A profound and absolute TRUTH

You can believe that mankind is basically good and that if you try your best, everything will be ok in the end. But in his unregenerate state, mankind is incapable of saving himself, no matter how hard he tries to "be good." There are two very different beliefs or "gospels" presented to this generation. The first belief is acceptable to the world; it does not require anything absolute from anyone. Simply say a "sinner' prayer" and get your ticket to heaven while continuing to be Lord of your own life. The second requires an awareness, an acknowledgement, and admission of guilt. It requires humbling oneself before a holy God and an encounter with the One who died to free us from the guilt, the penalty thereof, and the shame attached to it. But this encounter is an offense to many. Because this encounter involves the cross of Jesus Christ. This is why St. Paul said "I am determined not to know anything but Christ and Him crucified." It is the crucified Christ - the suffering Savior that distinguishes the truth of the gospel. Those who accept it have entered by the narrow way of discipleship - the loss of lordship of their own lives - and entered into a new and living way. They give up their own life, they validate His sacrifice, and commend the truth of it to others in the way that they live as well as the words they say. Any kind of religious observance that employs the name of Jesus, that does not make this requirement, and does not call the believer to this narrow way is a deception. My dear friends, we will be held accountable for what we choose to believe and what we choose to reject. You can choose to believe that you can "accept Jesus" as you Savior without accepting him as Lord. But if you do, you will hear on that great and terrible day "depart from me!" For Jesus said "“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" Choose carefully what you believe... eternity depends upon it.