FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION (ASK REV LEE???)

Q: The Bible says the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord;”but what is the actual gift and the eternal life?

Ans: The gift of God is the gift of faith, and His Holy Spirit is the eternal life! He gives His Holy Spirit [eternal life] to any who believe [have faith] in Jesus Christ as their only Savior. God decided that “through faith in Jesus Christ comes forgiveness of sin and a promise of resurrection from the dead to eternal life” [John 5:24; Acts 4:2,12-13; 1 Cor 15:19-23]. This gift is inherent in God’s decision; I.e., the condition He has laid down for us to obey: “Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” [John 3:16]. There is no other way? Faith in Jesus brings forth God’s Holy Spirit to regenerate and to indwell the believer, as God’s guarantee to us [2 Thess 2:13-14; Eph 1:12-14; Gal 3:2,5,13, 14,26; CF, John 1:12-13,3:14-18; Acts 15:7-12]. God has set forth, in the New Testament Bible, some things about Jesus that would cause us to believe Him, to trust in Jesus as your Savior [I.e., Who He is, What He has done, His supernatural powers over nature, life, diseases and death. Don’t confuse the decision God made, with the things God said and did to help us to believe in His decision!

If you believe in your heart [accept this as truth], that God forgave you of all your sins, past, present and future, when Jesus died in your place on the cross, you will be saved forever, the moment you believe [2 Cor 5:21; John 12:27-33; Rom 5:8-11,4:25; 1 Cor 15:3-5; Eph 1:12-14]. There is no other way to be saved from the wrath of God, surely to come upon the whole human race!

Q: Where should an unsaved person begin to read and to study the Bible for Salvation?

Ans: In Christianity, SALVATION, deliverance from the penalty of sin and death, imposed by God, is only found in the NEW TESTAMENT [NT]. Hebrews 2:3, says, “How shall we escape,

if we neglect so great a salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us [prophets] by them [apostles] that heard Him” [CF, John 6:63,12:47-48]. If we begin to read and study the Bible ”beginning at Genesis 1:1 through Malachi,” this is a long and difficult task. Too long and too difficult to learn the truth of the Gospel! The reader will be confronted with acts and actions of God for which He does not give an explanation, until they are revealed in the NT Gospels, the books of Acts, Epistles and Revelation, where the true “BIBLE STORY “ begins. Therefore, God tells us in, Deuteronomy 29:29, about the secret things; in Isaiah 46:9-10, He tells us to “Go to the back of the book,”to the NT, for answers. God planned the ending before the beginning, but kept it a secret, a mystery, hidden, not fully revealed in the Old Testament [John 1:1-2,14;Gal 4:4-6;Rom 15:8,9-13;2 Tim 1:9-10;1 Pet 1:18-22;Heb 1:1-3]. And in Hebrews 2:3, the Holy Spirit tells us to begin our study with the teachings of Jesus Christ, the apostles and prophets, of how Jesus came to save us, by dying to pay the penalty for our sins, then rose from the dead, so that we could be saved, as He originally planned [CF, Eph 1:3-7,8-14;Rom 4:25, 5:8-10;Acts 17:30,31;Eph 2:8-10,20;1 Cor 2:7-8]. Many in Christianity, do not understand the significance of this. But, nevertheless, both saints and sinners need someone to, first, lead and guide them into the NT truths. Why not Ask Rev Lee? Toll Free, 1-877-300-5668

Q: How many baptisms for salvation are there in the Bible?

Ans: There is only one baptism for salvation and that is the baptism of the Holy Spirit the moment we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is called REGENERATION, that is, the believer is saved, sanctified, and sealed with this self – same Holy Spirit until the day of redemption [2 Thes 2:13,14;Eph 1:14]. Romans 6:5 speak about our REGENERATION through setting apart by God’s Holy Spirit, with Jesus’ death as the causal factor. There is no biblical basis for a belief in a second baptism of the Holy Spirit for REGENERATION of salvation. For some believers, however, the Bible speaks of an outward manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s gifts, one of which is speaking in tongue. There is a water baptism by emersion, after salvation, signifying the believer’s death to sin, but not to REGENERATION. Water baptism is a confession of the belief that one’s sins have been forgiven by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Put another way, another name for water baptism is baptism of the dead. This is a believer who has undergone baptism of the Holy Spirit. He or she has been made spiritually alive to God [John 5:24] but dead to sin [Romans 6:3, 4]. Having been made alive, the believer is to reckon (consider) him or herself dead to sin. Consequently, for water baptism to be effective, it first must be dependent upon baptism of the Holy Spirit, at the moment of belief [Gal 3:2, 5, 14; John 7:39]

Q: What is the basis for the Christians’ belief in God?

Ans: The basis belief of Christianity is that the God of the Old Testament,“The LORD, Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth,” became flesh and blood, in the person of Jesus the Christ of Nazareth. He was conceived in a virgin, without the use of a male sperm.. A God Who has not become flesh is not the God of Christianity. Our God dwelt amongst us, in the flesh. He performed miracles by His sovereign, He spoke the heavens and the earth into existence by His omnipotent power, infinite wisdom, mastery over nature, the elements and creation. He turned water into wine; fed over 10,000 with 7 small fishes and a few loaves of bread; performed instantaneous travel; saw into the future and into the past. He told the waves of the sea to “be still” and the wind to “stop blowing,” and they obeyed Him. He healed the sick, the paralyzed and the lepers, gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. He raised several people from the dead, including Himself. He knew the thoughts of all men. He was crucified in the sinful flesh of humankind [Luke 22:37], and rose from the dead on the third day, an immortal, divine, Holy, intelligent Spirit. He was worshiped by the angels of God [Luke 2:11-14; Heb 1:1-3,5-8]. He promises to forgive sin and to grant eternal life, with God, to whosoever will look to Him for salvation [John 3:14-18,5:24,14:11; See, Num 21:8-9; Isa 45:22].

COMMENTS
Many in mainline Christianity, Judaism, Islam and other religions, do not have the proper conception of the relationship between God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Allah, or any of the other gods. If all of these God’s were the same, the God of all three [Christianity, Judaism and Islam] would have had to been made flesh. To the extent that, today, any god who in his writings, do not acknowledge that He is come in the flesh, is not the “LORD, Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth,” is not the same as God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ of the Christian faith.

Some in “Liberal Christianity” have lost their perspective of God as God. They attribute things to His personality, which are not supported in Scriptures.

Q: The Bible says that “all have sinned [I.e., are born in sin].... the wages [results] of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”[Rom 3:23,6:23]; but what is the actual gift of God?

Ans. The gift of God that constitutes eternal life is the gift of faith. Faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, is how God decided that He would forgive each man, woman and child of their sins, commonly called “justified by faith” [CF, Gal 3:24,26; John 1:12-13,3:14-18; Acts 15:7-12]. The “gift” is the fact that this is what God decided. The “gift” is in the decision: “Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” [John 3:16]. Having declared this truth, God then set forth, in the New Testament Bible, some things about Jesus that would cause you to believe Him, to trust in Jesus as your Savior [I.e., Who He is, His eternal existence, What was His mission, His supernatural powers over nature, life, diseases and death]. Don’t confuse the decision God made, with the things God said and did to help you to believe in His decision! God decided that “through faith in Jesus Christ comes the resurrection from the dead to eternal life” [John 5:24; Acts 4:2,12-13; 1 Cor 15:19-23]. If you believe in your heart [accept this as truth], that God forgave you of all your sins, past, present and future, when Jesus died in your place on the cross, YOU WILL BE SAVED, BORN AGAIN OF THE SPIRIT, forever, the moment you believe [2 Cor 5:21; John 12:27-33; Rom 5:8-11,4:25; 1 Cor 15:3-5; Eph 1:12-142 Thess 2:13-15]. There is no other way to be saved from the wrath of God, surely to come upon the whole human race!

Q: What is the difference between “Liberal Christianity” and “Conservative Christianity?”

Ans. The difference is in what one believes about the person of Jesus Christ and His saving work of atonement and redemption [John 1:12-13,7:39,5:24; 2 Tim 1:9-10; 1 Peter 1:18-21; Rom 15:8,9-13,16:25-26]. Conservative Christianity says, Faith in the person of Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation! Liberal Christianity says, Faith in Jesus is not the only way, faith plus works is necessary, or some other means! For the most part, Liberal Christians deny some aspect of the person of Jesus Christ, and/or God’s plan of salvation, according to His word, and are not saved, depending upon their belief [Gal 1:8-9,3:24,26]. Liberal Christianity and Conservative Christianity are not compatible in faith and practices. I didn’t say that they don’t exist, together, for they do, but they are not compatible. This is no secret. When Christianity is not on one accord, confusion, strife and discord results. That is why Christ [not to be confused with the gifts of the Holy Spirit] gave gifted men, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, to bring about spiritual unity, maturity, and stability in the body of Christ, correcting false doctrine, and them false men [Eph 4:11-15; 2 Cor 10:4-6]. Good works follow salvation, but are not a condition of salvation [Eph 2:8-10].

Q: Why is Christianity, followers of Jesus Christ, disliked so much, by so many people in the world [more than 4 billion people]?

Ans. In John 15:25 the Bible states that God foretold that the world would hate [dislike] the One whom He sent to be the Savior of the world: “They hated Me without a cause.” There is no reason to reject Jesus Christ, except that, He testifies to the truth in love: Christ and Christianity precedes all civilizations, cultures, ethnic people groups and religions. Yet, people refuse to believe in who Jesus is [God our Creator] and what He has done [died to pay our sin debt], because this was “kept secret since the world began...which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us [the Church] by them [the Apostles] that heard Him” [Roman 15:25-26; Heb 2:3]. Therefore the world religions and “Liberal Christianity” are doing like the people did in the days of the Judges [“every man did what was right in His own eyes“]. The Bible says “the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light [truth] of the glorious Gospel [Good News] of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them [enlighten them],” and they be saved from death, hell and the grave!

Q: Are the Biblical offices of Apostles and Prophets still in operation in today’s Church?

Ans. According to the Bible, today, the offices of Apostles and Prophets are not in operations in the universal Church. Hebrews 2:3 says that the knowledge of God’s eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, “was first proclaimed by the Lord Himself, and then it was proved [confirmed] to us to be valid by the very men [the apostles] who heard Him themselves” [CF, Eph 2:20;Mark 16:20]. The writer does not say that he is an Apostles; most likely, then, he is a Prophet, one who heard and wrote what the eye witness Apostles, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, told him [CF,2 Tim 3:16;2 Pet 1:20-21].Thus the Apostles and Prophets wrote the New Testament [NT], which is the completed revelations of God’s eternal plan, purpose, provisions, and promises to mankind [Luke 1:1-2;Acts 1:1-2;John 20:31;2 Pet 3:15-16;1 John 1:1-3;Rev 1:1-3]. This brought to an end the Apostolic age. Now, evangelists, pastors and teachers are responsible for proclaiming the revelations of God’s word and for knowing the truth of the Gospel, to stabilize the Church.[Eph 4:11-15]. In a local Church, however, pastors may call themselves Apostle or Prophet etc, but it is doubtful if they have the power thereof. [1 Cor 12].

COMMENT

To some it may sound strange to say that, “The NT contains the prophetic word of God, on the which the OT narrative is based, although the NT was written after the OT era.. How can this be? Its quite simple, play writers and authors do it all the time, its call ”flashbacks.’ Flashbacks can be used by the author of the Bible, since He alone knows His original intent, He can fill in the missing parts of the OT narrative, at will. That’s what God did in the NT; Jesus did it and so did the NT writers, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The things that the NT reveals about God’s intent and design for mankind, through out all creation, were a ”mystery [hidden, not fully revealed]. But now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith...” Romans 16:25-26].

So, not only does the NT reveals what is and what is to come, but, also, clarifies and give deeper sense and meaning to to what was happening in the OT and why! For instance:

In Genesis 12:3, ...”and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” In the NT, Gal 3:8 we learned that this prophetic word of God was applicable to the Gentile nations of the world, whom God had left behind, without a covenant relationship with Him in Genesis Chapter 11. But God had always planned to include them in His covenant of grace, since the world began [CF, Eph 1:10 (3-14),3:5-12; Acts 15:13-18,28; Heb 4:3].

In Genesis 14:18-20, and Ps 110:4, we learn of an eternal priesthood, in existence in the earth before God’s call to Abraham. This priest of God Most High, Melchisedec, was not a part of the Mosaic Law nor the Aaronic and Levitical priesthood. Later, in the NT epistles we discover that Melchisedec was a forerunner of Jesus the Christ our eternal High Priest [Heb 5:

Q: Who killed Jesus Christ?

Ans. Neither the Jews nor the Gentiles killed Jesus Christ. The great mystery of the Christianity faith is: God in Jesus Christ, killed Himself, and rose from the dead, in Christ Jesus in all of His divine glory, majesty and power [2 Cor 5:19, 1 Pet 3:18] “to save His people from their sins [Matt 1:18-21]....that we might receive the promise of the [Holy] Spirit through faith” in Jesus Christ as our Savior [CF, John 1:12-13; Gal 3:14,24,26]. Jesus Himself said so: “I lay down My life for the sheep [“He tasted death for every man,” Heb 2:9] ....No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of myself...]...My Father love Me, because I lay down My life , that I might take it [up] again.... I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it [up] again.” [John 10:15]. Jesus gave up His life as part of God’s eternal plan for mankind [John 3:14,18:11; Acts 2:23; Matt 26:24; Luke 22:22].

In a deeper sense and meaning of Scripture, however, the descendants of Noah’s three sons were involved in Jesus’ execution. The Jewish descendants of “Shem,”accused Him falsely, saying He was not the Son of God [John 19:7,12]. The Roman Gentile descendants of Japheth convicted, flogged and crucified Him [Mark l5:15]. The Gentile, Simon of Cyrene, descendant of Ham, carried His cross [Luke 23:26]; but none of them killed Jesus. Neither, Satan, the devil, demons, Jewish leaders, nor Roman Gentiles killed Jesus nor knew why Jesus died. God kept it a mystery, hidden, not fully revealed in the Old Testament era, until after His death, “for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory, as it was written [ Many Liberal Christian theologians, scholars, and other leaders of other religious do not believe this Biblical truth [Matt 7:21-23].

Q: Where in the Bible can I find, What must I do to be saved, from eternal separation from God, and how to do what I must do?

Ans. God gives us clear and explicit instructions in an order, an illustration and an example. The Order: “Believe on the name of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ...whom He has sent [to be] the Savior of the world” I.e., through His death comes the forgiveness of sin and resurrection from the dead [John 6:29;1 John 3:23,4:14,5:24; Acts 4:2,10:43,13:38,16:30-33]. The Illustration: just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness [Num 21:4-9], so must the Son of Man [the God man, Christ Jesus] be lifted up [crucified on the cross for the sins of the world], That whosoever believeth in Him [as their Savior] should not perish, but have eternal life “[John 3:14-15;CF, Gal 3:13-14; Eph 1:12-14, 1 Peter 1:18-21]. The Example: Although Abraham and his wife, Sarah, were beyond the child bearing age, God told him that He would father a child by her, to become the father of many nations. “Abraham believed God, and it [his faith] was counted [reckoned] unto Him as righteousness [a right standing with God, all sins forgiven]. He believed that what God had promised, He was also able to perform [Gen 15:5-6; Rom 4:5,16-25; John 1:12; Acts 15:7-12] We too must believe God, that He will keep His promise for the forgiveness of our sins, resurrection of the dead and eternal life, although it may sound foolish, and unbelievable. Salvation is all about believing the promises of God and not about confessing or repenting of sordid human sins of the flesh. Jesus die for them!

Q: Will the Old Testament [OT] Ten Commandment teach the New Testament [NT] Church how to live a life pleasing to God

Ans. The Ten Commandments are examples of what God requires, but they are not the instructions for the NT Church. The Church’s instructions for obedience and faith and how to please God are found in the NT Epistles [CF, Rom 16:26;1 Thess 4:1]. For instance, Hebrews 2:3 [CEV], states, “We [Believers] must give full attention to what we were told, so that we won’t drift away...The Lord Himself was the first to tell about it [our salvation] and people [the Apostles] who heard the message [of our salvation through faith in Jesus Christ] proved to us that it was true [John 7:39;Acts 19:2]. Also, Ephesians 2:20,3:5-6, states, “You Gentiles [all non-Jewish nations [Rom 15:8,9-13;1Peter 2:9-10;Eph 2:1-3,11-13]....are like a building with the Apostles and the Prophets as the foundation and with Christ as the most important stone [cornerstone]....No one knew about this mystery [the mystery about Christ] until God’s Spirit told it to His holy NT Apostles and Prophets. [CF, Gen 12:3, Gal 3:8;1 Cor 2:7-8; Heb 2:3;Eph 2:20,3:5,4:17-20; 2 Tim 2:2].

But more importantly, the Ten Commandments of the OT can be found in the New Testament Epistles, as “instructions” for the NT Church, Believers in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Q: In its literal sense, which comes first salvation (an individual’s absolute pardon from the eternal wrath of God) or sanctification (the permanent adoption of a person, who believes in Jesus Christ alone as Savior, into the family of God)?

Ans. A person must, first, be “sanctified,” set apart by God’s Holy Spirit and belief of the truth, before they are saved. Therefore, sanctification must come before salvation; before he or she is saved from God’s wrath. But, once sanctified always sanctified and saved, forever [John 5:24, 6:40,47;2Thess 2:13;John7:39;Acts 19:2]. Then the sanctified and saved person begins the process of spiritual growth, or progressive sanctification, from a babe, an immature Christian, to full grown spiritual maturity [Eph 4:11-15;2Peter3:18]. Hence, sanctification is both an “act of faith” for eternal life: sanctified, justified and regenerated [Gal 2:16,3:14,24-26,] and a “spiritual growth process” in sanctification, and in salvation, to become more “Christ-like”[2 Peter 1:9]. But none of this affect one’s eternal security attained through faith in Jesus Christ, the promise of God, before creation [Eph 1:3-14;2Tim 1:9-10;1Peter 1:18-21;Col 1:25-27;Rom 16:25-26;1Thess 5:9-10;Heb 1:1-3].

Q: Faith, hope and culture, what part does religion play in these three?

Ans. Faith [what you chose to believe or not to believe] is the essence of one’s character. Hope is the driving force behind faith. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”[that which you already have, why hope for it] Heb 11:1. Culture is the customs, traditions, thoughts and beliefs of a nation of people that influences faith and hope. Religion means a belief and worship of God, gods or no gods. Hence, faith, hope and cultures are subject to change, based on the power of the God or gods who is at the heart of the religious belief. Christianity, while it is based on faith and hope, is not a religion, nor is it affected by the culture in which it flourishes. It’s grounded in a person, a God-man, Jesus Christ of Nazareth [John 14:6], who promises “an inheritance of eternal life,” that is reserved in heaven [1 Peter 1:3-5;2 Peter 1:2-4]. It precedes and transcends all religions, cultures, civilizations and empires of all ages of man.

COMMENT:

To ”believe on the name of Jesus Christ is the highest form of faith and hope“For I know whom I have believed [trusted] and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him [my eternal life] until that day...of redemption [Eph 1:13-14,4:30]. Our faith is that our God is willing and able to give it to us [John 3:14-18;6:40,47; 1 Thess 4:13-18; 1 Cor 15:49; John 14:6]. Believing through the power of God, makes what He has promised a reality.

Q: Where can I find references to Jesus Christ in the Old Testament [OT] Scriptures?

Ans. In the New Testament [NT] Scriptures, Jesus Christ Himself, and the apostles, tell us where to find Jesus. In John 5:39 [NAS], Jesus said,“You search the [OT] Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and [but] it is these that bear witness [testify] of Me.” Luke 24:27, “And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He [Jesus] explained to them [the apostles] the things concerning Himself....Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer [die on the Cross], and to rise from the dead the third day”[Luke 24:47]. In John 4:26, Jesus told the woman at the well, “I who speak to you am He,”( Messiah which is called Christ). Jesuse said He was before Abraham and He saw Satan fall from Heaven. In Acts 17:3, Paul said, “this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.” In John 12:41, John wrote that, “Isaiah...saw His [Jesus’] glory, and he spoke of Him,”in Isaiah 6:1-10. Therefore, if you want to know who Jesus is, and how to live and to please God, you must read God’s instructions in the NT [Heb 2:3; 1 Thess 4:1; Eph 2:20,3:5,4:17-20; Rom 10:1-4; 1 Peter 3:18].

Q: What makes a great preacher and preaching great?

Ans. God’s Holy Spirit is the source of all true preachers [Acts 1:8,2:17; Eph 4:11;1 Cor 11:4-5]. All preachers [servants] called of God are great preachers. Preaching is great when it follows the unaltered word of God, according to the Bible’s narrative and/or the Bible story, concealed within the narrative, which gives the “deeper sense and meaning” of the truth. A passage of Scripture can only have one true meaning, but many applications of truth can be made. Preaching an application of truth is not as powerful as preaching the truth, as application of truth can be derived from man-made hermeneutics and a homiletically prepared sermon. For instance, in Luke 9:1-6, the friends of a paralyzed man brought him to Jesus, showing great faith. If a preacher focuses on the faith of these men, he is making an application of truth. But if he preaches on Jesus’ revelation that He is God and [He the] “Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins,” he will be preaching the truth of the deeper sense and meaning of God’s word, which must be spiritually discerned, “comparing spiritual things with spiritual things” [1 Cor 2:11-13,12:4-11]. This will be the greater preaching and preacher.

COMMENTS:

Since men and women have freedom of choice to preach either one, the truth of the passage or an explanation of a truth in the passage of Scripture, many congregations have been trained to respond, not to the truth of the Scripture text; but, rather, to an emotionally crafted homiletical sermon, to man’s oratorical skills and cleverly constructed applications of truth [as in story telling]. But the truth of God’s word, the deeper sense and meaning, must be spiritually discerned.... The problem is that many preachers preach sermons, without knowing the deeper underlying basis for what is being said. Secondly, some preach sermons that are an application of a truth from a passage of Scripture, without preaching or telling what is the truth of the passage. This lack of spiritual discernment, is due in part, to a reliance on man-made principles of hermeneutics [how to interpret Scripture] and on homiletics [the art and/or science of sermon preparation] “But the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” God gives spiritual gifts to individuals, including preachers and teachers as it pleases Him. The words of man profith nothing. Jesus said, the words that I speak unto you, are spirit and life” John 6:63], IT IS BY HIS WORDS THAT MANKIND WILL BE JUDGED [John 12:44-50].

Q: Is repentance of sins and faith necessary for salvation?

Ans. The Bible tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 how we are saved and why: “God from the beginning chose you for salvation [to be saved] through sanctification [sanctified, set apart for God’s use or service] by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by the Gospel [WHY?] for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren [believers] stand fast...” This is a deeper revelation from God than is Romans 10:9 and Acts 2:38,3:19, as the latter was addressed to the Jewish people and the former to all believers, telling them of the eternal purpose of God, as the basis for their steadfast belief in the Gospel. Also, the verses in Acts speak of “man receiving the Holy Spirit,” whereas the verses in Thessalonians speak of the “work of the Holy Spirit Himself”. We should not confuse the Holy Spirit’s presence in the believer, with His convicting work on behalf of the sinner and His sanctifying, leading and guiding work for the believer. As stated, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 clearly shows that one must be “sanctified” before they can be saved. To be sanctified is an act of God’s mercy toward the Gentiles, and the Jewish people [Rom 15:8,9-13,16;Eph 1:12-14;Acts 15:7-12,13-18,28], that requires the work of the Holy Spirit and a person’s belief in the truth, about Jesus [John 1:12-13;Acts 19:2;Gal 3:3:2,5,14,24,26;1 Peter 1:18-21]. The Gospel, ”preaching Jesus Christ,” is the Good News; it has a power of its own [Rom 1:16-17;1 Cor 1:21]; and fulfills the purpose of God [Acts 11:14,18,26:18;Rom 10:13-17;16:25-26]. Because the deeper sense and meaning of the question, in reality, is this: “Is faith and works necessary for salvation?,” the answer is NO! “For by grace are ye saved through faith,”made holy and righteous forever [Rom 5:12-17]. That is, one is sanctified by the Word [Rom 15:8,9-13;1 Peter 1:23,25; Acts 11:14;John 6:63,12:44-50;James 1:18;Titus 3:5], The Spirit [John 7:39,16:7-12,13-15;Acts 10:44-45;Rom 5:5] and faith [John 1:10-12,3:14-18,17:20; 1 Peter 1:21] which culminates in eternal redemption and salvation through regeneration and adoption into the family of God [ John 1:12-13;Col 1:12-14;Gal 4:4-6;Rom 8:14-16].

COMMENTS:

What is the factual biblical basis for a belief that “repentance of sins,” is not a condition of salvation? The validity of this truth is found in the doctrine of sanctification; I.e., to be sanctified, through the Word, Spirit and faith, which is beyond the realm of humanity. As mentioned above, and elsewhere, we are sanctified by the word of God [He gave the authority and prescribed the term]; Holy spirit [He is the means] and man’s faith in Jesus Christ alone [faith is the medium]. That is, faith in the word of God’s power and the power of His word [Acts 16:30-32;John 14:11].

And is there clear, definitive biblical support for the premise that one must be “sanctified” before he or she can be saved? YES! The fact that one must be “sanctified” before they are saved is based on the truth that God requires man to believe on His Son Jesus Christ, before God will make Him a new creature, in regeneration. Regeneration is the indwelling of the new believer by the Holy Spirit, who also has convinced, convicted the sinner of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and knows that it has been heard, accepted, believed, and relied on in requisite faith.

The Bible shows that a response to the true Gospel message, to be sanctified [set apart for God’s use and service], is the first step of God’s divine process called, Conversion, Justification, Sanctification and Salvation. These are all “after the fact;” they occur after one is sanctified through belief in the truth. “Coming to faith in Jesus Christ” must precede each of these states [John 7:39;Eph 1:12-14,4:30; 1 Cor 12:3].

Bringing one to a saving knowledge; I.e.,”coming to faith in Jesus Christ” is the sole responsibility of the Gospel and God’s Holy Spirit [CF, John 16:7-9;Rom 1:16-17;1 Cor 1:21], in response to faith. Consequently, there is no need for repenting of sordid human sins of the flesh, to be sanctified. We are sanctified by faith. God’s word and our faith make us holy, righteous, forever [Rom 5:12-17].Once we are sanctified and saved, sanctification becomes a lifetime process of becoming more Christ-like! Hence, only baptized believers in Jesus Christ must repent of sordid human sins of the flesh to restore fellowship with God [1 Cor 10:13;1 John 1:7-9;Heb 4:16].

Q: What is salvation, what must I do to attain it, and can I loose it?

Ans. These questions have been debated since the days of Noah, and also of the early Church, but the Bible is clear. Salvation means to be delivered from a sovereign judgment and punishment of God, for disobedience and/or conduct that displeases Him [Rom 5:9,12-17;1 Cor 15:20-23]. From the which, only God can pardon [Rom 11:32;Gal 3:22]! “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God [the standard of living set by God]; being justified [being declared righteous, in a right standing with Him], freely [without a payment for work ,i.e., at no cost] by His grace [a free gift of His kindness] through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”[Rom 3:23-24]. Jesus Christ purchased from God our freedom, from the ultimate penalty of sin, the second death: eternal separation from God in anguish and torment, by dying for us to pay the penalty we owed; That is, Jesus bore our separation from God for us [Read, John 10:16;Matt 26:39-42,27:46;2 Cor 5:21]. Because God does not change, and His word is unchangeable, “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord....For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” [Rom 6:23;John 3:16]. Everlasting life is eternal security for the believer.

Salvation is attained by grace, through faith, received as a free gift, for the purpose of doing good works for God in kingdom building. In other words, salvation by grace flows from God’s love and mercy [John 3:16;Titus 3:7;Rom 15:8,9-10]; through faith, hearing, accepting and believing God’s message of reconciliation [John 1:12-13;Gal 3:2,5;2 Thess 2:13-15], and receiving God’s pardon [John 5:24,6:40,47]. Our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is counted to believers as righteousness [for a right standing with God, just as if we had never sinned]. Good works follows, according to the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit, and our spiritual growth [2 Time 2:15;Heb 5:11- 6:2;2 Peter 3:18;Col 2:6-7;Rom 12:1-3;Phil 2: 5,12-14;Heb 12:1-3].

Once saved, salvation cannot be lost, because of the eternal nature of God’s gift [Eph 1:3-14;John 3:16;Rev 2:1,20:6]. The gift of God is eternal life; that gift is the Holy Spirit Rom 6:23;Titus 1:2-3]. That is, the Christian’s salvation is the indwelling presence of God’s Holy Spirit [Rom 8:9; Heb 9:14-15]. “That we [the Jewish people] should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye [Gentiles] also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel [the Good News] of your salvation: in whom also after ye believed, ye were sealed [confirmed] with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest [Guarantee] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory” [Acts 10:34-43,3:46-49; 15:7-12,13-18,28,26:17-18;2 Cor 3:14-17;Rom 9:26-27; Eph 2:1-3,11-13;1 Peter 2:9-10]. God gives us His Holy Spirit, that He might free us to be His people, and to praise [Him] His glory for it; “whereby ye [Jews and Gentile Christians] are sealed unto the day of redemption” [Eph 4:30].

COMMENTS:

During this Church age, Jews and Gentiles may receive a pardon from God [Matt 16:18; 2 Cor 5:17-20; Acts 10:42-43,13:38-39,46-49;2:47]. But this has not always been so! “God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment” [God showed them no mercy.]; And spared not the old [ancient] world [God showed them no mercy, once He had definitively spoke to the issue], but saved Noah...,a preacher of righteousness [the way of righteousness], bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly [God showed them no mercy, once He had definitely spoken to the issue]; and delivered just Lot, vexed [troubled] with the filthy conversation [lifestyle] of the wicked...The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly our of temptations, and to reserve the unjust [ungodly] unto the day of judgment to be punished” [2 Peter 2:4-9].

Further, God showed no mercy to the Gentile nations of the world [they did not have an independent covenant relationship with God], after He chose Israel to be His chosen people [Deut 7:6-9,14:2;Acts 10:28;Eph 2:1-3,11-13,5:8;1 Peter 2:9-10,4:3;Col 1:21;1 Cor 6:1,12:2;Titus 3:3]. However, it had always been His purpose to establish an everlasting covenant with the Gentile nations [Eh 1:10,3:5-7;Heb 4:3; Rom 15:9-13;Acts 15:7-12;1 Thess 5:9-10]. “That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the Gospel [Eph 3:6;Gal 3:14].

But [for the church] we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man” [Heb 2:9]. “For when we were yet without strength [helpless to change or status before God], in due time Christ died for the ungodly....God commendeth His love for us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us [John 12:31-33]. That is, “God proves, demonstrates His own love toward us by the fact that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.” “Forasmuch [since] then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death [ Job 2:6], that is, the devil. And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily He took non on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham [His physical descendants, “but also....those who are of the faith of Abraham [Rom 4:5,16; CF, Gen 12:3;Gal 3:8] “Jesus Christ” [Gal 3:16-26,29;1 Cor 12:12-13,27-30;Eph 5:23,30; Col 1:24]]. Wherefore in all things it behooved [was proper for] Him to be made like unto His brethren [fellow human beings] that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people [the world]....For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren” [Heb 2:9-17].

In the Levitical Priesthood, once a year the High Priest went into the Holy Place, behind the veil into the presence of God’s glory, to make a sacrificial atonement for the sins of the people. The people did not go in to make their own yearly sacrifice, to stay God’s wrath for another year, the High Priest did. Likewise, the Bible says that Jesus is our High Priest. But He did not go into the Holy place in the Temple at Jerusalem every year with the blood of others. “For Christ is not entered into the Holy Place made with hands...but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us....but now once in the end of the world [ages] hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself”[Heb 9:24-26;7:27,10:9-14]. Christ’s body is the Church, and the Church is Christ’s body, of the which He is the Head.” Because, as and act of His love, mercy and grace, God caused His Son, Jesus Christ, to take our punishment, in death. And give us His gift of eternal life in His resurrection [Rom 4:25,5:9-11; CF, Gen 2:17-18,3:15,22-24; Deut 18:15-19;Matt 1:18-23;Mark 10:45;John 3:14-18,19-21,36].

Q: What is the “Mark of the Beast,” what does it mean for Christians?

Ans. The “mark of the Beast does not apply to Christians. The Mark of the Beast is described as the mark of renunciation of one’s faith in God. It occurs during the “Tribulation period.” Those of us who believe in the pre-tribulation of the Church, knows that THERE WILL BE NO CHRISTIANS ON EARTH DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD [cf, 1 Thess 4:13-18; 1 Cor 15:51-58].

Q: What is the difference between an evangelist and a missionary?

Ans. There are three types of evangelists: (1) All believers [Acts 1:8,8:4,11:19,21-23]; (2) divinely called and empowered men to be evangelists [Acts 8:5,12,26,40,9:6,15-16,29,11:19-21, 13:2,21:8;Eph 4:11];and (3) pastors and teachers, who do the work of an evangelist [Eph 4:11;2 Tim 4:5]. The primary mission of an evangelist is to “proclaim Good News message of Jesus Christ to sinners,”and to ensure the truth of the Gospel,” the Good News of how sinful man is reconciled to a holy God [Eph 4:11-15]. Evangelists can be called by God from amongst the laity and the clergy. Evangelists may or may not engage in benevolent types of missionary work or services, in order to share the Gospel. A missionary is a believer [laity or clergy] who undertakes certain missionary type work and services for the purpose of sharing the Gospel message with the unsaved (evangelism). Missionaries enter into personal relationship with perspective converts, in order to win them to Christ There is no biblical requirements or examples that requires evangelists to do so. Evangelist and missionary have the same goal-sharing the Gospel message- but by different methods.

COMMENT:

*NOTE: Israel’s problem was not that it had not been saved [Deut 7:6-9,14:2], had not been offered God’s redeeming grace, or that God was still alienated from them: had not been reconciled to them! But, rather, they refused God’s offer of reconciliation, to return to Him, in faith and practices, AFTER HE HAD REDEEMED THEM, FORGIVEN THEIR SINS, AND OFFERED THEM AMNESTY. Throughout the Old Testament era, their stubborn refusal to rely on the righteousness of God in unbelief, resulted in the division of the 12 tribes, persecution by God’s emissaries, Babylonian captivity, 400 silent years and spiritual blindness as to the identity of their Messiah, in the Church age.]

Q: Must I repent and confess the human sins I have committed in order to be saved and go to heaven?

Ans. If you think the answer is Yes, you are wrong! “Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God” [Matt 22:29]. “By grace are you saved [God’s free gift] through faith [in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross][Eph 2:8-10]....For with the heart man believeth unto [become] righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation [of the internal regeneration and indwelling of the Holy Spirit; I.e.,“You exercise the faith [have a change of mind about not believing in Jesus Christ, who He is and what He has done [John 6:29,16:9;Acts 15:9;1 John 3:23;Gal 3:24, that leads to a right standing with God”]; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation [Rom 10:10]...For ye [we] are all God’s children by faith [trusting] in Jesus Christ,”and believing that God will save us from His wrath as He has promised [John 3:16]. Jesus died for the sins of the world, He tasted death for every man, so that God could purify our hearts by faith [Gal 3:26;Rom 5:8;Heb 2:9;Acts 15:9]. Nothing else is required!

COMMENTS

We are not saved because we confess our sins, ask God to forgive us, or is baptized; but, rather, we do these things because we have been saved [redeemed, reconciled to God] through faith.

That is, because we have received the gift of the promised Holy Spirit of God by faith in the Gospel message [CF, John 1:12-13;3:14-18;Gal 3:2,5;Acts 19:2; 2 Thess 2:13-15;Eph 1:12-14]. One must, first, inwardly receive God’s righteousness before any outward confession of Jesus Christ as Lord can be made [1 Cor 12:3]. If you think otherwise, you are deceived!

Q: What does the Bible say, is there really a hell and eternal punishment?

Ans. Its true! As sure as people grow old and die, or die young, that’s how sure we can be that there really is a hell and eternal punishment. They are mentioned in both the Old and the New Testaments. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” [John 3:16]. This is God’s standard offer of salvation. The term “shall not perish,” means, If a person believes in Jesus Christ Savior [the one to save them from God’s punishment of sin], they will avoid being “punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power“ [2 Thess 1:8-9] If one does not make this decision to accept Him as Savior before they die, then the “dead and hell [will be] cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” [Rev 20:14]. Jesus will say, “Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels [Matt 25:41].

In fact, the concept of eternal life, everlasting life that never ends, through faith in Jesus the Christ is the reason for our belief in God, Jesus the Christ and His Holy Spirit. If there was no hell or eternal punishment , as some would have us to believe, in error, there would be no need for salvation Matthew 24:32

Q: Who is God, What is man, and what is the connection between them?

Ans. The Bible says that God is! He has always existed as God; He is Spirit. God created the heavens and the earth. He also created a man and a woman, of flesh and blood, in His image and in His likeness [to think intelligently], and gave them His spirit, as life. He established an agreement with them [Gen 2:16-17], which they disregarded [Gen 3:11], and God broke His eternal fellowship with them [Gen 3:22-24], but He promised to restore it in the future [Gen 3:15-Eph 1:3-14;Titus 1:2-3]. How God reconciled Himself to mankind through religion is a mystery, which must be accepted by FAITH: “God was manifested, appeared, revealed in the flesh, made visible in human form [to be sin, to die to pay man’s sin penalty, in his or her stead, in the person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth], justified in the Spirit, vindicated [cleared mankind of its guilt and the penalty for sin: He restored the spiritual connection, man could attain a right standing with God, again], [God was] seen of angels [they knew who He was],[God was] preached unto the Gentiles [non-Jewish nations],believed on [trusted in] throughout the world” [1 Tim 3:16]. God became a man so that He could establish a process whereby He would become our spiritual heavenly Father, and we His earthly children, god-like, forever [John 1:10-12,13; CF; Heb 2:9-17,10:5-14; Gal 4-4-6; 2 Cor 5:17].

Who is God? God is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, for whom we celebrate “Good Friday” [The Passion of The Christ] and “Easter,” His resurrection from the dead, fully God and fully man, [God was] received up into glory [back to heaven, from wench He came].

Q: What is the “Gospel of God,” the Good News of God, and where can it be found in Scriptures?

Ans. The Good News, the “Gospel of God,” is God’s revelations of Himself to all mankind [John 1:1-3,14;Gen 1:1;Isa 46:9-10;Deut 29:29]; What God has done for man, in Jesus Christ and His Holy Sprit [Eph 1:3-14;Titus 1:2-3;1 Tim 3:16;Heb 2:9;Acts 5:32]; and What God requires man to do for Him and for his fellow man [love, faith and obedience; CF, John 14:1-6,3:16-18;Mark 12:30-34;1 John 3:23-24;Heb 2;3]. It’s the Word of God spoken by God, things that only He can know and reveal. The “Gospel of God” is primarily found in the Scriptures writings in “First Person Singular, ”I.” There, God tells us what He has done, and what He wants us to do, because of what He has done. SEE, Joshua 24:3-15;Num 21:8-9;Matt 5:22,28,32,34,39,44;John 5:24,8:24,32-36,54,10:30-38]. The “Gospel of God” reflects His sovereign choices and providential care of all nations [Acts 17:22-31,14:15-17;Rom 15:8,9-13;Gal 3:8;1 John 3:8]. It is not subject to re-interpretation by man, it must be accepted and believed as it is written, since we are born again [saved], and condemned, by the word of God. [1 Peter 1:23,25; John 12:44-50; 2 Thess 1:7-10].

Q: Is there a Heaven and a Hell, what determines to which one we will go?

Ans. The Bible says YES, Heaven and Hell are real places. Heaven is the Kingdom of God: Jesus said, “Come ye blessed [this includes Christians in the Church age, but no one else] of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world [Matt 25:34]. Jesus also said, “Depart from Me, ye cursed [you who “know not God and have not obeyed (accepted) the Good News of Jesus Christ”] into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” [Matt 25:41]....And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire” [Rev 20:14-15]. Man’s eternal destiny has been pre-determined by God. All have sinned...the wages [results] of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ [faith in Him as your Savior: Rom 3:23,6:23]. If you believe that Jesus died for your sins and that God will restore you to an eternal relationship with Him, if you do believe, you will go to Heaven [Rom 5:6-11]. If you do not believe this, you are on your way to Hell and the lake of fire [John 3:18,36].

Q: What is the relationship between FAITH and WORKS, which one saves us from sin and death?

Ans. The Bible says we are saved from sin and death [the wrath of God], “by grace [God’s sovereign decision to allow us to be saved, as a favor to us] through faith [that Jesus Christ of Nazareth, He is God’s only Savior of the world (John 4:42;1 John 4:14)]; and that not of your selves: [it is] the gift of God” [Eph 2:8] “Not of works [human efforts], lest any man should boast [take credit for assisting in his salvation]” [Eph 2:9;CF, John 3:14-18;Num 21:8-9].To be saved, one must take God [Jesus Christ] at His word: hear, accept, believe, and receive the gift, with inner heartfelt faith, obedience and dependency on God [ CF, John 4:51-53]. It’s a matter of choosing to believe the Gospel and not to reject it [John 8:44,3:36,12:44-50;1 John 5:10-13,20]. Faith produces a new creature in Christ, apart from any work on the part of the sinner [John 1:12-13;2 Thess 2:13-15;Acts 15:9;19:2]. Works: Christian living, service, reverence and awe of God, is something we are to do after salvation, but not for salvation [Eph 2:10].You cannot work your way to Heaven, nor to Hell [John 3:18].

COMMENTS:

THE Bible tells us in James 2:20, “that faith without [apart from] works is dead...” But, does this mean that dead faith [the absence of some fruits of the spirit operating in the believer’s life] proves that the person is not saved? No, it does not mean that the person is not saved. The apostle Peter tells us there is a cause for “faith without works.” In 2 Peter 1:1-9, the Bible states that if a Christian is not producing good works, is idle or unfruitful, in the kingdom of God, it is because of a lack of spiritual maturity. “But He that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins,” and must be reminded [2 Peter 1:9-13]. That is, the unfruitful Christian has not put off the old man, and needs to be reminded of who and whose they are, and what they use to be, but now is no more [Col 1:21-23,3:7-10;Gal 4:8-11; Eph 5:1-11].

So, while it is true that “faith without works is dead,” genuine faith should produce good works in the kingdom of God. Yet, God recognizes that this is not true in people who say they have faith, and in reality are still unregenerated, have not been born again. This is also true for carnal Christians, babes in Christ, immature Christian, who have not and do not study, and have not grown “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

The Bible also shows that just as saving faith for salvation cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” for salvation [Rom 10:14-17;Acts 11:14-18,15:7-12]. Likewise, our good works in the kingdom of God is in proportion to our faith and spiritual growth [CF, Heb 5:5-14,6:1-3], which can be hindered.

For the Bible tells us, in Ephesians 6:12 that we who are truly saved, “wrestle...against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places....” And that Satan hinders our works, spiritual growth and maturity [1 Thess 2:18;Rom 15:22; Gal 5:5; Matt 16:21-23; Luke 22:31]. This is all apart of God’s, purpose, plan and program for man. For example, the epistles, for the most part, are concerned with the edification of believers for spiritual growth and steadfastness in the faith.

So when James says, “faith without works is dead,” the Holy Spirit is telling us what is our reasonable service. And at the same time, the Holy Spirit recognizes that the spirit is willing, but the flesh [a carnal Christian, walking as if he or she is still in the flesh] is weak.

How is God looking out for us, protecting us, what is His providential care for sinners and for saints?

Ans. For the unsaved people of the world (sinners, non-followers of Jesus Christ in faith and practices], God is being merciful. He is withholding execution of their sentence of death, for their sin of “unbelief” in His Son Jesus Christ, whom He commands the whole world to believe, to be saved from His wrath, surely to come [Acts 17:30-31; 2 Peter 3:15]. God’s grace for our salvation [His willingness to forgive us and to save us, if we have faith in Jesus Christ, as Savior and Lord], is not under the control of the devil [Matt 16:18;John 12:30-32,16:7-11; 1 Cor 1:21]. God will save anyone, anywhere who places his or her complete faith and trust in the name of Jesus Christ [Who He is and what He has done for us: He is the Son of God who died for each of us]. For the saints, baptized believers in Jesus Christ, and set apart by God’s Holy Spirit, they have already been granted the right to be “adopted into God’s family” [Eph 1:5;Gal 4:5;John 1:12;Rom 8:14-17]. This is the doctrine of “The Fatherhood of God.” This was His original purpose, plan and provisions for creation. All truly “born again Christian believers” are the responsibility of God. This is so, even if you don’t know it! But, read these Scriptures and find out for yourself [Col 1:12-14;John 5:24; Phil 1:6,2:12-14;1 Cor 10:13;1 John 1:9;Heb 4:16;Rev 3:20,2:11,20:6;1 John 5:13].

Q: Where can I find the Biblical references to support these STATEMENTS OF FAITH, of BASIC CHRISTIANITY?

We believe the Bible to be the inspired and only infallible written Word of God (Titus 1:2-3;Heb 2:3;John 20:31). We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in Three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:22-24,32,33;John 16:7-15). We believe in the blessed Hope, which is ETERNAL LIFE, by the death of Jesus Christ; sanctification of the Holy Spirit and Man’s belief of the truth [the Gospel] (John 11:25,14:6;Rom 6:23;2 Thess 2:13-15). We believe that the only means of being purged from sin is through saving faith in the penal, substitutionary and atoning [satisfying] death of Jesus Christ for sin, once for all for all times (Acts 15:9;John 7:39;Rom 5:6-11;Heb 9:26-28). We believe that regeneration [being born again] by the Holy Ghost is necessary for salvation (John 3:3-5;Gal 3:2,5,14). We believe that the redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides not only spiritual healing, but also, healing for the human body as a gift, and in answer to the believer’s prayer (John 14:12-14,15:7;1 Peter 2:24;1 Cor 12:28-30;James 5:13-15).

Ans: The answers are found in the New Testament texts, in parenthesis.

Q: What is there in the Christian Bible to rejoice about, that is not found in any other religion?

Ans. The Bible gives us “eternal life,” now, as a gift from God! You do not have to work for it, it cannot be earned, nor is it based on your good deeds, devotions or merits: “For by grace are ye saved through faith” [John 3:16;Eph 1:3-7;2:8]. Jesus told His disciples to“rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” [Luke 10:20], permanently recorded in the Book of life, for eternal life, because Jesus had chose them by a special act of God’s grace [Luke 6:13,10:20;CF; John 6:70,13:10,15:3-11,17:12;Titus 3:5-7]. All who believe on Jesus through their message, in the New Testament Bible [John 17:20,20:31;Acts 19:2;Gal 3:2,5], will also have their names permanently recorded in heaven, the moment we truly believe, never to be blotted out [John 5:24,6:40,47]. The Book of Life with the name of all the saints of all ages, who has eternal life, is confirmed by the Bible [Ex 32:32;Ps 69:28;Phil 4:3;Rev 13-8,17:8]. Your unerasable name is a free gift of God, received through faith in Jesus, before you die[2 Thess 2:13-15;1 Peter 1:18-21; 1Cor 15:3-5]. Why some religions, denominations and churches still teach that works, good deeds, ritual observances, exercise of gifts etc are necessary for salvation, is beyond comprehension.

Nevertheless, only the names of true Christians will be found in the Book of Life at the great White Throne Judgment [Rev 13:8,17:8;20:6]...And whosoever was not found in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire [Rev 20:14-15]. They are still in the flesh, accursed and cut off from Christ [CF Rom 9:3;John 8:24;Eph 2:1-3,11-13,8-10, who rejected the Christian Gospel [2 Thess 1:7-10]..

Jesus reveals the Father to mankind, AS A GIFT TO HUMANITY, in the Church age, not angels nor any other Christ or God can reveal him [Luke 10:21-25;1 Pet 1:10;1 Cor 2:7-8; John 1 Gal 1:8-9;Tit 1:2-3]. It’s our choice to accept or to reject Jesus and His claims [to disobey/disbelieve God concerning His Son Jesus the Christ], but not without a penalty! [Luke 10:21-25;1 Peter 1:10; John 3:12,36,5:25-29;2 Thess 1:8-9]. “The wages of sin is death; but [since Jesus’ death burial and resurrection from the dead] the free gift of God is eternal life...now...through [faith in] Jesus Christ our Lord” [Rom 6:23; CF, Ex 32:33; Gal 1:4; John 10:10-11]. The gift is always available to an individual, so long as he or she lives. But once they die, its too late.