JACQUES GAUVIN, RELIGION

What Is The First Step To Salvation?

Through the years I have received many emails that mention God. I fear that those emails treat God rather superficially. They also encourage a shallow insight into God and His expectations of us. This is a response to those emails.

The first step toward God is not the same for everyone. One of the following might describe you.

1 ~ Realize that there is a God.

It is not sufficient to believe that there is a God. Satan believes that there is a God. It is good to believe that there is a God but this God had better be the God of the Bible otherwise it is a pagan god of fiction, a fabrication of man^s imagination and not the real God at all (Matthew 15:9; 2 Corinthians 11:14).

Ask yourself some questions. Do you know this god or God? Do you obey this god or God? Does this god or God instruct you in any way? Do you have faith in this god or God? How can you know if this god or God is genuine and trustworthy? Is this God a god of confusion or a God of clarity and simplicity? Can you believe and understand everything that this god or God says? Is he flippant or is He consistent? Are his or His commandments the same for all people from the beginning until now? Does this god accept you as you are or does this God expect you to change? Does this god or God conform to the teachings of His book, the Bible, partially or completely? (Matthew 7:15; 24:11 and 24; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 4:1) (Mark 1:15; 6:12; Luke 13:13; Acts 2:38; 17:30)

It is a good thing to want life, eternal life. The Bible promises us that it is attainable through the forgiveness of our sins by Jesus Christ and by becoming His disciple, that is following in His footsteps and by obeying His commandments (John 3:36; Acts 26:17 and 18). This means that He becomes our Lord, the one we listen to and obey. In this way is He able to save us from the way that leads to death, permanent death, caused by following a pagan god (John 12:46). (Exodus 20:6; Deuteronomy 5:10; John 14:15 and 21; 15:10; Matthew 5:19; 1 John 2:3 and 4; 3:22; 5:2 and 3; 2 John 6; Revelation 14:12)

This brings me to the next first step.

1 ~ Believe a preacher.

Would you risk your eternal life on a smooth talking or fast talking or intimidating speaker without checking every word that comes out of his mouth with the true test which is the Word of God, the Bible? Do not make a fool of yourself, it leads to death not life. You must learn to trust in the Bible, the Word of God, and not in any man, woman or parent (John 12:44). (Matthew 15:9)

1 ~ You want to be on God^s good side so you join the most convenient church congregation.

There is no such thing as a perfect church but that does not make any church good enough. A church, which is the congregation of like minded people for the worship of God and for fellowship, should admit to having faults but should definitely be striving for perfection. Perfection is living according to the Bible, the intent of the law not just the letter of the law. If your church is not all of these things then GET OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE (Revelation 18:4). Find the true church, the Church of God.

1 ~ I was brought up to attend church, I was baptized as an infant and so all I have to do is to live the rest of my life and wait for my death and subsequent life in heaven. In other words I don^t have to do anything in particular or I can do whatever I want as long as I trust in the church.

Don^t believe it. Those are false assumptions. Wake up and work out your own salvation through the study and understanding of the Bible, that is the fear of God. Seek help and you shall find it. Don^t let Satan win through lies and deceptions. Think, read, learn, don^t be fooled or lulled to sleep. (Philippians 2:12; 2 Timothy 3:16)

1 ~ Read the Bible in search of answers.

If your first step is to read the Bible with intent to learn you have made a wise decision and are definitely guided by God^s spirit. You are on the right track. Be warned, it is not an easy road. No one has been able to find all necessary truth without help. Learn to recognize truth and seek understanding and explanations from reliable sources, the Bible, God^s true ministers and Jesus disciples. If you find yourself often in doubt, seek another teacher. Trust in the Bible first. It is generally simple and straight forward. Find someone who proves things with the Bible and not by his own interpretation. The Bible explains itself. You just have to search for the answers. It is expected that you will sometimes need help in finding answers. (www.ucg.ca ; jacquesgauvin.com)

1 ~ Prove all things, keep what is good or right.

Don^t believe everyone who comes preaching Jesus as savior. Many preach a different Jesus than the Jesus of the Bible. And many preach a different message than the message of the Bible. The main goal of the Bible is to prepare a people for the Kingdom of God. Knowledge of the Bible is essential for a person to be able to distinguish truth from deceptions. Satan the devil is extremely powerful, knowledgeable and cunning. He has many followers and workers striving and working hard to deceive even the whole world. He wants all men and women to die. He is enemy number one. He wants to hide the truth from everybody. The only way to outsmart him and to have him fail in his mission is to get to know the Bible and the Way of God so that he cannot trick you or deceive you into believing lies and subsequently living a false life. So prove all things and keep what is right and good. Jesus saves those who will heed His guidance, conform to Him, change and hold fast to truth, truly be His disciples. (2 Thessalonians 2:9; Proverbs 8:17)

1 ~ I heard someone recite John 3:16.

One step is not enough to get you to God^s Kingdom.

The way to salvation is to get to know God and to do His will. (John 17:3)

2011 Jacques Gauvin

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