Series: Action [#168]
A CHRISTIAN’S CHECKBOOK- SPIRITUAL BAILOUT
Ephesians 2:1-7
Introduction:
As we continue in our series, “Accounting”; I want us to talk about what a bailout is in financial terms. In 2008, President Obama bailed out some large industries- The Auto Industry, the Banking Industry, and the Insurance Industry reaped the greatest benefits. This information is not to find out about your opinion of the bailout; but understand what it is. In financial terms, a bailout is to put money into an industry that is failing. In order to help many people keep their jobs, the Government tried to help specific industries.
The purpose of this title is to remind you that without Jesus, you are going to fail. Through Jesus, God has offered to spiritually bail us out of total and eternal destruction. Christians, God has rescued us.
Ephesians 2:1-3
God bailed you out…
1. From death.
Each person is born into the nature of sin. Without salvation through Jesus, you are spiritually dead. Without life through Jesus, you do things opposite of what pleases God. Unsaved people live unsaved lives. I will probably say this many times today, “It does not shock or bother me when non-Christians live like the devil”. Our text tells us that the devil and his demons are the leaders of evil in this World. What bothers me is when people who claim to be saved act like the devil. There should be a difference in how Christians and non-Christians live.
Ephesians 2:4
God bailed you out…
2. By love.
God knew before we were ever created that we were going to sin and that we had no hope. There was no chance for mankind to ever fellowship with God again because of sin. Because God loves us so much, He planned for Jesus to come to the world in the form of man, become sin on the cross, and arise from the dead in victory for the World. God’s motive for doing what He did was a motive built from love. God is rich in mercy, and He extends mercy to us at the highest level possible.
Ephesians 2:5
God bailed you out…
3. For life.
Without Christ, you are spiritually dead. If a person dies without Christ as Savior, they will die a 2nd death which lasts forever. God offers us salvation through grace. That means, God gives us something we don’t deserve. I pray that when people see me, they see a person who is alive in Christ.
Ephesians 2:6-7
God bailed you out…
4. For a purpose.
One of the greatest rewards of being a Christian is that you will spend eternity with God in Heaven. Unfortunately, many Christians act like this is the only reason we are saved; but that is completely untrue- We are saved to have fellowship with God. We are saved to lift Jesus up to a fallen World that needs a Savior. We are saved to show the riches of God’s grace.
Conclusion:
If God saved us just to go to Heaven, then as soon as you were saved; He would take you to Heaven. Instead, God has given us life. You do not have to wait to die and go to Heaven to have life. As soon as you are saved, you have been resurrected from the spiritually dead.
