Repent & Believe

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We are not saved by our own works or our own self-righteousness. We are saved by God's work on the cross and Christ's righteousness. You cannot be saved by a man, a priest, a pastor or a pope, you cannot be saved by your government or by a president, you cannot be saved by your mom's faith, your grandmother's religion, or by your family tradition. It is every individual's personal responsibility to seek salvation directly from God Himself. It is only God who can remove your sin. And it is only Jesus who has atoned for sin by the shedding of His sinless blood. 

In God's kindness, goodness, and grace, He draws all men to Himself through the Gospel. It is God's will for all to be saved; but it is your choice to decide whether or not to accept His grace. When we accept God's grace, we receive His mercy. Grace is available to all, but it is all in vain if you do not receive His mercy. So, how do you receive His mercy? Through repentance. How do you receive forgiveness for your sins? By placing your faith in Jesus Christ, turning away from your sin, through repentance. God's grace is there for one purpose: to lead you to repentance. Without repentance, your faith is in vain. 

Isaiah 59:1-2 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have caused a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. 

As long as we are willfully living in sin, we will remain separated from God. It doesn't matter if you call yourself a Christian, go to church every Sunday, participate in Bible studies, and "believe in Jesus". Understand that the Greek word believe (pisteuo) means to commit and trust with confidence. Believing in Jesus does not simply mean to know that He exists. Satan knows that Jesus exists. Even the demons believe in Jesus, and they tremble. 

Belief is not something you prove with your lips, but by your actions. Believing in Jesus means that you believe in Him to the point of complete trust and total commitment, like a wife believes in her husband. Of course a wife knows that her husband exists, but believing in him means that she trusts him to protect her, to provide for her, to always love and support her, and because she believes in him, she places her faith in him fully, and dedicates her life to him. That's the belief the Bible is talking about. And that is the level of belief required to be a follower of Christ. You cannot be a Saved Christian if you do not obey Christ. You cannot have a relationship with Jesus without repenting of your sin. You can say you believe in Jesus all you want. But talk is cheap, and hypocrites do not go to Heaven. 

Romans 2:14-15 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law instinctively perform the requirements of the Law, these, though not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them.

The concepts of good vs evil and right vs wrong are instilled in every human being since the beginning of creation. Even people who have never read a Bible or have been part of a religion know that the 10 commandments are objectively true. We can all observe and agree to them instinctually as they guide the conduct of human behavior. 

Good and evil are not determined by an individual's opinion, but are determined by a universal standard that was set before any of us were born. The fact that we can observe laws in nature, laws in mathematics, laws in ethics and more, prove that there is someone who had to dictate those laws. Laws do not randomly spring up out of nothingness, just as life cannot spring up from non-life. Both the laws of the universe and the gift of life come from the same Author. 

Look at the commandments: honor your parents, you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not covet, you shall not lie, you shall not steal. All of these laws are hard coded into mankind; regardless of culture, background, or geography. If you're in the middle of the amazon rainforest and stumble into an indigenous tribal village, you try to steal someone's food or take a man's wife, you will be chased out and probably put to death for committing a crime against them. Perform the same exact stunt only this time stumble into a 7-11 on the streets of NYC. That same offense will resonate equally with the New Yorker as it did the tribesman. We can see that God's Law is written on the hearts and minds of every person. The problem is, we are all guilty of breaking that law, and we will be punished according to our crimes. 

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

God is perfect and His standard is perfection. Because we all fall short of His perfect standard, none of us can be justified before Him on our own merit, and none of us can enter into His Kingdom by our own righteousness. There is nothing a person can do to remove their own sin. 

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

The wages of sin is death because sin separates us from God. That is why mankind is doomed to hell. God does not send people to Hell…He has done and is continuing to do everything in His power to prevent us from that fate, while still honoring our free will. We are all destined to Hell because we willingly choose to live outside of God’s will by living in sin. 

God will bring a complete end to evil, to sin, and to this world as we know it. The wicked will be destroyed and the land will be cleansed with unquenchable fire. Only His faithful servants will remain, while the rest are cast into outer darkness and eternal damnation. In God's grace, He continues to delay His judgment so that he can save as many people as are willing to accept Jesus and His sacrifice. But time is running out, and so is God's patience. This world is growing more and more wicked by the second.... Repent while you still have the chance. 

Romans 2:4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?   

Where are the preachers warning of destruction and Hell? Where are the pastors calling their congregations to repentance? Where are the priests convicting people of their sins? I don't see any warnings from the church. I don't see any conviction. And I certainly don't see any repentance or change. All I see is this lukewarm false Christian mentality. You walk into one of these churches today and it's like you're going to a rock and roll concert. There's no fear of the Lord. There is no striving for holiness. There's no mention of Hell. There's no hatred of sin and wickedness. 

Mainstream churches today have taken the grace of God for granted and perverted it. There are a lot of people that go to church every week, have never been changed, and say "I'm saved by grace". And that right there is the problem. Pastors are actually teaching; if you walk up, repeat a prayer, get baptized, believe in Jesus, and keep living the same way-that you're saved! And then they teach once you're saved, you're always saved, and you can never lose your salvation! Hallelujah brother, Welcome to the family! Well, at that point everyone in these churches is lulled into a state of complete complacency where everyone is fast asleep having no fear of God and there's no fear of Hell because the pastor is teaching that no one can ever possibly go there!

The Bible teaches the exact opposite:

Hebrews 10:26-27 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the enemies of God. 

2 Peter 2:20-22 For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.” 

Many people today call themselves Christians, but they continue to live in sin and they never change. Repentance means you have a change of mind, change of heart, change of conduct, change of direction, and a changed lifestyle! If you haven't been changed and if you haven't repented of your sins then you cannot possibly be saved! If you do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ and live to please Him instead of yourself, you will not see God. If you continue to live in sin after coming to the knowledge of the truth, not only will you lose your salvation, not only will you go straight to hell, but your judgment will be even more severe than if you had never known Him.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 

Sin is not welcome into heaven and neither will you be if you do not repent. So, crucify that sin! Pick up your cross. Turn away from this world. And turn to Jesus with the fullness of your heart that you may be forgiven. Do not listen to anyone who is telling you otherwise, including some of these people in these pulpits. 

Ask yourself this: Are you ready to die? Every single day you live is a gift from God, and every breath you take is a sign of His grace. Tomorrow is never guaranteed-and this could be the last thing you ever hear for all you know. So, are you ready to meet your Maker? Seriously consider that. Look at yourself in the mirror and examine your lifestyle. The Bible says that today is the day of your salvation. So do not follow man. Follow God and His Word. Repent and believe The Gospel. God bless.