Draw Near to God (James 4:8-10) // April 25, 2021

[@colonalklink14]

The sole purpose of this life is to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. True, if we love God we will obey His commandments. Thankfully we aren't saved by loving God but rather because He first loved us and gave Himself for us. You absolutely can't have a relationship with Jesus until you have believed on Christ alone for salvation. Nobody has ever been saved by giving their life to Christ. That is bartering your life for salvation. Nobody has ever been saved by following Jesus or promises to follow Jesus. That being said many already saved people do choose to follow Jesus out of love and gratitude for the free gift of salvation. Jesus is Lord God Almighty clothed in unsinful humanity and He is the author of eternal life to all who trust Him alone for salvation. Jesus paid for all the sins of all the world at the cross (past,present, and future). That payment is put to your account when you have believed on Christ alone for salvation. When you have believed on Christ alone for salvation then you have repented unto life. Salvation is absolutely free recieved solely by trusting in the person and finished work of Christ alone, and is certainly not conditional upon service to God. Service ( discipleship) if you choose it can cost you everything if you go all out in serving God. Our good works, repenting of sins, and obedience, are solely for rewards in Heaven or a lack thereof and have absolutely nothing to do with salvation at all. James is about our justification before men but not before God. Simple enough, I can choose to have an alive faith or a dead faith, nothing to do with salvation at all. James is really about having a practical faith that helps others and cannot contradict Ephesians 2: 8, 9, 10, Romans 4: 5, 6, and Romans 11: 6. The only reason anyone will ever be in Heaven is solely by the perfect life, shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection, of Jesus Christ alone. Anything added or subtracted from this is another gospel. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Let's review: What must I do to be saved? Make a commitment? Promise to follow Jesus? Surrender my will? Pick up my cross daily? Make Jesus Lord and Master of my life? Repent of my sins? Give my life to Christ? Etc??? No!!!, that's for service, not salvation. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. That means to put all of your confidence (trust) in the person and finished work of Christ alone for salvation.