counterfeits for faith

&

​false religions, idols, & works

God has called mankind to faith but the majority of people choose the religions and philosophies of men. Because of the fall and spiritual death, we inherit the same shame Adam and Eve felt when they believed the lies of the serpent and turned away from God. Religions may offer forms of godliness, places, or things to cover up or hide their sin. Most do it by  substituting their own good works, but the works of the flesh don't really change lives or deliver from sin, spiritual death, or hell. They deny the power of faith which overcomes evil with good. The bible speaks of the danger of false beliefs which prove to be false hopes. True religion begins and ends with God. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

no substitutes

​"No one can please God without faith, for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who seek him. It was faith that made Noah hear God's warnings about things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a boat in which he and and his family were saved. As a result, the world was condemned, and Noah received from God the righteousness that comes by faith."
Hebrews 11:6-7.

christ's return

"No one knows, however, when that day and hour will come—neither the angels in heaven nor the Son; the Father alone knows. The coming of the Son of Man will be like what happened in the time of Noah. In the days before the flood people ate and drank, men and women married, up to the very day Noah went into the boat;  yet they did not realize what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man comes. At that time two men will be working in a field: one will be taken away, the other will be left behind. Two women will be at a mill grinding meal: one will be taken away, the other will be left behind. Watch out, then, because you do not know what day your Lord will come. If the owner of a house knew the time when the thief would come, you can be sure that he would stay awake and not let the thief break into his house. So then, you also must always be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him." Matthew 24:36-44.

hell

Hell is judgment for doing evil and a consequence of living earthly lives apart from God, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God says we reap what we sow, and if we reject God when he comes to us, we grieve God the Holy Spirit. As a result we become more hardened and continue in our sinful ways, rejecting the provision of salvation through His Son. The knowledge of  God is precious, so if we neglect the need of our souls for salvation, especially when God convicts us, then we harden our hearts further. 

​heaven & Hell

Heaven is place where God who is holy lives with those who share Christ's holiness and who have been sanctified or made holy by the Holy Spirit. The unrepentant and spiritually dead would feel totally out of place there and their souls would testify against their unrepentant hearts. Hell exists out of God's mercy though many think of it as an unloving judgment. Hell will not be under the power of the devil, who will be in chains there. Though we are told it is a place of fire and torment,  where evil doers reside or are imprisoned, we know little about what life will be like as compared to our earthly existence. 

eternity & judgment

One thing is sure. Our earthly lives are short and eternity is long. And all mankind
will face a judgment day when the books are opened and all will be judged individually. All will give an account of their lives. The saved will be rewarded in heaven. The lost will suffer loss and be separated from those who followed Christ. And finally, all will kneel before the Lord Jesus Christ, and confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Then they will ever be with the family they belong to. The unbelieving belong to Satan, whom the bible says "he has taken captive at his will". Believers ask Christ to help you know the comfort of this verse, "You are to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that through their faith in me they will have their sins forgiven and receive their place among God's chosen people." Acts 26:18 GNT 

ELECTION

God is merciful but the doctrine of election is perhaps the most misunderstood teaching when it comes to salvation. It excludes choice on our part. Yet Jesus said that people may come to faith through our words and our prayers. Salvation is a mystery and a deep work of the Holy Spirit. Even Christ had members of his earthly family who would not follow him even though he said, "he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." 

The evangelist, D.L, Moody, compared seeking as to a candidate who wants to be elected. He explained, "a person cannot be elected unless he first becomes a candidate." So Moody suggests that faith comes by the grace of God as we humble our hearts and minds to receive God's truth. This means reading the bible to hear his words, attending a church to have God's word planted in our souls, perhaps going to an evangelistic meeting and "seeking the Lord while he may be found, and calling upon him while he is near." Sometimes we need to hear the words of faith from an evangelist, a preacher, a teacher, or a believer. Only when the witness of faith is blessed by God can we believe and truly pray the prayer Jesus taught his disciples, The Lord's Prayer. 

Salvation is not simply a decision made in a moment in response to an evangelist's challenge. This happens but salvation is a life long journey of walking with Jesus, of praying his prayer, of living one's life "in Christ" and in his righteousness. God honors "whosoever will may come" but he alone frees the will to follow his son. And salvation as John Bunyan stated in Pilgrim's Progress is not an easy path without temptations and troubles. But God's truth rings true, "he that endures unto the end will be saved." Few of us know to whom our words will be "words of life" and neither did our Lord Jesus while here on earth because "he came to his own and they received him not." 
"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God." John 1:12-13. ESV