Religious, but Lost

In the past two articles, we have discussed the false teachings of (1) "babies are born sinners," and (2) "God lays a new teaching" on one's heart. Claims by those such as the man on Trinity Broadcasting Network who said God had revealed to him that those sending $2000 in faith would have all debts forgiven, are not to be believed, if the Bible is true. Bible-believing persons know that, if a teaching is not found in the New Testament (our law of God today), it is not true. Bible-believing persons know that one speaking and teaching anything other than what is in the New Testament is a false teacher.

In the weeks to come, other doctrines taught and claims made in today's religious world will be examined in the light of God's Word. In laying the background for future articles, let's consider the following:

Did you know that, in the New Testament, almost without exception, every person converted to the Truth, the gospel of Christ, was a religious person? Jesus said in John 17:17: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." We know the Word of God - found only in the Holy Scriptures - is the Truth. What did Jesus speak? "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me" (John 17:6-8). Jesus made a very bold statement to the Jews in John 8:45: "And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not." In Mark 16:15, Christ told His eleven disciples (Judas Iscariot was dead) to "go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." In Romans 1:16, Paul stated, "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." "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed..." (Romans 1:17a).

Now, for some examples of religious persons who were converted: In Acts 2, the Jews had come together to worship at Pentecost, one of the required days of worship under the Old Law. Notice how Luke describes these people:" And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven" (Acts 2:5). Remember this point as we look at Peter's words to them: "Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:..." (Acts 2:22,23). "Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36).

Question: What was the condition of the "house of Israel," those who had taken the "holy one of God," and crucified Him on Calvary's cross? Were they saved? or, lost? They knew they were lost, and asked what to do to be saved (Acts 2:37). In Acts 2:38-40, we learn what Peter tells them they must do, and he exhorts them to do it. In Acts 2:41, we find that about 3000 Jews, religious people who had come to Jerusalem to fulfill a command of the Law of Moses, obeyed the commands of God's new law.