God says nobody is good. We keep turning away from God toward sin. Our sin stains even good deeds. We have no hope on our own. Besides, salvation belongs to God to give or not give. God is just, will punish sin, and there's no escape.
Starting with Adam and Eve, God showed He comes to us to bring us back to Him. Although still sinners, God chose to turn them into a holy people for Himself. He required they choose God by confessing their unworthiness, turn away from sin (repent), and having faith in God. God promised to save those who chose Him for His name's sake and out of compassion. He does it due to who He is, not our merits. Once walking with God, He asks that we love and obey Him, and love others. We do this mostly to please God and out of gratitude.
In the prophecy section, God says He'll send a Messiah under a New Covenant that's way better. That's Jesus Christ and the Gospel.
Although all were condemned, God sent Jesus to save all who would believe. Here's what Jesus and the Apostles said:
Jesus said, " This
is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the
Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will
raise him up at the last day." (John 6:40)
Jesus said, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:32)
Paul said, " For
I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ
died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was
buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures"
(1 Cor. 15:3-4)
Paul summarized: "that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)
Our own works earned
us nothing. Our salvation a gift
from God. Our sins were put
on Jesus on the Cross. His death paid
our debt to God. Once we believe, God justifies
us (saves us), makes us part of his holy
people, gives us a new
heart, and changes
us from inside out. We're born again. Even better, God seals
us with a guarantee
that we'll make
it. Nobody
and nothing
can separate us from God's love. If your faith is real, Paul says
you're already
seated in the heavenly places with Christ. :)
After God saves and seals us, we live in obedience to Him. Jesus gave us the same two commandments. His Spirit causes believers to bear the fruit of the Spirit. He rewards good works. Jesus teaches that fake Christians will bear no or bad fruit. James says "faith without works is dead" faith. God will destroy false believers and teachers in the end.
The Old
Testament, Jesus, the Apostles, and Protestants all teach that
salvation is a gift from God we accept through faith. Jesus earned it
for us with His perfect life and blood. God will preserve His faithful
to the end like He did for Israel. The rest are already
condemned. Paul had a harsh
warning for any church that turns away from that Gospel.
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