| Perhaps the greatest declaration of the past two centuries, from our
point of view, was the Declaration of Independence, when our country freed itself from
those who were taxing us without representation. Then, our colored people can look back to
the proclamation of 1863 which set them free from slavery. However great these
declarations were, they cannot be compared with those found in the Bible. We are asking our readers to consider three declarations that have to do with our salvation and our going to heaven, as follows: 1. God has declared we are all sinners and need salvation. 2. God has declared our sin is so great that He only can save us. 3. God has declared there is only one reason why He can save us. GOD'S FIRST DECLARATION Man needs salvation because he is a sinner. God has declared, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (rom. 3:23). He says, "There is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not" (Eccl. 7:20). His word declares, "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6). For "They that are in the flesh cannot please God" (Romans 8:8). How few of us realize how sinful we are in the eyes of a holy God. The ten commandments show what a high standard God has set for what is right and what is wrong. In them He demands that we love God with all our hearts, soul, mind and our neighbor as ourselves (Matt 22:36-40). The Bible says, "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, yet offend in one point, is guilty of all" (James 2:10). No one except Christ, ever fulfilled the requirements of the law. A little boy was once asked by his school teacher, Johnnie, if there were forty sheep in the field and one went through the fence, how many would be left? Johnnie answered, "None". "Why Johnnie!" said the teacher, "Don't you know if there were forty sheep in the field and one went through the fence that would leave thirty-nine". Johnnie replied, "Teacher, you may know more about arithmetic than I do but you don't know anything about sheep, for if one went through the fence, the others would all follow it." This illustrates what we read in Romans 5:12. "As by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned." Thus, it is true, "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way" (Isa. 53:6). That's why we all need salvation. GOD'S SECOND DECLARATION God declares because our sin is so great, He only can save us. He says "look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth: for I am God, and besides me there is no Savior" (Isa. 45:22). Jonah learned, "Salvation is of the Lord" (Jonah 2:9). This is something we all must learn. Peter says we are saved. "Through God our Savior" (II Peter 1:1). GOD'S THIRD DECLARATION In God's sight this world is lost, but in love He gave His only begotten Son, so that we might not perish (Luke 19:10; John 3:16). He sent Christ, "that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17).He has declared there is salvation in no other (Acts 4:12). The gospel is good news for men that are lost and cannot save themselves. It tells us Christ died for our sins, rose again, and is exalted with the right hand of God to be a Prince and a Savior (I Cor. 15: 4-6; Acts 5:31). "He is able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by Him" (Heb. 7:25). There is no other salvation only through Christ. If we give credit to any other name, person or thing we dishonor Him. When the jailor asked, "What must I do to be saved," the answer came, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). Notice please two important things in this verse. First, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ", i.e. believe that God sent Him to die for our sins, be buried and to rise again. Second, then take God at His word when He says, "thou shalt be saved." Some say they believe but they do not know they are saved. They are without excuse. God cannot lie, and He says Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Reader if not saved, won't you believe God today and be saved. Believe these three declarations found in the Bible, and say, I am a sinner and only God can save me. He says he saves those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. I will believe on Him right now. I will receive Him into my heart. I will believe God when He says, I am saved. To those who do not believe, we ask; Why is it so easy to believe the declarations of men, but so hard to believe God's declarations. -- T. B. Gilbert |