What must I do to be saved? Deep within his heart, virtually every person on earth is asking this question first phrased by the Philippian jailer. Man is born with an unquenchable longing for eternal life and a home in heaven that will never pass away. Millions may never admit to this longing but, nevertheless, within each soul is the constantly pressing desire for a secure eternal reality, a hope that goes beyond the grave.
This longing for reality is the fuel that energizes the growth of most of the cults in existence today. Because they are involved in some form of exploitation, the cults without exception obscure the truth and offer salvation on some other basis than that of a free gift that comes to us by the grace of Jesus Christ.
What is the true basis of salvation?
The clear teaching of the New Testament Scriptures is that eternal salvation comes to a believer solely as a result of faith in Jesus Christ. The New Testament Scriptures declare again and again this sublime Christian truth.
Please read the following Scriptures: (Rom. 5:1), (Rom. 3:25), (Rom. 3:28), (Rom. 4:4-5), (Gal. 2:16), (Eph. 2:8-9).
These and many other clear declarations of the New Testament positively establish the basis of salvation to be the finished work of Christ alone and our faith in that work. By contrast, Scripture teaches that all other forms of supposed salvation, based on human efforts are cursed by God. "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.' But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident; for, "The just shall live by faith.'" (Galatians 3:10-11).
How wonderful is the message of the Gospel of the grace of God that is presented to us in Holy Scripture! A person is able to come to Jesus Christ without money, without human works, without vast promises concerning the future and accept salvation which was entirely purchased for him on the cross. When he comes in humble faith, he receives the gift of God which is eternal life. And it is exactly this, a free gift. When he believes the Gospel, he receives eternal life and is justified in the sight of God.
To be justified, of course, means to be declared righteous. This is a legal change in the attitude of God toward the sinner and depends on the saving act of Jesus Christ which is entirely independent of the individual experience of the believer. The wonderful change which may result in a believer's life is not itself salvation but rather the human and variable result of that saving faith. Eternal salvation comes to the believer because of imputed righteousness. Imputed righteousness is righteousness that is placed to his account in heaven.
During the course of a Christian's life, he may develop a wonderful degree of personal righteousness. In this, he will have the powerful help of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. The true believer will work toward perfect holiness in the fear of God under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
Personal righteousness is not, however, the basis of his salvation. He is saved on the basis of imputed righteousness. This comes to him as a free gift, being purchased by the enormous cost of the finished work of Christ on Calvary's cross. The Christian is saved, not because of his own works, but because of the saving work of Jesus Christ when Christ the Saviour died, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18). The total benefits of Calvary come to the believer on the basis of grace. It is the grace of God that brings salvation.
No message is more viciously attacked by the cult promoters of our present world than the Gospel of the grace of God. Those who would promote slavish religious systems are infuriated at the gracious offer of Jesus Christ to bring His life into the sin-darkened soul and to do it without any form of payment. It is absolutely maddening to the professional religious promoters that God saves individuals freely, by grace alone.
No false religion in the world can possibly survive unless it is able to destroy the Gospel of the grace of God and introduce or encourage a system of human works as a basis of salvation. There is not room in the same world for the Pauleen message of "justification by faith without the deeds of the law" and the cultic religionist with his perverted gospel. Every cult in the world preaches "another gospel" and is therefore cursed of God.
Nevertheless, the promoters of the cults continue to press their malignant doctrines of some other way of salvation besides faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross.
One of the most popular alternative doctrines of salvation is that of salvation by membership. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God clearly announces that the only saved people are those who are members of this increasingly shaky religious establishment. Pseudo Christianity in many forms has frequently announced that "there is no salvation outside of the church," meaning of course their religious syndicate. Failure to keep this membership intact incurs the damnation of the the soul.
Others offer even stranger salvation promises such as salvation by sublime association. New Krishna devotees are told to associate with saintly persons who are free from the entanglement of material nature.
Another alternative to the way of faith is the cult doctrine of salvation by works. In many of these religious programs, what a person believes is of little consequence; it is what he does that counts. The versions of this works doctrine are many. Some emphasize years of service, weekly hours spent in work, the giving of money, the practice of strange incantations, the reciting of chants; the list is endless. There is an immense number of possible obligations to which the soul enslaves itself when it turns from the divine offer of salvation by faith alone.
The pathetic followers of the Jehovah's Witnesses are told that the basis of judgment at the end of the thousand years will be solely the works that they perform during the millennium.
The Christian Scientists are asked to believe that salvation consists of being saved from the illusions and delusions of mortal sense...the sense of becoming sick and dying.
In the early days of Mormonism, the Mormon women accepted the staggering involvement in polygamy because they became convinced that their salvation depended on it.
The Unitarians believe in salvation by character, holding that man will find the road that leads to peace and brotherhood through development of "moral values and spiritual insights."
The follower of Theosophy holds that man is saved by working out his own "karma" or law works. What he is now is the result of previous works and what he is to become is the result of his present works.
The list is seemingly endless of those who are pursuing inner light, perfect realization, transcendental thoughts, or other baseless notions as the hope of salvation. All of these human works must inevitably lead to despair.
By contrast to all of this we need to hear again the finality of the words of Paul, "If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Galatians 2:21). Proud men who still retain confidence in their ability to do good things that will be pleasing to God and produce salvation need again to hear the words of Jesus Christ, "None of you keepeth the law" (John 7:19).
There is no question but that every false cult will lead finally to human despair, death, and hell. Millions could be saved from this spiritual reality if they would turn in simple confidence to the promise of Scripture, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). Few scenes are more tragic than that of a benighted soul pursuing a false hope of salvation when Jesus Christ offers all of this as a free gift.
(From Know the Marks of Cults - the twelve basic errors of false religion by Dave Breese)
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