What Is True Salvation and How Should We Understand Salvation?

Hello brothers and sisters of Spiritual Q&A:

As is known to us believers, the Lord Jesus carried out a stage of work of redemption for mankind. The pastors and elders often preach that we are saved as long as we acknowledge the Lord Jesus with our mouth and believe in Him in our hearts. Just as the Bible says, “That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10:9–10). So, they believe as long as we acknowledge the Lord’s name, confess and repent to the Lord, we are saved. And once we are saved, we are eternally saved. However, recently I’ve heard some brothers and sisters who had went out to listen to sermons say that believing in the Lord Jesus only means receiving His redemption and having one’s sins pardoned, but not truly attaining salvation. As for what true salvation is, our church’s brothers and sisters often discuss it, but we haven’t got a certain answer. And I still don’t understand it. So I wonder how you understand it. Looking forward to your reply!

Will the Lord Jesus Come Back in the Flesh?

By Weiwei, United States

Editor’s note: When working in a foreign country, Weiwei bumps into someone from home whom she hasn’t seen for years, and she learns the news of the Lord’s return. When she hears that the Lord has already returned in the flesh, her pre-conceived notions are shaken to the core. After seeking and investigating, however, she comes to understand the significance of God becoming flesh.

“Are you Weiwei?”

“Jingyi?”

“Oh, Weiwei! My old neighbor! What a surprise to bump into you! We haven’t seen each other in years and we meet again in a foreign country. This really is by the Lord’s arrangement!”

“Yes indeed! Thank the Lord!”

…

Is Eternal Life Within the Bible?

By Weixiang

One evening, Brother Gao was rushing along, gripping the Bible and hurrying to the home of Brother Gui …

When he got there, the two of them sat down on the couch.

Brother Gao opened the Bible and said, “Brother Gui, I’ve come across a problem in my reading of the Bible and I don’t know how to solve it. I feel like this problem is key to us obtaining eternal life through our faith in the Lord, so I hurried over to seek the answer with you.”

Brother Gui smiled and said, “OK. Tell me all about it.”

Brother Gao then said, “We all know that the Bible is the cannon of Christianity and that all Christians must read it. Whether we are attending gatherings, performing our spiritual devotions, preaching the gospel or giving sermons, we always have to adhere to the Bible. Therefore, we could say that the Bible is a part of our life that we could not be without. God’s previous works are recorded in the Bible as well as the testimonies of many people. We firmly believe that the Bible contains life within it, and as long as we persevere in reading the Bible then we can obtain eternal life. But when I was studying the Bible this evening, I saw that the Lord Jesus said: ‘Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me. And you will not come to Me, that you might have life’ (John 5: 39–40). This really confused me, for seeing as the Bible contains the words of God and the testimonies of man, then by reading the Bible we should be able to obtain eternal life. Why then did the Lord Jesus say that eternal life is not within the Bible? How are we to understand these words? I don’t really understand this very clearly, so I was wondering what your understanding of it is.”

What Is the Meaning of “a Great Sound of a Trumpet” in the Bible?

By Xiaochen

In the recent several gatherings，how to welcome the Lord’s return had been a hot topic. The Lord Jesus said, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:30–31). Everyone at the meeting had a different understanding of “a great sound of a trumpet” in this verse, and they started a heated discussion.

In the meeting, Brother Wang said with confidence, “The Lord Jesus told us that when He returns, a trumpet will sound in heaven to gather together His elect. When that happens, it means that we believers will be raptured. That day will be a joyful day. Now is the last days, and the Lord will come back soon. So, we should watchfully wait for His return.”

Matthew 25:1–13 Bible Study: How Should the Wise Virgins Welcome the Lord?

The Parable of the Wise Virgins

The Lord Jesus said, “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened to ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go you rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Truly I say to you, I know you not. Watch therefore…” (Matthew 25:1–13).

The Word of the Holy Spirit | "The Work in the Age of Law"

Almighty God says, "During the Age of Law, Jehovah laid down many commandments for Moses to pass on to the Israelites who followed him out of Egypt. … Jehovah established His commandments and laws so that, as He led them in their lives, the people would listen to and obey His word and not rebel against Him. He used these laws to keep the newborn human race under control, the better to lay the foundation for His future work. And so, based on the work that Jehovah did, the first age was called the Age of Law" (The Word Appears in the Flesh).

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God's word | (I) Classic Words on God Revealing the Work of the Age of Law

    22. During the Age of Law, Jehovah laid down many commandments for Moses to pass on to the Israelites who followed him out of Egypt. Jehovah gave these commandments to the Israelites, which were unrelated to the Egyptians, and they were meant to restrain the Israelites, and were His requirements for them. Whether one observed the Sabbath, whether one respected one’s parents, whether one worshiped idols, and so forth, these were the principles by which one was judged sinful or righteous. Whether one was struck by Jehovah’s fire, or stoned to death, or received Jehovah’s blessing, was determined according to whether one obeyed these commandments. Those who did not observe the Sabbath were stoned to death. Those priests who did not observe the Sabbath were smitten by Jehovah’s fire. Those who did not respect their parents were also stoned to death. This was all commended by Jehovah. Jehovah established His commandments and laws so that as He led their lives, the people would listen to and obey His word and not rebel against Him. He used these laws to control the newborn human race, to lay the foundation for His work to come. And so, because of the work that Jehovah did, the first age was called the Age of Law. 

Almighty God's Word "The Savior Has Already Returned Upon a 'White Cloud'"

Almighty God says, "Since Jesus departed, the disciples who followed Him, and all of the saints who were saved thanks to His name, have been desperately pining for Him and awaiting Him. All those who were saved by the grace of Jesus Christ during the Age of grace have been longing for that joyful day during the last days, when Jesus the Savior arrives on a white cloud and appears among man. …Yet Jesus the Savior did not do this; He did the opposite of what man conceived. He did not arrive among those who had yearned for His return, and did not appear to all men while riding upon the white cloud. He has already arrived, but man does not know Him, and remains ignorant of His arrival. Man is only aimlessly awaiting Him, unaware that He has already descended upon a white cloud (the cloud which is His Spirit, His words, and His entire disposition and all that He is), and is now among a group of overcomers that He will make during the last days."

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