CENTRAL VBS LETS TALK ABOUT SALVATION part 2
Jesus is the ONLY way.
- Matthew 7:13-23
On April 13th, 2008, Oprah Winfrey said that Jesus could not be the only way to God. She went on to ask about “People who live on the planet in places where they never even hear the name of Jesus”.
Even more recently, in a men’s Bible study I lead, a man I like and respect, a deacon of a sister church in our association, indicated that he too believed that God had another way for people who have not heard about Jesus.
What does the Bible say? Is Jesus the only way to God? Is He the only way to be saved? And what about people who have never heard?
What does the Bible say about this?
I. GOD’S STANDARD
> Matthew 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
> Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
> Romans 3:10, 12 … as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one; All have turned away, together they have become useless; there is no one who does good, there is not even one.
II. SIN’S PUNISHMENT
> Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
III. GOD’S REMEDY
> John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have ever lasting life.
> John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
- Romans 5:17; 1 Corinthians 3:11; Galatians 2:16; Colossians 1:28
1. Sincerity is not enough – 1 Kings 18:25-40
2. Works will not do it – Ephesians 2:8-9
> 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, a man, Christ Jesus,
IV. WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD?
> Matthew 7:1-2 “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
> James 4:17 So, for the person who knows to do good and doesn’t do it, it is a sin.
- Amos 1:3-2:16
Notice, if you will, that each of these countries, each of these nations are judged; and rightfully so. They were not judged or held to the same standard because they did not each have the same level of understanding of what God's will and God's requirements were. But, each were judiciously judged, because each had done things they knew were wrong. Some ripped open pregnant women with a sword. Others sold their brothers into slavery. Some oppressed the poor. They were held to a higher standard because they had God's revealed Word.
Not everyone in the world is held to the same standard. But all are judged, even those who have not heard the Word of God, because they have knowingly, willingly, done something that even in their culture and with their limited knowledge, they knew was wrong.
V. SO WHAT IS OUR RESPONSE?
1. Be Saved
2. Be Witnessing
- Matthew 28:18-20
> 2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ; certain that God is appealing through us, we plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
- Matthew 5:13-16
3. Be Praying
> Luke 10:2 He told them: “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.
4. Support Missionaries - folks who have never heard, know enough to be judged, but not enough to be saved. They are rightfully and justly serving a sentence, we must faithfully tell them about the pardon that has been purchased.
