Every religion has it's own view of what salvation is. The religions that have their origins in the Far East speak of reincarnation as their way of salvation. They believe that by progressing through many lives by the process of reincarnation they will achieve perfection by what they learn during each life. However, if you asked any man on the street what he did in his past life he couldn't tell you. One wonders how it is possible to come into perfection when you can't remember what has happened in your past lives. That's is how we learn to live and become a better person in this life. If you can't remember the experiences you have had in your past life while you're living this one, how can this help to perfect you?
In the Muslim religion it is thought that you can come into perfection by keeping the laws of Mohammed. They also believe that if some one gives their life in a "Holy War" or for the cause of Mohammedism they will automatically go to heaven. This is why so many in the conflict with Israel commit suicide blowing up something along with themselves. The distruction of the world trade center is a result of this evil belief. The Hindu religion in Japan has a similar belief. That's why kamikazee pilots committed suicide when they blew up American ships by flying their planes into them. This happened during the 2nd world war.
All the religions in this world except one believe that salvation comes through flesh or by the works of flesh. Christianity believes that salvation comes by belief in Jesus Christ by the grace of God. Repentance is the only thing a christian can do himself. All religions have a man who is the founder of their religion. Mohammed, Zoraster, Buddha, and Jesus are some we will mention. All these men are lying in a grave yard some where in this world except Jesus Christ. Jesus conquered death. He rose from the dead and ascended to the Father in the flesh. You may say I have no proof of this. But, can you prove that you are an incarnated being from a past life? There is much more documented proof that Jesus rose from the dead than there is that Julius Caesar ever existed. Do you believe that Julius Caesar lived in Rome at the time of Jesus? Can you prove it? Can you prove that committing suicide for a religious cause will get you salvation? Salvation must be accepted by faith so I have the right to believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. And you have the right to believe your way also, even if it is wrong.
No one then, has the right to persecute or kill anyone because of what they believe. Jesus told Peter three times to feed his sheep. He said his sheep would hear his voice. He didn't tell Peter to get up an army and run the Jews out of their temple so they could take it over. Once, John and James wanted to call fire down from heaven to destroy some dissenters but Jesus said to them; "You don't know what spirit you are of , the Son of Man came to save men's lives not destroy them." (Luke 9:54)
We still havn't answered the question about salvation. What are we saved from? Solomon in his quest for wisdom said, "I find that there is one event that comes upon all men, both the wise and the fools." What was that event? It is death For this very reason he said, "Vanity, vanity, all is vanity under the sun and a striving after the wind". This was Solomon's way of saying " we need a savior". A savior that can save us from this event that cones on all men---death. That's what salvation is all about, being saved from death..
The science of thermodynamics is a study of physics that deals with systems that do work and also their relation to heat. The 2nd law of thermodynamics says that for every system that does work there is a certain amount of energy that is lost in the form of heat. This energy is lost forever, it cannot be recovered. This is why we have to cool our automobile engines. The heat is lost energy. Our sun and all the suns in the universe are thermodynamic systems that loose heat. This means that our universe is running down. The whole universe is moving toward absolute zero-----the absence of energy----death! God has said in his Word that the heavens and the Earth shall wax old like a garment and pass away but My Word will never pass away. The laws of physics show the truth of an omnipotent god. He says His Word will never pass away---so word is the key to salvation from death. What is this word he is talking about? Is it the old black book lying on the coffee table drawing dust? NO! This book, the bible, only tells us what the word is. The word is that man Jesus, that the grave couldn't hold. God has said that all those who believe in him and obey his commandments will be saved. This Jesus the Son of God is our salvation from death. All those other men who founded the religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, Mohammedism, --ect. all are lying in a grave yard somewhere. Not one word has ever been written about any of them rising from the dead. But our savior Jesus Christ is alive forevermore.
So now we see what salvation really means; it's being saved from death. It's the hope of life after death. Though all religions have their view of obtaining life after death, only Jesus Christ has conquered entropy and death. The Father, Almighty God, says that all who want to be saved from death must enter into his Son Jesus Christ. We must enter into him and become joint heirs with him.
What does this mean? We must all enter into him by faith believing and becoming one body. Read the 12th chapter of 1st Corinthians and you will got a good idea of what the body of Christ is and how it functions. The apostle Paul likens it to this natural body that we walk around in. Paul says in Cor 12 that God has joined this natural body together so that each member has its own function. The eyes, the ears, hand, feet, even the less known members such as the immune system and the wound healing systems, function in total love and submission to the head and for the benefit of the other members. Paul likens this to the body of Jesus Christ. This body will be one with Jesus, its head, and also one with God the Father. There is one more point to make. How do people recognize you? If you put a bag over your head and walked down the street would any one know who you are? No, in all probability they wouldn't know who you are. Take the bag off and every one would know you right away. We are known by our heads. That's how god knows the body of Christ. By its head. Isn't this awesome? We are the body of Jesus Christ and are one with him and we are him.
I was watching a baseball game one day and the pitcher threw the ball straight at the head of the batter. When he saw the ball coming at him the hands dropped the bat. The arms went up in front of the head to protect it. The legs buckled under him and he fell to the ground. The ball flew safely over his head. As the saying goes " he hit the dust". Do you see how the head directs and the members react in love, submission, and unselfishness in order to protect the whole body? This is a natural representation of the spiritual body of Jesus Christ. This is why we have the sprinkling of the blood to remove the sin from our members. All selfishness, greed, selfesteem, and sin must go. This body will be God's perfection. It will act in total love and unison. Look at the problems in the world today, aren't 99% of the world's problems caused by selfishness?
This great body is the high calling of God in Jesus Christ. It is an eternal body. It is the Word just as Jesus is. God said the heavens and the Earth will wax old and pass away but my word will never die. It is an unselfish body that is totally filled with the love of God. It is the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4: 13) It is the finished creation. In Psalms 1;4 it says the ungodly are not so but are like the chaff the wind drives away. What this is saying is; we live in a system of death. Therefore, until we give ourselves to Christ and become eternal with him we don't really exist. He who has the Son has life He who does not have the Son has not seen life but the wrath of god abides upon him. I hope you now see what salvation is and, the only way to obtain it. Many in this day will say "all religions are good", or that "all religions are seeking God". But dear ones you will never find him outside of Jesus Christ. No real Christian will ever try to shove this down your throat. Jesus said to Peter, "feed my sheep my sheep will hear my voice."
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