The Challenge Of Salvation

THE FIRST CHALLENGE OF SALVATION THEN IS TO BELIEVE THAT WE ALL NEED TO BE SAVED, AND THAT WE MUST RESPOND TO THIS BY ACCEPTING CHRIST AS OUR PERSONAL SAVIOR AND LORD.

POINT TWO: JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN

AGAIN IN VERSE 12 PETER UNDER THE INFLUENCE AND AUTHORITY OF THE HOLY SPRIT, MAKES THE BOLD CLAIM THAT SALVATION IS FOUND IN NONE OTHER THAN CHRIST. NOTE WHAT HE SAYS: for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

NEXT TO GOD’S GRACE, THIS STATEMENT MAKES CHRISTIANITY STAND ALONE, APRAT FROM THE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD. IT IS A STATEMENT THAT IS VERY CONTROVERSIAL. PEOPLE HAVE NO PROBLEM BELIEVING THAT THERE IS A GOD, OF SOME SORT, THEY HAVE LITTLE PROBLEM BELIEVING IN JESUS, AS A HISTORICAL FIGURE, AND THAT HE IS GOD’S SON, ALTHOUGH THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. THEY BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD, ALTHOUGH THEY MAY NOT BELIEVE IT ACTUALLY CAME FROM GOD. THEY WILL ON OCCASION GO TO CHURCH. BUT ONE THING THEY WILL NOT DO WITHOUT EXCEPTION IS SAY THAT SALVATION IS FOUND IN JESUS ALONE.

BUT THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES.

JOHN 14:6: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

THIS SEPARATES CHRISTIANITY FROM ALL OTHER RELIGIONS. MOHAMMAD CAN’T DO IT, BUDDA CAN’T DO IT. JEHOVAH WITNESSES NOT MORMONS TEACH THIS. IN FACT MANY CHRISTIANS DO NOT BELIEVE THIS. THEY KNOW THAT IF THEY DO, THEN IT MEANS THAT SOME OF THEIR DEAREST FRIENDS, ALTHOUGH THEY LIVE GREAT LIVES, ARE NOT SAVED AND BOUND FOR HEAVEN.

THUS THE SECOND CHALLENGE OF OUR SALVATION, IS TO NAME JESUS CHRIST AS THE ONE AND ONLY WAY BY WHICH A PERSON MAY BE SAVED AND PART OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

POINT THREE: THE COURAGE BECAUSE WE BELIEVE

ACCEPTING THE FIRST TWO POINTS THAT WE’VE TALKED ABOUT, BRINGS US TO THE THIRD AND ARGUABLY THE MOST DIFFICULT CHALLENGE WE FACE, AND THAT CHALLENGE IS TO STAND FOR OUR FAITH.

OUR WORLD TODAY IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN PETER’S WAS AT THIS TIME. HE WASN’T ASKED TO DEFEND HIS FAITH HERE, HE WAS FORCED TO, AND YOU AND I CAN BE SURE THAT WE WILL BE PLACED IN POSITIONS WHERE WE TOO WILL HAVE TO TAKE OUR STAND FOR THE LORD. WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM PETER IN REFERENCE TO THIS?

1. LET US NOT BE ASHAMED OF OUR STAND FOR THE LORD:

ROMANS 1:16: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

WE HAVE NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF FOR OUR MESSAGE IS A MESSAGE OF HOPE TO THE HOPELESS, LIFE TO THE LIFELESS, COMFORT TO THE BEREAVED, AND STRENGTH FOR THE WEAK.

2. LET US BE CALM IN OUR STAND FOR THE LORD. PETER WAS AN EXCITABLE DISCIPLE AS WE HAVE WITNESSED IN THE PAST, YET HIS DEFENCE OF HIS FAITH HERE IS CALM COOL AND CALCULATED. OUR STAND CAN BE CALM, BECAUSE IT IS BASED ON TRUTH. WHAT WAS TRUE YESTERDAY IS TRUE TODAY, AND WILL BE TRUE TOMORROW.

3. LET US BE CONFIDENT IN OUR STAND FOR THE LORD. WE CAN BE CONFIDENT NOT ONLY BECAUSE WE HAVE THE TRUTH, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE SUPPORTING EVIDENCE OF THE TRUTH. WE HAVE THE EMPTY GRAVE. THIS VALIDATED THE MINISTRY OF JESUS AND EVERY CLAIM HE EVER MADE. WE SPEAK WITH THE AUTHORITY OF NOT ONLY THE KING OF KINGS, BUT THE LORD OF THE LORDS.