The Obvious Common Sense Gospel of SALVATION for Those Who Still Don't Get It

I THOUGHT I WAS SAVED !!!???

Almost ALL Christian denominations and creeds accept that Scripture is simple enough to be understood by an believer who knows how to read and seek after God. The Reformed Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 1 section 7 even states:

"All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded, and opened to some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them."

Yet, despite this truth which we wholeheartedly agree with, why are there more than 30,000 denominations and several concepts of Salvation? All 30,000 cannot be ALL correct! There is even the possibility that ALL are wrong but not all can be right. Otherwise, there is no rationality to the variances.

For example, the doctrine of salvation and final judgment alone has contradicting variations like "once-saved-always-saved", "lose salvation when you sin", "lose salvation only with the unforgiveable sin", "lose salvation when you sin but repent and be restored", "loss of salvation is final", etc.

 While the Reformation adherents start their salvation message with Paul and the book of Romans and/or Galatians following the traditions insisted by Martin Luther, the early Christians started their soteriology with Jesus and the Gospels especially Matthew which is why tradition has it as the first book of the New Testament, In fact, the tradition of the gospels were in existence immediately after the resurrection of Christ and long before Paul's epistles were widespread. So, WHAT WAS THE SALVATION MESSAGE OF THE POST-RESURRECTION BELIEVERS BEFORE PAUL???

Whatever the answer is, it cannot be simple "justification by faith" especially NOT "justification by faith ALONE"! Those concepts did not exist until more than half the original apostles had become martyrs. In fact, such concept  of "by faith alone" did not exist until the Reformation of Martin Luther. Theologians will insist that it did exist but they have no proof USING the history of the written Word.

The best answer to the question of salvation is to look at how the FINAL JUDGE (Jesus Christ) will determine our eternal destination. NOTHING CAN BE CLEARER ON THIS SUBJECT T other than the three parables of Matthew 25 which elaborates on the concluding verses of the Sermon on the Mount.

Let us examine from a truly blank slate HOW Christ, THE FINAL JUDGE, will determine the believer's final destiny.  The BELIEVER'S DESTINY???? I thought the Reformation said we are already FINALLY SAVED by grace through faith alone!!!!

Well, these parables seem to declare that nothing could be farther than the truth, UNLESS ONE DISTORTS THE MEANING BY THEOLOGICAL JARGON OR BIAS.

ALL THREE PARABLES refer to believers! 

The 5 condemned virgins were PART OF THE BRIDAL PARTY of the bride and groom. The worthless slave was ALREADY OWNED BY THE MASTER.  Sheep and goats are BOTH KOSHER ANIMALS (in the parable of the wheat and weeds, both types are in the kingdom of God and look alike in their initial stages).  So, one thing is FOR SURE about these parables. They ALL refer to believers IN THE KINGDOM. Unfortunately, it seems that membership in that kingdom is conditional and not permanent!

The first two parables were introduced by Jesus Christ as "the kingdom of God is like". The final  parable starts with "when the Son of Man comes..." ALL THREE have a final judgment context. They are not only about rewards, they are also about condemnation and punishment. All of them talk about believers who will be CONDEMNED. 

The 5 condemned virgins were turned away with the same words that Jesus mentioned in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:23 because they failed to anticipate the arrival of the bridegroom and his party. The worthless servant was thrown into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth just because he did not care about investing in the master's business, i.e., kingdom business. And the goats were condemned because even if they were kosher, they did not demonstrate the fruit of the kingdom demonstrated by good works.

So Jesus Christ is therefore clearly, EXPLICITLY declaring that though believers are saved by grace through faith and have actually entered the kingdom of God, we will ultimately be judged by our works and NOT our theology. The virgins were condemned because they chose comfort over sacrifice. The worthless servant chose complacency and security over risking everything he had for the kingdom. He knew his master but did not act accordingly to what he knew. Finally, the goats were condemned because they violated the third commandment, carrying the name of Christ but failing to demonstrate it by omission to their "obvious" neighbors.

So what is the gospel of salvation according to the gospels and, most importantly, according to how the pre-Nicene Christians understood the gospel?  

Answer: WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH DEMONSTRATED BY GIVING UP OUR VERY LIVES AND PRE-OCCUPATIONS (AND EVEN PROPERTIES AND RICHES) FOR CHRIST AND THE KINGDOM, WE ARE BEING SAVED BY THE TRANSFORMING POWER AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BUT ONLY BY OUR CONTINUOUS SURRENDER OF OUR LIVES TO HIS CONTROL AND THEN WE WILL BE JUDGED ULTIMATELY BY OUR WORKS.