"But as many as received him, to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe upon his name" John 1:12.
The Holy Spirit is in the world calling all to come to Christ and be saved. I have never met anyone that does not know that Jesus died for the sins of the world. They know this because the Holy Spirit has revealed it to them. The call now is to receive him as your savior. The scripture says that he came unto his own, but his own did not receive him, John 1:11. Even though they rejected him, he did not reject them. His arms were always open to the Jews. His plea was, "Come unto me , all of you that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you,and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls" Matthew 11:28, 29.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that have killed the prophets and stoned them that were sent unto you, how often would I have gathered your children, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and you would not" Matthew 23:37.
The same invitation is extended to all today, Come to Christ and be saved. To receive Jesus as your savior is to receive who he is. Jesus said, "Unless you believe that I am he (Lord or God) you will die in your sins" John 8:24 It is imperative that we believe that Jesus is Lord or God. If Jesus was just a man and not Lord or God he could not save us from our sins. God demands a perfect sacrifice as an atonement for our sins. Jesus was the Lamb of God who was without spot or blemish.
To receive Jesus as your savior is to receive what he has done to save you. In our name and on our behalf Jesus offered to God the Father a life of perfect obedience according to his Holy Law. It was his life that was lived for our justification, Romans 3:26. We have been justified and reconciled to God by the doing and the dying of Jesus, 2 Corinthians 5:19. All who have come to Christ as repentant sinners to be saved by him are sealed with the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13 and are spiritually placed in Christ. God now sees them as perfect and complete "In Christ" Colossians 2:10.
To receive Jesus as your savior is to receive God's great free gift of salvation that has been provided for you by Jesus Christ. Peter said that salvation in Jesus is, "An inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that will never fade away, reserved for you in heaven" 1 Peter 1:4. The life has been lived, your sins have been atoned for. There is really nothing left to do, other than to receive what God has done for you in Jesus Christ.
Jesus DID NOT say, "Unless you believe that I am the Lord
your God you will die in your sins"!!! Look at the whole passage that is being cited, and you can see that.
Mr. Pate continues to state this erroneous message, and it is subverting the whole message of Christ. Jesus never claimed to be God, and he always pointed to his Father as "the only true God." (John 17:3)
Jesus was not God, and neither was he just a man. He didn't have to be God Himself to save us, and he wouldn't have had the credentials if he was a mere man. So who was he? He was
GOD'S SON---no more, no less. (John 10:36) He came from heaven to be born as a human, so we can see that he was more than a regular man.
He said that you must come to KNOW his Father and himself. (John 17:3) That is more than just saying "I accept Jesus as my Savior." It requires studying God's Word the Bible and understanding WHY Jesus died for us. Then after we understand, we follow the Biblical instructions to get baptized....then we follow in Jesus' footsteps, enduring to the end of this system of things. (I Peter 2:21) (Matthew 24:13)
Have you checked out John 8:24 yet? You see, Jesus DID NOT say that we must believe that he is God! In that whole chapter, what he was saying was, not that he is God, but he said, "
I am the light of the world." (verse 12) That's how he identified himself.
Messages like the OP are damaging to the truth of who Jesus is. He is not God but the SON of God. And why did he die? Not so that we could go to heaven, but that we could have eternal life
on this earth in paradise conditions. That is what Adam was supposed to have enjoyed, but he gave it up. Because of Jesus, we can take up where Adam left off. God made this earth to be lived on, and His purpose has not been thwarted. Can you see it from these scriptures?
Genesis 1:28, 2:15; Isaiah 45:18; Psalm 37:9-11,29; Matthew 5:5
Peter and Paul spoke of a heavenly inheritance, but that was for a relatively few humans that would rule with Jesus in his heavenly Kingdom---a real government that will rule over the earth, over US. (Revelation 20:6)
Search for the truth, not the spurious message that Mr. Pate spreads. Jesus is our Savior but he is not God. Jesus said that the Father is "
MY GOD." (John 20:17; Revelation 3:12) How can God HAVE a God?
If anyone brings a message that does not recognize THE FATHER, that message is erroneous, it is wrong. What does the Apostle John say about a message that doesn't include the truth about the Father?
"Everyone that pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God. He that does remain in this teaching is the one
that has BOTH the Father and the Son.If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him." (2 John 9,10)
