I teach an adult Sunday school class and for the past couple of years we have been studying “Issues in Prophecy.” Prophecy is the declaration of history in advance. We have considered what the Bible communicates about the future and the events that WILL take place. An infinite and eternal God is the only One who can accurately speak of any future event.
One of those events that I was reading about recently entails God’s judgment on all mankind who have rejected Him throughout the course of time. This is worth your consideration, evaluating where you stand related to God’s perfect standards, looking at the “Bottom Line” for you.
Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
Using the term “Bottom Line” can bring many thoughts to mind – –
- In finances, am I ahead of the game or behind?
- In life, am I winning or losing?
- In leadership, do I need to make any adjustments or not?
- In my relationship to God, am I secure in what I believe?
These all offer perspective on the discussion. The end result is what does the last line reveal? What is the final analysis? What is the “Bottom Line” of the argument? What will be the outcome, the conclusion? Related to the above mentioned verse the focus is being “…judged, each one of them according to their deeds.”
What is going on? JUDGMENT
Who is involved? EACH ONE (who has rejected God’s offer of salvation)
What is the basis of judgment? DEEDS
Let’s back up just a bit and explain what it takes to avoid this final judgment all together. God offers an escape plan – a plan that relies on what He says, and the remedy He has provided to this age-old problem. Unfortunately, we love to elevate our own self-importance to remedy this matter. Guilt, either self-imposed, or taught, inclines us to do things (DEEDS) to “make it up to God” so that He might think highly of us! That approach is called RELIGION. The Bible speaks about those “DEEDS” of ours – calls them “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). Let’s consider some examples of those “filthy rags” —
I thought it would be interesting to consult the Internet to find the solution to “How to be Saved.” That avenue could present challenges…one website offered that following “Basics of Salvation.” [1]
1. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God. THAT statement (Jesus is the Son of God) is a true statement but nowhere in the Bible is it communicated that to be saved one must “Believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”
2. Accept that you cannot get to heaven unless you become saved… THAT is the foredrawn conclusion of our discussion!
3. Ask Jesus to come into your life through the prayer of salvation. THAT might be pretty confusing. How do I know what is THE right prayer of salvation? What if I pray the WRONG prayer?
4. Open the prayer by admitting you have sinned. THAT is not necessary! You might admit you are a sinner (a true statement) but nowhere does the Bible tell you that before you can be saved you must admit to being a sinner.
5. Repent for those sins and ask for God’s forgiveness. THAT too is not necessary! You might question what exact sins need to be repented of, and what if I forget one…am I still saved or will I get tossed out on a technicality?
6. Pledge to follow Jesus for the rest of your life. Wow! THAT is not necessary! What if you break that pledge? Will you still be saved? Nowhere does the Bible tell you that you must pledge anything to the Lord for salvation. Salvation is God’s pledge to you!
Time to move on with the facts as stated in the Bible. The solution for how to be saved is simple and found in Acts 16:31 “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” No question about it – you WILL BE saved. To believe is to place your faith or trust in the solution that God has provided for your salvation.
Every “Bottom Line” evaluation has the aspect of time.
Second Corinthians 6:2 says, “…Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION”.
Conclusion – Use your time wisely!
“…it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” Hebrews 9:27
Salvation is worth looking forward to, not judgment!