Everyone
Notes
Transcript
We’ve been studying the Gospel. The purpose of this study is to give us a deeper, more full understanding of what the Good News is so that we are equipped to share it with the people God sends our way. I’ve heard many stories from people who say they don’t believe in Jesus because He didn’t do what He was supposed to, or when they finally read the bible for themselves it didn’t align with what they were taught.
It is heartbreaking to hear about someone who misunderstands scripture enough to not believe, or to see someone who is taught something false and then when that teaching is tested their faith falls apart because it was built on sand to begin with. Today’s world is bombarded with all sorts of crazy theology such as “Queer theology,” “Self exultation,” or “Prosperity Gospel” to name a few.
One popular saying from that theology is “Live your best life now,” which goes directly against what Jesus taught, and what His first followers actually endured. If Jesus was bringing physical prosperity, would not His first followers have reaped some of the largest reward? Instead, they faced horrible persecution. All of His disciples but John died unimaginably graphic deaths.
Jesus knew that following Him meant facing persecution so He told them to remember that He overcame the world and then He said, “I tell you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you WILL HAVE TRIBULATION. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) One pastor says, “If you are living your best life now, the next life is sure to be exponentially worse because you are probably not a Christian.”
We don’t want to tell people what their itching ears want to hear. We want to teach sound doctrine from the word of God. We want our friends to hear God’s word and not empty promises. The first week of this series we studied the purpose of creation. We were all created with a purpose which was to be with God. “God created us to be with Him.” We are a handcrafted and special creation that was made in His image. We were created to connect with Him on the deepest, most intimate level.
Next we started talking about the bad news. Sin entered the world and since God is perfect and can’t be near sin, our sins separate us from God. Sin is simply missing the mark, or not living up to God’s perfect standard. It breaks Gods commands, it attacks God’s character, and it separates us from who we were created to be. When sin entered the world it brought death. Physical death, spiritual death, and eternal death.
What’s worse, we can’t do anything about it. There is physically nothing we can do to erase sin from our lives. We can’t be good enough to tip the scales. Sins cannot be removed by good deeds. In fact, to God our good deeds are still filthy. Isaiah says that to God our good deeds are nothing but filthy feminine hygiene products. We have the law that shows us what is required, but we are incapable of living up to it. It makes a great mirror to show us where we fail, but in the same way that you can’t shave your face with a mirror, you can’t save yourself with the law. We need a savior. We need someone who will remove our filthy rags and cover us in pure, righteous robes.
Last week we looked at Jesus. God sent Jesus to be the savior we needed. He paid the debt we could not. He covered us in wedding garments and invited us to the feast. Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. Last week we looked at why Jesus came to die for us. A price had to be paid, and exchange had to be made, and a victory had to be displayed.
Today we are looking at who has access to this special gift that Jesus offers us. Spoiler alert, the answer is EVERYONE. Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life.
Pray
Has anyone ever been bungee jumping, sky diving, or mountain climbing? I’ve never been very adventurous, so the most extreme thing I have ever done is the slingshot ride at the state fair. I am afraid of heights, so I don’t know how I ever let my dad talk me into that. In fact, there is no way I could do that ride again today because I have seen too many videos of people using rubber band equipment for exercising when one side breaks and smacks them in the face.
On that ride you sit with a friend in this two person seat and watch the rubber bands stretch out up to the sky. Once they get to a certain height, which to me looks like a couple thousand feet in the air, a latch releases the chair and you go soaring towards outer space. If you are going to ride that ride, you have to put the full weight of your faith in that bungee cord. If you are mountain climbing, you put the full weight of your faith in the rope. The full weight of your faith is on the parachute when you are skydiving.
“Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life.”
This statement sets the Christian faith apart from every other world religion. This statement is unique on at least three different levels: It is explosive, exclusive, and extensive! Today we are going to break that down, starting with the explosive part of the statement. There are two reasons that it is explosive. First…
It is open to all!
It is open to all!
People tend to get hung up on the “who” and the “how” of salvation. They think they could never be saved because they are not good enough, but the bible makes it clear that EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord, Jesus, can be saved. In Romans, Paul writes…
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Maybe those of us who have known Jesus for years have struggled with this. Even a murderer? Even the most vile of sinners? Yes, through the power of the Gospel, if they trust in Jesus alone to save them, they can and will be saved. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” “Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life.” EVERYONE! It’s explosive because it is open to all!
I’ve heard people say, “You might be surprised at who you see in heaven.” And that is worth rejoicing over. There are two explosive words in the first part of this statement, “Everyone” and “trusts.” It’s explosive because it’s by trusting, not trying!
It’s by trusting, not trying!
It’s by trusting, not trying!
This is what upset the Pharisees and other religious leaders of Jesus’ day. It was explosive and offensive because it made us totally dependent on Jesus and totally self-loathing of our own efforts. Paul said it this way when speaking to the Galatians…
Galatians 5:6,11 (ESV)
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love... 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.
The “offense of the cross” is that it has nothing to do with what we do and everything to do with what Jesus has done. The “offense of the cross” is that we receive it, we don’t achieve it. The “offense of the cross” is that it is about our belief, not our behavior. The “offense of the cross” is that Jesus gets all of the glory because He did all the work.
Romans 4:5 reminds us that it’s by trusting not trying…
5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.
Again in chapter 2 of Ephesians…
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.
It is by God’s amazing grace that we have been saved. Grace means “unmerited favor.” In other words, we don’t deserve it, we can’t earn it, and we could never repay it. That’s what makes it grace. That’s what makes it amazing. We are saved BY grace THROUGH faith. In God’s wonderful plan of salvation, we receive His grace through faith.
I’ll never forget one special Christmas when I learned a lot of valuable lessons. My brother and I didn’t usually do things like finding the hidden present stash, secretly opening presents and re-wrapping them, or even shaking the boxes to guess what was inside. Except for this one year. Somehow we happened upon our Christmas presents before they were wrapped. There was only one problem, they were still in their boxes.
Like I said, we normally wouldn’t do this, but this year curiosity got the best of us. While our parents were at work we decided to take a peak in the boxes. Inside were these two shiny red helmets with our names on the backs like real racers! What we failed to remember was that parents know everything. Somehow they found out and we got in trouble. If anyone didn’t deserve Christmas gifts that year it was us, but by grace when we opened our gifts that year we received two awesome red helmets with our names on them.
When we apologized and thanked them for the helmets they said, “You’re welcome.” Then dad added, “Don’t worry about it because you get to pay for them.”
Of course he didn’t say that! Because it was a GIFT! You don’t earn a gift, we clearly didn’t deserve one that year, and you don’t repay someone for a gift. Why? Because it’s a gift!
Ephesians says that it is a gift of God, not of works. Not of good deeds, so that no one can boast. Have you ever thought about that? There will be NO ONE in heaven boasting about how they got there on their own. Like the guy that is always talking about how he had the highest point average in basketball. The person that is always humble bragging about something they did or someone they helped over the weekend. No one will be doing that in heaven.
There will only be boasting in Christ and Christ alone. Think of the thief on the cross who hung on the cross next to Jesus. He believed and received this gift shortly before he died. Have you ever thought about how that thief had 0% chance for spiritual growth? He didn’t get to follow in baptism. He didn’t get to join a church. He didn’t get to memorize scripture. He didn’t even get to tell anyone about his decision. He received salvation as he was being executed for his crimes.
There is NO WAY he could boast of any good that he had done for salvation, het he is in heaven with Jesus. As far as salvation is concerned, none of us who have accepted God’s gift of salvation are any different than that thief on the cross. Our good works have NOTHING to do with our salvation. Just like the thief, one day we will be in heaven, boasting only of God’s amazing grace.
Luke recorded a story Jesus told that reminds us that it’s about trusting, not trying…
9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
It’s about trusting, not trying. At the root of trying is pride. At the root of trusting is humility. The promise is explosive because everyone is invited, and all they have to do is trust. It’s also exclusive…
It’s exclusive.
It’s exclusive.
Everyone who trusts IN HIM ALONE. The world is offended by this part of the promise. The world teaches that there are countless other ways to reach enlightenment, sanctification, redemption, salvation, wholeness, or whatever you are trying to reach. But the hard truth is that there is only one way to find eternal life, and it is through Jesus Christ alone. Jesus said it this way…
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
According to Luke, filled with the Holy Spirit Peter confronted rulers, elders, and scribes and said…
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Jesus is the only way. There is no other name! Like the bungee illustration from earlier, if you want to bungee jump, you can’t bring another rope just in case. You can’t attach a “back up” bungee cord in case the first fails. If you want to bungee jump, you have to put the full weight of your faith on the bungee cord.
To trust in Christ alone is to put the full weight of your trust in Christ alone. Not one foot on Jesus, and another on something or someone else. Only Christ can save us, so we must put our trust in Him, and in Him alone. Faith in Jesus is our only hope.
It is explosive. It is exclusive. It is extensive…
It is extensive.
It is extensive.
“Everyone who trusts in him alone HAS ETERNAL LIFE.” It sounds too good to be true. In fact, many people turn from the truth for that reason, but Jesus is too good not to speak truth.
If it sounds too good to be true, then it is time to evaluate where you are putting your trust because you might be trusting in yourself. Your own understanding. Maybe even someone or something else. Just like the crazy anti-biblical theologies I mentioned at the outset of this study. People create these theories and theologies in order to conform scripture to their lifestyles and beliefs. God calls them to turn from their lifestyle, but they don’t want to so they open the bible with the intent to shape it to fit what they want.
In a speech, Calvin Robinson said that “Christ spent time with tax collectors and prostitutes, but it is they who went away changed, not Christ… Followers of Christ are naturally counter-cultural.”
To close I want to share a couple of statements made by Paul. The first from his letter to the Romans, the second from Galatians…
17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Pray
