Jews, Israelite’s, cults, sects, continue to stumble over self-righteousness thinking “repentance” is sufficient for salvation from death in Hell. They are eternally in error.
You can keep the Torah, a religion, to the very best of your ability and you can repent of sin relentlessly, continuously, with sincerity, but if your sin does not receive the blood atonement (Leviticus 17:11) provided only by Jesus Christ by faith, trust, belief, that Jesus is Lord who died for you (Romans 10:9-10), you will perish in your sin and you will perish in the “second death” in Perdition (John 8:24; Rev 20:11-15). You MUST be Born Again by faith in Jesus and receive the indwelling Holy Spirit as Guarantor of that covenant relationship (John 3; Ephesians 1:13-14) to be integrated into the New Covenant and receive the benefits thereof i.e. forgiveness of sin – eternal life – the indwelling Holy Spirit – peace with God, forever (Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 8:12; Romans 5:1).
Must we believe that Jesus is God in order to receive forgiveness of sin and eternal life?
I don’t believe that knowing Jesus as God is a prerequisite to salvation by faith as one may enter into covenant relationship by grace (unmerited favor) through faith (trusting-believing) that Jesus is Lord who died to pay their sin-debt – BUT – the most important sign that one has been redeemed and their faith is valid and true having received the Holy Spirit as Guarantor of covenant relationship is not only a changed life seeking righteousness but the fact that during sanctification, where the Holy Spirit imparts divine wisdom into the life of the faithful in Jesus, they will come to KNOW without doubt that Jesus is God, Elohim, and they will understand the necessity for this divine truism as this knowledge is one KEY that differentiates the Christian from every religion, cult, sect, in the World today.
Does Water Baptism impart Redemption – Eternal Life?
I do agree that one who is born again by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord “should” be Baptized…they “should” desire to follow our Lord in all things in obedience to His commands but water does not save anyone! It is only the sinless blood of Messiah shed at Golgotha that makes atonement for your sin and only your faith in that blood initiates covenant relationship with the Father…NOTHING else, NO ONE else; Jesus is our God, our Redeemer and He is completely sufficient in and of Himself to redeem you from your sin; in fact, Adam attempted to cover his sin and shame by the works of his own hands with fig leaves in Eden but Elohim rejected Adam’s self-righteousness and Elohim shed innocent blood to acquire a robe of imputed righteousness for Adam and his wife; therefore, God HIMSELF did the work of redemption not man (Genesis 3:21; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
If a man or woman is saved by faith in Jesus as Lord, they have received the Holy Spirit of God as Guarantor of that relationship (Ephesians 1:13-14) yet, for some reason is not baptized, they remain eternally secure in the atoning blood of Messiah as the redemptive element concerning salvation but they most likely will lose rewards at the BEMA Judgment for disobedience and their daily walk in the Spirit will be continuously stymied by unfaithfulness testified to by one’s conscience during sanctification.
The children of God in Jesus Christ find peace and intimacy through obedience to God’s will; therefore, obedience to the commands of Jesus is imperative if the “Zoe Life” is to manifest during sanctification by the Holy Spirit.
Does faith in Jesus violate God’s Greatest Commandment? Some Jews/Israelites suggest Jesus is idol worship…allow me to respond…
Exodus 20:2-3 I Am the LORD THY GOD, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt… Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me.
The very SAME God you cite who delivered Israel from bondage to slavery is the very SAME God who delivers humankind from bondage to sin and slavery to a law that only condemns them to death in Hell (Romans 3:20). Jesus Christ is Elohim – Jesus is Yahweh – Jesus is I AM having manifest in flesh within the Realm of Time to provide blood atonement mandated by Leviticus 17:11 (Hebrews 9:22) so that YOU CAN LIVE with HIM ETERNALLY. Jesus is not an idol – Jesus is the Living God who gave Himself for you with selfless love “to destroy the works of the Devil” for YOUR benefit (1 John 3:8b).
Jesus’ introductory message as He initiated His Ministry upon this Earth from the Scroll of Isaiah (61).
If anyone suggests there is an alternative to the blood of Jesus to atone for your sin, they are a servant of the Devil; therefore, run away!
Human kind was created in sinless perfection with free will as human kind was created in the spiritual image of God (Genesis 1:26-28). Our father, Adam, chose narcissism and rebellion over obedience to Elohim; therefore, through federal headship, Adam’s sin spreads to all of mankind for all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard of perfection (Romans 5:12; Romans 3:23), but Elohim, as early as Genesis 3:15, foretold of a Redeemer that would enter Time through the virgin womb to circumvent Adam’s sin-nature and do battle with the initiator of sin and evil, Satan (1 John 3:8b; John 8:44), and defeat the works of the Devil through blood atonement first pictured in Genesis 3:21 with the shedding of innocent blood to attain an imputed robe of righteousness (animal skins) while rejecting the self-righteousness of man (fig leaves) to earn his own righteousness; in other words, God Himself would provide the sacrifice for the sins of mankind through the shedding of innocent blood and this was reiterated in Leviticus 17:11, demonstrated temporarily through the Levitical blood sacrifices and ultimately fulfilled by Jesus Christ at Golgotha who initiated the New Covenant of Grace, the Gospel, in His own, sinless, blood (Matthew 26:28) and the Father, by covenant promise, agrees to impute the perfection of Jesus into and over the life of the one who believes that Jesus is Lord who died to pay their sin-debt (2 Corinthians 5:21; John 3); therefore, anyone who suggests that there is an alternative form of atonement for sin, past-present-future sin, intentional-unintentional sin, is a deceiver and cares absolutely nothing for your soul but they are a servant of the Devil.
There is nothing, no one, no day or celebration or Law or substitutionary flour or animal blood (Hebrews 10:4) or tradition or festival or baptism or church or priest or bread or cracker that forgives sin but ONLY your faith in the innocent blood of Jesus Christ on a Roman Cross shed for you by selfless love some 2000-years ago outside the gates of Jerusalem. There is no alternative to the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin resulting in eternal life, never was – never will be (John 14:6; 2 Timothy 1:9-10).
My wife and I were at a consignment lot across from the Harbor Nissan yesterday evening on Hwy 41 shopping for a boat. We were attempting to discuss the pros and cons of a particular boat with another couple also shopping for a boat but it was almost impossible at times to carry-on a conversation due to the INCREDIBLE NOISE from illegally equipped motorcycles, automobiles, trucks, racing up and down Hwy 41. Why does the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Department allow these vehicular NOISE thugs to operate on our public roadways, within our communities, and destroy the domestic tranquility, the right to life and liberty and safety and happiness you swore to provide and protect? Shame on you Sheriff Prummell and your deputies.
The vehicular NOISE in Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, is OUT OF CONTROL and it destroys our daily quality of life not to mention the lives of our elderly, the handicapped, in the community and the hospitals inundating the area. SHAME on YOU Charlotte County Sheriff’s Department for your misfeasance, malfeasance, your complete disregard for the health and welfare of the citizenry you swore to protect…shameful. Shame on you Sheriff Prummell for refusing to enforce the motor vehicle noise laws prohibiting this illegal conduct on our public roadways.
Illegal motor vehicle noise is one of the most productive forms of “probable cause” for law enforcement as the thuggish, narcissistic, personality-type that modifies a motor vehicle to emit dangerous and intrusive NOISE destroying the peace and safety of the general public is the very same thuggish, narcissistic, personality-type that is involved in other forms of criminality where warrants and suspensions are numerous…but you must possess the courage and care to stop and investigate those who, with intent, abuse others. Shame on you Sheriff Prummell and your deputies for your absence of care and concern for the citizenry you swore to protect and serve. BTW: Your policy of unrestricted fireworks abuse is also insane! https://rickeyholtsclaw.com/2016/03/10/the-truth-about-loud-motorcycles-the-police-wont-or-cant-tell-you/
God saves a man or woman by faith, alone; that is, God honors the one who believes that He is God and will do exactly what He has promised in His written word provided mankind by the Holy Spirit. It is NOT possible to enter the Kingdom of God subsequent to the death of your body in Time unless your sin has received the mandated blood atonement (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22) ONLY provided by faith in Jesus as your Messiah (Matthew 26:28; John 14:6); otherwise, you will perish in Perdition in the “second death” (Rev 20:11-15) as your sin will not be permitted to enter the Kingdom (Rev 21:27).
The bottom line is this: trust and believe in Jesus Christ as Messiah acknowledging Him as Lord believing that Jesus died to pay your sin-debt and live eternally with God or deny Jesus and die in Perdition in your sin because your destructive sin will not enter the Kingdom nor will that sin be allowed in God’s HOLY presence…it is your choice via free will to live in Paradise or die in Hell.
Jesus is God-Elohim and this divine truism divides Light from darkness, eternally…
If a man or woman considers themself “saved from sin” by faith in Jesus yet they do not see and understand the necessity for Jesus’ deity, Jesus as God, Elohim…they are not saved and they do not possess covenant relationship with the Father as the one who has truly entered into saving faith with God through Jesus having received the Holy Spirit of Truth as Guarantor of that relationship (Ephesians 1:13-14); that is, the one possessing the Holy Spirit subsequent to true faith in Jesus as Lord will KNOW and DECLARE that Jesus is God and could be no other as the Holy Spirit reveals this Truth to the one who is redeemed. It is this divine knowledge that Jesus is God that eternally separates the one redeemed by faith in the atoning blood of Jesus from every religion, cult, sect, existing in the World today.
Israel – Judah…your genealogy, your Law, will NOT save you from the “second death” in Hell…
Israel was ordained by covenant promise to be “a blessing to every family of the Earth” through Messiah (Genesis 12:3). Israel was to be God’s example of blessing for obedience – cursing for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28); Israel was to be holy as God is Holy; hence, the Law Covenant codified (Leviticus 19:2); Israel was to chronicle God’s words and His eschatological plan and Messianic plan for Time and Eternity; Israel was to take Messiah’s Gospel message of “grace through faith” to the entire World via the Great Commission (Matthew 28); unfortunately, Israel’s children rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ; Israel blasphemed Messiah Jesus and falsely accused their Messiah of blasphemy as Jesus told them that He is God and that had come to the lost sheep of Israel to save them from their sin through the rebirth by the Spirit (Matthew 15:25); Israel conspired with the Roman Authorities to murder their Messiah upon a tree while demanding that His blood be upon them and their children (Matthew 27:25); therefore, Israel was judged; Israel was blinded (2 Corinthians 3:14-15); Israel was hardened and the Gospel of the New Covenant given to the Gentiles until the fullness of the Gentiles has entered into the Kingdom (Romans 11:25); therefore, only a “remnant” of Israel’s children in the last days will return to God and only a remnant will escape the “second death” in Hell due to unbelief; that is, their rejection, Israel’s obstinate refusal to believe in Jesus as Lord (Romans 11:25; Isaiah 10:22; Romans 9:27).
Jesus is relevant for all of humanity…
Israelite, Jew, your heritage, your genealogy, will not save you from your sin and death in Hell; it is the one who repents of sin, sincerely believes in their heart that Jesus Christ is the Messiah who died to pay their sin-debt that enters into covenant relationship with the Father and receives the “GIFT” of the Holy Spirit and the “GIFT” of eternal life (John 3; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 1:13-14)…there is no other Way but through Jesus as Lord for the Jew, Israelite, Gentile, male-female to live eternally with God (John 14:6).
Enoch-Noah-Abraham-Moses-Elijah were righteous before God by faith; so then, who needs Jesus?
Enoch – Noah – Abraham – Moses – Elijah were in covenant relationship with God through their faith (Hebrews 11) NOT by works of self-righteousness, but at death of their body in Time they could not enter the Kingdom of God because their sin had not received the mandated blood atonement and imputed righteousness for the cleansing of sin first pictured in Genesis 3:21 and clearly articulated in Leviticus 17:11 as “nothing impure” is permitted to enter the Kingdom of God (Revelation 21:27).
The Old Testament saints, upon death of their body in Time, were relegated to a region known as Sheol, the place of the dead, and more specifically, Sheol-Abraham’s Bosom or “Paradise” and these OT saints awaited the blood atonement of Messiah Jesus (Luke 16). As Jesus’ body laid in the tomb for three-days, Messiah in Spirit, entered Sheol-Paradise and preached liberty, the Gospel, to those OT saints awaiting Him and ultimately Messiah took them on-high and accompanied them, in spiritual form, into the Kingdom (Ephesians 4:7-10).
Why the NEED for Jesus?
Faith; that is, believing that God is true and will do as He has promised, has always been the KEY to God’s heart and covenant relationship with Him but God, in His perfect holiness, will NOT permit your destructive sin to enter His Kingdom as it is SIN found in Satan that initiated the rebellion which prefaced and necessitated the creation of Time, this Earth, our genome, as a repository to deal with that rebellion apart from the Kingdom (1 John 3:8b); therefore, God will NOT permit a repeat of the Heavenly rebellion by permitting sin into His Kingdom and unless your sin has received the atonement and your spirit controlled by the Holy Spirit through sanctification by faith in Jesus as your atoning sacrifice, you will die in your sin and die the “second death” in Perdition (John 8:24).
Jesus as Lord and His blood atonement over your life through imputed righteousness is the ONLY WAY to the Father’s presence (1 Corinthians 5:21; John 14:6).
"RickeyD" Holtsclaw 