It appears we Evangelicals in some instances are presenting a false program of salvation. We have borrowed verses here and there, taking them out of their context, and have concocted a "ticket to Heaven" that is valid even though there is no change in our behavior. Since change in our behavior is God's purpose under all covenants, we really are missing the mark.

I don't know how we got so far off the track!

What is the source of the idea that believing in the Lord Jesus, apart from a change in our behavior, saves us from Hell and brings us to Heaven? Do you know? It certainly is not the Bible!

It is obvious Jesus did not come to deliver us from Hell on the basis of a belief system, except in a secondary sense.

Now, what do I mean "it is obvious"? I mean it is obvious from the Scripture.

There is not one passage of Scripture I know of that tells us Jesus came to deliver us from Hell by believing in Himself apart from a change in our behavior. Do you know of any passage of the Bible that states clearly the Lord Jesus came to save us from Hell by believing in Himself? There ought to be at least one such passage given how often this thought is expressed in today's preaching and teaching.

Let's think about this for a moment.

Every verse in the New Testament that refers to people in Hell or on their way to the Lake of Fire reveals the reason to be that their behavior was not pleasing to God. There is not one instance, to my knowledge, of a person being assigned to Hell or the Lake of Fire because of unbelief in Jesus. Isn't that an awesome fact, in that we preach if you believe in Jesus you will not go to Hell?

The rich man was in Hell because he was not generous to the poor, a transgression of the Law of Moses. He was sent to Hell because he did not share with the poor, not because he did not believe in Jesus.

The goat nations will be sent to the fire because they were not kind to the Lord's brothers, not because they refused to take the "four steps of salvation."

The Antichrist and the False Prophet will be cast into the Lake of Fire because they are wicked, not for not believing in Jesus.

At the end of the thousand-year Kingdom Age there will be people who will be cast into the Lake of Fire because their works are wicked. There is no evidence in the Scripture that they rejected Jesus. Probably most of them never heard of Jesus. They were judged according to their works.

The foolish virgins had the door shut in their face because they were foolish, not because they rejected Christ. In fact, they probably believed in Him.

The man who buried his talent was put out into the darkness because he was a lazy servant, not because he rejected Christ. He claimed to be Christ's servant.

The person who worked miracles in Jesus' name was driven from Christ's Presence because he was wicked, not because he did not profess faith in Christ.

To be continued.