1SeekingHim
Member
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2010
- Messages
- 14
i just finished this sermon last night and want ed to share it. this sermon grew out of a question i was asked at a course mine and several othe churches offer called Alpha and the night i was ask the question that sparked this the topic was faith and the question was on the topic of salvation. So i started to free wright on the the two subjects and GOD gave me this sermon so here it is
Faith, Salvation? The two go hand in hand how do I know that I am saved, Because I have faith (I believe not only in GOD and Jesus but that GOD keeps the promises he makes) that as he promises when I repented and asked him into my heart, that at that moment he not only forgave but made my heart (my sole) his dwelling place, and that day (4/29/2007) I received the greatest gift possible life everlasting (eternal life with GOD in heaven)
So ill start with faith the bible says in Romans 10:17 faith comes from hearing, and hearing the word of GOD and the bible gives us the most accurate definition of Faith in Hebrews 11:1 faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Now that we have the definition some may ask about the 12 disciples if faith is believing in the unseen well the disciples saw Jesus they knew for a fact he existed and they had seen him work miracles there for they could not by definition have faith in those thing, but the bible says they had faith, so they had faith but faith in what. They had faith not that Jesus existed but that he was who he said he was (the one and only son of GOD), and faith in the salvation he brought forth through his death and resurrection and faith in the promise of Life Everlasting. But I believe that it may have been easier for them to have faith and not because they saw Jesus but the type of life style they led in that time, Now a days in our world or modern in convenes we have created a miss prioritized World and we get hung up on the little thing or even worse we worry about and get hung up on thing out side of our control (and most time it out of everyone but GOD’s control). We have gotten things all mixed up and we can’t see the forest for the trees so to speak, salvation faith in Jesus are not on the top of our priorities. In the bible every time Jesus heals someone it says they were healed by Faith, they had faith that Jesus was the messiah and he could give them the one they wanted most healing and salvation. It seams sometimes like Salvation and Faith in Jesus are at the bottom of our prioities and sometimes their not there at all. We don’t seem to understand just how important salvation is so I’ll try to make it clear for you. Sure you can get by and even live a pretty fulfilling life seprate from GOD (without salvation) but life is short and eternity is forever and that’s what you’re gambeling with here the bible says that without salvation you are cursed by original sin to live for eternity separate from GOD
This seems like a good place to switch over to Salvation and once again the best place to start is a definition and explanation now I could not find a Christian specific definition so here is my definition/ explanation
Salvation is GOD’s invitation extended to all people any were and every were, any place and any time, to repent from their sins, and join him in life everlasting witch the bible says that it’s only through Jesus Christ the son of GOD who suffered the punishment for our sins;( he was tried , found innocent but still he was beaten , crucified {Matthew 27 }) and concurred death ( Jesus died on the cross was buried and was resurrected three days later and showed himself to Marry and the Disciples { Matthew 28 }) guaranteeing us the chance of life everlasting
Now were most people get stopped up here is guilt they feel they are not worthy of salvation and have problems forgiving themselves for what they have done , they don’t understand that the supreme ruler of the universe can forgive them or their guilt is to personal to let go and they can’t forgive themselves the other place we get hung up is forgiveness see GOD has three conditions for salvation the first is that we have faith in him, the second is that we ask him for forgiveness and to come into our heart, the third is that we forgive others as he forgives us. And that’s where we hit the brakes, we have to forgive anybody and everybody who has wronged us, but anger is natural and revenge is sweat, think about it for a second I’m sure that everyone can think of someone that has hurt you and you would love to get even with them if you had the chance. If you’re getting stopped up here I have this to say imagine for a moment you take that pain and anger and multiply it by 100 or 1000 or even better multiply it by 6 billion (the population of the world) and think of how hard it would be to forgive that person/ persons well that’s only half of what GOD’s forgave and only a small fraction of the pain he has endured and let go. If you’re struggling with guilt or worthiness ill say this let take a historical villain I like to use Hitler but let’s use someone still alive will use Castro a ruthless dictator who has oppressed hundreds of people and probably had as many killed, a bad person by all options but GOD says that if he repents of his sins and asks GOD into his heart he will gain salvation and life everlasting. So if GOD has invited him why wouldn’t GOD extend the same invitation to you?
In the definition I gave you I call salvation an invitation but it’s more important for you to understand that Salvation is a gift and not just a gift but THE GIFT, the best gift in the universe. Salvation is given to us freely, salvation is bought by the Blood of Christ {The Bible: The New Testament}, salvation is a gift and as such cannot be forced upon anyone salvation is a gift and must be received openly of your freewill. We have now hit upon another place people sometimes struggle with and that is receiving the salvation and it’s not just how do I get it or how do I ask for it, but its taking what’s rightfully theirs. I want to start with the second and save the first for last so here goes, so now you’ve found faith and have asked GOD to forgive you and now you hit a wall it’s understandable while salvation is a gift it’s not really anything tangible, and while the concept of receiving is simple if salvation was a package we would be able to go to the mail box and take it out (receiving it) but it’s not, and it’s not as simple this takes the most on your / our part it’s tough because it deals with the part of our being were your mind and your spirit meet and both have to agree. You must have faith in your spirit and believe in your mind that GOD loves you and wants to, the bible says, make you happy beyond your wildest dreams once you can agree on that it’s up to you to open up yourself body, mind, and spirit, and make yourself an open vessel for GOD. SALVATION IT’S A GIFT JUST TAKE IT
Now let’s look at the first question most people ask once they have decided they want to be saved and that is how does one get saved? well this one is simple once you have as the evangelist’s say “Seen the Light” GOD has only three requirements first you must have faith in the WORD of GOD and in Jesus Christ as the Son of GOD and Savior, second you must repent; turn away from your sins, and last but most certainly not least you must ask Jesus to be your savior, to forgive your sins, and to come into your heart.
And now as GOD says ill make the first last so onto the question that sparked this sermon “How do I know if I am saved?” Well truthfully only you can answer that but if you’re unsure I’ll give you this make a short list of the three prior requirements if you can check all three of them off the list the bible says that you are saved and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you but we’ll let GOD sort him out
Faith, Salvation? The two go hand in hand how do I know that I am saved, Because I have faith (I believe not only in GOD and Jesus but that GOD keeps the promises he makes) that as he promises when I repented and asked him into my heart, that at that moment he not only forgave but made my heart (my sole) his dwelling place, and that day (4/29/2007) I received the greatest gift possible life everlasting (eternal life with GOD in heaven)
So ill start with faith the bible says in Romans 10:17 faith comes from hearing, and hearing the word of GOD and the bible gives us the most accurate definition of Faith in Hebrews 11:1 faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Now that we have the definition some may ask about the 12 disciples if faith is believing in the unseen well the disciples saw Jesus they knew for a fact he existed and they had seen him work miracles there for they could not by definition have faith in those thing, but the bible says they had faith, so they had faith but faith in what. They had faith not that Jesus existed but that he was who he said he was (the one and only son of GOD), and faith in the salvation he brought forth through his death and resurrection and faith in the promise of Life Everlasting. But I believe that it may have been easier for them to have faith and not because they saw Jesus but the type of life style they led in that time, Now a days in our world or modern in convenes we have created a miss prioritized World and we get hung up on the little thing or even worse we worry about and get hung up on thing out side of our control (and most time it out of everyone but GOD’s control). We have gotten things all mixed up and we can’t see the forest for the trees so to speak, salvation faith in Jesus are not on the top of our priorities. In the bible every time Jesus heals someone it says they were healed by Faith, they had faith that Jesus was the messiah and he could give them the one they wanted most healing and salvation. It seams sometimes like Salvation and Faith in Jesus are at the bottom of our prioities and sometimes their not there at all. We don’t seem to understand just how important salvation is so I’ll try to make it clear for you. Sure you can get by and even live a pretty fulfilling life seprate from GOD (without salvation) but life is short and eternity is forever and that’s what you’re gambeling with here the bible says that without salvation you are cursed by original sin to live for eternity separate from GOD
This seems like a good place to switch over to Salvation and once again the best place to start is a definition and explanation now I could not find a Christian specific definition so here is my definition/ explanation
Salvation is GOD’s invitation extended to all people any were and every were, any place and any time, to repent from their sins, and join him in life everlasting witch the bible says that it’s only through Jesus Christ the son of GOD who suffered the punishment for our sins;( he was tried , found innocent but still he was beaten , crucified {Matthew 27 }) and concurred death ( Jesus died on the cross was buried and was resurrected three days later and showed himself to Marry and the Disciples { Matthew 28 }) guaranteeing us the chance of life everlasting
Now were most people get stopped up here is guilt they feel they are not worthy of salvation and have problems forgiving themselves for what they have done , they don’t understand that the supreme ruler of the universe can forgive them or their guilt is to personal to let go and they can’t forgive themselves the other place we get hung up is forgiveness see GOD has three conditions for salvation the first is that we have faith in him, the second is that we ask him for forgiveness and to come into our heart, the third is that we forgive others as he forgives us. And that’s where we hit the brakes, we have to forgive anybody and everybody who has wronged us, but anger is natural and revenge is sweat, think about it for a second I’m sure that everyone can think of someone that has hurt you and you would love to get even with them if you had the chance. If you’re getting stopped up here I have this to say imagine for a moment you take that pain and anger and multiply it by 100 or 1000 or even better multiply it by 6 billion (the population of the world) and think of how hard it would be to forgive that person/ persons well that’s only half of what GOD’s forgave and only a small fraction of the pain he has endured and let go. If you’re struggling with guilt or worthiness ill say this let take a historical villain I like to use Hitler but let’s use someone still alive will use Castro a ruthless dictator who has oppressed hundreds of people and probably had as many killed, a bad person by all options but GOD says that if he repents of his sins and asks GOD into his heart he will gain salvation and life everlasting. So if GOD has invited him why wouldn’t GOD extend the same invitation to you?
In the definition I gave you I call salvation an invitation but it’s more important for you to understand that Salvation is a gift and not just a gift but THE GIFT, the best gift in the universe. Salvation is given to us freely, salvation is bought by the Blood of Christ {The Bible: The New Testament}, salvation is a gift and as such cannot be forced upon anyone salvation is a gift and must be received openly of your freewill. We have now hit upon another place people sometimes struggle with and that is receiving the salvation and it’s not just how do I get it or how do I ask for it, but its taking what’s rightfully theirs. I want to start with the second and save the first for last so here goes, so now you’ve found faith and have asked GOD to forgive you and now you hit a wall it’s understandable while salvation is a gift it’s not really anything tangible, and while the concept of receiving is simple if salvation was a package we would be able to go to the mail box and take it out (receiving it) but it’s not, and it’s not as simple this takes the most on your / our part it’s tough because it deals with the part of our being were your mind and your spirit meet and both have to agree. You must have faith in your spirit and believe in your mind that GOD loves you and wants to, the bible says, make you happy beyond your wildest dreams once you can agree on that it’s up to you to open up yourself body, mind, and spirit, and make yourself an open vessel for GOD. SALVATION IT’S A GIFT JUST TAKE IT
Now let’s look at the first question most people ask once they have decided they want to be saved and that is how does one get saved? well this one is simple once you have as the evangelist’s say “Seen the Light” GOD has only three requirements first you must have faith in the WORD of GOD and in Jesus Christ as the Son of GOD and Savior, second you must repent; turn away from your sins, and last but most certainly not least you must ask Jesus to be your savior, to forgive your sins, and to come into your heart.
And now as GOD says ill make the first last so onto the question that sparked this sermon “How do I know if I am saved?” Well truthfully only you can answer that but if you’re unsure I’ll give you this make a short list of the three prior requirements if you can check all three of them off the list the bible says that you are saved and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you but we’ll let GOD sort him out
