Now, in case you hadnt noticed, this blog is entitled 'Are you saved?' and, in his sermon, Jeremy Brookes did a great job of explaining how to be saved... here is a summary of what he said:
1. The only way to be saved is by Grace. God's riches at Christ's Expense. God's riches may be defined as, 'every single blessing in heavenly places: justification, sanctification, adoption (made sons and daughters of God!)
How to enter these blessings... Through some merit? No, despite the sheer lack of them! Not because of us but because of Him. Grace is God reaching out to the sinner when, left to himself the sinner would never reach out to Him. 1 Jn 4:19 - We love him, because he first loved us.
2. The only way to be saved is by Faith: Faith is forsaking all, I take him. Let go of every other hope, so as to take Jesus Christ as saviour and Lord. Or, if grace is 'God's riches at Christ's expense', then faith is a result of that grace working new abilities of laying hold on God. Just simple, but saving faith, latches on to the Almighty.
3. The only way to be saved is in Christ. Clearly there is no salvation without a saviour. The person and work of Jesus Christ, and only in Him: He recieves none who seek another way, but all who seek the way through Him. In Christ only... 'The Lord has run off with my sin and left me his own righteousness instead', said one preacher. Jesus was crucified at Calvary, the physical agony of it all, but the spiritual agony was far greater. Why did Jesus have to come as a baby? Why a carpenter, why so long until the cross? 33 years? Why not just appear as a grown man to pay the penalty for sins and rise from the dead? I needed him to live for me too. My rags were worn by Him on the cross, as if God saw me and meted out my punishment on Him! Jesus gives me his own spotless robe! No one else can do that for you. No one else lived the way he did, without sin, and no one has ever died the way he did (although there were crucifixions a plenty), bearing the weight of a sinner like me. No-one else was raised from the dead like Him. He is unique, the only saviour of sinners. The wonder of the gospel is that he saved me and he can save you - not Dawkins or Mohammed can offer this. Jesus is able and willing to save. How sad if he was willing but not able, or able but not willing! Through these words He is reaching out to you - meet God in time as your friend, it must only be by grace, through faith, in Christ. Knowing how is not enough. There are those in hell tonight who knew how to be saved. Gospels sermons came and went until one day no more came or went. 'My spirit shall not always strive with man' (Gen 6:3) . In hell they remember every sermon and outline of a sermon, every gospel text. And they wish, how they wish. But their time had come and now it's gone. You will either go out tonight one gospel sermon nearer to hell, saying 'I don't need your saviour'. Or you'll say, 'I can't go until I know he's goes with me'. The only way to be saved.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jer 29:13)
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