”Thou Son of the most High God”
So are the devils saved?
They confessed with their mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and they believed in their heart. That is assuming they have a heart.
So basically these demons in fulfilled the requirements of for salvation, so are they saved? Are they going to heaven?
Based on those who promote “Easy Beliefism”, all they need to do is believe, thus they are saved.
You know, and I know that these demons are not saved.
Many pastors out there today no longer know or even understand what it means to be saved.
Just because you “check” some box on a little card does not make you saved.
Just because you raised your hand when the preacher asked does not make you saved.
Neither does joining a church, attending classes, helping with service, etc, etc, etc.
Scripture tells us that the Devils believe and they are NOT going to heaven.
What is missing out of “Easy Beliefism”?
Sin.
See, how can one be “saved” if they are not first “lost”?
How can you be lost unless you realize you are a sinner?
“Easy Beliefism” omits the fact that we are sinners in need of a savior.
Scripture says…
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
“Easy Beliefism” does not promote sin, and in most cases they just ignore it. In fact, those who promote “Easy Beliefism” ignore most of the process of salvation all together.
Do you know there is a process to salvation?
God gave us a wonderful example of the salvation process, it is found in the old testament.
Numbers 21:6-9 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Do you see the process?
The Process…
“We have sinned” – recognition that we are sinners, this is brought about by the Holy Spirit convicting us.
“pray unto the LORD” – Seeking the Lord, brought on by the Holy Spirit, and repent from our sins.
“Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole” – This is the very picture of Christ on the Cross, His sacrifice for us.
“and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” – This is the perfect example of being saved by grace through faith. God gave us the means to Him (grace), all we need to do is realize that we are sinners in need of a savior, look to Jesus and repent of our sins, accept Him in faith. Where he then cleanses us from all unrighteousness and through this we are saved and become a Child of God.
I hope that these verses will help you in the future when you come across someone who is promoting “Easy Beliefism.” Bring up the demons in James and Mark, the fact that they believed, recognized Christ, prayed and worshipped Him as well as acknowledged him as the Son of God. All the same thing that folks who promote “Easy Beliefism” stand on a well.
Once you have refuted “Easy Beliefism,” you then need to share the proper plan of Salvation.
How To Share God’s Plan of Salvation
It is very easy to share God’s Plan of Salvation using His Word, remember, it is not YOUR words that get a person to heaven, but God’s. So always stick with God’s Word and not your own. We are talking about a person’s eternal soul.
1. ONE MUST ACCEPT THAT THEY ARE A SINNER.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 3: 10 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one … ”
No one is perfect, No one has lived up to God’s perfect standard. We are all sinners, you, me, and Joe Bob down the street.
2. ONE MUST ACCEPT THAT AS A SINNER THEY OWE A PENALTY.
Romans 6:23 (KJV) “For the wages of sin is death …. “
Ezekiel 18:4b (KJV) “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”
The consequences of sin is death, just as God’s Word clearly states. This death is described in the Bible as the second death in the lake of fire.
Know Christ, Die Once… NO Christ… Die Twice
Revelation 20: 14 (KJV) “And Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. “
If we pay what we owe as sinners, we must spend an eternity in the lake of fire (Hell).
3. ONE MUST ACCEPT THAT JESUS CHRIST HAS ALREADY PAID OUR SIN DEBT.
Romans 5:6 (KJV) “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. “
Hebrews 2:9b (KJV) ” … that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man … “
Christ was not a sinner, and the Bible teaches that God took all of our sin and placed it on Christ. While Christ was bearing all of our sins in His own body. God punished Him in our place to pay the debt we owe. This is not something God promised to do. It is something God has already done.
John3: 16 (KJV) “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 .”
II Corinthians 5:21 (KJV) “He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him …
It is a fact, Jesus Christ has already paid your sin debt.
4. ONE MUST REPENT AND ACCEPT BY FAITH WHAT JESUS CHRIST DID FOR YOU.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
John 3:36 (KJV) “He thas believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and h: believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him
In John 3:36, Jesus divides the world into two groups: those who are believing on the Son and those who are not believing on the Son. Those who believe have everlasting life, and those who believe not shall not see life.
The word “believe” means to trust, to depend on, to rely on. It is not the “easy beliefism” that is being taught today where all one needs to do is mark a box, say a mantra and life is wonderful.
As we have seen in this article, to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ means that you accept the fact that you are a sinner, and as a sinner you owe the sin penalty. There is no way in the world that you yourself could ever pay, work, earn your way into heaven. The only way to the father in Heaven is through His Son Jesus Christ who died on the cross to pay the debt you owe. This means that you will completely trust Christ to get you to Heaven, and put your faith in His hands for your salvation and depend on Him for everlasting life.
Now the moment you do this, God promises you are not condemned but have everlasting life and that you shall never perish.
John 5:24 (KJV) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word believeth on him that sent me, ham everlasting life, and shall not come into damnation; but is passed from death unto life. “
Once you have shared God’s Plan of Salvation with the person and they have expressed the desire to trust Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, here is a simple prayer you can pray with them asking them to repeat after you…
The Sinners Prayer
“Father in heaven, I know I am a sinner and that there is nothing that I can do on my own to go to heaven. It is only through your son Jesus Christ and the price that He paid just for me that will cleanse my sins. Father please forgive me and wash my sins away. Please come into my life, my heart, my soul and let me be a child of God. Father I thank you for hearing my prayer and forgiving my sin. From this day forward I choose to serve the one true and living God and His son Jesus Christ… amen.“
Now after this, I recommend that you get them a solid KJV Bible. The Authorized Bible has been saving souls for over 400+ years. Believe it or not, the language used in the King James Bible is rated for a 5th Grade learning level. Today’s modern versions do nothing but confuse and cast doubt, which is the oldest tactic that Satan used in the garden when he asked Eve “Surely Hath God Said?”
Invite the person to attend church with you and if he or she does not live in your area, you can find a good church at the following website – http://www.biblebelievers.com/churches/index.html
This is the church directory that I use and I have helped many people find good solid Bible believing and teaching churches.
Finally, keep this person in prayer daily asking God to help the person draw closer to Him praying Proverbs 3:5-6
Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Do You Know Christ, or Maybe Fallen Prey To Easy Beliefism?
If you have read this and you do not know the Lord, take a moment and submit your life to Him.
Jesus Christ loves you and wished to spend eternity with you. Christ told us himself that He goes to prepare a place for us with our Heavenly Father.
John 14:2 -3 (KJV) In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
But there is one thing that separates us from the Father and that is Sin. Scripture tells us that all of us have sinned and that the wages of sin is death.
Romans 3:23 (KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 6:23 (KJV) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
But there is good news, for Christ himself paid the price with his own blood on the cross for our sins that we may be cleansed from all unrighteousness. To accept this gift of forgiveness, all we need to do is to confess that we are a sinner in need of a savior, repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
God’s Word promises us that…
1John 1:9 (KJV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior; please do not wait.
If you know you are a sinner and have never made that confession and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. Please consider the following prayer!
“Father in heaven, I know I am a sinner and that there is nothing that I can do on my own to go to heaven. It is only through your son Jesus Christ and the price that He paid just for me that will cleanse my sins. Father please forgive me and wash my sins away. Please come into my life, my heart, my soul and let me be a child of God. Father I thank you for hearing my prayer and forgiving my sin. From this day forward I choose to serve the one true and living God and His son Jesus Christ… amen.“
Folks; time is short and we are living in the last days of the last days. We need to be ready at all times to share the gospel and the blessed hope of our Lord’s soon return.
Always remember …
Luke 21:28 (KJV) And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
By Ray Gano
Ray & Tracye Gano are the Executive Directors of Prophezine. Prophezine deals with Bible Prophecy, World Events and preparedness. They currently serve close to 70,000+ (and growing) people world wide with a weekly newsletters, daily news updates, community based website, internet radio shows and You Tube broadcasts. Ray recently released his latest project TEOTWAWKI for download with files teaching how to live simply in God’s abundance and preparing for the coming storm.
Please visit Prophezine by going to http://www.prophezine.com
