From a Child

Please open your Bibles with me to 2nd Timothy chapter 3. 2nd Timothy chapter 3 and verse 15. This is the Word of God, and that from a child, he is referring, this is the Apostle Paul referring to Timothy, and that from a child thou has known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Been enjoying lately the study of this young man Timothy.

And as I look over my audience tonight, I know for a definite that I am speaking to many young people in this meeting tonight, and you're still in your sin. And you have had the great privilege as I have in my youth to sit under the sound of the gospel many, many times. You see, if we turned over to Timothy, 2nd Timothy chapter 1, we won't do it tonight.

We would find there that Timothy was a privileged young man. Timothy was born into, we might say, a home where the scriptures were read, it's obvious. You see, Timothy had a grandmother named Lois.

Timothy had a mother named Eunice. And no doubt, that grandmother and that mother prayed for Timothy's salvation. Perhaps that's you tonight, born and raised in a Christian home where the Word of God is opened every day in your home, hearing the gospel message like you've heard tonight about the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior of sinners, and you're still not saved.

Friend, what a privilege you have tonight to sit under the Word of God. Such was the privilege of Timothy. As I read the Scripture, I understand that the Apostle Paul was preaching, and Timothy was saved under the preaching of the Apostle Paul.

The Apostle Paul, several times he recommends Timothy, and he calls him, my son in the faith. Even though Timothy had a saved grandmother, and even though Timothy had a saved mother, that did not make Timothy saved. It didn't.

My brother has already been bringing before us John chapter 1, and it is not by the will of the flesh, and it is not by blood. Friend, in the meeting tonight, you cannot be saved because your grandmother saved. You cannot be saved because your mother saved.

That doesn't make you saved. Timothy had to come to the understanding of his need before God as a guilty, vile sinner, and that he himself needed to be saved. And there Timothy trusted Christ as his Savior.

If you notice in chapter 1, you'll also read as we look at the grandmother who was saved and the mother who was saved. These individuals had genuine salvation. It says there, the unfeigned faith that was in my grandmother, and thy mother also, and in thee also.

You know what unfeigned faith is? It is genuine. Genuine faith. It is not faith that is for human consumption.

It is not faith that is put on. It is not a facade. Everyone that is genuinely saved in this meeting tonight knows for sure, and they know in whom they have believed.

You see, their faith has found a resting place, not in device nor creed. They trust the only living one who suffered on the cross of Calvary for them. Young Timothy, he needed to be saved, and here we have, it says, from a child.

That word child is an interesting word. It's not the Greek word that we get our word pediatric from. The name, the Greek word slips my mind at this moment, but that word child, the Greek reference is a baby still in its mother's womb, and a newborn baby.

You see, Timothy heard the gospel, the Holy Scriptures, from a child. From a child. And Timothy was privileged there to hear the Holy Scriptures.

Friend, in the meeting tonight, the gospel message goes out to you. This is not something that is made up by man. This is not something that we have contrived or we have thought up that would be a good message to preach.

Friend, this is God's Word. And can I tell you, friend, God's Word will last forever. It is settled forever in heaven.

The Lord Jesus Christ said, heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. The Holy Scriptures. From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures.

We have many children in our gathering tonight. You've heard the many, the Holy Scriptures many, many times. You go over to the wisest man that ever lived and asked God for wisdom.

And what does he say in Ecclesiastes chapter 12? Remember now, thy Creator in the days of thy youth. And what does he go on to say? While the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. How sad that would be, friend.

It's from a child you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. And then you go out into this world and you're lost without hope and without God. What do we read? From a child that has known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation.

I wonder, friend in the meeting tonight, if you ever needed the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. See, that's what salvation is all about. We live in a very mixed up and confused world, a world that has separated from the Holy Scriptures.

They've gone away from the Bible. We're listening to this Christian radio they have here, and I'm concerned. They have wonderful counsel.

They bring in the Scriptures, but I wonder how many people are genuinely saved. I wonder how much conversion there is. God wants to come down and do a work in your life, and he wants to save you from your sin.

From a child that has known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. And what does it say? Through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Can I tell you a little bit about my Lord and Savior? He's precious to me.

He's the theme of the gospel. There's no one like him. The Lord Jesus Christ is a capable Savior tonight.

Why? First of all, because he's God's Son. Unto us is born this day in the city of David, a Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ came from the heights of glory into this world.

The Bible teaches us that he took upon himself a body. Great is the mystery of godliness, God manifest in flesh. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ is a capable Savior because he is perfect. He's impeccable. He is not a man that came from heaven into this world.

He is not a person that lived in this world and did his best not to sin. No, no, that's not my Savior. My Savior knew no sin because there's no sin in him.

Perfect, holy, undefiled, separate from sinners. He can save you tonight. And the Lord Jesus Christ not only came from the heights of glory into this world, the Bible teaches me, for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross.

How can God, as we just been hearing, provide so great a salvation for mankind tonight? How did he do it? He did it through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the perfect and complete sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. The hymn writer wrote, oh the love that drew salvation's plan. Oh the grace that brought it down to man.

Oh the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary. Friend, in the meeting tonight you can be saved from all your sin. You can't do it on your own.

No, you can't. I know when I was young and I heard the Holy Scriptures, I'm just like Timothy, raised in a Christian home. I tried so hard believing.

Oh, I tried so hard. I labored at it. And I waked, I laid awake at night wondering if I had believed enough.

Did I believe enough? Was it sufficient? Did it satisfy God? And the turmoil that was in my heart. What does it say here? From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. You know, tonight, friend, I'm not trusting in how well I believed.

You know what I'm trusting in for heaven? You know what I'm trusting in is the Lord Jesus Christ. I know nothing else, nothing else. See, my faith is resting absolutely, 100% and completely on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior and that great work which he did on the cross of Calvary.

And we have already been hearing today on the third day God raised him from the dead. See, my Lord Jesus Christ is in heaven and there's going to come a day when he's going to come back to the clouds. And those who are saved are going to be caught up.

I'm going to go with our Lord Jesus Christ. I wonder, friend, tonight are you going to be going? How would this meeting look tonight if the Lord Jesus Christ came before the meeting was over? Are you saved tonight? Do you know your sins forgiven? And even though you're privileged to be in a Christian home like Timothy, that does not make you saved. And friend, I'd like to kindly tell you tonight that even though you would rub shoulders with fellow Christians, that does not make you saved.

Salvation is found in a person and that is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. And I have accepted him as my Savior. Trust him tonight and you can be saved for eternity.

Let us pray.