THE TWO PLANS OF SALVATIONS

Christians believe in two plans of salvations. One is called the Thief on the cross plan, and the other one I called Christians on the cross plan. I am going to show you an example of each by giving you texts from the Bible.

“There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? "And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." Luke 23:32, 39-43.
"Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. "Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” Matthew 7:21-23.
Let's analyze each one. In the case of the thief on the cross, his case is an unusual one. He was dying on the cross and can no longer repent. And Jesus accepts his admission that he was wrong as evidence of his repentance. Jesus decided to save him. God’s grace saved him.
The story about the man/woman of great faith is an entirely different story. He/she is not dying on the cross, admits no wrong doing, brag that he/she can do wonderful things based on faith, cast out the devil, etc, etc, but no more time to repent. Jesus found them guilty of practicing lawlessness.
Jesus did not save him/her. No grace given when we violate God’s law and do not repent. Why? Because God is a legalistic God.
I hope my readers understand why Jesus saved the thief on the cross, and not save the man/woman of great faith. 
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17.
Is repenting easy? No. Avoiding sin is easier than living in sin. Let’s see what Jesus says. "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast [it] from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast [it] from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Matthew 5:29-30.
We must avoid living in sin at all costs. We must choose our plan of salvation between plan 1 and plan 2.
Plan 1, the thief on the cross, is not applicable to us. Why? Because we are not a thief dying on the cross. Forget about the thief on the cross plan.
Plan 2, Christians on the cross, is more appropriate for us. Jesus said, "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” Matthew 10:38.
"Come to Me, all [you] who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. "For My yoke [is] easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30. 
What are the burdens that Jesus imposes upon us? Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments. "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.” John 14:15-18, 21-24.
These are a summary of the burdens that He gave to us, very specific and easy to understand.
 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

WHAT DAY IS THE SABBATH?

According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints the Sabbath is on a Sunday. According to the Seventh Day Adventist Church the Sabbath is on a Saturday. Who is right? Who is telling the truth ? I wasn’t born when the first Sabbath was observed. And neither was the  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Days Saints. So, who was already born when the Sabbath was given to us? The prophet Moses, remember? God gave to him, and not to me and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints the Ten Commandments, specifically, “ Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy , as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day [is] the Sabbath of the LORD your God . [In it] you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who [is] within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as we...
Read more

THE PERIOD OF THE GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Readers, a voice keeps telling me that I should write this article. I tried to ignore that voice, but it won’t go away. So, what is that voice about? Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. "Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness !'” Matthew 7:21-23. This period is called a period of the greatest disappointment when Jesus rejects millions or billions of disappointed Christians who expect to be saved and go to heaven but were not, whose number [is] as the sand of the sea. Jesus called them lawlessness practitioners, even though they claimed that they are men/women of great faith. The Bible describes this situation in Revelation 20, “Now when the thous...
Read more

INCONSISTENCIES AND CONTRADICTIONS

Today I am going to write about the contradictions and inconsistencies that I have found between the writings of the apostle Paul and the Spirit of Prophecy. Why am I doing this? Because if the source of the writing is the same, the result that flows from the source is the same and consistent with the source. There can be no difference in the result that we see. Let’s start. Paul wrote, “ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9. The Spirit of Prophecy says, “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is [the Book] of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works , by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works .” Revelation 20:12-13. P...
Read more

CONFLICTS?

  Jesus said, "But why do you call Me `Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?” Luke 6:46. Readers, do you know why Jesus said these words? Because some of His followers don’t believe in everything that He says. Some of His followers think that Jesus’ will is not the same as the will of His Father. To clear up the confusion, Jesus said, "For I have not spoken on My own [authority]; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. "And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." John 12:49-50 . There is no conflict between the will of Jesus, and the will of God the Father. I hope this verse clears up the confusion for good. Jesus' will is the same as the will of His Father, if we understand what Jesus said in John 12:49-50. If we are still confused, order Satan to leave us alone. We don’t need Satan’s money. Tell Satan to leave us al...
Read more

WORK OR INTENTION?

Readers, I want to ask you a very important question. When Jesus returns, will He judge us based on our work and action, or based on our intention? Why is this important? Because intention precedes action. Paul says in Romans that God will judge us based on our work. The Bible, however, says that God judges us based on our intention, not on our work or action. God judges Lucifer based on his intention, and not based on his work. God drowned and killed billions of people during Noah’s time because of their evil intentions . “ Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every intent of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." Genesis 6:5-7 Why is intention ...
Read more

BLESSED IS HE

  Blessed is he who does the will of YAHWEH . Blessed is he who does the will of God the Father. Why? Because they will see the kingdom of God. Jesus Christ said, "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. "Many will say to Me on that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! '” Matthew 7:21-23. Again, God said,  "But why do you call Me `Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?” Luke 6:46. There is no disconnect between claiming Jesus as Lord and failing to follow his teachings. All is about literal and total obedience to what God says. And Satan doesn’t like that at all! The devil wants everyone to disobey God, everyone. He succeeded in deceiving Adam and Eve and most of the world...
Read more

YOUR WILL BE DONE

  "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom comes. Your will be done on earth as [it is] in heaven . Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” Matthew 6:9-13. Jesus' disciples asked Jesus how they should pray. And Jesus told them this is how they should pray. But first, when we say, Your will be done on earth as [it is] in heaven , there is an implicit understanding that we know what His will is, or otherwise we would not say it that way. If we don’t know what His will is, what do we do? Start reading the Bible. Why? Because that’s how we can know what His will is. Start reading Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Read Genesis, Exodus, and the history about Adam and Eve and Lucifer. You want to know why God evicted them. You want to know why they hav...
Read more

COMMANDMENT #5

" Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.” Deuteronomy 5:16. God the Father has commanded us to honor our mother and father. Why? Not only because they are our parents who have given birth to us, fed us, and raised us since we were babies, but more importantly so that our days may be long and that we may receive an abundance of blessing from God the Father if we take care of our parents when they can no longer care for themselves. Many children are hostile toward their parents. God knows that many children dishonor, disrespect, neglect, and treat their parents as their adversary. I have seen daughters who treat their mothers very hostile. And so God made this commandment an important part of His commandments that He wants us to keep as long as our parents are still alive. That our days may be long, and that it may be well with us in th...
Read more

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE

Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world . A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all [who are] in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:13-16. Paul, on the other hand, contradicts Jesus and said, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. ” Ephesians 2:8-9. Paul said put your light under a basket. Don't glorify God with our good works. But in James 2:17 we read,  "Thus also faith by itself if it does not have works, is dead. " And so, who determines the work that we must do? Preachers, pastors, Biblica...
Read more

LEGAL OFFER FROM JESUS

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:27-28 Today I am going to discuss a legal offer that Jesus offered to us, Jews and Gentiles when He was on earth thousands of years ago. If the Jews want to accept His offer, they are very welcome. If the Gentiles want to accept His offer, they are also welcome. If Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, or even Satan worshippers want to take up His offer, they are very welcome. Jesus’ offer is open to everyone. I encourage all to accept Jesus’ offer because He is true and faithful to His words. But remember, and don’t forget, that His offer in John 10:27-28 is a legal offer. It is a contract. I want to caution every reader, however, to read His offer carefully in order to avoid confusion or misunderstanding. This offer is a legal offer, and if there are readers who are not familiar with the terms of a contra...
Read more