Have you ever said those words, or had them said to you? Sure you have! Even if you've never said or heard those exact words, the concept has always been there.
Think back to when you were in school. Every test you took, every math problem you solved, you had to prove that you knew the material.
Even in our social life, the need to prove things exists. Have you ever come back from a trip where you had to show pictures of what you did in order for someone to believe you? We, as a human race, are always proving things through the use of evidence. But what evidence do we use? Well, that really depends on what we're trying to prove, doesn't it?
For instance, if you are proving you know material that you learned in school, you take a test. Unbelievable summer vacation....pictures. Pharmaceutical companies use lab trials to prove that their product works. Automobile companies perform crash tests to prove their cars are safe. You get the idea.
I was fortunate this past weekend to attend a seminar on Creation vs. Evolution with speaker Brad Harrub. It was eye opening to say the least! Don't get me wrong, I've never bought into the THEORY of evolution, but to see all of the ways that it is FORCED upon us was astounding.
See, the problem with the evolution THEORY is that it's just that, a theory. There isn't really any evidence that backs up the claims. I could go on, but I'll save that for another post.
Christian beliefs are being attacked on a daily basis from many different avenues. Atheists deny the very existence of God. Homosexuals deny that their lifestyle is a choice. Abortion supporters, well...we don't have time in this post for that topic.
Aside from those, there is a church on every street corner now days that will tell you something different from the other. So how do we know what's right?
Let's look at what it takes to become a Christian. For this, let's use the widely accepted "5 Steps".
First, you have to HEAR. Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." I dare say that anyone reading this would argue that you can't believe something you haven't heard.
Second, you have to Believe.
John 8:24 - "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins."
You could also go to Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewader of those who diligently seek Him."
So once you've heard the word, you must believe.
Third, there must be REPENTANCE. To repent simply means to turn away from something. The something here is sin. Turning from sin is to stop sinning.
Luke 13:3 - "I tell you nay, but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish."
After you have heard the word, believed the word, and repented of your sin, you must CONFESS.
Romans 10:10 - "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
We must confess that Christ is the son of the living God, acknowledging the sacrifice that he made for us on the cross.
The last necessary step to gain salvation, is BAPTISM. This is where many people disagree.
Romans 6:4 - "Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dea by the gloy of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
Acts 2:38 - "Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins."
Peter didn't tell the people on the day of pentecost, "repent for the remission of sins and be baptized later", he said "repent AND (emphasis mine) be baptized", indicating that both repentance and baptism were necessary.
But if that's not enough proof, try 1 Peter 3:21 - "The like figure whereunto
even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth
of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ:"
After obtaining salvation through baptism, there is also a requirement to LIVE FAITHFULLY as stated in Revelation 2:10 - "...be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life"
So that's the path to salvation, and the proof using God's word. If you have any questions or you disagree, please contact me either through a comment or an email and I'll be happy to discuss it with you.
Until next time...
