The California Collection/TheCaliforniaCollection.cdr/his116/vanimp2d.txt

Text File | 1990-05-08 | 13KB | 289 lines

CHAPTER 4

In past the few lessons we considered scores of scripture texts that
dealt with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior, who shed His precious blood
as a sacrifice for sinners. We saw how he literally took our place,
substituting his life for ours --paying the penalty of death for us. Now I
want to tie it all together in the message entitled: "Salvation is of the
Lord." (Jonah 2:9)

ONLY JESUS

Salvation is not found in man-made ceremonies nor is it obtained thru
ordinances or religious sacraments. Instead, it is only thru Jesus Christ
our Lord. Multitudes believe that the pursuance of good works or the
following of a prescribed code of ethics automatically earns for them the
guarantee of eternal life. Others talk about the benefits of the "golden
rule," "The Sermon on the Mount," or the observance of the Decalogue--
God's Ten Commandments, as the way to prepare one's soul for heaven.
Tho many of these ideals should flow out of a believer's life, it is because
they are believers and not that they might become saved, that they are
performed. Ephesians 2:10 states, "For we are His workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works" or in simpler terminology, we do the
works because Christ who lives within us is doing the work in us. So we
see that it is because one is saved that he works and not in order to
become saved. My objection to all of these high ideals is when mankind
puts the cart before the horse and tries to reverse the gears of God's
program. It is when humans try to do that which only the divine God
can do. Man plays no part in obtaining salvation, it is all of God. That's
why Titus 3:5 declares: "Not by works of righteousness which we have
done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of
regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost."

NO OTHER WAY

Let me be as dogmatic as I have ever been and state that there is no
other way of salvation our Holy God has given to this world except the
merits of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12, "Neither is
there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Notice that last
phrase again. There is no other name under heaven given among men
whereby you MUST BE SAVED. Christ is the only Savior. Buddha,
Mohammed, Confuscius, Zoroaster, Dr. Moon, Mahara Ji, and multitudes
of others are unable to save because the Holy Word of God explicitly
says that there is no other name or God who can save. Now there are
some of you who are immediately and antagonistically crying out
within yourselves: "He is quoting some isolated text from scripture. The
Bible is not that narrow in its limitations concerning salvation. Were he
using all of the scriptures his conclusion would be different." Well, let
me tell you something shocking. I just read the entire New Testament
thru in a 4 day period--marking every verse indicating that salvation
is in Christ alone--not in creeds, works, ethics, rites or ceremonies, but
Christ. There were approximately 400 portions of God's word
presenting this clear-cut truth. Now if God said it once, that would
satisfy my searching mind, but when He declares it nearly 400 times
we had better believe it. In fact, the entire listing is found in this
booklet. This will bless the heart of every believer in the Lord Jesus
Christ as he takes time to study all of these passages.
Let's examine a few of the scriptural texts today concerning the
salvation that only Christ can give to needy hearts .

JESUS' WORD

1. First, the Savior's statements. In order to bombard you with the
truth, my comments on the verses will be limited. This way I can get
approximately 75 portions of God's word into this message. God will
speak thru His word, and I will only be His mouthpiece.

Matthew 16:18, "Upon this rock I will build my church."

Matthew 26:28, "This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed
for many for the remission of sins."

Mark 8:38, "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my
words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son
of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of His Father with the
holy angels."

In John 5:24 Christ states that the Son of man hath power on earth to
forgive sins.

Luke 19:10, "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is
lost."

To the thief on the cross the Savior says: "Today shalt thou be with me
in Paradise," Luke 23:43. Only God could make such a claim.

In John 4:14, our Lord says to the woman at the well "Whosoever
drinketh of this water shall thirst again But whosoever drinketh of the
water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall
give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting
life."

In John 5:40, Christ says, "You will not come to me that you might have
life."

John 6:37, "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out."

John 8:12, "I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not
walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

John 8:24, "You die in your sins if you believe not on me. "

John 10:9, "I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be
saved."

John 10:28, "I give unto them eternal life."

John 11:25, "I am the resurrection and the life." Verse 26, "Whosoever
liveth and believeth in me shall never die."

John 12:32, "If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto
me. This he spake, signifying what death he should die."

After hearing the statements of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, one
would do well to obey God the Father who said in Luke 9:35, "This is
my beloved Son. Hear Him."

Jesus also said in Luke 10:23, "He that is not with me is against me."
Don't say, "Oh, I admire Christ but I believe there are other ways."

You are either for Him or against Him. You either accept what He
has just stated about himself, thru 35 pronouns and references, or
reject it. Neutral you cannot be.

HOLY SPIRIT'S WORD

2. Secondly, let's consider the Spirit's statements. The blessed
Holy Spirit moved upon various writers according to II Peter 1:20 &
21, so we will actually be hearing from Him as we investigate the
verses He inspired men to write.

I am using the portion of the verse that backs the truth being
presented that salvation is found only in Christ. By doing this we
can deal with scores of passages. Please investigate thoroughly the
following, as nothing has been taken out of context.

Romans 1:16, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the
power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." Notice
it is the "good news" concerning Christ that is the power of God
unto salvation to all who believe. It is not to all who are
sprinkled as babies or immersed as adults. It is not
confirmation, reformation. It is not works or following a system
of ethics such as the Sermon on the Mount, the Golden Rule, or
the Ten Commandments, but the "good news" about Christ that is
the power of God unto salvation to all who--watch that word--
believe, believe.

Romans 5:1, "We have peace with God thru our Lord Jesus Christ."

Romans 5:8, "Christ died for us."

Romans 5:9, "We shall be saved from wrath through Him. "

Romans 6:23, "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ,
our Lord.

Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them
which are in Christ Jesus." Think of it--no judgment or hell if one is
in Christ Jesus.

Romans 10:13, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved."

Romans 13:14, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ"

I Corinthians 1:2, "We are sanctified in Christ Jesus."

I Corinthians 2:2, "I determined not to know anything among you,
save Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Why Paul? He is the only way.

I Corinthians 3:11, "Other foundation can no man lay but that which
is laid which is Jesus Christ." He is the foundation on which the
superstructure, the Church, has been built. Praise God, He is the
rock or foundation, not Peter.

I Corinthians 6:11, "You are washed in the name of the Lord Jesus."

II Corinthians 5:17, "If any man be in Christ, He is a new creature. "

II Corinthians 12:2, "I knew a man in Christ." Amen, that's the only way
to be--in Christ.

Galatians 1:4, Christ gave himself for our sins."

Galatians 2:16, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of
the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. "

Galatians 3:13, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us. For it is written, Cursed is everyone
that hangeth on a tree."

Galatians 3:26, "You are all the children of God by faith in Christ
Jesus."

Galatians 5:1, "Christ hath made us free."

Ephesians 1:3, "Our Lord Jesus Christ hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. "

Ephesians 3:17, "Oh, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith."

Philippians 3:10, "That I may know him and the power of his
resurrection."

Philippians 4:21, "Salute every saint in Christ Jesus." Saints are
produced in Christ.

Colossians 1:20, "He made peace through the blood of his cross."

Colossians 1:27, "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

Colossians 2:10, "You are complete in Him."

I Thessalonians 1:10, "Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to
come."

I Timothy 2:6, "Christ gave himself a ransom for all."

II Timothy 2:10, "They may obtain the salvation which is in Christ
Jesus with eternal glory."

Hebrews 2:9, "That Christ by the grace of God should taste death
for every man."

Hebrews 5:9, "He became the author of eternal salvation."

Hebrews 10:12, "But this man, Jesus, after he had offered one
sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God."

I Peter 2:24, "Who His own self bare our sins in his own body on the
tree."

II Peter 2:20, "They have escaped the pollutions of the world
through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

I John 4:9, "God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we
might live through him."

I John 4:10, "He sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins."

I John 5:11 & 12, "This is the record, that God hath glven to us
eternal life; and this life is in his Son. He that hath the son hath
life; and he that hath not the son of God hath not life."

Jude 1:21, "Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto
eternal life."

Revelation 5:9, pictures the eternal future when we shall be with
Christ in heaven and records the words of the song the redeemed
shall sing in that day. "They sang a new song saying, Thou art
worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou
wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast
made us unto our God kings and prlests: and we shall reign on the
earth." Say, if you never sing about the blood of Christ in your
high class church services, you will never find yourself in heaven
with the "throngs singing redemption's story."

Revelation 7:14 pictures the tribulation hour and the same plan
of salvation exists after the Church is removed from this
earth. "These are they which came out of great tribulation,
and have washed their robes, and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb. Christ is the lamb of God." (John 1:29.)

Revelation 14:13 states that the only ones called blessed or happy
are the dead which die in the Lord. If you don't die in the Lord,
you will be lost. Dear reader, I sum it all up by saying that you
will never see God unless you come by the way of Christ's shed
blood upon the cross.

Revelation 21:27, "There shall in no wise enter into it (heaven),
anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or
maketh a lie: but--(hear it, don't miss it)-- but they which are
written in the Lamb's Book of Life." (Christ's book of life.)
I have but skimmed the surface today. Four hundred passages
reiterate this same glorious truth. The question is: "What will you do
with Jesus? You are a sinner, Christ shed his blood for your sin and now
you must receive Him. Remember the old hymn: "What will you do
with Jesus, neutral you cannot be; some day your heart will be asking,
what will he do with me?" If you reject Him I can give you the answer
today. John 5:40, "You will not come to me that you might have life." In
John 14:6, "No man cometh unto the Father but by me." Revelation
20:15, "Whosoever was not found written in the Lamb's book of life
was cast into the lake of fire."