True Salvation and the True Gospel

________________________________________________________ This paper is drawn substantially from an excellent website called

ForGospel Truth

(http://www.4gospeltruth.org/index.html), which is highlyrecommended. Any changes to the text reproduced herein are intendedsolely to enhance clarity.To hear an excellent set of sermons on this material, see those given byScott Johnson on SermonAudio.com, entitled

True Salvation and theTrue Gospel

(1-3), 1 March 2009. ________________________________________________________

How do I get saved? What do I need to do in order to get saved? Where will I gowhen I die? How do I know if I’ve been saved? Can a saved person die and and go tohell? Do all lost people go to hell?These are all important questions. In fact, they are the most important questions thatyou could ever ask. Why? Because the answer to these questions will affect you for all of eternity. Eternity is “endless or everlasting duration in the future, dating fromthe present time (Webster’s 1828 dictionary). Where will

you

spend eternity?The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to man. Using only the Bible this paper willexplain how to get saved.In order to get saved, a person must hear the

true

Gospel. The Bible says that theGospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that

believeth

(Romans 1:16).The Bible also says that there are many false gospels out there (

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto

another gospel

:Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ

(Galatians 1:6-7).If you have heard and believed

another

gospel, a gospel that is different from the onethat the Bible teaches, it has no power to save you from your sins. You are still indanger of eternal condemnation. Don’t be deceived. Don’t be tempted to think youcan believe what you want about salvation. God has told us in His Word (the Bible)that there is only ONE faith that saves sinners:

There is one body, and one Spirit, evenas ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord,

one faith

, one baptism, OneGod and Father of all...

(Ephesians 4:4-6)There is only one true Gospel. Believe God, not your feelings. He never lies.

God isnot a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

(Numbers 23:19).1

Let us examine, then, what God tells us about salvation:

I You cannot get saved unless you know and believe that you are a sinner.The Bible tells us that m an is a sinner

:

The Bible says that we are all (each and every one of us) born in sin andcondemnation

. "

For as by one man's

[Adam's]

disobedience many were made sinners

…"(Rom 5:19).

The Bible says that there is NO natural or inherent goodness within you

.“

They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; thereis none that doeth good, no, not one

.” (Romans 3:12). It says that though youmight try to do right, you are destined to fail. This means that it isIMPOSSIBLE for you to save yourself or to do anything in any way to earnyour salvation: “

For I know that in me

(that is in my flesh)

dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not

. (Rom 7:18). It says that your “good” deeds and your “good” works areworthless in the sight of God: “

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away

” (Isaiah 64:6).

The Bible says that if you attempt to earn salvation through your gooddeeds

(this would mean your deeds or the deeds of other, fallen, human beings),

you only earn further condemnation

: “

For if Abraham were justified byworks, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteous-ness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness”

(Romans 4:2-5).

The Bible says that fallen man is an enemy towards God and has earnedGod’s wrath

:

And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

(Colossians 1:21).

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness

(Romans 1:18).

The Bible says that the human heart is wicked, and deceitful

.

The heart isdeceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it

? (Jeremiah17:9). The Bible says that unsaved man is spiritually DEAD in sins.

And youhath he quickened

[given life]

, who were dead in trespasses and sins

(Ephesians2:1).

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh,hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses

(Colossians 2:13).

The Bible says you are a sinner who has earned God’s wrath and is alreadycondemned

.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truthis not in us

. (1 John 1:8) “

…

we…were by nature the children of wrath, even asothers

(Ephesians 2:3).

Therefore as by the offence of one

[Adam’s sin]

judgment came upon all men to condemnation

(Romans 5:18). 2

II In order to get saved, you need to hear about the Saviour. The Bible saysthat b ecause we stand condemned before God for our sins, we (all of mankind) NEED a Saviour. The Bible says that there is only ONE Saviourfor man – the Lord Jesus Christ

:

For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee

(Isaiah 43:3).

I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour

(Isaiah43:11). 

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hathrejoiced in God my Saviour

(Luke 1:46-47).

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which isChrist the Lord

(Luke 2:11).

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins

. (Matthew 1:21)

And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed theChrist, the Saviour of the world

(John 4:42).

Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins

(Acts 5:31).

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other nameunder heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved

(Acts 4:12).

III In order to get saved, you must understand that Jesus, who saved you fromyour sins, is GOD in the flesh. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is God

:

For in him

[Jesus Christ]

dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

(Colossians 2:9).

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and theWord was God

(John 1:1).

…I and my Father are one

(John 10:30).

He that hath seen me hath seen the Father

(John 14:9).

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel

[whichmeans ‘God with us’] (Isaiah 7:14).

For unto us is a child born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace

(Isaiah 9:6).3