What were the quotes and Bible verses put on the projector at today's service on Sept 16? The passages I referenced Sunday were; Luke 15:11-32, 1 Timothy 5:8, 1 Timothy 3:4 and 5, and Philippians 2:3.
If a person believes in God, has learned about Christ, but does not accept Jesus as their savior will they go to heaven when they die? Before I answer this question, I need to be clear. God is the only one who will determine who makes it to heaven and who does not. I am not the judge. All I can do is tell you what the Bible says about salvation. First of all, Romans 10:9 and 10 says, "That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." This passage clearly defines a saved person as one who confesses with their mouth and believes in their heart that Jesus is Lord. Jesus being the Lord of your life is the key. And as this passage says, you must believe that with your heart and only God knows someone's heart. The Greek word for "Lord" in that passage is recognizing Christ as the ultimate authority in your life. Or viewing Him as master and you as slave. So you see here, recognizing Christ as Lord is a life altering decision in someone's life. We also see in James that its not enough just to believe in God. James 2:18-20 says, "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?" Here we see that our faith in Christ as Lord must be evidenced by the way we live. Someone can't just say the believe in Christ, they must live with Him as Lord, or they are no different than the demons who believe Christ is who He said He is. Finally, Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" Here we see some sobering words from Jesus. Jesus is again clearly drawing a differentiation between one who says Jesus is Lord and the person who backs up the Lordship of Christ by the way they live. So to answer your question, I think one definitely needs to do more than simply believe in God and learn about Christ. Recognizing Him as Lord and Savior is essential to one's salvation according to Scripture. Jesus called us to be authentic, committed, followers, not half-committed acquaintances. Thanks for your question!
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