"Just As I Am"

“Just As I Am” … OR …

“What Baptists Believe About … Man, Salvation, Grace”

NOTE: A solo, “Just As I Am” was sung just before this message.

INTRODUCTION: SERIES … PREVIOUS … What Baptists believe about the Scriptures, Trinity …

· MAN – Created innocent … sinned … brought sin into human race … sin nature … “dead in trespasses and sin”.

· SALV. – Made possible by GRACE of God … THRU personal faith in Jesus Christ … Who paid penalty, which is DEATH.

SALV. is made possible by work of Holy Spirit … THRU repentance … WHICH is turning from sin to faith in Jesus Christ.

ILLUSTRATED in “Rich Young Ruler” – Mt. 19:16-22

BY THE WAY … “young” – ‘ne-an-is-kos’ – under 40 YOA … PROBABLY about same age as Jesus.

“Just As I Am” … sung song 100’s of times.

IF … need to come to Jesus “Just As I Am” … THEN … “What are you?”

- LET’S let the “Rich Young Ruler” show us.

THIS … is what you ARE/WERE … BEFORE salvation.

AND … THIS is what you NEED TO SEE YOU ARE … BEFORE … anyone can ever be saved.

THE LOST PERSON IS:

1.- A CHILD OF SATAN

NOW … DON’T get mad at ME … HARSH, but TRUE.

19:16 – “Good teacher” … NOT “Lord” … WHY?

- BECAUSE … he is a “Child of the Devil”.

· JESUS - “You are of your father the devil …” (Jn. 8:44).

· ISAIAH – “children of transgression” … “offspring of falsehood” - (57:4)

· JESUS – “sons of the wicked one” – (Mt. 13:38)

· PAUL – “sons of the devil” … “enemy of all righteousness” – (Acts 13:10)

· JOHN – “children of the devil” – (1 Jn. 3:10)

This young man can’t call Jesus “Lord” … BUT, ONLY … “Good teacher”.

“Just As I Am” … IF LOST … WHAT ARE YOU?

- You’re a “Child of Satan” … HARSH, but TRUE.

“Just As I Am” … IF LOST … WHAT ARE YOU?

2.- SPIRITUALLY BANKRUPT

NOTICE – The emphasis on “good” in 19:16-17.

- Jesus takes it … AND … runs w/ it.

This young man thought that “goodness” was the way to Heaven.

- A COMMON THOUGHT … BECAUSE … Heaven is a PERFECT place … NO EVIL there … ONLY “good” in Heaven.

- THEREFORE … people think that way to get there is by being “good” – 19:16

Jesus wants to set him straight about being “good” – 19:17a

ONLY God is “good”.

JESUS – “If you want to call me “good” … you must be willing to call me “God”.

“If you won’t call me “God” … you can’t call me “good”.”

“Let’s see how “good” you are … Do you even know the meaning of “good”?” – 19:17b-18

NOTICE – These 6 Comm. deal w/ fellow-man … NOT … with God.

- LEFT OUT – “No other Gods before me” … “carved image, idols” … “take name in vain” … “Remember Sabbath day”.

- SINCE … this man’s “God” … WASN’T the LORD God … Jesus didn’t include them in these Commandments.

A LOST person … can’t “worship” God … SO … couldn’t relate to Commandments in relation to God.

- SO … Jesus speaks of Commandments that relate to fellow-man.

1 Cor. 2:14 – “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

The LOST person is SPIRITUALLY BANKRUPT.

· Rom. 3:10 – “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”

· Rom. 3:23 – “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Eph. 2:1 says that LOST are “dead in trespasses and sins.”

- Spiritually BANKRUPT … Spiritually DEAD!

This young man doesn’t REALIZE this … thinks he’s pretty “good”.

- SO … Jesus wants to show him … THAT … he’s not “good enough” to get to Heaven.

- Jesus is going to “burst his bubble”.

· BEFORE can be saved … has to be some “bubble bursting” … (called “repentance”).

· BEFORE can be saved … have to get LOST.

Jesus names 6 Commandments … AND … he THINKS he has kept them – 19:20

- “Been there, done that!”

HAS HE? HAVE YOU?

PREVIOUSLY … Jesus said 10 Commandments go BEYOND the OUTWARD ACT … to INTENT of the HEART.

1.- “murder” – NOT JUST knife, bullet … TONGUE.

- Mt. 5:22 – “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment:”

- He must have missed that Sunday … Sermon.

2.- “adultery” – NOT JUST physical infidelity … But, LUST.