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Long Term, What Is Your Future?

The video states that, "When it comes to God people have self-centered beliefs about God and their future that ignore reality." Most people will deny this is true statement. Are there any facts to back up this statement? Yes. Every religion, except true Christianity, teaches that "salvation" (or whatever happens to you after you die) depends on what you do in this life. This means you can claim credit for yourself (you can boast), for going to heaven, nirvana, or whatever happens. Here are some examples:

Islam

Islam is fairly simple. If your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds, you go to paradise. You get into paradise based on your works and merit. You get the credit.

Hinduism/Buddhism

Both Hinduism and Buddhism teach reincarnation and that how you live this life determines the form in which you will be reincarnated. Very clearly these are both religions of works. How you live this life directly determines what happens when you die.

Catholism

Catholics believe there was someone called Jesus who died so that those who obey Catholic teaching can go to heaven. But, Jesus' death was not sufficient. There are many things you must do that contribute to your salvation. The Catholic.com web site states: "The Catholic Church teaches that salvation is a gift from God, and the normative way we receive that gift is through the seven sacraments. Jesus established the Catholic Church as his instrument of salvation through which the faithful are able to receive the sacraments. As a consequence, the Church also teaches that because of God’s saving plan, there is no salvation without the Church Jesus established." (https://www.catholic.com/qa/how-to-get-to-heaven) These seven sacraments are things you must do: baptism, eucharist (communion), confirmation, reconciliation (confession to a priest), extreme unction (anointing the sick), marriage, and ordination for men who become deacons, priests or bishops. Each of these is celebrated with a visible rite.

In addition Catholics have a place called purgatory, where Catholics go for purification ()if needed) before they enter heaven. Purgatory is not punishment, it is supposedly a place where god refines and purifies people so that they can then enter heaven. Here is what the web site CatholicEducation.org says about purgatory:

We believe that when we sin, we commit a free-willed offense against God and our neighbor. God in His love and mercy forgives the guilt of any sin for which we are truly sorry. However, God in His justice requires that we expiate sin, or heal the hurt caused by sin. We call this the temporal punishment for sin. For example, if I damage my neighbors car, I can sincerely plead for forgiveness and my neighbor can genuinely forgive me; yet, I will also in justice have to pay for the repair of the car. In the same sense, during our lives, we perform penances here to expiate sin and purify our souls. If we die with venial sins, we will expiate these sins in purgatory. - https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/indulgences.html

So it is plain Catholics say we must also pay back, or make right the damage our sins have done, either in this life or in purgatory, before we can enter heaven. That's a lot of work! Catholicism is plainly a religion of works for which we can claim credit for accomplishing entrance into heaven. That's not what the Bible says:

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and [h]that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9

These are three of the biggest religious groups in the world, and the others are similar. Except for true Christianity works are involved in determining what happens after you die. In true Christianity good works are the RESULT of being saved by Christ, not something that causes us to be saved by Christ. Works mean salvation is about us and what we do, not God. The truth is that salvation is 100% about God. God gets all the credit and all the glory for saving those whom He chooses to save. If you are taking any of the credit for yourself, you are not believing in the creator God of the Bible. You are trusting an imaginary god to save you. The best=know verse in the Bible plainly says this:

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. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. - John 3:16-18

These verses say nothing about baptism, obeying a church, seven sacraments, or any form of good works. John simply says, "believe."

He saved us, NOT ON THE BASIS OF DEEDS which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. - Titus 3:5-7

In John 3:16, What Does "Believe In Him" Mean?

Does this just mean to believe Jesus Christ existed? No. So what do we need to believe?

We need to believe that Jesus is who He claims to be and that He has the authority and power to do what He claims He can do... save us from the wrath of God.

Who is Jesus? God, the creator of the universe and the second person of the Trinity. Who is Jesus? A man born of a virgin. He is 100% God and 100% human, and that is why He alone has the ability (and authority) to pay the penalty we have earned as a result of our disobeying God.

What is your future? The Bible gives you a 100% reliable prophecy. If you repent and trust that Jesus Christ has paid your penalty for breaking God's law (sin) in FULL, you'll be with God for eternity. On the other hand, if you reject Jesus Christ... and this includes believing in a false Jesus such as the Catholic Jesus, you will be spending eternity totally separated from God. That means totally separated from EVERYTHING good. It's called hell... the lake of fire... the second death.

Which way are you going? Take the test: www.911Christ.com

More Information

Is Salvation by Faith Alone, or by Faith Plus Works? (GQ)

Are Catholics Saved? (GQ)

Why is Sola Fide Important? (GQ)