More than three-quarters of Americans
identify themselves as Christian, reports a Gallup Poll from Aug. 2012. Pollsters found that 78
percent of Americans identify with Christianity. Overall, more than 82 percent
of Americans have a religious identity.
This would mean that the remaining 22
percent are Jewish, Muslim, and within the countless pagan religions, or with those
claiming no religious affiliation or those claiming to be A-theists.
This could then mean that the 78 percent of
Americans that say they are Christians are “Born-again” followers, (disciples), of Jesus Christ. They then
believe, that is they have the conviction, that Jesus Christ is God incarnate
who came to die on the cross to redeem mankind; that His body was buried and on
the third day; His body was resurrected with a glorified body and now Jesus the
Christ, God incarnate, sits at the right hand of God. They believe and
accept that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that there is no other way be saved but
through Jesus the Christ.Threy are of the conviction that they know the truth
that Jesus the Christ is the Way, the Truth
and the Life and no one will come to the Father but through Him, [Jesus], (John 14:6).
If the Gallup Poll is correct, and I
have no doubt it is for many people think or justify themselves as being
Christian if they are not Jewish or Muslim or belonging to some “odd” sect, an
interesting issue is brought to light. Of the 78% of Americans professing to be
Christian, a very high percentage of them are ignorant of what a follower of
the Way, or Christian, [christianous] as they were called by
the non-believers as a form of ridicule in the early days of the church, truly believe.
I say ignorant because if this nation
were over three-quarters (3/4) “Christian” there would not be all the
immorality and lawlessness that is increasing exponentially, not by decades, or
yearly, but now almost monthly.
Fine, so you would say to me at this
juncture: “What you’re telling me then is that everyone is going to hell”? To which I would have to quote from Scripture
and repeat what Jesus the Christ said, "Truly,
truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he
cannot see the kingdom of God." To put this in context, Jesus is speaking
with a Jewish Pharisee and teacher by the name of Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a man
of the Pharisees, bred to learning, a scholar. He was a ruler of the Jews, a member
of the great Sanhedrim, a senator, a privy-counselor, a man of authority in
Jerusalem.
He made a private and particular address to Jesus. He
wanted to talk with Jesus by himself where he might talk without interference
if it were done in public.. He did not
come to talk with Jesus about politics or state-affairs (even though he was a
ruler), but to talk about his own soul and its salvation. Without going in
circles Nicodemus comes right to the point; His assertion
concerning Jesus: “You are a teacher come from God;” that is, supported with
divine inspiration and divine authority. The world in that day, much like
today, lay in ignorance and mistake; the Jewish teachers were corrupt, and
caused them to err: much as many so-called teachers and preachers of the gospel in this day and age.
So then, let’s talk about salvation. If you were to die today are
you totally convinced that you would be in heaven with the Lord the moment your
body ceased to function? Jesus came to
save mankind from death, (eternal damnation).
So then, “He that
believes and is baptized shall be saved…,” and “… but he that believes not shall be damned, (Mark 16:16).
So then let’s look at Salvation.
There is only one requirement and no other obligation or prerequisite may be
added to or subtracted from the doctrine of salvation.. There is absolutely no
truth outside of the Person and work of Jesus the Christ by which salvation may be secured. Salvation which is by
faith, not works, begins the mighty transformations that together embody what a
true Christian is; it guarantees the Christians safe-keeping, and bring that individual
home to heaven conformed to the image of Jesus the Christ. A short attention to the transforming divine
undertakings which enter into salvation of the lost, (unsaved), will bring one
to realize the truth that everything involved in this presents a job or task
that is superhuman, so, for it to be accomplished at all, it can only be done
by God. To discover this truth will then
prepare the mind to know that the only relation man can sustain in this
undertaking is to depend totally and entirely upon God to do it. But since
there are moral issues involved that have been divinely solved by Jesus in His
death on the cross, He therefore is the only qualified Savior, and saving faith
is therefore directed toward Him; “Whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish
but have everlasting life…” (John 3:16). It is possible to burden the human
responsibility with other complications which can then render to a large degree
the whole grace undertaking ineffectual. These assertions are too often
added, in error, to the one requirement of faith or belief.
