Audio
WE BELIEVE THAT THE BLESSING OF SALVATION ARE MADE FREE TO ALL BY THE GOSPEL; THAT IT IS THE IMMEDIATE DUTY OF ALL TO ACCEPT THEM BY A CORDIAL PENITENT AND OBEDIENT FAITH; AND THAT NOTHING PREVENTS THE SALVATION OF THE GREATEST SINNER ON EARTH, BUT HIS OWN INHERENT DEPRAVITY AND VOLUNTARY REJECTION OF THE GOSPEL; WHICH REJECTION INVOLVED HIM IN AN AGGRAVATED CONDEMNATION.
I. “WE BELIEVE THAT THE BLESSING OF SALVATION ARE MADE FREE TO ALL BY THE GOSPEL.”
A. Romans 3:23,24 – “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”
1. The gospel is the good news from God that everything lost sinners need in order to be reconciled to God is found in Christ Jesus His son.
2. Salvation is a free gift from God to everyone who will receive it by faith.
B. Revelation 22:17 – “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
1. “…Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
2. Only those who depend and trust in Jesus and Him alone will be saved.
C. Isaiah 55:1 – “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters…”
1. Some would say that people in the tribulation period have no choice in salvation, but they do.
2. Revelation 14:6 states that during the tribulation period, there will be angels flying through the midst of heaven, preaching the everlasting gospel to all nations.
II. THAT IT IS THE IMMEDIATE DUTY OF ALL TO ACCEPT THEM BY A CORDIAL PENITENT AND OBEDIENT FAITH.”
A. Mark 1:14-15 – “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
1. Jesus came preaching the gospel and declared that sinners must repent and believe the news of salvation through Him.
2. There is no salvation apart from Christ Jesus.
3. Acts 4:12 – There is no other name given among men whereby they may be saved.
B. Other scriptures that teach this to be true are:
1. Romans 1:15-17 – Paul was willing to preach the gospel at Rome because he was a debtor to all people.
2. Romans 16:26 – The mystery of Christ’s coming to die for mankind is now revealed through the preaching of the gospel so that all could repent and be saved.
3. Romans 3:21-22 – There is no righteousness by keeping the law, but true righteousness comes by trusting the righteousness of Christ, and that righteousness is imputed to believers.
III. AND THAT NOTHING PREVENTS THE SALVATION OF THE GREATEST SINNER ON EARTH, BUT HIS OWN INHERENT DEPRAVITY AND VOLUNTARY REJECTION OF THE GOSPEL.”
A. John 5:39-40 – These Pharisees were searching the scriptures, but they refused to come to Christ.
1. Jesus said that lost sinners willingly stay away from him; they do it because they want to.
2. Man’s own will is depraved and contrary to God’s will, therefore, instead of coming to Him, they go away.
3. John 3:19 – “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
B. People are lost because they want to be lost.
1. Only when sinners want to be saved more than anything else will they come to Jesus that they might have life.
2. John 3:18-19 – “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
C. Other scriptures that teach this to be true are:
Matt. 23:37 – Christ desired Jerusalem to come to Him, but they refused (and was destroyed).
1. Romans 9:31-33 – Israel didn’t receive righteousness because they sought it by the keeping of the law, not by faith in the righteousness of Christ.
2. Proverbs 1:24 – This verse is a symbolic gesture. Wisdom (God) called to the simple ones (sinners) to turn from wickedness, but they wouldn’t hear.
3. Acts 13:46 – Paul and Barnabas turning from the unbelieving Jews to the Gentiles.
IV. “WHICH REJECTION INVOLVED HIM IN AN AGGRAVATED CONDEMNATION.”
A. John 3:18-19 – “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
1. Men are already condemned because they have not believed, but their continuing unbelief reveals their willingness to stay in darkness.
2. Jesus tells us in the 18th verse that men are condemned already who reject Him as their savior.
3. Verse 19 says men are condemned because God has sent the “light of the world” (Christ Jesus) into the world and men would not come to the “light” for two reasons.
a. Because men love sin rather than Jesus and right.
b. Because if they come to the “light” of God their evil deeds would be made manifest.
B. No person will be able to stand before God and say they are lost because it is Adam’s fault.
1. Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, 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”.
2. Romans 5:12 is true, but it is our own sins that condemn us.
a. Isaiah 53:6 – “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
b. Genesis 6:12 – “And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.”
c. Titus 3:3 – “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.”
d. Romans 3:9-18.
1) Paul tells us in these verses that God declares there are none righteous.
2) The Bible says there are none that doeth good, no not even one person.
3) The Bible declares that all mankind whether Jew or Gentile, red, yellow, black, or white, all are under sin.
4) God says that none of his creatures seek after Him in themselves.
C. Other scriptures that teach this to be true are:
1. Matthew 11:20 – Those cities that had seen the greatest works of Christ were condemned because they didn’t repent.
2. Luke 19:27 – Right after the “Parable of the Pounds”, the enemies of Christ will be killed before Him.
3. II Thess 1:8 – When Christ returns, he will take flaming vengeance on those that obey not the gospel of God.