be criticized for
preaching a personal experience with Jesus Christ, but that is why God calls us to be preachers of the Word and workers in His vineyard ripe-unto-harvest. Not doing so, reflects focus on self and disobedience toward God and His Commandment and anything else that comes to man’s mind. Some pastors fear soul-winning, or evangelism, is no longer relevant to the post-Christian church, they say that now we are in the post evangelism age. To be evangelistic; i.e. Expecting people to be converted and saved is presumptuous, as one pastor of a former evangelical church said. (The church is now more likely classed as a liberal Protestant church. Therefore, the reins need to be drawn in on church leaders to have them realize God’s purpose in calling ministers out from the world to the ministry of reconciliation. Unfortunately, a pulpit committee did not check that pastor’s credential or fell for his teachings of social action over the preaching of the Word for the salvation of souls led by the Holy Spirit.
Is Christology, salvation, complete in Christ, known by God, eternal destination, preaching the true Gospel, soul-winning, and accurate edification of the flock through biblical discipleship, are some of all critical themes effective in church ministry for the Kingdom of God and His glory? Why are there so many different church denominations and views on salvation, especially, when there is one God, one Lord, one Word of God, one Church, one Holy Spirit, and yet so much misunderstanding among pastors that in OT time, God referred to them as brutish and foolish (Jere 10: 8-21), or has truth been lost in translation from the originals? The expression in God's Word, “Complete in Jesus Christ alone," is as right for the OT as the NT. The Psalmist says, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want,” (Ps 23: 1). His needs for holy living and requirements to dwell in the house of the Lord forever were met in the Lord Jesus Christ, our great Shepherd, who made the necessary sacrifice for our redemption. When the author preaches, by the Power of the Holy Spirit, not his wit, He desires to make man’s sin and need for salvation clear and relevant for all to believe God, and he prays for God to add converts to the Church. Some of the great evangelists in history spent a great deal of time on sin, as well as on salvation. To preach repentance and die for our souls for salvation for humankind, not speaking in tongues, was the reason Christ was sent to come in the flesh, (Matt 4: 17). May God grant you His grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord, by the power of His Holy Spirit, for your new birth into eternal Life and the preaching of His Word in season and out of season. May others come to biblical faith in Jesus through His Spirit leading you in salvation and ministry to do evangelism that is of God, with His purpose and glory in mind.
The study is essential for assurance of salvation, in a secure knowledge of one’s eternal home being Heaven, not just hoping that one will go to Heaven, if you do anything of human making, repeatedly. Doing your own thing will not get you into heaven. Praying about the Lord’s Word and His will must be in the ground of preparation for one’s preaching, teaching, counselling, soul-winning, and the development of one’s theology, that one knows this side of eternity that God will know one in Judgment Day as a child begotten of God, (1 Jn 5:1-2; Jn 1: 12). One’s theology determines one’s impact on church growth, personal joy, and fulfillment in a pastoral ministry. It is written in The Scriptures, “to know to good and do it not is sin,” (Jas 4: 17). Therefore, should one not do sound theology by rightly dividing the Word of Truth, (2 Tim 2: 15) and, accepting it by faith as defined in Hebrews 11: 1, to be a useful servant approved of the true God, led by God the Holy Spirit is impossible? Yes, the real biblical ministry is born of and given by God to believers.
STATEMENT OF LIMITATIONS
The author is not writing a report on the rise of Christianity from the birth of Christ to the present. He is writing about what is necessary for Christianity for the new birth, and confidence of Christians concerning God today and, why these foundational truths are important in evangelism and soul-winning for the 21st century, for living the Christian life, and church worship to come. As the church races rapidly toward false teaching and apostasy, it means now is the time to teach seekers how to be known by God in eternity as made complete in Jesus Christ, (Col. 2:10). They need to know that God offers the truth about having not just hope that one has an eternal home in Heaven, but that they may know. God says ‘these things are written’ that you may see that you have an eternal home in a place called Heaven in Judgment Day, (1 Jn 5: 13). Also, you need to know you are worshipping the True God. Jesus, the Savior sent from the Father in Heaven, is the same yesterday, today, forever, (Heb 13: 8).
Thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord, we can teach non-believers about being known by God, complete in Jesus Christ, led by His Holy Spirit for confidence in knowing the True God, (Rom.7: 24-25; Jude 20-25). When the righteousness by faith in Jesus is preached, and made available to all who believe, they can rely on God’s Word that they and others are making, correctly, the most critical decision of their life, i.e. To choose life.
Nor does this paper deal with the rise of the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, their comparison and importance in the growth of Christianity. Christian tradition and cultures have accepted these two creeds for centuries. In this paper, the author focuses on the fundamentals of the biblical faith, the confessions of Jesus, on one being made complete and known by God in Judgment Day and the relationship of these themes to salvation and soul-winning.
After revealing Himself through the prophets, God showed Himself to humankind through Christ. Jesus Christ is Emmanuel, i.e. God with us. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Jesus said to Nicodemus, that a man must be born again to see the Kingdom of God: “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God,” (Jn 3: 3).
Jesus holds to his teaching today and will hold one accountable for belief in Him in Judgment Day. That is a confession of Jesus that man must believe in Jesus to not die the second death. God inspired John to write: “But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on His name, (John 1: 12). In the Revelation, Jesus had John write, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him and he with Me,” (Revelation 3: 20). God says that whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and loves the children of God, (1 Jn 5:1-2). Being born-again spiritually is a requirement, says Jesus, without which no man shall see the Kingdom of God. God knows those who are begotten of Him. Thus, one can know this side of eternity, that one has the right to be a child of God, and have the assurance that he will be welcomed by God into His Kingdom of Heaven, in Judgment Day, if he has made the right decision to become a believer, before he makes the transition into eternity. One becomes an adopted child of God, (Rom 8: 15). God has sent not the spirit of fear, but the Spirit of adoption into the believer’s heart crying, “Abba Father,” making that person one of ABBA’S OWN. Also, God is true and fair to let humankind know what will happen, “... it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this, cometh judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27). So, as you see, everyone will stand before Jesus in Judgment Day. We know there will be a Judgment Day that will occur, as sure as the appointment for one’s death. Therefore, one best pray for the mercy of God to be upon him a sinner that he is known by God and knows God, this side of eternity. Beyond this lifetime on earth, it is too late to make one’s decision to repent of sin, acknowledge and receive Christ. Eternity is a long time and only, but a breath away, for temporal life is a vapour compared to eternal life, for either having received or having rejected Jesus.
This paper is not a scathing review of the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement, the Signs and Wonders movement, nor any neo-movement like the Vineyard movement, or the Alpha Course movement. These movements are experientially based, divisive, non-biblical teachings that have infiltrated the Church. This author proposes to the charismatics that they consider how they intend to fair in Judgment Day for telling people to leave their Bibles at home. Jesus is the Word, and He is God. The Word is the foundation for the salvation of man. Believing God’s Word leads to one’s salvation. The Spirit of God moves upon a person’s heart through the use of the Scriptures, which He inspired for one to know and receive Jesus
