Benefits Of Being A Child Of God

WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH

PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN

SERMON TITLE: THE BENEFITS OF BEING A CHILD OF GOD

“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. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth in Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18

TEXT VERSE: Psalms 116:12 “What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?”

A lot of Christians don’t realize exactly what we have when we have Jesus.

Romans 8:32 “He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also, freely give us all things?” Do you really know what benefits the Lord has for you?

We ought to thank God for everything he’s done for us. We ought to be on our knees daily. We have so much to thank him for. We can walk into the house of God and worship him in spirit and in truth. There’s a lot of countries that don’t have that freedom. They can’t sit down at night and read the Holy Bible. They don’t have the freedom to share with them Christ.

Number one: One of the benefits Christ has for us is the benefit of love. There’s no greater love than the Lord Jesus Christ. John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” There’s not greater benefit than to know that Jesus loves us. The Bible says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. I’m glad that earthly circumstances cannot change the love of God. Paul said in Romans 8 that nothing shall separate us from the love of God.

Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done... Christ still loves you.

Number two: The benefit of Grace. That’s God giving us what we did not deserve. Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all men.” Grace brought Salvation. A lot of people think you can get it by signing your name on some church roll. You can’t get Salvation without Grace. There’s no other name under heaven by where we must be saved. He’s the God of the Americans, the God of the Germans, the God of the Russians, the God of the Japanese and he’s able to save them to the uttermost. His grace is sufficient for all. Ephesians 2:8 “For by Grace are ye saved through faith that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” It’s a gift. Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” There’s nothing nowhere that God’s grace will not be sufficient.

Number three: The benefit of mercy. That’s God not giving us what we do deserve. We deserve Hell. We’re wretched people. We fell out of his grace. But we’ve got the benefit of mercy. Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” Not according to what we’ve done but according to his mercy, he saved us. He is a merciful God. I’m glad I know him. I got to thinking this week when my time would come. We all have to die. We can’t escape it. But we have a hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 9:16 “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth but of God that showeth Mercy.” Thank God he does show us mercy. All those times we step out of his will.,..thank God he’s a merciful God. Thank God we have that benefit where we can say, Lord look beyond my faults and failures and he’s merciful enough to forgive us.

Number four: We have the benefit of Spirit. There’s a lot of Christians I believe that don’t know what Spirit is. First John 4:13 “Hereby know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit.” You can’t get the Spirit of God unless he gives it to you. Ephesians 1:13 “After that you believed you were saved with the holy seal of promise.” Notice it says after you believed. A lot of people don’t recognize that. But we can’t get the Spirit until we believe. The Spirit of God is what convicts but you’re not going to get it untilyou believe it.