SOUL SAVING
Soul Saving • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsSaving our soul Making our lives count for eternity
Notes
Transcript
HOOK
BOOK
21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
LOOK
25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Do you agree that everyone needs saving? Not only unbelievers need saving, but also us believers.
Salvation
Justification (freed from the penalty of sin)
Sanctification (to be freed from the power of sin)
Glorification (to be freed from the presence of sin)
To save (“sozo”)
To preserve / rescue from harm (physical)
To save from eternal / temporal death (spiritual)
Saving in the bible doesn’t always mean spiritual saving from Hell or the Lake of Fire.
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Spiritual saving
25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
Physical
22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
Physical healing
42 “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.
Physical
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Spiritual
25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Now in Matthew 16, Jesus is talking about saving our own life through self-sacrifice.
Here, Jesus is not the one that will do the saving, but it is us who will save our own souls.
The word “sozo” here is in the indicative active sense. Active, meaning, it is the one who desires to save is the one who will save it himself.
Now, is this saving one’s life a spiritual one? We know that we cannot save our own life from eternal death. Only Jesus can do that. The problem with many believers is that they interpret these verses as to mean saving from eternal death. that’s why they would say that we need to surrender ourselves by taking up the cross and following Jesus so that we can be saved!
Misinterpretation of Matt. 16:24-28
Self-denial + taking up one’s cross + following Jesus = eternal salvation
Contradicts Eph. 2:8-9 (by grace, not of works)
If we interpret Matthew 16 as a requirement of salvation, it would easily contradict Paul’s statement of “by grace” we are saved!
There are two words that can help us understand these verses:
Soul (“psuche”)
Life on earth in its animating aspect making bodily function possible (BDAG)
The first word is soul / life which is in Greek: “psuche”.
25 For whoever desires to save his life (“psuche”) will lose it, but whoever loses his life (“psuche”) for My sake will find it.
26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul (“psuche”)? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul (“psuche”)?
To reward (“apodidomi”)
To recompense, whether in a good or bad sense, render, reward, recompense (BDAG)
Verse 27 must not be separated
27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Our bible translators puts a gap in verses 27 and 26. But this shouldn’t be because verse 27 explains further verse 24. Actually, verse 25, 26, 27 are extended explanations of verse 24.
Summary
Whoever desires Jesus:
To do: self-denial / sacrifice (24)
Purpose: to save one’s soul/life (25)
Reason: “what profit a man...” (26)
Enc.: eternal rewards (27)
Reworded:
“Believers! If you want to save your life here on earth and receive Kingdom rewards, serve and follow Jesus here on earth!”
In other words:
Don’t waste your earthly life here on earth! Use it for Jesus!
Saving our own soul, life on earth, is in our hands. The whole NT is full of life saving guides on how to make our lives count here on earth. For this preaching, let’s only look at those specific verses where saving the soul is mentioned as these can help us in our own soul saving.
Wrong Mindset:
“I don’t need rewards - I want to see Jesus in Heaven”
“Jesus remember me in Heaven”
Singing Christian songs & attending church is enough
Wrong Mindset:
"All we need is love”
My only reward is Jesus
“Jesus understands my situation”
“Soul Saving” (Making Our Lives Count)
Enduring Hope (Heb. 10:23-39)
Enduring Faith (1 Pt. 1:9)
Enduring Rightly (Ja. 1:19-21)
Enduring Brother (Ja. 5:19-20)
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Enduring Hope
Hebrews 10 controversy:
One who “deliberately” sins:
Can lose one’s salvation (Arminianism)
Isn’t saved at all (Calvinism)
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
Enduring Hope
The author is talking to Jewish believers
Jesus’ sacrifice of sins is once & for all
View: Judgement seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:9-10) (“Bema”)
Understand the two judgments:
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
But the one the author of Hebrews is referring to is the Judgment seat of Christ for the judgment of the works of already believers.
9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Fire doesn’t always mean Hell or Lake of fire!
That’s why the author of Hebrews concludes this section of chapter 10 with rewards.
35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.
36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: (He who promises is faithful)
37 “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe (trust the promise of rewards) to the saving of the soul.
Believers! Endure to the end. Don’t fall away. Stop sinning. Remember Jesus will reward us if we continue to make our life count on earth!
“Soul Saving” (Making Our Lives Count)
Enduring Hope (Heb. 10:23-39)
Enduring Faith (1 Pt. 1:9)
Enduring Rightly (Ja. 1:19-21)
Enduring Brother (Ja. 5:19-20)
Enduring Faith
Jesus’ words resonated in Peter’s mind in his letter
Peter enc. believers to live rightly during trials
Peter remembered Jesus’ words on saving one’s soul. This now is his encouragement to all believers that to save one’s soul, one must continue to serve Jesus even during trials. His encouragement is that our life here on earth will count for eternity as Jesus will reward those who endure suffering without turning back.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
Believers are not exempt from trials. What our perspective in trials will change how we react during it. These trials are only for a little while (70+ years). But eternity is forever. Thus, think of your life and what is at stake in eternity.
7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
Reason for suffering: “dokimos” = testing. Same as 1 Corinthians 3, what we do here on earth will be tested by fire in the Bema Seat! Thus, Peter is thinking of working for Christ during trials.
8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
Jesus sees what we do during all our trials even if we don’t see Him. We show Him we love Him by enduring in trials. We trust Him that He will bring us joy for all our works and endurance.
9 receiving the end (goal) of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
We trust Him that we will receive the rewards for our endurance at the end of our faith (in the Judgment seat.
The goal of our Christian faith is not to go to Heaven. But, to save our soul - making our lives count on earth for His glory!
“Soul Saving” (Making Our Lives Count)
Enduring Hope (Heb. 10:23-39)
Enduring Faith (1 Pt. 1:9)
Enduring Rightly (Ja. 1:19-21)
Enduring Brother (Ja. 5:19-20)
Enduring Rightly
James, Jesus’ half-brother, grew up with Jesus in Galilee
He knows Jesus’ saying: “saving one’s soul”
He enc. believers to live rightly
19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
This is the whole outline of the letter. James expands these three godly qualities in his letter.
20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Man’s own conduct doesn’t produce righteousness. James then is saying those three qualities will produce God’s righteousness.
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Living a righteous life on earth will make our lives count for eternity.
How do we live righteously?
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
In being swift to hear, we must not only read our Bibles, but also do them.
Example
15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Do God’s commandments in the Bible. This is how to show you love Him.
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Preach the Gospel as this is what God commands. Every soul we win for Christ gives us a reward.
Avoiding sin
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Do not conform to the world so that we can avoid sin and be acceptable to God.
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the (s)pirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
“Soul Saving” (Making Our Lives Count)
Enduring Hope (Heb. 10:23-39)
Enduring Faith (1 Pt. 1:9)
Enduring Rightly (Ja. 1:19-21)
Enduring Brother (Ja. 5:19-20)
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
God commands us to love one another. One way we can show love to others is by:
19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,
20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
James ends his letter with an encouragement for us not to be only thinking of ourselves. Let us also show our love to our brothers and sisters in Christ by also helping them make their lives count for eternity.
TOOK
Believers! Endure all trials in life. No turning back!
Let’s live a righteous life working for Jesus on earth. Make our lives count knowing that Jesus will reward and pay us back for our works.
Love others by bringing unbelievers to believe; and winning already believers back to serving Jesus to make their lives count!
End
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
