Saved or Deceived
There are many people today who go to church on a regular basis, give to many different and various religious charities, and believe just about everything their preachers say about God and going to Heaven to be with Jesus.
Very often when asked to give Scriptures to prove how they believe they became Christians, they are vague about exactly what the Bible says. They simply say that they are saved by faith and that there are no “works” required.
According to the Bible, this statement is NOT true. James 2:20 It is amazing to see that there are millions of good sincere-hearted people who know nothing about what God requires to be a born-again Christian.
Let’s begin our message stating this fact: everyone begins their journey of faith by responding to what someone has told them about God. Often, their journey begins at a particular church, for example, a Baptist Church, Catholic Church, Methodist Church, Church of Christ, and the list goes on and on.
The Scripture says, “No man can come to God except God draws him”. John 6:44 The Bible says, for God so loved the world that He got involved with what the world needed most, a Saviour. John 3:16, Luke 2:11 It is the love of God that draws people to Him. This is why when you decide to turn to God, you feel good about it because the Scripture says that the goodness of God is leading you to Him. Romans 2:4
God said, when you search for Him with all your heart, you will find Him. Jeremiah 29:13
The more you investigate the Word of God, the more Truth you will find. Jesus said that His sheep would follow Him because they know His voice. John 10:4 So many people do not know God’s voice because they do not read or study God’s Word. Psalms 103:20
There are many voices speaking in churches today that are wrong and very deceptive. John 10:5
This old saying is so true; “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” The problem is that many people stop where they start.
They don’t continue following the Truth of God’s Word. Jesus said that if you continue, you shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free. John 8:31-32 Following God’s Word will bring about the process of becoming a born-again Christian.
The Scripture said that Jesus had the words of eternal life. John 6:68
In John 17:8, Jesus said that He gave these words of eternal life to the Apostles. They received them. Jesus prayed for the people that would believe on Him through the Apostles’ word. John 17:20
Jesus rebuked the lawyers saying that they were not going into God’s Kingdom. Those who had started to enter, the lawyers hindered from entering. Luke 11:52
Many people who attend their churches today will not be saved because their preachers are teaching false doctrine. In their churches they attend, they are being taught “hand-me-down religion”; traditions that have been passed down through the centuries. It is only through the Apostles’ doctrine that we find the answer to the question “What must I do to be saved?”
The first Gospel message preached was by the Apostle Peter on the Day of Pentecost in response to the question asked, “What shall we do?” Acts 2:37-39 This same question is asked in Acts 9:1-6, 22:14-16, Acts 10:1-6, 44-48, 11:14-15
As we have stated, many people stop where they start. They are told by their preachers to just believe, and you are saved. This is simply not true, which makes it a lie. NO where in the Bible does it ever say, “accept Jesus Christ as your personal saviour and then you are saved and born again.”
False prophets, false teachers and preachers are everywhere today saying things that contradict the inspired Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that “all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for doctrine”.
There are many gullible people going to church today that never “fact check” what is spoken of by their preachers. Proverbs 14:15
Know what you believe and believe what you know is based on book, chapter, and verse.
When we base our beliefs on book, chapter, and verse, we are basing our beliefs on Biblical facts. Whatsoever is not of Truth is a lie. John 17:17
Bible salvation includes water baptism in the Name of Jesus. Acts 4:12 Just read the Scriptures and you will see that baptism was required. Acts 16:30-33, Acts 19:1-6
Another clear example of the requirement of Water baptism can be seen in the Apostle Philip encounter with the Ethiopian Eunuch. The Lord directed Philip to the location of the chariot of the Ethiopian Eunuch. As Philip approached the chariot, he heard the man reading out of the Book of Isaiah. Acts 8:30-31
Philip began at that same verse where the man was reading and preached unto him Jesus. Acts 8:35 The Scripture tells us the result of the Ethiopian Eunuch’s faith and what it led him to do. Acts 8:36-39 As we read, simply believing was NOT enough. He had to be baptized.
Everywhere the Apostles of Jesus went and preached the Gospel, people were baptized and received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They were all baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin.
Many preachers today are deceiving their congregations by telling them to be baptized in the titles Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is wrong and no one in the Bible was ever baptized using these titles. Matthew 28:19-20 was not a baptismal service; it was a commission service telling the Apostles to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit.
After the Holy Spirit was poured out on them, they were told to start preaching this Gospel message. Luke 24:49, 53, Acts 1:4-5
When the Apostles received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, they spoke in other tongues as the Spirit gave them the utterance. Acts 2:1 4 Everyone in the Bible who received the Holy Spirit always spoke in tongues. Acts 10:44-48, Acts 19:1-6
God is still pouring out His Spirit with the same Biblical evidence of speaking in other tongues today. The only reason that more people are not receiving the Holy Spirit today with this evidence is that they never hear about it from their preachers.
Jesus plainly said in John 3:3,5,7 that one MUST be born again of the water and of the Spirit or he could not see or enter the Kingdom of God. Being born of the water is water baptism in the Name of Jesus. Being born again of the Spirit is receiving the infilling of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.
There are many people that simply do not read or study their Bible. They just believe what their preacher says. This is very sad. The Scripture says, let God be true and every man a liar. Romans 3:3-4
The Bible admonishes us to continue steadfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine as they did. Acts 2:42, 1 Timothy 4:16 According to the Bible, there is only one way to be saved; that is the Bible way. Matthew 7:13-14, 21, James 1:22 It was because of disobedience that sin came into the world. Romans 5:12 It is only through obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we can receive salvation and eternal life. Romans 6:22, 16:26
Conclusion
“Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” Romans 10:17 You cannot believe what you do not know. The Scripture says, “How shall they hear without a preacher?” Romans 10:14 Again the Scripture says “how shall they preach except they be sent”? Romans 10:15
The old saying is true; “Some are called, and some are sent, but many just packed up and went.” Here in lies the problem. There are so many people that say God has called them to preach and has sent them out into this world, but what they preach and teach contradicts the Word of God. Romans 3:4
God’s Word is forever settled in Heaven. Psalms 119:89 It is eternal. Matthew 24:35, Hebrews 13:8 What was required in the days of the Apostles is still required today and throughout eternity. It will never change. Hebrews 13:8, John 3:34 Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:2
God is not the author of confusion. 1 Corinthians 14:33 The Scripture sums it up this way; there is only one message. 1 Corinthians 1:10, Ephesians 4:5 To go where the disciples of Jesus went when they died, we must do what they did to be saved.
If you do what was always done, you will receive what was always received, full and complete salvation. Are you saved or deceived? Although there is no end of time, your time may run out. Ecclesiastes 9:5, Hebrews 9:27
