WHEN DOES GOD SIMPLY EXCUSE? (2)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   There is a TV court show entitled:  “Caught in Providence.”

1.    The judge in the courtroom of the show is Judge Caprio.

 

 

2.    He is known as “the nicest judge in the world.”

3.    He hears various individuals’ cases and often excuses them of the violation.

4.    When they leave his courtroom, they are relieved, appreciative, and happy.

 

B.   There are many individuals who would like to think that God is similar in nature to Judge Caprio.

1.    They believe that they can enter God’s courtroom on the last day and God will simply excuse their case.

2.    They will be free to enter into the gates of heaven without faith, without the blood of Christ, without obedience, and without having lived a faithful life in Christ.

 

C.   Last week, we looked at some of the types of individuals that people believe God will simply excuse in the Judgment.  We want to continue this study this morning.

 

I.             WHEN A PERSON FOLLOWS THE MAJORITY

 

A.   The majority is a very powerful force.  Satan has convinced us that if the majority of people believe something it must be correct.

 

B.   How is the majority determined?  By family?  By community?  By state?  By nation?  Or by the view of the world?  The majority differs depending upon location.

 

C.   Answer:  Matthew 7:13-14

 

Enter ye in at the strait gate:  for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 

1.    When it comes to the end of time, the majority will be lost.

2.    This teaching of the Christ stresses that the majority will not be simply excused on the day of judgment.

 

D.   There is a passage in the Bible that is familiar to many that says:  “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil” (Exo. 23:2).

II.           WHEN A PERSON ONLY HAS FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST

 

A.   Among the religions that acknowledge Jesus to be the Son of God, there is the belief that all a person has to do to be saved in the last day is possess faith in the Jesus Christ.

 

B.   The Bible does connect faith with salvation.

1.    Acts 16:31

 

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.

 

2.    Romans 5:1

 

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

3.    Galatians 3:26

 

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

 

4.    Ephesians 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.

 

C.   Answer:

1.    There is no doubt that faith is essential to one’s salvation.  However, there is not one passage in the Bible that teaches a person is saved by faith only.

2.    There is a passage that teaches a person is NOT save by faith only (Jam. 2:24).

 

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

 

3.    What is the meaning of the word only?

a.    Definition:  without anything further, no more than

b.    Those who teach “faith only” are saying a person is saved by faith without anything further.

1)    Two questions:

a)    Does a person have to repent? (Acts 17:30)

b)    Does a person have to confess the name of Jesus Christ? (Rom. 10:9).

2)    If the answer to these two questions is, “Yes,” then salvation is NOT by faith only.

a)    Two verses:

-      Acts 17:30

 

At the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.

 

-      Romans 10:9

 

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.

 

b)    Having read these two verses, we must answer the questions with a “Yes.”  Therefore, salvation CANNOT be by faith only.

4.    The psalmist sets forth a pithy proverb in Psalm 139:17 that an summarize this discussion.

 

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God!  how great is the sum of them.

 

a.    We should never take just one or two verses out of their context and act like they state the entirety of truth on a subject.

b.    The sum, that is, the total of God’s word should be studied before coming to any conclusions.

 

III.         IF A PERSON HAS BEEN BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST

 

A.   There are some members of the church who act as though God will simply allow them into heaven just because they have been baptized into Christ.

 

B.   There is no doubt that baptism is essential to salvation.

1.    Mark 16:16 – “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved…”

2.    Acts 22:16 – “And now why tarriest thou?  arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

3.    Galatians 3:27 – “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

4.    1 Peter 3:21 – “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us…”

 

C.   Answer:  Baptism is not the end of salvation, it is the beginning.

1.    Recently, I heard a man state that freedom is not our nation’s end.  Freedom is the beginning for the nation.  With freedom, we can pursue opportunities, life, and happiness.

2.    In like manner, baptism in not the end.  It is the beginning.

a.    We are born into the family of God, we must grow (2 Pet. 3:18).

b.    We are grafted into the vine, and we must bear fruit (John 15:8).

c.    We are made stewards in God’s house, and we must multiply our talents (Matt. 25:21, 23).

d.    We manifested our faith in obedience to God’s Word, and we must add Christian qualities to that faith (2 Pet. 1:5-11).

e.    We have been purified by the blood of Christ, and we must be refined by the refiner’s fire as we live the Christian life (1 Pet. 1:7).

f.     We were made the disciples of Christ at conversion, and we must develop into the position of a teacher (Heb. 5:12-14).

 

D.   There is no such thing as “passive spirituality” in the faithful Christian life.

 

IV.         WHEN A PERSON MEETS HIS SPIRITUAL QUOTA

 

A.   “I have done enough.”

“I have put in my time.”

“I have paid my dues.”

 

B.   Those who make these statements believe that God will simply excuse their lack of service at the end of the Christians lives because of all they did at the beginning and at the middle.

 

C.   Answer: Revelation 2:10

 

…be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

1.    We are to be faithful “unto” death, that is, until that time death comes calling.

2.    God does not have quotas that He expects us to meet:  worship this many times, study this much of the Bible, say a certain number of prayers, make so many visits, etc.

3.    The key to a faithful Christian life is joyful doing.

a.    Psalm 31:23

 

O love the Lord, all ye his saints:  for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

 

b.    Luke 11:28

 

But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

 

c.    James 1:25

 

…a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

 

D.   There is an old saying that states:  “There is no retirement age to the Christian life” (Heb. 6:11).

 

And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   God does not simply excuse anyone.

 

B.   God has revealed a plan to save man in the pages of the gospel (Rom. 1:17). 

1.    He sent the apostles into all the world to preach that plan (Mark 16:15).

2.    They were to teach every creature in every nation (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15).

3.    Every creature who is mentally capable of receiving and understanding the message of God will be held account thereunto.

 

C.   This plan was built upon the sacrifice of Jesus Christ at Calvary. 

1.    To think that God will simply excuse some individuals without benefiting from the atoning benefits of Jesus sacrifice is to make the cross of Calvary of none effect.

2.    If God will excuse one, He must excuse all since He is no respecter of persons.

3.    If will just excuse us all, then we might as well go live our lives as we please.

 

D.   Hebrews 5:8-9

 

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.