Are you Religious or a Christian? (Part 2)

Salvation

1) Salvation is a free gift and can't be earned.

“But not as the offence, so also is the FREE GIFT. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the GIFT by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is THE GIFT: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the FREE GIFT is of many offences unto justification” (Rom. 5:15-16; and see also Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 6:23; John 4:10).

2) Salvation is not something we deserve.

If God were to give us exactly what we deserve for the way we have lived and for the sins which we have committed, what would He give us?

“If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” (Psalm 130:3) “The wages of sin is DEATH” (Rom. 6:23).

See also Psalm 103:10.

 3) Salvation is not given on the basis of works.

“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, NOT ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS, but according to His own purpose and grace” (2 Tim. 1:9). “NOT BY WORKS of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Tit. 3:5). “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness WITHOUT WORKS” (Rom. 4:6).

4) Salvation is a present possession (it is something that the believer has now).

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, HATH EVERLASTING LIFE” (John 5:24). “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me HATH EVERLASTING LIFE” (John 6:47). “He that hath the Son HATH LIFE” (1 John 5:12).

 5) Salvation is something that can never be lost.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH [Greek--“they shall never ever perish, no not ever”], neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28).

6) The focus of salvation is upon SIN

 (we have a SIN PROBLEM)

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for He shall save his people FROM THEIR SINS” (Matt. 1:21).

  7) Salvation involves possessing CHRIST.

“He that HATH THE SON hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:12).

8) The sinner coming to Christ for salvation hears these words: “IT IS DONE!”

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, IT IS FINISHED” (John 19:30).

 9) Salvation was accomplished at Christ's first coming.

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world [at His first coming] to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

10) Salvation is freely received in a point of time.

In a point of time a person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ and passes from death to life (John 5:24).

11) Salvation is based upon what Christ has done.

“Being justified freely by His grace THROUGH THE REDEMPTION that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24).

 12) When it comes to salvation, what is man's part?

The answer: FAITH

“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

God does the saving; we do the believing.

13) The question of salvation: DID YOU BELIEVE ON CHRIST?

“It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to SAVE them that BELIEVE” (1 Cor. 1:21).

14) When it comes to salvation there are certain things that God does not remember.

“And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Heb. 10:17).

15) Salvation always involves God's full approval in Christ.

“To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us ACCEPTED [highly favored] in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6).

  
16) All believers share the same salvation.

The “salvation package” of one believer contains everything that is found in the “salvation package” of another believer. We share the same “so-great salvation (Heb. 2:3). We are RICH in Christ and possess every spiritual blessing in Him (Eph. 1:3).

 
 17) When it comes to salvation, when will my judgment take place?

Answer: It has already taken place at the cross!

“...the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18). Because of this fact, the Lord assures the true believer that he will not come into condemnation or judgment (see John 5:24; Romans 8:1).

18) Salvation costs nothing.

“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk WITHOUT MONEY and WITHOUT PRICE” (Isa. 55:1).

19) Salvation is received at the time of JUSTIFICATION.

Salvation is something we get at the beginning.

 20) We show our gratitude for salvation by faithful service.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1-2).

Rewards

1) Rewards can be earned by faithful service.

“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord YE SHALL RECEIVE THE REWARD of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:22-24, and note that the emphasis of this passage is upon SERVICE).

2) Reward is something that the believer deserves.

“Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities” (Luke 19:16-17).

This man was deserving of reward because his pound gained ten pounds and because he was faithful in a very little. [Caution: The believer who labors faithfully for Christ must never forget what Paul said in 1 Cor. 15:10, “by the grace of God I am what I am...I labored...yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”  So even in the earning of rewards the principle of grace is operative.]

3) Rewards are given on the basis of works.

“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS” (Matt. 16:27). “And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man ACCORDING AS HIS WORK SHALL BE” (Rev. 22:12).

4) Rewards are a future attainment (they are something the believer will receive later)

“And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou SHALT BE [future tense] RECOMPENSED AT THE RESURRECTION OF THE JUST” (Luke 14:14). Believers will receive rewards at the first resurrection, and for church-age believers this will take place at the rapture.

5) Rewards can be lost.

“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Rev. 3:11). “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward” (2 John 8). “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My Name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward” (Mark 9:41).

6) The focus of rewards is upon SERVICE (we have a responsibility to faithfully serve the God who saved us)

“With good will DOING SERVICE, AS TO THE LORD, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free” (Eph. 6:7-8).

7) Rewards involve possessing CROWNS.

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth THE PRIZE? So run, THAT YE MAY OBTAIN. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible CROWN; but we an incorruptible” (1 Cor. 9:24-25).

8) The faithful believer about to be rewarded hears these words: “WELL DONE!”

“His lord said unto him, WELL DONE, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:23).

9) Rewards will be bestowed upon believers at Christ's second coming.

“Henceforth there is laid up for me A CROWN of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE HIS APPEARING” (2 Tim. 4:8). “And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me” (Rev. 22:12).

10) Rewards are earned throughout a whole believing lifetime.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body [from the point of salvation to the point when the believer goes to be with the Lord], according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).

11) Rewards are based upon what we have done (as believers).

“...that every one may receive the things done in his body, ACCORDING TO THAT HE HATH DONE, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).

 
12) When it comes to rewards, what is man's part? 

The answer: FAITHFULNESS.

“He that is FAITHFUL in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?” (Luke 16:10-12).

13) The question of rewards: HAVE YOU BEEN ABIDING IN CHRIST?

“And now, little children, ABIDE IN HIM; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (1 John 2:28).

14) When it comes to rewards, there are certain things that God does remember.

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward His Name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Heb. 6:10).

15) Rewards may involve God's disapproval.

“But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons” (Col. 3:25). See also 1 John 2:28 which implies the possibility of SHAME because of God's disapproval and see Phil. 3:8 where Paul sacrificed all so that he might gain or win Christ and His approval.

16) All believers do not share the same rewards.

“And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto Him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on Thy right hand, and the other on the left, in Thy kingdom....And He saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on My right hand, and on My left, is not Mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of My Father (Matthew 20:21,23). Not all believers will sit at Christ's right and at His left. This place and position will be reserved for two believers, as determined by God the righteous Judge.

 17) When it comes to rewards, when will my judgment take place?

Answer: At the judgment seat of Christ!

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10).

18) Rewards cost a life of service.

Serving Christ faithfully in a Christ-hating world can be costly: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: FOR GREAT IS YOUR REWARD in heaven” (Matt. 5:10,12).

19) Rewards are received at the time of GLORIFICATION.

Rewards are something we get at the end.

20) We show our gratitude for rewards by casting our crowns before our Savior.

“The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and CAST THEIR CROWNS BEFORE THE THRONE, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev. 4:10-11).