THE TRUTH OF SALVATION

THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE IN AMERICA
A man who had many doctorates and had served the Lord for many years was asked, “What is the greatest truth you have discovered over the many years of studying God’s word? His answer was, “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.”
I am far from old I hope, but over the years if there is one great truth that I have discovered in the Bible it is the truth of salvation.
From thirty-five years of studying the Bible, I have discovered that the cultural Christianity in America today is far removed from the teaching of Christianity in the Bible.
One of the greatest sorrows of heart is the doctrine that most churches call salvation and the sermons on salvation preached from most pulpits across America are not true to God’s word.
Today, I want to share my heart with you about the “Truth of Salvation.”
Understand that a preacher is a dying man called of God to preach to dying men and women.
I hope you will listen with an open heart and mind. I hope you will turn to the Scriptures and read what I say for your self. And I hope you will believe God’s Word above what any preacher or person has ever told you.
Listen: The door of Salvation is a hidden door.

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
Please understand that the “way to Heaven will be found at the exit called strait and the road called narrow. It will not be found at the broad gate and on the wide road.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 7: 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
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.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
The greatest concern of my heart is most people in most churches across America today are not saved. They know Jesus died was buried and rose again but that is not salvation.
THREE MISCONCEPTION OF SALVATION:
1) Some have asked this question, “Is belief in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ enough to get a person to heaven?
We find in Acts 26 the story of the apostle Paul standing before King Agrippa. He preached the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ to him. Then Paul invites Agrippa to receive Christ as his own Savior. Paul says in verse 27-28, “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”
Agrippa believed the gospel but died and went to hell. Most people with “America’s form of Christianity” believe the gospel but will die and go to hell because they too, like Agrippa only believe.
The type of Salvation and the type of Christianity that is being portrayed and preached about in most Churches in our country is foreign to the teachings of God Words.
One evangelist named Paul Washer that preaches mainly in South America, Africa and Eastern Europe preaches at times in America and mingles among the churches of this country. He said, “America Christianity is based more on a godless culture than it is on the word of God.”
2) Another fallacy of salvation is the idea that if I pray a prayer and say, “Lord save me” God will take me to heaven?
Many people are deceived into believing that because someone told them if they prayed the sinner’s prayer they would go to heaven. So they prayed it but even in their heart they didn’t believe because they have prayed that prayer a hundred times since then.
3) One more dangerous fault of people who profess Christ is they look around and see other professing Christians just as evil and worldly as they are and they think I am OK because I am as good or a little better than they are, therefore I am going to heaven too.
They don’t look any different then the world. They don’t live any different then the world and they don’t talk any different than the world and they say, “I know I’m saved because when I was 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, I believed the gospel and I prayed a prayer.”
*The greatest heresy in Baptist Churches today is the idea that if I pray a prayer I will get to heaven.
Now, note that bowing and confessing to Christ that you are a sinner and inviting Jesus to take over your life is a very important part of salvation and I emphasis, “It is a part.” But, if you think that the sinner’s prayer alone will save you, you are totally wrong.
You’ll not find that in the Bible, but you will find in Matthew 7:21-23 just the opposite.
You will not find that the teaching of praying a prayer for salvation was ever taught in Christian History or Baptist history till about 50 to 60 years ago. It started in Independent Baptist Churches.
Preachers got so caught up in bragging about the number of people they had “saved” they became salesman rather than prophets and preachers of truth, allowing God’s Holy Spirit to do His work.
Salvation is faith in Jesus Christ. It is a faith that comes from the preaching of God’s Word with the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
In true salvation when the conviction of God’s Spirit falls on you, you will repent and surrender your life to do the will of God.
It is a love relationship that causes you to commit your life to living for Jesus Christ forever. It is not a fire escape from hell. That is Salvation!
At that time you decide that you will love God and hate sin. You will quit living for this world and you’ll begin living for the next world.
Many churches and preachers in America say, “Come as you are. Live like you want, just say, I believe in Jesus and pray this prayer.” That is not Bible doctrine. That is not Christianity.

PROOF: Luke 18: “The Rich Young Ruler”
Proof of that statement is found in Luke 18. A rich ruler came to Jesus. He had heard of the life of Christ. He had heard of Jesus’ power and might and miracles and majesty. He came with awe and excitement and a great desire to be “saved” and asked Jesus in v 18, ’…Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
Upon examining his life the man had lived a very good life. He had gone through his Catechism. He had memorizes the Ten Commandments and had kept them. He had a good working knowledge of the Scriptures.
He had all the right answers. He had done right from a youth up. Then Jesus said to him in Luke 18:22. “…Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”
Why didn’t Jesus say, “I’m going to die and rise on the third day,” believe that and invite me to save your heart?” Because that isn’t the way to heaven.
Salvation is giving your life to Him. It is making Jesus your Lord and Savior. It is giving Him control of your life 24-7.
Jesus doesn’t ride in the back seat of your car, He drives. He isn’t your co-pilot, he is your pilot. He takes control but only if He is given control. And He definitely doesn’t ride in the trunk. There are many folks that use Jesus Christ like a spare tire. They only take him out when their life goes flat.
Verse 23 reads, “And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.” He did not want to give up his style of living for Christ and sadly, he died and went to hell. Why didn’t Jesus say, “Believe that I will die and I will be buried and I will rise again and pray a prayer.”

Ninety-eight percent of the people in Greensboro believe themselves to be believers. Most everybody will say they are Christians.
And yet sixty percent don’t go to Church. Of those that do, eighty percent don’t read the Scriptures daily and less than fifteen percent go to prayer meeting. Does that sound like a people in love with Jesus?
Look at this passage in Matthew 7:
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
That was all introduction, now write down five points:
1 – THE DOOR IS HIDDEN.
The word gate in this passage means door or entrance way. “Jesus said, I am the way the truth and the life. No man cometh to the father but by me” (John 14:6). The only way any human being will ever be saved is through Jesus Christ. He is the door to heaven.
Question: Is that gate or door water baptism? Is that gate church membership? Is that gate praying a prayer? Is the gate being able to give the right answers to a list of questions? No!
When we examine the Greek we discover that the word strait means “difficult to find because of so many obstacles standing near by.” It carries in the Greek language the idea of a gate hidden by many vines. It isn’t clear. It isn’t obvious unless one searches for it.
Could that actually be true? Look at some examples. Judas kissed this door to heaven and died and went to hell. This door to heaven lived among the Jewish people for 33 ½ years and they rejected this door as the way to heaven. The Romans heard of this miracle worker and heard the crowds praise Him and they nailed Jesus to a cross. And Pilate admitted Jesus had no fault but signed His death warrant..
John 3:
Jesus told Nicodemus that entering that door is compared to a woman in labor. In John 3:3 we read, “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
“4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
Jesus says, Nicodemus you must go through the process of a new birth as a woman goes through labor. There will be a battle but there must be a new life birth within you. That new life will introduce by water which is the hearing of the Word of God. And the new life will be supernatural.
When you enter that strait gate, that passage way to eternal life, you must seek the Lord. You must repent of your sins. You must believe in the Gospel. You must surrender to do the will of God. Then as they call out to Christ with a humble and broke heart door of Salvation will swing open.
Do you understand in true salvation you will surrender to Christ. Your life will be different. Your life will be holy. Your life will be Christ-like. Your life will be righteous. Your life will be opposite from the way the world lives.
**God’s Spirit will only let those that are born again enter through the strait gate. Repent! Believe! Commit! Call!
***After Jesus had preached much and the disciples heard his words they realizes that it would be difficult to get to heaven. Look at Luke 13:23.
Luke 13: 23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
24 Strive (struggle, do your best, go all out) to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek (look for, search for, hunt for) to enter in, and shall not be able.
WIDE GATE
Sadly, most people will enter through the wide gate. Anybody and everybody are welcome in the wide gate. You can believe anything you want and live anyway you desire and enter the wide gate.
Every religion, every denomination, every cult, every idea, every philosophy in the world is accepted at the wide gate.
Everything is OK. If you want to be very strict and teach you have to keep the laws of Moses you will be accepted. On the other hand if you want to engage in fornication to cursing to drunkenness to living just like the unsaved world, it is OK.
You can go to the Men Clubs on Saturday night and you can go to church on Sunday.
You can get drunk on Friday night and sing in the choir on Sunday. At the wide gate you may come as you are, live as you please and do what you want because you prayed a prayer.

2 – THE ROAD IS NARROW.
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Not only is the gate strait but the road is narrow. Before a person enters in and becomes a child of God, Jesus says, here is what you need to know. Here is what you need to expect. “The road is narrow.”
The word narrow means troublesome with afflicting. Look at Christ’s life. He was afflicted by the religious crowd all the days of His life. His own family rejected Him and the world crucified Him.
When the disciples lived for Christ, they were run out of cites, placed in jail, beaten and put to death.
The first three hundred years of Christianity three million Christians alone were killed in Rome, Italy not counting what took place in Israel and the rest of the world.
Jesus said the narrow road of the Christian life, as you travel to heaven will be met with difficulty and affliction. It is a narrow road. It is a two-lane highway, not a 12 lane expressway.
Christian, there will even be those in this church that will give you a cold shoulder and mock you if you are determined to live godly.
****If you are looking for the waterhole of sin, you won’t find it on this road. If you are looking to party, it isn’t here either.
If you are looking for a country club religion, you won’t find it on this road. NO! You’ll just find real Christians and believers. You will find worship and praise to the Lord.
If you are looking for an entertaining religion, a relaxed religion, a watered down religion with no repentance and commitment, you’ll have to get on the Broad road.
The road of life for the believer is narrow because the believer’s focus is narrow. His greatest desire or focus is Jesus Christ. Why? Because he has fallen in love with Him.
Do you think someone would repent and give up the pleasures of this world for someone they didn’t love. Only the love of Christ will cause you to give up the sinful pleasures of this old world.

Broad Road – Verse 13 says, broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
The life style on the broad road is wide open. Remember the Wide Gate welcomes everybody. On this road anything goes. On this road are all types of recreation centers and worship centers.
Religion on the broad road allows every thing. There are Strip joints, bars, men’s club, and dance halls to go to during the week. And there are thousands of churches you can attend on Sunday. But, only on Sunday. They don’t like prayer meeting and Sunday evening.
Why would I say there are many churches there?
Statistics show that the morality between the world and the church in America is no different.
Percentage wise abortion, divorce, immorality, youth engaged in sexual activity, drinking and such are basically even in America between those who go to church and those who have nothing to do with church.
Do you think there is something wrong with America’s form of Christianity?
And many say, “But preacher I’m just carnal.” “I’m just backslid.” “I’m bitter at God.” “Somebody hurt me.” Many say, “Oh, I know I’m saved; I’m just not what I ought to be. No friend, you are more than likely lost.
Jesus said in the last days people would have a form of godliness but deny the power there of, but today folks don’t even have a form of godliness.
I thank God that you folks dress up in honor of God on Sunday. Thank you! But it is a slap in the face of God if you dress for worship on Sunday the same way you do for a ballgame on Saturday.
Some folks say, “Well I’m saved, I’m just away from God. I’m a prodigal. No friend, you are lost.
In reality the prodigal son in the Bible is a picture of Israel. They lost their inheritance with God, which the elder son held onto. They will not rule and reign with Christ in the millennium from the New Jerusalem but from the earthly Jerusalem. Jesus never gave that parable so you might justify living in the world. And if you use the Bible to excuse your sinful life that is evident enough you are lost.
When I hear someone say, “I’m saved by grace I can choose to live in sin if I want.” I say, “God help your soul, you have no idea what it means to be saved by grace. You have never understood Salvation.
Well, preacher, I’m really mad now. I’m going to find me a church
that preaches an easy salvation.” Go ahead. You can go to hell from there just easier than from here because they’ll take you in just like you.
Now, stop I want you to know something. If you are saved, you are 100% OK with this message. If it bothers you because you want to defend your experience or one of your children, please listen to the rest of the message.
If you have entered in at the strait gate and you are walking down the narrow road. Then the trees are in full bloom.
3 – THE TREE IS FRUITFUL
Jesus says in Matthew 7 if you are a believer you will bear spiritual fruit.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
A prophet of God was feared and respected and honored but he wasn’t necessarily liked, because he preached truth.
He is your best friend. “Your best friend is the one who tells you the truth.”
Most people have become so thinned skinned that if the preacher tells the truth, people get mad and leave the church. God help us. Our pride is sending us to hell.
The marks of a false prophet is he will not rain on your parade.
He does not want to preach something that will offend you or make your life uncomfortable.
He will present a Christianity that makes the church look like a rock concert or a six flags over Jesus.
The true church and the true preachers of old preached truth.
They preached against sin and they preached righteousness and repentance.
Do you know how Baptist theology and Bible theology revealed that a person was saved for hundreds of years?
The Word of God was preached. People under the conviction of God’s spirit were asked to go to an “enquire room” after the service.
The preacher or evangelist would get alone with them and question the people to why they came forward.
If he sense some came for the wrong reason, he would turn them away and tell them you are not ready yet to be born again. Go home seek God, read His word and come back another time.
Other people the preacher would sense were under the convicting power of God’s spirit. He would again explain to them repentance, surrender, commitment. If they understood they were pray with and told to cry out to God till the spirit of God and peace of God flooded their lives.
Today many say If you would like to join the church come and shake the preachers hand. Membership in the church isn’t membership in heaven. Or Come and pray a prayer.
When a person was truly saved birth into God’s kingdom by God’s Spirit there would be a major difference in their life.
1- His heart would be different.
2- His home would be different.
3- His honor would be different.
1- When your heart is different, you love different things. You love God first. You love your mate. You love your family. You love the children of God. You love God’s Word.
2- Your home will be different. Your marriage becomes stronger, better, more loving and more enjoyable. Your kids become important to you. Your home is different because your heart is different.
3- Your honor is different. People honor people.
Some of you parents have talked with your youth about their life style, their clothes, their music, their friends and it is like pulling eye teeth. What your child needs is a good dose of salvation. That always makes us want to obey God and our parents.
Only Jesus will make kids want to live right, dress right, talk right and act right. Your kids will hang around kids that have a heart just like them.
When Jesus moves in, they will want to hang with folks that love Jesus.
WHAT IS THE FRUIT OF SOMEONE WHO IS SAVED?
1 – You will love being around God’s people. I John 3: 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
2 – You will love the preaching of God’s word.
I Peter 2: 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
3 – You will love fellowship in God’s house.
Psalms 122: I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
David was talking about Jerusalem, but this refers to the heart of a believer loving the house of God.
God’s house is to be a house of prayer and worship and righteousness. It is to be a house of fellowship and the teaching of doctrine and training of His children.
It was never to be a country club or an entertainment center. God’s house was to be Holy.
4 – You will enjoy living a new life. 2 Corinthians 5: 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Some professing Christians say, “Preacher I enjoy hanging out with my worldly friends and getting high and laughing at dirty jokes. A good dose of salvation will cure that.
There is something wrong with people’s concept of true salvation today in this American culture.
Most people in most churches don’t need to get right with the Lord, most people need to get saved.
Look at verse 16 again.
A thistles trees grow on the Broad Road. The fruit of that tree is hate, greed, jealousy, pride, lust, fornicate, bitterness, cursing, drunkenness, worldly parties, anger and strife and more.
The fruit of the Fig trees are love for Jesus, the Bible and the Brethren. Joy of the Lord and peaceful relationship with God and others.

Let me give you an illustration of a person who is real and false.
Let’s say I got to church an hour late this morning and you said, Preacher where were you? I said, Man on my way over here I had a flat tire. I got out too fix the tire and a forty ton logging truck hit me at 60 MPH. It smashing me between my car and the front of the truck but I made it.
You would conclude. The preacher is a liar or he is crazy. Why? You are smart enough to conclude that if I had had been truly hit by this truck I would be dead an since I am at church I told an awfully big lie or I have lost my mind. Because there is no way I could come in contact with this truck and still be the same person.
I conclude, when you come in contact with Jesus Christ, who is far bigger and mightier than a logging truck and you can still act like, walk like and talk like the world, you have accepted a lie of a salvation.
How many times have you gone to the altar over the past ten years and rededicate your life? Or maybe you went so often that you just quit going because you found out nothing changed around the house. You change for about a week then you go back to the same old mode.
Maybe you need to get on your face and weep and cry and beg God to forgive you of a life of hypocrisy and pride. Maybe you need to get born again.
Hey when I got married, my life changed and has been different for 35 years. I have been in love for 35 years.
When I got saved my life changed to and has been different. God’s spirit has worked in my life for thirty five years.

1 - The gate is strait. 2- The way is narrow. 3 – The tree is fruitful.
4 – THE WARNING IS CLEAR
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
In America if we want to emphasis something we raise our voice. In Hebrew literature when they emphasized something they spoke something again and again, such as, truly, truly or verily, verily.
Though Jesus is speaking in Greek, He is speaking to the Hebrew people first. But he speaks over and over again about the fruit.
In verse 16 he says, “Ye shall know them by their fruits.”
In verse 17 he says, “17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
In verse 18 he says, “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.”
In verse 19 Jesus says, “Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
The person that has walked through the Strait Door call salvation and is traveling down the narrow road of the Christian life. His life is filled with good fruit, good fruit, good fruit.
Things in his life are church, the Bible, prayer, worship, love for the things of God and more.
– Precious friend look at the next verse:
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.
That is pretty clear to destroy the idea of America’s water down salvation experience or let’s pray a prayer.
In my life from the age of 7 to 21 I believed every doctrine in the Bible. When I was born I was baptized. At age 12 I could tell you about eschatology, pneumonology, harmotology and soteriology which is the doctrine of Salvation but I was not God’s child.
At age 16 I prayed a prayer and was baptized in a Baptist church. For the next five years I would have told everybody that asked me that I was a Christian. At the age of 21 verse 21 of Matthew 7 became a reality to me.
I had prayed the prayer a hundred times but I had never surrendered to the will of the Father. I never gave Him my life.
I had prayed, “Lord saved me.” But I was going to live as I pleased.
This is the great misunderstanding in fundamental churches today. Because fifty to sixty years ago someone said, “Let’s tell people to believe the Gospel and pray a prayer and they are saved and a heresy filled many churches of America.
Billy Graham said He believed that the great majority of people in Bible believing churches today were lost.
He said he believed that less that 5% of those who make profession of faith in his campaigns actually understood what they were doing.
The prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, in the late 1800’s questioned if half the people in his church fully understood Salvation.
Dr. Lee Robertson, pastor of the Highland Park Baptist Church wondered if even half of his congregation knew the Lord as their Savior.
V 21 – Salvation is when a person comes under the conviction of the Holy Spirit humbles their heart in repentance and says, “I will do the will of God.” “I will surrender my life to Him.”
“I will seek Him. I will serve Him. I will love Him. I will live for Him. I will honor Him. I will be different.”

When Paul got saved in Acts 9, his whole life changed. He did run with the folks he used to run with.
When the Philippian Jailer got saved, He took Jesus home with him and his whole family changed.
Nicodemus came searching for Jesus at night. He was a brilliant man. He had great knowledge of the Scripture but He had to have the Holy Spirit blow over his soul so he could cry out for Salvation.

How do you know your faith is real? Your Father will take care of you.
Let’s say I am coming home from the hospital late one night and I see one of our teenagers on the street corner at 1:00 in the morning. He is hanging out with other guys that are drinking and partying. I stop and say, Joe, get in the car, I’m taking you home.
Now I’m upset, not with the teenager, but with the father. If that father was what he ought to be, he wouldn’t let his son stay out that late at night and with those kids.
Now, let me say this. If God is your father, he won’t let you live in sin week after week. God is no derelict father. NO! God is a good father and the Bible says, He will discipline his own. And the Bible says in Hebrews 12: 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Some folks shake off what I say and you say, “But it is different with me. I know the Lord, it is just I love to party, I love to drink. I love to laugh at dirty jokes. I love the world. I love to bear the thistles.
Remember what happens to the thistles. One day they will be gathered together and all cast into the fire.
1 - The gate is strait. 2- The way is narrow. 3 – The tree is fruitful. 4 – The Warning is clear and lastly,
5 – GOOD WORKS ISN’T ENOUGHT
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.
At the great judgment of God men and women will have what they think are good excuses: I went to church. I was a member. I sang in the choir. I was confirmed. My mama told me I was saved.
I taught a Sunday school class. I gave 10% every week of my hard earned money. God I went to church my entire life.
Verse 22 reveals some folks with the power to cast out devils and do wonders and yet they were in the end, lost for eternity.
Understand what verse 23 means. Listen to the Greek interpretation:
“Depart from me, you that profess to know me and yet you live for me as if I never gave you a law to obey.”
You lived with the philosophy that a mere prayer would save you and after that you lived as you choose to live. God says, “Depart from me!”
Moms, dads, teens, it is more than a prayer. It is a surrendering of your will to do the will of Almighty God. It is a submission of your life to God.

Interpretation:
1- Two Gates:
2- Two Roads
3- Two Trees:
4- Two foundations – The saved man is building his life on God’s Word, God’s will, God’s way. He builds his marriage, finances, and worship on God’s Word and not man’s way.

Now folks let me ask you a few questions and we will sing a song and I’ll let you make a decision for Christ or not.
1 - What makes you think you are saved?
2 - Do you compare yourself with your family or friends and then conclude, you are as good as they are? That doesn’t make you saved.
3 - Do you compare yourself with other professing Christians and say I am as good as they? That doesn’t make you saved.
4 – Are you trusting in a belief and prayer?
5 - Youth, do you think you are going to heaven because your parents told you that you are saved? They have no right to tell you that you are saved. Only God through His Spirit can tell your spirit if you are saved or lost.

**Salvation will come when God’s Spirit convicts you and you admit that you are a sinner, lost and your sins nailed Christ to Calvary.
You believe Jesus died, was buried and rose again.
But you must do the will of God. You must surrender to do His will.
You then joyfully, lovingly, and unashambly pour out your heart to Christ and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior with the full intentions of living for Him the rest of your life.