more trustworthy.
• “No woman,” said one man, scornfully, “can keep a secret.”
• “I don't know about that,” answered a woman guest. “I have kept my age a secret since I was twenty-one.”
• “You'll let it out some day,” the man insisted.
• “I hardly think so!” responded the lady. “When a woman has kept a secret for twenty-seven years, she can keep it forever.”
Everyone has secrets and it is absolutely amazing the trouble some go through to keep their secret. It might be:
• Their Weight
• Their Age
• Their telephone number
• Their social security number
• Their address
But did you know the devil has a dirty little secret that he does not want anyone to know. He has done a very good job of keeping it a secret
BUT I KNOW WHAT THAT DIRTY LITTLE SECRET IS…DO YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU?
The secret he does not want you to know is that we are saved by grace alone.
He does not want you to know when we try to mix together grace and works, than grace is not grace at all.
We are saved by grace alone!!! Absolutely!!!
Look at Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
God wants you to know that you are SAVED BY GRACE ALONE!!!
I titled this sermon a SALAVATION THAT SAVES AND A SALVATION THAT DOES NOT SAVE.
I have already SHOWNED you from the scripture a salvation that saves is by GRACE ALONE.
This is the only kind of salvation that the Bible teaches.
But let me show you a salvation that does not save and many have such a salvation.
That is why the Bible teaches in Matthew 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done
many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Can you imagine what a shock it will be for MANY who thinks they are saved by good works and they are told they are not saved.
To keep that from happening let me show you these different kinds of salvation that will not save. For example…
I. Some teach we are saved BY GRACE but we are KEPT BY WORKS!
According to the Word of God that is false teaching.
And anyone that teaches we can loose our salvation teaching a false teaching.
The reason it is a false teaching is because they teach we are saved by grace and kept by works something the Bible does not teach.
Illus: Let me illustrate. Suppose you are forty years old and the Lord saved you when you were twenty. But you believe once you are saved by the grace of God you now are kept by works. If that was true that would mean the Lord saved you from your sins the first twenty years of your life but the second twenty years of your life you saved your self by good works.
That would mean you are as much a savior as the Lord Jesus. He saved you the first twenty and you saved yourself the second twenty./
That is not what the Bible teaches.
Look again at Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Salvation is a GIFT, anytime you have to do something for something it cease to be a gift.
Once we are saved by the grace of God look what the apostle Paul tells us.
Look at Ephesians 1:13-14 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Paul is telling these gentiles once you heard the gospel of grace and received it, just like us jews your salvation is sealed by the Holy Spirit.
How long is that sealing of the Holy Spirit going to last once we are saved by the grace of God?
Look at Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
When we are saved we are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of Jesus Christ.
That means when we are saved by God’s grace we are saved from all of our sins, past, present and future.
The Bible teaches clearly…
• We are not SAVED BY WORKS
• We are not KEPT BY WORKS
WE ARE SAVED AND KEPT BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!
You might be saying:
• My parents did not believe that…THEY WERE WRONG!’
• My former pastor did not preach that…HE WAS WRONG!
• My old denomination did not teach that…THEY WERE WRONG!
That is anytime when we mix grace and works that is like mixing oil and water, the two do not mix. NEVER HAVE AND NEVER WILL!!!
Many try to illustrate we are saved by grace and works by using this illustration.
Illus: They say being saved is like trying to cross a river in a rowboat.
• If you pull on one oar, which is works, you will just go around in a circle this way.
• If you pull on the other oar, which is grace, you will just go in a circle this way.
• But if you pull on both oars, you will cross the RIVER safely.
This is a wonderful illustration but it has a fatal flaw.
• The flaw is this; we are not going to heaven in a rowboat.
• We’re going to heaven by the grace of God.
Now having said that we are saved by grace alone, we run into a problem with some folks.
The problem appears to be a CONTRADICTION BETWEEN PAUL’S TEACHING JAMES TEACHINGS.
Look what James tells us in James 2:14, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith and hath not, and have not works? Can faith save him? Or if a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead,”
Now I have to admit we who preach we are saved by grace alone it looks like James is teaching we are saved by GRACE AND WORKS.
But not only does the book of James seem to teach we are saved by works some bible references in the O.T. seem to teaches we are saved by works.
Look at verse 21. “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”
A careless reading of this Scripture would seem that a person is saved by grace and by works. But this is not true.
Now, it would almost seem if that is not true, that the Bible contradicts itself.
Now, I want to say at the outset, we are saved by grace through faith and by nothing else. It is grace all the way.
G-r-a-c-e (spelled out), is God’s riches at Christ’s expense.
Martin Luther, the great reformer that led in the Protestant Reformation in 1517, had been studying the Scriptures, especially the book of Romans. He had been studying the book of Romans and the Scripture burst through to him in Romans chapter 1:17. “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
And this truth burst aflame in his heart, and in his life and Martin Luther came to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and was born again.
Now, what is the answer to this co-nun-drum, to this enigma, this seeming contradiction?
Well, may I say that the Bible never contradicts itself?
There is no contradiction between Brother Paul and Brother James.
Sometimes men may seem to be in a disagreement but in reality they are not at disagreement at all.
Let me explain…
Illus: Dr. James Kennedy was talking to former president George H. Bush and Dr. Kennedy asked Him this question. What are you trusting to get you to heaven?
And he said, “I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sin. I believe He is the Son of God. I believe He paid my sin debt with His blood. I believe that He was, buried, raised again from dead. I put my faith and my trust in Him and I am trusting Him for my salvation.”
This was the answer that Dr. Kennedy was hoping to hear. But when the former president concluded with this he added “I also endeavor to live by the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule.”
Dr. James D. Kennedy said “Sir, I want to tell you that keeping the Ten Commandments and living by the Sermon on the Mount and the Golden Rule has nothing to do with your salvation.”
Mr. Bush said, “I disagree with you. Do you mean to tell me that a man can profess faith in God and then not change his life?”
Dr. Kennedy said, “Well, of course it would change his life. If he has been saved, it will change his life. But he does not do those things in order to be saved but because he has been saved.”
The former president Bush said, “Well, if you put it that way, I agree with you.”
• Now, Mr. Kennedy was talking more like the Apostle Paul.
• Mr. Bush was talking more like James.
There was no real contradiction, if you understood what both of them were talking about.
• You see Paul is talking about faith before God.
• James is speaking of faith before men.
Illus: That is…God can look at your heart and know if you are saved, but for mankind to know you are saved you have show them some works. THIS IS WHAT JAMES IS TEACHING.
Now while I was preaching a few minutes ago that we are saved by grace some of you might have been thinking preacher I BELIEVE WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE BUT WE ARE KEPT BY WORKS.
Now those who claim to be saved by Grace and kept by works have no right according to the Word of God claiming to be saved. Because the salvation they have will not save.
Saved by GRACE AND KEPT BY WORKS WANT SAVE YOU, NOR WILL…
II. WORDS WITHOUT WORKS WILL NOT SAVE YOU.
Many think they are saved because they have spoken some worthless words.
But look at these words in verse 18. Look at it. “A man may SAY, Thou hast faith…”
Words without works are worthless.
Illus: Dr. Adrian Rogers tells this story. He said I was in a hospital one time visiting and praying with a patient.
And so I was praying with this lady and when I finished I heard a feeble voice from across the hall saying, “Come see me too.” I thought they were talking to a nurse.
I went on and after awhile the pitiful cry came and said, “Come” and, and, and, and said, “Come see me too.”
And I called back across the hall, I said, “Are you speaking to me?”
She said, “Are you a minister?”
I said, “Yes.”
She said, “Could you please come see me too?” I said, “Certainly.”
I went over there and there was a pale lady whose, the blood was gone from her face. She had that sallow look and she was becoming jaundiced. And her white hair was spread out on the pillow and there were dark circles under her eyes. And if you have been around people who are dying, it was obvious she was very near to death.
And she said, “I am dying and I am not ready to meet God. Can you help me?”
I said, “Yes, yes I can.”
And I shared the Lord Jesus Christ with her and told her the way of salvation. Then I said, “I want to lead you in a prayer. And I want you to pray these words after me.” And I prayed the sinner’s prayer. And she prayed dutifully and faithfully the prayer after me. And I opened my eyes and I expected to see a look of radiance and peace but she had a tortured look on her face.
And she said, “But I don’t see how just saying that can do any good.”
And I said, “Precious Lady, you are so right. Just saying that can’t do any good at all.”
But I said, “If you will mean it, it will save your soul.”
I said, “Let’s try it again. And this time don’t just say it, talk to God.
And I led her this time in the sinner’s prayer and she prayed with deep emotion and said, “Oh God, I trust you, I really do with all of my heart. Save me.”
And I opened my eyes this time and looked at her, there was a radiance, and a peace, and a joy.
And I said, “Did He do it?”
She said, “Indeed, He did.”
This is what James is talking about here.
Words cannot save. Pious platitudes cannot get you to heaven.
Words without works are worthless.
Illus: It is said that Abraham Lincoln one time asked a little boy, if a dog has four legs and then you call his tail a leg, then how many LEGS would he have? The little boy said he would have five. Then Abraham Lincoln said no, he would just have four. No matter what you call his tail, it is still a tail.
No matter what a man says about his faith, if he doesn’t have real faith, it is not real faith.
Words without works will not save you!!!
Let me show you another salvation that will not save you…
III. A PROFESSION WITHOUT POSSESSION IS WORTHLESS
Look at Matthew 7:20-23 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Notice, the Bible tells us Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Now I Believe if there was 50 people who profess to be christians that I knew well (and I emphasized that I knew well) I could walk among them and tell you who is saved and who is not saved.
Some would say, “preacher, we are not to judge each other.”
One of the mis-quoted scripture in the bible is JUDGE NOT. What that passage of scripture is teaching is this.
If you have sin in your life you should not be judging others.
If you do not know all the facts do not be judging.
Illus: God tells us to watch out for false prophets and how could we recognize them if we did not judge them to be a false prophet.
God’s Word tell us “WHEREFORE BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM.” How can we know if a person is not saved…BY THE FRUITS THEY BEAR!!!
If you profess to be a child of God you should have the fruit to show it.
And there is a lot of people who profess to be saved but there is not one bit of difference in their life than those who do not profess to be saved.
Illus: Someone said, If it was a crime to be a Christian and many of them were carried to court for being a Christian there would not be enough of evidence to convict them.
Our churches are filled with people who have such salvation and no wonder Matthew 7:21 many He will say to them DEPART FROM ME. I NEVER KNEW YOU!
A PROFESSION WITHOUT POSSESSION IS WORTHLESS!!!
IV. A SALVATION WITHOUT REPENTANCE WILL NOT SAVE YOU.
These are the word of the Lord Jesus, look at Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Notice, the Bible does not say…
• Except you join a church
• Except you tithe
• Except you get baptize
• Except you live a good moral life
Jesus said clearly, I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
When we say we are save it means we are SAVED FROM OUR SINS!!! If you are still living in sin it is obvious you are not save from your sins.
The way people repent today reminds me of parent who tell a child who has done something wrong, “Say you sorry!” They are not sorry, they are just saying what you told them to say.
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger tells when he was in grammar school he got in trouble on the school bus. The driver wrote a note and told his parents about his misbehavior. His dad punished him told him he needed to apologize to the driver. The next morning he got on the bus and told the driver, “My dad said I am sorry for the trouble I caused.”
That is not repentance!!!
Illus: Repentance means you are walking one way but you turn and start to walk the other way!
• You quit your drinking
• You quit your lying
• You quit your cursing
• You quit your watching pornography
• You quit laying out of church
• You quit hating other races
• You quit robbing God of His tithes
Why? Because now you are SAVED!!!
Repentance mean I AM TRULY SORRY FOR SINNING AGAINST THE LORD.
The reason I do not live in sin like I use to is because I am TRULY sorry for my sins and I do not do those things I once did!
If I was not truly sorry I would still be doing those things!!!
Conclusion:
Many today have the same kind of religion the devil has.
For example, suppose Satan wanted to join our church. There are certain things we would want to know. If we asked him…
• “Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?” “Yes I do.”
• “Do you believe He is the Messiah?” “Yes I do.”
• “Do you believe He is holy?” “Yes I do.”
• “Do you believe He was born of a virgin?” “Yes I do.”
• “Do you believe He died on the cross for sinners?” “Yes I do.”
• “Do you believe He was raised from the dead?” “ Yes I do.”
• “ Will you work in the church?” I will be glad too.
The Bible says Satan is transformed as an angel of light. And he could pass all of these tests but he is not born again.
But suppose we say, “Devil, before you become a christian and a member of this church we want to ask you one more question…“Will you bow on your knees before Jesus Christ, truly repent of your sins and crown Him King of Kings and make him Lord of your life?”
“I will not! I will not!”
This is where many today have the same kind of salvation the devil has. They believe everything that this Bible teaches BUT THEY WILL NOT BOW BEFORE CHRIST AND REPENT OF THEIR SINS AND MAKE HIM LORD OF THEIR LIFE.
I am telling you, churches are filled with people who have gone through a little theological exercise. And they think because of their profession they have possession.
But they have never bowed the knee to Jesus Christ and made Him Lord of their life.
They are going to miss heaven by some eighteen inches. They have it here but they don’t have it here.
They have as much religion as Satan!!!
You do not want to be a part of that crowd the Lord will say DEPART FROM ME, I NEVER KNEW YOU.
DO YOU HAVE A SALVATION THAT SAVES OR A SALVATION THAT DOES NOT SAVE.
I want you to bow your head and pray as we hear the words to this song…SEARCH ME O GOD.
The Cathedrals - Search Me O God (Live)
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Sep 2, 2014
