The Five Most Important Words in the Bible

Truth: Jesus says ‘Ye must be born again…’ (Instantaneously, at one moment in time)

Tradition: Man says: ‘You must be born again…Gradually…you choose how…baptism, good works etc.’

     The twentieth and now the twenty-first century have witnessed the outpouring of much false doctrine as a direct result of the multitudes of cults and erroneous teaching that exploded onto the religious landscape in the  nineteenth century. The Jehovah (false) Witnesses, the Mormons (Latter Day Saints), and the Seventh Day Adventists are the three major cults that came into existence during that period of time. They pervert the Holy Scriptures, especially in the area of the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ, thereby bringing men and women into bondage through their additional ‘revelation’ from various and sundry sources including the appearance of angels (angels of light) and deceiving visions and dreams of men and women alike.

     The effect of this spiritual phenomenon, the birth of Bible perverting cults, along with the falling away of the major denominations has brought about a major decline of powerful and truthful Bible preaching and the conscience of the country has been all but silenced. The ‘traditions of men’ spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ in Mark 7 are now being heralded as the ‘gospel’ by those false prophets who are in the majority of pulpits in the mainline denominations who say the ‘born again’ experience is a gradual growing experience throughout life.

     But, Jesus said to a religious man in John 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” comparing physical birth with Spiritual birth by the Holy Spirit. Both of these births occur at one moment in time which is exactly what Jesus is teaching this man. A Spiritual birth must occur in order to enter and see the Kingdom of God. When a person receives the Lord Jesus as their Savior by turning from their sin to Jesus who paid the penalty for the sins of mankind, at that moment in time the Holy Spirit of God creates a new person by the Spiritual birth within the believer and they become a new person in Christ.”If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.”

(II Corinthians 5:17).

     These five Words “Ye must be born again” which are the five most important words in the Bible, were spoken by Jesus when He confronted this religious man, Nicodemus concerning his great need to “Enter into the Kingdom of God”. We are all born physically as sinners who need a Savior, therefore, we need to be born spiritually in order to become children of God. Having the eternal Spirit of God within prepares us for entering into the Kingdom of God! This can only happen if we repent of our sin and by faith turn to Jesus Christ as our Savior. This brings about the Spiritual birth by His Holy Spirit which everyone needs in order to go to heaven because:

1. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

      (Romans 3:23)

2. “The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus

      Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

3. “But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners

      Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8)

4. “If thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine

      heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shall be saved.”     

      (Romans 10:9)

5. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

      (Romans 10:13)

     All that is necessary for you to be “Born again” and become a child of God is to believe this Bible message and pray calling upon the Lord Jesus Christ to save you from the penalty of your sin and He will be faithful to save you as He has promised! However, if you reject the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are in essence choosing the torment of eternal punishment in hell which was prepared for the devil and his angels!!

Chaplain L.E.Wolfe www.btmi.org I-85 Exit 35 SC  McPilot  Stop in, and please pray for our ministry!

Rcih vs. Poor

Tradition: If you need a good leader in the church get a rich man, someone who knows how to manage

                  money surely must know how to provide Godly leadership.

       Truth: The leader by faith and the Holy Spirit supply Godly leadership

     Therefore, many deacons, elders, committee members are picked on their outstanding ability to get ahead in the world. But, this is not always God's plan. As a matter of Biblical fact: "God hath chosen the poor to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised to them that love Him." (James 2:5) Now, this does not mean that all poor people are rich in faith, but it sure looks like a good place to start looking for leadership in spiritual matters!

     Isn't being rich in faith what we need for our spiritual leaders? To be rich in faith is the right qualification for leadership, because that was the main characteristic of the first deacons chosen by the Apostles: "And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost". Faith and fullness of the Spirit were the main considerations in this listing of characteristics of the deacons chosen to serve God.

     The rich, in direct contrast, are spoken of by Jesus in this manner:

"But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation." (Luke 6:24); "There was a certain rich man...in hell he lift up his eyes" (Luke 16:19, 23); "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!" (Luke 18:24).

     This certainly does not mean that all of the rich are condemned, go to hell, or can not enter into the kingdom! No, but it does mean that riches are a disadvantage, a hindrance, if they are a means in which they trust in, rather than trusting in God! This is why the traditional wisdom of choosing the rich because they are rich is unwise, for again the Truth of the Word of God triumphs over traditional wisdom!  

Chaplain L.E.Wolfe www.btmi.org I-85 Exit 35 SC  McPilot  Stop in, and please pray for our ministry!

Faith vs. Works

Tradition: "I can work my way to Heaven"

Truth: "For by grace are ye saved through faith"

     There are only two kinds of religion in the world. Those that are based on salvation by works and the one that provides salvation by the grace of God through faith. If performing works are the way to Heaven, just how many works does it take to pay the sin debt you owe to the God of Heaven? The Catholics say you must be baptized to be cleansed from original sin and keep the 7 sacraments in order to go to heaven.

     The Jehovah Witnesses teach that what men have done and their obedience or worthiness is what saves them. Mormons (Latter Day Saints) teach obedience to the gospel, baptism, and laying on of hands, plus a life of good works is necessary for salvation.

     The Seventh Day Adventists teach the keeping of the law must be accomplished as evidence of salvation. Many of the mainline denominations, Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians etc. have abandoned the Bible as their source of doctrine and instead preach a "social gospel" teaching that doing good deeds or works for the way of salvation.

    However, the Bible clearly teaches that salvation is provided solely by the grace of God:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast."(Ephesians2:8, 9) 

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."(Titus 3:5-7) 

"For the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."(Titus 2:11-14)

  

     So, then the grace of God is the prime mover in salvation, faith "not of ourselves" is the activity of man, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior of all mankind through His atoning death on the Cross which paid the sin debt every man owes to God the Father. The Scripture also states: "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) 

     Even though man owes God the debt of sin, God, Himself, provides the gift that no man could work for to provide payment, no man except the God-Man, the Sinless Son of God, the only one Who could provide a sacrifice acceptable to God was God in the Flesh our Savior Jesus Christ!

     God provided a Gift that man must receive: "But, as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." (John 1:12)  By faith we believe and receive the gift of God which is eternal life through Jesus Christ!

    

     Which one will it be for you, The Tradition of Works or the Truth of Grace? It will most definitely determine your eternal destiny!  Believe God and His marvelous Truth of Grace found abundantly in His unchanging Word: "For by grace are ye saved through faith".

Chaplain L.E.Wolfe www.btmi.org I-85 Exit 35 SC  McPilot  Stop in, and please pray for our ministry

Changing the World

Tradition: The Christian can change the world through Political Activism

          Truth: The Christian can change the world through Personal Witnessing

     Although both of the above statements appear to be true, the Truth as found in Scripture is definitely on the side of Personal Witnessing, however, Tradition has taken the priority in many Christian's lives who have opted for Political Activism instead of the Biblically mandated Personal Witnessing. After all, we who are born-again the Bible way have been given the command from the Lord of Glory Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ to 'Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15).

     In addition to this commission, by the Lord Jesus Christ to preach and witness to the lost world in the Gospel of Mark, there are four other commissions to the born-again Christian in the New Testament! Yes, the number one priority of the child of God, after his personal relationship with the Lord, is to be a witness for the Lord!

     Matthew 28:18-20 is known by most Bible-believers as the Great Commission, but, there is the commission in Luke 24:27,48; and the one in John 15:16; and also Acts 1:8, so there are a total of five Great Commissions in the New Testament emphasizing the importance of preaching, teaching and witnessing for the child of God!

     Unfortunately, there has been a marked movement away from proclaiming the Gospel to the lost, and instead the more palatable way of showing concern for conditions in our country has been Political Activism. 'Get out and vote', 'Stop this and that corrupt practice', 'End abortion' etc. and the list continues.

     But, none of these efforts of reformation will change the heart of the lost soul, no, reformation can never save anybody, and even more importantly, it was never a Biblical mandate! Reformation was never practiced or preached in the New Testament, only regeneration, the transformation of the lost soul by the power of the Gospel is the only answer!

     This movement away from Personal Witnessing to Political Activism has increased rapidly during the last four decades as the Coming of the Lord draws near. Just as in the Days of Lot as prophesied by the Lord in Luke 17 it is the 'Business as Usual' attitude of the people including the people of God who are unaware of the nearness of Coming of the Lord to rescue his own from His wrath.

     Lot 'sat in the gate of Sodom' in the day that the two angels of God came to take him out of Sodom and Gomorrah. His position of political authority in this wicked and devastatingly corrupt city is a likely evidence of the thoroughly backslidden condition of his heart. His testimony with his own family was destroyed as he tried to convince them of the coming judgment of God proving that he also was not capable of being a Personal Witness to those who didn't know of the saving grace of God for salvation.

     Although not every Political Activist of today has the same heart condition as Lot, the illustration provides us with a glimpse of the results of focusing our efforts on the wrong priorities. We, who have this 'treasure in earthen vessels', must, with all the power God gives us through His Spirit, reach our generation for the Lord Jesus Christ and not allow the Tradition of Political Activity to take the priority in our lives, for changing the world can only be done one heart at a time as we witness of the saving grace of God through the Lord Jesus Christ!  After all, is that not the main reason He left us here on earth?

     Therefore, the Traditional Political Activist must of necessity, if they are born-again children of God, check their priorities and make sure that number one is Personal Witnessing, thereby, reaching lost souls for Jesus delivering them from the penalty of sin and changing their hearts for eternity!

Chaplain L.E.Wolfe  www.btmi.org   I-85 Exit 35 SC  McPilot   Stop in, and please pray for our ministry!