Sermons on Salvation
“Why Emmanuel?” – Matthew 1:23
Main thoughts:Isaiah tells us that the Messiah will be called Emmanuel or “God with us.” The angel repeats this same name to Joseph. We know that Jesus is God in the flesh. We celebrate His advent or “coming to” this earth. Why? Why did God become a man? Why did He come as a child? To reveal God to usThroughout human history debates have raged as to what God is like. Human beings have created many false gods and many…
The Death of Death in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:4)
Man’s problem is death As human beings we know that something is not right in our world; however, we believe that man is basically good. In light of this we refer to especially sinful people as “sick.” We blame everything in our society on something other than a deep malady within all of us. Because of this we turn to morality, ethics, and laws as the cure for the sickness. Most people say things like, “We need to be in…
Do You Believe? (John 19:31-37)
If Jesus has finished the work of our salvation then all we must do is believe in Him. This is the whole point of John’s Gospel. He wants us to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. John’s family connections Jesus and John are first cousins; their mothers are sisters. John also takes Mary into his home and cares for her for the last years of her life. John has had a first row seat to Jesus’…
God’s Glory in Saving His People (John 17:6-10)
Three evidences of true conversion Jesus speaks of how the disciples were given to Him of the Father. He gives three indications of how He knows they are saved: They have come out of the world They have received the Word of God They believe that He has been sent from the Father We can know that we are part of the people of God and have a full assurance of our salvation. Jesus here lays the foundation of that…
Foundation 4: Regeneration and Assurance (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
What does God’s grace do to a sinner who believes in Jesus Christ? A radical transformation Everything that we were in our flesh before coming to Christ is radically transformed from the inside out by God’s grace. We cease to be what we were, and we are radically transformed. Our soul undergoes such a transformation that although our body remains the same we are literally not the same person we used to be. A new life This radical transformation is…
Foundations of Our Faith (Psalm 11:3)
The foundation of our faith is under constant assault. If the foundations crumble, our faith will fall. We must strengthen and pass on the foundations If our faith is going to stand, we must strengthen the foundations. We must constantly be reminded of and refresh our minds to the great foundational truths of Christianity. In addition to this we must pass on these truths to our children and others who are new in the faith. Jesus is our foundation Christianity…
Do You Know God? (John 17:1-5)
Jesus now goes aside to pray concerning His upcoming death and for His disciples. This is commonly called the “High Priestly Prayer.” In the opening verses He deals with one of the most important questions, “What is eternal life?” Eternal life is given to the elect Jesus is clear: He alone has all the power, including the power of salvation. Eternal life is something that Jesus gives; it is not something that we attain, earn, or merit. It is entirely…
Hatred: Evidence of True Conversion (John 15:18-25)
True followers of Christ will be hated If the world hated Jesus so much that they killed Him, what will they do to those who follow Him? We will receive the same treatment. We know that the world hated and persecuted Jesus, so we can expect that the closer we follow Him the more we will be hated and persecuted. If we were like the world they would love us; if we are like Jesus they will hate us. We…
Receiving the Truth (John 14:16-21)
The disciples are troubled that Jesus is going to be leaving them. Jesus’ response has been to talk about heaven and how to get to the Father. He has shown them that He is the only Way and that there is a new life for those who believe in Him. This new life will be characterized by following in Jesus’ footsteps. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter In all of our troubles, trials, and suffering God sends His Holy Spirit.…
A Changed Heart (John 14:15)
How does the Law of God relate to the Grace of God? Man believes that he loves God One constant among human beings is that we all believe we love God and are right with God. If you look around our culture here in the South virtually everyone “believes in God,” “loves God,” and is “going to heaven when they die.” However, when confronted with the Law of God, men usually turn to one of two things, legalism or license.…