Ready for Salvation?
Jn 2:23-25
INTRO: Very hard or difficult truth
1. Not all that believe are saved
a. Not all that has the normal accepted evidence of salvation
are saved
2. Many think cause they have done something, God has to or
is required to save
a. The hard truth is, there is NOTHING we can do to save
our self or earn salvation
3. This message may challenge your assurance of Salvation
a. Many don’t dare, but I have never been too smart
1. I don’t know how to quit when I am ahead
b. But if I can make your security, your assurance of salvation
rocky then you need more salvation than you have
c. If I can steal your salvation, then you never had the
salvation Jesus gives
1. You need the real thing. Nothing more important than your salvation
& knowing for sure that you are saved
I. Some that are NOT Jn 2:23-25
A. Are all those that says that they are saved, saved?
1. Some Jesus did not commit to, something was or was not right
with them
a. Judas Iscariot
b. Mt 7:21-23 Lord Lord
c. Blind seing Pharisee yet still in sin, Jn 9:39-41
d. Pharisee in the temple Lk 18:11-14
1. One was ready and the other Not
a. The religious Pharisee was not but the sinner, the publican was
2. What made the difference?
B. There are some that think they are right & ready, yet are not
*jim Fixx For 15 years Jim Fixx, author of the 1978 bestseller, The Complete Book on Running, ran eighty miles a week. He appeared to be in tip-top shape. It didn’t seem possible that a man his age could be in better condition. Yet at age fifty-two Fixx died of a massive heart attack while running alone on a Vermont road. His wife, Alice, later said she was certain that Fixx had no idea he suffered from a heart problem. Why? Because he refused to get regular checkups. After Jim Fixx’s death, doctors speculated that his heart was so strong he may not have had the telltale chest pains or shortness of breath that usually signal heart disease! [sermonillustrations. com].
1. Just as Jim Fixx was mistaken about his physical well-
being,
a. Many people today are mistaken about their spiritual
well-being.
1. The sad truth is that many people who think they are Christians are
self-deceived.
2. They think they are on the road to heaven when they are actually on
the road to destruction.
2. There are some that has done all they could to be ready
a. They have performed to their understanding of morality &
religious requirements
3. Are those who think the following is all that is required to
be saved
a. Be a good person but it isn’t good enough
All have sinned…. There is none righteous,
Ps 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
b. Obey the law, the ten commandment, thou shat not
1. Not killed, don’t steal, no adultery
a. Any perfect, sinless? Broken the law guilty
1. What will you do about that guilt?
2. What law do we obey for eternal life?
Ga 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Ga 3:21 [Is] the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
2. Get that, If it was possible to be saved by some law, God would
have give that one rule to obey, but because we are sinner, we can’t
obey, can’t gain forgiveness by the law
c. Pray: prayed a prayer, said the magic words
1. Bible does say we are to call upon the Lord
2. But we think just saying the right words is good enough
a. Mt 7 21 tells us other wise
d. Join the church, church member, baptism just believe
1. Each & everyone we are trusting in what we do
a even believe, we begin to think if I did this then, that is all it takes
2. All of them are performance, me, you performing
3. Here is the problem, there is nothing we can do
Eph 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.
4. Not of works, lest we boast bragg, take the glory, praise ourself
for what we have done & accomplished
e. Salvation is a Gift of God, it is God powered, God given,
God done, it is supernatural it God performing not man
II. NOT Ready, Why?
A. Some good things they had done
1. Followed him: to dinner, to miracle services, to worship
services, to his teaching services some for 3 yrs (Judas
2. Believed, Jn 2. Exactly that’s bible
a. Remind Are approx.18 inches between heaven & hell between head
belief & heart belief
b. Close but not close enough
3. One was a disciple, Judas a student of Jesus
4. Served, Judas, served as treasurer, taught to serve by Jesus
5. Use the right terminology. Lord Lord
6. Prayed. Talked to God, communicated
7. Power to heal & cast out demons; Lk 9 Jesus gave all 12
power to go out, they cast out demons, healed the sick
a. Even Judas. Did many wonderful works, yet there was no
salvation
B. Something wasn’t right
1. Still in sin, couldn’t see that, blinded by there religion
2. Self-righteous
3. Self-centered
4. What was wrong, Jesus didn’t want them, as is, they had
too much self in them
a. When people trust in personal performance, personal
abilities, works, religion, abilities
b. They are not trusting in Jesus
c. They had not been willing to change
If there is no change there is no salvation, no conversion, No Jesus
III. Ready
A. What makes a person ready
1. Who saves? Jesus
a. He commits Himself to us, gives Himself to us
1. We don’t give our life to Him, we give up our life so His life can
come in
2. Jesus will not come or commit Himself or give Himself as
long as our sinful self is on the throne of our hearts
3. Jesus is looking for individuals to turn to Him, to Repent
a. To be willing to be changed by His supernatural presence
& power
b. Redemption isn’t about us accepting Christ, but Him
accepting us
Jn 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
4. Has God made you acceptable?
a. We don’t make our self acceptable
1. He does by washing away our blood….. Only by the blood
Heb 9:14 &22 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? v22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
b. The blood is applied by faith
Ro 5:1&9 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: v9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him.
5. We must be born again we can’t be saved without Jesus
birthing us into the family of God
a. But God uses Spiritual birth control He has children when
He chooses.
Mt 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
b. He only chooses those who repent, those who turn
Lk 13:1-5
c. Repentance doesn’t make us acceptable,
1. It acknowledges to God you are sinful, lost hopeless, & want to be
acceptable & are dependent up Him to cleanse & change you
Ac 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord
B. What is the Lord looking for?
1. Not a bunch of religious words or works by us
a. He is looking for a heart of faith that has given up on self
& is willing to let God take over and change them
2. Faith, repentance, change of attitude so God can do the rest
a. Assurance of salvation isn’t based upon what we do
b. but upon God’s Power, & Promises
To be saved, chosen of God
Must Confess sin, lostness, the inability to save self
Trust Him to save by His grace, yield to His Lordship. If he is
to come in it is to be King & Lord of all no half-way
a. Those trying to hold the bible in one hand & beer bottle in
Another. If your faith system is about you & not Christ
1. Then you are in trouble
2. Doesn’t work, that is what we are talking about, Jesus doesn’t
commit to that, there isn’t true salvation there
