Category: Gospel

What is saving faith?

WHAT IS SAVING FAITH?

“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’ ” John 4:10

When studying the gospel of John, we discover that saving faith consists of three components:

1. Knowing the gift of God and the Giver of that gift. I cannot receive a gift until I know about that gift and the giver of that gift. This is why Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” (John 4:10). Before she could ask for the gift of God from the Giver of that gift, she needed to know what the gift was and the identity of the Giver. What is it that the apostle John wants a lost person to know about the gift of God?

a. The gift of God is eternal life (4:14a). 

b. Eternal life is knowing God personally forever through Jesus Christ (17:3). 

c. Eternal life cannot be lost because the believer can never thirst again for it (4:14b). How is this possible? When a person believes in Jesus, He digs a well in the human heart that continuously meets the needs of the one who drinks from it. But Jacob’s well was in the earth and the drinker of it must return again and again (4:12). Men dig wells in the earth, only Jesus Christ can dig a well in the human heart so that it gushes up into everlasting life. Jesus’ well never runs dry. 

What is it that the apostle John wants a lost person to know about the Giver of the gift of God?

a. He is Jesus Christ (4:16-26). 

b. He is fully God (John 1:1, 34, 49; 5:16-47; 6:69; 8:57-59; 11:27; 20:28)

c. He is fully man (John 1:14; 4:6; 11:35; 12:27; 19:28) 

d. His death and resurrection (John 2:19, 22; 3:14-15; 12:23-24, 27-33; 10:11, 17; 19:1-21:25). Jesus’ death and resurrection are called the gospel in I Corinthians 15:1-8. His death and resurrection make it possible for Him to offer eternal life as a free gift. 

2. A conviction about Christ’s Person and Work. The information received about Jesus must be accepted as true. “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world’” (John 11:25-27). Martha believed – she was convinced Jesus was speaking the truth. The most basic meaning of the Greek words translated “believe” (pisteuō) and “faith” (pistis) is “to accept something as being true” or “to be convinced of something.”  

Many people have heard of Jesus’ death and resurrection, but they are not convinced that they really happened.

3. Trusting in Jesus alone for everlasting life. The two Greek words translated “believe”and “faith” include the idea of “trust.” The gospel of John emphasizes this often by placing a preposition after the word “believe.” For example: 

Whoever believes “in” Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

He who believes “in” the Son has everlasting life. John 3:36 

Everyone who sees the Son and believes “in” Him may have everlasting life. John 6:40

He who believes “in” Me has everlasting life. John 6:47 

Whoever lives and believes “in” Me shall never die. John 11:26  

When an unsaved person understands that Christ died for his sins and rose from the dead and even accepts it as being true, yet still trusts in his good works to get him to Heaven, his faith is not saving. Saving faith understands that Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead, is convinced that this is true, and personally chooses to believe or trust in Christ alone for the free gift of eternal life.

For example, I remember a woman, named, Michelle, in our church plant in Des Moines, Iowa, having her car break down during the summer on her way to work. It looked like she would be late for work. But then along came a lady from Missouri who offered her a ride. What did Michelle do? She was convinced this woman could get her to work, so she trusted that woman, a person, to get her to work. When Michelle offered to pay her, she refused to take her money. Michelle’s trip to work was free. 

Likewise, God is asking us to trust a Person – His Son, Jesus Christ – to give us a free ride to heaven. It’s free to you and me, but it cost God the life of His Son. That’s what believe means. When you trust Jesus as your only way to heaven, you are telling God you are depending on His Son as your only hope of heaven.

John’s gospel demands a response to Jesus Christ. Will I trust Christ alone to get me to heaven or will I reject Him and spend eternity separated from God? To reject Christ is to turn from God Himself, the Creator of the world. To deny Christ is to continue in spiritual darkness and death. Only Jesus offers everlasting hope.

Do you have a personal relationship with the Creator God… the only One who guarantees eternal life to those who believe in Him? If not, why not begin a never-ending relationship with Him today? Simply take Christ at His Word when He says in John 5:24: “Most assuredly I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me, has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” What does Jesus say you must do to obtain eternal life? “Hear …Believe.” Hear His promise of eternal life and believe Him to give it to you. You will never regret doing this.   

What is “Easy Believism”?

The expression “easy believism” is used by Lordship Salvation teachers (e.g. John McArthur, R.C. Sproul, Greg Laurie, etc.) to mean that more than believing in Christ for everlasting life is necessary. Lordship Salvation proponents insist that turning from sins, commitment, obedience, and perseverance in good works must accompany belief in Christ in order to obtain eternal life. If this is true, why would the Gospel of John, the only book of the Bible whose express purpose is to tell non-Christians how to obtain eternal life (John 20:31), repeatedly say that believing in Christ is the only condition necessary for receiving the gift of eternal life (e.g. 3:15-18, 36; 4:10-14; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 7:38; 11:25-27; 20:30-31)? Are Lordship Salvation advocates saying that God was making it too easy for people to get saved by emphasizing the word “believe” as the only condition for eternal life? 

Is the phrase “easy believism” even logical? The opposite of “easy believism” would be “hard” or “difficult believism”. How hard or difficult must believing be to be genuine or saving? How hard of a life must one have to avoid “easy believism”? 

Is the label “easy believism” even true? Is it easy to believe the contents of the Gospel? We are asking an unsaved person to believe in a man they have never seen before who lived two thousand years ago and claimed to be fully God and fully man. The written records we have about Him were preserved by His followers. There are no living eyewitnesses today who can attest to the accuracy of His claims. Is it easy to believe in an unseen Savior for the forgiveness of all your sins and the gift of eternal life on the basis of what He has done for you (His death and resurrection) and not what you have done for Him? On top of that, this is to be done in Satan’s world where all the forces of darkness are resisting the necessary change in the non-Christian’s mind (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4). There is nothing easy about believing this especially when you consider that human nature tends to rely on one’s own efforts instead of the efforts of another person.

If believing in Christ for eternal life is easy, then why do the majority of people depend on something or someone else to take them to Heaven? Why do so many depend on believing in Jesus plus their water baptism, their good life, or turning from all their sins? Man by nature is very self-reliant. That is, man has a propensity to rely on his own efforts in order to gain acceptance before God.

Lot would be a likely candidate for the label of “easy believism.” Although Lot chose the easy path of living in the plain of Sodom and had little godly influence there, yet Peter says he was righteous before God (2 Peter 2:7-8)! While none of us would say a believer is to live a carnal life as Lot did, nor should we say a non-Christian must avoid that kind of life in order to be saved because that would contradict what the Bible says is necessary to get to Heaven (John 3:15-16, 36; 6:40; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9)! We tell the non-Christian to trust in Christ alone for His gift of eternal life. After he comes to Christ in faith, then we instruct him to live a holy life in order to glorify God now and earn eternal rewards in eternity (Matthew 5:16; Colossians 3:23-24).

How do I share the gospel with someone who compares his own righteousness with those who seem worse?

“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other.” Luke 18:14

Jesus told a parable about a proud “Pharisee” who trusted in his own righteousness and a humble “tax collector” who recognized his own lack of merit and trusted in God’s mercy to justify or declare him righteous before the Lord (18:9-14). Christ said both men “went up to the temple to pray” (18:10). The Pharisee prayed, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess” (18:11-12). He was comparing his own righteousness with that of other people to justify himself before God. But Jesus said the tax collector, “standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner’” (18:13). Christ concluded, “I tell you, this man [the tax collector] went down to his house justified rather than the other” (18:14).

Before a person can be declared righteous before God through faith alone in Christ alone, he or she must realize, like the tax collector did, that they are a guilty sinner before God who needs God’s mercy to save them. But like the Pharisee, many non-Christians compare their own righteousness with those who, in their opinion, live worse than they do. They conclude, “I am not as bad as him or her. I have not murdered anyone nor committed adultery.” 

But God is not asking them to compare themselves with other people. He is asking them to compare themselves with His own standard of righteousness, which is found in His perfect Son, Jesus Christ (cf. Matt. 5:17-18; John 316; Rom. 3:23; 2 Cor. 5:21; I Pet. 3:18). Even though Jesus was like you and me in His humanity (He got hungry and thirsty, and even had feelings), He never sinned because He was fully God (John 1:1, 14; Heb. 4:15). And when we compare ourselves to Him, we fall short in every area of life. Jesus never told a lie, but we often twist the truth to make ourselves look good. Jesus never stole from anyone, but we can steal peoples’ reputations by gossiping about them. Jesus never had a wrong thought, but we can have several lustful or hateful thoughts within seconds. Christ never uttered a harsh word, but we can quickly lose our patience and curse God or other people when we do not get our way. Jesus was God’s only perfect Son (John 3:16; Heb. 4:15). And none of measure up to His perfect standard of righteousness.

When we share the gospel with non-Christians, we must remind them to compare their own righteousness with God’s, like the tax collector did. This will reveal to them that they have sinned against God and fall short of His perfection (Rom. 3:23), so they can see their need to believe or trust in Christ alone whose perfect sacrifice for their sins on the cross and resurrection paid the penalty for their sins in full (John 3:16; 19:30; I Cor. 15:1-8). Then God can declare them totally righteous before God and accept them into His family on the basis of their faith alone in Christ alone (John 1:12; Rom. 4:5). 

What did Jesus means when He said, “It is finished”?

“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” John 19:30

When Jesus was hanging on the cross to pay the penalty for the sin of the world, He triumphantly said, “It is finished!” What did He mean when He said this? The Greek word that is translated “finished” is tetelestai. Receipts in New Testament times were stamped with this word which meant that the debt had been paid in full.

All people have sinned against God with their thoughts, words and actions (Rom. 3:23) and deserve to be separated from Him forever (Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:15). But God so loved the world that He gave His only perfect Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment for our sin when He was crucified in our place on the cross (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8) and rose from the dead, proving He is God and had finished the work of paying our sin debt in full (Rom. 1:3-4; I Cor. 15:1-8; I John 2:2).

No amount of our good works can change the fact that we are sinners before a holy God (Isaiah 64:6; Rom. 3:1-20, 23; 4:5; Gal. 2:16). Christ did not make a down payment for our sin when He died on the cross so that we must pay the remainder of our sin debt to God. God does not accept us on the basis of our good life, our keeping of His commandments, our water baptism, or the sacraments we have taken. We are accepted by God on the basis of the full payment for our sin debt to God when Jesus Christ died and rose again on our behalf. God was completely and forever satisfied with Jesus’ full payment for our sin. The verb tetelestai is in the perfect tense. This means Christ made the full payment for our sin debt when He died on the cross and it remains paid in full to the present.

When we communicate the gospel with non-Christians, we must be clear that all people have sinned against God and deserve to die forever in the Lake of Fire (Rom. 3:23; 6:23; Rev. 20:15). No amount of our good thoughts, words, or actions can change the fact that we are sinners before a holy God (Isaiah 64:6). Because Jesus finished paying the penalty for our sins when He died in our place, that means we do not have to work for our salvation (Rom. 4:5; Eph. 2:8-9). All God asks of us is to believe in Jesus and His finished work on the cross as sufficient payment for our sins (John 3:14-15; 19:30). When we do, He gives us everlasting life and forgives all of our sins (John 3:16; Acts 10:43).

Those who are trusting in their good works or in Christ plus their good works to get them to heaven, are telling God the Father that Jesus’ death on the cross failed to pay their sin debt in full. However, since God was forever satisfied with His perfect Son’s payment for the sin of the world (Isaiah 53:11; John 19:30; I John 2:2), we must also be satisfied with what satisfies God. God cannot accept anything we do as payment for our sins because He has already accepted His Son’s payment for all of our sins when He died in our place on the cross.

We can reflect this truth in evangelism by inviting non-Christians to believe or trust in Christ alone, not their good works, to give them a right standing before God (Rom. 4:5; Gal. 2:16) and everlasting life (John 3:15-16; 6:40, 47; 11:25-26) so they will go to heaven when they die.

How do I share the Gospel with those who focus on “hypocritical Christians”?

When sharing the gospel with non-Christians, we may encounter those who focus on the hypocrisy of Christians as a reason not to hear or believe the gospel. They may claim to know Christians whose lives are no different than non-Christians or even worse. Perhaps you have met someone who was quick to point out that televangelists preach God’s Word on TV but fail to live it out in their personal lives. Some non-Christians have referred to people who have done horrendous things in the name of Christ such as the Spanish Inquisition and The Crusaders. Even Adolph Hitler claimed to serve God by persecuting the Jewish people because they had crucified Christ. An unbeliever may say, “I want nothing to do with Christianity because I see too many Christians who are some of the most angry, greedy, immoral, and selfish people I have ever known!”

How do we respond to non-Christians whose focus is on the hypocrisy of Christians? There are several things to consider:

1. Explain to them that not all people are Christians who say they are Christians. The Bible emphasizes that eternal life is a free gift (John 4:10-14; Rom. 6:23; Ephes. 2:8-9). A person does not receive eternal life by living a good life, keeping God’s commandments, going to church, praying every day, or being baptized with water. The Bible tells us that a person must come to God as a sinner (Rom. 3:23), realizing that Christ died for all his sins and rose from the dead (I Cor. 15:3-6), and then believe or trust in Christ alone for His gift of everlasting life (John 3:36; 6:40, 47; I Cor 15:3-6). The moment a person trusts in Christ alone to give them everlasting life, God not only gives him or her the free gift He paid for when He died on the cross – eternal life – He also comes to live inside of that person through His Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:11; Gal. 2:20; 3:2) to give them the power to live a life that pleases Him.

Many people who claim to be Christians do not understand this simple gospel message. Instead of trusting in Christ alone to get them to heaven, they are trusting in their good works or in Christ plus their good works to get them to heaven, and therefore, they do not have God’s power in them to live a life that pleases Him. Many non-Christians use their religion to try to cover up their sins. So it is important that the non-Christian understands that not all people who say they are Christians have God’s power in them to live a different life because they are not trusting in Christ alone to save them and give them everlasting life. Instead, they are depending on their good works or religious efforts to get them to heaven, instead of on Christ and His finished work on the cross alone. 

2. Inform them that Christians are also imperfect sinners who do not always live the way God wants them to live. The Bible tells us that when a person believes or trusts in Christ alone for everlasting life, he becomes a child of God forever. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). Just as children can disobey a father and lose their closeness with him, so God’s children can disobey Him and lose their closeness with God. And as an earthly father’s children remain his children no matter how they behave, so God’s children remain His children no matter what they do after they trust in Christ alone for their salvation (cf. 2 Tim. 2:13). But God is not pleased with them and He will lovingly discipline them if they continue in disobedience (Heb. 12:5-11).

It is unfortunate that the disobedience of God’s children can discourage non-Christians from wanting to learn more about Jesus Christ. Ask the non-Christian not to permit the ungodly lifestyles of Christians keep them from receiving the greatest message ever offered to humanity! It is essential that the non-Christian distinguish between the lifestyle of a Christian and the message of Christ.

3. Ask the non-Christian if there are any Christians they respect for the way they live. Most non-Christians know of believers in Christ who try to live consistent Christian lives, but they tend to focus on the few believers they know who live hypocritical lives. Like all of us, non-Christians can be inconsistent in their thinking. 

4. Confront the non-Christian with Christ’s invitation to believe or trust in Him alone on the basis of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, not the lifestyles of Christians. Christ is not inviting non-Christians to trust in Him alone for salvation on the basis of how Christians live or do not live their lives. Christians cannot save lost sinners from hell no matter how much they live for Christ. Only Christ can save sinners from hell because only He has paid the full penalty for the sins of the world through His death and resurrection (John 19:30; Rom. 5:8; I Corinthians 15:3-6). 

When Jesus was talking to a religious leader, named Nicodemus, who thought the way to heaven was by living a good life, Jesus confronted Nicodemus with his need to be born of God’s Spirit by believing in Christ alone for His gift of everlasting life (John 3:1-16). Christ referred to Numbers 21:8 where God instructed Moses to lift up a bronze serpent so that all who were bitten by poisonous snakes and dying, could “look” at the serpent and “live” physically. Jesus explained their “look”as simply believing in Him:

“14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). 

Just as the dying Israelites had to look at the bronze serpent lifted up on a pole, so all people who are dying in their sins must look in faith to Jesus Christ who was lifted up on a cross to die for their sins. Christ did not say to look at how Christians live so they can believe in Jesus. No, He says to look at the “Son of Man,” Jesus Christ, who was “lifted up”on the cross for them so they can believe in Him for the gift He paid for when He died in their place.  

The most important issue for the non-Christian to consider is not what Christians have done, but what Christ has done for them when He died on the cross and rose from the dead! Encourage the non-Christian not to let the Christians who disappoint them keep them from believing or trusting in Christ alone who will not disappoint them!

(Adapted from Larry Moyer’s, 1999 Dear God I’m Ticked Off, pp. 110-117). 

Is God ever Unfair?

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

When we face difficult times, we may doubt that God loves us. We may feel like He has abandoned us. We may accuse God of being unfair when He allows us to suffer. But please understand there was a time when God was unfair. It is when He sent His innocent Son to die in the place of guilty sinners. The Bible says,“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21).

The perfect Son of God was punished on the cross instead of guilty sinners. Was that fair to Jesus!?! Of course not. But thank God for His love and grace which sent His perfect Son to pay the debt for our sins that we could never pay – “the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (I Peter 3:18).

After all, the Bible tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). All people have sinned against God and deserve to be punished for their sins forever in the Lake of Fire (Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:15). But God loved us so much, He sent His perfect Son who never sinned to die in our place for our sins and then rise from the dead, proving that He is God (John 3:16; Romans 1:3-4; I Corinthians 15:3-6).

If you have never understood this before, God now invites you to “believe” or trust in Jesus alone to be made right with our holy God. “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5). The moment “ungodly” people believe in the innocent Son of God who died in their place for all their sins and rose from the dead, God declares them “righteous” before Him so He can accept them into His family forever! Believe in Jesus for His gift of eternal life and He will save you from hell forever and give you life that never ends (cf. John 11:25-26; Acts 16:31).

When you believe in Jesus, He comes to live inside of you through His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11; Galatians 2:20). You can thank Him for saving you from hell forever by living for Him now: “and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:15).

Must I keep the Sabbath to go to Heaven?

When the apostle Paul traveled to Troas, the disciples there met “on the first day of the week…to break bread” i.e. observe the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7). This is the first reference in the New Testament to Christians meeting on Sunday instead of the Sabbath or Saturday for worship. They chose to meet on Sundays because this was the day of the week on which the Lord Jesus rose from the dead (cf. John 20:1, 19; I Corinthians 16:2; Revelation 1:10). 

However, there are some religious groups (e.g. Seventh Day Adventists, Seventh Day Baptists, etc.) who insist that Christians must meet on Saturdays to obey God’s command to keep the Sabbath (cf. Exodus 20:8-11; 31:16). Some groups go so far as to teach that you must keep the Sabbath to go to heaven. The apostle Paul addresses those who teach such things in the book of Galatians where certain Jewish teachers were pressuring the Galatian believers to go back under the Law to be justified or saved. 

Paul was astonished that the Galatian Christians were “turning away so soon” just months after he had preached the gospel of Christ’s grace to them “to a different gospel” which taught you had to keep the Law to get to Heaven (1:6-7; 2:3-4, 11-16; 3:2-3, 5, 10-13, 21; 4:10, 21; 5:1b-3, 6, 11; 6:12-13, 15). Hence, the good news of justification by faith alone in Christ alone (2:16) had now been distorted by false teachers so that it had become bad news. Instead of relying on the finished work of Christ on the cross as the only means of salvation, these false teachers said you also had to be circumcised (2:6-9; 5:1-6) and observe both Jewish dietary laws (2:11-21) and Jewish sacred days (including the Sabbath) and festivals (4:8-11). 

Paul warned his readers that if he and the other apostles (“we”) or “an angel from heaven” preached a different gospel than what Paul preached to them, he is to be “accursed” or under God’s displeasure (1:8-9). Paul used the words “believe” and “faith” fifteen times when referring to justification before God (2:16; 3:2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 22, 24, 26) in the book of Galatians. He used no other words as a condition for justification. He warned the Galatians not to support or join those who do not preach a “believe/faith alone” Gospel (1:6- 9; 4:12, 21-30; 5:1-12; 6:17). It does not matter how kind or helpful a person is who teaches a different gospel. They are “accursed” by God if they preach a different way to heaven other than faith alone in Christ alone. 

Those who teach that you must keep the Sabbath to be saved have been “bewitched” or cast under a spell (Galatians 3:1) into thinking that their obedience to the Law will justify them before a holy God. They have rejected the sufficiency of Jesus’ finished work on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead (John 19:30; I Corinthians 15:3-6; Hebrews 10:1-18). Instead of teaching you must rely on the finished work of Jesus alone to get to heaven, they are teaching you must rely on Christ plus your obedience to the Law. They are telling God the Father that His Son’s death was disappointing. In their words, Jesus only paid for some of their sins, and now they must pay for the rest of their sins by keeping the Sabbath. 

Sabbath keepers fail to realize that the Bible requires them to keep all of the Law, not just the Sabbath Law to be justified by works. The Bible says, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). It is not enough to keep the Sabbath Law, you must keep the entire Law if you are to be justified before God through the Law. And the Bible says that is not going to happen because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23; cf. 2:13-3:20).

Sabbath keepers fail to realize that the Sabbath Law was uniquely given to the nation of Israel to distinguish them from other nations (cf. Exodus 31:13-17; Deuteronomy 5:15; Ezekiel 20:12-13). The church today is no longer under the Mosaic Law which required Sabbath keeping as a sign between Israel and God (Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:13), but is now under the New Covenant (cf. Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 7:5-6; 10:4; Galatians 3:22-25; 4:21-31) which was inaugurated by the death of Jesus Christ (cf. Hebrews 8:8-13; 9:11-10:18).

As a result of the New Covenant, the church no longer observes the ceremonial laws such as circumcision and Sabbath keeping (Acts 15:1-29; Galatians 6:15; Colossians 2:16-17). God and His Word are unchanging, but some of His commands relate only to certain people or a certain time. While God’s moral law never changes, Christians are not subject to the ceremonial law of the Old Testament (Mark 7:14-19; Acts 11:5-9; 15:1-29). Although Jesus, Paul, and James affirmed the moral law of the Old Testament; they referred to some of the Ten Commandments as eternal moral standards, but they did not mention the Sabbath law in these references (Matthew 5:21-30; Mark 10:19; Romans 2:22-24; 13:8-10; James 2:10-11). In fact, Jesus never promises to give eternal life to those who keep the Sabbath. He only gives eternal life to those who believe in Him (cf. John 3:15-16; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 11:25-26). 

God used the ceremonial law – including blood sacrifices, dietary laws, circumcision, Sabbaths, and feasts as shadows of truth to be found in Christ and His gospel. Since we now have the substance or reality of Christ, we no longer need to observe the types and shadows. “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17). When Christ came, He explained that the Mosaic Law was no longer binding (cf. Mark 7:18-19; Luke 16:16; John 1:17) as did the apostles (cf. Acts 10:12-15; Romans 7:6; 10:4; 2 Corinthians 3:6-17; Galatians 3:19-25; 4:9-11; 5:1; Hebrews 7:12; 8:1-10:17). The emphasis on keeping the Sabbath really amounts to a failure to appreciate Christ and what He has done to secure our eternal salvation! It also leads to bondage instead of freedom from the Law (Romans 7:6; Galatians 4:9-31; 5:1).

How to reach self-reliant people with the Gospel

“Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.’ ” Mark 10:21

After Jesus taught that childlike faith was necessary to enter the kingdom of God (10:15), He encountered a rich religious man who lacked this childlike faith because he trusted his riches instead of Jesus for his kingdom entrance (10:17-24). This man thought he was good enough to enter heaven. What he failed to understand was that only God was that good. If Jesus truly is “good,” (10:17), then He must be God because “no one is good but One, that is, God” (10:18).

Christ sought to show this rich man his need to trust in God (Jesus) who alone is good by using the Law (10:19; cf. Rom. 3:20), but the man proudly said he kept “all these” commandments “from” his “youth” (10:20). He thought he was good enough to earn his way to heaven. Even though this man arrogantly thought his own righteousness was great enough to get him into heaven, we are told that “Jesus…loved him” (10:21a). Christ’s love is not turned away by stubborn arrogance!

Jesus then sought to show this rich man the “one thing” he truly lacked – childlike faith in Christ (10:15) – by confronting him with the call to discipleship – “Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me” (10:21). But because the rich man trusted his riches (10:24), “he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (10:22). This wealthy man loved himself and his possessions more than his neighbor.

Jesus explained to His disciples that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a [sowing] needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (10:25). From a human perspective, this rich man was too big of a camel, too proud to ever become “small” enough to pass through the needle’s eye with a childlike act of faith. Instead of being ready to put child-like faith in Christ alone to save him from his sins (10:15), this rich man was confident of his own morality and goodness. 

But Christ assures His disciples (and us), that “with God all things are possible” (10:27). Just as no man could ever push a big gamely camel through the eye of a sewing needle, so no amount of human persuasion could ever bring a self-reliant, rich man to trust in Christ alone for the gift of salvation. But God could do it. Salvation is a miracle. It’s not only a miracle that rich people get saved, but that anyone can get saved. Jesus had skillfully used the call to discipleship to reveal to the rich man that he was not as good as he once thought. Perhaps the rich man would come to grips with his own inability to save himself and see his need to trust in Jesus alone for His gift of everlasting life (10:15; cf. John 3:15-16, 36). 

Maybe you know someone who is very wealthy and self-reliant and has no interest in spiritual things. Don’t give up. Trust God to prepare that person’s heart to place his childlike faith in Jesus alone to save him from his sins.

And if you are a person who is wealthy and self-reliant, I believe Jesus would look you in the eye and say to you, “Don’t you understand? I have done the tough part. I did the suffering. I died on the cross for your sins and rose from the dead. Now all you have to do is open up your arms and receive this free gift of eternal life with childlike faith in Me.”  And I think He might also say, “I know that is hard for proud people to do. I know it’s hard for successful people to do, people who have relied on themselves their whole life. I know it is difficult. But take courage and do the right thing and open up your arms and receive this free gift.” And when you do, Christ will give you His free gift of everlasting life which can never be lost (John 3:16; 10:28-29). 

Why is being a Nice Person not enough to get you to Heaven?

I have met many nice people in my lifetime. In fact, they put me to shame with their kindness toward others. Instead of being selfish or judgmental, they are quick to help others regardless of their beliefs. Basically they live by the Golden Rule that Jesus taught – “Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them” (Matt. 7:12). Many of the world’s religions advocate this teaching. But is being a nice person enough to get you to heaven?

God has told us in His Bible that all people have a fundamental problem that separates them from Him. It is called sin.

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

No human being is “nice” enough to get to heaven because we all have sinned against God and fall short of His standard for being “nice.” 

“For the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23a

“Death” in the Bible means separation from God. Sin separates us from God because He is holy, righteous, and perfect. He cannot be around sin. The only way to approach God is on His terms, not ours. 

God tells us that there is only one way to receive eternal life (access to heaven) and that is “in” Jesus Christ. 

“But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23b

Notice that eternal life is not in being nice or good. It is “in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God loved you and me so much that He was willing to come to earth in human flesh (John 1:1, 14-17) and die on the Cross for our sins and come back to life (I Corinthians 15:3-6) so we could have everlasting life simply by believing in Him (John 3:16).

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

No amount of being nice can take away our sins. 

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Isaiah 64:6

God looks at the good things we do, such as being nice or good to others, and sees that it is like “filthy rags.” The good things we do are all stained with sin before a holy God. For example, we may be nice to someone with selfish motives such as wanting their approval or wanting something in return from them. God sees our sinful motives even though we or others may not be aware of them.

Being “nice” cannot take away our sins. Only Jesus Christ is qualified as the God-Man to take away our sins (John 1:1, 14-17, 29; 14:6; Acts 4:12; I Timothy 2:3-6). Only Jesus was “nice” or good enough to earn heaven. Believe in Him and God will credit Jesus’ righteousness to your life so He can welcome you into His heaven.

“But to him who does not work, but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.” Romans 4:5

Then Jesus will come to live inside of you (Galatians 2:20) through His Holy Spirit (John14:16-17; Romans 8:9) to give you the power to be nice to others as you learn to trust and obey Him (John 15:5; Galatians 5:22-23). 

Look and Live

“So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.” Numbers 21:9

As the people of Israel were on their way to the Promised Land, they complained against God and Moses because they were dissatisfied with the manna He sent them to eat (21:4-5). To discipline them, God sent poisonous snakes among the people, resulting in many physical deaths (21:6). Moses then prayed to the Lord (21:7) and God told Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten when he looks at it, shall live” (21:8). This invitation to look at the bronze serpent was given to “everyone.” How did the people respond? We then read, “So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived” (21:9). One look of faith at this bronze serpent delivered the bitten person from physical death.

Jesus refers to this passage when He talked with Nicodemus (John 3:14). In a similar fashion, all of humanity has been struck down by sin (Rom. 3:23). Sin has sunk its fangs into our spiritual souls and the venom has made its way to our hearts and we are dying in our sins. But God saw our hopelessness and lifted up His Son on the cross to die for our sins (Rom. 5:8). To be born again and experience eternal life, Nicodemus needed simply to “look and live,” just as in Numbers 21 a bitten person had to “look and live.” Jesus explained their “look” as simply believing in Him:

“14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). 

Just as the dying Israelites had to look at the bronze serpent lifted up on a pole, so all people who are dying in their sins must look in faith to Jesus who was lifted up on a cross to die for their sins. To Nicodemus, the admonition to look and live would have been both personal and effective. Having fasted, prayed, faithfully attended the synagogue, observed the feasts, and honored the Sabbaths, he was tempted to look at what he had done to give a him a right standing with God. Instead, now he discovered he must simply look to Christ alone for eternal life. He must believe in Him.

Have you been born again by believing in Jesus for His gift of eternal life? It doesn’t matter if you are a child who is nine or an adult who is ninety. It matters not if you are a morally good person or if you have spent more time inside a jail than outside, you must believe or trust in Christ alone to save you. Perhaps you can identify with Nicodemus – you have always believed the way to heaven was by living a good life or by believing in Christ plus something else. But now you understand you were mistaken, and you want to trust Christ alone as your only way to heaven. Again, the promise is “Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (3:15).  “Look” to Jesus alone in faith and you will “live” forever with Him in heaven when you die.