Do You Have Questions?
Questions are very important in life. From a young age children begin to ask questions and many of those questions are important. We ask simple questions all the time: "What is your name?" "What do you do for a living?" "Where do you work or go to school?" "What's for dinner?"
We also have more important and weighty quesionts that we ask: "Where should I go to school?" "What job should I take?" "Will you marry me?"
In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 18, a certain ruler asked one of the most important questions ever asked by man.
Luke 18:18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? (KJV)
"What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" - a question of eternity. Have you ever wondered about the matter of eternity? Have you ever slowed down in the midst of the hustle and bustle of life to think about what happens next? about where you will spend eternity?
This rich, young ruler came to Jesus Christ
with this question and in the discussion that follows in the book of Luke, Jesus Christ
brings out three important truths as this question is answered.
The first truth is this: If you would inherit etenal life, you must realize your need for salvation.
When the rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked this question, he was in a way acknowleging this truth, but Jesus Christ wanted him to have a better understanding of this and he began to ask him some question to point out two aspects of this need for salvation.
1. Salvation is needed because God's law has been violated.
The Bible tells us that God is a holy God. Habakuk 1:3 says of God "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity." God is so holy that He cannot even look upon evil and iniquity.
The Bible also tells us that everyone (that includes you and me) has sinned against this holy God and deserves punishment for that sin.
Ro 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Ro 6:23 For the wages of sin is death;
2. Salvation is needed because your own efforts are valueless.
Not only have you violated God's law, but there is no amount of work that you may do that will fix that violation of God's law.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Tit 3:5 Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing
of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
The second truth is this: If you would inherit eternal life, you must recognize the nature of the Savior.
Not only is it important that you understand that you need salvation, it is also very important that you understand who it is that can save you. While there is much given in the Bible about who Jesus Christ truly is, the following are three aspects of His nature that must be understood.
1. The nature of the Savior is that Christ is God
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
1 Timothy 3: 16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Colossians 2: 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
2. The nature of the Savior is that Christ is good
Repeatedly in Scripture it is testified that Christ was perfect and sinless.
2 Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
1 John 3: 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
As the perfect, sinless, infinite God, He is the only one who could atone for the sins of the world.
3. The nature of the Savior is that Christ alone can save
The third truth is this: If you would inherit eternal life, you must respond properly to Christ’s claimsActs 4: 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jesus told the rich, young ruler there was "one thing" that he lacked. The one thing is to have supreme devotion to Christ - and is manifested in two sides of the same coin - namely - Repent of your sin and Receive Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Mark 1:14-15 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
1. Repent of your sin
Acts 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;
Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish
2. Receive Christ as your Lord and Saviour
John 1:12 - But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on His name.
Romans 10: 9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved
If you would like to know more about how you can know for sure that the question of eternity is settled in your life, please contact Pastor Sansone at PastorSansone@cs.com.
If you would like other additonal information regarding this important truth on-line, a couple of resources are listed below.
Listen to the sermon from which this discussion was taken by clicking here - A Question of Eternity by Pastor Frank Sansone (Coming Soon).
Read the simple tract entitled "God's Simple Plan of Salvation."