Bereansearching Bible Studies

Introduction

This post is intended to make clear the unequivocal dichotomy between two different Gospels, and hence two different paths to understanding Salvation. Though both paths claim to be based solely from the Bible, one is false, and only one is true. The false one leads to eternal damnation in Hell, while the other, is true, and it alone leads to the True Jesus, Who Is The Way, The Truth, and The Life.

The Bible warns us that false teachers will arise (particularly in the last days) to mislead many people away from the true Gospel of Salvation, and away from The True Jesus Who Alone Is the means of that Salvation.

If someone hears, and subsequently believes, a false gospel of salvation, then they will remain dead in their sins, and remain under the full wrath and judgment of God for those sins. That is why it is so incredibly important that the truth be accurately known and faithfully taught throughout the whole world in accordance with Jesus’ command in Acts 1:8

Some verses for us to consider include:

2 Corinthians 11:4, “For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or [if] ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with [him].” (share the same fate)

Galatians 1:6-9, “¶ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.“

Matthew 24:24, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it] were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Also, Mark 13:22, “For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if [it] were possible, even the elect.“

TWO SALVATION MESSAGES

In Christendom today, there are two different Salvation Messages being globally broadcast. They both claim to be based entirely upon the Bible, but as stated above, one is false and one is true. Let us consider these two different messages and why they differ:

#1 The Message that Man Cooperates with God To Bring About His Own Salvation

A. Claiming that Man Has Free Will With Respect to His Salvation

John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:” The implication is that a person must first take action by “receiving” Jesus, then that person is granted salvation.
Acts 2:38-40, “¶Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call. ¶And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.“
Revelation 22:17, “¶And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” The key words are “whosoever will“, which, on the surface, implies something to the effect that Jesus is just standing on the sidelines offering salvation to everyone, and all it takes is for someone to personally “will” to take it, and then they will become saved.

B. Claiming that God’s Election is Conditional and Dependent on Man’s Actions

1 Peter 1:2, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” Some have argued that this is saying that God looks down through the corridors of time to see who “will” repent of sin, and God reacts to that foreknowledge to “elect” them to become saved.
Matthew 8:2, “And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” This can be taken two ways. The first implies that the leper had to ask God first for cleansing to initiate it, while the second would say, the leper is acknowledging that only if God Wills will anyone be cleansed.
James 4:8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, ye sinners; and purify [your] hearts, ye double minded.” The implication that could be taken here is something like: You do your part, and God will do His part to Save you.

C. Claiming that Jesus’ Atonement Applies Universally to Everyone

John 1:29, “¶The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him,  and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” One could take this to mean…the sin of the “Whole” world.

John 3:16&17, “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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” Again, by implication…one could argue, see God is talking about the “Whole” world. And the differential between who does become saved, and who does not, is entirely dependent upon the individual who believes to effectuate salvation.

2 Corinthians 5:15&16, “And [that] he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. ¶Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we [him] no more.” It is easy to read these verses and to claim that this explicitly states that Jesus “died for all”. The question is what is the extent of that “all”? Is it every single person who ever lived? Or is it “all” of those whom Jesus actually died for?

 2 Corinthians 5:19&20, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. ¶Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. Some could claim that Jesus’ “reconciling the world unto himself” implies that, again, this is referring to “the entire world” as opposed to the subset representing God’s Elect. However, this can only be referring to the believers as having been reconciled, as they are the only ones whose sins have been forgiven because Jesus Atoning Sacrifice paid the price for their sins. The unsaved of the world do not have their sins forgiven. They have not been reconciled to God such that their trespasses are no longer imputed to them. They must pay yet the full price which will be an eternity in Hell come Judgment Day.

1 Timothy 2:4-6, “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” By implication, some would interpret this to mean “all men”, and therefore that God wills/intends for “everyone in the world” “to be saved”.

1 John 2:2, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only,  but also for [the sins of] the whole world.” There it is…”the ‘whole’ world.“

Finally, we all should be familiar with 1 Corinthians 15:22, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

On the surface it would be easy to say that “all” means everyone, everywhere (And indeed it does in the case of everyone in the world throughout history coming under the curse of death in Adam), but with respect to being “made alive”, that “all” cannot mean “everyone”, as not everyone is going to have eternal life in Heaven with Jesus. In fact, we are told this specifically by Jesus in Matthew 7:13&14, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate,  and broad [is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.“

Note the clear difference…”many” go the way to destruction, but “few” find the way to life.

D. Passive Grace

John 5:39&40, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”
Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” By implication, we have to respond, it is ultimately dependent on the individual.
2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” By implication, God is waiting for “everyone” to be saved.

E. Decisional Regeneration

The following verses suggest that (on the surface) the process of Salvation begins with a personal decision to “receive” and “believe” Jesus.

John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:“
Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

These verses can easily be misinterpreted as providing us with a simple formulary to check the boxes and, Voilà, a person becomes “saved”. The fact is that there first must be unseen supernatural action by God working in that person through the reading and hearing of the Word to first bring about regeneration from death to life. Then the believer will be able to effectuate the named actions in these verses, not before. Romans 10:17, “So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.“

#2 God Works Alone

A. Man’s Total Depravity

Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Romans 3:10-12, “¶As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.“

Psalm 58:3, “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.“

2 Timothy 2:25&26, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And [that] they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.“

John 3:19, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world,  and men loved darkness rather than light,  because their deeds were evil.“

Ephesians 2:2&3, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.“

1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.“

B. God’s Unconditional Election

John 15:16, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.“

Psalm 65:4, “Blessed [is the man whom] thou choosest, and causest to approach [unto thee, that] he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, [even] of thy holy temple.“

Jesus made clear in Matthew 20:16, “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” and Matthew 22:14, “For many are called, but few [are] chosen.” Note the passive voice…the people who are saved are “chosen“, there is no active involvement by them “to choose”.

Acts 13:48, “¶And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” These saved Gentiles were “ordained” to have eternal life, and so they believed as a result.

2 Thessalonians 2:13, “¶ But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:“

Ephesians 1:5, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,” (Please see more here on Ephesians, chapter 1)

C. Specific (Limited) Atonement

Jesus died for His Sheep, not the goats. Jesus died for His Bride, His Church, and not for reprobates.

Matthew 1:21, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.“

John 10:14, “I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” and John 10:26, “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.“

John 17:9, “¶I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.“

Ephesians 5:25, “¶Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”

Hebrews 2:16, “For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham.“

Galatians 3:29, “And if ye [be] Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.“

D. Irresistible Grace

John 1:13, “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” The New Birth is entirely upon the Will of God, NOT man.

John 6:29, “¶Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.“, and John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.“

John 17:2, “As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.”

Ephesians 2:4&5, “¶But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” and Ephesians 2:8&9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.“

James 1:18, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.“

Acts 11:18, “¶When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also  to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.“

Titus 3:5, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;“

John 5:21, “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth [them]; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.“

E. Perseverance of the Saints

Ezekiel 11:19, “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:“

Ezekiel 36:27, “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do [them].”

2 Timothy 4:18, “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve [me] unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.“

Psalm 37:28, “For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.”

Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ:”

John 6:39, “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.”

Jude 1:24, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,“

2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.“

1 John 2:29, “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.”

CONCLUSION: Which Gospel/Which Way to Jesus? In Which Jesus Do You Believe?

“Salvation is of the Lord” as we read in Jonah 2:9. It is not there exercise of man’s will that leads to salvation. Romans 9:16, “So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.“

We should simply rely on the fact that for anyone to become saved, they first had to be chosen of God before the foundations of the world. God has to quicken an individual and draw him or her to Jesus. Romans Chapter Nine makes this unequivocally clear regarding the fact that God Is The Spiritual Potter, while every human being, as His creation, is the clay that God can form as He so desires.

John 6:44, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” and John 6:65, “And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.”

POSTSCRIPT

“Lazarus come forth“…

Remember when Lazarus was dead four days in the tomb, and Jesus was told by Lazarus’ sisters that, at the point, Lazarus’ body would “stinketh” (John 11:39). Lazarus was “dead as a proverbial doornail”. Yet, when Jesus commanded Lazarus to come forth, Lazarus arose out of the tomb in his burial clothes.

1. Did Lazarus make a “free will” decision to heed Jesus’ command? NO! He was Dead!
2. Could he have made a decision to heed that command? NO! He was Dead!

Lazarus only responded to Jesus’ command ONLY because it was God Who empowered Lazarus to respond, nothing else! Lazarus was “quickened”…”made alive”, which “Typified” the eternal life-giving action of God, The Holy Spirit!

No man CAN come to Jesus unless God the Father draws that person!

John 6:44, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” And John 6:65, “And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.“

 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

 2 Corinthians 5:18, “And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;“

 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.“