What Makes You a Christian?

  BY Argie Simonis

"According as his divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue:" 2Pet. 1:3

It takes awareness, (revelation) to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness, not just intellectual knowledge.

There is much confusion as to who is really a Christian.

- The fact that you are not a Muslim, a Buddhist or a Hindu, definitely does NOT make you a Christian.

- Being a good person and doing good deeds does NOT make you a Christian.

- Going to church and lighting candles definitely does NOT make you a Christian.

Just as going to a garage does NOT make you a car, going to church does NOT make you a Christian.

We put the car in the garage to protect it. The church works in the same way for believers.

- Water baptism does NOT make you a Christian.

Here's what I found in the news:

~ Archbishop Ieronimos on baptism of same-sex couples' children: The Church will wait for them to reach an age before getting baptized. ~

The question of the baptism of the children of same-sex couples was raised indirectly but clearly by Archbishop Ieronymos in the wake of the unanimous "no" of the Holy Synod to the marriage of persons of the same sex.

During his meeting with the Archbishop of America, Mr. Elpidophoros, the head of the Greek church, when asked about this, said: 

"if baptism is done at a young age, it is because the Church had created the feeling that the child grows up in an environment of Christian principles.

Therefore, there was no need for indoctrination, because it was done within the environment. Now that things are changing, we are not against children. We love and care about children more than anyone else. The Church will wait for these children to reach an age and when they grow up and wish to be baptized, they will be baptized." 

Do you know how many millions of just-by-name Christians will end up in hell because they did not have a personal relationship with the Lord?

If this seems offensive to some, I will answer you with the words of the apostle Paul:

"Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?" Gal. 4:16

See what else the Scriptures teach us:

"You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble." James 2:19

"But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" James 2:20

If you believe that God is one, you have done no more than the devil has done. And don't forget, the devil is not saved! Jesus said:

"Then shall he say also to them on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:" Matt. 25:41

The devil constantly opposes God.

Even if you believe in a "higher" power, in something greater than yourself, you are NOT going to escape the lake of fire. There is only one way to be saved and it is called Jesus Christ the Savior!

It is not enough to simply recognize the existence of God, but to understand that God became man and with His sacrifice on the cross He offered redemption for all humanity!

Some say that deep down we all believe in the same God (Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, New Agers), but this is NOT true. Look what Jesus said:

"Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me." John 14:6

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we MUST be saved." Acts 4:12

There are NOT many roads that lead to Jesus. This is a lie.

If there was another way, then God would not have gone through this whole process of becoming a man and suffering a cross, taking upon Himself all the curse and evil that was intended for us.

Those who say that it is enough to be a good person, to love, to help and to have mercy, with these teachings they send people to hell, because they turn them to trust in their self-righteousness based on THEIR works and not to the righteousness that comes from our faith in Christ .

The Scriptures teach us:

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Rom. 3:23

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23

If you have fallen into the trap of comparing yourself to others, remember this:

"For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." 2Cor. 10:12

We must understand that our standard of comparison is NOT other people, but Jesus, who is the glory of God and the perfect representation of Him. So, we will see our sinfulness and that we need a Savior to be saved. The Lord's forgiveness has already been offered to us. So is His mercy, healing, righteousness and everything else we need:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" Εph. 1:3

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2Cor. 5:17

The spirit is what gives life to the body. Thus, when a man dies, his spirit and soul leave his body. This is death.

"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James 2:26

When we were born, as babies we had a functioning spirit, but it was separated from God; It was dead to God. And this is true of all men who have walked on the face of the earth.

Jesus paid for this separation, for this spiritual death, by taking our place on the cross and separated Himself from the Father:

"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Μatt. 27:46

Jesus' words here are a quotation from David's psalm:

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?" Ps. 22:1

In the next verse David explains why this happened:

"But you are holy, O you that inhabit the praises of Israel." Ps. 22:3

God is holy and Jesus, the One who knew no sin, became sin for us:

"Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live to righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed." 1 Pet. 2:24

This was how sin was dealt with once and for all:

"And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world." 1John 2:2

Propitiation means atonement or satisfaction to a person, especially to God. Atonement is an act that includes two parts:

- The appeasement of the offended person's anger

  and

- reconciliation with him.

So sin was completely dealt with by our Lord's sacrifice, but it sets us free ONLY when we put faith in what Jesus did for us:

"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" Eph. 2:8

"Not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:9

So grace is God's part, and faith is our part.

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men," Τit. 2:11

But Jesus himself prophesied that NOT all people are saved:

"Enter you in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:" Μatt. 7:13"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it." Μatt. 7:14

Do you know why this happens? Because we must put faith in the work of Jesus.

~~ If God's grace alone saved, then everyone would be saved and no one would go to hell. ~~

The reason I insist on this is that there is a lot of confusion about true salvation. Many believe that there are many paths to Heaven and that if they are good enough they will be saved. This is all a lie! 

All of us were sinners and headed for Hell, but Jesus paid our debt of sin because it was humanly impossible for us to do. 

~~ There is NO other way to God except through Jesus. ~~

That is why it is necessary to leave every self-righteousness and religious system that promises salvation and put our faith in Jesus:

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works?" Μatt. 7:22

"And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity." Μatt. 7:23

Do you see that our salvation does not depend on our goodness but on the work of Jesus?

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What about those who have not heard of Jesus?

First of all there is an intuitive knowledge of God in all men:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;" Rom. 1:18

"Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has showed it to them." Rom. 1:19

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:" Rom. 1:20

Simply acknowledging that there is a God, as I already explained at the beginning of the message, it does NOT offer salvation. You MUST place your faith in the Savior who offers salvation to be accepted by God:

"That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved." Rom. 10:9

Here God promises something that he keeps: "Thou shalt be saved!"

"Why he said, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men." Εph. 4:8

"(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?" Εph. 4:9

~~ Jesus suffered rejection from God, God's wrath, and the torment of hell, but He overcame them, rose from the dead, and now offers salvation to WHOEVER WILL ACCEPT IT. ~~

And how do you accept salvation? Paul explains it in Rom. 10:9 that we read.

When Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi, the jailer asked them:

"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Acts 16:30

"And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your house." Acts 16:31

Did you notice here that Paul did NOT tell him to confess his sins or ask God to forgive him?

This is basically what some people teach; that you are required to do these things in order to be saved. 

But what happens if you forget to confess a sin? Does the blood of Jesus no longer cover you and you cannot receive forgiveness?

Do you understand the damage that the spirit of religion has done? Of course you need to admit that you are a sinner and that you need salvation, and that salvation is something that you CANNOT receive with your own strength:

"That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved." Rom. 10:9

"For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." Rom. 10:10

So if you do it with a sincere heart, you will be saved:

"And it shall come to pass, that whoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered..." Joel 2:32, Rom. 10:13, Acts 2:21

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----- SUMMARY

~~ A Christian is not the one who trusts in any religion, rituals or his holiness, but the one who puts all his faith in Christ. ~~

I want you to think about this:

Imagine, when on the day of judgment we all stand before the throne of God and the Lord asks:

" What makes you worthy to enter Heaven? "

What would your answer be?

Those who begin to claim that they were good people, went to church, paid their tithes, lived godly lives, helped others and did alms and good deeds will unfortunately be rejected, because no human work is capable of giving us right standing before God.

The answer to this question is:

" Nothing I have done makes me worthy of entering Heaven, except that I HAVE accepted by faith what Jesus did for me. "

All these are great truths that we need to know not only for ourselves, but also to be able to give witness to other people to come to the Lord.

Amen!

The reality of Heaven and Hell.

 BY Argie Simonis

Hell may not be the most popular or favorite topic of discussion, but did you know that Jesus was the one who spoke more about hell than anyone else in the Bible?

God never intended hell for man. And we see this in the 25th chapter of Matthew in the 41st verse, where the Lord said that Hell is prepared for the devil and his angels.

It is very important to understand that hell is NOT just a metaphor or a symbolism. It is a real place that all those who do NOT accept the salvation offered ONLY through Jesus will end up there.

There will come a day when all men who have walked on the face of the earth will stand accountable before God:

"And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Heb. 9:27

So when we accept the redemptive work of Jesus, then on the day of judgment we will go to Heaven not based on what we did, but based on what the Lord did for us.

But if you don't accept Jesus and think that your good works outweigh your bad and that will get you a ticket to Ηeaven, you are wrong. Do you know that you will give an account to the Lord for every word that came out of your mouth?

"But I say to you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Matt. 12:36

"For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned." Matt. 12:37

Paul writes to the Romans:

"... whatever is ΝΟΤ of faith is sin." Rom. 14:23

Many believe that sin is to lie, steal or kill. Yes, all of this is sin, but we have just read that if you are NOT walking in faith you are in sin. Let's look at it Biblically:

"For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Rom. 3:23

Today's society has come to the point of calling good that which is an abomination to the Lord. In the LGBT community they claim that God made them this way. This is a lie! God never made anyone that way. Homosexuality and all kind of sexual perversion is sin.

The world today has a tendency to re-define good and bad according to its own standards and not according to what God says, with the excuse that some things that were true in the past are irrelevant with the development of society today. They even promote all these perversions and  celebrate it with pride parades.

Do you know what these people actually do? They make themselves God, because they say

"God says so, but I say so, and so shall it be..."

This is a sin, and rest assured that those who do this will be held accountable to God.

 

See what David has to say:

"The transgression of the wicked said within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes." Ps. 36:1

The reason that everyone who promotes homosexuality, transgenderism, pedophilia and all kind of sexual immorality, is because they have NO fear of God. They ignore that one day they will stand accountable before God for their actions, so they twist the words of God, exchange the truth with a lie and become gods themselves who decide what is right and what is wrong.

Human nature has not changed. Since the fall of man there have been homosexuals, transexuals, pedophiles, and all sorts of sexual immoral people.

A few years ago, if someone dared to go out and parade naked, they would end up in jail for public indecency. 

And yet, today there are such parades of shame where people parade naked in front of children, and instead of the police arresting them, they are allowing them to do whatever they want. This is so wrong!

There are satanists who publicly impersonate Jesus on the cross and embarrass Him with various ironies and immoral things they do.

You know, such people have always existed, but there was also a fear of God that limited them. Today this fear of God has disappeared for two reasons:

- One reason is that these people have seared their conscience to such an extent that they fear neither God nor Ηell, 

but there is another reason.

- Divine grace has been misinterpreted to such an extent that many have gone to the complete opposite extreme and believe that a God of love would never send someone to Ηell. 

~~ This is a lie and completely contrary to what the Scriptures teach us. ~~

It is a fact that some people got mental,  went out on the street and started shooting people and then commited suicide thinking that they would escape punishment. 

How wrong they were! If these people knew that there is an afterlife, an eternity that follows this life here on earth and that they would give an account to God for their actions and had the fear of God, I am sure they would never do this.

~~ You don't have to be a Christian to have the fear of God because God gave ALL people a conscience and the ability in their hearts to know right from wrong. ~~

It is very important for everyone to understand that there is a day when ALL mankind will be judged and the choices we made HERE in this life will determine where we spend the rest of eternity after we die.

"The transgression of the wicked said within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes." Ps. 36:1

"For he flatters himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful." Ps. 36:2

"The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he has left off to be wise, and to do good." Ps. 36:3

"He devises mischief on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he abhors not evil." Ps. 36:4

 

This is a picture of what is happening today.

There are people who not only don't understand good, but they promote evil:

"Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" Is. 5:20

Jesus said:

"... your word is truth." John 17:17

Some people admit that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of the sexual perversion that prevailed, but on the other hand they say that today the world has evolved and things are different.

~~ God's word does NOT change and is the rule for every moral value. No one is God, and no one has the right to define what is right or wrong except God. ~~

God has given us the privilege of free will to choose what we want, but if you choose incorrectly you will stand accountable before God, and God's word which is the standard of right and wrong will judge you.

We must all recognize that:

"... ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Rom. 3:23

and that:

"... the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23

~~ Every person who does not accept Jesus in his life is heading for a Christless eternity, and that is Hell!  ~~

God does not want anyone to perish:

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance." 2Pet. 3:9

God wants ALL people to be saved, but Jesus warned us that unfortunately many will perish:

"Enter you in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and MANY there be which go in thereat:" Matt. 7:13

The ONLY way to salvation is Jesus:

"Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me." John 14:6

Going to Hell does not depend on how good or bad you are. All of us, from the day we are born have a sinful nature and that's why Jesus came and died; to free us from this sinful nature.

~~ Anyone who ignores the need for a Savior and does not accept the redemptive work of Jesus and believes that he can be saved by his own good works, that's self-righteousness and that person is heading straight for hell! ~~

That's why it is so important to understand that hell is NOT a symbolism but a real place where those who reject Jesus will end up, because we were all born in sin and

"... were dead in trespasses and sins;" Eph. 2:1

But when not even the state church does not take a firm position and actively oppose the marriage or adoption of same-sex couples, how do we expect to see any fear of God  in society?

And when the church does not dare to openly speak about the reality of Hell, but only caresses the ears of the believers to keep them coming, what kind of revival do we expect to see?

There are hundreds of references in the Scriptures about Hell, Gehenna,  and Hades, spoken by many men of God, from Moses in the book of Genesis, to John in the book of Revelation. 

The one who talked about hell the most was Jesus.

Jesus was the One who with His sacrifice on the cross brought us the grace of God so that no one would have to go to hell:

"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." John 1:17

Praise God that because of this grace, we don't get the punishment we deserve. That DOESN'T stop Hell from being a real place that exists, and that anyone who relies on their own goodness will end up there.

~~ Grace means that I do NOT receive what I deserve, (punishment), but I receive as a gift what I do NOT deserve (salvation and blessing). ~~

If you believe that you deserve salvation because you are good by yourself and that you are not a sinner, then you can have neither salvation nor a savior,

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Rom. 5:6 

To be continued... 

What do the Scriptures teach about hell?

 BY Argie Simonis

In the previous message I emphasized how important it is to understand the difference between revelation knowledge and the intellectual or academic knowledge we acquire.

Revelation knowledge CANNOT be taught. It comes from the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and affects our minds and the way we think:

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you." John 14:26

In this message I will talk about Ηell. What do the Scriptures teach us about hell and how can these revelations change our lives?

------------

Most people believe that there is a Heaven and a Hell, and that good people go to Heaven and bad people go to Hell.

Do you know what happens in reality?

The FORGIVEN people are the ones who go to Heaven and those who did NOT accept the GIFT of salvation offered by Jesus Christ, end up in Hell.

In other words, no matter how good someone is compared to others, if they have NOT accepted Christ's redemptive work, they will end up in Hell. This is what the Scriptures teach us.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Rom. 3:23

ALL men, without exception, are guilty and are going to Hell, unless they accept the salvation offered by Jesus:

"For the wages of sin is death; but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23

Salvation is a gift; NOT a wage to earn:

"For BY GRACE are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God:" Eph. 2:8

"NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:9

That is why Paul continues in the 3rd chapter of Ephesians and says that the grace of God is a mystery that the Lord revealed to him:

"For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles," Eph. 3:1

"If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:" Eph. 3:2

"How that by revelation he made known to me THE MYSTERY; (as I wrote before in few words," Eph. 3:3

Paul writes in Romans something equally important:

"But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the GRACE of God, and the GIFT by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, has abounded to many." Rom. 5:15

With the phrase "if through the offense of one many be dead," Paul means Adam. We did not become sinners by what we did, but because of what Adam did. Therefore, when we sin, this is actualy the manifestation of our sinful nature that we inherited from Adam.

By nature we are born separated from God. This is what Paul emphasizes when he says:

"...we ALL had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the CHILDREN OF WRATH, even as others." Eph. 2:3

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us," Eph. 2:4

"Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;)" Eph. 2:5

This is very important to understand:

~~ We do not get a sinful nature because we sin, but we sin because of the sinful nature we inherited from Adam. ~~

"For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)" Rom. 5:17

"Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came on all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came on all men to justification of life." Rom. 5:18

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Look what David writes in his psalm:

"Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." Ps. 51:5

Here he does not mean that his mother committed adultery and became pregnant, but refers to what Paul writes:

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Rom. 3:23

I will explain this a little better. See what Paul writes here:

"For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." Rom. 7:9

What Paul means here is that the sinful nature is NOT imputed to someone until that person reaches the age of accountability, which is the mental capacity to know what they are doing and that they are sinning against God. That's the point where they become accountable to God for their actions.

You may think this is strange, but do you know that according to Rom. 3:23 even a newborn baby has a sinful nature?

A baby behaves completely selfishly and does not care about anyone else. It doesn't care at all if in the middle of the night won't let his parents sleep because it''s hungry or wants it's diaper changed.

Of course babies don't intentionally try to do harm, but they have this sinful nature, no matter how innocent and cute they look.

When a baby dies, it has NOT reached the point of being accountable for its actions, so its sinful nature is NOT imputed to it by God.

Here I will also debunk a myth, which some people use to scare the believers into baptizing their babies (of course with the appropriate compensation). The Scriptures teach us that if an unbaptized baby dies (birth defect, disease, abortion), it does NOT go to hell, because of the un-accountable. What I mean by that is

~ When a baby dies, it has NOT reached the point of being accountable for its actions, so its sinful nature is NOT imputed to it by God. ~

"Why, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed on all men, for that all have sinned:" Rom. 5:12

"(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin IS NOT IMPUTED when there is no law." Rom. 5:13

When king David lost his child he said:

"... While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?" 2Sam. 12:22

"But now he is dead, why should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." 2Sam. 12:23

What David means here is that after he died and went into the presence of the Lord in Heaven, he would also find his child there.

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I will say this again:

~~ Therefore, good people do NOT go to Heaven; the forgiven do, and bad people do NOT go to Hell; those who have denied Jesus Christ and the salvation He offers, do. ~~

When we all stand before God on judgment day, the Lord will not take a scale to see if our good deeds outweigh our bad. There is only one criterion that will determine whether we spend the rest of eternity with God or away from Him:

"And when Ηe is come (the Comforter, the Holy Spirit), Ηe will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:" John 16:8

"Of sin, because they believe not on me;" John 16:9

I hope you understand all this, because these are great truths that will set you free from errors and from all the burden and guilt that the spirit of religion brings.

When Jesus came as a man, He paid a debt that we could NOT pay. He died and went to Hell and suffered the punishment we deserved to suffer:

"Why He said, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men." Eph. 4:8

(Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?" Eph. 4:9

That is why it has nothing to do with whether our good is greater than our bad. It all has to do with whether we have accepted the payment of sin that the Lord made for us.

All other religions require your good works in order to get saved and go to Heaven. Only Christianity offers salvation through a Savior!

"And Jesus answering said to them, Suppose you that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?" Luke 13:2

"I tell you, No: but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:3

"Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think you that they were sinners above all men that dwelled in Jerusalem?" Luke 13:4

"I tell you, No: but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:5

This revelation made me realize that I couldn't do it on my own. I needed a Savior so I could go to Heaven and be eternally with the Lord. When I prayed and asked Jesus to come into my heart, I may not have had the experience of Paul on the road to Damascus, but a supernatural peace came within me,

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" Rom. 5:1

and I felt the assurance that I have

"... passed from death to life." John 5:24

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What I believe is missing from many people's lives today is the awareness that there is a heaven to be won or a hell to be lost. They have no fear of God. They think that they are not accountable to anyone and that they will never give an account to God for their actions.

So they live a completely immoral life and they never consider that their decisions in THIS life will determine whether they spend the rest of eternity in Heaven or Hell.

The Scriptures are not only about love and compassion. There are also serious warnings, and those who ignore them will face the consequences, which have eternal consequences. See an example:

Most of us know John 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." John 3:16

Look also how John continues in the next 2 verses:

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." John 3:17

"He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18

So it doesn't matter if someone has lived a relatively good life compared to some other people who have robbed or murdered for example, because 

"... all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Rom. 3:23

And all this is a result that is coming from the Lord's warning to Adam in the Garden of Eden:

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die." Gen. 2:17

Let me make something clear here: Death is not ceasing to existc as some people claim; it is actualy separation from God. 

The spirit of man does not die, it is eternal.

ALL people are born with a sinful nature and are therefore spiritually dead, meaning that they are separated from God, and if they DO NOT ACCEPT Christ's redemptive work in THIS life, they will spend the rest of eternity in Hell, separated from God.

This is what John means here:

"He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he has NOT believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18

Many believe that on Judgment day God will compare their works with those of other people, and if they are relatively better, they will enter into Heaven.

This is far from reality!

"... ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Rom. 3:23

"... There is none righteous, no, not one:" Rom. 3:10

NO ONE can stand before God on their own righteousness, because NO ONE can meet God's standard of righteousness by their own works, no matter how good they may be.

So it all boils down to one thing: 

Have you accepted Jesus into your heart? 

Even if you help people with volunteering work or with your money, if you never stole, murdered or wronged anyone, none of that counts.

The greatest sin of all is NOT accepting Jesus Christ. 

In other words, you don't recognize that you CANNOT save yourself, but you need a Savior. It's like saying 

- Jesus doesn't count. 

- That He came and died for nothing. 

- I can save myself by doing good works.

 

~~ This is called self-righteousness and it is the greatest sin of all! ~~

"And when He is come,(the Comforter, the Holy Spirit) He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:" John 16:8

"Of sin, because they believe not on me;" John 16:9

This sin is greater than the sin of murder, adultery, homosexuality, pride, theft, lying, injustice, and every other evil you can think of.

It is basically the ONLY SIN that will send someone to Hell. 

~~ Where do you put your faith? To the Savior Jesus Christ or to yourself? ~~

All other sins have been paid for on the cross of Calvary and forgiveness through Jesus Christ is available to those who accept Him into their lives.

~~ But whoever does NOT accept the Savior, CANNOT receive the forgiveness He offers. ~~

"... he that believes ΝΟΤ is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18

---------------

Some also believe that Jesus is simply the cherry on the cake of their good and pious life. I really doubt if these people have ever been born-again. It is very important for all of us to understand that Heaven and Hell are realities and not metaphors, and that everyone who has lived on this planet throughout the human history, was born with a sinful nature.

Because of Adam, we were ALL born sinners and headed for Hell. But Jesus came and died for us, took upon Himself all sin and made forgiveness available to all who repent and accept Him as their Savior.

Now, watch this:

"For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." John 3:20

This is exactly what is happening in today's society. All these anti-christs out there, who are now openly persecuting Christians and opposing the Scriptures, deep down, on a heart level, they know very well that their works are evil. They cannot stand the conviction on their consciences, coming by men of moral values who believe in God, who live godly lives and preach that man needs a Savior to be saved.

If 20-30 years ago anyone went out to parade naked in public, they would be arrested for public indecency.

But today they applaud these parades of shame that call gay pride, and say that homosexuality, transgenderism, pedophilia, beastiality and a bunch of other abominations are normal.

We even got to the point that men marrying men and women marrying women is becoming old fashioned, because lately there are people who have started marrying trees, animals, and even themselves! The world has gone crazy! This is the descent and dishonor of man because of sin:

"Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" Is. 5:20

Do you know why all this is happening? 

"For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." John 3:20

That is why it is so important to have this revelation that there is a real Heaven and a real Hell and that we are ALL headed for Hell unless we accept the salvation offered by Jesus Christ.

I have a lot more to say on this topic, so I will continue in the next message.

To be continued... 

Revelation over intellectual knowledge.

 BY Argie Simonis

Feeling the presence of the Lord and experiencing all these nice feelings of joy and God's love is a very beautiful and powerful experience that we can have.

But what really changes our lives is the revelation knowledge we get from the Holy Spirit through the word of God.

The Comforter, the Spirit of the living God is the One who will take the word of God we read and turn it into revelation and life within us.

This is the difference between revelation knowledge, versus the intellectual knowledge one acquires through academic study.

God reveals things in our hearts and not just in our minds. There are many Biblical references to this.

In the first four chapters of 1 Corinthians, Paul tries to put an end to the division that had been created in the Corinthian church when the believers began to take sides:

"For it has been declared to me of you, my brothers, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you." 1Cor. 1:11

"Now this I say, that every one of you said, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ." 1Cor. 1:12

"Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" 1Cor. 1:13

In the 3rd chapter, Paul even calls them carnal:

"For you are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are you not carnal, and walk as men?" 1Cor. 3:3

"For while one said, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are you not carnal?" 1Cor. 3:4

"Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?" 1Cor. 3:5

Looking at the divisions, hatred and strife that exists today in the body of Christ, we see how timeless Paul's words were back then.

The most common way people establish their authority somewhere is by showing that "I'm the boss" and try to hide their weaknesses. And yet Paul does exactly the opposite:

"And I, brothers, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of God." 1Cor. 2:1

"For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." 1Cor. 2:2

"And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling." 1Cor. 2:3

What many people miss is that promotion in the kingdom of God does not come by trying to exalt yourself and show others how good you are, but by humbling yourself.

When we humble ourselves, that's when the Lord will extend His grace and lift us up:

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time:" 1Pet. 5:6

Paul continues in his letter:

"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:" 1Cor. 2:4

"That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." 1Cor. 2:5

Unfortunately, what happens today is that the majority of the body of Christ operates simply intellectually.

The Lord has given us all a mind to use, but if it is not the mind of Christ, it profits us nothing. 

What I am trying to say here is that our real relationship with the Lord should not intellectual, but on a heart level:

"For with the heart man believes to righteousness..." Rom. 10:10

Paul continues and separates the wisdom of the world from God's widom:

"However, we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nothing:" 1Cor. 2:6

The wisdom of the world is based only on logic and the things we can perceive with our 5 senses.

But we, as believers, must overcome all these limitations of our natural mind and understanding, because we believe in a God that we CANNOT see with our physical eyes.

We believe in a God who does not change our physical body, but our whole inner man. And all these invisible things we believe in are what will change BOTH our behavior and ALSO all that we see with our physical eyes.

So when we begin to walk with the Lord, it is impossible to have a relationship with Him based on a list of logical arguments but we need to walk with Him by faith:

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him..." Heb. 11:6

 ~ If someone asked me how I know that the Bible is inspired by God, I would say that the Bible is inspired by God because it inspires me and it has changed my life! ~

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Heb. 4:12

That is why when you study the word of God, the Lord speaks to you and gives you revelation. An atheist will never be able to understand you. He tries (without any success of course) to explain the non-existence of God, at the same moment when you experience God everyday because you know Him and He lives in you!

This is exactly what will attract such a person to the Lord. When he sees this living experience you have with Him.

The reason I mention all this is that there are things that come to us only by revelation, that is, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

This is what Paul meant:

"However, we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nothing:" 1Cor. 2:6

Do not forget that these words come from the apostle Paul, who was considered to be among the most educated people of his time. See what else he says:

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." Phil. 3:7

"Yes doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but DUNG, that I may win Christ," Phil. 3:8

The original Greek word used for - DUNG - here is - SKYVALA -

Do you know what SKYVALA is?

- what remains in the sieve after sifting wheat or other cereals,

- garbage, trash.

"And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:" Phil. 3:9

The apostle Paul, the man who examined everything through his education, reached the point of analyzing them through the revelation knowledge of the Lord.

Have you considered that Paul was NOT one of the Lord's 12 disciples? The 12 disciples, besides Judas who got himself hanged, were with Jesus for 3 and a half years, day and night. 

And yet, Peter, one of the disciples of the Lord's inner circle, when he read the writings of Paul he said:

"... in which (that he wrote to you) are some things HARD TO BE UNDERSTOOD, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction." 2Pet. 3:16

In other words, Peter is saying here that Paul's revelation was greater than his own.

Paul did NOT know Jesus in the physical like Peter, but after the supernatural encounter he had with the Lord on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-6), he knew Him by revelation. Look what he did after that:

"But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace," Gal. 1:15

"To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:" Gal. 1:16

"Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus." Gal. 1:17

"Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days." Gal. 1:18

Paul was the one who received a greater revelation about how you can have a relationship with God by grace, compared to the revelation that these 12 disciples who spent 3 and a half years with Jesus had!

This is what Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians:

"For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles," Eph. 3:1

"If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:" Eph. 3:2

"How that by revelation he made known to me the mystery; (as I wrote before in few words," Eph. 3:3

What I want to emphasize here is that revelation knowledge is superior to intellectual knowledge. This is exactly what Paul is talking about here:

"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world to our glory:" 1Cor. 2:7

"Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." 1Cor. 2:8

It is not a mystery that is hidden from us. It is hidden from those who try to explain everything with their logic and refuse to let God inspire them and lead them through their heart.

I will say it again so that I am not misunderstood:

The Lord gave us a mind to use it, but the word of God cannot be understood by our natural mind, but only by the mind of Christ that we have:

"For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?  But we have the mind of Christ." 1Cor. 2:16

See what is also written in Romans:

"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom. 8:7

"So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." Rom. 8:8

We continue reading from 1 Cor.:

"But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him." 1Cor. 2:9

Many religious people use this verse to argue that no one can understand God and His ways.

So, even after them getting born again, they neither know how to walk with God, nor how to receive from Him. They remain in a permanent state of passivity, just waiting and looking forward to go to heaven, because they believe only then will they know the Lord.

1Cor. 2:9 that we read, is from an Isaiah's prophecy:

"For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen, O God, beside you, what he has prepared for him that waits for him." Is. 64:4

What Isaiah is actually telling us is that with your mind you CANNOT see, hear or understand God. God is far above our mind and our understanding.

That is precisely why Paul continues and says:

"But God has revealed them to us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God." 1Cor. 2:10

"But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1Cor. 2:14

Here Paul is NOT telling us that we cannot know God and His ways or have a relationship with Him.

What he is telling us is that we cannot do this with our logic or our natural mind. God has to reveal Himself to us.

There are many examples in the Scriptures, but a classic example is what Luke writes in his gospel:

"Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete with it shall be measured to you again." Luke 6:38

When we don't have enough money to pay our bills, our natural mind tries to find a solution through saving for example. It follows this logic:

 

- "I have to give less in order to have more left."

- "I need to find a way to make more money."

In other words, your natural mind tells you that the more you give, the less money you have and the further away you get from your financial goal.

But since God tells you that when you give it will be given to you, it means that when you have a financial goal, the best thing you can do to achieve it is to start giving, not try to keep your pockets tight.

So when we trust the Lord and what He says in His word and give a part of what we have, instead of de-creasing, we in-crease! Do you see how strange this seems and how it completely defies logic?

And yet, this is the way God's Kingdom works!

This was just one of the many examples found in the Scriptures of how the spiritual laws that the Lord has set, work. They have no logical basis in our physical mind.

                      ~ In the Kingdom of God, the way up is down ~

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:" 1Pet. 5:6

and to get you give (Luke 6:38).

We live in a world governed by both physical and spiritual laws. It is good to educate ourselves and seek for knowledge, but it is even more important to seek all that treasure of revelation knowledge that the Holy Spirit gives us when we study the word of God.

It is a knowledge that when it is revealed in our heart, no devil or demon can steal it.

Amen!