BE NOT DECEIVED - PART TWO (ABOUT SALVATION)

Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama)

April 14, 2017

Be Not Deceived About Salvation!

The biggest deception about salvation today is the false belief that salvation is earned by works and kept and maintained by works. There are millions of people who are deceived into believing they can gain salvation by the works they do in this life. It is one of the most common deceptions in the world today. More people are deceived by this error than any other. Most people believe God keeps a record of their works and they think that when they die God will compare their good works with their bad works and if their good works outnumber the bad, God will allow them into heaven. To them God is the great Santa Claus in the sky who knows who is naughty and nice and the nice ones he saves and the naughty ones he damns. This lie is believed by people of all walks of life; rich and poor, religious and non religious, educated and uneducated. In witnessing I have had countless people tell me that when they die; they hope their good works will outweigh their bad works so that God will let them into heaven.

First, if you are not saved all of your works are bad including those you think are good. Read what God says about the works of all men, Jew and gentile alike:  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Romans 3:9-12. God put all men to the test to see if there were any good or righteous and what you read in these verses was the score. We failed the test and made a big fat zero. What was the test? Keeping the moral commandments of the Law. God tests and measures all men by his Law which is an infallible guide. God does not test and measure us by other people. He measures us by his righteous Law. Some people think they are beautiful because they never look in a mirror. Many think they are good and righteous because they have never taken an honest look into the law of God. Take this test;

*The 9th commandment of God’s Law says: thou shalt not lie. Let me ask you this question and be truthful: Have you always told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? If not, what does that make you? Doesn’t that make you a liar?

*The 10th commandment says: Thou shalt not covet. Have you ever coveted or lusted after something that belonged to someone else? If so what does that make you? An idolater for covetousness is idolatry. (Colossians 3:5)

*The 8th commandment says: Thou shalt not steal. Be truthful, have you ever taken something that did not belong to you regardless of its value?  If so, what does that make you? A thief.

*The 3rd commandment says: Thou shalt not take God’s name in vain. Have you ever used God’s name is a way that does not honor him? If so, what does that make you? A blasphemer.

*Have you ever looked upon someone with lust? Jesus said that if you do that makes you an adulterer. (Matthew 5:28)

If you answered yes to these questions then you have just admitted that you are a liar, thief, idolater, blasphemer and an adulterer.

If this isn’t bad enough, God says if you break just one of his commandments, you are guilty of breaking all 10 of them. James 2:10 says: For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. Breaking one law makes us guilty of breaking all of God’s Laws. This means we are guilty of the sins of: Hatred, Idolatry, Blasphemy, Disobedience, Rebellion, Murder, Adultery, Lying, Stealing, and Covetousness. This is why the Bible says there is none righteous no not one. It’s because we have broken all of his Laws and commandments. The evidence against us is overwhelming and the verdict is guilty and the sentence is death and hell. This is why you cannot possibly gain salvation by the works you do in this life, because you and all your works are bad.

Second, if you could get saved by works Christ died in vain. Galatians 2:21 says: I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. This verse plainly says that if a person could obtain righteousness or salvation by works, such as the works of the Law or any work that men call good works today, the cross of Christ was vain and void and useless. Why would God subject his Son to the horrible death of the cross if we could gain salvation by the works we do in this life?

Third, no one can be saved by grace and works at the same time. Romans 11:6 says: And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. Salvation today is by grace and if it is by grace it cannot be by works. Grace and works cancel each other out. They are based upon two different and opposing principles. When it comes to salvation your works, good or bad, do not count. They have no part in gaining or keeping salvation today.

When it comes to salvation the best thing you can do is to own up to being the sinner that God says you are and then place 100% of your faith in Jesus Christ alone to save you and keep you saved forever. He died for your sins and his death made a complete atonement for your sins. God was satisfied with the atonement Christ made and now he holds out a hand of mercy and grace to you and invites you to receive his Son as your Savior today.

Those who God saves by grace through faith without works are also kept saved the same way. If you could not get saved by works, what makes you think you can keep yourself saved by works? God saves sinners by grace lest any man should boast. If you could gain salvation by works you could boast and you would. But that is not going happen, because in true salvation by grace; those who God saves by grace are kept saved by grace, lest any man boast about gaining or keeping salvation by works. Ephesians 2:8-9 says; For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Titus 3:5 says; Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

Romans 4:5 says; But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

In salvation by grace, salvation is not based upon the works or performance of the sinner either before or after he believes the gospel. If God saved you because you did certain religious works and performed certain good deeds along with believing, your salvation could never be attributed to grace. If God saved you in view of your good works and good deeds after you believed the gospel, your salvation could not be attributed to grace. If works play a part in receiving or keeping salvation, it is not by grace.

In true salvation by grace, God took the works out of salvation and made FAITH the only requirement to be saved. When Paul said, not of works this means you don't work to gain it, or keep it. Those who God saves by grace through faith, without works, are kept saved the same way. If God keeps you saved by grace without works, how could you possibly lose your salvation? If you didn't do any work to gain or keep it, then you can't lose it. If you could lose your salvation because of bad works, then it was never by grace to begin with and Paul was a liar when he said it was "the gift of God, not of works". A gift is freely and unconditionally given and kept the same way.

Dear friend; be not deceived about salvation. We are saved by grace through faith without works and we are kept saved by grace through faith without works and thank God it’s true.