Followers of Jesus, close your heart to what you have received through your teachers and clean yourself from what is put inside you. Let your heart rejoice in the fresh wine I am giving you now from the scriptures. Let us be a beginner in knowing and loving Jesus. Let us renew ourselves. Do not judge and stand against what I am giving you in the beginning. Do not fall in love sheepishly with what I am giving you now. God is wise and His representatives are of wisdom. Man is the image of God. Therefore, man bears His wisdom hidden in himself. I am here to awaken your wisdom. Do not let your pride and prejudice take you away from the truth. I am here to help you all. Do not feel bad if a child tells you the truth.
O you teachers, you are responsible for what you have been teaching for years. Explore your heart during your quiet time and see what you have done to the scriptures. Look for your motivation and if it is not Godly then look for your destiny in the bible. It will not be difficult for you to find your destiny in the scriptures. One of them is here: Revelation 22:18-19
You teach people that just believe and you are saved’. You feel so safe. You seem to have contract with God and with the next world. If you do, let your followers see your contract. You teach people that forget about action because what saves you is faith in Jesus not action’. You teach people that Jesus is God and has the same power and knowledge as God does’. You teach people that those who do not recognize our Lord Jesus as their only savior’ will not be in the kingdom of God . You call yourself the ambassador of Jesus Christ’ and claim to have the right and power to talk to God on behalf of man. You know yourself as the link between man and God. You teach people that Jesus laid down his life to wash our sins and to set us free from death. So, we are saved if we just believe in him’.
Woe to you if these are not his words. What a life you will have on that day if what you say is not God’s words. Woe to you if you do not believe in what you say. Woe to you if, on that day, Jesus says to you, Away from me, you evildoers!
Do not feel bad if a child is speaking to you so plainly. I give you the references in the bible.
Jesus says, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! Mathew: 7:21-23
You teachers, is it not easier to interpret these verses as they are? How much have you tried to misinterpret such clear words? What is the goal behind such efforts?
I encourage all of you to make yourself humble and explore the verses again.
In the above verses, who are those who can do miracles in Jesus’ name? Are they common people? Are they those who do not believe in Jesus?
These verses tell us that they are those who believe in his name. For sure, they are not common people since they are big enough to do miracles in his name. Yet, Jesus will call them evildoers’!
Why would Jesus say this if just believe and you are saved’ were true?
In the above verses, the standard Jesus introduces is based on action’. Look at these two words, does ‘ and evildoers ‘.
Jesus says, only those who do the will of my father are saved’. It was much easier for him to say, only those who believe in my name are saved’. Nevertheless, he has chosen the word do’, which reflects action.
Besides, he says the will of my father’. As you see, according to Jesus, what is important is the father’s will’ not his own will. Jesus has put God in the center of attention.
In verse 23, he could say evil believers’ or similar phrases for evildoers’. However, he has used evildoers’, which reflects action’.
Now, let me give you the clearest example that has been ignored in some 2000 years.
Jesus laid down his life for people.
What did he do?
He laid down his life, which is an action. He took action to accomplish his mission. Have you ever noticed this simple truth?
So, what is his standard? According to Jesus, who is saved?
Let us go to the parable of The Sheep and the Goats’ in Mathew 25:31-46
When the son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
The king will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
They also will answer, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
He will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
Then they will go away to eternal punishment , but the righteous to eternal life .
Clear standard, isn’t it?
I wonder how one could misinterpret such clear words! How naive and blind people must have been!
This is the standard Jesus has introduced:
Those who feed others, those who look after strangers or prisoners, and those who clothe the needy are called righteous and will have eternal joy at God’s presence.
Those who do not do these things are cursed and evildoers and will face eternal punishment.
Therefore, the mission is clear. Love and help each other if you want to be saved, as Jesus says.
Who has given you this mission? Jesus.
Only Jesus?
Look in all other messengers’ words and you will see all these things in common. In the meantime, however, let us see the bible first. We will deal with some other messengers later when the right time comes.
Let us see some more examples if you are still serious that just believe and you are saved’ is the final word.
Turn with me to James 2:14-17
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds ? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food, If one of you says to him, Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
As you see, the bible says your faith is dead if it is not accompanied by action.
So, what leads to salvation? Just faith?
Let me give you more if you are not satisfied.
Please turn with me to Ephesians 4:5-7
For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person such a man is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words , for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient . Therefore do not be partners with them.
According to bible, such a person’ does not have any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. How could it be if faith alone could save you?
Please go to 1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
Now, let us read the whole paragraph (1 John 3:16-20)
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth , and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
Be careful! God knows everything! Don’t forget that this is how we know that we belong to the truth’.
If you want to know whether you belong to the truth or not, read the above verses again!
According to what the Christian teachers teach, those who accept Jesus as their only savior are called children of God’.
As you see, the above verses are for children of God’! Be careful children! Do not fall in trap! As you see, there is always possibility to face eternal darkness!
Another example:
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked . A man reaps what he sows . Galatians 6:7
I want to give you another example that says faith without action is doomed to collapse’.
Please turn to Mathew 7:24-27
Jesus says, Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and put them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock . The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand . The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
Jesus says if you do not put his words into practice, you are foolish and will fall with a great crash, which is frightening. It was much easier for him to say those who do not believe in me will fall with a great crash’.
Do you want more examples?
I am giving you these many references from the bible because I know it is truly difficult for you to believe in my words. Your teachers have taught you different things and it is now difficult for you to believe that I am talking about the same bible. You do not have to believe in my words. You are asked to read your bible again in the way it is talking to you, not in the way your bible teachers have taught you. I am not responsible for your destiny. As the bible says, you will reap what you sow.
Please turn with me to 1 John 3:10
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
I give you one more example. I invite you to read bible again to find lots of verses that say faith without action cannot save you.
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Mathew 7:13-14.
Billions of Christians have come and gone in two thousand years. For sure, they could not be called a few’ if all of them were already saved.
Jesus is my witness that what I am giving you belongs to him. I thank God to have given me such a difficult yet pleasant duty to accomplish. May those who seek God open their eyes and know the truth as it is coming to them. Amen.
Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done. Psalm 62:12