We Can't Save Ourselves

We are unable to save ourselves, but God in his grace gives us faith to be saved.

pray and read Matt19:13-30...

Idols will keep us from Heaven

13-22

If we love the things of this world more than Jesus, we are worshipping idols.

I read a book called Where the Red Fern Grows when I was a kid. It’s about this boy and his hound dogs and hunting raccoons. It’s really sad, heads up. But there’s a part in the book where the kid makes a raccoon trap by digging a hole in the ground, putting something at the bottom of the hole, and then putting two rods across the top of the hole…

The raccoon refuses to let go of that shiny prize and so it just sits there until the person who sets the trap gets it. It wants the prize in its hand more, loves that prize too much to see what letting go of it will gain it.

We don’t know exactly what this man chooses to do, but he walks away sad because he was rich and he had a bunch of stuff and he loved it. He was sad either because he was going to lose his stuff or because he was going to lose eternal life…

If he’s sad because he’s getting rid of his stuff then he isn’t totally appreciating that he will have better treasure in Heaven. If he’s sad because he isn’t going to sell his stuff, then he’s outright choosing it over Jesus!

1 Timothy 6:10 ESV

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

1 John 2:15 ESV

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

If you trust Jesus, then believe Him when He promises a better treasure in Heaven!

God can do the impossible

23-26

Only God can save us.

In 2008 the Boston Celtics won the NBA championship…

Kevin Garnett had one of the best post game interviews ever…

But Kevin was wrong!

Without God stepping in, we would never choose Him on our own. We would continue to choose the pleasures of this world.

Philippians 2:13 ESV

for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Paul said in Ephesians 2 that we are saved by grace through faith and that is a gift from God.

So if you are saved, praise God for it! And only Him! It’s not cause you were good enough or wise enough or humble enough or anything. It’s only because of Him!

If you are not saved, look to Jesus! He alone can save you! Call out to Him and believe in Him...

And know that as a Christian, it is so worth it. What you forfeit in this world will be so made up for in his everlasting Kingdom!

We have a heavenly inheritance

27-30

An inheritance is when a child receives their parents’ or some other family member’s stuff…

Romans 8:16–17 ESV

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Live in this world focussed on your inheritance in God’s Kingdom! It will be there for you. You have to wait for it, but it’s so worth it!