441 Sermon Illustrations on Salvation

A ship had been wrecked, and when the boats had been let down it was seen that there was not room in them for all. Lots were cast, and among those who had to remain was a young and very wicked sailor. He was very pale, and those near him heard him mutter, "Lost-lost eternally." But he was picked up bodily and thrown into one of the boats. The man who had done that called to him, "You are not ready to die yet, but I am, and willing to die for you. But mind that I see you in heaven." An old sailor who had often told him of Jesus and asked him to receive the Savior thus died in his stead. Ever after, the young man, who really accepted Christ, was known to testify in these words: "For me two have died."

Billy had been a bad man on the outside-so bad that he was sentenced to die for his crimes. However, while on death row in a Southern prison, Billy finally met Christ Jesus, and was able to lead several other death-row inmates to the Lord.

But in January, Billy's execution date arrived. The following account was told by a volunteer chaplain, who had been instrumental in leading Billy to his Savior.

Several people were on hand to witness the execution, including a woman who had been a key witness against Billy at his trial. This woman hated Billy, doubtless with good reason.

A closed curtain covered the window between the viewing room and the electric chair while preparations were completed. Before the curtain was opened, the audience in the viewing room heard someone singing, "Amazing Grace." Then, when the curtain opened, they realized the singer was Billy. His last request had been to sing that song as a witness of his changed life. When he finished, he nodded to the executioner, and went to meet his Lord.

The chaplain, who was also present, saw that the woman was so touched that she began to cry, and he was able to lead her also to receive Christ as her Savior. Even in his death, Billy gave a powerful witness to his beloved Lord.

-Nathan Chandler

Did your wish for a White Christmas come true?

A majority of the world will not see a white Christmas at any time in their life, much less this Christmas. But whatever the color of your holiday, may it be a joyous one.

Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" is one of the all-time, most popular songs. Yet for all its expression of yearning for the ambiance of a purely ivory landscape, the words were not the desires of its composer. Even though Berlin was born in Russia and lived in New York, he headed south to Florida during his winters, as often as he could.

Snow is often coupled with adjectives such as pristine, virginal and pure. Today's celebration is about a pristine God who sent his virginal Son to earth that we might be pure. After he grew up, a spotless Jesus said to a group who were looking for a better way of living: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matthew 5:8 NIV. If today, this is the upward motivation you need, you'll want to pray this Psalmist's prayer: "Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalms 51:7). Your request for purity will make this the Whitest Christmas ever!

Make sure your life is as pure "as wind-driven snow."

Reflections

The following illustration comes from a testimony of a young man who has since died of AIDS:

"There are many major barriers to inner healing for the homosexual. These barriers are failure to forgive others, failure to receive forgiveness for ourselves, and failure to accept ourselves. The greatest of these barriers is the failure to accept ourselves. This barrier is worsened by the fear of rejection. From a personal viewpoint after accepting Christ and moving out to change through Him, I was unable to stand up and be bold for my Lord and Savior when I was exposed to the people from my past. I was in a sort of limbo, trying to walk the fence. Fearing rejection from those friends of my past as being a lunatic, but a greater fear about my new-found love for the Lord-a fear that if I didn't stand up for Him that I would fall out of His grace.

"We must be willing to not hide our light under a bush. I know it sounds strange, but I would have much rather died for the Lord among non-believing strangers than stand up for my Lord among my non-believing friends. It was not until I started writing this that I realized just how stupid this is.

"It's as though I was trying to keep from offending or upsetting these friends in order to keep the door open to this lifestyle in case I found that salvation wasn't going to work for me. But we all know that is ridiculous. You cannot straddle the fence or walk the middle of the road. You must make a complete 110 percent commitment to the Lord!

This is what I have chosen to do and I have no desire to keep that foot in the door of the past. I have asked the Lord for boldness, especially around my old friends, and I know that I will receive this boldness. The Lord is my Savior and I thank God that He has shown me the love and grace to allow me to come to know Him in a personal way. Praise God that I live and that I truly have a new life in the Lord Jesus Christ and that the old sinful defiled "me" no longer exists. 'Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me bless the Lord!'"

The redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth forever. — Psalm 49:8.

The value of salvation depends, not on what it costs man, but on what it cost God. Written across salvation in large letters is the one word “CALVARY.” It speaks to us of God sparing His Son from His side to die that shameful death. It tells us that the Lord Jesus bore the judgment due to sin and purchased salvation with His own blood. It was an infinite price that was paid for salvation, and the value of the gift is also infinite.

Oh! what it cost the Saviour to put away my guilt,

His holy body bruised, His blood, so precious spilt;

His blessed arms extended upon the accursed tree,

Derided, scorned, and suffering the bitterest agony.

But more than this-He suffered the wrath of God above:

‘Tis this indeed which tells us the measure of His love.

Jehovah’s face was hidden from Christ, the eternal Son;

While by His death and passion Eternal life was won.

Oh cross of matchless wonders, O blood of untold worth,

O grief beyond all measure, O love of heavenly birth;

And, Oh, Beloved Saviour, Thou everlasting Word,

Now on the throne of glory, we own Thee — CHRIST AND LORD.

And an highway shall be there, and … the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. — Isaiah 35:8.

Salvation is so simple and so plain to a willing soul. A little chid, who found salvation by this short and simple path, was talking to an old man who had come to the cross after long despairing struggles. He said, “Perhaps your way was too easy, you do not seem to have been in the Slough of Despond.” The little girl replied, “Please, sir, I did not come around that way.” Nor need any of us, if we only believe like a child that God means what He says, and at once come to the cross for eternal life. — A. T. Pierson

‘Tis simple as can be, as clear as A. B. C.

Christ came to save, His life He gave

To rescue you and me.

Don’t wait another moment, but trust Him while He’s nigh,

And by His grace, you’ll see His face

In G-L-O-R-Y.

Behold, God is my salvation. — Isaiah 12:2.

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place. — Psalm 90:1.

It is much to say, “God gives salvation to me”; but it is far more to say, “God Himself is my salvation.” “Gad gives me peace,” this is a great thing; but “God is my peace,” this is greater. “God gives me treasure,” this is much, but “God is my treasure,” this is unspeakably more. “God saves me,” this is good news, but “God is my salvation,” this is better far. God Himself is at once our life-giver and our life; our joy giver and our joy; our home provider and our home; our Saviour and our salvation; surely this is much. What security for our souls do we find in this marvelous truth! What a foundation to build on does it afford us.

Once it was the blessing, now it is the Lord;

Once it was the feeling, now it is His Word;

Once His gifts I wanted, now the Giver own;

Once it was the healing, now Himself alone. — A. B. Simpson

While social pundits and technological prophets predict big changes in the new millennium, one man -- the world’s most famous preacher -- says that one thing will remain the same: mankind’s quest for salvation.

“Man’s heart has not changed. God has not changed,” the 81-year-old evangelist told the Associated Press this week as he reflected on more than 50 years of ministry that have seen him preach to more than 210 million people around the world. “Some of the things I’ve heard are going to happen technologically are way beyond anything I can think about. I don’t think that’s going to change society...Society is made up of people, and people are the same the world over.”

Despite the increasing secularization of American society, he sees ever-growing religious interest. “I see people believing more and more and more in Christ,” he told the AP. “Maybe not to surrender their lives to him, but they believe He is the only answer to life’s problems.”

Young Americans are “searching for something,” he added. “They may not know what it is, but a great segment of youth are on this spiritual quest.” High school students were forming their own prayer and Bible clubs even though “the culture is not with them,” he observed.

Although slowed by ill-health and having ceded some of his preaching duties to son Franklin, president of the relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, Graham still speaks at some rallies. He was in New York this week to address a banquet for United Nations diplomats.

Among the significant changes of the century he highlighted was the way “the ecumenical movement began to bring Christians together from different backgrounds and theologies.” The change in Catholic attitudes toward Protestants was “like night and day,” he told the AP. And he said that if he were to select a man of the century, it might be Pope John Paul II.

He has brought “the greatest impact of any pope in the last 200 years,” Graham said. “I admire his courage, determination, intellectual abilities and his understanding of Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox differences, and the attempt at some form of reconciliation.”

The growth of Islam on the global front was another important development. “There are things about Islam that appeal to people. Strict rules. People want discipline and some authority,” he observed. And yet, “I think Islam also is divided, just as much as Christianity.”

While technology has opened up new doors for communicating about faith, there has also been a downside to some of the developments, he thought. “TV is a big negative, because people normally given to devotions and prayer and family circles neglect that now because somebody’s favorite program is on. Some programs have deteriorated into the worst image of human nature. There’s so much violence.”

Disheartened by reports of widespread cheating among high school and college students, which he saw as a sign of American youth being in trouble morally, Graham said that there was a way out, though, through “repentance of our sin and faith in God, the same way that Mr. Clinton says he has taken.”

And what did he think of the president’s efforts? His answer to the AP was a Bible

Isaiah 57: Things God Wants Us to Know About Him

Background

• Isaiah 56:1-8 — those whom God will accept although people may not

° those having a real ‘heart’ religion

° those demonstrating it to others

• Isaiah 56:9-57:13 — the wicked know neither righteousness nor justice

° they despise and abuse the righteous

° immorality under the guise of religion

Isaiah 57:14-21 — in this passage we are told about the characteristics and nature of God (sometimes using anthropomorphisms); what are some of these?

• 57:15 — high and lofty (cf Isa 6:1, 52:13)

° transcendant

° absolute

° majestic

° glorious

° aweful

° above all

• — lives (inhabiteth) — (Deuteronomy 33:27)

° eternal

° everlasting

° source of all existence

° Yahweh — I AM

• — Holy (Leviticus 11:44-45

° separateness

° set apart (purer eyes than to behold iniquity)

• — live (dwell) — (Psalm 113:5-6)

° transcendant

° outside, independent of His creation

• — (with the) contrite (cf., Beatitudes, etc)

° immanence

° mercy

° ‘responding’ to human repentance

• 57:16 — accuse

° forgiving

• — (not always) angry (wroth)

° merciful

° gracious

• 57:17 — enraged (wroth) — (Isaiah 56:10-12)

° righteous (injustice angers Him)

• — punished (smote)

° righteous (administers justice)

• 57:18 — seen

° omniscient

° ‘interested’

• — heal

° active

° powerful

In this passage we are also told what man (either as an individual or as a class) is like when apart from God; what is man like?

• 57:16 — faint (fail)

° cannot stand before God’s judgement seat

• 57:17 — greed (covetousness)

° man is self-centred — 10th commandment; cf Romans 7:7-8

• — willful (frowardly)

° perverse

° refractory

• 57:20 — tossing (troubled) — (Jude 4, 8-13)

° without anchor, foundation

• — mire

° besmirched, tainted, polluted by sin

• 57:21 — peace

° unsatisfied; the cry of the human heart

Finally, we are told about God’s acts in salvation to His people; what are some of these?

• 57:15 — contrite

° God dwells with him

• 57:18 — heal — (Psalm 41:4, Jeremiah 3:22)

° sew back together as a wound

° correct the fallen nature and its consequences

• — guide (lead)

° Romans 8:28

• — restore

° strengthen

° empower

• 57:19 — creating (create)

° fruit of lips = praise

° give purpose

How will these truths change things for us tomorrow when we go back to the factory, the office, the classroom?

Now is the judgment (crisis) of this world … And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die. — John 12:31-33.

The place where man reaches the climax of his rebellion and iniquity, in the murder of God’s beloved Son, is where God laid the platform for the display of the richest grace the world had ever seen or known! Here was One who had come from the presence of the Father, with a message and mission of love to men, and for that love they gave Him hate — and death. In the treatment of Joseph, the loved son of Jacob, who was sent by his father to seek the welfare of his brethren (Gen. 37:12-28), and who was hated by them, and sold into slavery, we have a faint picture of this; and in the undying love of Joseph, as later manifested by him for these same brethren, we have a reflection of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, now prevailing, in drawing men unto Him. — T. D. W. Muir.

Tree of the curse, man at his worst,

Depraved, deceived, corrupt and base;

Tree of the curse, God at His best,

A ransom here, 0 sinful race! — W. H. Ferguson.

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”–John 10:9

Jesus, the great I AM, is the entrance into the true church, and the way of access to God himself. He gives to the man who comes to God by him four choice privileges.

1. He shall be saved. The fugitive manslayer passed the gate of the city of refuge, and was safe. Noah entered the door of the ark, and was secure. None can be lost who take Jesus as the door of faith to their souls. Entrance through Jesus into peace is the guarantee of entrance by the same door into heaven. Jesus is the only door, an open door, a wide door, a safe door; and blessed is he who rests all his hope of admission to glory upon the crucified Redeemer.

2. He shall go in. He shall be privileged to go in among the divine family, sharing the children’s bread, and participating in all their honours and enjoyments. He shall go in to the chambers of communion, to the banquets of love, to the treasures of the covenant, to the storehouses of the promises. He shall go in unto the King of kings in the power of the Holy Spirit, and the secret of the Lord shall be with him.

3. He shall go out. This blessing is much forgotten. We go out into the the truth, to cheer the disconsolate, to warn the careless, to win souls, and to glorify God; and as the angel said to Gideon, “Go in this thy might”, even thus the Lord would have us proceed as his messengers in his name and strength.

4. He shall find pasture. He who knows Jesus shall never want. Going in and out shall be alike helpful to him: in fellowship with God he shall grow, and in watering others he shall be watered. Having made Jesus his all, he shall find all in Jesus. His soul shall be as a watered garden, and as a well of water whose waters fail not.

Illustration: Reuters is reporting the Metropolitan Police in London, England, are finding it difficult to bring in sufficient recruits. So the agency has loosened its requirements – ignoring tattoos and criminal records. “This wouldn’t apply to people who had shown criminal intent, like burglary,” a spokesman said. “If you hit the target on 19 of 20 criteria and miss it on one we’d consider your application.” That’s because you get an extra point for insight into the criminal mind.

–––––––––

Commentary: Not so in heaven . only those with all the qualifications (the blood of Jesus) need apply! If we understand that a theater wouldn’t allow us in to see a movie with half a ticket, I seriously doubt the Lord will either!

This is supposed to be a true story from the time of Oliver Cromwell in England. A young soldier had been tried in military court and sentenced to

death. He was to be shot at the “ringing of the curfew bell.” His fiancée climbed up into the bell tower. several hours before curfew time and tied herself to bell’s huge clapper. At curfew time, when only muted sounds came out of the bell tower, Cromwell demanded to know why the bell was not ringing. His soldiers went o investigate and found the young woman cut and bleeding from being knocked back and forth against the great bell. They brought her down, and, the story goes, Cromwell so impressed with her willingness to suffer in this way on the behalf of someone she loved that he dismissed the soldier saying, “Curfew shall not ring tonight.”

In this same way disciples are called to keep the death toll from ringing. In doing so they are made poor, they go hungry, they shed many tears, and generally speaking they are hated and called evil.

As you know from watching the news, America is in a very difficult security and political situation right now because millions of people have begun to inhabit this country without obeying the guidelines regarding immigration. This complicated issue will not be easily resolved by our competing political parties, but one simple truth remains: To become a legal citizen of a foreign land, you must follow the rules.

Some of the people who have come to the United States in violation of the rules are honest, hard-working people who want to do their best and provide for their families. Other illegal immigrants are dishonest people who engage in criminal behavior. There are undoubtedly both good and bad people who reside in our country without permission. However, no matter your behavior or personality, you must follow the rules in order to truly be an American.

As we celebrate Easter, I am reminded that to inhabit the foreign land known as heaven, one must also follow the rules. You can’t enter the kingdom of heaven by skirting policy or sneaking across the border. The only way to become a citizen of God’s kingdom is by gaining permission through God’s Son. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”

To enter the United States legally, you need a visa, which demonstrates that you have received proper permission to enter. To enter eternal life, you don’t need a document; you need a relationship, by faith, with the gatekeeper known as Jesus of Nazareth. This relationship demonstrates that you have surrendered your heart and life to the Creator and King of the Universe, the God who is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Some people who try to barge into heaven are honest, hard-working people who feel their efforts at holiness and generosity will be rewarded with citizenship. Others who try to sneak into heaven without that a relationship with Christ are dishonest or lazy or manipulative. Many people truly believe that the rules that apply to everyone else do not apply to them. Each of these folks -- the honest and the dishonest, the generous and the greedy -- believe that God is obligated to allow them into heaven, even if they disobey His rules for entrance.

Please understand that none of us deserves entrance into God’s kingdom. You are sinful, I am sinful, and we deserve eternal separation from God. Heavenly citizenship is eternally valuable because it has been earned by the death, burial and resurrection of a carpenter from Galilee named Jesus. You and I did not and cannot earn this heavenly citizenship, but we can receive it as a gift by faith.

Do you know why, after all these years, that first Easter Sunday remains the most important day in human history? Because we all desire heavenly residence and because the actions of one sinless man opened the doors to citizenship for every other sinful person.

How can you and I become citizens of the foreign land known as heaven? In Romans 10:9-10, the Apostle Paul tells each of us, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

That verse serves as the gate-opening formula for heavenly citizenship, whether you and I like it or not. God the Father gladly offers to open the door to His kingdom to anyone who willfully place his or her faith and trust in God the Son.

The term “Born Again” is one of the most used phrases among present day religious people. Yet, if asked what the term “Born Again” means, ninety percent of the world¹s church members could not give a clear explanation. The vital importance of this study is shown in that Jesus said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Here Jesus is saying that TO BE BORN AGAIN IS TO BE SAVED. Being born again is the plan of salvation that Jesus authored at Calvary. It is imperative that we understand what is required for us to be born again!

All agree that when Jesus went to the cross, he brought in the means of salvation for everyone who will accept it. But what really happened at Calvary? What can it do for me? How do I accept what was done there in my own personal life?!

Let us first consider what really happened at Calvary. There were three steps to the work of Christ‹death, burial, and resurrection. It is very easy to see that these three steps make up the act of being born again spoken of by Jesus. To die, to be buried, and to rise again‹that¹s to be born again. So we see that Jesus through his death, burial, and resurrection bought for us the plan of being born again spoken of in John 3:3, whereby we receive salvation.

The fact that Jesus purchased a plan of salvation for us is the greatest news the world has ever received. The thing we must understand is that not only was it necessary for Jesus to do something, but also it is absolutely essential for us to act upon what he did. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Ye MUST be born again” (John 3:7).

Now the astonishing thing is that Nicodemus was a religious leader of his day; yet, he had no conception of what it meant to be born again! We find that the very same thing is true in the day in which we live. Many men who fill positions of spiritual leadership in our world have no real understanding of the “Born Again” experience. Nicodemus inquired of Jesus in John 3:4, “How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother¹s womb, and be born?” Jesus answered, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus, you can¹t be born again of a woman. The second birth is a spiritual birth.

Notice that Jesus said without being born again we cannot see or enter the kingdom of God. In other words, we cannot be saved. On the day of Pentecost when Peter preached the first message after Calvary, the men cried out, “What must we do?” “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). Here Peter was giving to them the plan of salvation‹repentance, baptism, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. If being born again is to be saved, Peter was evidently talking to them about being born again.

Remember, there were three steps to Calvary -- death, burial, and resurrection. The way to accept Calvary in our individual life is to accept the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We don¹t have to literally die, literally be buried, and literally rise again. Jesus was our substitute and did this for us. All we must do is accept what he did by spiritually dying, symbolically being buried, and spiritually rising again.

We take on his death by repentance which is spiritual death. When a person truly repents, he dies out to his own will, renounces it forever, and vows to live from that time on according to the will of Jesus Christ.

We take on his burial by baptism in water, by immersion into His name. Romans 6:4 says, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism”. Baptism MUST be done by immersion; for something cannot be buried by sprinkling a little dirt on the top of it. That burial after a few days would certainly prove to be insufficient! Furthermore, EVERY baptism of which we have Biblical record was administered by immersion. That alone should determine our course of action on this matter.

Finally, we partake of the resurrection of Jesus Christ by the infilling of the Holy Ghost. This is the new life that enables us to live as a Christian should.

We see then that being born again means to spiritually die‹repent, symbolically be buried‹baptism, and spiritually rise again‹receive the Holy Ghost. Thus, in plain language an individual must repent of his sins, be baptized into the name of Jesus Christ by immersion, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. IJohn 5:8 tells us, “And there are three that bear witness in the earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.” What is the one thing in which the spirit, water, and blood agree? Is it not the new birth? Blood covers our sins at repentance; the waters of baptism wash them away, thus making us clean for the spirit to come into our lives to dwell. When the Roman soldiers thrust the spear into Jesus¹ side after he died, the scripture tells us that there came forth blood and water (John 19:34). This was for cleansing of the nations. It takes blood and water to eradicate sin. Blood is the cleansing agent, and water is the flushing agent. When a jar is washed for canning, soap AND water are necessary to cleanse that jar so that it might be filled with good fruit. Likewise, blood and water are necessary to cleanse the human soul so that it may receive the spirit of Christ which is the Holy Ghost. This teaching was verified by Peter when he said, “Repent and be baptized FOR the REMISSION of SINS” (Acts 2:38). Repentance and baptism are both absolutely essential for the remission of sins!

Paul taught that the three steps of Calvary was the gospel that we should preach. In I Corinthians 15:1-4 he tells us, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the GOSPEL which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I have preached unto you, unless ye have BELIEVED IN VAIN. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ DIED for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was BURIED, and that he ROSE AGAIN the third day according to the scriptures:”. Paul went on the say in II Thessalonians 1:7-8, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul told us that the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. How can we OBEY the death, burial, and resurrection?‹by repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost as we have previously explained. Notice that the Lord Jesus is to appear “in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel.” It is absolutely necessary for every human being to obey the gospel by being BORN AGAIN. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Ye MUST be BORN AGAIN” (John 3:7).

Let us consider another Biblical lesson given to us concerning this subject. The Bible teaches us that the things of the Old Testament were types and shadows of the things to come. When the priests of the law ministered by offering sacrifices, there were three major steps to their duties.

First they slew the animal to be offered on the brazen altar. The blood here was shed and caught in a container for use in the Holy Place. The flesh of the animal was to be consumed by fire. This teaches us of the first step of salvation‹repentance. When we repent, we present our bodies a living sacrifice, and our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus.

After the shedding of blood, the priests were ordered to wash at the laver and to cleanse themselves with water in preparation for entering the Holy Place. The laver, a round fountain-like structure, was overlaid in the bottom with a looking glass. When the priests bent over to wash, he was able to see himself so that he could be sure that he was clean. When an individual is baptized, he should examine himself to be sure that he is leaving the world behind once and for all. We see then that the second step of the tabernacle ministration plainly teaches us of water baptism. Blood and water cleansed them to prepare them for entry into the Holy Place, even as blood and water cleanses us in preparation of receiving the Holy One into our lives! After cleansing, the priest would then take the fire from off of the brazen altar and would enter through the veil into the Holy Place. The Holy Place had no doors or windows through which light could come. The only light to be provided here was to come from the golden candlesticks. These candlesticks consisted of seven wicks fed by oil from seven bowls. The wicks had to be lit with the fire brought by the priest from the brazen altar. The uniting at the candlesticks of the oil and fire to produce light is a perfect type of the Holy Ghost and fire promised to New Testament believers (Matthew 3:11). Without the light of the Holy Ghost, we could not see to live in the Holy Place which is where every Christian should live. God spoke of His great plan of redemption in the Old Testament in types and shadows; and then in the New Testament He spoke plainly to us so that we would have no doubt of His will! Once again we recall the words of 1 John 5:8, “There are three that bear witness in the earth, the SPIRIT, the WATER, and the BLOOD; and these three agree in one”. This Old Testament lesson beautifully reaffirms to us the absolute necessity of the full Born Again plan in each life for salvation!

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ

Acts 16:30-31 reads this way, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Many have taken this scripture to teach that all that is required for salvation is to believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world; and from that point on, the individual is saved. It is definitely true that an individual must believe that Jesus is the Savior in order to be saved. However, Paul, who spoke these words in Acts 16, has some further teaching on the subject in Romans 10:13-15. Let¹s consider the text: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him OF WHOM they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” If we wanted to be absurd, we could take this thirteenth verse to teach that all an individual must do for salvation is to call out the name of Jesus one time and he has received salvation. Paul tells us they can¹t call on him in whom they have not believed. Furthermore, he said that they can¹t believe in him OF WHOM they have not heard. We cannot merely believe. We must believe SOMETHING about Christ. When Paul told the jailer in Acts 16 to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, he went on to speak unto him the word of the Lord (verse 32). The word which Paul spake was apparently the GOSPEL; for the result in verse 33 was that the jailer and all his house were baptized at midnight. That¹s how essential baptism is for salvation. Paul took all these people out AT MIDNIGHT and baptized them!

Some would object here by saying that we are saved by faith alone. It is true that we are saved by faith, but it is also true that true faith always produces action on the part of the believer. Let¹s study from James 2:14-22 to verify this point.

“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or a sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works IS DEAD? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thus how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?”

When an individual believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, what do they believe about him? They believe the gospel, which is the death, burial, and resurrection (I Corinthians 15:1-4). James teaches us that faith without action is dead, or it is not really faith at all. When a sinner hears the true gospel and truly believes, he will obey the gospel. An individual obeys the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ by repentance, baptism, in Jesus¹ name, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost, evidenced by speaking with other tongues. (Write for our free booklet “Tongues‹Devilish or Divine”). This is the salvation of Calvary! “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (or complete).

If you are still having trouble conceding to this teaching because of the element of works involved, let¹s reason concerning one more point. Being born again‹repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost is not considered by God to be a work. In Titus 3:5 we are taught, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost;”. This scripture tells us that regeneration which is being born again is NOT a work of righteousness.

Concluding this matter, we will cite a familiar Biblical example. In the great revival at Samaria in Acts 8:5-23, a sorcerer named Simon heard the preaching of Philip. He believed and was baptized and continued with Philip beholding the signs and miracles which were done. Many people would say that because Simon believed, he was saved. Yet the Apostle Peter said of him in Acts 8:23, “For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.”

It is impossible for anyone in the bond of iniquity to be saved; for the scriptures tell us, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). Simon believed and was baptized, but he had not received the Holy Ghost; therefore, he was not born again. We cannot be half-born and survive. The entire work of Calvary is necessary for our salvation.

The thief on the cross

Many have asked, “If an individual must repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost for salvation, how was the thief on the cross with Jesus saved?” (Luke 23:38-43). First of all, it was impossible for anyone to be born again at this time, for the born again plan was not yet complete. Jesus had not died, been buried, and risen again. God has always had a plan of salvation for each dispensation of time. In Noah¹s day the only way of salvation was to get in the ark. In Moses¹ day the only plan was the law. In the church dispensation, the only way to be saved is to be born again. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Ye MUST be Born Again.”

May we point out as we conclude this study that we have been given the first church and the Apostles after which to pattern our teaching and practices. In each recorded account of conversions under the Apostles¹ ministries, the three steps of being born again are evident. In Acts 2:38, it was repentance, baptism, and the Holy Ghost. In Acts 8:12, Acts 10:44-48, and Acts 19:1-6, we find the born again experience taught and received. Why should we vary from this practice when we are to be built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone?

Do not allow anything to turn you aside from this truth‹You must be BORN AGAIN. If you haven¹t as yet, you should do so TODAY!

”… Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ “ (John 19:30)

The chief difference between other religions and the Christian faith as it relates to the matter of personal salvation is: every other religion teaches a form of self-salvation; Christianity teaches that God came in the Person of His Son to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. One Christian writer, Emil Brunner, refers to “the self-confident optimism of all non-Christian religions, because they teach a gospel of self-salvation, whereas in the Good News the whole emphasis is on the gracious ‘self-movement’ of God towards sinners and on self-despair as the antechamber of faith.”

Buddhism sees the main problem in life as suffering rather than sin, and the “desire” which is at the root of suffering. Deliverance comes, claims Buddhism, through the abolition of desire by self-effort. There is no God and no Savior. The very last words of the Buddha to his disciples were these: “Strive without ceasing.” How different from the last words of our Lord from the cross, which included the wondrous cry: “It is finished.”

Hinduism teaches the main problem in life is maya or karma, maya being illusion and karma retribution through reincarnation. Each person, says Hinduism, must receive the fruit of his or her own wrongdoing in future lives, if not in this one. From this endless cycle of rebirths or reincarnations there is no escape by forgiveness but only the final release of nirvana, involving the extinction of being. If only people of the world would heed the text at the top of this page. What a difference it would make to them. Salvation has been accomplished. It is ours to receive.

PRAYER: O God, I am thankful that I am no longer caught up in precariously trying to save myself. Instead I rest assured in the salvation You have purchased for me on Calvary. Grant that millions more might enter into it by faith this very day. In Christ’s Name I pray. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:

Romans 10:1-13; Acts 2:21; Titus 2:11; 1 Timothy 2:4

1. What is the basis of salvation?

2. What is God’s desire?

Sermon in the series "The Quest for the Real Jesus," #8. Luke 18:18-22

WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?

===========================

I. Salvation means different things to different folks.

A. Most are familiar with Bill Bright's "Four Spiritual Laws."

B. Another evangelism tool is the "Romans Road."

C. What would Jesus himself say that salvation entails?

II. People need to be saved.

A. Jesus believed the world is messed up. Matt 11:23-24

B. Jesus believed YOU are messed up.

C. Jesus came in order to save people.

III. Only some will attain it.

A. It is hard for rich people to get saved.

B. Salvation is a narrow gate that few find. Luke 13:23-24

IV. What people must do to be saved.

A. Have faith.

B. Repent.

C. Be humble.

D. Obey God's commandments. Luke 18:18-22

E. Produce fruit.

F. Endure to the end.

V. Is Jesus your Lord?

“… at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6)

Why should the offer of free salvation in Christ be such a stumbling block to the world? Mainly because it cuts deep into people’s pride. Bishop Neill, a writer, says: “… that which we ask the Muslim to look for in Jesus is in itself a cause of grave offense to Muslim pride. We suggest – we cannot do otherwise – that he find a Savior. The Muslim affirms that he has no need of such a thing.” Pride adopts the stance: “I can save myself by my fasting, good works, or other meritorious acts.” But the message of the gospel is this: there is simply nothing we can do to save ourselves. We must let God save us – or be lost.

Helen Woodhouse, another religious writer, says: “We think we must climb to a certain height of goodness before we can reach God, but He doesn’t say, ‘at the end of the road you may find Me’; rather, ‘I am the Way, I am the road under your feet, the road that begins just as low down as you happen to be.’”

If we are in a hole, then the way begins in a hole. The moment we give up our pride and turn our face to God, confessing that we can do nothing to save ourselves, that moment we put ourselves in the position where we can be saved. The next step is simply to call out to the Lord and ask Him to save you. If you have never done that before, I urge you – do it today.

PRAYER: O God, I see clearly that I can do nothing to save myself, and if I am to be saved then I must look to You to save me. I repent of my sin, and turn to You as Your Word commands. Save me. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:

2 Corinthians 9:1-15; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8; John 4:10

1. How is salvation described?

2. What two responses can we have?

Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His mother–in the house was looking out the window–saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go.

A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother’s fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn’t let go.”

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, or anything quite so dramatic. But, the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go.

In the midst of your struggle, He’s been there holding on to you. The Scripture teaches that God loves you.

If you have Christ in your life, you have become a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril – and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack.

That’s when the tug-of-war begins – and if you have the scars of His love on your arms be very, very grateful.

He did not – and will not – let you go. “For we do not have a High Priest [Jesus] who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16

“His glory is our reward” is a line repeated in Hector Gabriel’s song, “Peoples Praise.” I heard this song at a missions conference in Dallas and this phrase has since been stuck on repeat in my mind.

If I am honest, I desire many kinds of rewards, and find myself motivated to share the Gospel for many reasons, but it was not always for the glory of God.

In 2003, an IMB worker named Karen Watson wrote a letter that would inspire this song. She was in Iraq along with others to provide humanitarian aid to the embattled country. Prior to her departure she wrote a letter to two of her pastors that was to be opened and read should she die on the mission field. [Watson, 38, was one of four humanitarian aid workers who died in Iraq after their vehicle was ambushed.]

Though written nearly 15 years ago, the letter captures the breathtaking image of the Gospel: “His glory,” Watson wrote, “is my reward.”

It seems today that the Gospel we share has our eternal destination as a focal priority of the message. I can still recite the “key question” from the FAITH evangelism outline I learned while in high school, which focused on how people can go to heaven. I have no idea how many times I have asked the question, “Do you know where you will go when you die?”

However, I have come under conviction about the aim of how I have evangelized -- I made heaven the pinnacle of the Gospel and not God. A Gospel that has anything other than God as its chief reward fails to be the Gospel.

In 2 Corinthians 5:20, the apostle Paul states that we are ambassadors of God, appealing to others to be reconciled with Him. Somehow we have taken that responsibility and have distorted our role as ambassadors into a role of holy travel agents. We have a desire to book trips to heaven, but where is our desire to see souls restored to God? Now you might ask, “Are not those desires one and the same -- to be reconciled with God is to also have heaven as your home?”

No, the goal to see souls in heaven is not the same as the goal to see souls recreated in God’s righteousness. The first focuses on a person’s eternal destination. We might mention sin and separation from God but the ultimate consequence for them is not that heaven is not their home but, rather, hell. We share a passage like John 14:2 that says Jesus will use His carpentry skills to build us mansions in glory. Before we even realize it, we have become heavenly real estate brokers who fail to have a concern for men, women, boys and girls to be restored into a right relationship with God at this very moment. We are simply content with believing that heaven is theirs when they die.

But what makes heaven, heaven? Is it the streets of gold, the pearly gates or the mansions? Should heaven possess all those things, but not the presence of God, it ceases to be heaven. In fact, it would be hell. Heaven is heaven because God is there and is enjoyed completely unadulterated, without any filters.

Fortunately, we do not have to wait for death to enjoy God.

We are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is our heavenly prelude to what is in store for us for all eternity (Ephesians 1:13–14). By the Spirit of God, we can taste and see that the Lord is indeed good, and His presence enjoyable (Psalm 34:8). As we read through the book of Revelation, it is not the description of heaven that evokes praise and excitement, for one day the heavenly city comes down to earth (Hebrews 13:14, Revelation 21:1–2). What evokes the unceasing worship is God, and while that worship takes place in heaven, it will resume on a newly recreated earth where God’s presence will dwell with humanity forever and ever (Revelation 21:3).

Yet, we do not have to wait to worship Him, for His heavenly presence is available now to those who are reconciled unto Him.

As Karen Watson wrote her letter to her pastors, she told them that she was not called to a place, but called to God. He is the heart of the Gospel, the greatness of heaven and our eternal inheritance (Psalm 73:25–28). He extended heaven down to us so that we might taste and enjoy eternity in the present. He has entrusted us with the Gospel in order that we might glory in Him and invite others to do the same. Until God’s glory is our reward, and is the kernel of the Gospel we share, we will never live out the Gospel mission as God intended.

________

Joshua Crutchfield is pastor of First Baptist Church in Madisonville, Texas.

A liberal Baptist challenges Substitutionary Atonement:

The substitutionary theory of the atonement is not the Christian gospel. The only time Paul discusses at length how the death of Jesus is involved in our salvation, he talks about our participation in Jesus’ death, not substitution. Paul says that we died with Christ, and in dying with Christ we died to sin — “our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin be destroyed” (Romans 6:6).

So how does this work? By believing the substitutionary theory of atonement? Of course not. We are set free by trusting that our little, ego self no longer has power over us, and by walking in (being faithful to) the new life of the Spirit (Romans 8:1-4). New Testament faith is primarily about trusting in and being faithful to the way of Jesus, which is the way of love.

Richard Rohr says: “Christians are usually sincere and well-intentioned people until you get to any real issues of ego, control, power, money, pleasure, and security. Then they tend to be pretty much like everybody else. We often gave them a bogus version of the gospel, some fast-food religion, without any deep transformation of the self.”

What does this “bogus” gospel look like? Consider what the late Charles Caldwell Ryrie, a former professor at Dallas Theological Seminary and author of the Ryrie Study Bible, says in his book, So Great Salvation: “The issue is, How can my sins be forgiven? What is it that bars me from heaven? ... The answer is sin. Therefore, I need some way to resolve that problem. And God declares that the death of His Son provides forgiveness of my sin. ... Through faith I receive Him and His forgiveness. Then the sin problem is solved, and I can be fully assured of going to heaven.”

Is salvation primarily about forgiveness of sin debt and going to heaven? Is salvation even about such things at all? We do not need to be saved from our sin debt, we need to be saved from our actual sins. If God is God and not subject to some outside law of retributive justice, then God can forgive sin unconditionally and freely. God doesn’t need a sacrificial victim to bear sin’s penalty and punishment in order to forgive. If Jesus taught us anything he taught us that God is not a strict Judge presiding in a court of law, but rather, a loving Abba who loves unconditionally and forgives freely. Substitutionary theory imposes conditions on God’s love and forgiveness that make God seem petty and punitive.

The penalty of sin is not the problem. It is the power of real sin (greed, jealousy, pride, envy, hatred) over our lives that is the problem. And this problem is not solved by simply believing in some divine arrangement which the theory of substitutionary atonement resolves. Believing in a theory doesn’t change us or make us more loving persons.

Salvation (real transformation) occurs when we are saved from our egotism, love of power and control, consumerism, greed, violence — what Paul calls “works of the flesh,” (manifestations of the false self), so that our true self can experience and express God’s liberating love. Paul says, “The only thing that counts, is faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6). And once again, in the same letter, “The whole law [the whole requirement of God for humanity] is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (5:14). That’s what salvation looks like.

Ryrie, advocating substitutionary theory as the gospel, says that one can believe that what Jesus taught on earth “was good, noble, and true, and it was”; one can believe that Jesus wants to “run our lives, and “he is able to do that” and “wants to,”; but these issues, according to Ryrie, “are not issues of salvation.” He claims, “That issue is whether or not you believe that His death paid for all your sin and that by believing in Him you can have forgiveness and eternal life.”

The late Dallas Willard, a professed evangelical, raises serious objections to this understanding of substitution, salvation and faith in his book, The Divine Conspiracy. He points out that this idea of thinking that God would transfer Christ’s merit account to ours, and our sin debt to Christ simply “upon inspecting our mind and finding that we believe a particular theory of the atonement to be true — even if we trust everything but God in all other matters that concern us” is foundationally flawed. Willard asks, “Can we believe that being saved has nothing whatsoever to do with the kinds of persons we are?” Willard rightly considers it “unfathomable” that God would devise a plan of salvation that “bypasses the awesome needs of present human life ... with our kinds of problems: psychological, emotional, social and global,” and “leave human character untouched.” I wish more evangelicals would read Willard.

It’s just common sense. What kind of persons and what kind of world does God want? Surely whatever salvation involves it would involve our transformation into the persons and society God wills. Does God want persons who are simply forgiven? Or does God want persons who are not only forgiven, but are quick to forgive others, because they have a forgiving heart? Does God want persons who believe theories, or does God want persons who return God’s love and love others as they love themselves?

Salvation is a process of becoming more loving like God. As we are daily saved from our sins — our selfishness, impatience, anger, envy, lust for power — we are free to love others as we love ourselves. Loving God and loving others is “much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mark 12:33), and on these two love commandments “hang all the law and the prophets” (Matt. 22:40). Jesus told the gatekeepers of his day, “Go learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’” (Matt 9:13). It really is that simple.