What Must I Do Part 2

We Can't Trust Our Feelings
Are feelings a safe guide to know whether or not we are saved? According to the Bible, they are not. Consider the apostle Paul. He claimed to have lived before God in all good conscience while he was persecuting Christians, but admits he did it ignorantly in unbelief.

Proverbs 28:26	He that trusts in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walks wisely, he shall be delivered.
Proverbs 14:12	There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof is the ways of death.
Acts 23:1	And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
1 Timothy 1:12-14	And I [Paul] thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
James 2:24	Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

We Must Hear
God now speaks to us through His Word, rather than through the apostles and prophets, as He did before His will was completely revealed. Today, we have the complete written Word so we can know His will. Since He now speaks to us through His Word, we should hear Him by studying His Word and listening to what He has to say.

Mark 4:20	And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty fold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
Mark 9:7	And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
John 8:47	He that is of God hears God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

We Must Believe
Faith and belief are interchangeable terms. In the Bible, the words mean not just an acknowledgement of God but rather trust and obedience. In fact, many modern translations substitute the words. Even God Himself substituted the word obey with believe (Numbers 20:12). Without faith we cannot please God.

Number 20:7-12	Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying...Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod...Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe [obey] Me...you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." (NKJV)
John 3:36 (NASV)	He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
John 3:36 (KJV)	He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.
Hebrews 11:6	But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he rewards them that diligently seek him.

We Must Repent of Our Sins
Repentance is probably the hardest step toward salvation. Repentance not only requires that we change our attitude about sin but also that we change our actions and walk in the light as Jesus is in the light.

Luke 13:3	except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Acts 17:30	And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men every where to repent:
2 Corinthians 7:10	For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death.
Romans 2:4	But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

We Must Confess
According to the Bible, we must confess that Jesus is the Son of God. Although the Bible states that confession is made unto salvation that does not mean that confession is the only thing necessary to be saved. Consider the context of Romans 10:1-10. Paul was writing about Israelites [Jews] who were zealous for God, but would not confess Jesus as Lord. If they were to put Jesus as Lord over their lives, because of their zeal for God, they would have also obeyed His other commands necessary for salvation.

After one is saved, there is a continuing need for confessing one's sins.

1 John 4:15	Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him, and he in God.
Matthew 10:32,33	Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Romans 10:1-2, 9-10	Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge...That if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
1 John 1:9,10	If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

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Proverbs 28:26	He that trusts in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walks wisely, he shall be delivered.
Proverbs 14:12	There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof is the ways of death.
Acts 23:1	And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
1 Timothy 1:12-14	And I [Paul] thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
James 2:24	Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

Mark 4:20	And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty fold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
Mark 9:7	And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
John 8:47	He that is of God hears God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Number 20:7-12	Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying...Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod...Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe [obey] Me...you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." (NKJV)
John 3:36 (NASV)	He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
John 3:36 (KJV)	He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.
Hebrews 11:6	But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he rewards them that diligently seek him.

Luke 13:3	except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Acts 17:30	And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men every where to repent:
2 Corinthians 7:10	For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death.
Romans 2:4	But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

1 John 4:15	Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him, and he in God.
Matthew 10:32,33	Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Romans 10:1-2, 9-10	Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge...That if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
1 John 1:9,10	If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

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