“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” said Jesus in John 8:24. The import of this passage is that no mortal will ever see heaven's glories unless he or she accepts by faith the person and deity of Jesus Christ. It is not that God, the Father, is being intolerant, but rather, that, as Creator of man and the universe in which he lives, Almighty God is sovereign. It is because of His wisdom, His might, His power, and His love that He dictates the terms of man's pardon and salvation from sin. Jesus said to the eleven apostles just prior to His crucifixion, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Thus, belief in Jesus Christ is unequivocally imperative if one ever achieves eternal life in heaven.

“Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it” said Jesus in Luke 11:28. Throughout His personal public ministry Jesus insisted upon those who would be His disciples hearing His words. In this passage there is a necessary follow up to hearing: keeping it. In Luke 8:21 Jesus said, “My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.” In Matthew 7:24-25 at the close of His sermon on the mount Jesus said, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will like him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat uon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” In the epistle penned by the flesh and blood brother of Jesus, we find this: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves,” (James 1:22).

“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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10).

In the previous two articles we have seen the necessity of hearing and doing the teachings of Jesus Christ as well as believing in the person and deity of Christ. Now, we learn that He must be confessed as, not only the Lord, but the resurrected Lord if one will have eternal salvation. It is with the intellect, the heart, that one believes the reality of Jesus Christ as the resurrected Savior.

In Matthew 10:32 Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” There is a day in which all the dead will be resurrected and stand before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ (II Corinthians 5:10). Whoever has not confessed Him as Lord here will be denied entrance into the glories of heaven. Don't worry about those past and gone. Won't YOU confess HIM as Lord today?

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:15-16). And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20).

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 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. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:37-41).

One becomes a New Testament Christian by hearing the gospel preached (Romans 10:17); and believing in Jesus Christ (John 8:24); and confessing Him as Lord (Romans 10:9-10); and repenting of sins (Acts 2:38); and being baptized - immersed in water (Acts 8:36-39). The Lord then adds one to the church established by Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:47). It is then imperative that one be transformed (Romans 12:1-2) and follow the doctrine of Jesus Christ alone all the remaining days of life (II John 9-10; I Peter 2:21-22; Rev. 2:10e).

The New Testament warns of falling away after one has completed the aforementioned steps to salvation. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall (I Corinthians 10:12). Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it (Hebrews 4:1). Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief (Hebrews 4:11). The doctrine of man which teaches, “Once saved; always saved” is proven untrue by these and other passages like II Peter 2:20-22). Won't you obey truth today?

Are you content with the Bible alone? Or, are you inclined to accept the doctrines and creeds of men as a basis for your faith? The Word of God says in II Timothy 3:16-17, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. That being the case, creeds, statements of faith, catechisms are all superfluous and are additions to what has been revealed. The Bible closes with this statement in Revelation 22:18-19, For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

There's a popular doctrine, “Once Saved; Always Saved” which will not pass the test of truth. It was Jesus Who said, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). So let us just let God's truth address the subject. “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4). One cannot fall from a position he does not occupy. Divine inspiration warns that indeed one who is in God's grace can fall therefrom.

“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them” (II Peter 2:20-21). Faithfulness, not failure, is rewarded with eternal life (Revelation 2:10).

The Bible is God's revealed mind and will for mankind. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16-17). God has expressed His will concerning the role of women in His church. “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church” (II Corinthians 14:34-35). “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety” (I Timothy 2:11-15).

The office of deacon in the church of our Lord has demands revealed in scripture that are being ignored in some denominations. Clearly, they must be of the male gender, fathers, husbands. “Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well” (I Timothy 3:8-12).

To ignore such clear teaching and to practice one's own will is to practice iniquity - lawlessness. Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23)

The office of elder, bishop, overseer in the church of our Lord has demands revealed in scripture that are being ignored in some denominations. Clearly, they must be of the male gender, fathers, husbands. “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, ...one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreoever he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (I Timothy 3:1-7).

Such disregard for divine writ is but a fulfillment of divine inspiration found in II Timothy 4:2-4. “Preach the word; be instant in season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away from the truth, and shall be turned to fables.”