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1.Going to church. The Pharisees that led the
conspiracy to crucify Jesus practically lived at the
temple, yet they didn't recognize their Savior. Jesus
had this to say to them:
"But when he saw many of the Pharisees and
Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said
to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee
from the coming wrath?" (Matt. 3:7)
2. Being "religious". Those same Pharisees were
among the most religious people that have ever lived
on Earth! But they were so hung up on their traditions
and ceremonies they didn't have room for God. Jesus
said:
"...But do not do what they do, for they do not practice
what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put
them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not
willing to lift a finger to move them." (Matt. 23:3,4)
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's
faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let
those enter who are trying to. Woe to you, teachers of
the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over
land and sea to win a single convert, and when he
becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of
hell as you are." (Matt. 23:14,15)
3. Believing in God.
"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the
demons believe that—and shudder." (James 2:19)
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is
born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves
his child as well." (1 John 5:1)
You can't follow God without following Jesus! You can't
love God without loving Jesus. You can't belong to God
without belonging to Jesus.
4. Being a "good" person. Nobody's good enough
to
"earn" salvation. Not you. Not me. Not Billy Graham or
Sister Teresa or even Grandma. No matter how
impressive your accomplishments may be to man,
your works don't impress God.
"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and
all our righteous acts are like filthy rags..." (Isaiah 64:6)
(Besides, salvation can't be earned. It's a gift.)
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not
by works, so that no one can boast." (Eph. 2:8,9)
5. Expecting anyone or anything other than Jesus to
provide a means of salvation.
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other
name under heaven given to men by which we must
be saved." (Acts 4:12)
"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but
whoever does not believe stands condemned already
because he has not believed in the name of God's one
and only Son." (John 3:18)
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