Weighing our Works Tract

December 31, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Do you know someone who believes what many false religions believe, that if our good works outweigh our bad works we will be saved. Debunk their belief with this tract.

 

Weighing Our Works Tract (Click Photo for Files)

Weighing Our Works

Back of Card:

Many people think they will get to Heaven if their good works outweigh their bad works. Many manmade religions teach this. The Bible (God’s Word) does not. God says that our good works cannot save us. This is because we have sinned.  We have broken God’s law, and there is nothing you and I can do to ‘make up’ for it. We cannot bribe the Judge with our good works. Have you ever lied? Looked with lust? Hated someone? Stolen? Taken God’s name in vain? If you have done these things one time, then you are a liar, an adulterer (Matt. 5:28), a murderer (1 John 3:15), a thief, and a blasphemer. God will not overlook your crimes. You are deserving of God’s wrath in His eternal prison of Hell. But this is not what God desires for you. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to be a sacrifice for your sins. He died for you and was raised from His tomb by God so you can have the hope of eternal life.  If you believe this message (the Gospel), submit to Jesus Christ,  and turn from your sins, God will raise you out of the hopeless state of death you are in, wash away your sins, and give you new life (Ephesians 2:1-10; Romans 6:1-7; Colossians 2:11-14).

 

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The Justice of God

July 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment

For a moment, put yourself into someone else’s shoes. Two months ago, you came home from work to find your husband/wife dead just inside the door. You run back to your daughter’s room, finding her also dead. Then you go to your son’s room, and as you enter you see a criminal choking the last bit of life out of him. You are filled with rage. You run towards the murderer of your family and tackle him to the ground. You tie him up and call the police.

Fast-forward to today. You are sitting in a courtroom. The case against this murderer has been heard, and you along with your friends are awaiting the jury to return with the verdict. After about 6 hours it finally comes. The verdict is written on a piece of paper. It is given to the judge.

The judge begins to read the verdict, “The jury has concluded that you are guilty on all charges. But in spite of this… I am a good and merciful judge; I am going to let you go free.”

How would you respond to the judge doing this? You would be enraged! How can a judge let a man like this off the hook? This judge is not just. He is corrupt. He must be removed from the bench. You would write your congressman or senator to tell them about this wicked judge.

A Spiritual Application

We expected this judge to give the verdict of guilty. We expected the criminal to be condemned to death. We expected him to be punished. We can see the injustice behind what this judge did, but it is amazing that so many people expect God to do exactly what this corrupt judge did. Let me explain.You and I are criminals. We have committed terrible crimes against not only man, but God. We have broken God’s laws by lying, stealing, taking His name in vain. We have thought hateful things, which God views as murder in our hearts. We have lusted, which God looks at as adultery in our hearts. He judges our actions, our words, and even our thoughts. Because of these crimes against God, we are guilty. We deserve to be punished.

There have been many people I have shared the gospel with that have seen this fact. They see that they are guilty before God for their sin and deserve to be punished. But in spite of this, they expect God to just let their crimes slide on the Day of Judgment and to accept them into Heaven. These people may say that they believe God is a Just God, but they are not willing to believe that He would be just in sending them to Hell.

The Bible says clearly that God is a Just God:

Exodus 34:7
He will by no means leave the guiltyunpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

Deuteronomy 32:41
If I sharpen My flashing sword, And My hand takes hold on justice, I will render vengeance on My adversaries, And I will repay those who hate Me.

1 Samuel 2:10
“Those who contend with the LORD will be shattered; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The LORD will judge the ends of the earth

Job 34:12
“Surely, God will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice.

Psalms 89:14
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.

Psalms 97:2
Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

The Bible also clearly teaches what the punishment will be for breaking the law of God:

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death

John 3:36
“he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

2 Thessalonians 1:6-9
For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,
and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,
dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

With these verses in mind, we cannot expect God to let us off the hook for our sins. If He did, He would be a liar. He would be doing something contrary to what His word teaches. And we know that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18). GOD MUST PUNISH SIN!!!

Once again, you and I are criminals. We have committed terrible crimes against God. Because of our crimes against God, we are guilty. We deserve to be punished. There is no doubt about this fact, and there is nothing we can say or do to get out of suffering the consequences. There is nothingwe can do to make up for the evil we have done. We deserve Hell. What can we do to escape this sentence?

God, knowing about our helpless condition, made a plan to give us the hope of forgiveness and eternal life in Heaven. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became a human being 2000 years ago. He allowed Himself to be condemned as an innocent man, and took the punishment that we (the criminals) deserve. He took upon himself our death sentence, and God can look at us as though we are the ones who died. The price that is on our heads was paid by Jesus. Then three days after His death, Jesus was resurrected from His tomb. He defeated sin and death, and because of this, you can also! If you repent and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God and ONLY God can raise you out of you dead condition and give you life.

Filed Under: Nature and Character of God Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Ezekiel Lessons: Speak God’s Word, Not Ours

June 21, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Ezekiel 3:4
Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them.

Ezekiel 3:11
And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord God…’

What message was Ezekiel commissioned to share? There was only one message that was given to him: what GOD gave him. This is what he was commanded to speak to the people. To speak anything else or do anything else other than what the Lord commands would put Ezekiel into the same condition of rebellion as the people.

What is it that we are sharing with the lost? What are we saying to bring them to Christ. You hopefully are saying to yourself, “The Gospel of Jesus Christ.” If that is your answer, GREAT! But it is sad that there are so many that don’t share the gospel first aswolf in sheeps clothing Jesus Himself commanded (Matthew 28:18-20).

There are some who claim to be Christians that are trying to attract people to their churches instead of Christ because of the great children’s ministry, the great worship band, the big festivals and social meals, etc. There is so much focus on feeding the carnal side of man instead of the gospel and attracting them to Jesus in these ways that just are NOT biblical. These things are not the gospel.

There are others that share a more appealing message instead of the gospel; a message that does not talk about sin, hell, or repentance. They like to share a gospel that focuses mainly on the love of God and never looks at the justice of God. Whenever they do this they teach a different gospel and a DIFFERENT GOD! These men along with others who are teaching false things are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They are not bringing people to Jesus Christ, but to a Jesus of their own making.

Ezekiel dealt with men who were doing this also. There were false prophets giving the Israelites a false sense of security, making them think that they were ok in their rebellion. In chapter 13:8, the Lord said to these men who were giving a false sense of security to His people, “I am indeed against you.”

Only God’s word can satisfy man’s greatest need; fellowship with the God of Heaven. Only the gospel that our God has given can save. People must hear about their sin and their need for repentance if they are going to be truly converted to Christ! In Galatians chapter one, Paul wrote of those who were bringing a different gospel than what was first preached. He said that he marveled that the Galatians were so quickly turning to another gospel, which was not really a gospel at all. There is only one gospel that the Lord has given; one “good news” on how we can be set free from sin. Anything else is not good news, because it cannot save.

But what if the preaching of God’s word does not bring the people to Christ? Well, this may sound harsh, but: SO BE IT! It is better for the church that those who won’t accept God’s word not be in their number instead of changing the message or adding carnal things to the message to try to bring the unregenerate in. Remember, our goal is to make DISCIPLES.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20).

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