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There are basically two groups on the issue of believing... "you have
to believe and confess Jesus as Lord in order to be saved" religious group, and those who see it as "salvation took place
at the cross for "ALL" apart from having to believe or confess Jesus as Lord". This is about the most sensitive, nerve wrecking
touchy subject amongst many evangelical Christians. Talk about an almost coming to blows subject! This would be the one.
One group bases their position on "here's what the bible clearly says
about the "believing and confessing Jesus as Lord" in order to be saved and the other group asks..."and how does anyone know
for sure that they are saved?" "Is it because one goes to church and does all of those churchy things or is it because a person
has witnessed that the other person has confessed and believed in Christ in front of them?
In other words, God saves only
when one believes and confesses with their mouth and Man confirms it by what they have heard and witnessed. "God, you save
them when they believe and confess Jesus as Lord and we put the seal of approval on it since you have given the church the
authority and power to see as to whether or not the fruit matches the root." (Thank God that Jesus was made Lord of all by
God's account and not by man's).
Boy! - what a scary thought to think that God may have entrusted man
with the decision to judge who is saved and who isn't. Look friends, please allow me to briefly run something by all of you.
Question? What was it that the Jews were trusting and believing in for salvation whenever they were challenge by Jesus ? Weren't
they trusting in the Law of Moses and claiming that they had Abraham as their father?
Now, was it God's will to give the law to Israel? No, the people asked
for a law to be given to them. Now, don't you think that if the Jews really believed and trusted in the law as they boasted
about, that they would have kept to all the requirements of the law? What did God required of anyone in order for them to
be found righteous under the law? Nothing less than PERFECTION ! James 2:10. (The same can be said of them who still believe
and trust in their "good works")
One does not shoot a bullet through a plate glass window and then fixes
it by covering the hole with a piece of chewing gum. The entire piece of glass needs to be replaced. Are you with me so far?
Now, before the Law of Moses was given, what sins were being held against the people? (I'll let you answer that one). Now,
some have said..."Yeah, but before the law and under the law if a person disobeyed God, they were punished and even at times
put to death". (Thank God that it was Jesus' obedience and good works that satisfied the claims of justice).
Granted!, and that was because under the law of Moses conditions were
set. But being that now in Christ is the fulfillment of the law - 2 Cor. 3 - we read in Romans chapter 4 and Hebrews 10..."Where
there is no law there is no transgression and as far as the east is from the west our sins He remembers no more". But yet
our "loco churches and our full of dead men's bones bible colleges and religious institutions" will teach us different about
having to keep to some of the laws and the why the need for confession of sins.
So what's the point of all this? Simply that just as much as God never
abandoned Israel even though they rejected Jesus, failed to keep the law, and refused to believe in Him, the same can be said
of those in this time and period that we live in. God has not abandoned anyone! The religious church system and their self-righteous
organized self-appointed "Holier Than Thou" reformed catholic preachers of our modern world are the "sheep and goats" separators.
Eph. 2:14-22.
Just because someone doesn't believe in Jesus, nor confesses Him as Lord,
doesn't mean that God has excluded them from His redemptive plan of salvation. If God is still in the business of "excluding
" then He would have to apologize to Jesus. Religion is the one who is still in that business... "good gets blessed and bad
gets beat". (Matthew 21:31). The words given to the apostle Paul by The Holy Spirit ring loud and clear when one reads Romans
11:32-36.
Friends, "Unbelief" was considered a sin and we know that Jesus died
for ALL sin to include the sin of "Unbelief". Romans 3:3. I am a friend of a well-known bible scholar and teacher who many
consider a top theologian here in the Colorado Springs area and in Europe. About 3 months ago he read one of my articles along
the same lines as I've presented here, and he called me and asked... "Eddie, if "believing" is not an issue, then what's the
use of preaching the Gospel?"
My response was... "Do you mean to tell me that salvation is dependant
upon who you preach the Gospel to?" There was total silence after that and all he said..." I need to take a closer look at
this issue because you really make people like me think". Friends, I am still looking for a sincere answer to the question...
"How do you know for certain that you are saved, without giving all sorts of performance reasons attached to the answer?"
Thanks be to God that only He knows the heart and He did not leave it
to man to judge such a thing. But as long as we live under the religious, denominational, legalistic tree of "Good and (vs.)
Evil", we will continue to see the Gospel as the Jews saw the law... "good gets good and bad gets beat". If we really think
about it, organized religious Christianity is no different, do no different, believe no different and act no different than
those who believed and trusted in the Law of Moses. Oh! - "If It Hadn't Been For Grace!" (a song I wrote about 5 years ago).
Grace and Peace
Eddie Narvaez
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