Morality Alone Won’t Save You

Jarrod Jacobs

            Many have the mistaken idea that so long as one is a good person, then he is in a right relationship with God. This is not true. While morality and honest, clean living is acceptable with God, that alone will not save. One man who understood this was Cornelius. Acts 10 and 11 record his conversion to the Lord. We find him described as a “devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, … gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway” (Acts 10:2). Was he saved? No, for an angel spoke to him in a vision telling him to send for Simon Peter, “who shall tell you what you must do” (Acts 10:6). Notice that the angel did not save him, nor tell him what to do. This angel merely got the sinner in contact with the preacher.

            When Peter arrived, among other things he told Cornelius “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:34-35). The Holy Spirit fell on them, not to save them, but to show that God had granted to the Gentiles “repentance unto life” (Acts 11:15-18). Peter, seeing these things, taught Cornelius and his household the truth and “commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (Acts 10:48). Why be baptized? Let Peter answer. Peter said baptism is “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Morality alone will not save. Being saved requires one come to Christ in faith, repent of sins, confess Him before men and be buried with Him in baptism for the remission of sins. Perhaps this is something you need to do. Why not let us help you? Tomorrow may be too late (II Cor. 6:2).

Can One Do Anything To Be Saved?

Jarrod Jacobs

            The above question can be difficult to answer if we do not first explain what we mean. What do we mean when we ask, “Can one do anything to be saved?”

            If we mean can one do something to be saved wherein that act alone saves him, then the answer is “no.” If we are asking whether or not one can be saved based upon somehow earning salvation, the answer is “no.” If one is asking whether or not one can be saved independently of the blood of Christ, the answer is “no.”

            However, if we are asking whether or not God has commanded man to obey something in order to be saved, then the answer is “yes.” God has told man that he needs to believe that Christ is the Son of God or die in his sins (Jn. 8:24). One must repent of his past sins (Lk. 13:3). One must also confess Christ before men (Rom. 10:10). Then, one must be baptized in order to have his sins remitted (Acts 2:38).

            Yet, when one obeys, he has not “earned” anything, but has simply done what God said to do (Lk. 17:10). Man is not justified by “faith only” (Jas. 2:24). It not only takes faith but also doing what God has said to do (Godly works, I Jn. 3:7). God has sent His Son (Jn. 3:16); Jesus Christ died for us (Matt. 20:28); and the Holy Spirit has revealed God’s will to us (II Pet. 1:20-21). God has done all He is going to do. It is now up to us to follow God’s revealed will so that we might be saved. Yes, we have something to do. Let’s get busy!

Which Church Do I Choose?

Jarrod Jacobs

            Have you noticed the “church listings” in newspapers? It is pretty confusing, isn’t it? The groups listed claim that what they are doing is approved of God. In considering the listings, one might ask such questions as, “Are all these churches right?” or, “Are all these churches wrong?” or, “Can anyone ever know the truth?”

            Since these groups wear different names and teach conflicting doctrines many times, we know they all cannot be right. All of them cannot be right any more than 2+2 can equal anything other than 4! 2+2 = 4 and can only equal 4. If we took a poll and asked people their “feelings” about what 2+2 equals, it would not change the fact that it equals 4! Therefore, which church is right? This is not determined by what I like. Nor is it determined by which church is “popular” or “big”. It is not determined by which church has been in the area the longest. The way we can know which church is right is revealed in the Bible.

            The church approved of God is the one that adheres to Bible doctrine, not merely in word, but in practice (I Pet. 4:11; I Thess. 1:3). It is the one that wears Christ’s name (Rom. 16:16) and worships God “in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:24; Acts 2:42, 20:7; I Cor. 16:1-2). It is the one that promotes Christ and His word above everything (Rom. 1:16; Gal. 1:6-9; II Tim. 4:2; Col. 3:17). It preaches the Bible plan for salvation (Acts 2:36-38). With these things in mind, let me encourage our dear readers to put down the “church listings” and pick up a Bible and choose the church of God’s choice (Acts 20:28; Matt. 16:18)!

Does Man Have A Sinful Nature?

Jarrod Jacobs

            This subject has probably confused and deceived more people than any other. Many of today’s “religious” people believe and teach a doctrine that says that man is born in sin. These people believe and teach a doctrine once taught by Augustine in the 400-500’s A.D., but made famous by John Calvin in the 1500’s.

            Evidently, this false doctrine was taught even before Augustine or Calvin. We know this because God saw it necessary to tell the Israelites that man could not inherit sin. “The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin” (Deut. 24:16). Even before this, God had told Cain that “sin lies at the door” for him (Gen. 4:7). If it was true that he had inherited a sinful nature from Adam, Cain should have been told that his sin was already within him! Further, God said, “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer because of the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father suffer because of the iniquity of the son …” (Ezek. 18:4, 20).

            Looking to the New Testament, we learn that God has not changed His mind about sin. It is the responsibility of the individual. Paul wrote, “He that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons” (Col. 3:25). James said, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (Jas. 1:14-15). No, there is no such thing as inheriting sin from a parent, or from Adam.

Excuses Are Not Erasers!

Jarrod Jacobs

            How many times have we had to listen to folks make excuses for why they did or did not do something? In fact, it is almost a national obsession to excuse ourselves by blaming others for our mistakes! This attitude, unfortunately, is nothing new.

            Consider Adam and Eve. They are the world’s first excuse-makers. After they had sinned, Adam blamed Eve (and God, Gen. 3:12), and Eve blamed the serpent (Gen. 3:13) for their sin. Yes, Satan presented the temptation, but yielding to that temptation was a decision they made on their own. They were responsible for their sin and no one else! They were guilty, and their excuses did not make the act any less sinful.

            When King Saul sinned by offering the sacrifice that Samuel was supposed to do, he offered many excuses for his sin. He said the people were scattering, that Samuel was late in arriving to offer the sacrifice, and that the Philistines were gathering for war and he feared they would attack before the sacrifice to God had been offered (I Sam. 13:11-12). Yet, for all of his excuses, that did not stop God from punishing him for his sin (I Sam. 13:14).

            When people offer excuses for their sins today, that does not erase the guilt of sin from their souls. The only thing that can do this is the blood of Christ (Rev. 1:5). We come in contact with the cleansing effects of that blood when we are baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38, 22:16). Friend, stop making excuses and come to Christ and have your sins cleansed (blotted out, Acts 3:19). Have Christ erase them today!