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What Must I Do to Be Saved?
Learn what you must do to be saved!
Learn what you must do to be saved!
Program 132: What Must I Do to Be Saved?
Learn what you must do to be saved!
Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.
For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]
WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.
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Dave:
“Then he called for lights and rushed in, and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Yahushua Christ, and you will be saved, and your household’” (Acts 16:29-31).
This thrilling piece of apostolic history contains the most important question that can be framed by human lips. It is not, what must I do to obtain health, or wealth, or fame, or some high position of human power and grandeur; but infinitely more than all these: “What must I do to be saved?” And in proportion to the importance of the question is the plainness of the answer: “Believe in the Lord Yahushua Christ.” Belief and faith are the same…
I have called this a very plain answer, because, with the Bible before us, it is easy to discover what is meant by believing in the Lord Yahushua Christ. The subject is placed before us in the clearest light. For example, we know that a message sent makes him who brings it a messenger, and that to truly believe in the messenger is to believe the message which he brings. Now, among his other attributes, we find those of a messenger expressly attributed to Christ, and that he has been sent as the bearer of a message from Yahuwah to man. Thus, he is called “the messenger of the covenant” (Mal. 3:1); “the Apostle and High Priest of our confession” (Heb. 3:1). The word “apostle” here applied to the Lord Yahushua, conveys the same idea, for it means “a messenger, ambassador.” And in the parable of the vineyard the Savior speaks of himself in the same way: “last of all he sent them his son.” Again, he says, “I am sent to preach the kingdom of Yahuwah” …The Father says, “This is My beloved Son; listen to him” (Luke 9:35). And Moses said, “To him you shall give heed to whatever he says to you. And it shall be that everyone who will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed” (Acts 3:22-23).
To make the subject still clearer, we find the Lord Yahushua placed before us also as a witness bearing testimony. Thus he is called “the faithful and true witness” (Rev. 3:14). And he declares of himself, “For this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37). Now the message or doctrine which he preached is “his testimony,” and the Scriptures assure us that “the one who has received his testimony has set his seal to this: that Yahuwah is true,” but on the other hand, “the one who does not believe the Son will not see life, but the wrath of Yahuwah abides on him” (John 3:33, 36).
We have now shown, by varied illustration and overwhelming proof, that to “believe in the Lord Yahushua Christ,” in a true and Scriptural sense, is to believe and obey that message or testimony which he has proclaimed to men.
What then is that message or testimony which is so essential to salvation? Our eternal destiny depends on a truthful answer to this question; and the Lord be praised that we are not left in the dark on a subject of such vast importance. Peter has with great precision pointed out the path by which we can find what that message was. He says that “the word which Yahuwah sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace by Yahushua Christ throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached” (Acts 10:36-37). With such “great plainness of speech” as this, how is it possible for us to miss that word or message for which we are searching? We are told:
1st, Who sent it — “the word which Yahuwah sent”;
2nd, to whom it was sent — “to the children of Israel”;
3rd, by whom it was sent — “by Yahushua Christ”;
4th, in what region it was spread — “throughout all Judea”;
5th, from what point it began — “from Galilee”;
6th, at what time it began — “after the baptism which John preached.”
Such plain directions take us directly to Mark 1:14, which says, “Now after John was put in prison, Yahushua came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of Yahuwah.”
How accurately this corresponds to the language of Peter! After John’s voice was hushed, the blessed Savior “began from Galilee” proclaiming “the Gospel of the Kingdom of Yahuwah.” Another portion of Scripture informs us that he “went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom” (Matt. 4:23). Nor did he confine his ministry to that region, but proclaimed the same great message “throughout all Judea,” as we learn from Luke 8:1: “he went throughout every city and village, proclaiming and preaching the Kingdom of Yahuwah.” When the people of Capernaum urged him to stay longer with them he refused, saying, “I must preach the kingdom of Yahuwah to other cities also; that is the reason I was sent” (Luke 4:43). And even in that solemn interval between his resurrection and ascension his theme was still “the things pertaining to the kingdom of Yahuwah” (Acts 1:3).
Thus I have plainly and abundantly proved that “the Gospel of the Kingdom” is the great message or testimony, which Christ has brought to men. It follows, therefore, that “the Gospel of the Kingdom” is what we must believe before we can be truly said to “believe in the Lord Yahushua Christ.” He has commanded us to believe that Gospel. “Yahushua came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of Yahuwah, and saying, ‘Repent and believe the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15). Of course he did not command them to believe “another gospel” than the one that he was preaching. The language, therefore, proves that he commanded them to believe the identical gospel that he was preaching — “the gospel of the kingdom of Yahuwah.” Does anyone imagine that it is not essential to keep his commandments? “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6: 46). “You are my friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:14). “Whatever he says to you, do it” (John 2:5). “If you love me keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Keeping his commandments is a test of our loving him, and certainly no one can be saved who does not love Him, for the fearful penalty has been pronounced: “If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be Anathema Maranatha,” i.e. accursed when the Lord comes (1 Cor. 16:22).
Because the Son of Yahuwah has set us the example and made the Kingdom of Yahuwah the great and constant theme of his discourse, we know this must be the wisest, noblest and best theme that can occupy the minds or tongues of men. But it is well known that multitudes of modern teachers, both in high and low positions, with a blind and fatal persistency, refuse to either believe or preach that blessed Gospel of the Kingdom. For all the world I would not be in the place of such teachers at the day of judgment.
A prominent member of a popular denomination once told me that be had been attending his church twenty-five years, but did not remember ever having heard that expression — the Gospel of the Kingdom — used there, or to have heard a sermon preached on it. A preacher of another large and popular sect told me that he remembered the expression, “the Gospel of the Kingdom” and he believed that it occurred “somewhere in the Epistles.” Another preacher who said he had studied Greek and Hebrew, had graduated in theology, and had been preaching six years; on being questioned by me as to whether the expression “the Gospel of the Kingdom” occurs in the Old or New Testament, said that he believed it occurred in the Old Testament, “perhaps in the Psalms,” and that he had never preached a sermon on the subject. But, according to Cruden's Concordance, that expression is not once found in the Epistles, the Psalms, nor in the Old Testament at all. Do not these incidents prove that a great apostasy has taken place in the world, and that men have “departed from the faith” and fallen into the pernicious practice of preaching “another gospel” than that which the Lord Yahushua preached?
And not only did the Lord himself preach the Kingdom of Yahuwah, but while his own personal ministry was going on, “He called his twelve disciples together and sent them to preach the Kingdom of Yahuwah. And they departed and went through the towns preaching the Gospel” (Luke 9:2, 6). Here we discover that in Scriptural phraseology, preaching the Kingdom is the same as preaching the Gospel. It follows, therefore, that those who do not preach the Kingdom do not preach the Gospel. So important is preaching the Kingdom that when a certain man requested leave to first go and bury his father, the Lord said, “Let the dead bury their dead; but you go and preach the kingdom of Yahuwah” (Luke 9:60).
We must conclude that “the Gospel of the Kingdom” was preached everywhere the apostles went, for the words of the Master — “this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world” — most plainly required them to preach it. We have frequent allusion to the preaching of the Kingdom by the apostles. Thus we find Philip in Samaria “preaching the things concerning the kingdom of Yahuwah, and the name of Yahushua Christ” (Acts 8:12). Also, Paul in Ephesus, and other places, preaching “the things concerning the Kingdom of Yahuwah” (Acts 19:8; 20:25). In Rome he lived two whole years, “preaching the Kingdom of Yahuwah, and teaching concerning the Lord Yahushua Christ” (Acts 28:23, 31).
As the Bible teaches but one faith and one hope, so also it recognizes but one gospel, and pronounces a double curse on man or angel who shall dare to “preach any other gospel” (Eph. 4:5; Gal. 1:8-9). And now, after the preceding testimonies, can you doubt what is that one Gospel? Surely it can be none other than “this Gospel of the Kingdom” which the Savior said should “be preached in all the world”; and which was carried to one place “as” to another, for Paul tells the Colossians that it had to come to them “just as in all the world” (Col. 1:6, 23). And since there is but one Gospel, it follows that it is “this Gospel of the Kingdom” of which the Bible says, “He who does not believe shall be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16). Behold then the awful penalty of either preaching or believing “any other gospel” than “this Gospel of the Kingdom.”
Of course, to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom is not to merely repeat that phrase again and again in the hearing of the people; for what information could they possibly gain by such a procedure? The word translated “gospel” (Evangelion) means “a good message, glad tidings, joyful news.” To preach the Gospel of the Kingdom therefore is to preach those things which constitute the good message, or “glad tidings of the Kingdom.” This is illustrated in the case of Philip who in Samaria preached the Gospel of the Kingdom by preaching “the things concerning the Kingdom of Yahuwah, and the name of Yahushua Christ” (Acts 8:12). And we know that the preaching of Philip in Samaria harmonized with that of Paul in Corinth, and with that of all the apostles in all places; for there was but one Gospel preached by them all. As Moses did not give two or more opposite codes of law for the Mosaic dispensation; so neither did Christ give two or more opposite gospels for the present dispensation. But as anciently there were some who perverted the Law of Moses by their tradition, so now there are some who pervert the Gospel of the Kingdom by their tradition.
Since, however, it was necessary for the Samaritans to believe “the things concerning the Kingdom of Yahuwah, and the name of Yahushua Christ,” it is just as necessary for us to believe the same things; for it is our duty to “hold fast the standard of sound words”; to “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints”; to “ask for the old paths and walk in them” (2 Tim. 1:13; Jude 3; and Jer. 6:16).
We have now proved that the only way to preach or believe the Gospel of the Kingdom is to preach or believe those great truths of which that Gospel consists.
by Wiley Jones, 1879, from The Gospel of the Kingdom in Ten Discourses.
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* * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)
Miles: Bekele Massala from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia has sent in a great question for our Daily Mailbag. It’s something I’ve wondered about, too. He writes: “Greetings brothers in the name of our wonderful Saviour, Yahushua. Could you please explain what it means to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling? This confuses me.”
Dave: That can be a confusing statement. I’m glad you asked, Bekele.
First, let’s take a moment to clarify that salvation is a gift. It’s not something we can earn by works. Scripture is very clear on this point. Miles, would you read Titus 3, verses 3 to 7?
Miles: Titus … Titus. That’s a hard little book to find.
Here we go. It says, quote: “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of Eloah our Saviour toward man appeared, 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; which he shed on us abundantly through Yahushua Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Dave: You can’t get any clearer than this. We are not saved by “works of righteousness which we have done.” Instead, it is “according to His mercy” that we are saved.
Therefore, when Paul says that we’re to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, he must be referring to something else. Let’s go read it in context. Turn to Philippians chapter two, verse 12.
Miles: Got it. It says: “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
Dave: Okay, that’s the text. But the word, “wherefore” indicates that it’s referring to something else that was just said. Let’s back up and read verses 9 to 13.
Miles: “Wherefore Yah also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Yahushua every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Yahushua Christ is Lord, to the glory of Yahuwah the Father.
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is Yah which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Unquote.
Well, looks like we’ve got another “Wherefore” there.
Dave: That’s all right. Paul does this. His well-educated mind builds these long, complex arguments. “Wherefore because of this, therefore that is the result.” And that’s what he’s doing here.
When you look at the context of what you just read, you find that the chapter starts with another statement that refers back still further. Chapter two starts with the statement: “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” [Philippians 2:1-2]
Miles: So the chapter itself starts with a “if therefore” statement that refers back to the previous chapter.
Dave: Yes. This refers to a thought or statement expressed in chapter 1 that we must take into account. Now, we’re not going to read it on air. If you want, you can do this at home with your own Bibles. But, briefly, in the first chapter of his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul told them that he has always prayed joyfully for them, for their fellowship in the gospel. In verse six, he calls this fellowship in the gospel a “good work” and says that Yahuwah began it in them and will continue to do this good work in them until the day they see Yahushua.
This is the theme that continues throughout the rest of the chapter, this theme of fellowship based on love.
Miles: I see Paul then goes on and shares some of the hardships he’s encountered.
Dave: Yes, and he happily notes that these hardships actually helped further the spread of the gospel. Then he adds that there’s still a lot of work to be done and that all believers must strive together for the faith of the gospel and not be afraid of their enemies.
Miles: I’m seeing here that he ends the chapter by saying that they’re not just to believe on Yahushua, but to suffer for Him as well?
Dave: Right. This is the context that sets up Philippians 2, where we find him telling them to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. He is telling them that they should put certain principles in place, so they can all work unitedly to spread the gospel.
In verses 1 to 4 of chapter 2, Paul tells them they must be of one mind and purpose and be willing to humble themselves for the sake of each other. Than, in verses 5 to 11, he tells them they need to allow the mind of Yahushua to be in them. This will give them a servant’s heart so that they can give their lives to the gospel, just as Yahushua did.
Miles: So, to summarize, Paul is saying that there is so much more work to be done, they all need to cooperate together, and fully surrender themselves to the work of the gospel just like Yahushua did. Am I getting this right?
Dave: Yes. So, with this context in mind, Paul then says in Philippians 2, verse 12, that because of what Yahushua did to save them, they should, in turn, always be willing to obey the call of Yah to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” He then goes on to explain that Yah Himself is at work in them and has planted both the desire to do it, and the strength as well, because it pleases Yah.
It’s for this reason, Paul explains, that they should all work together without squabbling and infighting so that they can be lights in the world, and a shining example to unbelievers around them.
Miles: So, Philippians 2:12 isn’t about doing good works to earn our salvation at all. Instead, it’s saying that because of the gift of salvation, we have been given both the desire and the power to do good works which, of course, will be used to share the gospel with others.
Dave: Exactly! To put it another way, Yahuwah is telling us to “work out” or exercise our salvation. We’re not to settle back at ease and let others take up the work of spreading the gospel. We’re to do our part, too. We are to exercise the desire and the power Yah has given us to save others. And we are to do this so that others will not suffer the same fate we would have suffered, if the grace of Yah hadn’t saved us.
It’s all about putting our faith to work for the sake of helping others. Yah has planted in us the desire to save others, and He’s given us the power to do it as well, so don’t just sit there! Get busy and go help others learn of salvation!
Miles: So what does this look like in real life, this working out our own salvation?
Dave: Paul gives us the answer in 2 Timothy, chapter 4, verse 2.
Miles: All right, just give me a second to look that up …
It says, quote: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.”
Dave: This is how we exercise our own salvation. We put it to work by sharing truth. Whenever we have an opening in our day-to-day lives, to share truth, to encourage, to point someone to the Saviour, to live out Yah’s forgiving love in our own lives, we need to do it, and when we do this we are cooperating with Yah for the salvation of souls. We are working out our own salvation.
Miles: I think another way we can work out our own salvation, or exercise our own salvation, is by being patient with others failings. Sharing the truths we know; seeking more truth, so we can be doctrinally pure. Those are all ways we can put our salvation to work in spreading the gospel.
Dave: And when we do this, just like someone who exercises his body faithfully, we will become stronger in our walk with Yah. We’ll be able to do more, accomplish more for the salvation of others, and all because of our love and gratitude to the Father.
Miles: We’ll love much because we have been forgiven much, and we’ll want to pass that on.
Dave: Exactly. That is putting our salvation to work for us; “working out our own salvation.”
Remember this: any time a single verse seems to contradict what multiple other passages of Scripture say, we have to look for an interpretation that is consistent with everything else. Truth is not contradictory. It can appear to be so if we don’t understand it correctly, but truth itself is always consistent.
When we look at the topic of salvation in Scripture, we quickly see that the Bible clearly teaches that salvation is a free gift
Miles: Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of Yah, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Dave: Precisely! So, when viewed with all the other passages of Scripture, we can know that this one verse in Philippians 2 about working out our own salvation, has nothing to do with salvation by works. It does, however, have everything to do with being so full of love and gratitude for our salvation, that we’ll cooperate with Heaven in working for the salvation of others because we are saved.
Miles: That actually makes a lot of sense. It’s consistent. And that’s what we’ve always got to remember. If we find an apparent contradiction, that’s our red flag that we need to keep digging because there’s something we’re not understanding, or some bigger truth here that we need to dig out.
Thanks for the question, Bekele. I’ve learned a lot from this as well today!
All right, our next question is from comes from Elke Hofmann in Stuttgart, Germany. She writes:
Dear WLC: Six months ago, my husband was killed in a car accident. Recently, my son asked me if I thought his dad would be in Heaven. Apparently, a girl at church told him that his dad was in hell because he wasn’t a Christian.
Obviously, my son was very upset by this. My husband was a very good man. He was kind, honest, and generous with everyone. He had a lot of integrity. He was a good husband and a good father. He was not, however, a Christian. In fact, he was an avowed atheist.
I don’t know what to tell my little boy. My husband was much kinder and more loving than some Christians I’ve met, but he was an atheist. What can I tell my son?
Hm. What a difficult situation!
Dave: Thank you for writing, Elke. First let me say how very sorry I am for your loss. Parenting is hard enough with two; it’s even harder when you have to go it alone. Before I answer your question, I just want to assure you that Yahuwah will never leave you or forsake you, regardless of how hard life gets.
There is actually a promise in the Bible specifically for women and mothers who find themselves alone. It’s in Isaiah 54, verse five. Could you read that for us, Miles?
Miles: Certainly. It says: “For thy Maker is thine husband; Yahuwah of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The Eloah of the whole earth shall he be called.”
Dave: Yahuwah will be your husband. He will be your provider and protector. And what is more, He will be a father to your son. When you need wisdom on how to raise your boy, He will give it to you. He will be a husband to you and a father to your son.
Okay. As to your question, Elke: there is a reason that humans are not called upon to judge others and that reason is summed up in 1 Samuel 16:7. In this instance, Samuel was called to go to the house of Jesse to anoint Israel’s next king.
Samuel thought Jesse’s older sons looked very king-like and that they’d make a good king. But Yahuwah’s pick was David, the youngest son.
Miles: I’ve looked up that text. Let me read it really quickly. It says: “For Yahuwah seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but Yahuwah looketh on the heart.” [1 Sam. 16:7]
Dave: This is a principle we find throughout Scripture. In the Sermon on the Mount, Yahushua said: “Judge not lest ye be judged.” [Matthew 7:1] And He said this, because we can’t read what’s in the heart. We don’t know why a person does or believes what he does.
Miles: Of course, in Elke’s situation, it’s a bit more difficult. Her son is worried that Dad is going to be lost, because he was an atheist. She’s being asked to make a judgment call. So, what can she do? What can any of us do when a loved one dies and he or she isn’t a Christian?
Dave: I would reassure the boy that it’s safe to leave the matter in Yahuwah’s hands. In 2 Peter 3:9, we are told that Yahuwah is unwilling for any to be lost.
Now, we know that some actually will be. But we also know that He will save just as many as He possibly can. Yahuwah loved the dad, too, and He knows what was in the man’s heart.
The point is: we can’t judge! We can’t read the heart, so all we’re left with is judging by externals. But let’s look at those externals:
- Elke says her husband was kind, honest, generous and had integrity.
- He was a “good” man.
Now, turn over to Galatians 5 and read verses 22 to 23 for us.
Miles: All right … Oh! Fruits of the spirit, yeah. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
Dave: Elke’s description of her husband says that he had the fruits of the spirit. Now, we can’t read his heart, but we can be “fruit inspectors.” I would encourage the boy by reading this passage to him and pointing out how Daddy had these qualities.
We don’t know why her husband was an atheist. We do not know his background and upbringing. We don’t know what information he had read that convinced him there is no god.
What we do know is that he was kind, honest, generous, and had integrity—he was a “good man.”
Miles: So, let me see if I’m understanding your point.
Dave: All right.
Miles: We can’t read the heart.
Dave: No.
Miles: So all we are left with is looking at the externals. And the externals of this man’s life reveals what was in his heart.
Dave: Yes. Luke 6, verse 45 says: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
Of course, we cannot know for sure what was in this man’s heart, but we can know that, number 1: Yah will save everyone He possibly can. And, number 2: the actions of a person often reveal far more what is in his heart, than mere words alone.
Miles: Good point. There are so many Christians out there who are Christians in name only. They “talk the talk” without “walking the walk.”
Dave: Again, we don’t know why this man did not believe in Yahuwah. It’s very possible that, with more time and clearer evidence, he would have openly acknowledged faith in Yah. But the fruits shown in his life reveal what was important to him.
We have to remember that an intellectually honest atheist who reveals the fruits of the spirit in his life is more in line with Heaven’s principles than a hypocritical Christian who judges others.
Miles: I really like this answer. It reminds me of a passage in Matthew 7. Hold on a second while I look it up. It’s speaking about how to tell whether someone is a false prophet, but the principle still holds true. It says:
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them
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. 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?
And then will I profess unto them, I neverknew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. [Matthew 7:16-23]
Dave: Beautiful and so true, too. Also, we can always afford to be kind.
In Isaiah 42, Yahushua is described by His actions, stating: “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench.” [Isaiah 42:3] This boy is hurting. He’s just lost his dad. He doesn’t need to be told his dad is lost because we don’t know that he is. We’ll leave it in the Father’s hands because He’s the only one that truly knows what’s in the heart.
Miles: Amen!
All right, our next question is from Marisol Gutierrez in San Lorenzo, Paraguay. She asks: “Can Satan read our thoughts? This is really troubling me.”
Dave: I can certainly see why it would appear that way! Satan is very powerful. Revelation 12:9 describes him as leading the whole world astray. And 2 Corinthians 4, verse 4 says he blinds the minds of believers.
Miles: But he’s not omnipotent.
Dave: He wants us to think he is. He wants us to fear him. But no, he’s not omnipotent. Yahuwah limits his power.
In James 4, verse 7, we read: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Miles: That’s a fantastic promise.
Dave: Satan is very perceptive. He knows our weaknesses and our failings. He knows precisely where he’s gotten us to sin before, so he capitalizes on that and tries to get at us through our weak spots again. But, no. He is not allowed to read our minds.
Miles: Remember, folks! Satan’s a defeated foe.
Dave: I want to leave Marisol with one final thought. It’s a promise we can all cling to. It’s found in Isaiah 26, verse three. It says: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
Anytime you start feeling afraid of the power of Satan, remember: he is a defeated foe just like Miles said. Yah’s power is so much stronger, and His love is all encompassing. You don’t need to fear a defeated foe. Yah will never let you be overcome.
Shortly before his death, Paul wrote to Timothy a beautiful expression of faith. He said: “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
Miles: That’s beautiful. Where’s that found?
Dave: It’s in 2 Timothy 1:12. There’s no need to fear Satan’s power. Just keep your focus on the Almighty and claim His promises.
Miles: Okay. We’ve got time for one more question. This one is coming to us from Mitch Candless of Seattle, Washington, in the United States. He says, quote: “Does how we believe make a difference in the end? Is there more than one kind of belief?” Unquote.
I have to admit, I never really thought of that before. Makes me wonder what he’s been studying to prompt such questions, but they’re good ones. Does it matter how we believe and is there more than one kind of belief?
Dave: My answer may surprise you, but the answer to both questions is yes. It most certainly does make a difference “how” we believe and there is more than one way to believe.
Miles: Okay, you’ve got my attention. What do you mean?
Dave: There is intellectual belief and there is emotional belief, and each type has both strengths and weaknesses. Each type also impacts our relationship with Yah.
An emotional belief is based on one’s feelings, rather than cold, hard facts.
Miles: Now, how can that be a good thing? It seems rather weak to me. For example, take a kid who’s afraid of the dark. He’s convinced there’s a monster hiding under his bed when, unless he remembered to sweep there, there’s probably nothing there but some dust bunnies.
Dave: Emotional beliefs do have their place, though. Before we get into that, though, let’s define what we mean by intellectual belief. An intellectual belief is when we accept in our minds a certain premise is true. Now, what’s interesting about an intellectual belief is that we may or may not act upon that belief.
Miles: For example?
Dave: Well … uh, take the Amish. They’re a very conservative sect in the United States. They don’t believe in using any modern conveniences. They use candles instead of electricity. They drive horse-drawn buggies, instead of cars.
Now, intellectually they believe a car can run. They believe it is capable of transporting them somewhere. But, at the same time, they do not act upon that belief. They’ll stroll right past a car and go climb in their horse buggy even though in their mind they’re totally convinced the car has the power to take them where they need to go.
Miles: Hm. Yeah, I can see how it would definitely make a difference whether we believed something emotionally or intellectually.
Dave: When viewed in the spiritual realm, you could say these represent two different kinds of faith, both of which play important roles in our spiritual lives, because the kind of faith we have means the difference between eternal life or eternal death.
Let’s look first at an emotional faith. Emotional faith is based on one’s feelings. It can even be based on an assumption or a fantasy. The danger, though, is that emotional faith can be misguided because it’s not based on facts.
Miles: Kind of reminds me of what Paul wrote to the Romans. In chapter 10, verse 2, he described the Jews very pointedly. Give me just a second to look this up … Here we go. He said: “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for Yah, but not according to knowledge.”
Dave: Excellent example. Paul was saying that the Jews were very zealous in keeping up with all their religious practices and traditions, but it was a religion that wasn’t based on truth.
While you’ve got your Bible open to Romans 10, go ahead and read the next verse, verse 3.
Miles: “For they being ignorant of Yahuwah’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of Yah.”
Dave: The Jews, long before, had rejected Yah’s pure truths. They had formed a religion of their own based on nothing more than the traditions of their elders. So, when Yahushua came, it was an easy thing for them to ignore the truth that he was indeed the long-awaited Saviour of the world.
In essence, Paul is saying that the Jews’ religion is a self-centered religion because the believers try to work their way to salvation by obeying all their multitudinous rules and minutiae. But, it’s just not possible to work your way to salvation or forgiveness. Read the next verse now.
Miles: Okay. Romans 10, verse 4 says: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes”
Dave: We can’t do enough work to compensate for our sins. It’s impossible. That’s why we need a Saviour. Yahushua paid for our sins and the only quote/unquote “work” we are to do is simply to trust in him.
The Saviour spelled that out clearly in John 6:29. Go ahead and read that for us next.
Miles: “Yahushua answered them, “This is the work of Yah, that you believe in him whom He sent.”
Dave: The Jews were all preoccupied with the busy-work of doing the things they thought would earn them salvation. In Matthew 23, Yahushua said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”
They were busy with the work of perfection, but they were wrog. This is an example of emotional faith. It can be very strong, but it can also be very wrong, if it is based on an incorrect assumption or false belief.
Miles: So, then what’s an intellectual faith? Obviously, this would be one based more on facts. I’m not seeing what the weakness in this kind of faith would be.
Dave: The answer to that is found in Luke chapter 6, verses 46 to 49. Why don’t you turn there and read that for us? Here, Yahushua was talking about this very thing: the danger of knowing the right things, but not doing them.
Miles:
But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
Dave: If we truly want to serve Yahuwah, we will do what He wants us to do, not just what makes us feel good about ourselves.
In Yahushua’s parable, the people calling him “Lord, Lord” knew what they should do. They weren’t ignorant! They just didn’t want to do it.
Here, Yahushua is drawing a contrast between someone who acts upon the knowledge he has, and someone who doesn’t act upon it. Both of them have the same knowledge, but one is committed to living by what he knows, and the other isn’t.
Miles: I think Yahushua’s summation of the man who refuses to live by what he knows is very telling. He says, quote: “And the ruin of that house was great.” That’s serious! It’s a warning.
Dave: It is.
Miles: So, you’ve shown us the problems of the two types of faith. What sort of faith, than, are we to have?
Dave: Well, there’s not some other type of faith. The weakness is found in the extremes: all of one, and none of the other. True Biblical faith includes both emotional and intellectual faith.
First, your foundation must be an intellectual faith. Most of us respond emotionally. And that’s fine! That’s how Yahuwah draws our hearts. But an emotional faith has no strong foundation.
All it takes to be shaken is for some eloquent speaker to come along, some person who sounds good, and our emotions can be beguiled to another point of view. Intellectual faith is the foundation on which to build.
Miles: The good thing, I’ve noticed, is that truth is logical.
Dave: It is. And you’ll notice, too, that if a person resorts to nothing but emotional arguments, they invariably have error on their side.
Miles: So, where does an emotional belief, or faith, come in?
Dave: An emotional faith comes in because salvation requires more than just a mental assent to the truth. It also requires commitment.
Do you still have your Bible open to Romans?
Miles: No, but I can turn there in just a moment. Which chapter?
Dave: Chapter 10, and read verses 9 and 10.
Miles: All right … it says: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Yahushua and believe in your heart that Yahuwah has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Dave: What Paul is saying here is that we must have a true heart commitment to Yah, we must truly believe with all our heart in the merits of Yahushua in order to be saved.
Miles: I used to wonder what it meant to say that “with the heart one believes.” Obviously, the organ that pumps blood all around our bodies can’t “believe” anything, but what I figured out is that it means we believe so completely, we can feel it in our hearts.
Sort of like when a loved one passes away. We say we feel the pain of loss in our heart. That’s sort of how it is with truth. We feel the intensity of truth in our bodies. The “still, small voice” vibrates the truth home to our subconscious and it becomes a part of us.
Dave: “Saving faith” requires a blend of both emotional faith and intellectual faith. Emotional faith without knowledge of the truth is why some people can be sincere, but sincerely wrong. They can be very devout over error.
At the same time, intellectual faith, without a full heart-commitment, isn’t faith at all.
Miles: It’s just mental assent; an acknowledgement of the facts.
Dave: Precisely. Turn over to the first chapter of Isaiah for us and read verse 18, would you please?
Miles: Okay … uh,
“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says Yahuwah,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.” [Isaiah 1:18]
Dave: Here is the logic of truth. Yahuwah knows a firm foundation for faith is founded upon logic and facts. He knows how every brain is hard-wired, and He is willing to present whatever evidence is necessary to convict each individual mind.
All right, now turn to Psalm 34. Here in this passage we have the emotional side presented. Read verses 8 and 9 when you get there.
Miles:
Oh, taste and see that Yahuwah is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear Yahuwah, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
Dave: When a believer’s faith rests upon evidence and facts, it is very strong. When those facts are combined with the emotions of personal experience, then you’ve got saving faith: the faith of martyrs to stand faithful to Yah, though the Heavens fall. The faith of Job to say, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” This is the faith that saves; the faith each one of us needs, and the faith we can develop when we: #1 study for ourselves; and, #2, make a whole hearted commitment to knowing Yahuwah for ourselves, in our own personal experience.
Miles: That makes a lot of sense. I know I want that for myself.
Okay! That’s all we’ve time for today but keep sending us your questions and comments. We read every single one. To send us a question, simply go to our website at WorldsLastChance.com and click on Contact Us. We enjoy hearing from our listeners.
* * *Daily Promise
Hello! This is Elise O’Brien with your Daily Promise from Yah’s Word.
David Livingstone was a Scottish medical missionary to Africa. He was also an explorer who famously searched for the source of the Nile River. At the time, the source of the mighty Nile River had not yet been discovered. Livingstone believed that if he could solve the mystery, his fame would enable him to gain the influence necessary to end the East African Arab-Swahili slave trade.
He told a friend, quote: "The Nile sources are valuable only as a means of opening my mouth with power among men. It is this power which I hope to remedy an immense evil."
He was truly a selfless servant of the Most High, who lived to bless others. But it wasn’t an easy life.
One day, Dr. Livingstone came to the Zambezi River and wanted to cross. The chief in that area had been badly treated by another treacherous white man. In retaliation, the chief had vowed to kill the next white man who crossed the river.
That night, Livingstone turned to the unbreakable promises of Yah and read Matthew 28:20, Yahushua’s last words spoken before His ascension. It says: “Lo! I am with you always, even to the ends of the world.” Closing his Bible, Livingstone said, “It is the word of a gentleman of the strictest and most sacred honor; I will not flee.”
And he didn’t. He crossed the river and continued on his way, under the protection of the Most High.
Psalm 121 says: “Yahuwah shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. Yahuwah shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” [Psalm 121:7]
That promise is for you. We’ve been given great and precious promises. Go, and start claiming!
* * *Closing (Miles)
Thank you for listening to this episode on WLC Radio.
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In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.
WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.
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