It’s quite possible that some so-called Christians have believed in “another Jesus” according to scripture.
Friend: How about people that live like _____, if they believe in Jesus aren’t they saved? Aren’t they under grace?
Evangelist: Well, sure, if they really believed. But believing is not just saying one believes in Jesus. There are plenty of people that say that but for the wrong reasons. Maybe they say it just to cover their butts, or simply because they grew up that way. A believer is someone who has said to God “Lord, I’m a sinner, I need your help. Save me from my sin.” Someone who confesses that to God from the heart; that’s a saved person. So who knows.
Friend: ohhhhhhh, you mean some people will say they believe, but they don’t even admit they’re a sinner? How could they be saved?!
Evangelist: Yeah, they’re not even willing to admit they are wrong, or have sinned against God. Many people I’ve talked to in the Catholic church believe they are saved because they are a good person. If you ask them if they believe in Jesus they say yes. But some Catholics I know deny they are even a sinner.
They’ve believed in “another Jesus” according to scripture, one to their own liking, that fits their lifestyle that they want to continue in.
They haven’t surrendered to the Lord in faith.
*Scriptural references to look up and come to your own conclusions: Mat 7:13-27, 22:1-14, Luk 18:9-14, 19:1-10, Act 20:21, 2Cor 11:4, Rom 10:9-11
*Most of the Lord’s parables were focused on true and false professions of faith.

Saved From a Death Sentence

Based On a True Story

A guilty man was convicted of murder. Justice demanded that a price be paid for his error. A payment must be made, according to the courtroom Judge. It was the only just and righteous thing to do! Therefore, the man was sentenced to death.

After many days of waiting, the day of his scheduled execution arrived. The man is led out of his cell by the prison guards. He is walked down the long corridor of death with chains on his hands and feet. His heart is pounding. His body is soaked with sweat. Tears start pouring from his eyes. He knows he has just minutes to live!

He is almost at the end of the corridor. He can see the light in the execution room. He has heard the stories of horror and pain and death, and is terrified of what he is about to face.

As this guilty murderer approaches the entrance to the execution room, a man steps in front of him and the prison guards. This man looks very meek and caring, and with a peaceful look on his face, he hands the guards a letter from the courtroom Judge.

As the prison guards read it, they are shocked to discover that the Judge has given permission for this man to take the murderer’s place! This man is a FRIEND of the murderer and he loves him very much, even though his friend is guilty.

So great is his love for his friend that he has offered his own life before the courts to be sacrificed in place of his guilty friend, and the Judge has agreed to allow the substitution!

The murderer is suddenly released from his chains, and they are placed on the hands and feet of his innocent friend! The murderer is astonished. His jaw drops and he can’t even speak. He watches in disbelief of the great love of his friend as he is led to the execution room, and beaten and put to death.

What a friend. This was a true friend.

This story illustrates what God has done for us. A true friend sticks by you no matter what, even when you’re guilty. There is no greater proof of love and friendship.

Jesus said “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Do you know that YOU have a friend like this? Your True Friend has already died as a substitute for you. The Heavenly Judge has allowed it. He died for us all because, according to the Bible, we’re all guilty of sin before our holy God. (Romans 3:3,10) We’ve all broken the 10 Commandments, for example, throughout our lifetimes.

The good news is that OUR DEBT HAS BEEN PAID! We have been saved from a death sentence! The Bible tells us we are all deserving of eternal death because we’re all sinners, and sinners cannot please a perfect God.

But thanks to our Best Friend, the Lord, Jesus Christ, the eternal judgment for our sins has been removed. Our sins were poured out onto Him on the Cross. God Himself broke down the invisible dividing wall between man and God — the wall between a holy God and His rebellious creatures.

God wants us to repent of our sinfulness and turn to Christ as our Lord and Savior, in humility. Jesus said “Repent, and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15c)

No one is worthy except the perfect One, Jesus Christ, who stepped in the way of our execution. He was without sin, and therefore qualified to be the acceptable sacrifice. Our death sentence has been transferred to our True Friend, who was God in the flesh! (John 1:1,14, 5:24)

God loved us so much that He did the unthinkable. He stepped out of heaven. He became that innocent man in the long dark corridor. He became poor so we could become rich. (2Co 8:9)

He paid the price for us, so that we could be offered the free gift of eternal life THROUGH HIM. Our certificate of debt, which we owed God for our sins, was nailed to the Cross with Him. And by trusting in His Son, we are saved!!!

That’s a True Friend. That’s True Love. All of us have the Lord on our side, IF we choose to accept Him, IF we’ll humble ourselves and admit our need for His mercy.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”(John 3:16)

The Gospel: Jesus Christ, who is God incarnate, humbled Himself to die on our behalf. Thus He became the sinless sacrifice to pay the penalty of our guilt. He rose from the dead to declare with power that He is Lord over all, and He offers eternal life freely to sinners who will surrender to Him in humble, repentant faith.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” (Eph 2:8-9)

“The wages of sin is eternal death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23)

The Word of God tells us whoever trusts in the Lord Jesus, from the heart, will be saved!

“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. ” (Rom 10:9-10)

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for anyone who has turned to your Son in humility. We gladly welcome them as fellow children into Your Family, as heirs to eternal life!

We ask that You motivate them to read Your inspired Word, the Bible, starting in the gospel of John. And we ask that You help all believers find the Pastor-teacher
you have currently assigned them to, so they can learn Your unique plan for their lives. (1 Pe 5:3, Act 20:28)

Most of all, we thank You for Your indescribable gift, Your own Son, Jesus Christ. Now we know that You love us, because You did not withhold Your only Son from us. (1Jo 4:19)

We ask that You bless and protect everyone as they go forward in Your destiny for them. It’s in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that we pray. Amen.

—————–

WE ALL NEED TO BE SAVED FROM A DEATH SENTENCE. WE JUST DON’T REALIZE IT.

The contents of this booklet are to make us aware of the hopeless situation we are in, and how we can be rescued from it.

If you’re still alive, God has a plan and purpose for your life.

But it’s up to you to seek Him and search for it.

You have free will, and He promises, if you ask Him for the TRUTH, He will reveal it to you!

 

Mike’s Story

Hello my friend. It’s about 2 a.m., and I’m wide awake thinking about someone I met yesterday.
His name is Mike; a very nice older gentleman who was smoking his cigar at the park and was cordial enough to sit with me to take our church survey.
Here’s his story… and I tell it very candidly on how it all went.
Mike ended up being a “recovering Catholic”, no longer being a member of that church because of certain complaints about their ways. But when I asked if he was a believer in God and Jesus, he said “yes”.
When I asked him the final question of our short survey: “if you were to die tonight, where do you think you’re going, and WHY?”, he replied he thought we were living in Hell now and death will mean peace.
I let him know that Jesus said Hell is actually a real place of “fire” and “outer darkness”, and that Jesus Himself warned about Hell much more than He spoke about Heaven.
That is why He came.Mike seemed surprised at that. I told him we’re all going to one place or the other, and that the Bible says we’re all born at odds with God and facing judgment.
He had no reply.I said: “Who is innocent?!
Who hasn’t broken His commandments?!”… and he agreed.I proceeded to let him know that you’re not saved by belonging to a certain church, but that God sees the heart. He looks at the heart, according to the Bible.
I then asked him “what do you believe in your heart? God can see it anyway.”Mike said: “I believe in being good to people”.
I replied “well that’s good, but do you think that’s what will save you from your sins?… do you think it’s like a scale, and your good has to outweigh your bad?”
He had no reply.
I then let him know, “I’m not out here talking to you for my own health… I care what’s going to happen to people.”
He seemed to appreciate that.”We all have to make a decision, my friend… do you trust in yourself to be saved, or trust in Christ to be saved?”
He thought for a moment and with a seemingly satisfied smile he said “self”. I thought UGH… there it is, the human pride that we’re all born with, being born in sin. And I used to think the same!
I said to him in reply: “That’s a big mistake. That’s exactly what Satan wants you to think.” (Satan deceives the whole world, according to the Bible)… “I know that’s a harsh statement, but he wants you to think you can save yourself.
If we could be good enough to save ourselves, then why did Christ come and willingly die on the Cross??”
Mike thought about it. He seemed a little perplexed. “If any of us could have been good enough to please God on our own, then why did He choose to be judged for our sins??”
“Mike, it’s ultimately between you and the Lord. You have to a make a decision; are you going to rely on your “self” to be saved, or on Christ alone??? It’s one or the other my friend. Do you see what I’m saying??”
He said: “Yes, thank you, I appreciate it.” (Phew! 🙂
“You’re welcome sir… please go home and think about it, will you? And take this pamphlet to read. I hope you’ll take it to heart. If you want to be saved, there’s a certain surrender that needs to take place in your heart.
Jesus said Repent and believe the good news! (Mark 1:15) – Turn to the Lord Jesus and you will be saved!”
This, my friends, is why Jesus said one must be born again to enter the kingdom of God (Read John 3).
There’s a very real conversion that needs to take place in one’s heart, and only God can do it, by grace through faith in Christ alone. (even faith itself is a grace gift from God, Eph 2:8, Rom 12:3)
Even though Mike was a nice guy, he was deceived about where he was going and how he would get there, just as many of us are, or have been!If you’re reading this and you’re sort of like Mike, go to God with a humble heart, as I also mentioned to him.
The Bible says God gives grace to the humble, Jam 4:6, 1Pe 5:5. Go to Him and ask forgiveness for your sins and look to Christ, and see what He does for you. 🙂
My hope is that Mike’s story helps people see the fullness of the Gospel and why we must compassionately explain it to people.
Just because people say they’re a believer doesn’t necessarily mean they trust in Christ alone as their Lord and Savior from their sins, as in this story!
Please consider this prayerfully, both for your own soul, and for the sake of your witness to others.
If there are some of your friends or family who might benefit from hearing Mike’s story, PLEASE pass it on.
God is good, and He has provided the Lord Jesus as “the Way” to be saved from our sins (John 14:6), but He will not violate the free choice of man to choose for self or for HIM. And it’s a very real decision.
In Christ’s love,
Scott
* To “believe” in the Lord Jesus, ala Acts 16:31, means to “entrust” yourself to Him, see the original Greek language of the New Testament.