Psalm 135:5 GW I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all the false gods. 

This is key. There are not many roads to God—only one. Being sincere doesn't save, because we can be sincerely wrong. There is one God. He is truth; He is righteous; He is love...and He is Jesus. There is no other name whereby we will be saved.

There is right and wrong. There is true and false. There is truth. He deserves our worship. Anything or one else is a false god, that not only cannot save us, but will also stand between us and the One true God.

Help me, Jesus, not put anything in Your place. Amen.

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Posted by Carolyn R Scheidies at 10:46 AM CST

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 Leviticus 16:11 GW Aaron will bring the bull. He will then slaughter it as his own offering for sin. By doing this he will make peace with the LORD for himself and his family. 

Sin cannot be brushed off with a shrug. Sin has consequences, requires a death, a blood sacrifice. In the Old Testament, God required the blood of perfect, innocent animals. Even priests had to make sacrifices for themselves and their families.

But these sacrifices were only an image of things to come, a pale imitation of what Jesus did on the cross. Like OT priests, not one of us is righteous before God. Each of us needs a sacrifice for our sins, because God is holy and cannot look on sin.

But the exciting news is that our sacrifice has been made. Jesus was our blood sacrifice when He died on the cross. We no longer have to sacrifice animals or, through works, seek God's mercy and favor.

Because Jesus died for us there is only one way into God's mercy and forgiveness, to stop trying to please God on our own terms, to accept what Jesus did for us, follow and serve Him.

Acts 16:30-31 GW Then he took Paul and Silas outside and asked, "Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved?" They answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved." 

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Posted by Carolyn R Scheidies at 8:23 AM CST

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Acts 15:1 Some men came from Judea and started to teach believers that people can't be saved unless they are circumcised as Moses' Teachings require. ...
9 (Paul said) God doesn't discriminate between Jewish and non-Jewish people. He has cleansed non-Jewish people through faith as he has cleansed us Jews. 
10 So why are you testing God? You're putting a burden on the disciples, a burden neither our ancestors nor we can carry. 
11 We certainly believe that the Lord Jesus saves us the same way that he saves them-through his kindness."  GW

How many churches do the same thing--add to the simple gospel message of salvation by faith/trust in Jesus? We add sacraments, attendance, appearance and other traditions, burdening and overwhelming new believers.

Sanctification is God's job. Ours is to love, accept and guide others to Jesus.

Lord, for myself and others, help me not substitute works and tradition for the work and guidance of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Posted by Carolyn R Scheidies at 9:04 AM CST

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Phil. 3:9 ...I didn't receive God's approval by obeying his laws. The
opposite is true! I have God's approval through faith in Christ. This
is the approval that comes from God and is based on faith

Too often even those raised in church have missed the foundation for the Chritian faith. Somewhere, they got the idea Christianity, like
religion, is based on a system of rules and traditions to follow.
They believe being good, going to church and reading the Bible
entitles them to a berth in Heaven. It all revolves around them and
their actions. This isn't Biblical Christianity at all.

Religion is man reaching out to an often capricious god. Christianity
is a loving Savior reaching out to us. It isn't about trying to be
"good" or wondering, "Have it done enough?"

God's Word clarifies none of us is good enough. We are saved because Jesus came, died on the cross to take the punishment we deserve for wrongs we've done, and rose in victory over evil, sin, death and hell. Because He lives, we can live by simply accepting what He offers, life as we follow Him.

We're saved by faith in Jesus Christ. It isn't about us, but about Him.
 
V. 32 Then whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.

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Posted by Carolyn R Scheidies at 8:38 AM CDT

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Instead, we have refused to use secret and shameful ways. We don't use tricks, and we don't distort God's word. As God watches, we clearly reveal the truth to everyone...11 Corinthians 4:2

While Islam and other religions tend to coerce conversion as part of their faith, Christianity is different. There is only one way to Heaven and faith and that is a heart, an inner, change. Conversion to Christianity cannot be forced. A person can be forced at times to conform to certain traditions, but true conversion comes from the heart and is the only one that counts.

The difference between Christianity and all other religions is that conversion comes from sharing a story of a God of love who gave everything to redeem us. Conversion is a choice. It is conquering with forgiveness, love and hope, not war, death and torture. A pretty big difference, but there is more.

Christianity has a living Lord who loves us personally and interacts in our lives.

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Posted by Carolyn R Scheidies at 8:55 AM CDT

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