University Of The Lord Jesus Christ | The True Evidence of Salvation: Nothing Physical Saves You Today, Not Even Physical Water (LESSON 3)

The True Evidence of Salvation: Nothing Physical Saves You Today, Not Even Physical Water

Salvation Is Rooted in Faith, Not Physical Elements

The Scripture declares in Hebrews 11:6 that without faith, it is impossible to please God, for anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. This foundational truth establishes that salvation is rooted in faith, not in physical elements.

To get to the point quickly, the only true evidence of salvation today is receiving the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29), and the undeniable sign of this reception is experiencing the supernatural movement of God—speaking in tongues by the Spirit as the Spirit gives utterance at least once in our lives(Acts 10:43-44). This supernatural sign is God’s assurance that we are His (Romans 8:8-9), giving us near-total confidence that we will enter heaven or the New Jerusalem when the time comes.

God’s Election of His Saints Has Already Begun

God begins electing His saints now, as foretold in Joel 2:28-32 and Jeremiah 31:33-40, which was later fulfilled in Acts 2, Acts 8, Acts 10 and Acts 19, and His selection will be finalized on the great and terrible Day of the Lord—Judgment Day.

Water Baptism Does Not Save You—It’s a Declaration of Faith

Water baptism today serves as a declaration of faith in Jesus Christ; it is an act of obedience and a demonstration of a good conscience toward God (1 Peter 3:21). However, no physical element today, including water, can wash away sins. The only means of salvation is by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9), and true assurance comes from receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We Are Saved by Grace, Not by Our Righteousness

We are saved not by our righteousness, but by God’s mercy, through the regeneration and renewal of the Holy Ghost (Titus 3:5). When a person receives the Holy Ghost, they receive a new heart and a renewed conscience (Ezekiel 36:26-27), one that is convicted by sin and leads them away from evil.

Sin Is Evil Toward Both God and Man

Sin is evil toward both God and man—doing wrong before God and harming others. The Spirit of grace transcends the letter of the law, and the laws of the Spirit are written on our hearts upon receiving the Holy Ghost (2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 10:16).

Sins Are Removed by Repentance and Faith in Christ

A person’s sins are removed when they sincerely repent and believe in the name of Jesus Christ, at which point they receive the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38, Acts 10:43-44). It is not about filling churches with people baptized in physical water while their hearts never come to the place of receiving the assurance of the Holy Ghost, which is the true evidence of salvation and eternal life (John 10:26-28).

Nor is it about filling churches with people who have merely recited a sinner’s prayer yet have never supernaturally spoken in tongues by the Spirit at least once—as clearly evidenced in Acts 2, Acts 8, Acts 10, and Acts 19.

The Danger of Empty Religious Rituals

Furthermore, salvation is not about gathering people into churches that emphasize physical rituals—whether it be baptism as a means of salvation, adherence to the Sabbath as a ritual, or any other external tradition—while rejecting the Spirit’s supernatural witness.

A person can receive the Holy Ghost anywhere in the world, without ever stepping foot in a church. It is not about performing rituals but about seeking God through fasting, prayer, true repentance, and faith in Christ, as the Scriptures declare (Joel 2:12-13, Matthew 5:8, John 7:37-39).

Fasting is a universal law of sacrifice that is not just limited to the righteous or the holy. Even Balaam, who was not righteous, understood that spiritual power was accessed through sacrifice (Numbers 22:7-8, 23:1-4). Today, we sacrifice through fasting and prayer over time, positioning ourselves to encounter God.

Cornelius provides a clear blueprint in Acts 10:30-44, revealing what he was doing when the Angel of the Lord appeared to him. He states:

“Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, ‘Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.’” (Acts 10:30-31)

This visitation led to Peter preaching the Gospel and, while he was still speaking, the Holy Ghost fell on Cornelius and his household, and they spoke in tongues (Acts 10:44-46). Cornelius unknowingly followed the divine pattern of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which aligned with God’s command in Leviticus 23:26-32—the Day of Atonement, a holy convocation where Israel was to afflict their souls in one accord before God.

The Lord later reinforces this principle in Joel 2:12-13, declaring the correct approach for seeking Him under the New Covenant:

“Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.” (Joel 2:12-13)

This is the same approach Cornelius took in Acts 10, and as a result, he became the first recorded Gentile to receive the Spirit of Grace (Holy Ghost) with the evidence of speaking in tongues. This confirms that true salvation does not come from religious rituals but from a genuine seeking of God through faith, fasting, prayer, and the reception of the Holy Ghost. Jesus Said Signs Will Follow Believers

Jesus Himself confirmed that signs will follow those who believe (Mark 16:17), and one of the chief signs of true faith is speaking in tongues—a manifestation of the Spirit of grace. If anyone doubts the experiences of Acts 2 and Acts 10, their faith is weak.

Seek God—Not Religious Rituals

Therefore, seek God—not physical rituals, not mere church membership, not the outward appearance of salvation. The goal is not simply to fill churches but to fill people with Christ Himself.

Let people be baptized not to prove they are saved, but to prove they believe in Jesus Christ, who alone saves those with a pure heart. True salvation is the Spirit of grace at work within, and without the Spirit, there is no true assurance of eternal life (Romans 8:9, John 10:26-28).

A Main Blueprint for the Last Days: Psalms 100

A main blueprint that the Lord has given me for the last days is Psalms 100:

1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

It is not just about preaching and teaching in churches to represent the main part of the Church, but the main part of the Church is allowing people to come and seek God using the step-by-step approach given in Psalms 100. This represents a blueprint that God gave David for what to do when they assemble together for worship before God (1 Chronicles 16:4-36, 2 Chronicles 11-14).

This foreshadows what happened in Revelation 19:1-7:

1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.

Just as the marriage of the Lamb takes place when Jesus Christ “enters” the New Jerusalem, the Church he was engaged to, so also He marries us today since Acts 2 and Acts 10 when He “enters” us by the Spirit of Grace, the gift of the Holy Ghost.

This confirms that true worship leads to the final assembly before God in the New Jerusalem, as outlined in Revelation. Let the Church today follow this divine pattern, preparing not just to gather people into churches but to lead them into God’s presence through the Spirit of grace.