How can I be saved? How will we escape?

Let us read, please, in the Gospel of John chapter 3. John chapter 3, verse number 9. John 3 verse number 9, Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? How can these things be? Now, in Hebrews chapter 2, epistle to the Hebrews chapter 2, and we'll read at verse number 2. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him? God will bless the reading of his word. Two questions in these verses. A question asked by Nicodemus, how can these things be? And a question asked by the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews, how shall we escape? Perhaps there are someone in this meeting tonight and after what you have listened to already, in your mind you have a question that resembles that question that this man Nicodemus asked, how can these things be? Allow me to phrase it another way.

How can I be born again? How can I be saved? I suspect that there are a lot of people in this gathering tonight who are very much like Nicodemus. Nicodemus was not the type of person I was before God saved me. I knew zero about the Bible.

This man knew about the Bible. Matter of fact, he taught the holy scriptures. He could have given you a lot of teaching in the old testament, yet when it came to how to be right with God, how to be born in God's family, how to become a child of God, he was totally in the dark.

He's not bluffing. He's not pretending. He's real.

He's sincere. He's different than the people at the end of chapter 2 that the Lord could not trust them. This man is in contrast to them.

He really means what he says. How can these things be? I don't understand. I don't know how.

Isn't that like you tonight? You know a lot about the Bible. You have learned verses by heart. You've sat in Sunday school for years.

You've attended gospel meetings for years. And if you were to meet somebody on the side of the road tonight who just had an accident and is dying, and that person is pleading with you, please tell me the way to heaven, you would not hesitate to tell them the gospel. Yet here you sit, perhaps, I hope, like Nicodemus, not contented with what you know, not contented to be a Christian's child, not contented to know verses by heart, not contented to know, in theory, the message of the gospel.

I do trust, my friend, as you sit in this meeting tonight, there is within your bosom this real, sincere desire. Oh, I wish I knew how to be saved. I want to be right with God.

I don't want to die in my sins. How can these things be? The Lord gives him the answer. John 3.16, preceded by the illustration of the serpent on the pole in the wilderness.

And the picture is so clear. It's so simple. There's a dying people, bitten by the fire serpents.

God provides a way of escape, a way of salvation for them. A brazen serpent lifted on the pole. Nicodemus can see that.

It's clear in his mind. I look at that serpent and they live. Now, the Lord says this, for God so loved the world that he gave not a serpent on the pole.

He gave his only begotten son. Oh, what a message. That whosoever believe it in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I know you know that verse, but I want you to think for a moment. In that verse, who does the loving? Oh, he says it's God. So it's not your love then, right? Who does the giving? It's God.

God gave his son. Who does the saving? It's God. This is a work of God.

It's provided by God through his son, the giving of his son on the cross of Calvary to suffer for sins, our sins, sin of the world. How can these things be? How can I be born again? How can you be saved then, if God did the loving? Undeserved love. A wicked world filled of sinners.

God did the giving. Not one ounce came from man. Not one iota came from man.

God did the giving. And who did he give? His own precious son, beloved son, unique son, the Lord Jesus. How can you be saved? Listen to the verse.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever. Whosoever. Who's this? Whosoever, anybody in this hall tonight, everybody in this hall tonight who believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

What a message. How can these things be? God did the loving. Christ was given by God.

He did the suffering. He completed the work. How can you be saved then? Whosoever believe it in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I don't know about you, my friend, but the Bible calls this so great salvation. That's why I'm going to heaven, friend. And I'm sure of going to heaven.

It's all because of what God did to his son, the sufferings that he endured to pay my debt of sin. I'm saved. What about you? Second question must be faced, my friend.

This salvation provided by God to his son. Is this so great salvation? The question is asked, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? You must face that question, my friend, tonight. Will you walk out of this room tonight without the Lord Jesus? Will you put it off another night? Will you say, well, I'm finished my studies.

I'm established in life. I'll think more about it. Perhaps you're afraid of what your friends are going to say.

I don't know what goes through your mind at this moment, friend, but please listen. Last thing you want to do, my friend, is to neglect it. Last thing you want to do.

Why is it so important? Because it was first spoken by the Lord. God spoke in his son. When God gave the law, he spoke through angels.

And when there was disobedience to what the angels spoke, there was judgment. And now God doesn't speak to angels. He spoke in son.

He gave his son, my friend. And this gospel first came to the Lord Jesus. How will you escape? The answer is evident, my friend.

You won't. You won't. The awful, icy, cold hand of death grasps upon your soul tonight, my friend.

If this fragile thread of your life will be snatched and tonight you would take your flight into God's eternity. Oh, my friend, think of where you're going to be landing in a place where there'll be no friends to console you. No pleasure to rejoice you, my friend.

A place where everything is dark. A place where there's weeping and gnashing of teeth. A place where the fires never quench.

A place of suffering. The choice is yours tonight. It's either the sufferings of Christ who take you to heaven or you'll be suffering for your sins in hell and eternally in the lake of fire.

I repeat the questions to you, friend. How can this be? How can you be saved? Christ and Christ alone. How will you escape if you neglect such salvation? You will not escape, my friend.

May God bless his word and save your precious soul.