It does not get any plainer..........Our righteous works have ZERO to do with Salvation!
New American Standard Bible
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
King James Bible
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Yes, thank God, Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed! We eat His flesh and drink His blood, proclaiming His death until He returns, as it is written. We do this as oft as we eat of it, in remembrance of Him. "Go in to all the nations and make disciples of all men, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." We apply the blood to our houses, our bodies, and the destroying angel passes over us.
And, as it is written, "Baptism now saves [us.] Not the removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clean conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." We get in to the sheepfold just as Cornelius' house did. We pass through the Red Sea, joined with Christ in death and through His death and resurrection, He defeated our foes and separated us from them. Praise the Lord! Victory in Jesus indeed. And, according to the Scriptures, He came to baptize us with His Spirit. We receive the pillar of fire/cloud: our bodies are living sacrifices. "The wind blows wherever it pleases, you hear the sound of it but cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." It is the Good News of the Kingdom of God and Jesus has become our King! He purchased us and as sons of God, we are being led by the Spirit of God. As His sheep, we hear His voice and we follow Him today. His command is that we abide in Him and in His love. If we abide in Him, we walk as Jesus did, 1 John 2:6, and He confessed that He did
nothing on His own initiative. That's what it is to be a part of His body - He makes the decisions: He is Head over ALL things for us. Jesus Christ is Lord.
We see the tragic results of a different gospel preached in this land. We are supposed to be one as the Father and the Son are one so that the world would believe the Father sent the Son. We see the breakdown of the family as well. The husband is a type of Christ, the wife a type of the Church. As "believers" generally don't know Jesus (which is what eternal life is, He said) and don't know how they are to relate in submission to Him, so also the wives and husbands can't relate properly to one another. In the world and
not of it is to be our rule, but that's not how it has turned out thus far. There are wonderful exceptions to be sure but by in large, the salt has lost its savor and that is why the world is rotting.
Are you out of Egypt today or is "Pharaoh" still dominating you? Have you been through the water? Have you received the pillar of fire and cloud? Are you walking by your soul (what you want, think and feel) or by the Holy Spirit? We are to be the people of the Way, not Baptists, Calvinists, Lutherans, Methodists... its insanity. Believers in Jesus Christ are called a people of "the Way" twice as many times in the New Testament as they are Christians! The Way pertains to being under the government of God which is in the Holy Spirit. The Bible is our Constitution, as it were. The Church was at its most dynamic state when no seminary or church building existed. No shepherd/overseer/elder was called "Pastor Mike" or "Pastor Joe". Jesus warned us against using such prideful titles. We are all brothers. If people can't be trusted in this minor thing, the cannot be trusted in the major things... and so it is.
Rebuild Jesus' Church? Yes, these ancient ruins badly need to be rebuilt and the glory needs to return so that His ways may be known on earth; His salvation among all mankind.