Sharing the Good News
1. Do you know for certain if you were to die today, would you go to heaven?
2. What if God asked you, “Why should I let you into my kingdom,” What would your response be?
If you answered #1 - “I am not sure” and #2 because I am a good person” let me share some truth with you.
No one is saved by “works.” This simply means you can’t be good enough to get into heaven, You can’t do great works like visiting the sick, caring for the elderly or giving monies to charity, etc.
Most people, will give you this answer of “by works”. But the truth is that we are not saved by works.
Let’s look up this scripture in your Bible, turn to Ephesians 2:8-9 to get the true answer to question #1.
NOTE: Please see below scriptures from either the Jehovah Witness version, or from the Book of Mormon or from the Catholic New Revised version. I want you to see scripture from your version that you read from.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
So we do not get to heaven by being good or by going to church, or serving God. It is not by “works” but by being saved or Born Again. And it is a gift from God.
God desires a personal relationship with you. That is called “salvation” and it comes from the Cross where Jesus Christ laid down His life, so that you may be forgiven and have eternal life. God says that if you have His Son, you have eternal life, and if you don’t then you do not have eternal life. It is very simple!
Let’s read 1 John 5:11-13.
1 John 5:11-13
“And this is the witness, that God gave us everlasting life and this life is in his Son”
“The one who has the Son has this life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this life”
“ I write you these things so that you may know that you have life everlasting, you who put your faith in the name of the Son of God”
Review
Your answer to the 1st question,” Do you know for certain if you were to die today, would you go to heaven”, can Not be, “well I think so” or “I wish , I hope so or I can speculate”.
For God Himself shows you from His Word (Bible) that He wants you to know exactly where you are going if you were to die. You can be certain and not have to doubt!
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
“What is born of the flesh is flesh, what is born of the Spirit is Spirit”
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life”
The question now is;
A) Who is it that you need to believe in?
B) Who do you need to know?
Let’s see what the Bible says. Turn to John 3:16-18 to find this answer.
John 3:16-18
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
“Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
Here is my last question for you … Who do you say is the Son of God?
And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Peter said to them “ Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”
John 1:1-3, 14
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God”
“All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be”
14 “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth”
Philippians 2:7-8 KJV
“but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Here are the scriptures from your reading Bible version.
Please see below scriptures from either the Catholic New Revised, Jehovah Witness New World Translation or from the Book of Mormon.
I want you to see scripture from your version that you read from.
FROM New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Ephesians 2:8-9
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not the result of works, so that no one may boast”
1 John 5:11-13
“And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
John 3:16-18
“For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him”
“Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God”
John 17:3
“Now this is eternal life,c that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
Acts 2:38
“Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized,* every one of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”
John 14:6
“Jesus said to him, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”
John 1:1-3, 14
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God”
“All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be”
14 “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth”
From Jehovah Witness New World Translation
Ephesians 2:8-9
“By this undeserved kindness you have been saved through faith, and this is not of your own doing; rather, it is God’s gift.No, it is not a result of works, so that no one should have grounds for boasting”
1 John 5:11-13
“And this is the witness, that God gave us everlasting life and this life is in his Son”
“The one who has the Son has this life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this life”
“ I write you these things so that you may know that you have life everlasting, you who put your faith in the name of the Son of God”
John 3:16-18
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life”
“For God did not send his Son into the world for him to judge the world, but for the world to be saved through him”
“Whoever exercises faith in him is not to be judged. Whoever does not exercise faith has been judged already, because he has not exercised faith in the Name of the only-begotten Son of God”
John 17:3
“This means everlasting life, their coming to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ”
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, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”
John 14:6
“Jesus said to him: ‘I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”
“Jesus said to him: ‘I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”
John 1-3,14
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god. This one was in the beginning with God. All things came into existence through Him and apart from him not even one thing came into existence”
14 So the Word became flesh and resided among us, and we had a view of his glory, a glory such as belongs to an only-begotten son from a father; and he was full of divine favor and truth.
Note. The word “a god” in verse 1 and the word “a father” in verse 14 is what causes misunderstandings.
There is but One God and there are no other gods before Him, for that would be idolatry, and we know that it was the sin of idolatry, rebellion and forsaking God that brought judgement upon his people, Israel.
In verse 14, in this translation it reads “a father”.
A misunderstanding because we have read that God sent His son to us, making God THE Father, and not “a father”.
Study the scriptures and you will see that Jesus is God and the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is God. The three are One.
Like in the beginning, the Spirit of God hovered over the earth - Genesis 1 and John 1:1 tells us that the Word is God , and John 1:14 tells us that the Word became flesh.
Pray, seek God and search the scriptures for yourself.
The Bible interprets itself. If you seek, you shall find.
If you are honestly praying to learn God’s Truth, will not God reveal His Word and Himself to you?
From The Book Of Mormon
Ephesians 2:8-9
“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. By grace are ye saved through faith
1 John 5:11-13
“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son”
“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
John 3:16-18
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”
“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved”
“He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God”
John 17:3
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent”
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, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”
John 14:6
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”
John 1:1-3, 14
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God”
“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made”
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
FROM The Vedas - Hindu Bible Version
Ephesians 2:8-9
परमेश्वर के अनुग्रह द्वारा अपने विश्वास के कारण तुम्हारा उद्धार हुआ है। यह तुम्हें तुम्हारी ओर से प्राप्त नहीं हुआ है, बल्कि यह तो परमेश्वर का वरदान है। 9 यह हमारे किये कर्मों का परिणाम नहीं है कि हम इसका गर्व कर सकें।
14
1 John 5:11-13
वह साक्षी यह है: परमेश्वर ने हमें अनन्त जीवन दिया है और वह जीवन उसके पुत्र में प्राप्त होता है। 12 वह जो उसके पुत्र को धारण करता है, उस जीवन को धारण करता है। किन्तु जिसके पास परमेश्वर का पुत्र नहीं है, उसके पास वह जीवन भी नहीं है।
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