For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26)
Is that verse of scripture clear or not? The person who wrote that verse was a Jewish man named Paul, a former persecutor and murderer of Christians. Paul was converted after the risen Lord Jesus Christ confronted him out of heaven, (Acts 9:1-31) and he became a bold preacher of the Gospel.
Paul believed that faith in Jesus Christ was the only way to become a child of God, and the apostle John believed the very same thing.
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 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: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:10-14)
When the Lord Jesus Christ began his ministry he was rejected by the majority of the Jewish people, and that is what “his own received him not” is speaking about. But the scriptures also tell us that as many who DID receive him (Jesus), received the power to become the sons (children) of God. So once again we see that the determining factor as to what makes a person a “child of God,” is what that same person does with Jesus Christ. The passage of scripture above makes it very clear that Jesus was the one who made the world! If Jesus made the world then it is most important that we take him at his word. Do you agree?
Keep this in mind as you listen carefully to the rhetoric of modern day politicians, and even Pastors and leaders in the church. This is where the rubber meets the road. Do they absolutely believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to become a child of God? Do they believe that a person can enter heaven without coming through Jesus Christ? Do you believe that?
Jesus spoke the following words almost two thousand years ago:
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
Those words still stand true today. There is no other way to heaven, and there is no other name outside the name of Jesus Christ to be saved.
Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:10-12)
Any person who has been born again of the Spirit, knows full well, that in and of themselves they deserve nothing but the wrath of God, and eternal damnation. We were “children of wrath” just like everybody else. We were nothing but walking filthpots, until God revealed Christ to us!
And you hath he quickened (made ALIVE), who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. (Ephesians 2:1-3)
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
There is not one person on earth that does not fall short of the glory of God. In plain english, none of us measure up in the sight of God. The awesome thing though, is that God has provided a way for any person in the world to be saved, and they can become a child of God, through faith in Jesus Christ. There is not a person in this world who cannot be reached by the mercy of Almighty God. His blood was shed for all of us, not just some of us.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:8-9)
Any person who dies without Jesus Christ will die in their sins, and that is according to him! If you disagree with that, then you are not a Christian at all.
I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. (John 8:24)
The apostle John told us that the wrath of God was upon those who did not believe in Jesus Christ. If you do not believe that then you are not a Christian at all.
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)
The one thing that we desperately need in the world today is the fear of the Lord. When the true “fear of the Lord” enters the human heart, the “spiritual ears” of those people will be opened, and they will listen to you when you preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. (Proverbs 8:13)
In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. (Proverbs 14:26)
People seem to forget that one day they are literally going to stand before Almighty God and give an account for their life and none will escape that awesome day of God either.
“Because sentence against an evil work is not executed SPEEDILY, therefore the HEART of the sons of men is fully set in them to do EVIL. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with THEM that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall NOT be well with the WICKED, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth NOT before God.” (Ecclesiastes 8:11-13)
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:27-28)