Bible Verse of the Day Sunday September 3rd, 2023

Acts 5:14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.

In the early days of the Church, the leaders had some very challenging issues to overcome. They had to all agree that the post-Cross period of the Grace of God had replaced the pre-Cross time of the Law. They had to all agree on a set of beliefs in line with their Scriptures and what Jesus had taught them while He was on Earth. The true gospel of Christ Jesus that salvation was by grace through faith in his death and resurrection, had to be the only gospel taught. However, today, as in that day, some want to hold on to their work's salvation theory tenaciously. In that day and today, Satan will play on people's pride and not allow them to see that there is no good works we can do to gain our salvation, our eternal life with God. Before Jesus went to the Cross, God's forgiveness was a temporary year-by-year covering of their sin.

Jesus was the sacrificial Lamb of God promised in the Garden of Eden and spoken of by numerous Prophets down through the ages. Every person born before the Cross was born under the Law, which was God's way of pointing all people to the promise of the coming Messiah, His anointed Son. Jesus came to the world as the Word becoming flesh, the bread of life, the light of the world, God's sacrificial Lamb, and the savior of all people. Jesus taught everyone when He was on the Earth, "You believe in God; believe also in me." (John 14:1).

On the day of Pentecost, the Church took on a life of its own, and three thousand people accepted Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior. However, many people would not get that the Law of God was fulfilled through the death of Christ on the Cross and His resurrection three days later. They had witnessed His miracles, fed from His hand, and heard His Messianic declarations; however, many called for His crucifixion. Jesus came to Earth to give His life on the Cross, the last Passover Lamb needed, but many people in Israel missed the reason for His visitation to Earth.

Today, many people falsely believe that there is some work that we must do or some specific church doctrine we must adhere to. It usually involves some work or some good deeds we must accomplish and continue in this life to attain eternal life in heaven with God. However, God has left us with many messages in His Holy Word concerning the only way to salvation and eternal life.

Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23 to name a couple. There is a specific warning in God’s Word for those that will not adhere to the truth of Salvation by Grace, through faith and that is not of ourselves or any good works we might attempt.

This warning carries with a grave eternal circumstance that no one wants.

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and, in your name, perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’