We preach, teach, Evangelize; You decide

As a former follwer of the Roman Catholic Church I do believed that salvation, or gaining entrance to the Kingdom of God could be attained by faith in Christ plus human works such as doing some kind of sacraments, praying to Mary, confessing sins to a Catholic priest, Eucharist, Mass, and just being a good Catholic. However, as I took the challenge to learn the Bible, I find out so many things that were not sound (healthy doctrine taught by the catholic cathecism. This remind me of what the Lord Jesus Christ said concerning the Ten Commandments: ''He saith unto him, which? Jesus said, thou shalt do no murder, thou shalt not commit adulstery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness.'' (Matthew 19:18 kjv). Any sect, groups, individual, who misrepresent the Lord Jesus Christ, according to the ten commandments is guilty of being a false witness. Everytime a person partake in Eucharist, Mass, sacraments, praying to Mary that person is sinning against God, because he/she broke the Ten Commandments by bearing false witness against God.

The book of Acts chapter ten there is a story concerning a man in Caesarea and the story goes this way: ''There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? and he said into him, thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a minorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter. He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. (Acts 10:1-6 kjv).

Cornelius was not a Jew of course, he was a Roman centurion, a devout man, feared God, alms giver, and prayed to God. God the Father heard his prayer, God knows his good deeds, but does not know the Lord Jesus Christ as the resurrected Savior. He saw a vision where God told him that his prayer was heard and was instructed to send servants to Joppa and call Simon Peter to instruct him what to do. Obviously Cornelius and his household were not saved, though he prayed to God earnetsly, and give alms to the people. It is interesting that his good deeds were not the barometer where he can access the kingdom of God. God want him to hear from his apostles the way to attained ''Salvation''. Evidently, good deeds would not get you to heaven, if it did, God would not instructed Cornelius to get Simon Peter in order for him to hear the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Since the story is too long, we are going to pick up in verse 39 and this is what Peter told Cornelius, ''And we are witnesses of all things which he (Jesus) did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem, whom they slew and hanged on the tree. (crucifixion). Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; (resurrection) not to all people, and so to testify that it is he which which was ordained of God to be the judge of the quick (alive in Christ) and dead (spiritually dead, unsaved, unbelievers). To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision (Jew) which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost''

Peter told them about the death burial and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the God man, and he expounded that whosoever believed in the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. Evidently Cornelius and all his household believed the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, and as God promised, the Holy Ghost came upon them. That day Cornelius and all his household got saved upon hearing and believing the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In verse 47-48, after Cornelius received the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior they were Baptized by Emmersion.

Let pick up verses 47-48 ''Can any man forbi water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain n days.

Here Cornelius a devout man prayed to God and give much alms. God heard his prayer, give him a vision, told him to send soldiers to get Peter. After Peter got to their house, Peter told them about what the Lord Jesus had done to save the world, Jesus Christ evidently died on the cross and shed his precious blood to pay the penalty of sin in full. He was buried and on the third day God raised him from the dead. Cornelius obviously heard the gospel preached, and believed including his household. The Holy Ghost came upon all of them, and they obviously got baptized both by the Holy Spirit, and by water. Cornelius got saved, not because of his prayer or his alms giving, but He got saved and his household by hearing, and believing the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I believed that there are many Cornelius in this world today, but they need the gospel the Lord Jesus Christ in order for them to get saved. If you are one of the millions like Cornelius, yuo need to hear the gospel of the Lord Jesus and believed the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. God is aware of your prayer and alms giving, as God instructed Cornelius to get Peter, You need a person (preacher, missionary, evangelist) to expound the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and believed Jesus Christ as your Savior. That is the only way you can secure your eternal life.