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The Big Picture |
Dear Brethren,
What is the most important
question in our lives? Do we prioritize the aspects of life according
to their importance? Is God first? Does our family come next,
and then, possibly, our jobs, and so forth..? When we stand back and
look at the big picture, what is it all about? Isn't it about the plan
of God and what He is doing? If we are not ultimately in the Kingdom
of God, all else is useless and worthless. Salvation is eternal life.
If we do not eventually enter into eternal life - isn't all else in vain?
All who have ever lived before us, have died - and so will we,
unless we are saved from death. We call that process, "salvation."
Without salvation, we will not be in the kingdom of God. Salvation, then,
is the most important question in our lives. How does the process of
salvation take place? What are the salvational issues? We may ask
ourselves, "What do I have to do to receive salvation?" "What do I
have to do to be saved?" Is it, being good? Is it, accepting
Jesus? Just what is salvation?
First of all, the process of salvation does not begin with
us. The process of salvation begins with God the Father and continues with
His Son, Jesus Christ. No one can be saved without the direct initiative,
intervention and generosity of God the Father. Jesus said, "No one
can come to me, except the Father who has sent me drag him: ['drag,' more
clearly expresses the Greek "helkuo"]... no man can come
unto Me, except it were given unto him of my Father." (John
6:44,65)
Our calling is a most precious
gift of God. It is a direct invitation to become one of His
children. Not flesh and blood children, but spiritual children as God is
Spirit (John 4 24). Billions of others people on the face of this
earth are specifically excluded at this time! What then is the
appropriate response, on our part, to such a gracious
offer?
We should respond by seeking to
be entirely pleasing in God's sight. We should desire to be holy as He is
Holy - in every way. In the past, there have been those among the people
of God who had an attitude of doing just enough to squeak into the
kingdom. That is an immature attitude toward God the Father and Jesus
Christ. Salvation is life - life eternal! There is no
in-between. We will either attain to God life - or we will
perish.
Let's look at the parable of the man
who half-heartedly wished to inherit eternal life. He wanted to do just
enough without giving it his all. Jesus knew that this man wished to hold
on to his possessions more than he wanted God's kingdom to be
established. "When Jesus was gone forth into the way, there came one running,
and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal
life? And Jesus said unto him, Why
callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou
knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do
not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and
mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I
observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him,
One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the
poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and
follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had
great possessions. And Jesus
looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that
have riches enter into the kingdom of God!" (Mark 10:17-23)
We must put our entire being into
becoming like our heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Next, notice
the different attitude of the newly called jailer who was guarding Paul
and Silas when a great earthquake struck their
prison. "The keeper of the prison... seeing the prison
doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that
the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do
thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he... fell down before
Paul and Silas.., and said, Sirs, what must I do to be
saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto
him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he
took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was
baptized, he and all his, straightway." (Acts 16:27-33)
We see here the process of salvation beginning; first,
with God's direct intervention, followed by repentance, faith and baptism.
Repentance is toward God because our sins have been against Him and His perfect
way. Faith is in Jesus Christ as our personal savior, because if it were
not for Jesus, we would remain in our sins and die eternal death. When
Jesus and His Father make their abode in us - live in us - we, too, will live
eternally. That is salvation.
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Sermon: |
"The Big Picture" |
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