COGNITIVE SALVATION

Are you going to heaven ?
Why ?
How ?
Sure ?

Do you have the right answers because you were told/taught the right answers ?
Are you saved because you know the truth, and you can declare the truth clearly ?

COGNITIVE SALVATION

Churches verbalize the way to heaven, and many spell it out in formulas, classes, and rituals.

Most churches tell people they will go to heaven if they do what the church says (and that adds to church membership).

COGNITIVE SALVATION

People say they’re going to heaven, think they’re going to heaven, and readily verbalize how they expect to get there.

Most people say they’re going to heaven because they are good enough, and no one has disputed that to them.

Man-made salvation—
—never enough.
Church-made salvation—
—never questioned.

What’s the difference—
—not much.

COGNITIVE SALVATION

+Version.
Repeated.
Old history.
New history.
History again.
Lots of religion.
Even lots of truth.
Loads of doctrines.
Enormous rule books.
Old Testament leaders.
New Testament theology.
More stuff to do, to follow.
Clear the board to start over.
Repeat, to build a way to God.

“Lots of religion”, indeed.

COGNITIVE SALVATION

Is it enough ?
Is all the above enough ?

The Bible is full of warning about ‘religion’ that doesn’t cut it.

++ God made it simple to get right with Him.
– – Man makes it complicated.

++ God sends someone to make it simple again, make it clear.
– – Man makes it complicated, again.

++ God sends someone to make it simple again, make it clear.
– –

– – – – – –

SALVATION – – – COGNITIVE OR COMPREHENSIVE

– – – – – –

COGNITIVE SALVATION

— got it down right
— correct, and know it
— believe the truth
— but are you saved ?

What’s the catch ?
“The devils also believe, and tremble.”
“Not everyone who says to Me,’Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of God . . .” (complete verse below)
“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!”

– – – – – –

COMPREHENSIVE SALVATION

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”
“For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
“Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.”
“Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.”
“Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
“You must be born again.”

SALVATION – – – COGNITIVE OR COMPREHENSIVE

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart (not just your head) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”
“By their fruits you will know them.” (You will know those who belong to Jesus.)

(Corrolary, expanded, to article “CAST”)

We know the pattern of laying our burdens on the altar before God, and then picking them up again as we leave.

Put this thought stuck in your mind and let it help:

Cast all your cares on God—
Too general—
Be very specific, and describe ONE care, and CAST it on God.
God catches it, and . . .

AND

God says, “You can’t have it back.”

★★★Now I couldn’t possibly worry successfully about that matter, no matter how hard I might try.★★★

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We believe God, and we trust Him to forgive our sin.
“As far as the east is from the west; that’s how far He has removed our trangressions from us.”

Therefore we don’t have to repeatedly ask for forgiveness for the same sin.

Do the same with worry, which is also a sin.
If a particular worry is causing us to sin, that means we are in trouble.

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble, . . .”
Describe out loud the particular trouble, and repeat God’s Words back to Him, and S T O P !

Don’t even say the rest of that verse now.
Don’t give suggestions to God.
Don’t think about it.
God won’t let you.
Just get busy with whatever God puts in front of you.

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When God “delivers you” (without help from your worrying), BE VERY SURE to “glorify Him”.

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This cancels my helping God work out my problems.
That is a widespread, faulty human thinking ! ! !

What pleases God most ?
A – What I get credit for doing ?
or
B – What He gets credit for ?

Can I believe . . . ?
Can I live out . . . ?
Can God get . . . ALL the credit for EVERYTHING that works out in my life ?
Y E S !

Ever worry about something, then get distracted and can’t remember what you worried about ?
And you experience even more, very real, increased anxiety, worry.

Consider that Jesus said, commanded, “Cast all your cares, anxieties, worries on Me, because I care for you.”
If you cast your worry honestly, cast it hard enough to lose your grip and lose control of it—Jesus catches it and says, “You can’t have it back.”

Reality then:
You couldn’t worry about it now, even if you tried.

I couldn’t worry about it now, even if I tried.

Service in the mundane prepares for service in the magnificent—

Service in the mundane is magnificent.

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“Thank God for years of obscure ministry.”—–afr.net