Scripture References: I Timothy 4:16 and James 1:21-22
The title of this article may surprise a lot of people and perhaps cause many not to read it, but allow me if you will, to explain what it means to save yourself Gods way. First of all let me say that Gods word clearly teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ is both Lord and Savior. He is called “Savior” simply because he is the only one that can save the soul of a sinner and spiritually conform them to the image of Christ. This can easily be proven by what the apostle Peter tells us in Acts 4:12 that says, “ Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. You may ask then, “How can we save ourselves Gods way knowing that Jesus Christ is the Savior and only one that can save us?” Now my saying that we can save ourselves Gods way; this is not a contradiction against the fact that Jesus Christ is the one and only Savior. If you will look closely at the last two words in the title of this article above, which is “Gods Way” it is these “two words” that reveals the truth of the matter. What exactly is Gods way? Did not Jesus himself tell us these words stated in John 14:6 that says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Jesus is Gods way that will save the soul of a sinner, but you must understand that Jesus Christ is the “word of God” that does the saving of the soul; not just believing on the fleshly person of Jesus Christ as a man.
The man Jesus Christ was first manifested as the Word of God before that Word was made flesh, as John 1:14 states saying “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Now look if you will at what the apostle James tells us in James 1:21 that says, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” Can you not hear James telling us to receive with meekness the engrafted word, (Gods word) which is able to save your souls? James did not say to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and by doing that it saves your soul did he? No, he said to receive the “word of God” that is able to save the soul; but notice in the next verse James 1:22 it tells us these words saying, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
What has believing on Jesus alone to be saved to do with doing what Gods word tells us to do to be saved? To believe on Christ is necessary, but to believe on him and to obey what he says is very much two different things altogether. Paul said these words in Romans 1:16 that says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Can you not see here that its believing the “gospel of Christ” that does the saving of your soul if his gospel, which are his many teachings, is believed and not just believing on the person of Christ? To save yourself Gods way means to believe and obey his word, which is Christ, but if you do not believe and obey his word, then how can you possibly be saved? How can Christ, which is the word of God save you if you don’t do what he tells you to do? You would be saving yourself only if you believe and obey Christ’ teachings, but if you don’t believe and obey his teachings, then you are not allowing Christ, which is the word of God to save you. Can you not see how that it is Christ that saves you as you believe and obey Gods word, which is Christ? Did not Jesus say these words in John 14:6 saying, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Does he not tell us here that he is the truth? What is truth? Listen to what Jesus said in John 17:17 that says, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” Is not truth Gods holy word and was not that word made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ? Millions of people are being deceived into believing that belief on the person of Christ alone does the saving of the soul, but they fail to realize that Christ is the revealed truths of Gods word that does the saving of the soul. Does not what James 1:21 says clearly proves this fact that says, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” To deny what Gods word says here is to reject Gods word, but if we reject his word, then he will definitely reject us. Listen closely to what the prophet Hosea tells us about this in Hosea 4:6 that says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” Are you going to be foolish enough to reject what Gods word clearly says that tells us that it’s the engrafted word that does the saving of the soul? Its believing and obeying what Jesus said that will save your soul only if you do as James 1:22 says to do which says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” What does believing on the person of Christ have to do with believing what he says? Listen to what Paul tells us in I Timothy 4:16 that says, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” Now tell me if you can how you will ever be saved if you don’t do what Paul says here? Did not Paul say here that we can only save ourselves by continuing in the doctrine? How then can you save yourself if you don’t do what Paul says to do here? But notice also that Paul tells us that we will not only save ourselves, but we will also save those that hear us. Does it not stand to reason that if the word of God will save us if we continue in and believe it, then it will dot he same for those who also will believe and do it as well? So can you not see how you can save yourself only if you continue in the teachings of Gods word and believe and obey it?
Listen closely to what Jesus himself has to say about this in what he said in John 8:30-32 that says, “As he spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Please notice carefully that Jesus was speaking to some Jews here that believed on him. But then notice he told them that believed on him that “if” they continued in his word they were disciples indeed, but also notice he told them they would know the truth and it would be that truth that would make them free. What is this truth that would make them free? Is not Jesus the truth of Gods word? And is it not truth, which is Christ is what will make them free and not just believing on him alone? Yes we must believe on Christ, but its believing his teachings that saves the soul, and not just a belief on his person like its being taught throughout Christianity today as well as in times past. Let me show you why its necessary to believe on the name of Jesus Christ before we can be saved. Listen to what the apostle Peter tells us in Acts 4:12 that says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” What name is Peter referring to here and why is this certain name so important? Why is his name so important? Its simply because it’s the name of this person (Jesus Christ) that has the teachings that will can and will save your soul if his teachings are believed and obeyed. There is no salvation in any of the teachings of any other man outside the name of Jesus Christ. Is there eternal salvation through the teachings of the man named Mohammed? Is there any salvation in the teachings of the men that started all the other religions in the world that deny the deity and teachings of Christ? Well I certainly don’t believe there is any salvation whatsoever in any other teaching than the teachings of Christ that is revealed in the contents of the New Testament covenant that he is mediator of and died and shed his blood for. Its not just believing on the person of Christ that saves, but rather its his teachings, which is the power of God unto salvation as Paul reveals in his writings of Romans 1:16. So the only way we can be saved is to believe and obey Christ’s teachings. Doing this is how we can save ourselves, but believing any other teachings outside the teachings of Christ will not save the believer of it, but will rather keep him bound in his sin and rebellion against God. Obeying Christ’s teachings will save us from sin and impart eternal salvation to us as Hebrews 5:9 states saying, “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;” If one does not obey him by obeying his teachings, then they will die in their sins and suffer the terrible consequences of the second death in the lake of fire. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Amen