Two Ways Of Salvation Outline

The Two Ways of Ivation

A. Introduction

1. There are many things that can be done in more than one way.

i.   Dieting

ii.  Grading papers in class iii. Games: Checkers, Football iv. Driving from Joplin to Tulsa

2. Do you realize that you can also relate to God in more than one way? Jack Cottrell at CBS.

i.   You can relate to God by way of law & try to be saved by law-keeping

ii.  Or you can relate to God by way of grace & accept the salvation that he offers through grace

3. The two ways illustrated: Two windows of heaven

i.   The window of law: He sees everyone who chooses to relate to him by way of law. Everyone God sees through this window is treated by God the way he deserves to be treated.

ii.  The window of grace: He sees everyone who chooses to relate to him by way of grace. Everyone God sees through this window is treated just the opposite of the way he deserves to be treated.

4. Illustrated again: Two gates of heaven

i.   Law Gate: These people ar3 lined up trying to earn the r way into heaven

ii.  Grace Gate: These people have given up on trying to earn their way and have simply decided to accept i:h i gift of salvation that is offered by God

5. 2 Questions

i.   Which gate has the most people lined up trying] to ge; through?

ii. Which gate actually has the most people going throng i t?

I.   i want you to think about the first gate for a minute. Think about: ls.w as a way of salvation.

A. Groundrules

1. Keep the commandments ard escape the penalty of the lav/.

2. Break the commandments and suffer the penalty of the law.

B. But along with Ithe groundrulos come several pieces of bad naws

1. Everyone, from the age of accountability begins to relate to God by way of law.

NOT just the law of Moses;. There is a law that applies to everyone.

2. According to the lav/ system ir order to be saved by aw one-must keep the law.

Baseball 30%; Basketball 50%; School 60%; LAW 100%!!

3. Nobody except for Messiah keeps the law perfectly.

This really is bad news. It is the point of Paul in the early parts of Romans where he concludes that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

And you do remember the groundruies, don't you? The second one:

"Break the commandments and suffer the penalty

So what are we saying? All you have to do to be saved by the law is to keep it- but you must keep it perfectly.

But nobody does that ... so nobody is saved by keeping the law.

4. But is that any big deal? What difference does it make if we break the law and incur the penalty?

Ah, here is where we need to remember what the penalty is.

The penalty of lawbreaking is death.

So how many people are actually moving through that gate of law into heaven? NONE!!

Why? Because their way has been blocked by their own sins.

C. So what is it like trying to live under the law? 2 illustrations

1. Concentration camp Olympics

2. Orphan girl with a list of 27 "To Do" items

Grace as a way of salvation A. Groundruies (listen closely)

1. Keep the commandments ard suffer the penalty

2. Break the commandments and escape the penalty

3. Our immediate reaction: It

doesn't sound fair. It isn't fair, t is more than fair.

B. Which groundruies apply to US?

1. From the law system: "Break t ie commandment and suffer the penalty"

2. From the grace system

i.   Does the first one appy to is? Keep the commandments end suffer the penalty? No

ii.  Only the second one applies to us. It says Break the commandments and escape the penalty.

C. Which groundruies apply to Jesus?

1. Who alone has kept all the commands of the law system perfectly? Jesus. So he did not deserve to receive the penahy,

2.  Isn't it ironic. The only one win ever kept the law perfectly died on a cross under a curse.

3. Do you remember that first groundrule of the grace way of

salvation?

Keep the commandments and suffer the penalty. That is Jesus.

Conclusion:

1. NEEDED: "1000 Points"

1 . Attended every Sunday for 35 years

2. Cleaned the church

3. Taught SS for 15 years — Jr High boys!

4. Hosted a Bible study in our home

5   Deacon for 10 years 20

6. Tithed, helped sponsor the youth, communion to shut-ins, car available whenever the church needed it.

7. "The man lowered his head as he had done for decades and simply said, "Lord help me."

2. How many of you really believe that there will come a day when you will stand before God?

3. Maybe you remember that question that was so popular a few years ago in evangelistic campaigns. "If you were to die today and stand before God and he were to ask you, 'Why should I let you into my heaven?' What would you say?"

4. I do not believe this is the sort of thing where there is only one right answer. BUT I do believe

that there is only one right KINID of answer: the grace kind.

5. When God asks you that

question, you do not want to give a law kind of answer. You do n ?t want to talk about all thai: YOU have done.

6. You will want to give a grace kind of answer and talk about what Christ has done for you.

7. Friends, there are two ways* of salvation. Which way v/ill you choose? Will you choose the lew way and choose to pay for you own sins? Or will you choose the grace way and choose the payment he has already mack' lor you?