Resurrection Life of Jesus Church

SALVATION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Jesus never set up a salvation plan in the four Gospels. Instead, He declared the only way to have eternal life in heaven was through Him. John 14:6

The God-man also specified that a person needed to be born again in order to attain salvation, but He never explained to Nicodemus what had to be done. John 3:1-7

The Son of God stated that many people would try to enter the Kingdom of God, but despite their good works, they would be turned away because He didn’t know them. Matthew 7:21-23

Jesus stated that no man could come to Him unless God the Father God drew him first to the God-man. John 6:44

The Son of God also stated eternal life was not possible unless people were willing to eat His flesh and drink His blood. It is impossible to be saved unless you are a partaker of the grace provided by Jesus’ atonement through the death of His physical body and the blood that was shed. verses 53-58

The God-man likewise declared that believing in Him as the Messiah was a requirement. verses 63-65

Jesus asserted the Kingdom of God was at hand and people should repent and believe the Gospel. Mark 1:15

A certain ruler came to the God-man and asked what he needed to do in order to have eternal life. Jesus told him about the ten commandments, and when the ruler said that he had kept them since a youth, Jesus stated he needed to sell all his possessions, give the money to the poor, then return and follow the Messiah. Luke 18:18-22

PARABLE OF THE NATIONS
I am ashamed to say that this is the first time in my Christian life of some 58 years that I have truly investigated salvation. As I am working my way through the Gospel of Matthew, I was stumped when I came to the part where Jesus talked about the separation of nations in the end times. Matthew 25:31-32

The prophet Joel was given a message about the valley of decision. Joel 3:11-14

There is a separation of believers in Christ from the unsaved. This is where we will find wise and foolish virgins;¹ along with industrious and faithful servants and others who are wicked, lazy, and unprofitable.² These are the sheep and the goats. The righteous are on the right and the cursed to the left. Matthew 25:33

Jesus started the parable referring to Himself as the Son of man but now He uses the title of King, which is also the same title found in the Book of Revelation.³

Believers in Christ are officially welcomed to the Kingdom of God. verse 34

King Jesus informs them why they are being welcomed into the Kingdom of God.

• They had fed the God-man when He was hungry

• Given Him water when He was parched

• Provided Him with lodging

• Given Him adequate clothing

• Taken care of Him

• And visited Him in prison. verses 35-36

The righteous (elect) did not remember any such incidents and questioned when they would have occurred. verses 37-39

The King responded that whenever they had done a good deed unto the least known and poorest among the people – those created in the image of God – it was the same as doing it for the King. verse 40

The King then addresses the cursed on the left – those worthy of eternal punishment – and informs them they are being moved to the Lake of Fire. verse 41

Their fate is their own because of their actions. verses 42-43

The goats wonder when these encounters with the Messiah supposedly took place.  verse 44

The answer is much the same answer given to the righteous. They ignored the insignificant and downtrodden in their afflictions – people created in the image of God. verse 45

Jesus concludes the parable by disclosing the goats (cursed) will fade away to obscurity in the Lake of Fire. No one will hear their tormented screams and desperate cries for help. They will experience a second and very eternal death.

Meanwhile, the righteous (elect) get to experience life eternal. Jesus has abolished death. We are clothed in His righteousness. We gain access to God the Father and get to spend eternity in the presence of the Lord. verse 46

CLARIFICATION BY THE APOSTLES
As I stated earlier, Jesus never laid out a salvation plan from A to Z. He spoke on different occasions about salvation, and as the case with Nicodemus, never specified how to be born again.

This means it is necessary to rely upon the apostles. They had different approaches and I have combined information from the apostles Peter and Paul.

1. When Peter was asked by Jewish men on the day of Pentecost what to do, he instructed them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus. Acts 2:38

2. A few days later, Peter went to the temple told the people to repent in order to have their sins forgiven. Acts 3:19

3. Paul clarified that a person is baptized in water through immersion because he has already been born again. Romans 6:1-4

4. Paul stated that salvation is by grace alone; good works will not save a person, but they should follow as a result of salvation. Ephesians 2:8-10

5. Jesus paid for the sins of the human race on the cross. Hebrews 9:24-28

6. When Paul wrote the letter to the Christians in Rome, he specified the steps of salvation.

a. Confess that Jesus is the Messiah
b. That God raised Him from the dead.
c. Believing with your heart (soul) unto righteousness.
d. Confessing it publicly with your mouth.
e. Call upon Jesus to save you. Romans 10:9-13

SUMMARY
Reading the four Gospels can be confusing since Jesus spoke in parables to the people and made a number of points of what leads to salvation. The God-man conveyed truth, but He wasn’t completely clear on the subject. It was a cumulative punishment for the generations of sin over the centuries. Matthew 13:10-15

This is the first time I have reconciled the four Gospels with the teaching of the apostles when it comes to salvation, how to obtain it, and who paid for our sins.

I was shown the “Roman Road” when I was presented with the Gospel in 1965. That is the method I have used over the years.

This is a thought-provoking message that needs to be studied. Pray over it and seek the Lord to get a solid understanding of what Jesus did and how a person obtains salvation.

1. Matthew 25:1-13
2. Matthew 25:14-30
3. Revelation 19:16