What Does the Scripture Say?

The following is an email from Oumar to a friend of his caught up in the LDS cult. I thought it was very encouraging to see that this one who formerly argued against Christianity is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy. PRAISE GOD!

I am sure you all heard of the big debate going on between Christians and Mormons about Faith and Works. Now we know that the Bible is the infallible Words of God, so let’s examine it to see what it tells us. All the religions of this world teach that Faith alone is not enough. Christians are saying: Jesus + Nothing = Salvation. No one is good enough for Heaven. Right after Adam sinned God said in Genesis 3:15 which is the first prophecy of the Bible.

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Jesus was bruised in the heel in a symbolic way because of what Satan did. He caused the fall of Adam so Jesus was a propiation for our sins and he defeat sin by dying on the Cross. If someone strike your heel, you will fall but raise again on your feet because the heel is not a vital point. The word raise is what we are looking at here precisely. Jesus died on the Cross and was buried but rose after the third day. By doing so he defeated the work of the Devil so that sin has no more dominion over us. Jesus was the first announced and the last to come. And when Jesus was on Earth he said that he will be back for his second coming where he will crush Satan’s head once for good by defeating him, And the head is a vital point so if someone crushes you on you head then you know that it is death! All the Prophets of the Old Testament were preaching about Jesus until he comes to offer himself as a way back to Heaven.

Read Luke 16:15-17
And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
16The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
17And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

Of course, Jesus is saying that the Law is not canceled but rather fulfilled by Him. He is giving a parable next where the rich man died and went to hell but he begs Abraham to go send Lazarus to his father’s house to warn his brothers not to come here! But again the answer is;

Luke 16:29-31
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets (who announced salvation through Jesus); let them hear them.
30And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

read Galatians 3:21
Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Galatians 2:22-29
23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Best verse I found about the Law was at Colossians 2:12-16
buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

It is not by works! But if you put everything to the context, the Church of Galatians were preaching a false gospel! They were teaching that Christ alone wasn’t enough but God was recording their works to be counted for their righteousness! So Paul had to write to them to correct them.

look at Galatians 3
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
4Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
5He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
6Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
9So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
10For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

If it’s not enough then please look at Galatians 1:6-12
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Paul is warning the Galatians about the false Gospel they were believing and preaching. When Jesus asked us to keep his Commandments he wanted us to be perfect! Matthew 5:48. Christians have attained that perfection because of their repentance and their confession of Christ. But the religions are working on it… Therefore rejecting the Grace of our Lord in Heaven. If you love me, keep my commandments! I love Jesus so no one needs to convince me to pray God daily and to keep Him first thing in my life, preach his Gospel and get involved in a good Bible believing Church. The Faith I placed in Christ saved me by the Works that He did!
The Law was given to us not to keep it and not to be saved by it but to live by it until Christ came and redeemed us from the curse of the Law. When God gave the Commandments he said in Deut 27:26; Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin his death but the free gift of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Galatians 2:20-21
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Living in Utah for a year now and studying the Mormon religion brought me to conclude that Mormons teach another gospel. Mormons are teaching that in order to be saved you need to keep the Commandments and the Law of Moses! It is not a new gospel but the same one or almost the same one that the Catholics believe… The Pharisees (which means separated) believed in self-righteousness and thought that they were worthy because of their works and also thought that observing the Law will save them. All the religions of this world teach that Faith alone is not enough but good work is a requirement to get to Heaven. Jehovah’s Witness believe that you need to do good works in order to get to the Kingdom of heaven. Believing in Jesus alone and confessing him is not enough. The Muslim religion denies Christ sacrifice for the remissions of sin and the Muslims think that they will all be justified by works! Now of course the answer is in the Bible.

Mormons are teaching that it is not finished! Jesus has done is part, now they need to do their parts. The gospel that they preach is a gospel of works and one has to deserve Heaven by tithing, fasting, going to Church and observing the word of wisdom, like the Pharisees they want to be separated and justified by works; abstaining from alcohol, tabacco, tea and coffee. Once the faithful Mormon agrees to keep all the Commandments above he is worthy to go to the Temple where they will teach him how to go to the Celestial Kingdom. Note that those who do not keep the word of wisdom are not allowed to the Temple and therefore Christ cannot help them get to heaven! But those semi faithful Mormons will be separated from God for all eternity. Of course Jesus never taught that but rather Joseph Smith himself. The Bible is teaching all throughout Scriptures that it is not by works but by the grace of our Lord in Heaven.
God never gave the Commandments expecting us to keep them or to be saved by them. But rather right after Adam sinned he said in Genesis 3:15 which is the first prophecy of the Bible.

Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Romans 4
What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

The verse the religions hate the most is Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9Not of works, lest any man should boast.

No it is not a mistake! I posted it twice for you to repeat it because if some day, I have a child I will not teach him John 3:16 first, but this one verse! It says it all…
Well, let’s finish with a Parable.
And today we are looking at Matthew 20 which summarizes Christianity!
1For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
2And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
5Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
6And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
7They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
8So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
9And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
10But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
11And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
12Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
13But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
14Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
15Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
16last: for many be called, but few chosenSo the last shall be first, and the first .

Believe it or not but what Jesus is saying here is that we are all going to the same place regardless of our work, if we have repented and received him as our Lord and Savior!!

I have repented and came unto Christ 2 1/2 years ago. I am SAVED and going to Heaven! Thank you Jesus! If you take the good American who was born and raised in a Christian family and repent at some point and confesses Jesus, he is SAVED and also going to Heaven! Take the 90 year old who have been Atheist all is life and served jail time for murder which have heard of Christ in that same jail but only repent on his death bed. Guess what? He is SAVED and going to the same place as me and that good American from Tennessee or wait… Louisiana! (I like there accent better).

Romans 3:20
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Where is this verse in the Bible?
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son for whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish (in Hell) but have Everlasting Life(in Heaven).

Most important for you my Brethren is to know that when you die, you are SAVED form eternal Hell and going to Heaven with God for eternity, the Lord of Host.
Truth is what God says, and religion is what men says God said!
Let’s pray and mean it…

Dear God, I am a sinner and deserve to go to Hell. Please forgive me my trespasses as I am accepting Jesus today as my Lord and Savior. Everything I believed before is a lie and from today I am born again so everything I will learn will come from thy mouth O God! It is no longer me living but it’s Jesus living in me and taking away my sins and applying his blood into my account. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!