Christianity
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

I am Rich

I might look poor; but I am truly rich.
How To Go From Rags to Riches

When I was at my lowest point I found out how to get rich quick. Not the riches of the world, but the riches that are even MORE valuable during times of trouble. Those riches are in Jesus.

The Bible tells us "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."(2 Cor. 8:9)

One thing that I learned was to keep my life free from the love of material things and to be content with what I have. Why? The Bible tells me this. "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we can say with confidence "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Heb. 13:5-6)

If you're in a sorry situation I'm not going to tell you that Jesus will take away your problems. I WILL tell you that Jesus will make it bearable. But you need to understand that you can't serve both the world and God and expect the payoff! The payoff is eternal life through Jesus Christ and it's FREE!! (Eph. 2:8-9) The alternative is eternal damnation, but it's NOT free. We earn it. Even though we don't want it, we are earning it. How? By being sinners. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom.3:23).

What is sin? It's rebellion against God (lying, lust, cheating, deceit, anger, evil thoughts, immoral behavior, etc. I'll bet your feeling one or more of these right now! I know, I been there. Anger and bitterness tore me up!)

Our problem is that we can't earn our salvation. Even if we tried to be perfect we would fail. God doesn't want to punish us, but He is the author of justice and MUST punish sin. So what do we do?

It has already been done in Jesus!! He came to this earth to die for us, as a sacrificial offering to God to atone for our sins, and then rose from the grave to make a place for us in heaven. He bore our sins and now offers us eternal life as a FREE gift!

How Do We Get This Free Gift?

Repent (Luke 13:3, 5) This means to have a change of mind that results in a change of action. (forsaking sin and turning toward God)

Believe in Him (John 6:29; 8:24) To believe is more than having a head knowledge or temporary faith during a crisis. Believe that He rose from the dead and confess that He is the Son of God. To believe is to obey Him (2 thes.1:8-10). A disobedient faith is a dead faith that saves no one. (James 2:14-26)

Receive and confess Jesus as Lord. (Romans 10:9-10) This is an aspect of believing. We give Jesus the control of our life and take a back seat.

And after that, remain faithful (Rev. 2:10) You will hear sermons and teachers abound telling you that your salvation is irrevocable. Carefully study scripture to see if they are being sincere. The Bible tells us that some Christians will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. (1 Tim. 4:1-3), some turned away after Satan (1 Tim. 5:15).

We must always be aware, lest we fall away from our steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked. (2 Peter 3:17)

At this point most people will tell you to say a "sinners prayer". This isn't in the Bible!! God knows the heart. If you are sincere and truly want to live a life with God, He knows. Actually He knew before you did!!

But, go to Him in prayer and confess your sins and repent of them to clear your conscience, then at the first opportunity, be baptized in a Bible believing church. Baptism will not save you, but it is one of your first acts of obedience.

Today Is The Day Of Salvation

The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night and the world will be destroyed (2 Peter 3:10) We must be ready for this at ALL times (2 Peter 3:10-14) and be ready for the judgement (2 Cor. 5:10; Heb. 9:27)

Now is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2). It may be your last chance to obey God.

A Word About Works

Even though you can't earn salvation, your faith should manifest itself in good deeds. These 'works' (works of faith, not merit) are Jesus working through you and you will be rewarded for them at the judgement. In fact, it is these 'works' that God judges us on. To those that seek righteousness, eternal life. To those that seek evil, damnation. Don't let ANYONE tell you that you don't need to have good works manifested in your life to be saved. They are your assurance that you have the Holy Spirit working inside you and the Holy Spirit is our 'earnest' that God will hold to His promises. What is an earnest? God gives this to us to show just how faithful He is about our salvation, but an earnest doesn't guarantee that we will continue in the faith. In other words, you have full assurance that God will carry through on His end of the offer, but you don't have to continue to receive it. If you don't want it, your heart will tell Him. (Remember what we said before about God knowing your heart?)

Where Do We Go From Here?

After you've been through their 'sinner's prayer', many professors will leave you hanging and tell you that you are forever saved. Many of these professors DON'T KNOW what to do! Here, from our best understanding, is what to do from here.

First - Find a good Bible-believing church to attend. This is where you should receive your Baptism. Don't make the mistake of thinking that one church is as good as another. Jesus Christ must be worshiped and preached as the only way to salvation. Be cautious of any church that professes irrevocable security, allowing you to put faith in their teachings rather than in Jesus only!

Second - Study your Bible. Begin by reading John, 1 John and Acts. Then read the rest of the New Testament, asking God to show you His truth.

Third - Keep this saying in mind, "If you are BELIEVING IT, you will BE LIVING IT!".

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