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GOD'S SIMPLE
PLAN OF SALVATION
But
Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come
unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew
19:14
And
an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The
way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it
shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not
err therein.
Isaiah 35:8
(We
are not to judge. Only God can call someone a fool.)
The
way to Heaven is so plainly marked
that children cannot miss it and yet many times intellectual
giants have missed the way completely. Statistics
tell us that 85% of all people who have not accepted Christ as
Lord and Savior by the age of 18 never will.
Thank God for those who do and are in the 15%!
Why
is it that these intellectual giants miss the way to Heaven so
often? Think of it.
They have discovered the laws of aerodynamics,
the law of gravity,
etc. They have put men on the moon and sent satellites,
missiles, etc. into outer space. Even landed some of them on
distant planets. The reason many of these intellectual giants
have missed the way to Heaven is because they are slaves to
natural laws in relation to natural things, but have ignored
completely spiritual laws in relation to spiritual things.
Einstein
discovered the law of “General
theory of relativity” in the field of mathematics.
God has set the
spiritual laws, as well as the natural laws. 2+2 still equals 4.
The
way to Heaven is so simple that children can find it.God made it so that any person may be
His child. It is by
faith! Everyone
must come to God as a child does.
Verily
I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God
as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
Mark
10:15
The
great prince of preachers of the
19th century, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, became a believer in
Christ after hearing a gospel message from Isaiah 45:22.
This certainly may be called, “God’s
Simple Plan of Salvation.”
Look
unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am
God, and there is none else.
Isaiah 45:22
Please,
notice four truths
from this verse of the Bible----
the
first truth is----
1.
THE SIMPLICITY OF SALVATION “look” Isaiah
45:22
(1)
If you were to ask ten people how to be saved you would probably
get about ten different answers. The enemy of the gospel, Satan,
has confused man’s mind.
In
whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which
believe not, lest the light of
the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine unto them.
2 Corinthians 4:4
There
is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are
the ways of death.
Proverbs 14:12
(2)
Man was lost by a “look.”
So
when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was
pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she
took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with
her, and he ate .
Genesis 3:6
(3)
Man may also be saved by a
“look.”
There
is an Old Testament picture of Calvary in Numbers
chapter 21. The
people of Israel, in one of their many times of discontent had
spoken against the Lord and His servant, Moses.
In verse 9 it says,
So
Moses made a bronze serpent,
and put it on a pole;and so it was, if a serpent had
bitten anyone, when
he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Numbers 21:9
Sin
has bitten all of us - by a look to Christ we may have
deliverance! the first
truth is the Simplicity of
Salvation, the
second truth is--
2.
THE SOURCE OF SALVATION “unto
me” Isaiah
45:22
(1)
Where do you look? Many look to themselves.
A
Biblical illustration of this found in Luke chapter 18. This is
the parable of the publican and pharisee.
8:9
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in
themselves that they
were righteous, and despised others:
18:10
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a
Pharisee, and the other a publican.
18:11
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank
thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust,
adulterers, or even as this publican.
18:12
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
18:13
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much
as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God
be merciful to me a sinner.
18:14
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather
than the other: for every one that
exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted.
Luke 18:9-14
(2).
We judge by the wrong standards.
As
it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.
Romans 3:10
But
we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses
are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities,
like the wind, Have taken us away.
Isaiah
64:6
(3)
Life is IN Christ.
He
that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God
hath not life.
1 John 5:12
the
“simplicity” of salvation is “to
look” and the “source”
of salvation is Christ “to me” then-----the
third truth is----
3.
THE SUBJECT OF SALVATION
“and be ye saved”
Isaiah 45:22
(1)
People are interested in various subjects.
Making
money, sports, politics, computers, education, losing weight, on
and on.
(joke:
man went to the doctor. wanted to know how to get down on
weight. the doctor said, “diet
and diet and diet, no simple answer.” the man said,
“I’m concerned
about the size not the color!!”)
(2)
Salvation is the most important subject of ALL!the subject
of the entire Bible.
God
the Father concerned:
The
Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
slackness; but is longsuffering to
us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9
God
the Son concerned:
For
the Son of Man is come to seek and save that which was
lost. Luke
19:10
God
the Holy Spirit concerned:
And
when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment:
John
16:8
The
simplicity of
salvation is to “look”, the source
of salvation is Christ, “to me”, the subject
of salvation is found in the words of Isaiah 45:22 “for
salvation” then fourthly
----
4.
THE SCOPE OF SALVATION
all the ends of the earth
Isaiah 45:22
(1)
This message applies to every person!
(2)
Christ always keeps His Word!!!
All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh
to me I will in no wise cast out.
John 6:37
(ill-
The great evangelist of the early 20th century, Billy Sunday
told of incident. It took place in Pennsylvania while Governor
Pollock, a Christian, was in office. He was instrumental in
getting the words, “In God we trust” on U.S. money.
He was asked and begged countless times by the mother of
a young man who was on death row in the state penitentiary to
issue a pardon. One
day this lady came to the governor’s office pleading with him.
After she left the office, he felt impressed to go visit
the young man about his spiritual need. Of course he was ushered back the young man’s cell.
He asked about the young man’s condition before God.
The young man had his head buried in his hands as he sat
on the cot. As the
governor was ushered out the young man heard the guard
say,
“Thanks, governor.” The
young man did not know who he had rejected.
The only person who had the authority to pardon him from
his crime. He
leaped up and screamed, “Please, governor, come back! I need
you!”
But
it was too late.)
The
same thing may happen to those who during this age of grace and
freedom reject the gracious invitation from Christ the Son of
God who offers eternal life and abundant life to those who will
believe.
For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life.
John 3:16
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