What Does The Holy Bible Really Say About SALVATION, FAITH, REPENTANCE

The Holy Bible does not say that you can have everlasting life by accepting Jesus Christ as your Saviour.

The Holy Bible does not say that you can have everlasting life by accepting the fact that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sins.

Throughout my life I have heard and read many statements similar to these, but I can not find one of them in the Bible.

Jesus did pay the penalty for our sins but the Bible does not say that all we have to do is "accept this" or "accept Him".

Neither Jesus, nor those He appointed to preach, ever said that people were to "accept Him" or "accept the fact that He died for them", or "make a decision for Him" or anything similar to these ideas.

I am not questioning the sincerity of people who preach or write these things. Perhaps they have been biased by someone else. I don't know, and I don't have the authority to judge them. But I do know, from reading the Bible, that they are definitely wrong.

Jesus, and His disciples, preached that people are to REPENT. Also, Jesus and His disciples taught that eternal life is given to those who BELIEVE in Jesus Christ.

As I explain in the section entitled "Repentance", the word REPENT means to regret or to reconsider.

When you read the passages containing this word, you will see that it clearly means to regret that you have committed sins and to make a decision to stop committing them.

And the word "BELIEVE" does not mean to "blindly accept" but, as I will point out by quoting from the Bible in the section entitled "Faith", it means to be convinced beyond all doubt. There is no such thing as a "leap of faith" in Biblical ideas. As Paul states in his letter to the believers at Rome, "...faith (comes) by hearing, and hearing by the word of God". (Romans 10:17)

I will discuss how believing and repentance are tied together further on in this section and in the following section.

The main message of the entire Bible (the Old Testament and the New Testament) is "REPENT".

However, I am going to concentrate on the passages in the New Testament, because that is where the verses are found that are commonly used to promote false ideas.

In Matthew 4:17, we read that "...Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

In chapters 5, 6 and 7 of Matthew, He explains in detail what He is saying and points out that He is reemphasizing the high standards of righteousness that God requires.

In Matthew 7:12, He sums it up with the statement "Therefore, ALL THINGS whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for THIS IS the law and the prophets." (KJV)

In other words, the main message of both parts of the Old Testament (the Law and the Prophets) is "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you - IN ALL THINGS".

(The word that is translated as "men" in Matthew 7:12 is the Greek word "anthropos" which means "people".)

Here is a simple rule you can use for deciding if a certain action is a sin or not. Are you doing something to another person that you wouldn't want him or her to do to you? If so, you are committing a sin.

Some people claim that the message of the Bible changed after the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and that all a person has to do now is accept the "free gift of salvation".

To support this, they quote passages like Romans 6:23 which says "...the gift of God (is) eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord".

But Paul, in this passage, is simply saying that eternal life is a free gift because you can not buy it or earn it.

He does not mean that it is free for anyone who simply decides to accept it. If he said this, he would contradict the message that he and other believers were preaching.

After Jesus Christ rose from the dead, He taught His disciples that "...repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations..." (Luke 24:47)

Peter preached "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out..." (Acts 3:19)

Paul preached "...repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance." (Acts 26:20)

Early in his letter to the believers at Rome, Paul says that God "...'will render to each one according to his deeds': eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness - indignation and wrath..." (Romans 2:6-8)

In his second epistle (letter), Peter clearly says that the Lord is "...not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

The alternative to perishing is repentance.

Some people say that all a person has to do to obtain everlasting life is just "believe in Jesus Christ".

To prove this they quote verses like John 3:16 which says "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

This verse, if quoted alone, without considering the verses before and after it, "seems" to say that there is another way, apart from repentance, by which you can obtain everlasting life. All you have to do is believe in Jesus Christ.

But never, in any of His teachings, did Jesus say that "the ONLY thing a person has to do to obtain everlasting life is believe". A statement like this would be contradicting His main message - repent.

It is ridiculous to isolate a verse, or verses, from the theme in which they are found and try to attach a meaning to them that doesn't fit the meaning of the theme. This practice is especially bad if the interpretation of that verse or verses contradicts the main message of the Bible.

For example, John 3:18 reads "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already..."

I have heard certain people quoting this verse, by itself, and claiming that "all you have to do is believe in Jesus Christ; and that God condemns people because they fail to believe in Jesus Christ".

Read the whole message in John 3:1-21. You will clearly see that Jesus is explaining, to a man called Nicodemus, that the REASON God can give a person everlasting life is because the person believes in Him. But then He goes on to say that it is not possible for a person to believe in Him unless the person first of all repents.

This is clarified in verses 19 to 21. "And THIS is the condemnation, that the light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

If people would repent about their sins they would "come to the light"; in other words they would receive faith and believe in Jesus Christ.

There are those who claim that you are not a true Christian unless you have been "born again". This is true, and it is clear from John 3:1-21 that in order to be born again a person must repent and believe in Jesus Christ. A person is not born again simply by "accepting Him" or by "asking Him to come into their heart" or any of a number of things that various people claim that it means.

Paul says "...if anyone (is) in Christ, (he is) a new creation: old things have passed away; behold, ALL THINGS have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Another passage that is often quoted by those who claim that "all you have to do is believe in Jesus Christ" is Ephesians 2:8,9.

Here, Paul is saying to the believers at Ephesus "... by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; (it is) the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

Is Paul contradicting what he said in Acts 26:20? In that verse he stated that the basic message he preached was "Repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance."

Of course not! He would hardly make statements that contradict the main message of the Bible. He is, like Jesus in the third chapter of John, explaining that the REASON God can give a person eternal life is because the person believes in Jesus Christ through God's gift - faith.

The problem with quoting Ephesians 2:8 and 9, is the fact that Paul hasn't finished his statement in verse 9. Why cut him off before he finishes?

In verse 10 he continues "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM."

If you will read what the Bible says, without isolating any verses from the theme or story in which they are found, the main message is extremely clear.

Another passage that is often quoted by those who insist that "all you have to do is believe in Jesus Christ" is the one in Acts 16:25-32. Usually they just quote verse 31 which says "...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household."

If you take this verse literally, in isolation from the story in which it is found, it seems to say that if a person believes in Jesus Christ, not only will he or she be saved but their household as well!

If one verse "seems" to contradict a main idea that is found throughout the Bible, is it sensible to discard the idea that is found throughout the Bible and create a new doctrine based on that one verse?

Obviously it is not; and an important thing to note about this verse is the fact that it is spoken to an individual. It is not a general message spoken to a group of people.

The prison keeper was obviously in a very desperate state of mind after the unusual events that had occurred and, since Paul would hardly say something that contradicted the main message of the Bible, he must have known that the prison keeper was a repentant man and that his household was also ready for salvation. If the prison keeper was repentant, then there was only one thing he needed to be told: "Believe in Jesus Christ".

The word "repent" does not appear in the Gospel of John. Does this mean that John is presenting Jesus as preaching a different message? Not at all.

When I discussed the third chapter of John, I pointed out how Jesus explained that a person must forsake sin in order to come to the light.

John's gospel includes several statements by Jesus like the following - "...he who believes in Me has everlasting life". (John 6:47)

But there are also statements such as "...all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth - those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." (John 5:28,29)

It is not contradictory to state that "Whosoever believes in Jesus Christ has everlasting life" because this is true.

It is, however, very wrong to tell unrepentant people that "ALL they have to do is believe in Jesus Christ" or that they should simply "accept Christ".

There are those who claim that all a person has to do in order to obtain eternal life is to simply "receive Jesus Christ".

To prove this they quote verses like John 1:12 which says "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, (even) to those who believe in His Name".

If you read this verse carefully, you will see that those who "received" Jesus are those who "believe in His Name".

From quotations we have looked at earlier, it is clear that repentance is necessary in order to truly believe. Therefore, the only way to "receive" Jesus Christ is to repent and believe in Him.

In order to deal with all of the verses that are used to promote false ideas about salvation, I would have to make this book unnecessarily long. I think that the best advice I can give you at this point is to urge you to always read the theme or story in which the verses are found and remember that, if the verses "seem" to contradict the main message of the Bible, be sure that you read as many of the surrounding verses as is necessary to see what the writer is talking about. There are no contradictions in the words of God.

I would like to mention one more verse in order to illustrate this.

In Romans 4:5 Paul says "...to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness."

I have heard people using this verse to prove that good works are not necessary. But if you read the entire message of Paul's letter to the Romans, particularly chapters 3 to 6, you will see that he is explaining that righteousness can not result from keeping the law of Moses but rather that righteousness is the result of faith.

However, Paul makes it very clear that, although good works will not justify a person, it is still necessary to do them. Read the first two verses of chapter 6. "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?"

The Bible makes it abundantly clear in many places that, although good works will not produce salvation, they must exist or the person does not have salvation. As I point out in the next section, good works are the proof of salvation.

The Holy Bible does not say that faith in God, or in Jesus Christ, is a matter of blindly accepting the fact that they exist.

I have heard people using the word "faith" to mean something entirely different from the meaning of the word as it is used in the Bible. I have heard people talking about ideas like "accepting Jesus Christ by faith" and it is obvious from their conversation that they mean "a blind acceptance of someone whose existence can not be proven."

I have heard people saying that faith is like a child believing in Santa Claus or like a person having faith in a chair to hold them up without falling apart.

The Santa Claus idea is not faith. It is imagination. Trusting in the chair is not faith. It is a calculated risk.

In Hebrews 11:1 it says that "...faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen".

Faith is not a "blind acceptance". It is the "proof"; and it is clear from the places that the word appears in the Bible that it means "the evidence or proof of unseen things"; NOT just blind acceptance without proof.

The word that is translated as faith is the noun form of the Greek word that is translated as believe. And this Greek word has a meaning of "being convinced".

(Believe is "pisteuo", and faith is "pistis"; and both are derived from the Greek word "peitho" meaning "to convince".)

For those who still think that it is possible to have faith without repenting, read the first epistle of John.

First of all he makes it clear that a believer will commit sins. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8)

But a true believer will always repent. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us (our) sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". (1 John 1:9)

Then he goes on to point out that the general practice of a true believer is that of keeping God's commandments.

"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him". (1 John 2:3,4)

In other words, if a person claims to believe in Jesus Christ, but has not repented, they are lying - they do not believe.

If a person has been born again, they will not make a general practice of committing sins. "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (1 John 3:9, KJV)

Also, there are certain TYPES of sins that a true believer cannot commit. If you do not love (i.e. care for) your fellow man you are not a believer. (See 1 John 3:14, 4:8,20). And, of course, if you hate your fellow man you are not a believer. (See 1 John 2:9,11 3:15).

In the letter written by James, are the words "What (does it) profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?" (James 2:14)

The works that James is referring to are things like failing to provide the necessities of life for a destitute person when it is within your power to do so.

This is the same message that Jesus preached when He predicted what He will say to the unrepentant on judgment day. "'...I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me...inasmuch as you did not do (it) to one of the least of these, you did not do (it) to Me.' And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:42-46)

If a person does not "do unto others as they would have others do unto them", they do not have faith, even though they may say that they do. The "proof" that faith exists is the presence of good works.

If any readers have been deceived into thinking that things like doing wonders and prophesying are the proof of salvation, read the words of Jesus in the 7th chapter of Matthew. In verses 15 and 16 He says "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits".

Read the verses following these two and pay particular attention to verse 22 which refers to judgment day. "Many will say to Me in that day 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'"

Jesus replies (verse 23) "And then I will declare to them 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"

Paul says the same thing in the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians. Read verses 1 to 3 carefully and then read the whole chapter.

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become (as) sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have (the gift of) prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed (the poor), and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, IT PROFITS ME NOTHING."

The word that is translated as "love" means "caring" (it is translated as "charity" in the King James version). If you do not care for your fellow man, you are not a believer, no matter how many outward signs (sheep's clothing) you might exhibit.

The meaning of repentance is clearly explained in the preceding two sections but there is one more aspect of it that I would like to clarify.

The Holy Bible does not say that repentance means "doing penance".

The Holy Bible does not say that repentance means "just realizing that you have been committing sins".

Penance is a punishment for sin that is either self-inflicted or performed on the command of some authority.

The word "penance" can not be found in the Bible; neither can the idea of self-inflicted punishment for sin. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. Nothing more is required, except to repent and believe in Him.

Of course true repentance includes making up for any harm that you have done, if this is possible; and there are examples in the Bible of penalties imposed by God. See the story of David and Bathsheba, that I refer to in the next section, and note that God forgave David when he repented (2 Samuel 12:13); but there was an earthly penalty for the sins he had committed.

The word "repent" does not mean to simply "realize that you have sinned". Neither does it mean to just "be willing to stop sinning".

In the Old Testament, the word repent is a translation of the Hebrew "nacham" which means "to regret".

In the New Testament, the word repent is a translation of the Greek "metanoeo" which means "to reconsider" or "change your mind".

So the meaning of "repent" is "to be truly sorry about sinning and to make a firm decision that you are, with God's help, going to stop". This is clear when you read passages in which the word is found.

For a good example of the meaning of repentance, read Luke 19:1-10. Jesus stated that Zacchaeus had obtained salvation after he said "...I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold". (Luke 19:8)

In the previous chapter, I pointed out that, if you are doing something to another person that you would not want them to do to you, you are committing a sin. Some people will argue that this is too narrow a definition of sin. Some believe that working on Sunday is a sin, and some believe that dancing is a sin. There are those who believe that playing cards is a sin, and so on and so on.

But there is nothing in the Bible to support any of these ideas.

For example, let's look at what the Bible says about working on Sunday.

Under the Law of Moses, the children of Israel were not to work on the sabbath days. Sabbath means "rest", and it was a sign between God and the children of Israel. Read Exodus 31:12-17.

The sabbath days were every Saturday, as well as certain other specified days. (See Leviticus 23:24,32,39).

After Jesus rose from the dead, God put an end to the Law of Moses. This is explained in the New Testament book called the epistle to the Hebrews.

Paul also explains this in chapters 3,4 and 5 of his letter to the Galatians. In chapter 3, verses 24,25 he says "...the law was our tutor (to bring us) to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor."

And in chapter 5, verse 14 he says "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, (even) in this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'".

In Romans 13:8-10, he makes the same kind of statement and then goes on, in chapter 14, to explain that, although we are no longer required to regard one day above another, we are not to judge those who do.

"One person esteems (one) day above another; another esteems every day (alike). Let each be fully convinced in his own mind." (Romans 14:5)

If, however, you are convinced that the sabbath law is still in effect, your days of rest should be every Saturday as well as the other sabbath days mentioned in the book of Leviticus. And it must be a complete rest. You even have to prepare meals ahead of time rather than cook.

It is a matter of a person's own convictions. But to IMPOSE this idea on others would be violating the basic principles of Christianity.

I could go on and on and talk about other things that certain people believe to be sins but I do not see any point in it. The Bible makes it clear that, if you love (care for) your fellow man the same as you care for yourself, you are fulfilling God's law.

But what about Jesus' statement that "...whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart". (Matthew 5:28)

Some people find it difficult to see how this sort of thing is breaking the rule of "doing to others what you would want others to do to you". How can the act of "looking" possibly hurt anyone?

Consider it for a minute. If the man is married, is this fair to his wife? Can he have a good relationship with her if he is desiring someone else?

And, if the man is desiring a woman who is married, is this really harmless? If adultery is wrong then even thinking about it is wrong, because it can easily lead to a terrible situation.

Read the story of David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel, chapters 11 and 12, and you will see the terrible consequences that can result.

Note that, in his list of sins in Galatians 5:19-21, Paul includes such things as idolatry and sorcery (witchcraft). How do these things violate the law of "doing to others what you would want others to do to you"?

In Matthew 22:36 Jesus was asked the question "Which (is) the great commandment in the law?"

He replied " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment.

And the second (is) like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'.

On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

He did not mention the first commandment in Matthew 7:12. In the message that is recorded there He emphasized the manner in which people are to interact with each other.

However, the implication in all of His teachings is that a person cannot act properly toward others unless they love God with all of their heart, soul and mind.

If a person loves God with all their heart, soul and mind they will not get involved in things like idolatry and sorcery.

Another thing that doesn't appear to violate the rule of "doing to others what you would want others to do to you" is a homosexual act between consenting people.

The clearest discussion of this is in Paul's letter to the Romans. In chapter 1, verses 18 to 32, he talks about those who "...worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator..." (verse 25) "For this reason," Paul continues, "God gave them up to vile passions..."

So this sort of thing would appear to be a judgment on people for worshiping and serving a created thing rather than the Creator of all things. If a person loves God with all their heart, soul and mind they will not have any desire to do things like this.

However, I would like to point out that I can't find anything in the Bible to indicate that people who practice such things should be denied any of the rights that others enjoy in this world. They should be warned that God will judge them but it would be wrong to discriminate against them in any way; unless their behavior is hurting another person.

The Holy Bible does not say that you can have everlasting life by being baptized.

In many churches there is a ceremony called "christening" or "baptism" during which the person is said to "become an heir of everlasting salvation".

This idea is not found in the Bible. The words "christen" or "christening" are not found anywhere in the Bible. The words "baptize" and "baptism" are in the English versions of the Bible but they are just variations of the Greek words "baptizo" and "baptizma", which are from the Greek verb "bapto" meaning "to dip".

In Luke 11:38, where the word "baptizo" refers to dipping hands into water, it is translated as "washed". In John 13:26 where the word "bapto" refers to dipping a piece of bread into wine, it is translated as "dipped". In passages, such as Mark 7:4 and Hebrews 9:10, "baptisma" is translated as "washing".

However, in passages concerning the ceremony that Jesus commanded to be performed on those who repent and believe in Him, the words are not translated but are written as "baptize" and "baptism".

In Romans 6:1-14, Paul shows us that "baptism" is symbolic of being buried with Christ so that we are no longer slaves of sin but have new life in Christ.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that baptism gives a person everlasting life. In every case where it is mentioned it is being performed on someone who has repented and received faith in Jesus Christ (except for the baptism of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus and baptized those who repented).

As I pointed out in chapter 2, there is only one way to obtain eternal life - repent and believe in Jesus Christ.

The Holy Bible does not say that you must forgive all people who commit a sin against you. Those who sin against you and refuse to repent are not to be forgiven.

The teaching of Jesus about how to deal with those who commit sins against you is recorded in Matthew 18:15-17. He said "...if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear (you), take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell (it) to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."

Before going on I would like to make two comments about this passage. First, the word that is translated as "church" is the Greek word "ekklesia", which literally means "a calling out". It is translated as "assembly" in Acts 19:32, 39 and 41.

Also, I have been given to understand that, in those days, tax collectors (publicans) had a reputation of being very dishonest and that is why Jesus used them in this example.

The important thing to note, however, is the fact that Jesus taught that, if someone commits a sin against you, and refuses to repent, you are to separate that person from your company. This does not mean that you are not to help them if they ever have some vital need; but you are not to have fellowship with them.

(The idea of helping those who have a vital need, regardless of whether they are friends, is discussed in the section entitled "Money").

And, just as He clearly taught that you are to separate yourself from those who refuse to repent, Jesus also taught that you are to forgive any person who truly repents.

When He taught these things to His disciples, Peter had a problem with the forgiveness part of it. He said "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

Jesus said to him "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:21-22)

In Luke 17:3,4 Jesus is recorded as saying "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."

Note the fact that forgiveness is conditional on repentance.

Those who claim that the Bible says we are to forgive people who sin against us, whether they repent or not, usually quote a passage like Matthew 6:15 which reads "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

This statement was made by Jesus and it is true of course; but He would hardly be contradicting any of His other teachings. Therefore He must be talking about forgiveness that is according to the principle that He taught - only if the person repents.

In the prayer, known as the Lord's prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) are the words "...forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors". God's forgiveness of our sins is on the same basis as our forgiveness of those who sin against us.

God doesn't forgive those who refuse to repent. He allows them to go to hell.

The Holy Bible does not say that you are "judging" someone if you accuse them of committing a sin, in a situation where it is clear that they have done so.

In Matthew 7:1, Jesus says "Judge not that you be not judged." Some people say that this means you are not to accuse anyone of committing a sin.

But this can NOT be what it means, because there are several other passages that tell us to rebuke sinners. I quoted two in the section entitled "Forgiveness". Read 1 Timothy 5:20 and Titus 1:13 for other examples.

It is not wrong to accuse a person of committing a sin, if it is clear that they have committed one. This is not judging; this is simply stating a fact.

After His admonition to "not judge", Jesus gave an illustration of what He meant and, in the illustration, He talks about a situation where the existence of a sin is so unclear that you have to judge.

In Matthew 7:3, Jesus says "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?"

He is implying that those who judge others have something worse in their own lives. He made it clear that we are not to judge others but this is not the same as rebuking them for sins.

For an example of judging, read the discussion about working on Sunday in the section entitled "Sin".

The Holy Bible does not say that a human infant does not have a soul until it is born and begins to breathe on its own.

I have read an article in favor of abortion which stated that there is nothing wrong with killing a human infant before it is born because it does not have a soul.

To support this statement, the writer quoted Genesis 2:7 which says "...the Lord God formed man (of) the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."

So, the writer contends, a person is not a living being until the breath of life is in them.

This argument is ridiculous for two reasons. First of all, the Bible only mentions this in connection with the first human. Secondly, the "breath of life" is oxygen; and this is supplied to an infant by the mother's blood from the time of conception.

Also, the Bible says that John the Baptist "leaped for joy" when he was an infant inside his mother's womb. (Luke 1:41,44)

Abortion should be called what it really is - murder.

The Holy Bible does not say that money is the root of all evil.

In his first letter to Timothy, Paul says "...the love of money is a root of all (kinds of) evil..." (1 Timothy 6:10)

The word that is translated as "all" is the Greek word "pas", which is often translated as "every".

The New King James Version renders it as "all (kinds of)", which is truer to the meaning of the Greek word than "all". This version also renders it as "a root" rather than "the root".

It is not the "money", but rather the "love of money" that is a root of every kind of evil.

Jesus taught that it is extremely difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Read Matthew 19:16-26 for an example. This man wanted to have everlasting life but found it difficult to part with his possessions, give to the poor, and put his trust in God rather than in his possessions.

Nevertheless, the Bible does mention some rich people who entered the kingdom of heaven - Abraham, for example, and Joseph of Arimathea. Read Genesis 13:2 and Matthew 27:57.

Apparently, these men had not allowed the "deceitfulness of riches" to prevent them from doing God's will. ("deceitfulness of riches" is a topic that Jesus mentions in Matthew 13:22)

Although Abraham and Joseph were rich men, they loved God rather than the riches, and would have sold as many of their possessions as necessary if there were poor people in need of help.

And the Bible does not say that believers are to help only "good" people. Jesus said "...love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." (Matthew 5:44)

Paul quotes Proverbs 25:21,22, which says "...if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." (Romans 12:20)

The Holy Bible does not say that you must give one tenth of your income to the church.

The word "tithe", which means "one tenth", appears in the Old Testament. If you read Deuteronomy 14:22-29, you will see that the "tithe" (in this case it is one tenth of farm produce) was to be taken to the religious meeting place where it was to be "eaten before the Lord" and shared with the priests and those in need.

This idea does not appear in the New Testament at all. In the New Testament, believers are encouraged to give money for the needs of other believers. Read 1 Corinthians 16:1-2. Also read 2 Corinthians 9:1-8, where Paul gives a similar exhortation but clearly states that each one should give "...as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver."

Of course, as I pointed out in the previous section entitled "Money", a follower of Jesus is required to help anyone who has a vital need, if it is within their power to do so.

The Holy Bible does not confer the title of "Saint" on certain special believers.

In English versions of the New Testament, you will find names such as Saint Matthew and Saint John in the titles of books. These titles did not appear in the original New Testament.

The word "saint" does appear in the New Testament and it is a translation of the Greek word "hagios" which means "pure one".

This word is used to refer to every believer, not just certain ones. Read Romans 1:7 where Paul is writing "To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called (to be) saints." Note that the phrase "to be" is in italics and thus was not in the original New Testament.

Throughout the New Testament, from Acts 9:13 to Revelation 20:9, there are several occurrences of the word "saint", and it is clear from the context that the word refers to all believers.