Solomon asked in Proverbs 20:6, “Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?”  The overwhelming majority of people who believe in an afterlife believe they are going to heaven.  Research polls show this year after year.  When a person is asked if heaven will be their home, a common response is, “Yeah, I think I’m a pretty good person.  I think God will let me in.” Is there any recognition in this answer of the power of Christ’s blood to remove sins and enable one to stand justified before God? No.

God’s Word, while encouraging us to be better people, does not convey the concept that one goes to heaven simply on being a pretty good person.  Rather the recognition that one is guilty before God and worthy of death is the Biblical starting point to salvation (Mk. 2:17; Jn. 9:39-41; Rom. 3:19-26).  The great need for the gift of salvation because of man’s utter inability to be right before God on his own merits is a common theme in the Scriptures (Rom. 3; Eph. 2; et. al.).  If a man does not see the heinousness of his own sins and his guilt before God, he will not appreciate his need for a Savior and the importance of Christ’s death on the cross for him.

The last few generations have generally held the prevailing opinion that we are not responsible for our own destructive actions.  We are masters of self-deception, easily dismissing any notion that we are culpable.  Whether it is our genes, our upbringing, the government, or a whole host of other entities, we are often found implying that someone else is ultimately responsible for our poor decisions.

Humanity, it seems, has always had this tendency.  The first sin was followed by questioning from God (Gen. 3:11), to which Adam tried to pass the buck to the woman God gave him (Gen. 3:12).  Eve then tried to pass the buck to the serpent (Gen. 3:13).  God gave each of them punishment for their actions (Gen. 3:14-19).  Cain grew angry with everyone else, when it was his decision to offer the improper sacrifice to God (Gen. 4:5-6).  This anger festered until he murdered his brother (Gen. 4:8; 1 Jn. 3:12; Jude 11).  It wasn’t Abel’s fault that Cain’s sacrifice was not accepted.  Time and space would not allow us to explore every example of this attempted shifting of responsibility in the Bible from Aaron’s excuse for fashioning the golden calf (Ex. 32:21-24) to Saul’s insistence that he had obeyed but the people spared the animals for sacrifice  (1 Sam. 15:13-23) and so on, but these examples suffice to show it is prevalent in human behavior.

Romans 3:10-18 gives a clear verdict that all accountable individuals stand guilty before God on their own merits.  While death is deserved for our decision to sin, salvation is provided as a gift through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23).  Faith, repentance, confession, and baptism are required to enter the realm of the saved (Acts 2:38; 8:37-39; 17:30-31; 22:16).  A faithful life is required to maintain salvation (Mt. 25; 1 Cor. 10:1-14; Rev. 2:10).  In the end will you be found lost trying to argue your own goodness to the Lord (Mt. 7:22), or will He find you faithful and welcome you into the joys of heaven (Mt. 25:21, 23)?

-Mark Day

The Lord Himself said Satan was the father of the lie: “…When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” John 8:44. Satan lied to Eve in the garden (Gen. 3:4) and continues to lie through his agents and their doctrines today. Which would you consider the biggest lie?

Man Is Saved By Faith Only?

Satan has deceived the denominational world into believing man is saved when he confesses a belief in Jesus and when he acts on that belief to ask Jesus to “come into his heart.” Thus, all man has to do is have faith (Belief) and he will be saved. The Bible says: “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” James 2:24. The only time these words are used together in the Bible and they condemn, not condone, faith only. Jesus said: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” Matt. 7:21. Jesus said we had to do some things. Saul of Tarsus was told what he had to do to be saved (Acts 9:6; 22:16). Cornelius was told words whereby he and his house could be saved (Acts 11:14; 10:48). It is a lie to say we can be saved by faith only.

Once Saved We Can Never Fall?

            Satan has also eased the consciences of many by deceiving them into believing that they can never fall. However, the Bible disputes this a countless number of times. Paul warned the Galatians: “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace” Gal. 5:4. It IS possible to fall from grace according to Paul.

Notice what Paul wrote: “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things ye shall never fall” 2 Peter 1:10. Notice falling is conditional; if we add the graces (5-8) then we will not fall. The opposite would be true: if we do not add the graces we will fall.

Baptism Doesn’t Save?

The father of the lie has convinced the masses baptism is non-essential to salvation. Jesus said: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” Mark 16:16. Peter wrote: “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the) putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” 1 Peter 3:21. Jesus said whosoever was baptized would be saved and Peter said baptism saved. Whom will YOU believe? Satan? Jesus and Peter?

One Church Is As Good As Another?

Satan says one church is as good as another because the church has nothing to do with salvation anyway. The apostle Paul said: “There is one body…” Eph. 4:4. He had earlier written the church was the body (1:22-23). He later wrote “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body” Eph. 5:23.  Thus Jesus is the Savior of the body which is the church and there is only one body. This means there is one church and Jesus will save ONLY that church—the church of Christ (Rom. 16:16). Whom will we believe?

-David B. Jones, Stage Road church of Christ, Memphis, TN as published in Bulletin Digest, Oct. ‘05