So many times in our churches people come forward in accepting the Lord and our stance is always the same, “All you have to do is…” Yes, it is true, all we have to do to be saved is accept that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, died in a perfect state, and was resurrected 3 days after he was crucified. There is so much more to being a Christian than the original admission of need.
1. ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS:
• ACCEPT SALVATION
• Realize that we are sinners in need of salvation
a. Romans 3:10 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”
b. Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
c. Romans 10:9-10 tell us that all we have to do is believe in our heart and confess with our mouths that Jesus died and was resurrected from the grave
• Salvation is simple and we must act upon the conviction of God
• II Corinthians 6:2 “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succourned thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
• “The devil and his cohorts were devising plans to get people to reject the Gospel. "Let’s go to them and say there is no God," proposed one. Silence prevailed. Every devil knew that most people believe in a supreme being. "Let’s tell them there is no hell, no future punishment for the wicked," offered another. That was turned down, because men obviously have consciences which tell them that sin must be punished. The concave was going to end in failure when there came a voice from the rear: "Tell them there is a God, there is a hell and that the Bible is the Word of God. But tell them there is plenty of time to decide the question. Let them ’neglect’ the Gospel, until it is too late." All hell erupted with ghoulish glee, for they knew that if a person procrastinated on Christ, they usually never accept Him.”
2. ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS:
• ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT COMES WITH SALVATION
• Mark 12:30 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy sould, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”
• Matthew 16:24 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
• If we take up our cross, we must realize that as Christ suffered, we too will suffer:
a. Persecution
b. Distress
c. Pain
d. Sorrow
• Luke 14:26 “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”
• Obviously Christ is not contradicting His command to “Love one another”, but rather telling us that we cannot place ANYTHING before our service to the Lord
• II Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
3. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS:
• “Put your hand to the plow and don’t look back” (Luke 9:62)
• One man said to his friend: "Say, you look depressed. What are you thinking about?"
"My future," was the quick answer.
"What makes it look so hopeless?"
"My past."
• Once saved, we have an obligation to live the new life in Christ
• II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
• No matter what we used to be, what is important is what we are going to be
• Don’t be confused, Satan will continually try to remind us of what we once were, but when the Devil reminds us of our past, we should remind him of his future.
• We should have confidence that God will provide us with the necessary strength to fight against sin
• Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
4. ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS:
a. GIVE GOD EVERYTHING
• Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
• We must work diligently, not to be men pleasures but pleasing unto God
• Colossians 1:10 “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
• “The great violinist, Niccolo Paganini willed his marvelous violin to city of Genoa on condition that it must never be played. The wood of such an instrument, while used and handled, wears only slightly, but set aside, it begins to decay. Paganini’s lovely violin has today become worm-eaten and useless except as a relic. A Christian’s unwillingness to serve may soon destroy his capacity for usefulness”
