Sun, Dec 18th - 5:34PM

HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT SALVATION?

          “For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?” (Hebrews 2:2-4)

          John Wesley was born again AFTER leading thousands to saving faith in Jesus Christ through his preaching ministry. In the twentieth century a lot of good, faith inspiring, and doctrinally sound gospel songs were written and sung by country singers who grew up in Christian homes and were exposed to good influences, good teachings, and regular church attendance, but never personally gave a profession of faith or otherwise shewed evidence or fruit of salvation. I am not trying to discourage you from listening to preaching or gospel music, I simply wish to drive home the point that works and outward appearance can be deceiving and encourage you to examine yourself.

          Among professed believers are those who are yet unsaved but appear to be saved and believe themselves to be saved, and the church ought to be reaching out to unsaved church members as well as the unchurched instead of always assuming that every profession of faith is genuine. “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” (Matthew 13:24-30)

While a child of God might have doubts about salvation, this probably does not happen as often as supposed. Many professed believers have doubts about their salvation simply because they are not saved, and many unregenerate professors of faith are convinced that they are saved because they believe myths, misconceptions, and unscriptural theories about salvation. Many believe they are saved merely because they had a religious experience, but a religious experience does not necessarily mean salvation. You can bathe and brush your teeth religiously (and you should), but this won’t save you. It bothers me when someone says they were so young that they can’t remember much about the experience: For one thing, if you had an experience that you can’t remember much about then you didn’t have much of an experience. Many refer to certain works and rituals as the reason to believe they are saved, but this tends to indicate the opposite: Salvation is a personal experience with Jesus Christ and is through the finished work of Calvary, not the shed blood of Jesus Christ and additional supplements. (John 3:13-16; Acts 2:21; 10:43; Romans 4:5; 5:1-2,8-11; I Corinthians 15:1-4; II Corinthians 5:17-18; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5-6; Hebrews 5:9; I Peter 1:3; I John 5:20)

Do religious experiences or spiritual gifts confirm salvation? Not necessarily. While there is more to life in Christ than the initial experience (new birth) that occurs at faith and repentance, if your religious or spiritual experience does not make you love more, have a burden for lost souls, and hunger for the word of God that is a good sign that you are on the wrong track.

Did you repent? “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15) “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3)

Mere belief without genuine repentance is not saving faith. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19) Also consider:  “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6-7) “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Isaiah 57:15) “For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2)

Faith and repentance can be described as the two sides of the same coin; repentance is the turning from sin to God, and faith is the turning to Jesus Christ (God in the flesh) for salvation. “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:21) Repentance is the effective agent for forgiveness and remission of sins through the power of the cross. Saying that repentance is essential for salvation is not adding something to faith as a requirement for salvation; saving faith is repentant faith. (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; 17:30-31; II Corinthians 7:10)

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4) “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.” (1 John 4:2) How do you describe Jesus Christ? Many describe Jesus Christ as everything but God in the flesh, Who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died, was buried, was bodily resurrected, and in heaven today has a glorified human body. Faith always has an object and the proper object of saving faith is Jesus Christ, and more specifically, the Jesus Christ Who is presented in Scripture. (John 3:13-16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; I Timothy 2:5; 2 John7)

Was there a change in your life? “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27) “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” (Titus 2:11-12) “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” (I John 3:3)

Do you know you are a child of God? “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (Romans 8:14-16) “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” (Galatians 4:6) Many believe they are saved because they said a repeat-after-me prayer, and they have more faith in the sincerity of that prayer than they have in Jesus Christ. When you pray for salvation you must repent and believe in Jesus Christ and keep praying until you KNOW you are a child of God.

If you doubt your salvation you should go to Jesus as a lost sinner seeking salvation. What if you go to Jesus for salvation and don’t need to? God will forgive you. It would be better to seek salvation and not need it than to finish this life hoping in a counterfeit salvation.

Often the problem is wrong directions to lost sinners. Note that in Acts 16:30-32 Paul and Silas responded to the jailer's question by leading the jailer and his household to Jesus Christ. Multitudes neglect the issue of salvation altogether, and multitudes of unregenerate feel assured of salvation, because of improper directions. All too often lost people are assumed to be saved and assured that they are saved because of works and appearances. When such people "backslide," losing what they never had, they are likely to assume that Christianity is vanity or meaningless. Preachers and lay members alike need reminders that, while we all have an obligation to spread the Gospel, regeneration is an act of God (not man), and we must be careful that we are directing people to genuine salvation.

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The Wheat and the Tares www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMN4PI27-o8  

PAUL WASHER on Examining the Sinners Prayer www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuNUXc2Hoao  

Charo Washer's Testimony - Paul Washer's Wife www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_VtvHMJpiU  

What Is a Biblical Christian? www.eternallifeministries.org/am_wibc.htm?fbclid=IwAR1vlUjfQSpQQ1IXHk2KXhrUvj-ttFegD-VlLcriHW6rukHYX6-fyzSovLs  

True Repentance Will Lead to Salvation www.bible-knowledge.com/true-repentance/?fbclid=IwAR0OGG0rxWkNT8YnfTYjA7orMLP72UiiNtWgFbeZWqx-pExoZN7iyH2mntk  

What is repentance and is it necessary for salvation? www.gotquestions.org/repentance.html  

What is the conviction of sin? www.gotquestions.org/conviction-of-sin.html?fbclid=IwAR243ubxCO_GYIhjnbVxj4q3pnD9zgmT4gGJeIEy2r4vUMrlhCB5XXO4QHQ  

What does it mean to be chastened? www.gotquestions.org/chasten-chastening.html