Why Salvation

 Psalms 14:1-3 Text 3

   In today's society there are all kinds of opinions as to where man is heading. Some say we are heading towards utopia where everyone will just love everybody and will see no race, creed, sex or nationality. While it seems that on the outside this is happening now, nothing could be further from the truth.

   Man has tried in his own wisdom and knowledge to try to bring this about by envoking all kinds of rules and regulations and so far this is all vain. Many smile with pleasure when they think in their own hearts that they have accomplished some great feat within their own strength when finally they pass enough legislation to force people to bow to the will of certain special interest groups. So many have good intentions but the world is being fooled to believe that even with all their acheivements man has somehow arrived even while with the other side of their mouths they speak something entirely different, knowing all the while, things aren't as good as it seems on the outside.

    In what the secular world calls "religion" man has even come to the place where they say " well we're all going to the same place" or perhaps they say as many do " after all we call on and serve the same God." Then there are the other sayings such as " certainly the good things I do will someday outweigh the bad and God will accept me into Heaven." " No one goes to hell or Heaven for there are really no such places." Last but not least and certainly not all " The Bible was written just by mere men who put their own words in there and God didn't do it" or " I'm a good person even though I am a liar, thief, manipulator, murderer, sodomite, rapist or child molester." The really decent person says "I'm ok, I have my own beliefs or my own religion."

   Man believes and is taught especially through liberal teachings and sensual thoughts, and not God breathed through His Holy Word, all kinds of beliefs. He is told to believe in yourself, you have the power to just think it and it will be so. We have the power to change ourselves and even our eternal destiny.

   So why does man need salvation? Well the Bible proves in many places that man is woefully inadequate when seen through the eyes of God the Creator. So we'll look at the Bible which is God's authority regardless of what man may say about it.

   Romans 3:10-12 says 10As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

   This plainly means that NO one has self righteousness, not good enough in themselves to please God or serve Him etc... Also in our natural state no one can understand God or His ways and certainly we cannot seek God either for we are not regenerated. We are all useless to God we are in fact unprofitable to Him in our natural state.

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

   Simply put we have all sinned and thus by doing so we come so short or fail so miserably to meet the standards of God in our natural state. (Sinners).

   Romans 5:12 says 12Wherefore, 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:

   When Adam (sinned) disobeyed God, sin entered into the world. So we are all going to face death because death is the penalty for being a sinner and sinning, regardless if we should say it isn't fair for why should I be counted as Adam. Makes no difference what we think, God is righteous in all He does.

    Romans 6:23 says 23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

    We all know what a wage is. It is something that is earned because we deserve what we have earned by working for it and so we expect our pay for whatever type of work we did to receive it. We deserve to die because we as being sinners have earned that wage or pay for we are born sinners. GOOD NEWS though, even though we now realize that we're born sinners our wages can be changed, in a since, because GOD wants us to receive something better than death. God has offered us a free gift of eternal life that can only be given by the Lord Jesus Christ and what He accomplished that day at Calvary when He offered up Himself as the final blood sacrifice, to be our Savior. We cannot earn this wonderful gift through any means. We simply have to receive it, nor can we pay for it. For it cannot be purchased with things like siver, gold or any other means of payment. Jesus paid for the gift of eternal life with His own blood.

   Romans 5: 8-9 says 8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

   Thanks be to God that He showed us just how much He loves because while we are down here sinning and doing all kinds of ungodly things, all dirty and filthy by sin in our lives and doing things contrary to His will and nature He sent Christ who died for us. Imagine He still loved us enough to send His dear Son to die in our place. He literally took our place where we should have been hung to pay for our sinfulness.

   Romans 10: 9 says 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

   So now that we have found out that we are born a sinner and that we can have the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ the Bible tells us in this verse that if we will be willing to confess with our mouths (confess to God that we're a sinner) the Lord Jesus, and will believe in our hearts the God raised Him (Jesus) from the dead, we can be saved.

    Romans 10:10 says 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

   One has to truly believe in their heart to receive righteouness which can only be inputed to you by God Himself. Also so many miss this part of the verse which plainly says that confession is made with the mouth. In other words when one becomes born again they will be more that willing to confess God has saved you for the next verse says:

   Romans 10:11 says 11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

   Romans 10:13 says 13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

    This verse is so wonderful for you can put you name right there where it says "whosoever". If you will receive and believe in your heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead and call upon HIS name (Jesus) you too can be saved. Salvation is so simple that even a child can understand it. So we've seen in the Bible that man in his unregenerated state can never go to Heaven. Salvation is not something man can do or accomplish for it cannot be sold, bought ot inheirited or given by no other than the LORD JESUS CHRIST. So yes indeed, why salvation? Simply put God loves you, want you ask Him to save you today?

Evangelist Stephen Blan *