Polls show that 65% of Americans believe they're going to heaven (Pew Research). 62% of Americans say they are Christian. Most Christians say they believe in the inspiration of Scripture, but...their actual beliefs are too often not based on Scripture. In fact, they often run the opposite of Scripture. According to 2016 and 2022 Pew polls, 54% of Christians believe gay sexual relations “should be acceptable by society,” 50% believe sex between an unmarried man and woman is morally acceptable, and only 56% of Protestants say abortion is morally wrong. The same figure is true among Catholics--but among “mainline” denominations—such as United Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, etc., only 38% believe abortion is wrong! Which is why, politically, we still kill a million babies in the womb in the U.S. annually (these sad data were 2023, the latest available, a year after we “overturned” Roe v. Wade.) But Scripture, the basis of Christianity, says none of these behaviors are morally acceptable. It seems that too many American “Christians” are saying fornication, sodomy, and murder are acceptable. We have to conclude that many people are calling themselves Christian, yet feel it’s OK to ignore Scripture and our Lord's commands when it's convenient.
The problem is, too many of us have a belief system that “gets me to heaven” with no sacrifice, no obedience necessary--what is called “easy believism.” This doctrine mostly runs American Christian religion. But that kind of "believism" is a road to hell, as I will show.
We need to be most cautious about what Scripture says to be saved. Can we really ignore Scripture, still be disobedient to God’s Words for the majority of our lives, and still escape hell? Have we possibly deceived ourselves into assuming we're good for heaven, when Scripture warns us otherwise? Have we rationalized behavior that is unsupported by Scripture--and not considered the danger therein? Jesus, in Matthew 7:14 says:
“narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which ..leads to life, and there are few who find it."
The word "life," here, as any Biblical linguist would tell you, means "heaven." I've taken polls of my friends on the word “few,” without referencing its Scriptural source. It’s interesting how we basically agree on 3-7% of a group of people would fulfill the definition of the word. Thus, on average, only 3-7% of people are heaven-bound. That’s a long way from 62% who profess Christianity in America. Doing a little math using 6% as “few,” this says that one out of 10 who call themselves Christian will make it to heaven. Do you like those odds?
The big question is, Does maintaining salvation involve works? We've already proved that people don't think their belief system on what’s moral is a problem, when it does. Scripture is inspired, word for word, by God. Believing counter to Scripture is a problem. A belief system that is Christian, requires adherence in words and behavior towards God's Words in Scripture.
The rest of this paper is inspired by a CD of David Bercot, a writer and lecturer on Scripture. The title of the CD is “Paul vs James,” since James seems to emphasize works and Paul seems to discount works and emphasize faith alone to escape hell.
Bercot points out that for most evangelical "theologians" today, this "contradiction" between Paul and James about works is “resolved” easily—but unfortunately: their Study Bibles and commentaries “simply explain James away.” I.e., They say Paul “has it right,” so what James says ("works are important") is pretty much ignored. Thus they cancel out James completely. Bercot doesn’t like the way they pass over the clear plain INSPIRED statements of Scripture in James. He asks, what is the real truth about this important matter of works? For the answer, we need to study the words of Jesus, God in the flesh.
Actually, most Christian denominations, by focusing on Paul (as today's theologians and pastors “interpret" him), are ignoring what Jesus had to say on what it takes to be truly saved. If we dare to speak out on what Jesus actually says about a role of works to go to heaven, modern-day evangelicals will suggest we’re not saved because we lack assurance, or that we’re preaching a “works salvation,” that we’re “trusting our own righteousness instead of the righteousness of Christ.” But do not be intimidated by them; just read the Truth from the mouth of Jesus.
Intelligent theologians had a place for the role of works after salvation in early church history—until Augustine (400 AD) damaged it, and Martin Luther (1520) finished it off. These two introduced a system of justification, which was duplicated by Calvin, to give the Protestant movement an opposite twist from Catholicism. The Catholics emphasized un-Scriptural works. The Protestants, under Luther and Calvin in the 1500s, felt they had to go to the opposite extreme, throwing works completely aside and saying salvation is just faith in Christ. But neither one had it right.
Here is where Martin Luther got it wrong:
- He relegated the key teachings of Jesus to the back closet— Jesus “didn’t teach the theology of how to be saved,” the theologians--and Luther--concluded. “You have to read Paul to get that.”
- He did "Proof texting:" He established theological positions by picking and choosing Bible verses that fit the theology he had decided ahead of time to promote, and ignored other verses that don’t fit. Most people, unfortunately, don’t read the New Testament in whole, to get the context of reconciling differences in the overall picture. Your position on what it takes to be saved should be arrived at after reading the entire New Testament and fitting nearly all the relevant verses together til’ they are integrated into a belief system.
- He tried to turn the New Testament writers into theologians, and changed their ordinary, everyday words into narrow theological terms.
- He did, as many do today, make dishonest Bible translations and reference works. Remember, unlike Scripture, translations are made by humans who have their preconceptions to maintain.
Let's begin at the top: The problem of putting Jesus in the “back closet.” To find out about what God says about salvation, do we go to Jesus, the God-man, the greatest Teacher who ever lived? No; our "path to salvation" begins with Paul—in the Romans road, for instance. It bypasses Jesus. This wrong focus started with the Gnostics (around 50 AD), and somewhat with Augustine, but it became an overriding “principle” with Luther. He put a preface in front of each New Testament book, and an overall preface before the whole New Testament. His remarks (which books he favors, which books are “straw”) colored the thinking of theologians ever since. He said Romans was the “chief part of the New Testament, the very purest gospel.” (His praises of this one book are half the print length of the book itself). In deciding “which are the best,” as he called it, of the New Testament books, he also likes John, but not Matthew, Mark or Luke—which means he insults 3/4 of the gospels! John’s gospel is “far, far to be preferred to the other three” and “placed high above them.” He thus thinks we’re better off not focusing on the Sermon on the Mount or the Sermon on the Plain (which are only contained in the 3 Synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke)—because, Bercot suspects, their gospels by Jesus' statements contradicts Luther’s gospel which he made up from John and Paul. He likes Paul’s books, and I Peter (but not II Peter). In James, he called it an “epistle of straw” for “it has nothing of the nature of the gospel about it.” (Now keep in mind, reader, that God inspired ALL the books of the Bible. ALL gospels are of equal value. They are all equal because they all have something to say for our edification.)
But you can't decide to ignore the canon that was put in place in the 4th century AD—which included James as inspired--and call yourself a Bible teacher. And as we read, he also played games with what Books are "better.” Bercot suspects Luther liked John over the Synoptic gospels because John uses the Greek for the word “believe” 99 times, vs only 9 or 10 times each in the other 3 Gospels. Verses with “believe” can be easily redefined to fit easy believism. Luther’s favoring Paul over Jesus to make up his gospel was a direct violation of Jesus’ commandment of Matthew 23:10:
...do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.
To quote Luther, as translated: “We can know everything we need to know about Christ and the gospel without ever having heard or read the Sermon on the Mount or the rest of what Jesus said that’s not recorded in John.” Really? The early Christians stood against that type of nonsensical thinking when the Gnostics tried to do something similar (further fascinating CDs by Bercot on the Gnostics are also available). But nobody is standing against this twisted thinking nowadays.
So let’s look at what Jesus taught on salvation from hell. There are several long passages in the 4 gospels, and a hundred or more short passages, on this all-important doctrine of how to avoid hell. But we only have space to analyze a few of them. We start with parts of John 15:
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit... 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned… 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
Key teachings of this important passage:
a. Jesus, using the word "abide," is describing an ongoing, life relationship with Him as necessary for salvation.
b. We must abide with Jesus and bear godly fruit or we’re going to be cut off the Vine (i.e., on the way to hell).
c. We abide in Christ’s love ONLY if we obey His commandments.
d. (From verse 10) Abiding, in part, means separation from the world.
Bercot asserts that of hundreds of messages he’s heard, none have used this John 15 passage when they discuss salvation. But clearly (especially in verse 6) that’s what the passage is about!
In summary, in order to continue to be saved, we must maintain an obedient, love-faith relationship with Him. A one-time declaration of faith will not finish the job. Salvation is not a sprint, not a one-timer, but a marathon—like Pilgrim’s Progress (John Bunyan).
Let's compare that to what's taught today. Doctrines of salvation taught by men today can be categorized into two groups: Either they are (1) A system that requires an obedient, love-faith relationship with Christ to avoid hell, or (2) Everything else—since all other systems are “equally useless” (i.e., they will leave you deceived and hell-bound if you don't read Scripture thoroughly yourself).
Some of the alternate systems of “salvation” taught by men:
a. Paul in his day fought against Christo-Judaism: It had a knowledge of Jesus as Savior and Son of God, but added that you had to follow all the law of Moses in the Old Testament (i.e., circumcision) to be saved.
b. Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox: Sacramentalism. Receive the sacraments, attend Mass regularly, don’t die in unconfessed mortal sin, and be a loyal member of a church, to be saved.
c. Merit-ism: Try to live dutifully by all the commandments in the New Testament to be saved. (day-to-day relationship with Christ not necessary).
d. Good-ism: Attend church and be a good person. That’s followed by liberals, and most Catholics, truthfully, nowadays.
e. Evangelical Protestantism: Accept Jesus as your personal Savior, have a born-again experience, believe that you’re saved by faith or grace alone, and obedience to Christ is not necessary for salvation. (Obedience is good, it's just possible to not worry about it and still go to heaven, as long as you don't do something REALLY BAD. If you stress obedience as necessary for heaven, you’re teaching “unsound” doctrine, and your insecurity is your main problem).
None of the above 5 require an obedient, love-faith relationship with Christ. True, evangelicals stress the importance of a loving relationship with Christ, but they don't REQUIRE love as expressed in obedience (as John 15:10 above clearly points out, obedience is necessary to go to heaven). These "Christians" may be emotion-driven, not sacrifice-driven.
Bercot stresses that, keep in mind, there are multiple thousands of people who attend churches that follow one of the 5 alternate systems above, who ALSO have a saving relationship with Him--on their own--and know His great love through sacrificial obedience.
I should make a note, that will make a lot of people uncomfortable: It’s impossible to analyze “how much” obedience, or violation, is necessary to be saved, or exactly how much of sins will send us to hell. That can’t be measured —relationships can’t be reduced to a formula. We would all like perfect certainty--but with perfect certainty comes complacence. Anyhow, a saved person doesn’t want to measure it, he just enjoys Jesus' company, and can't stand the disconnection when he sins.
Thus, salvation is not a one-time event of faith-and-you're-done. We must maintain (or abide with) the relationship. And the requirement to abide? Keeping His commandments. If we don’t keep His commandments, we don’t love Him. Obedience is not a drudge, but a loving faith that “He knows what’s best.” And remember, He chose us—God first loved us before we loved Him. Salvation was originated entirely through the acceptable blood of Christ. God wants perfection, and we couldn't do that--but Christ did, as our substitute. And when we stumble, we must experience real confession and repentance. I John 1:9 was written to saved Christians, so confession and repentance of a sin you really want to get rid of is an ongoing thing:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
And, of course, the world will hate us. Not everyone, not all the time. But our belief system is opposite the world. They hate it--when you're not participating in their sins, their violating Jesus who died for them--then our behavior rains on their selfish parade. (Remember the high percentages above of "Christians" who accept sodomy, murder, and fornication—may I bluntly say, they "talk (or silence) themselves out of" persecution). If you don’t feel some rejection in your frequent contacts with regular people, your light is not shining God's light enough.
There are past, present, and future aspects of salvation. In the past, if we at some point accepted the Lord and repented from our sin—what He is, what He did—we became attached to the Vine (using the John 15 metaphor). We were really saved. But--very important, we have to maintain that relationship to stay saved. Are we walking in the Spirit (using His power to help us completely conquer known sin)? Then we are abiding on the Vine. It’s a breathing, ongoing relationship. A constant inflow of life-giving water drawn in from the roots of the Vine. And the future? Since our abiding produces fruit (Galatians 5:22ff), we are heaven-bound. But if we don’t produce fruit, we will be cut off from the Vine and thrown in the fire. Just because we’re on the Vine now doesn’t mean we’re guaranteed to be on it next year. No unconditional eternal security.
Let’s get back to proof texting: it's true, we could back up any of the 5 false methodologies above with selected texts from Scripture. But we would have to shove lots of others under the rug because they don’t agree together. (Such a list is in my blog with “appendix” in the title). The key is to understand everything that Jesus says on the subject first, and then look for agreement by the other Scriptural authors--then you put it together integrally. (All the relevant New Testament verses on this important subject are given in a separate PDF CD, by the way, by Scripture Press). Full weight to each verse. Not picking one author (like Paul) and ignoring others (ignoring Jesus!)
Keep in mind that every statement made in Scripture is not the gospel in full. John 15 above, does not tell how you get on the Vine (hint: “initial salvation” blog has Scripture answers). But John 15 is a good model of the maintenance side of salvation. Other statements, you’ll find, will add a piece to that, but none will make an exclusionary remark that disagrees with it. There are some unanswered questions in John 15 too that other Scripture fills in—i.e., what are the “fruit?” (Study Galatians 5 for that).
So what else does Jesus say on the subject of salvation? We can’t give them all, but here are a taste to whet your interest. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5ff, which Luther didn't like), look at Matthew 6:14-15:
"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
The importance of forgiving is a godly fruit we need to possess. When we are first born again, only our PAST sins are forgiven. On a daily basis, we still need to pray forgiveness for our sins (I John 1:8, 9 is not a one-shot deal). But how sincere is our repentance when we don’t forgive others? See Matthew 18:23-35—note how the servant’s penalty was reinstated on him (a metaphor for hell-bound), due to lack of forgiveness on his part (no eternal security there—his release from debt was conditional on his future behavior). We conclude that if we are unforgiving, we can’t be sincere in asking God for forgiveness; that sin may be a stumbling block that lands us in hell.
Now consider Matthew 7:21, 23:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Their profession of faith also required works done for Him, not double lives, lest Jesus says "I do not know you" and calls them “lawless.” They only do good works on the surface, since Jesus accused them of lawlessness, so their profession is meaningless. Their disobedience kept them from heaven--that's what easy believism, and not being acutely aware of our sins, may lead to.
Bercot says people have this “cop-out:” They say, “I get suggestive feelings of supernatural instructions in my head. This must be God’s commandment for me!”—but we cannot let the so-called personal "instructions" override His written Word. You have to know the written Word. Study it.
Look at Matthew 10:32:
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
Consider this: you can deny Him and not confess Him-- not by words only, but also by living the way of the world. You cannot have two masters. If you live the world and think mostly of it, you lose Christ. He will not be your Advocate when the Judgement Day comes.
Stressing sacrifice of personal indulgences as part of salvation is Matthew 10:38:
And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
Jesus requires great commitment. Yet His yoke is light (Matthew 11:29), infused with His love, enabling us to make it despite temptation to sin. We should joyfully lay down our lives for Him, knowing that things are much nicer in the long-run—heaven for eternity.
In Luke 16:6-9, Jesus is saying God will extend patience for us to produce fruit. But not forever. At some point, with nothing produced, the tree is cut down. It also says, He will help us, with His Spirit, to produce fruit—unless we regularly let worldly pleasures block those efforts.
In Luke 24:46-47, repentance is necessary:
Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
In John 3:3-5, we learn that salvation begins with a New Birth. That's when we realize the depth of our sin and the need of a Savior--and that Jesus is the only Savior. That’s what puts us “on the Vine.” We all know John 3:16 and surrounding verses. Or do we? Let’s look at “the rest of what He said,” John 3:19-21:
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
Again, deeds are involved, not just belief. We must "DO the truth." Your real belief can be seen in your deeds (which is what James is saying, James 2:14ff).
Another treasure for you to think about: Two closely-related Greek words that are translated “believe:” The first word, pisteuo means to believe, trust, but it’s just mental assent. Not used by itself for salvation. The other is peitho, sometimes translated “believe,” but other times translated “obey.” Thus, Scriptural believing is interwoven with obeying. Not just mental assent. Webster’s defines “believe” as “confidence in the statement of another.” Our level of confidence can be tested on us by God, and our response—our deeds--signifies if we truly “believe.” Thus belief and deeds are one. Do we believe Jesus when He says that we must bear fruit or else be cut off and burned? When He says that if we love Him, we will obey His commandments? Do we really read His Words to see what all those commandments are? Do we believe that His commandments are truly in our best interest—enough to follow them even when they don’t make sense? Our deeds will signify if we believe. One-third of the world “believes” in Christ, they say--but Bercot suspects it’s mostly the first Greek word—mental assent only. But that's a ticket to hell. Remember, Jesus said only the “few” would be saved (Matthew 7:14). With “few” saved, can Jesus be talking about the first definition, not requiring deeds, when 1/3 the world fulfills that loose definition? And Luke 13:24 says we must “strive” to enter heaven—that again suggests deeds are involved.
There’s an evangelism tool that says we ask the prospect, “If you die and are standing before God, and He asks, “Why should I let you in?” And if the prospect gives the “standard” answer (I’ve been good), you’re supposed to say, “No, all your works are as filthy rags; have faith in what He has done—not your works, which count nothing in salvation.” But Scripture shows the opposite--it so happens that Jesus set up the same standing-before-God scenario in one of His sermons; And, He told all of us the “answer to the test” (every student’s dream to get the correct answer)—on what basis will He let us into heaven. (Hint: It's not the 4-laws evangelism tool). He said in the Last Judgment, people will be lined up, and He will let in some people and reject other people. On what basis? He will separate people, in the Last Judgment—based on their deeds. Thus, his comments were the exact opposite of what modern theologians say. In Matthew 25:34, 35 and 40, Jesus says
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in.. ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.
On that day, He won’t expect us to feel that our deeds mean nothing. He will be looking for deeds that show our belief is strong, and right. Once we are born again, we must strive to exercise our gifts and do the righteous deeds that will get us to heaven. Or else, as He clearly points out--we won't be allowed in.
None of these teachings by Jesus disagree with our John 15 model—they harmonize with it. This is not a selection of proof texts. In context, “salvation is by faith alone” doesn't cut it—unless you were the guy on the cross next to Him, or you get run over by a truck immediately after you truly confess the Lordship of Christ. Works have a place. They always had a place, if you read the early church fathers. Do you want to believe man’s gospel, or Jesus’ gospel? Where you spend your eternity may depend on it!
Acknowledgements: Dave Bercot: "Paul vs James" Disc 1
NEXT WEEK: IS THIS MODEL HARMONIZED BY THE OTHER BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT? BERCOT’S “PAUL VS JAMES”, DISC 2.
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