LIFE’S SUPREME QUESTIONS
INTRODUCTION
Questions, questions all you ever do is ask questions. Ever heard that or said that? I am sure you have, yet life is a series of questions we all ask and must answer. Questions are not new to mankind. God began asking man questions soon after the fall in the Garden. In Genesis 3:9 God asked Adam and Eve “Where art thou,” and in v. 11 He asked again, “Who told you, you were naked?” Thus from the early days of man to the present, man has been bombarded with questions, not only from his fellow man, but from God
As we look at the different questions from God’s word think of them as personal questions directed from God to you personally, for really they are personal. Questions are thought provoking as they are intended to stimulate thought and action. I remember in high school biology our first test consisted of one question with about four sheets of paper attached on which to supply the answer. I don’t remember the question or my answer but I do remember the grade which wasn’t good. Yet that question was intended to provoke us to think, which I did a lot, but not on biology.
Life is full of questions we face every day. Some of these questions we can put off answering maybe indefinitely without ever really answering them. Then there are questions that must be answered almost immediately. There are questions we don’t want to answer because we don’t want to face the answer they bring. Then we are sometimes asked questions we don’t know the answer too.
What must I do to inherit eternal life is the greatest question of all. The answer to this question will greatly affect ones life in the present as well as in eternity. It is my desire that these questions and the answer to them will lead each one to search their heart and make their calling and election sure. For rest assured the answer each gives and each must give will not only affect their life now but will be the determining factor as to where they spend eternity.
I have tried to write these messages just as I preached them to the people I pastor.
CONTENTS
1. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE?
2. WHAT IS THAT IN THINE HAND?
3. TO WHOM SHALL WE GO?
4. WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?
5. WHAT SHALL I DO THEN WITH JESUS?
6. WILT THOU BE MADE WHOLE?
7. WHAT HAVE I DONE?
8. HAVE YOU RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST SINCE YE BELIEVED?
10. WHAT MANNER OF PERSON OUGHT YE TO BE?
11. WHAHT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED
1. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE
The first question we need to ask ourselves and answer is found in James chapter four verses fourteen. This question and its answer is foundational to all the other questions. Without this question there is no need to ask or endeavor to answer any others.
I think of the scriptures as the Holy Spirit speaking to us through the pin of various authors. We are told in HOLY MEN SPAKE AS THEY WERE MOVED ON BY THE HOLY GHOST. Men speak with their lips life and pin so think of this question as the Holy Spirit asking it of you. Since the Bible is God’s inspired word lets turn to it as we begin to seek an answer to this question.
There are many metaphors in the Bible for life so let’s look at two or three. First Job likens life to a flower that comes up blooms sheds its fragrance dies and withers away. Job 14:2 Second Paul in I Timothy 6:12 compares life to a fight where he admonishes Timothy to FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH. Then in II Timothy in his farewell address says I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT. Third James compares life to a vapor that appears for a while then vanishes away. James 4:14. With that let’s get to the heart of the message.
First life is the creation of God. Genesis 1:26-27 tells us this. There we read GOD SAID LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR OWN IMAGE AND AFTER OUR OWN LIKENESS. SO GRED CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE AND AFTER HIS OWN LIKENESS. Then in Genesis 2:27 we read AND THE LORD GOD FORMED MAN OF THE DUST OF THE GROUND AND BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE AND MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL.
Thus we find life originated with and came from God and is both the creation and gift of God. To treat life any different is to do an injustice to life and God.
Since God gave us this life don’t you think we ought to treat it with respect and not do things that are proven to be detrimental and destructive of it? Then since God gave us this life don’t you think we should do everything we can to preserve and keep it. Jesus tells us the best and safest way of preserving our life is to give it to Him.
One last thought since life came from God don’t you think we should live for Him and do the best we can to exalt and magnify Him? Don’t you think we should love Him with all our heart soul mind and strength and our neighbor as our self. Don’t you think all bitterness hatred strife should be laid aside and men strive to live peaceable with each other? Don’t you think we should lay aside feelings thoughts attitudes and any other thing that tend to create strive so unity and peace can reign supremely. To harbor hatred and strife in our heart does hurt to both our self and God. Don’t you think we should let Him fill our heart with His love so it can flow out to others and we can love one another as He loved us?
Second life is the target of Satan. From the beginning of man on earth Satan has done everything he can to destroy man. This began in the Garden of Eden when man was still without sin. Satan has done his best since then to damn every human being he can. This isn’t because he is interested in us or loves us but because he hates God and knows that every soul he damns in hell grieves the great heart of God.
This truth is revealed to us in a clear and more perfect way in the words of Jesus to Peter on the eve of Jesus crucifixion. Remember Jesus told Peter SANTAN DESIRETH THEE THAT HE MIGHT SIFT THEE BUT I HAVE PRAYED FOR THEE THAT THY FAITH FAIL THEE NOT. I for one am glad Jesus not only prayed for Peter but is praying for you and me this very moment. Remember the writer of Hebrews tells us He [Jesus] is our high priest and sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us.
Then Paul in his epistles tells us Satan as a roaring lion goeth abut seeking whom he may devour. Paul also warns us of the wiles and pit falls of the devil and admonishes us to put on the whole armor of God that ye might be able to stand. If we are to resist the devil so that he flees from us and if we are going to live a victorious life for Jesus we need the whole armor for without it we are open targets. Without the whole armor we will become the victim of sin instead of the victor.
There are basically three areas Satan uses to attack us. First through heredity- that is through the carnal nature we are born with. Second through our environment. This is important for the environment we live in and raise our children in is of our own making. When we find ourselves in an environment that is not conducive to Christian living we should do everything we can to change our environment. One way to change our environment is to change our associates. Remember birds of a feather flock together. Also we are known by the company we keep. Thus ones environment is of the most importance. Therefore we should do everything we can to make our environment as conducive to Christian living as possible for ourselves and for our children. The third area Satan uses to attack us is our choices. Much hinges here therefore we should make choices in the light of God’s word. The choices we make will not only affect us individually but those we love and those we come in contact with. Choices are never made alone for every choice you and I make affects others as well as ourselves. The choices we make today determine the course we take tomorrow. They also determine the success or defeat we will face tomorrow. The life we live today was determined by the choices we made yesterday. The choice we make today may well determine what our country and church will be not only tomorrow but for many years to come. Quite frankly ladies and gentlemen I shedder to think of some whose children will be in leadership when we are gone. They have no sense of responsibility and little respect for authority. They have no idea about accountability for they have never been held accountable.
Satan knows this therefore he has launched an all attack on the home for if he can destroy the home he has succeeded in destroying the country and church. Make no mistake about it Satan is alive well and very active in our world today. Therefore we should make all choices prayerfully and with the future in mind.
Third this life we now live is the prelude to eternity.
A prelude is something that precedes or goes before something else. Another way of putting this is the life we now live is a preparation place for eternity the vestibule to eternity.
It is a time where we prepare to meet God. Remember beloved every person that has ever lived is going to stand before God and give an account of the things done in this life.
It is a time where we determine where we will live eternally. You and I determine where we will spend eternity not God not Satan not the church or someone else. God has chosen that we spend eternity with Him and has provided a way whereby we can. Satan has determined we spend eternity in hell and is doing all he can to drag us to hell where he will abide forever. It is as uncle Bud said a long time ago I saw my salvation was an election and that Jesus voted I spend eternity with Him while Satan voted I spend it with him, thus I saw the vote was tied and I could cast the deciding vote so I voted to spend eternity with Jesus. In a democratic society the majority rule. You and Jesus make the majority. So my friend you and I decide where and with whom we will spend eternity.
Remember James said life is a vapor that appeareth for a time and then vanishes away. Job likened life to a flower that appears blooms dies and withers away. This tells me the life we now live and enjoy is transit and temporal. Therefore we should make every opportunity to make our calling and election sure.
Last but not least life is basically what you and I make it. In Revelation 3:8 Jesus said to the Philadelphia church I HAVE SET BEFORE YOU AN OPEN DOOR AND NO MAN CAN SHUT IT. These words were not only spoken to the church of Philadelphia but are spoken to us today. This suggests the thought of unlimited opportunity.
As Christians we are limited only by our doubt and lack interest. Therefore we need to step up to the plate and take advantage of our vast opportunity and possibilities. Remember you and I are what we are by choice not coincidence. Our possibility in God is limited only by our doubt and lack of interest. We can go as far as we are willing to pay the price for.
We can let problems and difficulties get us down or we can use the as stepping stones to get closer to God. What our life becomes depends to a great extent on how we respond to the overtures of God and His love. God has provided the opportunities but we must decide whither we are going to take advantage of them or not.
I remember a plaque that hung on the wall of the home I was raised in that said ONLY ONE LIFE TWILL SOON BE PAST ONLY WHATS DONE FOR CHRIST WILL LAST. What becomes of your life you and you alone decide. What are you going to do with the life God created and gave you? YOU DECIDE.
