Salvation

(SLIDE) Praise God from whom all blessings flow through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave His life as a ransom for all humanity, and whom God raised from the grave by the power of the Holy spirit three days later. Which same Spirit is here with us in this room, and for those who have confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and savior, within our hearts, minds and souls at this very moment. Amen?

As we continue to work our way through what are really foundational beliefs of the Church of God, Anderson, to which we belong, let’s review. The purpose for this series in part ties back to (SLIDE)1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. So we build this house of the Lord, this congregation, this family on these important truths.

(SLIDE) The Lord God created the heavens and the earth, including us. There cannot be a creation, without a creator. We know the bible is reliable, in part because there are tens of thousands of copies the new testament manuscripts dating between 30 and 150 years from a single event. And of course, Mathew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, James, the authors of those letters, weren’t creating the bible. They wrote because of what they saw, what they experienced, and what other witnesses saw and gave testimony to. The resurrected Jesus Christ. After the crucifixion. After His death on the cross. More than 500 witnesses of the living Jesus Christ for over 40 days between the resurrection and his ascension into heaven. And the reason that’s important is because if a single person, or one or two people made this up, there were too many witnesses who would have said, that didn’t happen. And we then wouldn’t be talking about Jesus today and Christianity wouldn’t exist. We believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the reliability of the bible because He rose from the grave. Amen?

We believe that the Kingdom of God has existed since God created the heavens and the earth, and that the Kingdom of God is here now. (SLIDE) And for those who God’s nature is gracious, merciful and forgiving. (SLIDE) Last week we talked about human nature which is self-centered. Too often in our lives we put we want, what we desire over what God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit tell us is actually in our best interests. What did Jesus say to the scribe?

(SLIDE) Matthew 22:36-40 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” If all the law and the prophets hang on our relationship with God, and how treat each other, then very often we fall well short of the mark.

What did Paul tell us in Philippians 2:3-4 (SLIDE) 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

So in our walk, in our lives on this earth, we are confronted with choices. Every day we face choices on what we will do. What we will say. What we are spending our time thinking about. And as we discussed last week, given the Mosaic covenant has 613 laws in it, that we could not possibly be obedient to, just as Israel couldn’t, how do we overcome whatever sin it is that keeps us from God. As we closed last week with Paul’s letter to the Romans.

(SLIDE) ourRomans 7:24-25 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! And Romans 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Some manuscripts will add to verse one of Romans 8 “who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” If you remember last week I talked about how, and I gave an example of committing adultery, Jesus said that if we even look at another person with lust in our hearts we have committed adultery. You don’t have to commit adultery in the flesh, to have sinned in the spirit. But the question then becomes for all of us, how do we do overcome sin? Really. How do we choose what God wants for us, in our lives, in our hearts, our minds and souls, over what our selfish human nature wants? (SLIDE) … But God. Loved the world so much He gave his one and only begotten son, not to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. To save the world.

To be saved. Salvation. The first step towards being able to overcome our own selfish nature to be able to walk according to God’s nature, is through His grace, the salvation offered to all mankind. So let’s talk about some of the scriptures related to our salvation today. And I want start with the historical testimony of the rich young man, or rich ruler.

The rich ruler history is in Mark 10, Matthew 19 and Luke 18. It’s history because this is not a parable. A parable being Jesus telling a story to set an example, explain God’s laws or give us an example that is more easily understood than the way the Law was being interpreted by religious leaders. Matthew and Mark were witnesses. They were there. Luke remember, gathers testimony from many to present the gospel in a way Theophilus could be certain of the truth. So here’s quick look at the three documented perspectives on what Jesus said before we read one of them. (SLIDE) Jesus was ministering in Perea, east of the Jordan river. It’s where John the Baptist was preaching repentance before his arrest and death. Whenever you have multiple witnesses there are slight variations. (SLIDE) Who approached Jesus to ask a question about eternal life? Matthew just says “someone”. Mark calls this person a young man, but from the testimony Luke gathers he is a Rich Ruler and Religious Leader which makes some sense, right? The examples of religious leaders using their position for personal gain are not hard to find.

We’ll read the full scripture from Mark in a moment, but Jesus tells, in front of the disciples and the curious, those gathered around to hear him and see if he was going to heal anyone, as a summary of the 10 commandments things we are not to do. The only difference there is Mark adds not to defraud anyone. And then what we should do to inherit eternal life, to be saved, to be welcomed into the kingdom of heaven, is honor our parents, and Matthew in his transcription of the event includes, love your neighbor as yourself. But wait, what about love the Lord your God above all others. Let’s read from Mark.

(SLIDE) Mark 10:17-27 17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. Now I don’t think I’m reading to much into this when I read this in all three gospels, what I hear is Jesus answering by saying “Do you know who I am? I’m not being sarcastic, Jesus is reinforcing what the one asking the question already knows. He calls Jesus good, because in his heart, he knows that Jesus is the Christ. The long awaited Messiah. Okay? Let’s continue.

(SLIDE) 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” (SLIDE) 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

(SLIDE) First of all this is not about wealth. Though yes if we read a few verses down Jesus does say that’s it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven. You cannot love both God and Money. It’s one of the reasons Agur ben Jakeh in Proverbs 30:8 “give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Being rich can lead us back towards self-centered living, while being too poor can lead us to cheat or steal in order to provide for our families.

“Jesus, looking at him, loved him” (Mark 10:21). Jesus’ purpose is not to shame or browbeat the young man, but to love him, as God loves all His children. He calls him to leave his possessions not for Christ’s benefit but for the young man’s own benefit, saying, “You will have treasure in heaven; then come follow me.” Jesus knew the idol that was on his heart preventing him from obeying the first commandment.

We suffer when we let wealth or work isolate us from family and friends, and interfere with an intimate relationship with God. The giving away of his possessions isn’t about doing good works either. We’re not saved by works, lst any boast. The solution is not to try harder to be good, but to accept God’s love; that is, to follow Christ. When we accept Christ as our personal savior, and seek after the Lord, we become more trusting of God for what really matters in this life. What did Paul say in Philippians 4? I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned to be content in every situation because I know the risen Lord.

We were talking about Paul’s letter to the Romans week. I’m going to use the NIV here because it’s an easier read than the ESV which uses some words that not as easily understood, like propitiation, justification, sanctification. We’ll talk about those words next week in continuing our conversation about Salvation. (SLIDE) Romans 3:21-24 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, (SLIDE) 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.

The old covenant, the Mosaic covenant required blood sacrifices to atone for sin. The new covenant, Jesus, made that sacrifice on the cross as an atonement for the sin of all humanity. Once and for all. Christ being completely obedient to the will of the Father. About four months prior to the crucifixion during the Feast of Dedication, which more commonly known as Hanukkah. Christ is walking in the temple when a number of Jews gathered around him to ask him to clearly declare if he is the Christ.

(SLIDE) John 10:27-30 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (SLIDE) 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Even today. How many of our friends, our family, those we work with, or enjoy retirement with might God say to them. “I told you, and you do not believe.” More importantly for those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord, who believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, (SLIDE) “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Their response at the temple, which is Holy Ground because it is the Temple of the Lord, and because Jesus is standing there, is pick up stones to kill him for comparing himself to God as the Son of God. But it wasn’t time yet for Jesus to be offered up as a living sacrifice for the sin of all mankind. That happens at Passover.

(SLIDE) Now let’s fast forward about 21 years after the crucifixion. On Paul’s second missionary journey Luke, Paul and Silas are in Philippi. Can you imagine travelling to share the Good news, the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the 1stcentury during the roughly 20 years of his ministry? When you read Philippians that’s the church Paul is writing too. But in Acts 16, the power of the Holy Spirit through Paul, heals a female slave, which makes her owners unhappy because they’ve lost an income stream, and have Paul and Silas thrown in prison in Philippi. So let’s read.

(SLIDE) Acts 16:25-34 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. If we started asking around, there are many who can share a testimony of how, when in praise and worship before the Lord in Jesus’ name their chains were loosened as well from whatever sickness, addiction or bondage they were in. But let’s continue

(SLIDE) 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Just to put this in context, for the jailer, if any prisoners escaped, he would receive a death sentence so he was going to commit suicide. Paul’s a Roman citizen and he knows what the punishment would be. Again, even today, when something that seems to be life threatening happens in our lives, how many of us contemplate suicide.

(SLIDE) 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. (SLIDE) 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

In the coming weeks we’ll talk about the ordinances, including baptism, but notice the importance here of even one family member confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The entire family hears the gospel, is saved, and in obedience becomes baptized. There’s more to that story in Acts regarding the actual leaving from prison, but let’s move a couple more years down the road as Paul is explaining salvation in the letter to the Romans. (SLIDE) Romans 10:8-13

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (SLIDE) 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

(SLIDE) What must we do? Read the word. How did that passage start? The word (the gospel) is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. Confess out loud that Jesus as our Lord. Believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead. The resurrection to new life. And for those who struggle with this, I’m reminded of the testimony in Mark from a father who’s son was possessed. Christ told the father to believe in Him, and the father said “I do believe. Help me with my unbelief.” He can remove our doubts through both our time in the word, our time in prayer, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

We have said before that coming to church doesn’t save us. Just as not attending church doesn’t mean we aren’t saved. Though we are told not to neglect meeting together but to encourage one another. Before this congregation had a church building, they met in homes in the early 1890’s. I have to warn you a little as well. Confession Christ as Lord, and choosing to follow Him, will place demands on your time, your talent and your treasure. Because if we’re really going to follow the Lord, no matter what age that occurs at, He has plans for us to grow in obedience and holiness to His calling upon our lives. Too often I hear people say I’ve been a good person. That’s not a ticket to heaven, no matter how good we’ve been. The gift of salvation, the gift of eternal life, of entering the kingdom of heaven is just that. I love the song reckless love. I couldn’t earn, I don’t deserve it, still you give yourself away. Two quick closing thoughts.

(SLIDE) Ephesians 2:8-10 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We are created in the image of God, and in Christ Jesus for good works. When we give our hearts, our minds, our lives to Christ Jesus, the evidence of that, the fruit that is born is in serving others. Remember, love your neighbors as yourself?

(SLIDE) James 2:14-1714 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Salvation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is going to require something of us. But whatever it is, even if at the time, it seems, or feels like a sacrifice, will bring joy to your hearts. And you will be able to share the reason for the hope that you have Christ Jesus. So we’re going to sing Phil Wickam’s the house of the Lord but before we sign off, and if you’re watching online, you can pull that song up and sing along, or just listen even. I want us to consider this. God’s spirit was in the ark of the covenant with the Hebrews as they travelled the wilderness. God’s spirit was in the temple in Jerusalem. But after the crucifixion and resurrection, the Holy Spirit dwells within those of us who have accepted, and confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. When we sing, There is Joy in the House of the Lord in a few minutes. The house of the Lord is not just the buildings we worship at or meet in throughout the week. You are the house of the Lord. Your body is the temple of the Lord. Are you feeling the joy of the Lord in your heart, mind and soul? Because if you’re not, maybe it’s because your relationship is not with Jesus, but with the practice of just going to church. Being good. Doing good works. Attending church or online is not a ticket to heaven. It is not what saves us. We are saved by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, and his resurrection defeating sin and death forever. Amen? Let us pray.

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