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Easier to be Saved Than Lost
I. Introduction:
1. The Apostle Paul, on one occasion was unjustly thrown into prison for teaching people to receive Jesus as their personal Saviour. How did they react when they were bound in prison and their "feet" made "fast in stocks"? Acts 16:26-28.
a. As a result, what did the jailer ask? Acts 16:24-30.
b. Such a valuable question. A question that you may have pondered many times. This we will consider in this study.
II. Easier to be Saved than Lost
1. The question was asked, "What must I do to be saved?"
a. We have often dwelt upon what God does for us—how we are saved by grace.
(1) With out the supreme sacrifice on Calvary’s cross none of us could even be given the opportunity to think about being saved.
b. But, this verse says, "What must I do to be saved?"
(1) If it was solely up to God to do the saving, the whole world would be saved. 2 Peter 3:9.
c. Since God is not willing that any should perish, He has made a plan of saving humanity that makes it easier to be saved than it is to be lost.
(1) For example: Which is easier? To struggle in the quick sand and slowly sink and die a terrible death full of mental anguish or to grab hold of the rope and hang on while a "saviour" pulls us out? It is very true that it is not easy holding on to the rope. It takes every ounce of our available strength just to hang on, but it is easier than slowly sinking into the anguish of a terrible death!
III. What we Must Do
1. In the first place we know we need faith. Hebrews 11:6.
a. Why is faith so important? 1 John 5:4.
(1) But faith in what? Quite naturally in God.
(2) Do you believe in God?
(3) How do you know that God exists, that He is real, and that He cares about what goes on in this world?
(a) I knew of a man who judged such important matters by feeling. Before long, his feeling became solely negative; and he committed suicide.
(b) Our feelings come and go. Sometimes we feel good and at other times we feel down. We need a faith that transcends feelings. A faith that carries us over the crises in our lives.
2. So how are we to have faith in God?
a. Do you see Him?
(1) How can we have faith in someone that we don’t see?
(2) The atheist claims that he only believes what he sees. If he cannot see it, he will not believe it. If that were really true, he would never be able to read or write.
(a) Example of learning the alphabet.
(b) What marvelous thing happens once one does accept the alphabet? The more he uses it, the more it proves itself.
(c) Faith is necessary in our day to day life rather than just in our religious experience.
3. Is it just for God to require faith in Him when we have not seen Him?
a. Do you think it would be reasonable for you to refuse to read a book until you see the author personally?
(1) If so, we would be illiterate because we hardly ever meet most authors of the many articles and books we read.
b. God never expects us to have blind faith in Him.
(1) A blind faith is equivalent to building a house on the movable sand along the seashore.
(2) But what is true faith? Hebrews 11:1.
(a) God gives us evidences; once they are accepted, they become the substance or the assurance of His existence.
c. What kind of evidence is necessary to prove God’s existence?
(1) An example of the best evidence is right before our eyes.
(2) When you read the title of an article and see the author’s name, is your immediate reaction that he/she does not exist?
(a) Or was the fact that they have written something an evidence of their existence?
(b) Upon reading a book, you probably notice some peculiarities that individualize the author.
[1] If, after you have thoroughly read the book and instilled it upon your memory bank and then you meet the author for first time, you would most probably recognize him by his conversation as those same peculiarities would come out.
4. God has given us written evidence, a letter to us—the Bible. 2 Peter 1:21, 1 Thessalonians 2:13.
a. You will never have the assurance that God really exists until you investigate the "evidence" placed before you.
(1) In other words, we cannot have faith in God unless we study the Bible. Romans 10:17.
(a) "The word of the Lord, spoken through His servants, is received by many with questionings and fears. And many will defer their obedience to the warning and reproofs given, waiting till every shadow of uncertainty is removed from their minds. The unbelief that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to the evidence that God is pleased to give. He requires of His people faith that rests upon the weight of evidence, not upon perfect knowledge." Vol. 3, Testimonies for the Church, p. 258:2.
(b) Example of the atheist who stood up in Central Park, New York, airing out his views and disbelief about God and old man with an orange.
[1] What do we need to do in order to realize the reality of God’s word? Psalm 34:8.
(2) It is for this reason that faith comes from the Word of God. Unless we spend time studying the Scriptures, we will lose our faith.
IV. Must be Willing to Obey
1. It is not enough to believe in the Bible, although that is a step in the right direction. We must do more as Satan also believes. James 2:19.
a. Belief in God and Belief in His word is the same for Jesus is God. 1 Timothy 3:16.
(1) And Jesus is the Word. Revelation 19:13.
(2) The Word is also called the King of kings and Lord of Lords. Revelation 19:16.
(3) This is the Lamb of God. Revelation 17:14.
(4) The Lamb is Jesus. John 1:29.
(a) Therefore, Satan believes in God.
b. We know that the Sadducees believed the word and professed to be very accurate in their practice of the Scriptures. "The Sadducees had flattered themselves that they of all men adhered most strictly to the Scriptures. But Jesus showed that they had not known their true meaning." Desire of Ages, p. 605:5.
(1) Although they believed it, Jesus said they didn’t really know it. Mark 12:24.
(a) In other words, they missed the whole point of the Bible. John 5:39.
(2) Therefore our spirit and our attitude in searching has great importance. "We should come with reverence to the study of the Bible, feeling that we are in the presence of God. All lightness and trifling should be laid aside. While some portions of the word are easily understood, the true meaning of other parts is not so readily discerned. There must be patient study and meditation and earnest prayer. Every student, as he opens the Scriptures, should ask for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit; and the promise is sure that it will be given.
"The spirit in which you come to the investigation of the Scriptures will determine the character of the assistant at your side. Angels from the world of light will be with those who in humility of heart seek for divine guidance. But if the Bible is opened with irreverence, with a feeling of self-sufficiency, if the heart is filled with prejudice, Satan is beside you, and he will set the plain statements of God’s word in a perverted light.
"There are some who indulge in levity, sarcasm, and even mockery toward those who differ with them. Others present an array of objections to any new view; and when these objections are plainly answered by the words of Scripture, they do not acknowledge the evidence presented, nor allow themselves to be convinced. Their questioning is not for the purpose of arriving at truth, but is intended merely to confuse the minds of others." Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 107:3-108:2.
2. What should our attitude and spirit be like? John 7:17
a. What does willingness mean? James 4:7.
(1) Submit = to commit to the discretion or decision of another or of others; yield, surrender.
(2) In other words, we must totally yield our likes and dislikes to God as revealed in His word.
(a) Whatever question comes, we yield our decision to what is in His word.
(3) "All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us." Desire of Ages, p. 668:3.
(4) "God has given us His holy precepts, because He loves mankind. To shield us from the results of transgression, He reveals the principles of righteousness. The law is an expression of the thought of God; when received in Christ, it becomes our thought. It lifts us above the power of natural desires and tendencies, above temptations that lead to sin." Desire of Ages, p. 308:1.
3. As we search the Scriptures with this willingness, what do we find? Exceeding great and precious promises. 2 Peter 1:4.
a. What happens to us when we do receive them? We partake of the divine nature. 2 Peter 1:4 .
b. What is that nature like? 1 Peter 2:21, 22.
(1) Victorious and sinless one.
4. To summarize these two points:
a. We must become acquainted with the Word of God and it will produce faith in us if we are willing.
b. THEN: We must have the willingness to obey what is written, not just a careless willingness but a submissive willingness—in other words—a total surrender of our will to the will of God as revealed in His word.
V. Resist the Devil
1. By partaking of the Divine nature, we are actually abiding in Christ. John 15:4-7.
a. What is the result of this abiding? 1 John 3:6.
b. This type of abiding (step 2) is the strength we need for a victorious life.
2. But how, then, do we stop sinning? James 4:7.
a. "Resistance of temptation must come from man, who must draw his power from God." Acts of the Apostles, p. 482:2.
b. What does it mean to resist? 2 Corinthians 10:5.
c. Does this mean to leave sin off a little at a time? "Do you imagine you can leave off sin a little at a time? O leave the accursed thing at once! Hate the things that Christ hates, love the things that Christ loves." Vol. 1, Selected Messages, p. 327:1.
(1) Can a smoker stop smoking a little at a time? Or a drunkard a little at a time?
d. We must learn to hate sin! ". . . He [God] cannot endure the presence of sin. It is the thing that His soul hates. . . Holiness is the foundation of God’s throne; sin is the opposite of holiness; sin crucified the Son of God. If men could see how hateful sin is, they would not tolerate it, nor educate themselves in it. They would reform in life and character." Testimonies to Ministers, p. 145:1.
(1) "When the sinner has a view of the matchless charm of Jesus, sin no longer looks attractive to him." Reflecting Christ, p. 76:1.
3. Therefore, step 3 is bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. When the thoughts are controlled, the actions take care of themselves. Matthew 12:34.
VI. Summarize the Points.
1. Appeal = story of the eagle at Niagara Falls.
2. The night is far spent etc. . . Romans 13:11, 12.
3. Christ’s appeal: Matthew 11:28-30.
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