Shouldn't Your Pastor Know the Good News?

You are to be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and have hands laid on you for the receiving of the Holy Spirit.  

This is where a lot of Preachers and Teachers and Disciples get confused!

Salvation is not something we earn, yet Jesus taught we are to move on to sanctification in discipleship. Jesus words following encounters where he healed or delivered an individual was "go and sin no more". This is important that you understand that God expects nothing of you but to believe in the plan of salvation and redemption, that he has placed in the Son of God, but there are commandments that accompany salvation. 

Baptism is Not a work of a man, nor is the receiving of the Holy Spirit. 

These are commands given designed to help the new believer.

After an individual is saved, there will be evidence of a life change. Because we are filled with the Holy Spirit of God as promised, the Spirit begins to do the works we have not been able to do on our own behalf. As we follow the leading of the Spirit of God we are changed to the Glory of God being shaped into the person God wants us to be according to his will. This is an ongoing process called sanctification. Be led by the Holy Spirit of God, moving on toward perfection in Christ Jesus.

The purpose of your salvation is to be healed and freed from your sins, and to become a servant (disciple) of Jesus Christ, to walk in his way of righteousness, as it was spoken by God the Father from the beginning. This is the only way back to the Father which is called salvation. Jesus Christ is the Righteous One we are to follow, but he has already done the Chief Work of making reconciliation between men and God, that you may have rest and assurance in your soul now and forever.

Much of the misunderstanding and false teachings concerning the subject of salvation have to do in part with THE TIMELINE. Before, and up to the time you believe, your dead works and sins are subject to the penalties of the laws of God. When you come to Jesus Christ, your sins are washed away as if they never happened. Now you become a disciple, and your journey in life changes to walk as Jesus walked. This is a process that is not a burden, but rather liberating the New Man from the normal sinful life.

The expectations of God increase in Christ once one enters into discipleship. 

First Jesus said "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, Repent and believe the Good News". When he says "repent" originally he doesn't even mention sin, because the Good News is the work of God the Father, now being revealed in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, to take away the sins of the world, to those who have faith to believe.

Later, after his disciples choose to follow by faith, he says to his disciples in one of his most famous teachings in John 15 paraphrased: "I (Jesus) am the vine and my Father is the Vinedresser, and you are the branches. There are two ways the Father treats the branches that are in me (Jesus). The Father prunes those he loves so they can bring forth more good fruit, but to those who do not bring forth good fruit in me (Jesus Christ), the Father casts them away from the vine where they wither, and then they are thrown into the fire and burned up. If you abide in me (Jesus), and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 

Jesus speaks of a similar blessing and fate recorded in Matthew 7: Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. He is speaking of those who claim to be followers.

Jesus taught that we show our love for him by keeping his commandments (John 15.10 for example), which are not a burden, as God guides us by his Holy Spirit to walk in them. This brings blessings into our lives beyond measure. Revelation 22.14: Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 

This is part of what is usually missed these days. Repent from dead works to be saved unto good works. Good works, which is known as the good fruit, is the result of discipleship, following salvation by and through the Son of God.

You may have wondered at some point: What about those that died before Jesus Christ was present on earth?  How are they saved?

The answer to that is the gospel (the promise of the good news) was known throughout the ages, and the mystery of the gospel was ultimately revealed in Jesus Christ when he did the Father's appointed good works here on earth. Those in the past are saved by grace through faith just as those after Christ's appearance, who is the promised seed (Genesis 3.15, Genesis 22.18, Genesis 28.14, 1 Kings 11.39, Jeremiah 33.22, Romans 1.3, Romans 4.13, 16, John 7.42, Galatians 3.16, 29, 2 Timothy 2.8).

How Do You Know if You Are a True Disciple? Are you paying attention to the teachings of your appointed master Jesus Christ, or are you following the Traditions of Men and Your Pastor's teachings?

Now that you have heard the Good News and what the Gospel is meant to accomplish, we move forward in our faith to understand a huge problem that exists within Modern Christianity.

This next portion is for those already calling themselves Believers or Christians. As a people we need to get right with God and the Truth of His Word and stop believing all the nonsense that is coming from the false teachers of this age. 

Jesus warned us about this, so if you call yourself his disciple then you should pay close attention.

In light of this question, I have something intriguing for you to consider. 

How About this for Starters: 

Then he (JESUS) took the twelve aside (THE DISCIPLES) and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. "For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. "They will scourge [Him] and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again." But they [His Disciples] understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken (Luke 18.31-34).

Now why is that so interesting?

Well if we go back to Luke Chapter 9 we find long before Luke 18 that Jesus' disciples had already been commissioned to Preach the Gospel.  But how could they be Preaching the Gospel way back in Luke 9 when they didn't even understand that Jesus is going to be killed in Luke 18?

Hmmmmmmmm? Luke 9.1-6

Then He (JESUS) called his twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics (coats, or sets of clothing) apiece. "Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. "And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them. "So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. 

So Jesus' disciples were preaching the gospel before they understood Jesus was going to be crucified. What were they talking about? And did you notice the key aspect of healing? Consider that Paul went into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. This is in Acts 19.8. WOW! Three months in the synagogue talking about the Kingdom of God? Hmmmmmm?

Then in the next couple of verses (Acts 19.9-10) we see that many were hardened, and believed not, but spoke evil of "that way" before the multitude, so Paul departed from them...continued elsewhere for two years; so that all those in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

The passage seems to indicate that the Kingdom of God is the main teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ and that Paul spent two years making sure everyone heard about it. A carefully understood reading of the Scriptures will show that Jesus only spoke the words of the Father, and this is how Jesus fulfilled the Father's sayings from the past writings, known as the Word of YHWH. This is critical to who Jesus is and what he taught.

So maybe we are missing something at church when your usual pastor is is "preaching the postage-stamp gospel"!? 

It is interesting that prayer is not even a part of the "saved message" in the Bible. Read that again: Prayer is not a part of being saved in the New Testament, so what's with the Sinner's Prayer?

Nowadays people are saying "Jesus loves you and died for you so accept Jesus and welcome to the family of god" and "pray this special prayer with me" in just a couple minutes as if the Gospel could fit on a 12mm x 60mm fortune cookie paper slip. They usually say you have to "come forward" and say a short "sinner's prayer" and then you are good to go. Then the next thing you know you are getting an hour long class on tithing, or whatever Pastor thinks is important, even though that same Pastor says he doesn't believe that the Mosaic Law is for Christians.

Just because many people are doing something doesn't make it right, and there is no evidence of this method in the Scripture. The closest we can get to this is the Publican in Jesus' parable in Luke 18.13, but in the story the man chose to hit his chest and said "God be merciful to me a sinner". Why? Because this is an example of self-evident change of mind toward God. Because of the lack of commitment from many these days to understand the depth and width of the Gospel, they rarely share the good news in a pure form, making vital mistakes in leaving out key elements, while adding things that don't apply. The Gospel is shared in the fear of men, leaving out true repentance, and this kind of Gospel fails to heal that which God means to deliver. 

So something Jesus said is worth giving much attention to:

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Matthew 7:21.

Now if you go look at Matthew 7 "honestly", you are going to find out that this is spoken in the context of to those professing themselves to be believers who are actually False Prophets, 

These False Prophets seem to have even performed some miraculous works, but they did not enter in through the Narrow Gate which is The Only Way. Instead these professing Miracle Workers were actually Workers of Lawlessness!  Workers of Anomia means working with "NO-LAW". 

Interestingly Matthew 7 is the passage that people quote to tell you not to judge, which is the first verse, but then the passage continues to give guidance as to what you should do first so you can see clearly, and then you will be able to know "THEM" by their fruits. 

Knowing bad fruit is a type of judgment, not to be confused with condemnation, because these bad fruit practitioners are not in Christ. The conclusion is that Bad Fruit is a sign someone will not enter into the Kingdom of God, and that bad fruit is equated to lawless behavior.  

To determine if someone is a false prophet is to pass judgment.  However, the modern church system and its leaders often usually demand "don't judge", all the while they judge others by the rules the modern churches follow...just like the Pharisees did. 

This passage in Matthew 7 is Jesus Christ speaking as to what will happen in the end to "MANY" which is a Great Number!  The word that is used here in the original language is POLYS πολύς which could even mean "majority".  

So is Jesus saying the "Majority" of people who are calling on the Name of the Lord will not be saved? Note that the context of the passage in that section is talking about False Prophets, and that seems to most directly indicate a specific group of people who claim to speak on behalf of the Almighty (certainly they think they are "believers"). In modern Western American culture this type of person would usually be called something like Pastor, or a Shepherd. There are many names or titles for this type of religious system around the world, from Pastor to Evangelist to Preacher to Pope to Vicar to Bishop to Reverend to Rabbi. I use the word Pastor here to include anyone who is in a leadership position using the Scripture (or Bible) as their basis for speaking and teaching in the Name of God. 

If you put yourself in a "position" to speak the Words of God, you are essentially functioning as either a Prophet, or a False Prophet...and MANY-MOST are False Prophets!

Therefore, many preach a False Gospel...or a watered down version of the truth that is so diluted that Jesus would not recognize himself as "the one that is preached about" if he visited the churches in the world today. Even then Almighty God can work with even a little light, but the false practitioner still has to answer for those they lead astray with a lot of darkness and lies.  

So let's look at a few verses and see if you recognize them in your Pastor's preaching and teaching? 

If you do then your pastor might be preaching the truth about the good news. Please understand I am going to start with those types of verses that are usually left out, and then work my way back into those that are more often referenced.

Though he were a Son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him (Hebrews 5:8-9)

Now after that John [the baptist] was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent you, and believe the gospel (Mark 1:14-15).

Now later in Mark 6 Jesus says in verse 11 "If they won't hear you, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  So what was it that was supposed to be "heard"?

And they (THE DISCIPLES) went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed [them] (Mark 6:12-13)

Preaching repentance, casting out devils, and healing sick people!  When is the last time you saw that at church, especially in terms of this being The Good News?

And what about this?

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:8).

And this?

Yet if [any man suffer] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls [to him] in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator (1 Peter 4:16-19).

Obey? Scarcely saved? Scarcely in that verse means "with difficulty". Keeping of your soul?

Okay now let's bring in a verse that is usually used that is also absolutely an important part of the gospel message.  

For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Grace is where the Gospel Message is and begins. This is clear. And this is expressed throughout Scripture like here in Ephesians. But then the very next verse gives the intended "result of grace", which you usually won't ever hear quoted, especially when a Christian is insisting God's Laws have been done away with.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).  Hmmmmm? 

What is the main thing we need to understand here? You are NOT saved by your own works. You can't earn your salvation. However, you are to exercise your faith in repentance toward God that he may lead you to be successful in Christ's example to perform the same kind of good works in which we should walk; Liberty is Freedom from Sin, not just to be forgiven, but to also walk in Righteousness.

That last part about "before ordained" means "prepared in advance" and it was the same faith spoken to the forefathers by the prophets through the age in Scripture. This is the Word of YHWH.

We need to understand that one of the most key elements of the Gospel Message is Grace followed by Obedience through faith which "leads" to righteousness. Obedience is Evidence of faith. As we have seen already in the Hebrews reference, Jesus' obedience is what led to the restoration of everlasting life, which was necessary due to the Fall of Mankind in the Garden. 

Jesus did these things by faith in the power of the Father's Holy Spirit.  

Let us be true disciples of Jesus Christ and abide in Grace as Obedient sons and daughters.

The Christian stands in grace (1 Peter 5.12), grows in grace (2 Peter 3.18), and is to be strong in grace (2 Timothy 2.1). Grace is God's favor. We are called by grace (Galatians 1.15), justified by grace (Titus 3.7), and we are established by grace (Hebrews13:9).   

The Bible also says we are saved by grace (Ephesians 2.5, 8). But does it say are we saved by grace alone and nothing else follows? The word alone is not in the text. Faith is essential (v8). And then there is the next verse that seems to never get quoted when someone is screaming "saved by grace"! Ephesians 2.10 says: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

Ephesians 2.20-22. Disciples of Jesus Christ are to be a part of a holy temple.

Paul said God's grace "brings salvation", but he also affirmed God's grace "has appeared to all men" (Titus 2.11). God has done the work of equally extending grace throughout the ages. If it were just a matter of salvation by grace alone, all would be saved, as no activating action would be required.

Unfortunately, many shall not be saved, because the gate is narrow (Matthew 7.13-14) and others will claim they thought they were saved, but aren’t (Matthew 7.15-23). 

You must do the will of Jesus' Father, according to Jesus (Matthew 7.21-23). These aren't your works, but his works, which you will be judged by, which is what is meant by this following passage, and we would do well to listen:

[There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8.1-4).

There is more involved than grace alone, because each man must appropriate God's grace, personally. You must believe, and this is a verb which is an action that comes out of repentance.

Repentance is a change of mind about who God is and who holds all authority and power, which is not you, and not Your Pastor, and not some false God you may serve otherwise than the Only One True God.

It is true that grace is a gift from God, and man cannot earn it (Romans11.6, Ephesians 2.8-10). Some confuse earning and acting upon; or appropriating. Man can (and does sometimes) receive God's grace in vain (2 Corinthians 6.1). 

Christians can also "fall from grace" (Galatians 5:4). In Ephesians 2, we have two elements, grace and faith, and "united" beings: God and Jesus and Man. Paul wrote, "For by grace are you saved through faith...it is a gift" (vs. 8). Grace is emanated from God, but faith is man's responsibility to exercise, and Christ is the healing bridge who is the cornerstone of the temple and the head of the church. And we must not forget "mercy", which is what we need when we misuse grace, or stumble, or fall.

Man seems determined to attach "alone or only" to grace in an inappropriate context, as if there is no necessary action or result. 

Yet Man has participation in his salvation, from the beginning (accepting grace) and through the process (continuing in grace, Acts 13.43), and overcoming (Romans 6:12-14, 1 John 5, Revelation 2). We are to put on Christ (Galatians 3.27, Romans 13.14). 

One cannot proclaim "hail jesus" and then just do whatever he wants, as if he's a Aleister Crowley disciple. You cannot live in hopeful expectation to receive the promised blessings of God while also being disobedient. True faith in Christ inspires continued repentance.

How many times did Jesus say (?): "Your faith has made you whole".

Grace alone is false, because faith originally is stated, and continued faith in obedience is essential (2 Corinthians 10:5-6), in repentance (Jesus said Repent & Believe Mark 1.15). Grace reigns through to righteousness, man's faith is in righteousness (Romans 5:1-2, 21) and follows the righteousness of Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1).

Consider the context of 1 Peter 2.24: [By Jesus...] Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 

So it might be a good idea to understand how to "live for righteousness" and “to be an overcomer”!

If all you have to do is say a simple little prayer and you are done, then what’s with the overcoming? 

It is interesting that prayer is not even found with the individual at initial conversion. The Bible teaches "repent and be baptized". Take a look at Acts 2.38-42. See how prayer comes after repentance and baptism and is mixed in with fellowship, as a fruit of repentance. This is "evidence" of true belief.

What about sanctification? I wouldn't be so presumptive, but fearful of God until you have been resurrected from the dead. All believers need to appropriate their trust and hope in the right perspective, continuing in God's grace and prayerful for the Mercy of Jesus Christ.

With all this said, don't misunderstand, as others falsely teach that God's grace is not needed, and that Jesus righteousness is not supreme in gathering many followers to the Father’s holiness. These are necessary, or you have a false gospel. Obey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8, 1 Peter 4:17), by the grace of God and the love of Jesus Christ.

It seems Man is determined to pervert God's simple plan for man's salvation, by falsely teaching man earns his salvation. Grace in Christ Jesus, who continues in the Father's will by his Spirit is absolutely the narrow gate of salvation...Yes!

Yet the other most common false position is salvation is all of God, and that obedience is not involved or required. God just saves you and you never have to do anything. The problem with that understanding is there is no participation involved, like faith and repentance. If that were true, then everyone would be saved automatically and there would be no need to preach the good news. While there is nothing you can do to "earn" your salvation, you still have to respond, and participate, in the free gift that has been offered by God through Jesus Christ.

If your father bought you a new car, paid the insurance, and filled it with gas, and washed it all the time for you, but you never appreciated the car, or even got in the car, or drove the car, would the free gift have any result? Would your Father be pleased with you if your vehicle was left rotting in the driveway?

As growing Believers, we must also pay attention to verses like Jude 5, for example?  But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries (Hebrews 10:26-27). This verse is worth considering! Or shall we ignore it? I have heard many Bible Teachers dismiss this with some fancy word dancing. When they start making excuses for God's Word to try to make the process of discipleship seem easier, they take away a chief hope of the gospel--deliverance to righteousness!

Since man is not sinless, God provides the necessary grace through faith, whereby a man can be saved unto obedience to walk in righteousness in repentance. This is Liberty. God's grace is not "grace alone", for the word “alone” is never specifically attributed to salvation as it is often preached. It is true that God's grace in Christ is sufficient in our weakness as it is said in 2 Corinthians 12.9, so that we may be made strong by him in our infirmities. But note the process. Also note where the process ends, which is at the Judgment Seat with Jesus Christ.

Sometimes when you have two opposing doctrines where one argues "this" and another argues "that", the truth may be found in Both, or somewhere in the middle. By grace and seeking the kingdom of God we overcome this false dichotomy by letting ALL of Scripture be the test. 

Balance the whole counsel of the text!

So what then is the True Gospel, and is there a difference between the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Gospel of the Kingdom of God?  I laid these out together in the beginning of this message to make it more clear how they work together and cannot be separated.  

Let's dig a little deeper now.

One of the key places where the Gospel of the Kingdom is clearly laid out is in Psalm 1 & 2. These two short passages involve what true repentance brings forth in terms of focus and fruit, and how someone can avoid the coming judgment. The first Psalm certainly sounds a lot like Jesus talked when he taught. And then in Psalm 2 we have a great description of the Kings of the Earth coming against YHWH and YHWH's Chosen Holy One, the Messiah. Here we have the resurrection in v7 followed by the warning to "Kiss the Son Lest He be Angry" at the end, making reference to the coming judgment when those who refuse shall be destroyed in fire with just a "little kindling".

This context is all over the Scripture. Stop serving other gods and idols, including yourself, and serve God through Christ. Jesus is the only way back to Our Father, the truth and the life. By serving in truth and spirit you will be able to serve your neighbor the same, because you have the right focus. 

Those who teach that because Salvation is a free gift, you are then free to do whatever you want in liberty are false teachers. The Father Liberates those in Christ from sin and the destruction that comes with sin. Those who say that YHWH's laws ha been done away with are false teachers and liars! 

It is better to FEAR YHWH and seek mercy through the Messiah the Son of the Living God Jesus Christ. I suggest you get baptized and have hands laid on you to be filled with the Holy Spirit so you can walk the spiritual walk of sanctification. This is the the basic "milk" of The Faith, as the writer of Hebrews put it (Chap. 5), and those who teach without this understanding are "unskilled in the word of righteousness"!  I suggest any Christian should intimately know the first couple of verses of Hebrews 6 and search the Scriptures to understand them, otherwise you are a baby in need of milk. 

These are the foundational teachings for those who are to be saved and healed:

THE MILK

1. Repentance from Dead Works...in Faith...Toward God

2. The Teaching of Baptisms

3. The Teaching of Laying on of Hands

4. The Teaching of Resurrection 

5. The Teaching of Eternal Judgment

The above Psalms are a sampling of the True Gospel that Jesus taught His Disciples. 

For example, Psalm 110 v1 is the most repeated verses in the New Testament, and is a summary verse of the Kingdom of God: YHWH (Father God) says to Adoni (Messiah Jesus), “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”  We learn in Hebrews 10 v.12 and 13 that the death and resurrection of Jesus is the central point of His Obtaining the Throne, which takes us back to Psalm 2 v7, which is directly declared in Acts 13.33. This is crucial to the Kingdom of God and redemption, and the testimony of Jesus Christ which is the spirit of prophecy.

In Matthew Chapter 4 we learn some Hugely Important information:   

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." But He (JESUS) answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' " Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In [their] hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.' " Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.' " Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.' " Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him....

Then...Jesus began to preach and to say, 

“Change Your Mind, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” 

Here is something else that will surprise most modern Christians. 

Apparently the Good News involves obedience too.  

For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin] at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17)

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:8).

And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7).

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men everywhere to repent: Because he has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by [that] man whom he has ordained; [whereof] he has given assurance unto all [men], in that he has raised him from the dead (Acts 17:30-31)

That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says, Whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed (Romans 10:9-11).

Backing Up a Little in Romans...

....But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:22-23). 

And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son (1 John 5:11). 

Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory (2 Timothy 2:10).

Be Encouraged! Don’t Miss Out on the Real Temple! And know the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, because it's a central theme of the entire Bible.

Kingdom of God Passage Index: Psalm 1 and 2, 9, 37, 45, 47, and 110; Daniel 2, 4, 7, and 12, Isaiah 14 (v16 emphasis), Isaiah 2, 11, 32, 51 and 66, Jeremiah 3, 23 (emphasis v17), Zechariah 6, Zechariah 14, Micah 4 and 5, Matthew 5, 6, 13, Mark 1 (emphasis v14-15), Luke 4 (emphasis v43), Acts 8 (emphasis v12), Colossians 1, Hebrews 3 (emphasis v9), and Revelation 7, 11, 21, and 22

Kingdom of God Phrase Index: Matthew 6:33, Matthew 12:28, Matthew 19:24, Matthew 21:31, 43, Mark 1:14-15, Mark 4:11, 26, 30, Mark 9:1, 47, Mark 10:14-15, 23-25, Mark 12:34, Mark 14:25, Mark 15:43, Luke 4:43, Luke 6:20, Luke 7:28, Luke 8:1, 10, Luke 9:2, 11, 27, 60, 62, Luke 10:9, 11, Luke 11:20, Luke 12:31, Luke 13:18, 20, 28-29, Luke 14:15, Luke 16:16, Luke 17:20-21, Luke 18:16-17, 24-25, Luke 19:11, Luke 21:31, Luke 22:16, 18, Luke 23:51, John 3:3, 5, Acts 1:3, Acts 8:12, Acts 14:22, Acts 19:8, Acts 20:25, Acts 28:23, 31, Romans 14:17, 1 Corinthians 4:20, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Corinthians 15:50, Galatians 5:21, Colossians 4:11, 2 Thessalonians 1:5l

Kingdom of Heaven Phrase Index: Matthew 3:2, Matthew 4:17, Matthew 5:3, 10, 19-20, Matthew 7:21, Matthew 8:11, Matthew 10:7, Matthew 11:11-12, Matthew 13:11, 24, 31, 33, 44-45, 47, 52, Matthew 16:19, Matthew 18:1, 3-4, 23, Matthew 19:14, 23, Matthew 20:1, Matthew 22:2, Matthew 23:13, Matthew 25:1, 14