Bible Questions Answered:
“Pastor I read in the news that the
...(religious leader), said that Christ died for everyone, and so
that any who do good, they all are redeemed, atheists, nonbelievers,
any one. And that, that is what Mark was talking about. I thought
that you might have a word or two on that.....”
Ronald/ New York, New York
Bible Answer:
Bible Text:
Mark 9:38-41 NLT
38 John said to Jesus, “Teacher,
we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to
stop because he wasn’t in our group.”
39 “Don’t stop him!” Jesus
said. “No one who performs a miracle in My name will soon be able
to speak evil of Me.
40 Anyone who is not against us is
for us.
41 If anyone gives you even a cup of
water because you belong to The Messiah, I tell you the Truth, that
person will surely be rewarded.
Poor John, in his
exuberance, with still the thoughts of greatness in his mind (verses
33-37), spoke up about an action he had taken earlier.
38 John said to Jesus, “Teacher,
we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to
stop because he wasn’t in our group.”
But Jesus surprised
him with His answer.
39 “Don’t stop him!” Jesus
said. “No one who performs a miracle in My name will soon be able
to speak evil of Me.
40 Anyone who is not against us is
for us.
41 If anyone gives you even a cup of
water because you belong to The Messiah, I tell you the Truth, that
person will surely be rewarded.
Where in these
verses did Jesus commend universal salvation, by what a stretch of any
imagination?
The exorcist
mentioned by the disciple John, was no doubt a follower of the Lord
Jesus. He had at one time or another heard and seen Jesus, and
believed in Him, and spiritual power through His name. Not only that but had received a call to do the work
on an evangelist.
Mark 16:15-18
KJV
15 And he said
unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them
that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak
with new tongues;
18 They shall
take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not
hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
(See the explanation of verse 18- Kept By The Power Of God )
The Word Of God
Tells Us:
I Timothy 2:5,6
KJV
5 For there is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, The Man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave Himself a ransom for all,
to be testified in due time.
Titus 2:11,12
KJV
11 For the
grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us
that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Although The Way Of Salvation is open to all, yet not all choose to receive Him!
The Way Of
Salvation:
Isaiah 45:22 KJV
Look unto Me,
and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there
is none else.
Isaiah 55:7 KJV
Let the wicked
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him
return unto The Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our
God, for He will abundantly pardon.
Matthew 7:21-23
KJV
21 Not every
one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that
doeth the will
of My Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will
say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many
wonderful works?
23 And then
will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that
work iniquity.
Matthew 10:40
KJV
"...he
that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me."
John 1:12 KJV
But as many as
received Him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on His name:
John 3:14-21 KJV
14 And as Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must The Son Of Man
be lifted up:
15 That
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so
loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent
not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through Him might be saved.
18 He that
believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of The
Only Begotten Son Of God.
19 And this is
the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every
one that doeth evil hateth the Light, neither cometh to the Light,
lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that
doeth Truth cometh to The Light, that his deeds may be made manifest,
that they are wrought in God.
John 5:24 KJV
Verily, verily,
I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that
sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation;
but is passed from death unto life.
John 6:68 KJV
Then Simon
Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of
eternal life.
John 8:24 KJV
I said
therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe
not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.
John 10:9 KJV
I am the Door:
by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved..."
John 14:6 KJV
Jesus saith
unto him (Thomas), I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by Me.
Acts 2:21,38 KJV
21 And it shall
come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of The Lord shall
be saved.
38 Then Peter
said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive The
Gift Of The Holy Ghost.
Acts 4:10-12 KJV
10 Be it known
unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the
dead...
11 This is The
Stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become The
Head Of The Corner.
12 Neither is
there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Acts 10:43 KJV
To Him give all
the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in
Him shall receive remission of sins.
Romans 3:23-25
NLT
23 For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus:
25 For God
presented Jesus as the Sacrifice For Sin. People are made right with
God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His
blood..."
Romans 5:1 NLT
Therefore,
since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have
peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
Romans 6:23 KJV
For the wages
of sin is death; but The Gift Of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Galatians 2:16
KJV
Knowing that a
man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of
Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be
justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law:
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Ephesians 2:8,9
KJV
8 For by grace
are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is The
Gift Of God:
9 Not of works,
lest any man should boast.
Titus 3:5 KJV
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to
His mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing
of The Holy Ghost;
Hebrews 5:8,9
KJV
8 Though He
were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered;
9 And being
made perfect, He became The Author Of Eternal Salvation unto all them
that obey Him;
II Peter 3:9 KJV
The Lord is not
slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is
long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance.
I John 1:9,10
KJV
9 If we confess
our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say
that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in
us.
I John 2:1-6 NLT
1 My dear
children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if
anyone does sin, we have an Advocate who pleads our case before The
Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.
2 He Himself is
The Sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but
the sins of all the world.
3 And we can be
sure that we know Him if we obey His commandments.
4 If someone
claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments,
that person is a liar and is not living in The Truth.
5 But those who
obey God’s word truly show how completely they love Him. That is
how we know we are living in Him.
6 Those who say
they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
I John 5:1 KJV
Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is The Christ is born of God..."
Revelation 5:9
KJV
And they sung a
new song, saying, Thou (God's Son) art worthy to take the book, and
to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us
to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and
nation;
How are men
redeemed?
I Peter 1:18,19 KJV
18 Forasmuch as
ye know that ye were not redeemed* with corruptible things, as silver
and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers;
19 But
with the precious blood of Christ, as of A Lamb without blemish and
without spot:
*Redeemed-Greek: Lutroo (Loo-tro-o): To ransom, redeem.
Romans
10:9,10,13 KJV
9 That if thou
shalt confess with thy mouth The Lord Jesus, and shalt believe
in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved.
10 For with the
heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession
is made unto salvation.
13 For
whosoever shall call upon the name of The Lord shall be saved.
Any one that
would dare teach any other way of salvation, he is a liar, a false teacher
and a false prophet!
I Corinthians
16:22 KJV
If any man love
not The Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.
I Corinthians
16:22 NLT
If anyone does
not love the Lord, that person is cursed. Our Lord, come!
For more reading on this subject see the following blog postings:
- Salvation-Earned?
- Salvation-Not By Works
- Salvation-Not Simply By Imputation
- Salvation Through Christ Only
- Salvation Through Faith Not Feelings
- Salvation-Once Saved Always Saved?
- Salvation-Unlimited
