Honey,
This is written with love, as I will always write to you.
I'm sorry to say that my parents left out a lot of teachings in their raising of me. I wouldn't say they "failed" me so much, though, as I had a pretty comfortable childhood and had a lot of freedoms that led to experiences that most kids don't get. I was never pressured into any idealogy and my morality was based on natural empathy and decency (okay, really it was based on movies I watched). Of course, I have always felt that their direct teachings were certainly lacking...
So, I went to a reliable source (an online ministry that is meant for questions and in answering will reference many verses of the Bible to answer a single question) concerning a "prayer of salvation" as talked about in the Book of Romans, and the prayer itself (only talked about in Romans 10:9), which was written for the Jews who denied Jesus as their savior which resulted in His crucifixion, which is when the Book of Romans was supposedly written.
Now, also in Romans, there is my favorite passage, and before reading on, I present it to you here out of context but just as prevalent then as it is today:
Romans 12:2
Be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God (in context, directly talking about Jesus), what is good and acceptable and perfect.
The following is from the source itself:
"Got Questions Ministries seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by providing biblical, applicable, and timely answers to spiritually related questions through an internet presence."
Many people ask, “Is there a prayer I can pray that will guarantee my salvation?” It is important to remember that salvation is not received by reciting a prayer or uttering certain words. The Bible nowhere records a person’s receiving salvation by a prayer. Saying a prayer is not the biblical way of salvation.
The biblical method (still simple) of salvation is faith in Jesus Christ.
Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/prayer-of-salvation.html#ixzz3UcjYtkYO
This passage is not to be understood to mean that one is brought to salvation by means of an audible profession. We know that salvation is by grace through the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), not by confession. Therefore, as with all Scripture, context is of critical importance if we are to understand this passage.
At the time of the writing of the book of Romans, as a nation, the Jews had rejected Jesus as their Messiah. For an individual to accept Christ and confess that He was the Messiah would typically result in persecution and ultimately death.
To conclude, Romans 10:9-10 is not establishing public confession as a prerequisite for salvation. Rather, it is asserting that when a Jew embraced Christ and subsequently confessed Him as Lord, knowing that persecution was sure to come, one could rest assured that individual was indeed saved. For us today, the passage is equally true. Those who are saved will confess Christ as Lord because He has already instilled faith in their hearts. As with baptism and all good works, public confession is not the means of salvation; it is the evidence of salvation.
Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/public-confession.html#ixzz3Ucl23mkG
Further reading: How does one truly receive salvation? This is God's gift to us.
I personally put my faith only into the word of Christ and His teachings, so my research was narrowed down to His direct quotes, as nobody can speak for Christ (the final words of Revelations states that for he who DOES add to the words "God will add to his punishment the plagues as described" in The Old Testament, which is why I believe nobody tried destroying the Old Testament itself even when Jesus came to "fulfill" the laws of the Old Testament) ...
Concerning direct copy/pasted Biblical passages please ignore some letters in front of words, they are visual references to previous passages, further proving the word of God.
In the parable of "the lost sheep," Jesus says it is not the will of the father that one of these little ones perish. Perhaps this is where some people (including a pastor or two) believe that anybody (or everybody) will go with the rest of the sheep...to "the kingdom."
Matthew Chapter 18
13"If it turns out that he finds it (his one lost sheep), truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 14"So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.
and John 3:16
“For hGod so loved ithe world,9 jthat he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not kperish but have eternal life. For lGod did not send his Son into the world mto condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Of course, this made me wonder...who will perish? Who will face eternal hell? There is a passage that tells us not to think about it, but...of course, we can't help but care as we cannot ignore what we do know as spoken by Christ:
One passage I appreciated referenced those who love life will lose their lives (in context, this was losing their lives to regain new ones in heaven, I guess?), but those who hate their lives will hate eternally (something like that). That, of course, wasn't good enough...
Jesus was clear that hell is an eternal punishment for those who do not obey Him (God, Jesus)
The true path to the final judgment:
As told directly from Christ in Matthew Chapter 25:
31 i“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, jthen he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him kwill be gathered lall the nations, and mhe will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates nthe sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then othe King will say to pthose on his right, ‘Come, you qwho are blessed by my Father, rinherit sthe kingdom tprepared for you ufrom the foundation of the world. 35 For vI was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you wgave me drink, xI was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 vI was naked and you clothed me, yI was sick and you zvisited me, aI was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And bthe King will answer them, c‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these dmy brothers,6 you did it to me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, e‘Depart from me, you fcursed, into gthe eternal fire prepared for hthe devil and his angels. 42 For iI was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, jyou did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away kinto eternal punishment, but the righteous kinto leternal life.”
Further evidence this is true, also as told in red by Jesus
Luke Chapter 16
19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in epurple and fine linen and fwho feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate gwas laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with hwhat fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by ithe angels jto Abraham’s side.6 The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in kHades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and lsaw Abraham far off and Lazarus jat his side. 24 And he called out, m‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and ncool my tongue, for oI am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that pyou in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers7—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have qMoses and the Prophets; rlet them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, sfather Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear qMoses and the Prophets, tneither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”
For those that speak for Christ, as if to add laws He did not personally expel: He has this to say:
Luke Chapter 21
See that you are not led astray. For jmany will come in my name, saying, k‘I am he!’ and, l‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them.
Basically...do not let anyone tell you what to believe except Him (however in present day America, you certainly have the freedom to believe whatever you want, and I certainly respect that and if anyone passed a law that said you couldn't, I would vote it down and fight it with all my heart for you).
Written with love,
Truly yours,
Your baby's papa Topher
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