Tomorrow night I have the privilege of preaching the second to last sermon in our 13-part Fundamentals of the Faith course at Church. It's been a tremendous study for me and for everyone, I trust! Tomorrow, however, is our study on obedience and just how important this issue is in the life of the "Christian."
We are wrestling with the issue of Lordship Salvation. Can a person be saved and have Jesus as Savior but not have Him as Lord? To that question, I will answer a hearty and authoritative NO because that's how Jesus answered that question. We will be looking at Matthew 7:15-20 and a number of insights from the passage showing who false prophets are and what they are like. Here are my points:
Matthew 7:15-20:
Insights Gleaned from this passage:
- NonChristians look good on the outside but inside they are destructive (15a) (keyword: Hypocrites)
- You will discern a true Christian by the way he lives his life (16, 20) (keyword: Obedience)
- True Believers cannot live patterns of sinful lives (16b, 18) (keyword: Repentance)
- The fruit a person bears is outward evidence of the spiritual condition (17, 19) (keyword: Fruitbearing)
- Every person not bearing spiritual fruit will be cut off and thrown into hell (19b) (keyword: Seriousness)
- Many people think they’re going to heaven but, in fact, are headed for hell (21a) (keyword: Deceived Ones)
- The one who enters heaven proves his spiritual condition by his good works (21b) (keyword: Transformation)
- Many do spiritual things for God and are involved in spiritual things but end up in hell (22-23) (keyword: Works-Salvation)
Therefore, if you call yourself a Christian and yet you live like a pagan, stop calling yourself a Christian because Jesus said you will be known by your fruits. Furthermore, many--many--people will think they are Christians and on the road to eternal bliss in heaven till they stand at the threshhold of heaven calling Jesus 'LORD, LORD' (note 2x for emphasis!) yet he wags his head in shame and utter contempt because He has never had an intimite and saving relationship with that person who is "religious" on the outside yet corrupt on the inside. This is a characteristic of false prophets and there were plenty of them in Jesus' day, in Paul's day, in Luther's day, in our day, and in our pews. Don't be deceived. If you are NOT living a life bearing good fruit--then you cannot be a good tree. If you die in that state, Jesus said you will be cut down and cast utterly and finally into the blazing furnace of fire where you will be tortured forever by the personal and furious hand of God Almighty. Yet if you repent and believe in Christ and acknowlede Him as LORD and submit, surrender, and devote your entire life to Him as LORD, he will never cast you out.
Repent and be saved today!
