Questions About Salvation

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” (Isaiah 64:6). This passage is often used as a proof text to condemn all our acts of goodness as nothing more than “filthy rags” in the eyes of God. The context of this passage is referring specifically to the Israelites in Isaiah’s time (760—670 B.C.) who had strayed from God. Isaiah was writing concerning his nation and their hypocrisy. Yet he includes himself in the description, saying “we” and “our.” Isaiah was redeemed and set apart as a prophet of God, yet he saw himself as part of a group that was utterly sinful. The doctrine of total depravity is taught clearly elsewhere in Scripture (e.g., Ephesians 2:1–5), and the illustration of Isaiah 64:6 could rightly be applied to the whole world, especially given Isaiah's inclusion of himself in the description. The term “filthy rags” is quite strong. The word filthy is a translation of the Hebrew word iddah, which literally means “the bodily fluids from a woman’s menstrual cycle.” The word rags is a translation of begged, meaning “a rag or garment.” Therefore, these “righteous acts” are considered by God as repugnant as a soiled feminine hygiene product. As Isaiah wrote this, the Israelites had been the recipients of numerous miraculous blessings from God. Yet they had turned their backs on Him by worshiping false gods (Isaiah 42:17), making sacrifices and burning incense on strange altars (Isaiah 65:3–5). Isaiah had even called Jerusalem a harlot and compared it to Sodom (Isaiah 3:9). These people had an illusion of their own self-righteousness. Yet God did not esteem their acts of righteousness as anything but “polluted garments” or “filthy rags.” Their apostasy, or falling away from the law of God, had rendered their righteous works totally unclean. “Like the wind, [their] sins were sweeping them away” (Isaiah 64:6). Martin Luther said, “The most damnable and pernicious heresy that has ever plagued the mind of man is that somehow he can make himself good enough to deserve to live forever with an all-holy God.” Though self-righteousness is condemned throughout the Bible (Ezekiel 33:13; Romans 3:27; Titus 3:5), we are, in fact, commanded to do good works. Paul explained that we cannot do anything to save ourselves, but our salvation comes only as a result of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8–9). Then he proclaimed that “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10; see also 2 Corinthians 3:5). Our salvation is not the result of any of our efforts, abilities, intelligent choices, personal characteristics, or acts of service we may perform. However, as believers, we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works”—to help and serve others. While there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation, God’s intention is that our salvation will result in acts of service. We are saved not merely for our own benefit but to serve Christ and build up the church (Ephesians 4:12). This reconciles the seeming conflict between faith and works. Our righteous acts do not produce salvation but are, in fact, evidence of our salvation (James 1:22; 2:14–26). In the end, we must recognize that even our righteous acts come as a result of God within us, not of ourselves. On our own, our “righteousness” is simply self-righteousness, and vain, hypocritical religion produces nothing more than “filthy rags.” www.keithmuoki.com [http://www.keithmuoki.com]

Many terms used in Christianity can be confusing to new believers or those seeking to know more about Jesus. One such phrase recurs often: “Receive Jesus Christ as your Savior.” What exactly does it mean to “receive” Jesus? Since Jesus lived, died, and rose again over two thousand years ago, how can we “receive” Him now? John 1:11–12 speaks of receiving Jesus and defines the term: “He [Jesus] came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John equates “receiving” Jesus with “believing” in Him, which results in one’s becoming a child of God. So, receiving Jesus has to do with faith. We trust who Jesus is and what He has done on our behalf. When we “receive” a package, we take it to ourselves. When a running back “receives” the football, he pulls it to himself and clings to it. When we “receive” Jesus, we take Him to ourselves and cling to the truth about Him. To receive Jesus as our Savior means we look to Him and Him alone as the One who forgives our sin, mends our relationship with God, and provides us entrance to heaven. To reject Him as Savior means we either don’t believe we need salvation or are looking to another deliverer. Scripture is plain, however, that “salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). To receive Jesus as our Lord means we let go of the lesser gods we have built our lives around. We may know the facts about Jesus as detailed in the Bible—we can even acknowledge the truth of those facts—without being a part of God’s family. We cannot receive Jesus as Lord without displacing the idols in our lives—idols such as power, popularity, wealth, or comfort that we trust to provide us with purpose and strength. Jesus described the need to follow Him wholeheartedly in Luke 9:23: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” When Jesus visited His hometown of Nazareth, the people there did not believe He was anything other than the son of Mary and Joseph (Matthew 13:54–58; see also John 6:41–42). They accepted Him as a local carpenter but rejected Him as the promised Messiah. Many people today do a similar thing. They accept Jesus as a good moral teacher, a role model, or even a prophet who can teach us about God. But they stop short of receiving Him as their personal Lord and Savior. They do not commit their faith to Him. Receiving Jesus is a matter of one’s eternal destiny: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:16–18). To receive Jesus means we acknowledge that He is who He said He is (1 John 5:10; Matthew 27:43; John 20:31). He is the Son of God who took on human form (Philippians 2:6–8), was born of a virgin (Luke 1:26–38), lived a perfect life (Hebrews 4:15), and accomplished in full God’s plan to rescue mankind from sin (Matthew 1:18; 1 Peter 1:20; John 19:30; 2 Corinthians 5:18–21). To receive Jesus is to trust that His sacrifice on the cross completely paid for our sin and to believe that God raised Him from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3–5, 20; 2 Timothy 2:8). To receive Jesus is to recognize that we are sinners separated from a holy God (Romans 3:23; 6:23; Ephesians 2:1–3). To receive Jesus is to call out to Him in faith, trusting that only His blood can cleanse us from sin and restore us to a right relationship with God (Ephesians 2:4–10; 1 John 1:7; Hebrews 10:19–22). Those who receive Jesus by faith are given “the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:12–13). When we receive Jesus as our Savior, God sends us the gift of His Holy Spirit who enters our spirits and begins to transform us to be more like Christ (Romans 8:29; John 14:26; Luke 24:49; Ephesians 1:13–14; Philippians 2:12–13). Jesus called this transaction being “born again” (John 3:3–8). When a baby is born, a new creature emerges that did not previously exist. Over time, that baby begins to look and act like the parents. So it is when we are born of the Spirit by receiving Jesus. We become children of God and begin to look and act more like our heavenly Father (Matthew 5:48; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 7:1; Ephesians 5:1). Receiving Jesus Christ into our lives is more than adding Him to an already cluttered priority list. He does not offer the option of being only a part of our lives. When we receive Him, we pledge to Him our allegiance and look to Him as the undisputed Lord of our lives (Luke 6:46; John 15:14). We will still disobey His commands at times (1 John 1:8–10). But the Holy Spirit within us draws us to repentance so that our close fellowship with God is restored (Psalm 51:7). Receiving Jesus is the beginning of a lifetime of discovery and an eternity of bliss in heaven with Him (John 3:36; Revelation 21—22). www.keithmuoki.com [http://www.keithmuoki.com]

The faith vs. works debate often comes up in discussions of salvation. There are many who say that a person is saved based on some mixture of faith and works. Biblical Christianity teaches salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, apart from any works we do. Perhaps the best place to start is to clearly define faith and works: What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 sets out the definition: “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Faith is that which assures us that our hope is reality, even though we cannot yet see it. If we have faith, we are convinced that what we believe is real, true, and reliable. The biblical object of faith is the person and work of Jesus Christ. True faith has always been the identifying mark of the people of God. What are works? Work is a person’s actions or deeds. Work is that which we perform for some kind of reward. We work at our jobs and expect to receive a paycheck for it. Even working on a voluntary basis has its own reward—praise from others, a feeling of good will, etc. In the context of salvation, works refers to good deeds we do, especially religious or charitable acts or the observance of the Old Testament law. In the faith vs. works debate, the two sides maintain that either we are saved by faith (and faith alone), or we are saved by works (or, more commonly, works added to faith). Which side is correct? What is the biblical relationship between faith and works? • Works are required for salvation—but Scripture is clear that those works are Christ’s, not ours. Jesus fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17). In fact, “the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross reconciled us to God (Romans 5:10), and as He died, Jesus proclaimed that the work was finished (John 19:30). Now we are invited to enter into God’s rest by faith: “Anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works” (Hebrews 4:10). • Our works do nothing to earn or maintain salvation. It was the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ that justifies sinners (Romans 3:24). “Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, . . . because by the works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16). We begin by faith, and we continue in faith: “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (Galatians 3:2–3). • Salvation is by grace, which precludes works. Grace is, by definition, unearned, and Scripture makes it clear that God’s grace in salvation destroys the argument for human effort: “If by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:6). “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). • God’s requirement for salvation is faith in His Son. One of the grand themes of the Bible is that we are justified, or declared righteous, by faith (Genesis 15:6). Faith is the only means of making sinful human beings able to stand before a holy God. No amount of law-keeping or good works can accomplish it (Titus 3:5). If our works could save us, then Christ died for nothing (Galatians 2:21). • Works are the product of faith. Those who have true faith in Jesus Christ will be “eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14). John the Baptist called for “fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8). The book of James emphasizes the nature of true saving faith as that which results in good works: “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” and “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:17, 26). Grace through faith saves, and that faith is manifest in works. If someone claims to have faith yet exhibits no good works, his or her faith is “dead,” or nonexistent. The faith vs. works debate, then, is really no debate at all. Both faith and works are integral parts of the Christian life. Biblically, faith is the cause of salvation, while works are the evidence of it. . . . . Keith believes that we are saved only once (Hebrews 9:12) by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) in the finished work of Jesus Christ at the cross (John 19:30) and we can NOT lose our free (Romans 5:15) God-given Salvation (John 6:39). This is because our salvation is based purely on faith in the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and not on any of our fleshly works of righteousness (Titus 3:5-7). ………………………………………………………………………………… Please Subscribe, Like, Share & favorite our Videos and Podcasts: Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/KeithMuoki/videos [https://www.youtube.com/c/KeithMuoki/videos] Spreaker Podcast Channel: https://www.spreaker.com/user/14810659 [https://www.spreaker.com/user/14810659] Our Website: https://keithmuoki.com/ [https://keithmuoki.com/] ………………………………………………………………………………… Watch & Listen to More bible study videos & Podcasts from our other Channels: Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/keithmuoki01 [https://web.facebook.com/keithmuoki01] Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/101uy9WzWYah/ [https://www.bitchute.com/channel/101uy9WzWYah/] Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/keithmuoki [https://www.patreon.com/keithmuoki] Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/keithmuoki [https://vimeo.com/keithmuoki] Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/keithblackkenya [https://soundcloud.com/keithblackkenya] Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/keithmuoki [https://www.twitch.tv/keithmuoki] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/31clxlnx72ssrgtquuiwq7ytml2e?si=a96c414059514a3a [https://open.spotify.com/user/31clxlnx72ssrgtquuiwq7ytml2e?si=a96c414059514a3a] _______________________________________ SUPPORT OUR CHANNEL: If you want to get a step by step detail on how to be saved, or you'd like to know more about our ministry or support us, please check out the details in our website; https://keithmuoki.com/ [https://keithmuoki.com/] …………………………………………………………………………………… ➤𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁: Email: keithmuoki@gmail.com [keithmuoki@gmail.com] Twitter: https://twitter.com/keith_muoki [https://twitter.com/keith_muoki] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithmuoki/ [https://www.instagram.com/keithmuoki/] Facebook Account: https://web.facebook.com/keithmuoki/ [https://web.facebook.com/keithmuoki/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-muoki-4073a414a/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-muoki-4073a414a/] God bless you! ………………………………………………………………………………………. 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There are countless reasons to believe in Jesus. Many of us start on our journey of faith because we need something that Jesus can give us. We need help, hope, healing, or joy. Our lives are falling apart, and we want answers, solutions. But there’s one critical reason to believe in Jesus that underlies all others, and that is to bring us into right relationship with God. Reconciliation with God is the remedy for all that’s wrong with us and the resolution for everything we need. Why did Jesus come to earth? Why did He die on the cross? He came and did all that He did to bring us into a relationship with God the Father: “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19, NLT). Mending our broken relationship with God is the primary point of Christian salvation. The Bible says that all of us have a problem—it’s called sin (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8). Because we are born into this world as sinners (Psalm 51:5), we are separated from God and on a path that leads to eternal destruction. But God loves us and wants to be in relationship with us. He wants to save us from destruction and give us everlasting life: “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him” ( 1 John 4:9, NLT). Jesus’ death on the cross paid the full price for our sin: “He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world” (1 John 2:2). Jesus satisfied the debt we owed and took the punishment we deserved (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 1:18–19; 1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13; Romans 6:23). When Christ rose from the dead, He conquered death for us (Revelation 1:18; Hebrews 2:14; John 3:16). We don’t have to die, because Christ died for us. The only way to be forgiven of sin and restored to God is to repent and believe in Jesus (Acts 2:38; 17:30; Mark 1:4; Luke 13:3). Jesus is the only way to the Father (1 Timothy 2:5). In John 14:6–7, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.” God longs to connect with us in an intimate friendship. When we believe in Jesus, we become children of God: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12, ESV). When we believe in Jesus, we receive access to God’s holy presence to comfort, protect, lead, and guide us (Ephesians 2:13, 18; 3:11–12; Hebrews 4:16). He teaches us and speaks to us through His Word (Psalm 119:105) and enables us to live for Him by the power of His Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:10–13; John 14:26). When we believe in Jesus, we receive the greatest gift of all—the salvation of our soul (1 Peter 1:8–9). And this gift is free. We can’t do anything to earn it. We don’t deserve it, but He gives it to us anyway: “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:8–9, NLT). Believing in Jesus opens up our hearts to experience a love like no other—the kind of love that is willing to sacrifice and die for us (John 10:11; Romans 5:8). God’s love is the strongest and most profound love ever known, and nothing will ever separate us from it (Romans 8:35–39). Believing in Jesus and having a relationship with God sets us free from our old life of guilt, shame, and sin (John 8:36; Romans 8:2). Only through Christ can we experience the satisfaction our souls long for: “For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things” (Psalm 107:9, ESV). When we enter into a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, we learn who we were created to be and discover the true purpose of our lives: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10, ESV; see also Philippians 3:8–10). Have you made a decision for Christ because of what you have read here? If so, please click on the “I have accepted Christ today” button below. . . . . Keith believes that we are saved only once (Hebrews 9:12) by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) in the finished work of Jesus Christ at the cross (John 19:30) and we can NOT lose our free (Romans 5:15) God-given Salvation (John 6:39). This is because our salvation is based purely on faith in the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and not on any of our fleshly works of righteousness (Titus 3:5-7). ………………………………………………………………………………… Please Subscribe, Like, Share & favorite our Videos and Podcasts: Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/KeithMuoki/videos [https://www.youtube.com/c/KeithMuoki/videos] Spreaker Podcast Channel: https://www.spreaker.com/user/14810659 [https://www.spreaker.com/user/14810659] Our Website: https://keithmuoki.com/ [https://keithmuoki.com/] ………………………………………………………………………………… Watch & Listen to More bible study videos & Podcasts from our other Channels: Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/keithmuoki01 [https://web.facebook.com/keithmuoki01] Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/101uy9WzWYah/ [https://www.bitchute.com/channel/101uy9WzWYah/] Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/keithmuoki [https://www.patreon.com/keithmuoki] Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/keithmuoki [https://vimeo.com/keithmuoki] Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/keithblackkenya [https://soundcloud.com/keithblackkenya] Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/keithmuoki [https://www.twitch.tv/keithmuoki] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/31clxlnx72ssrgtquuiwq7ytml2e?si=a96c414059514a3a [https://open.spotify.com/user/31clxlnx72ssrgtquuiwq7ytml2e?si=a96c414059514a3a] _______________________________________ SUPPORT OUR CHANNEL: If you want to get a step by step detail on how to be saved, or you'd like to know more about our ministry or support us, please check out the details in our website; https://keithmuoki.com/ [https://keithmuoki.com/] …………………………………………………………………………………… ➤𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁: Email: keithmuoki@gmail.com [keithmuoki@gmail.com] Twitter: https://twitter.com/keith_muoki [https://twitter.com/keith_muoki] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithmuoki/ [https://www.instagram.com/keithmuoki/] Facebook Account: https://web.facebook.com/keithmuoki/ [https://web.facebook.com/keithmuoki/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-muoki-4073a414a/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-muoki-4073a414a/] God bless you! ………………………………………………………………………………………. FAIR USE NOTICE: This production may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes only. This constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 106A-117 of the U.S. Copyright Law.