Warning: Do Not ADD Anything To Your Faith!

Ephesians 2:4-9, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

I recently posted this intriguing picture below on Facebook. A sincere guest commented that they weren't sure if this message was Biblically accurate. She used the illustration of a sweet elderly woman who trusts Christ, but she also asks God to forgive her sins. Here is what she wrote about the message in the picture below:

So, if a little old lady who can't get to church due to ill health, asked Jesus to be her Saviour (after hearing and believing gospel on the radio ) would go to hell, if she asked God to forgive her sins?

I kindly posted this Biblical reply to help her understand:

Please understand that the preceding post is not criticizing "asking" God to forgive your sins. Albeit, Scripturally we don't need to "ask" God to save us, because He is already freely offering every human being eternal life as a gift (Titus 2:11; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:15-18). God will not penalize someone for ignorantly asking to be saved, but it is important to understand that you don't need to ask or pray to be saved. The Bible says to just BELIEVE (John 3:16).

The preceding quote is refuting the demonic heresy that says you must forsake your sinful bad habits to be saved. This is a popular false teaching in many churches today. So even if a sweet old lady partially trusts Christ, but she also trusts in her effort to avoid sinning, she will go to Hell forever. That is what the Bible teaches (Galatians 3:1-3; Revelation 20:12-15).

We must not ADD anything to our faith, or else it is not faith at all. Romans 11:6, "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." Salvation cannot be by both grace and works, it can only be one or the other.

So, kindly said, anybody who ADDS water baptism, turning away from sin, running the Christian race, counting the cost and paying the price, exchanging all that I am for all that Christ is, following Jesus as "Lord," or anything else other than resting in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. We need GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS (Matthew 6:33; Romans 10:3-4; Philippians 3:9) which is imputed (credited) to us by faith alone (Romans 4:4-7). God bless you my friend and kindest regards.

Dear reader, please do not make the fatal error of thinking that God will allow people to slide. That is, don't foolishly think that God will allow anyone into Heaven apart from FAITH ALONE in His only begotten Son, Jesus. John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

In the Gospel of Matthew, we have a remarkable true story of a group of religious people. These folks loved serving Jesus. They boasted on Judgment Day of their “many wonderful works.” They boasted to Jesus of their preaching, saying: “have we not prophesied in thy name?” Carefully notice that they did these good deeds in “Thy name.” They even followed Christ, calling Him “Lord, Lord” (there's your damnable heresy of “Lordship” salvation ight there). What saith the Scripture? ...

Matthew 7:21-23, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

The blessed Savior Himself plainly tells us the Father's will:

John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

The heavenly Father's will is that you and I, and everyone else, BELIEVE on Jesus Christ alone. God desires for ALL humanity to be saved (2nd Peter 3:9). I marvel in bewilderment and astonishment that so many preachers today fail to see the simplicity that is in Christ (2nd Corinthians 11:3-4). Instead, they ADD repenting “OF YOUR SINS” to faith, which cannot produce the new birth. The only mindset that produces the new birth is that JESUS PAID IT ALL!!! That means there is absolutely NOTHING I can do to help save myself.

Preachers get into trouble when they start relying upon their own human understanding. The Bible warns in Proverbs 14:22, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” To the carnally-minded religious man, it makes perfect sense that you cannot merely come to God and receive His free gift of forgiveness of sins, while maintaining the shameful attitude that you intend to continue committing those very sins for which Christ died. But friend, if you don't believe exactly that—YOU DON'T GET GOD'S GRACE!!!

Whether a sinner intends to forsake his or her lifestyle of sinning at the time of salvation, has absolutely no impact on their faith in the Gospel (i.e., the Good News of Christ crucified, buried and risen the third day). That is why God calls it a free gift in Romans 5:18, “Therefore as by the offence of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” This “FREE GIFT” is offered by God the Father to all mankind. You can have it for the taking dear friend, by simply accepting what the inspired Holy Bible tells us about Jesus Christ. These facts are properly called “the Gospel,” which means “Good news” or “Glad Tidings.” What saith the Scripture? ...

Romans 10:13-17, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Please don't miss that! Faith cometh by HEARING. I love what the Apostle Paul said in Galatians 3:2-3, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” I LOVE THAT! This passage shows the simplicity of salvation—when a lost sinner HEARS the Gospel preached, and BELIEVES what they hear, they are immediately, irrevocably and forever saved!!! That is God's simple plan of salvation.