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Down to Business
 about ‘Seeking God’!

(Seeking God Part 2)

Back to Part 1 of Seeking God

The Blunt Truth

Visit some Christian web sites and they’ll tell you that becoming a Christian is ‘as easy as ABC’.  This is utter rubbish because it suggests that the whole thing is made a fact if only you ‘decide for Jesus’.

Know what the Bible really says? (We use the King James Authorised Version – all the others are corrupt versions). If you are ‘seeking’ God right now, then you need to know that you are a ‘sinner’ and that only a few are given the gift of salvation from their sin.

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, preaching and teaching, when a man asked him something:

“Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able (because they are) workers of iniquity.”

Luke chapter 13, verses 23, 24 and 27

See that? Jesus told him that very few are saved! So, if you are genuinely seeking God, you had better listen to what is being said here!

Jesus said that those who are not given this gift are ‘workers of iniquity’. That is, they can only do what is wrong in God’s sight. Because of this, they are bound for hell. That means, right now, because you are not saved, you are also bound for hell.

We know this to be true, because Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark chapter 16, verse 16). To be dammed is to be sent to hell. To ‘believe’ means to be saved.

So, my friend, if you are seeking God, your quest had better be a real one, for if it is not, you will end up in hell.

It does not matter if you have never sworn or cursed, never smoked dope or shot heroine, never killed anyone, or stolen from them. God says that just being born is enough to send us all to hell. Know why?

Because when the first man, Adam, defied God, he sealed the fate of his entire family – that’s everyone who has ever been born! (Yes, Adam and Eve were actual, real, flesh and blood people). From that time onward, all people have been ‘born in sin’, so they can never be right with God.

King David, who wrote many of the Psalms, put it this way: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm number 51, verse 5). He did not mean that his mother had done anything immoral. He meant that because all men and women are sinners, he himself was a sinner as soon as he was conceived.

Now this is very bad news for us all. Sinners cannot enter heaven. They are bound for hell. Unless, that is, they are saved. How can this happen? Read on if you know, in your heart, that you are genuinely seeking God.

Only One Way!

If you hear anyone tell you that there are many ways to God, don’t believe them, because they are liars or have been deceived by other religions.  Don’t listen to all those cults and sects who try to woo you to their side.  Just listen to God. Read His word, the Bible, because it is true: “whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts chapter 2, verse 21). So, those who believe in the Lord shall be saved.  Who is this ‘Lord’?  It is none other than Jesus Christ!

“this Jesus hath God raised up (we are) all witnesses.” (Acts chapter 2, verse 32). “God hath made that same Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts chapter 2, verse 36).

Jesus, as you probably know, was killed by the barbaric act of crucifixion. But, God made him alive again on the third day. Don’t listen to those smart, but foolish men who say Jesus did not really die.  He really did die and He lay in that tomb for almost three days. Then, He arose again, because He is God! That same Jesus is Lord and Christ.

To be saved is to believe in this Lord and Christ. But, here is the catch 22! You cannot get saved just by thinking about it! You can’t be saved just by ‘asking God in to your heart’! You can’t be saved by accepting what you have read and ‘deciding for Christ’! You can’t be saved just because you decide it might be a good idea! No, nothing you can do can save you!

To put it bluntly, you are headed straight for hell. There is only one answer to this terrible state you are in. What is that answer? Read on...

God Chooses, Not You.

It comes down to this. You CAN enter heaven and you CAN know peace with God on this earth. To know these things, you must be saved. But if you can’t do anything to be saved, surely you are doomed? Well, yes – unless God has chosen to save you.

God chooses how many men and women will be saved. He made His choice even before the world was made. So, the facts are these:

1.            It is cut and dried!

2.            God alone chooses who will be saved

3.            To be saved, you must first hear the gospel (which tells you how you can be saved)

4.            When you hear the Gospel and you respond to it, God is actually working on your heart and mind

5.            Some time after that – sometimes even straight away – God will show you very clearly that you are a wicked sinner in His sight.

6.            You will know what it means to fear God, because He will send you to hell if you are not saved.

7.            To be saved, though, you must already be chosen to be saved!

8.            If you are chosen, you will know it...because you will respond to His call to be saved.

9.            That is, you will repent (be sorry and turn from your old ways and thoughts).

10.         You will cry out to God deep in your soul, to be forgiven for being a sinner, whose very life offends Him.

11.         You acknowledge that Jesus Christ is your Saviour (He is already your Lord whether you like it or not!).

12.         You accept that only Jesus Christ was perfect and only a perfect sacrifice could save you.  (Because God demanded a perfect sacrifice). That is why it was necessary for Jesus to die. He died on the cross to save your soul.

13.         You must believe that He arose bodily on the third day and that He later ascended up in to heaven, seen by hundreds of witnesses. Because He did that we know we will also go in to heaven.

14.         You must accept that once you are saved, you are always saved and can never, ever go to hell, or lose your salvation. Because you will not want to offend God any more, you will then live a life that pleases Him, by reading His word and acting it out.

Can You See It?

That, friend, is a very basic outline of what being saved means. Can you see it? Do you believe it? If you don’t, then you are still not saved.

But, if you do, you should pray to God in your own words, for His forgiveness, so that you can be saved. Remember, if you have been chosen, then you will be saved and will want to obey Him. You cannot choose to be saved, nor can you do anything to get salvation. It is a free gift from God.

Don’t think it is all bunkum. Look again in the book of Acts (chapter 4, verse 12), where it says, “Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been given to us by which we can be saved.” This is because “there is no other God.”! (book of Daniel, chapter 3, verse 29).

Did you know that God laughs at you if you say He does not exist, or if you will not listen? “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. (Psalm number 14, verse 1). “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.” (Psalm number 2, verse 4).  “The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.” (Psalm number 37, verse 13).

Then comes a chilling promise for all who reject His Gospel: “Because I have called, and ye refused...I will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh....Then (you) shall call upon me, but I will not answer...(you) shall not find me.” (Proverbs number 1, verses 24 – 28).

Well, you have now had a very short Gospel message. But it is enough to make you think. Bear this in mind – if you reject what has been said here, then it is either because it is not yet the moment in your lifetime that God has called you to be saved, or it is because you have never been chosen in the first place.

If the latter applies to you, then you will just scoff and scorn, and move on. But, if you have been chosen, God will save you in your lifetime. If not right now, then some time in the near future. You can neither reject Him or choose Him - once God has chosen you, there is no escape!!

If you still think you can decide when to be saved then read the Outline I'll repent on my death bed!.

Me, Too!

I was once like you – lost and bound for hell. But then came the day, after many months of intense fear of dying, I heard the Gospel, and I was saved. I simply prayed in my room that God would forgive me, a sinner, and save me. And He did! I was baptised soon after.

After that, I began to pray often, read the Bible, attend a church, and stopped doing what was sinful. Yes, I made many mistakes, and will continue to do so until I die, but now my mind and heart no longer enjoy doing wrong. God knows this, so He allows me to repent daily, then everything is okay.

If you are saved after reading all this, then you will need to find a good church. I cannot tell you which one to attend, because there are so many of them. But beware! Not all churches are true or good! You will need to pray to God that he will show you where to go.  See the article Which Church? for more advice on finding a real Christian Church.

Once in a church, ask questions about what they believe. If what they believe, or what they preach and teach, does not agree with scripture (the Bible – use the King James AV), then you must leave them and try to find another one. Sadly, in these days, very few churches are true to God, so your search might take a while.

Try to talk with other Christians, especially those who are mature in their faith. Pray often...just talk to God normally, and He will listen. Read your Bible daily so that you will be saturated with knowledge. This knowledge is what you will use to measure churches and Christians by. Only then can you know if they tell the truth.

Avoid These

You must avoid the following (because they preach falsely):

·       Anything charismatic

·       Roman Catholicism

·       Anything ecumenical

·       Any cult (such as Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, and so on), and all occult movements, such as the Spiritualist church (even if it puts ‘Christian’ before its name!), etc.

 Obviously, there are many others to avoid.

If Needed

Maybe you have been saved through reading this message and you have taken the steps suggested above. But, you cannot find a church, or you are having a problem with certain folk who are trying to detract you from the truth. If so, you can contact us by e-mail (info@christiandoctrine.net), fax or letter. If necessary, we will assist you with regular communications until you are able to find a true church.  In any event, start reading the publications found on our web site.

---oOo---

Bible Theology Ministries

© April 2000

PO Box 415, SWANSEA  SA5 8YH

Wales

United Kingdom

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Last Modified
16 January, 2007

© copyright 2001
Bible Theology Ministries