Gospel

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A young man comes up to you and asks "What must I do to be saved?"

Somebody says, "You need to go to church."

Another says, "You need to be baptized."

Still there are others who are confident in their salvation "If you do enough community service then you can know for sure you've done a good thing."

"Rescue some stray dogs and cats and you will find favor with God."

"Make sure you finish your schooling and get a good job. Treat people with respect. That's all God requires."

Is this what the Bible teaches us in order to be saved?

The Bible says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." Acts 16:31

You can attend church all your life and end up in hell my friend. You can try to do good works and end up hearing Christ say to you on Judgment Day, "Depart from me you who work iniquity for I never knew you." Matthew 7:21-23

Read Matthew 7:22 because those who were rejected by the Lord Jesus were boasting of their "many wonderful works."

A keeper of the prison during the apostle Paul's days was about to kill himself having drawn his sword because there was an earthquake and all the prisoners under his charge were loosed.

Failure to keep guard of the prisoners meant death and so Paul cried with a loud voice, saying "Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas. And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house."

Now, you must hear. The effectual calling takes place when God gives you spiritual ears to hear.

You hear the gospel.

"For faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17

You hear the word of God and you believe to the saving of your soul. To be sure there's been a preparatory work. There's been the preaching of the law of God which pricks your heart. The Holy Spirit using His word and the law to convince you of your sin that you are a condemned sinner, that you are guilty, that you are full of wickedness. Indeed, it is bound up inside your heart. You can't get rid of it.

You can't wash yourself clean like you can your hands under hot running water and soap. No my friend. Christ must do the washing and the cleansing.

"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;" Titus 3:5

The apostle Paul said, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 1 Timothy 1:15

Nobody is excluded from salvation because of their sinfulness. If God can save the apostle Paul who persecuted Christians and consented to their death and who was a blasphemer then God can save you too.

You must repent and turn from your sin and turn by faith to Jesus Christ. He alone can save you. Stop trusting in your good works and law keeping.

Those who enter the Kingdom of God must humble themselves and become like a little child said Jesus.

Every sinner who has had this revelation to his soul that he has offfended a most holy God knows himself to be the chief of sinners. Let us lay hold of this fact that Jesus Christ alone must save us.

As the hymn says, "Foul I to the fountain fly, Wash me saviour or I die."

Let us this day flee to Christ once we have been persuaded that He is able to save us.

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the Son of Man be lifted up." John 3:14

Look to Christ and live. Away with your works. Works will not save you. We are justified by faith. We are declared righteous by faith. Sin no longer has dominion over us. We've been cleared of all our guilt and sin. Jesus Christ pardons us and makes us acceptable in His sight. Ephesians 1:6 Praise be to God.

Do you know anything about this wonderful work?

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God." Romans 5:1

This is salvation. This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God; and, Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." John 17:3






Carlton Pruitt ministers the gospel to the Los Angeles area. Formerly a Hollywood actor (SAG member)and junk removal expert he now spends most of his time studying the scriptures, writing articles, hymns and poems and doing street preaching. See his videos on http://www.youtube.com Type LAStreetPreacher in the search bar. CONTACT at [email protected]

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