WORKING?
by Tony Alamo
Salvation is just one of God’s many great, mighty, and marvelous WORKS. The WORK of salvation was initially accomplished by God for man through the sufferings of His only begotten Son on the cross at Calvary. It is not possible for man to save himself. The Apostle Paul states, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God” (II Corinthians 3:5).
The Word of God plainly proclaims that the initial WORK of salvation is the direct result of the WORK God has done for us, not the WORK we have done for God. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Christ is the one and only, the exclusive Saviour. It is only His sinless blood that has the power strong enough to cleanse away every sin ever committed by any soul in the entire universe. No other can do this initial WORK of salvation. Only Jesus has this saving power, this power to save and cleanse. Jesus said, “For without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).
At the time of salvation, the newly-born babe in Christ immediately becomes hungry and thirsty both for Spiritual food to grow and for guidance from God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This food and guidance is exclusively found in the Bible, either in the King James Version or in the true, original versions (the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Hellenic Greek originals). Jesus said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). Jesus also said, “Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14).
Contrary to the teachings of today’s false prophets, heretics, and seducing spirits, after the soul of a human has been saved and he diligently searches the Scriptures for heavenly instructions, he will find that the Lord initially saves for the purpose of us continually, through His Spirit, doing the good WORKS of God unto salvation. The Apostle Paul said, “I also labour, striving according to His WORKING, which WORKETH in me mightily” (Colossians 1:29). Paul stated, “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (II Corinthians 5:11). Persuade them to become saved and then do all the WORKS of God which eventually will lead to witnessing and perhaps teaching or preaching the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is the commandment of God to continue these WORKS until we die, if we want to continue being saved. “I keep under [under the power of the control of the Word of God through the Holy Spirit] my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself [the Apostle Paul, the chief working Apostle for Christ] should be a castaway” (I Corinthians 9:27). Paul also stated, “WORK out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which WORKETH in you both to will and to DO of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). “But he that endureth [doing the good WORKS of God] to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 10:22). It is quite clear from Moses, the prophets, Jesus, and the Apostles, that the work of salvation is initially started by Christ and then His WORK is to continue by His children until the day each of them individually die and their souls enter Heaven.
There are literally hundreds of Scriptures to confirm these facts.1 For salvation is said to be “unto good WORKS” (Ephesians 2:10), continuously until we die “to the end” (Matthew 10:22). Those who believe must “be careful to maintain good WORKS” (Titus 3:8).
There are millions of false prophets. They have the sufficient faith in Satan to NOT do the good WORKS of God. They preach to others not to do His good WORKS continually, as God has commanded, knowing that the souls they preach to will spend eternity in the same Hell in which they shall forever dwell and burn. Their WORKS are faithful to Satan’s every bidding. The Apostle James stated, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have WORKS: show me thy faith without thy WORKS, and I will show thee my faith by my WORKS [the good WORKS of God]” (James 2:18). James agrees with Moses, the prophets, Jesus, and all the Apostles. The epistle of James is not the “straw epistle,” as the heretic Martin Luther falsely stated, as though James was different than the other faithful worthies of Christ. “Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4). Christ sends His disciples into the world to preach the true Gospel to every creature, not to preach the heresies of John Calvin who saith with so many other heretics that learned this of him, that, “We are sealed into Heaven without good WORKS.”
Jesus said, “Follow Me” in doing all the good WORKS that He had done. “Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very WORKS’ sake” (John 14:11). Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the WORKS that I do shall he do also; and greater WORKS than these shall he do: because I go unto My Father” (John 14:12).
Satan’s false prophets and teachers have paralyzed the entire world with their false doctrine, saying, “You’ve been saved to sit and be idle and continue in your worldly ways, and that God will bless it. Once saved, always saved.”
But the Apostle Peter saith, “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ [had been saved], they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness [had been saved], than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (II Peter 2:20-22).
Jesus saith, “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first” (Matthew 12:43-45). Jude, verses 5-7 teaches, “I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not [believed they didn’t have to continue the good WORKS of God]. And the angels [who are reported to be higher than we2] which kept not their first estate [state of eternal life in Heaven], but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh [homosexuality, lesbianism], are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
Today’s preparation for the rebuilding of King Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem is one of the final signs from God that these are the very last days of this present world. This is why God cautions all of us in the world to repent and believe His Gospel, the Gospel that tells us specifically that we must be saved and continue the WORKS of Christ WORKING in us. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (II Corinthians 6:2). For the initial WORK of salvation to begin in your life with Christ, say this prayer to the only one that can and will save your soul from Hell:
Prayer
My LORD and my GOD, have mercy upon my soul, a sinner. 1 I believe that JESUS CHRIST is the SON of the living GOD. 2 I believe that HE died on the cross and shed HIS precious blood for the forgiveness of all my former sins. 3 I believe that GOD raised JESUS from the dead by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT 4 and that HE sits on the right hand of GOD at this moment, hearing my confession of sin and this prayer. 5 I open up the door of my heart, and I invite YOU into my heart, LORD JESUS. 6 Wash all of my filthy sins away in the precious blood that YOU shed in my place on the cross at Calvary. 7 YOU will not turn me away, LORD JESUS; YOU will forgive my sins and save my soul. I know because YOUR WORD, the Bible, says so. 8 YOUR WORD says that YOU will turn no one away, and that includes me. 9 Therefore, I know that YOU have heard me, and I know that YOU have answered me, and I know that I am saved. 10 And I thank YOU, LORD JESUS, for saving my soul, and I will show my thankfulness by doing as YOU command and sin no more.11
You've just completed the first step in a series of five steps which are necessary to receive salvation. Your second step is to deny yourself and take up your cross daily and follow JESUS for the purpose of mortifying your flesh, that is, for putting to death your own will, your soulful self, and the world with all of its lusts. All these must be baptized into the death of CHRIST.
Step three is your resurrection from the satanic life of Adam unto the sinless life of CHRIST. Step four is your ascension into a position of authority to reign for God with Christ on earth, and the fifth step is to reign for GOD in CHRIST on earth to the end for the purpose of bringing about the kingdom of Heaven on earth. You must learn the WORD of GOD, submit yourselves one to another, and do what the WORD says so that the church and the world may see evidence of your submission to GOD’S WORD, HIS order, and HIS authority in and by you.
Praise the LORD. May GOD bless and reward you abundantly.
Yours in the wonderful name of JESUS,
Pastor Tony Alamo
Please contact us for more information or for literature on other topics which may be of interest.
Tony Alamo Christian Ministries Worldwide
P. O. Box 2948
Hollywood, CA 90078
Twenty-four hour prayer and information line: (661) 252-5686
Tony Alamo Christian Ministries Worldwide provides a place to live with all the things necessary for life
to all those
in our United States locations who truly want to serve the LORD with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Services held in New York City every Tuesday at 8 P.M. and at other locations nightly. Please call for more information: (908) 937-5723.
MEALS SERVED AFTER EACH SERVICE
Ask for Pastor Alamo’s book, The Messiah, showing Christ from the Old Testament revealed in over three hundred thirty-three prophecies.
Become a laborer in the harvest of souls by becoming a distributor of Pastor Alamo’s literature. All of our literature and audio messages are free of charge, including shipping.
THIS LITERATURE CARRIES THE TRUE PLAN OF SALVATION (Acts 4:12).
DO NOT THROW IT AWAY, PASS IT ON TO SOMEONE ELSE
Those of you who are in other countries, we encourage you to translate
this literature into your native language.
If you do reprint, please include this copyright and registration:
© Copyright 1993 All rights reserved World Pastor Tony Alamo ® Registered 1993
Working? footnotes:
1. Call for a list of more references return
Prayer footnotes:
1. Psa. 51:5, Rom. 3:10-12, 23 return
2. Matt. 26:63-64, 27:54, Luke 1:30-33, John 9:35-37, Rom. 1:3-4 return
3. Acts 4:12, 20:28, Rom. 3:25, I John 1:7, Rev. 5:9 return
4. Psa. 16:9-10, Matt. 28:5-7, Mark 16:9, 12, 14, John 2:19, 21, 10:17-18, 11:25, Acts 2:24, 3:15, Rom. 8:11, I Cor. 15:3-7 return
5. Luke 22:69, Acts 2:25-36, Heb. 10:12-13 return
6. I Cor. 3:16, Rev. 3:20 return
7. Eph. 2:13-22, Heb. 9:22, 13:12, 20-21, I John 1:7, Rev. 1:5, 7:14 return
8. Matt. 26:28, Acts 2:21, 4:12, Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:14 return
9. Matt. 21:22, John 6:35, 37-40, Rom. 10:13 return
10. Heb. 11:6 return
11. John 5:14, 8:11, Rom. 6:4, I Cor. 15:10, Rev. 7:14, 22:14 return