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A rich young man asked Jesus what good thing he should do to be
saved. Jesus told him to keep the commandments, but the young man
said that he had kept them since his youth. Then Jesus said: "'If
you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me'"
(Matt. 19:21). The young man went away sorrowful because he had
great possessions.
Then Jesus said to His disciples: "'Assuredly, I say to you
that it is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God'"
(Matt. 19:23-24). When Jesus' disciples hear His words they asked,
"'Who then can be saved'" (Matt. 19:25)?
The truth shall set you free:
Jesus said: "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples
indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free" (Jn. 8:31-32).
The only way that we may know the truth and be set free is to abide
in Christ's word. Therefore, we must base every belief and practice
upon the word of God. Paul said: "And whatever you do in word
or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God the Father through Him" (Col. 3:17). Therefore we must
have authority from Christ, as revealed in His word, for everything
that we do.
So I ask you to compare what is said in this web page to God's
word. And, I ask you to compare your current beliefs and practices
to God's word. Paul said: "Test all things; hold fast to what
is good. Abstain from every form of evil" (1 Th. 5:21-22).
There are many religions today that have adopted human creeds,
catechisms, church manuals, and professions of faith. Such things
as these are found no where in the Bible. Paul said: "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 complete, thoroughly equipped for every good
work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The Bible is all that we need to live
according to God's will. And indeed, we are limited to the Scriptures.
Peter said: "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles
of God" (1 Pet. 4:11).
The following Scriptures (I have added bold and bold-italics to
the text for emphasis) answer the question: Who then can be saved?
I encourage you to use this research of the Scriptures revealing
the truth to compare yourself to salvation as revealed in the Bible.
Do not depend upon men to tell you what is required by God. Rather,
find out for yourself! Do not depend upon men to tell you if you
are saved. Rather, let God tell you through His word. Who do you
trust - God or men?
Who then can be saved?
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| Matt. 16:24-25 |
"Then Jesus said
to his disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For
whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and
whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.'" |
| Rom. 1:16 |
"For I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the
power of God to salvation for everyone
who believes . . ." |
| 1 Tim. 2:3-4 |
". . . God our Savior, who
desires all men to be saved and to come
to the knowledge of the truth." |
| Heb. 5:9 |
"And having been perfected, He became the
author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him." |
| Eph. 1:3, 7 |
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places in Christ."
"In Him we have redemption through
His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the
riches of His grace." |
| Jn. 3:16 |
"For God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son, that whoever believes
in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." |
| Rom. 10:17 |
"So then faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God." |
| Lk. 13:3 |
"I tell you, no; but unless you repent
you will all likewise perish." |
| Rom. 10:10, 13 |
"For with the heart one believes
to righteousness, and with the mouth confession
is made to salvation." "For 'whoever
calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'" |
| Mk. 16:16 |
"He who believes and is baptized
will be saved; but he who does not believe will be
condemned." |
| Acts 2:21, 38, 40,
47 |
"And it shall come to pass that whoever
calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
"Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and
let every one of you be baptized in the name of the
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and
you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." "And
with many other words he testified and exhorted them saying,
'Be saved from this perverse generation.'" ".
. . And the Lord added to the church daily those who were
being saved." |
| Acts 16:30-33 |
"And he brought them out and said, 'Sirs,
what must I do to be saved?' So they said, 'Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,
you and your household.' Then they spoke the word of
the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their
stripes. And immediately he and all his family were
baptized." |
| Acts 22:16 |
"And now why are you waiting? Arise and
be baptized, and wash away your sins,
calling on the name of the Lord." |
| 1 Pet. 3:21 |
"There is also an antitype which now saves
us, namely baptism (not the removal of the
filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward
God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." |
| Matt. 10:22 |
"And you will be hated by all for My name's
sake. But he who endures to the end will be
saved." |
| Rev. 2:10 |
". . . Be faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life." |
In contrast to the previous question, the following five Scriptures
plainly teach us who will not be saved. These people will perish.
Who then shall perish?
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| Matt. 7:26-27 |
"Now everyone who hears these
sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will
be like a foolish man who built his house on
the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the
winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And
great was its fall." |
| Mk. 16:16 |
"He who believes and is baptized
will be saved; but he who does not believe
will be condemned." |
| Lk. 13:3 |
"I tell you, no; but unless you repent
you will all likewise perish." |
| 2 Pet. 3:9 |
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise,
as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not
willing that any should perish but that all
should come to repentance." |
| Jas. 2:14, 17, 19-20,
26 |
"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone
says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith
save him?" "Thus also faith by itself,
if it does not have works, is dead." "You
believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons
believe - and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish
man, that faith without works is dead?"
"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith
without works is dead also." |
Conclusion:
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| Who then will be
saved? |
those who lose their lives for Jesus' sake (Matt.
16:24-25; Jn. 3:16) |
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those who believe (Rom. 1:16) |
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those who come to the knowledge of the truth
(1 Tim. 2:3-4) |
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those who obey Jesus (Heb. 5:9) |
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those who are in Christ (Eph. 1:3, 7) |
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those who have faith from hearing the word of
God (Rom. 10:17) |
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those who repent (Lk. 13:3) |
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those who believe to righteousness and confess
with their mouth to salvation (Rom. 10:10, 13) |
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those who believe and are baptized (Mk. 16:16) |
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those who call on the name of the Lord; repent
and are baptized for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:21,
38) |
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those who believe on the Lord Jesus and are
baptized (Acts 16:30-33) |
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those who are baptized, washing away their sins
and calling on the Lord (Acts 22:16) |
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those who are saved through baptism (1 Pet.
3:21) |
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those who endure to the end (Matt. 10:22) |
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those who are faithful until death (Rev. 2:10) |
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| Who then shall
perish? |
those who are fools; they hear the sayings of
Jesus but they do not do them (Matt. 7:26-27) |
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those who do not believe (Mk. 16:16) |
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those who do not repent (Lk.13:3; 2 Pet. 3:9) |
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those who have a dead faith (Jas. 2:14-26) |
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| Questions: |
Dear friend, will you be saved? Or, will you
perish? |
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Is your confidence in salvation based upon God's
word? Or, is it based upon the opinions and doctrines of men? |
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