Sunday, November 27, 2024 AM
SALVATION: Five Things God Does Not Know!
Mike Teel, Pastor
FOCAL PASSAGE:
19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. —I John 3:19-20
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. —Hebrew 4:13
GOD DOES NOT KNOW …
HOW TO
YOU
THAN HE ALREADY DOES
1. WHAT DOES
LOOK LIKE?
–True love is always sacrificial.
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. —Ephesians 5:22, 25, 28
2. HOW GOD
HIS LOVE FOR US
–He was willing to give up the most precious thing He possessed … His own son, Jesus Christ.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:8
–There is nothing you can do that will make God love you any MORE than He already does.
–There is also nothing you can do that will make God love you any LESS!
But there is a second thing GOD DOES NOT KNOW …
HOW TO
SIN
1.
LOVE OF GOD
–God loves you and me unconditionally.
3b “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. —Jeremiah 31:3b
–Though God loves us He cannot ignore your sins and pretend it isn’t there.
6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; —Exodus 34:6-7
2.
/
MUST BE PAID
–Each time we have disobeyed God’s commandments, a sin debt has accrued.
–It is a debt you and I cannot pay ourselves because the price tag for sin is costly – death.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Romans 6:23
3. GOD’S
–God wants you to live with Him forever.
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. —II Peter 3:9
–Jesus never sinned, so He did not owe the wages of sin.
–Therefore, He could pay your debt of sin on the cross and die in your place.
–This means if you will accept Jesus’ payment for your sin, you can have eternal life in heaven!
This leads us to a third thing; GOD DOES NOT KNOW …
HOW TO TURN AWAY A
SINNER
1. GOD
LOVE ME
–Maybe you are thinking, “God couldn’t love me. I’m not good enough.”
–God isn’t in the business of saving just good people … just people who are repentant.
–It is not based upon your performance – remember it is a gift.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. —Ephesians 2:8-9
2. GOD’S
–God has promised that if you will turn from your sin to Him, He will save you.
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” —Romans 10:9, 13
–God has given His word that if you will come to Him with a repentant heart, He will save you so you can spend eternity with Him in heaven.
–There is no person so good that he needs not to be saved, but there is no person so bad that they cannot be saved.
Now, there is a fourth thing GOD DOES NOT KNOW …
ANOTHER
TO BE SAVED
1. GOOD FOR NOTHING
–You may be a good moral person with wholesome values.
–You may be a good citizen who abides by the Golden Rule.
–But those things, while good, won’t save you or result in forgiveness of your sins.
2. SALVATION IN JESUS ONLY
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” —Acts 4:12
6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. No one comes to the Father except through me.” —John 14:6-7
–In other words, you can’t depend on your own goodness to get you to heaven.
–Your only hope is to call on Jesus in prayer and ask Him to save you.
–And if you do God promises that … “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13
–Isn’t that exciting? —Think about it.
But there is one last thing GOD DOES NOT KNOW …
A BETTER TIME TO BE SAVED THAN
–We all realize we have no guarantee of living beyond this moment.
–This is why God’s Word says: “… I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” II Corinthians 6:2b
–Your eternity is worth thinking about.
–Please let us know so we can assure you of your new faith and help you get started as a new follower of Jesus Christ.
LIVE IT OUT
–If you just prayed that prayer, we would like to help you understand what your next step in your journey with Christ might need to be.
–Maybe you prayed that prayer a long time ago and you have just allowed life to get in the way of living for Jesus daily. Today maybe you would like to recommit your life to Christ.
–Maybe you have never identified with Christ by declaring Jesus is your Lord through scriptural baptism.