Friday, March 07, 2008

Is There Salvation Apart From Hearing The Gospel?

Steve Macasil at Biblical Thoughts has a good question posted right now which I'd like to re-address here (as I have written on this in the past, but it continues to rear its ugly head):

Can someone get saved apart from the Gospel?

In an word: no.

Scripture is quite clear on what we are to place our faith in, in order to be Justified and saved:

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Rom 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Joh 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

Rom 4:5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

The resurrection proves Jesus to be God the Son. If He is not declared to be such, then people don't know of Him and aren't saved. They might be trusting a "good teacher" but its not the Jesus Christ of Scripture who is God over all.

Rom 1:3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.

James 1: 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.

2 Thes. 2: 13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Even in our baptism we proclaim His resurrection, and look to the future of being like the resurrected Lord:

Rom 6:4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

It still astounds me how many pastors, theologians, and apologists will proclaim a Broad Christianity when God says its NARROW. And I do believe Romans 10:9-10 demonstrates just how narrow the road truly is.

The problem is that people don't want a Lord/Master. They want a friend or someone who's got good suggestions. But clearly they rather do things their way, not HIS way. I believe most professing Christians don't understand the meaning of "Lord" and think of it as merely a title like "Mister" now. But Lord means master, boss, sovereign, owner of all, etc. Today, I think because of the Democracy-minded people, they believe God is a hired politician and we get to vote on His Word, His ways, and His means.

Jesus is Master. HE is a dictator in the purest, noblest sense.

DICTATOR, n. [L.]1. One who dictates; one who prescribes rules and maxims for the direction of others. 2. One invested with absolute authority.

Luk 6:46 "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?

1Jo 2:4 Whoever says "I know Him" but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,

Ps. 33: 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. 9 For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm. 10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. 11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Rev 4:11 "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created."

When God has told us how HE will save and not save, how He will have us live and not live, how He will justify, sanctify, glorify, how a church is structured, how to baptize, who are we to change HIS commands?

God's ways ARE narrow. Truth IS narrow. And when God says there is but ONE way of salvation and that is by hearing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ , then that is it. Anything short of HIS way is no way.

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Rom 10:14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? Rom 10:15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" Rom 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" Rom 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

No matter what famous Christians say (dead or alive), what matters is what GOD says. He has spoken. Will we believe HIM? Or will we believe the Serpent who questioned God's authority, word, and command by offering Eve "knowledge"?

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