The Following is an excerpt from the “Article Happy Ever Afterlife”

on 3/26/2016

I need to post it for future reference for the Salvation Of your Spirit.  This was following a sentence that talked about my brother’s unexpected sudden death on 11/1/2016.  I started the paragraph with, I only hope he had gotten right with Jesus.  It’s a phrase you hear down south as in: “Boy you need to git right with Jesus”.

CONTINUED FROM ORIGINAL ARTICLE

(Translated: he had read the bible and heard the gospel, confessed his sins, repented from his digressions, proclaimed Jesus as his savior and was baptized in water).  From my decades of studying the “Holy Bible” those are the various “conditions” that constitute “Belief”.  You might have seen the guy with the big sign that says “Go Niners” on one side, then on the other it says “John” then some numbers.  It’s a bible verse.  He usually has season tickets in the end zone.

I’m sure if you’ve ever heard just one verse quoted to you from a bible thumper it wasn’t from Peter in Acts 2:38 saying to those that wanted Jesus dead then said oops we wacked our savior. What should we do? In Acts 2:37 Peter told those ignorant Jews that wanted salvation: “Repent (turn away from sin) and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness.” (Baptism is a symbolic plea to The God of infinity to be spiritually born again) *You’re gonna get wet.  Baptism is from the Greek word Baptisma which translates to “submerge”. (Not sprinkle)

It probably wasn’t Mark 16:16 either where Jesus (Also the God of infinity) said: “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved but he who has disbelieved shall perish”. Oh oh; there’s that word baptize again.

You probably weren’t aware of what the Apostle John wrote to all Christians in his first letter (1 John 1:8) when he wrote: “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.

You can find many other references that explain what this “Belief” is. But my point was not to write an article that says: “If you REALLY BELIEVE then you’ll…”  That’s like a wife saying: “If you REALLY LOVED ME you would buy me diamonds.  Please don’t get me wrong.  Getting baptized alone won’t save you.  Believing that Jesus is the Son of God won’t alone won’t save you. (Even the demons believe).  Confessing alone won’t save your spirit. Repenting is good but that in its self won’t save you.

JOHN 3:16

To save you 40 years of study, those 3 verses from the New Testament are examples of “belief”. Why is that important?  Because; the sign you’ve seen so many times is from 4^th book of the New Testament, The gospel of John.  It’s from the 3^rd chapter and 16^th verse which reads: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life”.

It’s election season. How many candidates have you heard say: “Yes I said that but that clip was taken out of context”.  If you study the bible it’s important that you read James’ letter to the 12 tribes of Israel.  In the 2^nd chapter and 19^th verse James says: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder”.   Are demons covered under the same verse of “Belief”?

In this chapter (James 2) James is teaching what I’m trying to pass on to you, the reader. In fact James, the earth brother through Mary, of Jesus, goes on a Holy rant.  All of the one liners that radio evangelists use or even churches that are more interested in your “Love gift” (Money) than they are your eternity will fall back on one verse that is not taken in its full context.  “Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have ever lasting life”.  This verse is true and captures the beauty of salvation.