The Lord Jesus Christ Gives Notice of Liability to the World

"And he (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (1)

According to Jesus Christ, the combination of belief in the gospel and water baptism will save humankind. By these words of the Gospel, Jesus gave lawful notice to all the world. Those who do not believe the gospel (therefore, are not baptized) will not be saved. Those not believing the gospel and not being baptized will ultimately be damned (lawfully judged) and cast alive into the lake of fire, which is the second death.

Water baptism is the physical action of faith—faith expressed by works, what you physically do.

"I will shew thee my faith by my works." "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." (2)

"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?" (2)

Water baptism is the work of faith which justifies us, making us righteous in the eyes of God. Jesus will judge us all by our works, our deeds, rather than what is in our hearts. It is punishment and rewards based on one's works, not by what is in your heart. It is the works of faith (what you do) and not what is in your heart. If you think this is not how God judges, you have been deceived.

"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." (3)

"...the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." (4)

"God looks upon my heart," it is popular to say. But what does God see when he looks upon your heart?

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (5)

If God judged us by the thoughts of our hearts, we would all be dead. Thank God he judges us by what we do. Remember judicially, it is not a crime if you only think it. This is true for any court—a judge judges by what a person did, actions committed, not what they thought, believed, or felt in their mind and heart. The matters of the heart are not tried in a court of law.

The refusal to admit that God judges us by what we do leads to the false belief that God renders divine judgment based on our hearts. However, God does select kings and leaders based on their inner character of the heart, such as the selection of King David. The selection of King David was God looking on the heart of David to discern his character and wisdom, to determine his suitability to be king.

References:

• Mark 16:15-16 KJV (1)

• James 2:18, 20, 21 KJV (2)

• Rev 22:12 (3)

• Rev 20:12c (4)

• Jer 17:9 (5)