The Path to Salvation

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Perhaps you have been reading this website and you wonder what you need to do to be saved. This is more important to you than anything else discussed on these pages. The wonderful thing is that salvation is a request away, but it isn’t always easy and it will involve change. There are many common misconceptions about these changes that have to be made, but in reality we serve a God of selfless love who desires to bring His fallen creation back into relationship/alignment with Him. How are we fallen? Look around the world and see the hatred, malice, spite, anger and all those things that tear down and destroy. This is the result of our knowledge of good and evil and the individual choices made by people to manifest the evil instead of the good.

The first step is to realize you need salvation and from where to receive it. Both of these are provided by the Word of God, the Bible. It reveals the ways of God’s perfect love and walks through history of Him trying to lead His chosen people along that path. It also makes it clear that there is none that is perfect except for One, His Son Yeshua. We are either perfect or we are not and we have all fallen short of the glory of God. Whether or not we are “good people” we all have sin, which is transgression from God’s Law, and no amount of good we do will change what we have done.

The 10 Commandments are the shadows of love and reveal to us the sin nature that separates us from the God of love who created us. It is only in recognizing our sins and making the choice to turn away from them that we can come before God in repentance and be forgiven. The good news is that He has offered forgiveness to us through the actions of love by Yeshua.

John 15:13-17
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another.

God placed foreshadows in history through the peculiar actions and traditions of the people of Israel. One of these foreshadows was in the sacrifice of animals for the remission of sins. The blood of these animals could never cover the sins, but they were a foreshadow, an example, of a future sacrifice that would be made once for the whole world and for all time. Hebrews 9 Animals are innocent, not knowing good from evil and so these were used as a foreshadow of a future man, called the Lamb of God. He would also be innocent of sin, would be sacrificed and whose blood would cover the sins of those who believed in and accepted Him. This man is Yeshua (Jesus) who is also the Word of God, the whole of which was written of Him. By Him was everything created and it is through Him that we are saved by His sacrifice imputed to those who believe and obey Him. Yeshua is God come in the flesh. Who God is in Spirit was contained and expressed completely in Yeshua as He walked the earth. He never stole, murdered, fornicated or committed any sins yet He was crucified as foretold in Isaiah 53.

The Father is our future judge and because He is righteous, any transgression from His ways will be cause for removal from His presence, that is unless we have His Son as our defender. Then will Yeshua say to the Father, “This one belongs to me and their judgment is paid for and his debt is forgiven.” This is why there is only one way to heaven and that is on the straight and narrow path.

The head leads the body and where the head and eyes are faced, so will the body go. When our eyes are fixed on Yeshua there is only one path, the one leading to Him. There are many other ways on wide and well-travelled paths, but it must be taken into account that there is but one reality, one Truth. If God is who He says He is, then His path is the only one that will lead to eternity with Him.

I have come to believe God’s Word not just by faith, but also by seeing what God said come to pass in history time and again. In addition, in my own life seeing God’s provision for me and my family time and again. To be saved in God’s way you must first believe it. One of the best ways to believe is to examine God’s Word with an open heart and ask in prayer for His guidance. Are you searching for the Truth, for reality, or just another fable? Ultimately faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, Romans 10, so as with all things you must begin with the Bible - our foundation. Without faith, trusting in God, it is not possible to please Him so we must diligently seek Him and as He has promised we will so find Him. Hebrews 11

Seeing that we are indeed in need of salvation and believing that God has provided a way to salvation through the self-sacrifice of Yeshua, we must allow the Holy Spirit to enter into our lives through our hearts and repent of our transgressions of God’s ways of love. Galatians 5:22-26 To repent means to change our mind, it’s realizing that we are not walking on the straight and narrow path that leads to Yeshua and changing our course so that we are on that path to Him. In terms of our life this means following His Word and living for Him and for others, being an example of who He is as best we can for others to see our love and glorify God. We cannot do this if we are stealing, lying, coveting or any of the other things God says are contrary to His ways. So we must live a changed life because we desire to be like Him. Ultimately the choice will come down to whether you desire to be with a God of love for eternity or be where those qualities of God are eternally absent. Remember the fruits of His Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. If you really want to be with Him for eternity, this is the fruit we must show forth.

So when you believe these things above and accept Yeshua, confess it without shame. To the world these things are foolishness, but the world rejects reality for the most part. Find other Christians who show the fruits of the Spirit and fellowship with them. Iron sharpens iron and communicating with them about God’s Word will build you and teach you greatly. It is also good as a physical expression with a spiritual connection, to be baptized. This is more than just a physical expression of the desire to change your heart and start fresh and new, you will actually feel your fresh start begin as you come out of the water anew, washed and clean.

It is very important to remember that the rest of your life is your walk with Christ and you will be tempted to leave the path to Him time and again and many choose to go their own way after learning of Christ. Remain steadfast to the end and trust in God and in His Word. The enemy of your soul will buffet you and try to draw you away, but for those that remain in Christ they will find eternal life in His presence in place and a way beyond human understanding. We see through a glass darkly now, but there is coming a time when we will see our Creator face to face with the rest of humanity who have come to Him. I pray that I see you there and encourage you to continue to read His Word and remain steadfast to the end. Time is short and the deceptions and lies are growing, but our God will reign!

4 Great Questions:

1. Who am I? (what am I worth?)
2. Where did I come from?
3. Why am I here?
4. Where will I go when I die?

All the religions of the world attempt to answer these questions. There are two ways to answer these questions depending upon how you view the world. The humanist worldview where man is god, or the highest evolved creature, and therefore answers to nobody, is... “Amazing! A big bang made this from nothing!” Science is the effort to discover and increase human understanding of how the physical world works. It’s limited view of only that which can be sensed by the five physical senses or measured with physical instruments tries to support this view today through the theory of evolution. One of the flaws in evolution however is that it cannot account for that which is spiritual and cannot be seen, felt, smelled, touched or tasted. The creationist worldview is... “Amazing design! There must be a designer.”

Advance in science has proven over time that there are things we cannot sense yet exists, such as infrared light or ultraviolet. Even then, the frequencies on the electromagnetic spectrum that we can see are barely a sliver of the whole. So science and its popularly accepted theory of evolution, by design, must only accept what is measurable -- yet we live as spiritual beings in a physical realm and live it on a daily basis.

Prove love is scientifically, what color is it? What does it smell like, taste? How long is it? Yet even though we cannot measure it -- we also cannot deny its existence because we experience it as spiritual beings in this physical world. More on the spiritual realm here. And I highly recommend watching Kent Hovind’s presentations of how science actually proves creation all along! Another great, and more recent, resource is  the Discovery Institute where people like Dr. Stephen C. Meyer look at the Signature In The Cell and the other great contributers show that the more we know, the more probable intelligent design over abiogenesis. It’s really fascinating to see the failures of evolution yet see it remain the primary focus of a world who doesn’t want God.

I encourage you to read the Bible and see what God has to say about the reality of the world in which we live, and the goal of this website, to bring greater understanding of what He says about where we are going. It’s never too late to turn to Him for forgiveness and nothing can stand between you accepting that forgiveness but your belief and acceptance of the Truth. The enemy of your soul is working feverishly to pull you away from reality into eternal separation from your Creator and from the source of love for all that is.

Romans 8
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I pray you open your heart and let Him in to do His work in you as He has in me. Humble yourself before the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob -- who created and formed you and who loves you enough to let His own Son die for your sake. All who ask and repent will find relationship with Him and with that, peace.

Galatians 5:22-26
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Seek first the kingdom of God and may He continue to bless you on your journey as you remain in Him.