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NASB | Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the Book of Life; and the dead were judged according to what they had done as written in the books [that is, everything done while on earth]. [Jer 17:10; Rom 2:6] |
Bible Question: Hello! I would really appreciate it, if somebody could answer this question: Does one go to heaven only if he believes in Jesus? You can't go to heaven only beacause of your good works do you? How would you explain why is that so? |
Bible Answer: Hi, Tan! There are many who want to remove Christ from the Christian equation... some who prescribe to the "all the roads lead to Heaven" philosophy… The Holy Scripture is very precise when it comes to matter of Salvation; it leaves no room for second-guessing or progressive interpretations: you must know, all of you, and the whole people of Israel, that it is by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, and God raised from the dead, by this name and by no other that this man stands before you cured. ‘This is the stone which you, the builders, rejected but which has become the cornerstone. Only in him is there salvation; for of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.’ (Acts 4:10-12) Clearly, Salvation is not a matter of well-wishing... or of respecting popular beliefs... Salvation cannot occur in the absence of Jesus Christ!: Jesus said: I am the resurrection. Anyone who believes in me, even though that person dies, will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die… (John 11:25) My children, I am writing this to prevent you from sinning; but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the upright. He is the sacrifice to expiate our sins, and not only ours, but also those of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2) Love consists in this: it is not we who loved God, but God loved us and sent his Son to expiate our sins. (1 John 4:10) Good works... They are necessary as they testify to our rebirth in the Holy Spirit! But acts of kindness (or seemingly, acts of kindness) alone can do nothing for us... Jesus Commands His disciples (all Believers) to not only love their relatives and friends (neighbors) but to also love their enemies--Matthew 5:43-48--(those who will see us as their intrinsic nemesis (John 15:18-19) due to our allegiance to Jesus) because we are Commanded to emulate our Heavenly Father; Jesus also clarifies that even the wicked are kind and courteous with their own, so we can surmise that good works onto themselves are as empty as the heart that wheels the intention: loving/serving selectively yields its own rewards; loving/serving others in God demonstrates our obedience and allegiance to Him! God Bless! Angel |