1 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father; But a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing; But righteousness delivereth from death.
3 Jehovah will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish; But he thrusteth away the desire of the wicked.
4 He becometh poor that worketh with a slack hand; But the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son; But he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.
6 Blessings are upon the head of the righteous; But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
7 The memory of the righteous is blessed; But the name of the wicked shall rot.
8 The wise in heart will receive commandments; But a prating fool shall fall.
9 He that walketh uprightly walketh surely; But he that perverteth his ways shall be known.
10 He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow; But a prating fool shall fall.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life; But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
12 Hatred stirreth up strifes; But love covereth all transgressions.
13 In the lips of him that hath discernment wisdom is found; But a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
14 Wise men lay up knowledge; But the mouth of the foolish is a present destruction.
15 The rich man's wealth is his strong city: The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
16 The labor of the righteous tendeth to life; The increase of the wicked, to sin.
17 He is in the way of life that heedeth correction; But he that forsaketh reproof erreth.
18 He that hideth hatred is of lying lips; And he that uttereth a slander is a fool.
19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not transgression; But he that refraineth his lips doeth wisely.
20 The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver: The heart of the wicked is little worth.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many; But the foolish die for lack of understanding.
22 The blessing of Jehovah, it maketh rich; And he addeth no sorrow therewith.
23 It is as sport to a fool to do wickedness; And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.
24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; And the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
25 When the whirlwind passeth, the wicked is no more; But the righteous is an everlasting foundation.
26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, So is the sluggard to them that send him.
27 The fear of Jehovah prolongeth days; But the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness; But the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
29 The way of Jehovah is a stronghold to the upright; But it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.
30 The righteous shall never be removed; But the wicked shall not dwell in the land.
31 The mouth of the righteous bringeth forth wisdom; But the perverse tongue shall be cut off.
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable; But the mouth of the wicked speaketh perverseness.
You Must Hear the Gospel
Romans 10:17
You must hear the gospel and then understand and recognize that you are lost without Jesus Christ no matter who you are and no matter what your background is. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Before you can be saved, you must understand that you are lost and that the only way to be saved is by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) “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) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)
You Must Believe
Hebrews 11:6
You must believe and have faith in God because “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) But neither belief alone nor faith alone is sufficient to save. (James 2:19; James 2:24; Matthew 7:21)
You Must Repent
Acts 3:19
You must repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19) But repentance alone is not enough. The so-called “Sinner’s Prayer” that you hear so much about today from denominational preachers does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Indeed, nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever told to pray the “Sinner’s Prayer” to be saved. By contrast, there are numerous examples showing that prayer alone does not save. Saul, for example, prayed following his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), but Saul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always, and yet there was something else he needed to do to be saved (Acts 10:2, 6, 33, 48). If prayer alone did not save Saul or Cornelius, prayer alone will not save you. You must obey the gospel. (2 Thess. 1:8)
You Must Confess
Romans 10:9
You must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) Note that you do NOT need to make Jesus “Lord of your life.” Why? Because Jesus is already Lord of your life whether or not you have obeyed his gospel. Indeed, we obey him, not to make him Lord, but because he already is Lord. (Acts 2:36) Also, no one in the Bible was ever told to just “accept Jesus as your personal savior.” We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but, as with faith and repentance, confession alone does not save. (Matthew 7:21)
You Must Be Baptized
Acts 2:38
Having believed, repented, and confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins. (Acts 2:38) It is at this point (and not before) that your sins are forgiven. (Acts 22:16) It is impossible to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ without teaching the absolute necessity of baptism for salvation. (Acts 8:35-36; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21) Anyone who responds to the question in Acts 2:37 with an answer that contradicts Acts 2:38 is NOT proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ!
You Must Be Faithful Unto Death
Revelation 2:10
Once you are saved, God adds you to his church and writes your name in the Book of Life. (Acts 2:47; Philippians 4:3) To continue in God’s grace, you must continue to serve God faithfully until death. Unless they remain faithful, those who are in God’s grace will fall from grace, and those whose names are in the Book of Life will have their names blotted out of that book. (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:5; Galatians 5:4)