The following Bible verses
describe how Jesus Christ
responded to a group of
people who wanted to
know how to "work" their
way to heaven. Jesus
Christ answered them
and told them that the
ONLY "work" they could
do was to believe on
Him (trust Him alone)
whom God the
Father in heaven sent
to earth to die for their
sins and then He raised
Him from the dead.
John
6:28 Then said they unto
him, What shall we do,
that we might work
the works of God?
6:29 Jesus answered
and said unto them, This
is the work of God, that
ye believe on him whom
he hath sent [Himself].
world, that he gave
his only begotten Son
[Jesus Christ], that
whosoever believeth
in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
Here is the best
evidence that there
is no way we can work
our way into heaven by
good deeds, religious
ceremonies, baptism,
or any other thing that
we do! See the Bible
verses from the Book of
Luke below. But before
you read them, here is
some background of
what is happening. One
of the two thieves who
were crucified at the
same time as Jesus
admitted he had done
wrong things and was
sorry for those sins (he
repented of them) as
he hung on the cross.
The thief stated that
Jesus Christ was
innocent (sinless) and
didn't deserve to be
crucified, but that they
(the two thieves being
crucified along with
Jesus) did deserve their
punishment. And
this repentant thief
called Jesus "Lord",
meaning that the thief
knew that Jesus Christ
was God. He also said
to the other thief, "Dost
thou not fear God?",
meaning that Jesus was
God! Then the thief
asked Jesus to take
him to be with him
(Jesus) when he came
into His (Jesus') kingdom.
And Jesus told the
thief that that day he
would be with him in
paradise! That thief would
not be able to come down
from the cross and be
baptized or go and do
'good works' to earn
heaven. Jesus Christ's
sinless blood sacrifice
was all that was needed
to get him into heaven!
Luke
23:39 And one of
the malefactors [thieves]
which were hanged
railed on him, saying,
If thou be Christ, save
thyself and us.
23:40 But the other
answering rebuked
him, saying, Dost not
thou fear God, seeing
thou art in the same
condemnation?
23:41 And we indeed
23:41 And we indeed
justly; for we receive the
due reward of our deeds:
but this man [Jesus] hath
done nothing amiss.
23:42 And he said unto
Jesus, Lord, remember me
when thou comest into
thy kingdom.
23:43 And Jesus said
unto him, Verily I say
unto thee, To day shalt
thou be with me in
paradise.
Did you get that? I am
going to repeat this
message again
because it is so very
important to understand
that there is nothing
that we sinners can do
to justify us getting into
heaven!
That repentant thief
That repentant thief
had no time to come
down from the cross
and do good deeds, get
baptized, go through
religious ceremonies,
pay tithes, or do any
other good works to earn
his way into heaven!
The good news is that
God says that you do
not need to do good
works to get into heaven!
Salvation is a "Gift from
God". You do not have
to work to pay for a gift!
It is free!
Ephesians
2:8 For by grace are ye
Ephesians
2:8 For by grace are ye
saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it
is the gift of God:
2:9 Not of works, lest
2:9 Not of works, lest
any man should boast.
You cannot work your
way to heaven. Jesus
Christ's death and
resurrection paid the sin
debt that you and I
owed God for the sins
that we have committed.
Jesus Christ's sinless
blood paid for our sins in
full.
John 11:25
Jesus said unto her, I
am the resurrection, and
the life: he that believeth
in me, though he were
dead, yet shall he live:
John 3:16 (Jesus said:)
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.
1 John 3:5
And ye know that he
[Jesus Christ] was
manifested to take
away our sins; and in
him is no sin.
Unfortunately people
are stressed out
their whole lives
because they think
that if they sin after
salvation that they
must then save
themselves or work
to hold onto their
salvation! Wrong!
If you could save
yourself then
Jesus Christ
died for no reason!
If you could lose
your salvation, do
you really believe
that our loving
heavenly Father
would take back
"the Gift of
Salvation" he
gave you?!
That is a lie
from Satan!
Galatians 2:21
I do not frustrate
Galatians 2:21
I do not frustrate
the grace of God:
for if righteousness
come by the law
[good works], then
Christ is dead in
vain.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin
is death; but the gift
of God is eternal life
through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Anything we sinful
Anything we sinful
human beings do
to win points with
God won't work.
Why? Because
God's criteria to
get into heaven is
perfection! He is
holy and perfect
and cannot be
around sin.
Isaiah 64:6 (a)
But we are all as an
Isaiah 64:6 (a)
But we are all as an
unclean thing, and
all our
righteousnesses
are as filthy rags;
Habakkuk 1:13(a)
Thou [God] art of
purer eyes than to
behold evil, and
canst not look on
iniquity [sin]...
God sees right
God sees right
through our motives
and the things we
do in the dark.
Please keep reading
Please keep reading
because there is
good news coming.
Psalm 44:21
Shall not God search
Psalm 44:21
Shall not God search
this out? for he
knoweth the secrets
of the heart.
Luke 8:17 (Jesus said:)
For nothing is secret,
Luke 8:17 (Jesus said:)
For nothing is secret,
that shall not be
made manifest [known];
neither any thing hid,
that shall not be
known and come
abroad.
When we sin after
When we sin after
being saved, here
is the good news...
1 John 2:1
My little children
1 John 2:1
My little children
[believers], these
things write I unto
you, that ye sin not.
And if any man sin,
we have an
advocate with
the Father [in
heaven], Jesus
Christ the
righteous:
Romans 8:34
Who is he that
condemneth? It
is Christ that
died, yea rather,
that is risen again,
who is even at the
right hand of God,
who also maketh
intercession for
us.
1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one
1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one
God, and one
mediator between
God and men, the
man Christ Jesus;
Why do we need a
Why do we need a
mediator with God
after we are saved?
Because we will sin
Because we will sin
at times (even after
being saved) because
we were born with a
sin nature handed
down to all people
from the first man,
Adam. And Satan
(until he's thrown
into the lake of fire
for eternity) will be
continually accusing
us of our sins before
God.
Keep reading
Keep reading
because more good
news is coming.
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant;
because your
adversary the
devil, as a
roaring lion,
walketh about,
seeking whom
he may devour:
Revelation 12:10
And I heard a loud
voice saying in
heaven, Now is
come salvation,
and strength, and
the kingdom of our
God, and the power
of his Christ: for
the accuser of
our brethren
[Satan] is cast
down, which
accused them
before our God
day and night.
But Jesus Christ,
But Jesus Christ,
our Loving Saviour,
is interceding on
our behalf -
advocating for
us with God -
telling God the
heavenly Father
that our sin is
covered by his
sinless blood
and therefore
we are righteous
through Him before
holy God in heaven.
But that does
not mean that we
can knowingly
continue to live
in sin after being
saved and think
that there are no
consequences.
The consequences
of sin may not come
immediately, but
eventually you will
pay the price for
sinning. There are
always
consequences
to sin.
Please keep reading
Please keep reading
for good news.
Proverbs 14:12
There is a way which
Proverbs 14:12
There is a way which
seemeth right unto a
man, but the end
thereof are the
ways of death.
Galatians 6:7
Be not deceived;
Galatians 6:7
Be not deceived;
God is not mocked:
for whatsoever a
man soweth, that
shall he also reap.
Isaiah 59:2
But your iniquities
Isaiah 59:2
But your iniquities
[sins] have separated
between you and
your God, and your
sins have hid his
face from you, that
he will not hear.
The good news is
The good news is
that Jesus Christ is
on our side; and if we
confess our sins
to God the Father
in heaven, he will
forgive our sins.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins,
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us
from all
unrighteousness.
And here Jesus Christ
And here Jesus Christ
gives us comforting
words to all believers.
We don't have to work
to keep our salvation!
Jesus saved us forever!
Eternal life means
forever. That means
we are free. We
don't have to work
to 'keep our
salvation'. Let me
stress that again -
Jesus Christ paid
for our salvation for
ever and ever! Isn't
that Great News?!
I repeat (because there
I repeat (because there
is so much freedom when
you know you don't have
work to keep your
salvation), although
God does want us to repent
when we sin after being
saved. He wants
us to repent (be
sorry enough for
that sin to stop
doing it). When we
do that God says He
will forgive us of our sin,
and thereby restore
our relationship with
Him (because sin
separates us from
holy God in heaven).
And the fact that
God understands
we will sometimes
fail and sin, that he
made a way for
us to be forgiven.
And that should be
a cause to have a
great day. We don't
have to struggle to
make points with
God; we just need
to be honest with
Him that we messed
up and sinned, and
to ask Him to forgive
us so we can have
a restored fellowship
with Him.
And Jesus Christ
told us that we
cannot lose our
salvation.
John 10:28
And I give unto
them eternal life;
and they shall
never perish,
neither shall any
man pluck them
out of my hand.
John 8:36
If the Son [Jesus
John 8:36
If the Son [Jesus
Christ] therefore
shall make you
free, ye shall be
free indeed.
What a blessing
What a blessing
those words are!
Thank you, Jesus
for loving us so
much!