Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Today, I want us to look at a message I’ve entitled “Salvation Made Simple.”

And the reason I want us to look at this today is because I fear many Christians don’t fully understand the process of salvation nor how to fully explain it to a lost person should they be asked to.

If you were to be engaged in conversation with a lost person and they were to ask you, “what does it mean to be saved?”,

how many sitting here this morning would be able to answer that?

I believe most here could probably explain the basics, or at least I hope you could, but what if that lost person then began to dig deeper and ask per say, “why do I need to be saved?

or how do I get saved?

or why do I need Jesus?

why am I not saved already?”

How many this morning could explain the process of salvation to a lost person and feel confident in the answers they were giving?

These are the types of things I hope to cover with you this morning and my prayer is, that when you leave this place, that you will feel more confident in your ability to engage a lost person next time you find yourself in that type of situation.

Because the reality is, I believe many Christians shy away from these types of conversations because they aren’t confident that they can explain salvation should they be asked.

And that’s not how God intended for it to be.

He intended for us to engage the world with the gospel not for us to wait for the world to engage us about the gospel!

So, if you have your Bibles with you this morning, I would ask you to turn with me to the Book of Romans, Chapter 3 and we will be looking at Verses 19-31.

In order to explain Salvation more confidently, there are four things I hope to help you understand a little more clearly this morning.

The Problem of Humanity

The Provision of God

The Process of Salvation

The Pathway to Salvation

The Problem of Humanity — (Vs.

19-20,23)

I want to begin this morning by looking at The Problem of Humanity.

And by understanding this, you will in turn be able to answer the lost person’s question of “Why do I need to be Saved?”

In order to understand The Problem of Humanity, we have to look no further than Verse 23 here before us which says...

Romans 3:23 — For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

When the Bible says “all” here, it means every man, woman, boy and girl since the dawn of time, other than the Lord Jesus Christ, has sinned.

As the NLT reads in Vs. 19, “the entire world, has been found guilty before God.”

When a lost person asks you “Why do I need to be saved?”

You need to understand and be able to first and foremost explain to them because we’ve all sinned.

Now, with that being said, naturally if they are unchurched or have never read a Bible or been around any Christians, the next question they will probably ask you is this… “what is sin?”

James 4:17 defines sin like this — Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Most times when you ask a Christian what sin is they say, “it’s doing something bad or wrong”, right?

But in all actuality, it’s not just doing something bad, but not doing something that is good or right!

To know to do good and do it not, that is sin.

You can know that you need to be doing something right and not do it without doing something wrong or bad.

And should you find yourself knowing that you need to be doing something right that your not, dear friend that is sin.

Perfect example is myself…give flat tire example.

I knew to do good but I wasn’t doing it therefore I had sinned.

You see, it’s not just about doing the wrong thing but equally about not doing the right thing when we know we ought to!

And therefore when that person asks you what sin is, you can say… “well, have you ever either done something you knew you weren’t supposed to do or not done something you were supposed to do?”

And the reality is, they are going to answer yes because we all at some point in our lives have done one or the other and therefore have sinned!

The word “sin” is the Greek word (hamartanō) and it means “to miss the mark” and that’s why Paul says here that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God!

The mark is perfection.

The mark is to be holy like God but because of our sin we have missed that mark and have all been found guilty and the Bible says in...

Romans 6:23a — “For the wages of sin is death”

The result of our sin, the penalty we must pay for missing the mark is death!

Romans 5:12 — Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Sin is The Problem of Humanity.

Sin is the reason we are all in need of being saved!

Now, before moving on, I want to make sure we all understand one thing…being better than my neighbor isn’t the mark.

Being better than Douglas Ervin isn’t the mark.

Being better than Bro.

Bobby isn’t the mark.

Because the reality is, you can better than your neighbor, you can be better than the Deacon at your Church, you can be better than your Pastor and still die lost in your sins and bust Hell wide open.

Man isn’t the mark.

God is the mark and we’ve all fallen short of His glory which leads to us to His Provision as our next point.

The Provision of God — (Vs.

21-22)

Since we’ve all sinned, missed the mark of perfection and God’s glory; since we are all doomed in and of our own devices, God had to make a way for sinful man to be able to dwell in His holy presence.

This is where the lost person is probably going to say something along the lines of…

“OK, now that I understand why I need to be saved and that my sin has separated me from a Holy God, how do I make it to Heaven?

How do I hit that mark that my sin has caused me to miss?

Am I doomed forever because I’ve missed the mark?”

This is where a little grin comes upon your face and you thank God for opening their eyes and reply with Paul’s famous words.... “God forbid!”

This is where we begin to tell them about our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ, Amen!

As Anne Wilson would say… “let me tell you bout my Jesus!”

He makes a way where there ain't no way

Rises up from an empty grave

Ain't no sinner that He can't save

Let me tell you 'bout my Jesus

His love is strong and His grace is free

And the good news is I know that He

Can do for you what He's done for me

Let me tell you 'bout my Jesus

And let my Jesus change your life!

Amen! That’s who and what it’s all about!

What Jesus has done for us!

Which is what Paul says next here in Verses 21-22.

The only way for sinful man to return into the presence of an almighty, holy and righteous God is through the provision of His one and only Son, Jesus!

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and no one can come to the Father but by Him!

He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died a sinners death, and now sets at the right hand of the Father making intercession for all who will believe in Him!

Jesus is The Provision of God for the Problem of Humanity, Amen!

At this point, in all of your excitement, you would hope that lost person would simply believe and be saved but…but…just in case they go as far as to say…

“I need more!

I need you to explain to me how me believing upon this man named Jesus is going to save me from my sins.”

Then you need to understand The Process of Salvation which is our next point.

The Process of Salvation — (Vs.

24-27)

Sanctification

Sanctification is the Greek word (hagiasmos) which in turn comes from the root work (hagiazo) which means “to make holy, to purify, to consecrate.”

This is what happens to a believer when they accept Jesus Christ as Lord.

He takes your sin, and you take upon yourself His cloak of righteousness.

You are made holy in the eyes of an almighty God because of the righteousness of His Son.

Now, don’t get it wrong here, you have no righteousness of your own.

The Bible says our righteousness is as filthy rags therefore, if you try to stand in front of a Holy God in your own righteousness, you will get a one way ticket to the lake of fire and brimstone!

But, if you believe in His one and only Son, then the righteousness of Jesus is imputed unto you and then and only then will you be able to stand in the presence of God almighty for He will see the righteous of Jesus and not yours.

Notice multiple times here in Verses 21, 22, 25 & 26 the Bible speaks of “His” righteousness and not our own.

This is what it means to be Sanctified.

Now, we are sanctified because we have been Justified which is our next point.

Justification

Justified is the Greek word (dikaioō) and it means “to make or declare someone or something righteous” but this declaration of righteousness comes by way of acquittal of guilt.

Justification means that I was at one time found guilty in the eyes of a Holy God because of my sin but now through His Son, I am found innocent.