WHAT CAUSED SUCH LOVE
By
Jerry Falwell
“Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel” (I Corinthians 9:16). There is an obligation upon me and every preacher of the Gospel to tell the Gospel to every person in the world. We have the greatest message and yet all the world still doesn’t know the good news.
Bad news travels fast. Within two hours the whole world knew that President Kennedy had been killed, who killed him, where he was killed and how he was killed. Today, still half the world does not know the good news that Jesus died, where He died, and the purpose of His death. People do not know that Jesus died for them.
Commercial news travels fast. Coca Cola® sells 800 million bottles of Coke each day because someone in the Coca Cola empire said they saw 6 billion points of light, and they wanted everyone in the world to drink a Coca Cola by the year 2000 AD. The Coca Cola people adapted the song, “I want to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony . . . Coke is the real thing.” Coca Cola filmed a commercial of the children of the world singing their jingle for everyone to drink Coca Cola.
OUR COMMAND
“Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel.” Why? Because Jesus gave me a command to do it. On the first Easter Sunday afternoon, Jesus first gave the Great Commission, “As my Father has sent me, even so send I you” (John 20:21). This command told me to go to the world as Jesus was sent to the world.
A week later, Jesus amplified on the Great Commission, telling us to whom we should go and what we should preach. “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Jesus wanted us to preach salvation to every person on this planet.
A little while later Jesus gave the same command again, this time He included our strategy, “All authority in Heaven and earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make all disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV). So I must preach to get people saved, then baptized, then I finally teach them.
On the 40th day after His death, Jesus again repeated the Great Commission. This time He included the message of the content of their preaching, “Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:46-48 NIV). Make no mistake, the good news is that Jesus died for your sins.
A few hours later, Jesus walked outside the city of Jerusalem and before he ascended into Heaven, He gave the Great Commission; this time including geographical outreach. “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
THE ROMANS ROAD OF SALVATION
Many believers share the Gospel with others using a plan called The Roman’s Road of Salvation. They call it this because four verses used to present salvation are found in the book of Romans.
THE LOST CONDITION OF ALL
The first verse in the Roman’s Road is Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” This verse emphasizes the fact that all people are sinners. We preach our message because the lost need Jesus Christ.
A little brother and sister were walking in the fields near the farm house where they lived. When it got time to go home, they argued which way was home. The boy went to his left and the girl went to her right. Eventually the little boy got home and told his mother his sister was lost. All the men and teenage boys of the surrounding farms and residents of the village went into the woods that night looking for the little girl because of the threat of bears and other wild animals. They said, “Fire a rifle if you find the girl.” The mothers took their daughters to the local church to pray all night. Toward dawn, they all heard the rifle shot and came running to the house. The little girl had been found and was alive. Everyone went to the church to praise God and rejoice together. People gave testimonies and praised God that their prayers were answered. Finally, the pastor stood up and said, “While we are glad the little girl was found, there are still thousands of others little boys and girls that are lost. Would we not work as diligently to bring them home to Heaven? Would we not rejoice in the church as gladly if they were converted?
You cannot get a person saved until they realize they are lost. That is why Gospel preachers always preach about sin. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).
The Gospel does no one any good until they realize they need it. Everyone has to realize they have sinned. Achan said, “I have sinned.” Pharaoh said, “I have sinned.” David said, “I have sinned.” The Prodigal Son said, “I have sinned.” You must say, “I have sinned.”
THE RESULTS OF SIN
The second step in the Roman’s Road of Salvation is “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Because you have sinned, you will die. First, you will die physically and secondly, you will all die spiritually in Hell forever and ever; this is called the second death.
The news media is concerned about the physical death of people. Three million people died of AIDS last year, there are 24 million who are HIV positive in Africa and in the next five years, 10 million will die. The UN has called a conference to see what can be done about this epidemic sweeping Africa.
What is so tragic is that they don’t have to die from AIDS. If they would follow God’s plan, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” there would not be an AIDS epidemic. Many Christians are concerned about the death of so many, and I am concerned; just like I am concerned about poverty, illiteracy, and the tragic social problems of the day. But I am a Gospel preacher; my greatest concern is about people who die and go to Hell. And like the AIDS victim who doesn’t need to die, those dying of sin don’t need to go to Hell. God’s remedy is Jesus Christ.
The United Nations cannot stop the AIDS epidemic, education cannot stop the AIDS epidemic, philanthropy cannot stop the AIDS epidemic, laws cannot stop the AIDS epidemic. Only the message of Jesus Christ can stop the AIDS epidemic and can stop people from going to Hell.
Let me repeat, “The wages of sin is death.” Why is the penalty so great for sinning? It’s not just what you do; as an illustration, it’s bad enough to kill because you snuff out the life of another. But sin is punished severely—in Hell—because you sin against God. Because He created all things, He can set the rules, and when you break one of the 10 Commandments; you’re defying God. You’re spitting in the face of the Creator. Therefore, “The wages of sin is death” because you’ve said “no” to the Lord Who is the Creator, the Controller of the universe, the Deliverer of people and the Blesser of mankind. But notice the second part of that verse, “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” He wants to forgive you because God is good . . . God is merciful . . . God is kind and God is love. So let’s turn to the 3rd step in the Roman’s Road.
GOD’S PROVISION FOR SIN
The third verse in the Roman’s Road is, “But God hath commended (demonstrated) his love to us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
God loved the world so much that He gave the most precious thing He had for your sin. God gave His Son for the world. But let me personalize that, God gave His Son to die for your sins, to take your penalty.
A missionary was working in the back slums of a vast city when someone asked, “Why do you love these people?” The missionary answered, “I don’t know.” The question bothered the missionary and he went home and on his knees asked, “Lord, what am I doing here? I don’t know if I love these people.” Then the missionary heard his answer. God said, “I love them, and I want to love them through you. You love Me, and I want you to love them for Me.” The only motive that would cause well-educated missionaries . . . men and women of high moral training . . . gifted men and women . . . to go and work among the outcasts of the world, is the motivation of the love of God. The only thing that can help the “lost” of this world, is the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
When Jesus died, He died for the world, “Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world” (John 1:29); yet Jesus died for you personally. Paul understood the personal nature of Christ’s death when he said, “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not it but Christ liveth in me, and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
What did the death of Christ do for you? First of all, it opened the door to Heaven and eternal life. If you receive Christ, when you die you can go live with Christ. Jesus said, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9).
The death of Christ built a road to Heaven. You don’t have to get lost on the cul-de-sacs of this world. Jesus said, “I am the way . . . no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
The death of Christ offered a cup of living water for you to drink. The death of Christ also offered to you some living bread to eat. You don’t have to die of starvation and you don’t have to thirst to death. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).
There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Emmanuel’s veins,
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood
Loose all their guilty stains. (William Cowper, 1771, v. 1 - 7 from Olney Hymns, vol. 1, hymn 79).
My good friend Billie Kim tells the story of a Korean that had murdered 17 people, and was sentenced to die by execution. As the murderer waited in his cell to die, a missionary went to him, but he refused to talk with the missionary. Because the murderer was cold, she sent him some clothes to keep him warm. Because they don’t feed prisoners properly in Korean prisons, she sent him food to eat. She even sent him some chocolates. He asked to see the missionary, and under her instructions, he prayed to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior. The murderer became a shining witness throughout the prison and over half the guards were born again. They brought him up for execution, and they asked if he had any final words. He repeated the Apostle’s Creed. Then he looked into the faces of those who were going to execute him and said, “I long to see each and every one of you accept Christ. If you do, I will see you in Heaven. I am praying for each and every one of you so you will not go to Hell.” Then he sang as they executed him,
“Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!” (WORDS: Louisa M. R. Stead 1882 MUSIC: William J. Kirkpatrick 1882).
YOU MUST ACCEPT
The fourth verse in the Roman’s Road of Salvation is “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). What must you do to be converted and spend the rest of your life in Heaven? First, you must believe in your heart that Jesus has died for your sins and was raised to give you new life. The second thing to do is to confess the Lord Jesus Christ (notice all 3 titles). It has been said, “What’s in the cup goes through the lips” and “What’s in your heart is poured out in your words.” So, you must believe in your heart and let your lips confess the Lord Jesus Christ.
How do you confess the Lord Jesus? First, you get up out of that pew and come forward to take a pastor by his hand. You can confess Jesus by kneeling at the altar and asking Jesus to come into your heart. You can confess Jesus by public testimony to your spouse and children that you have been saved. You can confess Jesus by being baptized in water, telling the world that you have identified with Jesus and His death, burial and resurrection.
You don’t have to beg God to die for your sins. He has already done that. His death is a historical fact. You don’t have to bring a tithe or a love-offering to bribe God to forgive you of your sins, He died for your sins. There is nothing you can do to motivate God to forgive your sins, He has done everything for you.
There was a man in death row awaiting his execution. He hated the judge who sentenced him to death and the jury that convicted him of his crime. Right before he was to be executed, they brought him a letter from the governor. Everyone was excited because the governor had written him a letter. But the hardness of the man’s heart and the bitterness of his spirit made him reject the letter saying, “I don’t want to read anything that the governor has to say to me.” He went to his death and died for his crime. What he didn’t know was that in the letter was a pardon, the governor had issued an order for him to go free. The man died needlessly because he rejected the pardon. There are people here this morning who reject the pardon that Jesus offers you. You will sit in that pew and refuse to come forward and accept the forgiveness that Jesus offers you.
What sends you to Hell? It’s not your sins. Jesus has died for you. It’s your unbelief. When you stand before God, He will not send you to Hell for lying, killing or cursing with His name. Jesus died for those sins. God will look in the Lamb’s Book of Life. If your name is written there, you’ll go to Heaven. If it’s not written there, you’ll go to Hell. Which will it be? Will you believe in Jesus so your name can be written in the Book of Life?
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord,
I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
For more information on the TRBC Pastor’s Bible Class, log on to the Internet for TRBC Home page at www.trbc.org/pbc.
