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(ThyBlackMan.com) Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12) Many times people are asked the question, “Are you saved?” “Have you been born again?” “Have you received salvation?”
Each and every individual in the world today needs to understand that God has a plan for his or her life.
In modern day society, we often hear the expression “higher power.” Men and women everywhere need to know that this “higher power” has a name. The Bible states in Acts 4:12 that “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” The Bible is nothing more than God revealing Himself to man. From the very beginning, God began not only to reveal Himself to man, but He also began to reveal His plan for man’s total welfare.
Many people in the world (as well as in churches) have no idea what salvation is. The Bible is our clear source of reference of this point. Understand that salvation is a Biblical issue.
Many times you may have found yourself in a church, tent meeting, or maybe someone has come to your door to talk to you about Jesus, the Bible, eternal life or the after life. Well, if they do not give you a strict Biblical plan, example or answer, then you (just as many others) have probably been misled.
Here is a list of things that salvation is not: We cannot obtain or inherit salvation by joining a church or some religious organization. Often we may have heard this expression, “The doors of the church are open.” Beloved, we cannot inherit salvation by joining the church and shaking some minister’s hand. Nor can we inherit salvation by being a candidate for baptism. We cannot obtain or inherit salvation by our parents belonging to a certain church or religious organization and therefore having us baptized when we were babies. We cannot obtain salvation this way because human bloodline or church affiliation does not allow us to inherit salvation.
We cannot obtain or inherit salvation by accepting the “way of holiness.” Holiness is a way of life for an individual who has already received salvation. We cannot obtain or inherit salvation by being a “good person.” Sorry but there will be a lot of “good people” in hell. We cannot obtain or inherit salvation by becoming a member of some religious sect or cult such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Muslim, Buddhist, etc. We may very well learn some great principles for living, and we may expand our spirituality, but there is no salvation in it for us.
It is sad to say, but no Scripture can be found to substantiate these methods in which many churchgoers have been led to believe can cause us to be saved.
For an enlightened view on what salvation is, let’s examine some terminology that we may or may not have heard: born again, eternal life, saved, salvation. All of these terms mean the same thing. When an individual receives salvation, he or she is born again. St. John 3:3 says, “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus tells Nicodemus that except a man be born again he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
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In I Corinthians 5:17 it says, “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” We understand that when we get saved, we become new creatures in Christ. Life is eternal. Where you will spend eternity depends on whether or not you are saved or have received salvation.
Staff Writer; Dr. Henry W. Roberts, II
This man of god is the pastor/teacher of Word of Life Community Church of Whistler and Chickasaw, AL. One may contact him at; DrHWR@ThyBlackMan.com.