"Jesus Saves” Series

On television or radio, it is not uncommon to hear a pitchman tell you that the particular opportunity to purchase whatever product he is promoting is “the greatest opportunity ever offered!” You know that isn’t the case, however, because you know that next week you will see the same product offered with new packaging and at a new price, but still with the promise, “This is the greatest opportunity ever offered!” As the old saying goes, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!”

But such is not the case with God’s offer of eternal life through faith in Christ. God’s offer is as good as it seems.

Eternal life as a free gift, through faith in Christ. His offer has never changed, and His price is still the same.

Indeed, God’s offer of eternal life through Christ is the greatest opportunity ever offered!

This opportunity is . . .

1. For all who lose - “whoever”

In other words, it is an opportunity for all of us! For all of us, apart from Christ, are losers.

“For apart from me you can do nothing.” - John 15:5b (NLT)

Apart from Christ, we experience loss with respect to:

A. Knowing Freedom.

1) From the burden of sin.

The Bible tells us that each of us is guilty of sin.

“There is no one righteous, not even one.” - Romans 2:10 (NIV)

It is said that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the writer of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, was a well known practical joker. One practical joke that he was said to have played on 12 of his friends in high society was that he sent them all a telegram with the message, “Flee at once, all has been discovered.” And within twenty-four hours, every one of his friends had fled the country.

The fact is that though some may try to deny it, what the Bible says is true. When people are honest about it, they have to admit to the fact that sin has left them with a burden of guilt. And their guilt is something which they cannot run away from!

Apart from Christ, you will never know freedom from the burden of your sin, and, as a result, you will never know freedom from . . .

2) From the bondage of Satan.

A) Satan is out to deceive all who do not know Jesus.

In Ephesians 2:2, Paul describes the bondage under which a person lives apart from Christ, when tells us that without Christ in one’s life, he follows “the ways of this world [influenced by this present age], in accordance with the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit who is now at work in the disobedient [the unbelieving, who fight against the purposes of God].” (Amplified)

A group of teenage boys once carried out a prank where they broke in to a local department store. They didn’t steal anything, but instead, they switched the price tags on items within the store. So the tag on a $395 camera was removed and placed on a box of stationery. The $5.95 sticker on a paper back book was attached to an lawn mower.

When the store opened the next morning you would have expected total chaos. Surprisingly, though, the store operated just like normal for 4 hours. Some customers literally got some steals while others felt the merchandise was way over priced. Incredibly, four hours slipped by before the hoax was discovered.

In the department store of American culture, Satan has deceptively switched the price tags and far more than 4 hours have passed since he did it. Things are valued more than people, pleasure is priced higher than faithfulness, profits mean more than integrity, and God is loo often seen as unnecessary baggage. The tags have been switched and we need lo sound the alarm.

B) Satan is out to destroy all who do not know Jesus.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” - John 10:10a

A wolf, a fox, and a bear went deer hunting. Fortune smiled on them; and each got a deer. They sat down to discuss how the spoils should be divided. The wolf said, “It’s obvious that the only fair way of distribution would be for us each to get one deer.” The bear promptly ate the wolf! Then the bear asked the fox his thoughts on the subject. The fox said immediately, “I think you should have all three deer.” The bear was pleased. “Where did you get such wisdom?” he asked. “From the wolf,” said the fox.

Why did the bear eat the wolf? Because that’s what bears do. I bet you that the fox eventually was eaten as well, along with all three deer! It was foolish to go along with the bear to begin with.