GOD’S CHAIN OF SALVATION

John 3:14-17

 

INTRODUCTION:

  1. Scripture tells us that God wants all men to be saved
  2. Many people have a narrow vision about what saves us --- Some say

1.      saved by faith only

2.      grace only

3.      blood of Christ, mercy, the cross, the resurrection, power of God

4.      Truth is

a.      Not saved by any ONE of these

b.      Saved by all of these

C.     Illustration

1.      Farmer has a bumper wheat crop

2.      Merchant asks “How’s that tractor I sold you?”

a.      Great, it made me 25,000 bushels of wheat

3.      Another says how’s that seed I sold you?

a.      It made me 25,000 bushels of wheat

4.      To another

a.      You know that rain we got made me 25,000 bushels of wheat

5.      Still to another

a.      That fertilizer I tried made me 25,000 bushels of wheat

6.      Some might say the farmer made 100,000 bushels of wheat

a.      That is not what the farmer meant

b.      All the factors he named combined to make the wheat crop

c.       It wasn’t any ONE of them --- it was all of them

D.    In the spiritual realm there are many factors that work together to affect our salvation

1.      Compare it to a chain

2.      All the links are important

3.      No link can be left out

4.      The chain is not one link --- but many links

E.     Scripture says there are over 40 different factors that work together for our salvation

1.      Today we will look at 8 of those links in the chain

 

BODY:

  1. 1st LINK         GOD IS CREATOR AND SAVIOR

A.     The prophet Isaiah says in Isaiah 12:2 --- Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.

B.     James 1:17 --- Every good gift comes from God

1.      That includes salvation

2.      God loves us and wants us to be saved

3.      Could have turned his back on us because of our sin

a.      Prov. 6:16-18 --- These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:  A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.

C.     But because God Loves us he sent his son to die for us for our salvation

1.      John 3:16 --- For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

2.      Romans 5:8 --- But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

D.    We cannot minimize the link of God in the chain of salvation

1.      For without God there is no salvation

2.      1 Tim. 4:10 --- For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the savior of all men, especially of those who believe

3.      Romans 6:23 --- For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

4.      God is an important link in the chain of salvation

5.      And so is Jesus

 

  1. 2nd LINK        JESUS CHRIST IS OUR SAVIOR

A.     Why did Jesus come into this world?

B.     Angel of the Lord tells Mary in Matt 1:21 --- And she will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS for he will save his people from their sins

1.      Jesus came to give us hope in this dark and bleak world

2.      to give us freedom from the bondage of this world and Satan

3.      to offer us salvation; to save us from our sins

C.     Jesus tells us himself in Luke 19:10 --- For the son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost

1.      What was lost?

2.      We are lost!  All of us!!  All of mankind!!!  All who has ever lived or ever will live

3.      Jesus came to save all of mankind

D.    Paul says in 1 Tim. 1:15 --- This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief

E.     Salvation is offered in Christ Jesus --- The perfect Savior

1.      Hebrews 5:8-9 --- though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered, and having been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him

2.      Again, it is through Christ that we are saved

F.      When Peter and John were arrested for preaching Jesus

1.      Standing before the rulers and elders of Israel

2.      Acts 4:7 (asked them) By what power or by what name have you done this?

3.      Answered --- JESUS  v.12 --- Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

4.      No One Else Can Save Us

5.      No argument here --- Jesus Saves

6.      But he does not save us apart from the other links in the chain

 

  1.  3rd LINK       WE ARE SAVED BY THE GOSPEL

A.     Romans 1:16 --- Paul says --- For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek

B.     The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation

1.      That is why Jesus said

a.      Mark 16:15 --- Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature

b.      Why?

c.       Because without the gospel people cannot be saved

2.      Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:1,2 --- Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you

3.      It is the gospel that saves

C.     Look at Cornelius --- devout man; feared God

1.      Prayed to God always

2.      God sent an angel --- Why?

a.      Not to tell him what to do to be saved

b.      But to send to Joppa for Peter

c.       So he could hear the gospel of Christ

d.      Acts 11:13-14 --- And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and your household will be saved.’

3.      Cornelius

a.      had to hear the gospel in order to be saved

b.      so Peter preached the gospel to him

D.    James wrote in James 1:21 --- Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls

E.     The Gospel is an important link in the chain of salvation

 

  1. 4th  LINK        WE ARE SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

A.     The principle throughout the Bible

1.      Heb. 9:22 --- And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood and without the shedding of blood there is no remission.

B.     Animal sacrifices under the Law of Moses

1.      A foreshadow of the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross    Heb. 10:1-4

2.      Romans 5:8-9 --- But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

a.      It is the blood of Christ that saves us from the wrath of sin

3.      Peter says the same thing in 1 Peter 1:18-19 --- Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

C.     We are not only cleansed by Christ’s blood

1.      Through baptism into his death (Romans 6:3,4)

2.      But his blood also cleanses us as we walk with him daily

a.      1 John 1:7 --- But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin.

D.    None can be saved without the blood of Christ

1.      It too is an important link in the chain of salvation

 

V.                 5th LINK         WE ARE SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD

A.     Jesus tells us we all need grace

1.      Luke 17:10 --- So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, We are unprofitable servants, We have done what was our duty to do.

2.      Even if we do what was our duty to do we are still --- Unprofitable servants.

 

B.     If we are saved then it is through God’s Grace

1.      Eph. 2:8 --- For by grace you have been saved through faith, and than not of yourselves; it is the gift of God

2.      Romans 3:23,24 --- For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

C.     Because we all have sinned we have been condemned to die --- Romans 6:23

1.      But Jesus paid the price

2.      Not because of what we did or can do

3.      But by the Grace of God

D.    But Grace makes demands upon us

1.      Titus 2:11-12 --- For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age

E.     Grace is another necessary link in the chain of salvation

 

        VI.      6th  LINK        WE ARE SAVED BY OUR FAITH

A.     Scripture says Heb. 11:6 --- But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

B.     Over and over Jesus said in his ministry --- The need to believe on Him

1.      John 3:16 --- For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

2.      John 8:24 --- Jesus says --- Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.

3.      Ethiopian Eunuch says in Acts 8:36 --- See, here is water.  What hinders me from being baptized?  Then Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may.

4.      When Paul and Silas were in prison in Philippi   Acts 16:30-31

a.      Jailer asked Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

b.      V. 31 --- So they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household

5.      Paul clearly says in Eph. 2:8 --- For by grace you have been saved through faith

6.      And again in Romans 5:1 --- Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

C.     Faith is an important link to salvation but it is not the only link

1.      Contrary to some beliefs

2.      Faith must be accompanied by obedience

3.      James 2:24 --- You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only

4.      V. 26 --- For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also

 

     VII.      7th  LINK        WE ARE SAVED BY REPENTANCE

A.     Jesus came to earth

1.      To save us from our sins

2.      Not to save us so we could keep living in sin

3.      Unless one is willing to turn against sin and back to God --- He cannot be saved

B.     Jesus said in Luke 13:2,3 --- Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

1.      Repentance is necessary for salvation

C.     On the day of Pentecost

1.      Jews asked What must we do?

2.      Peter replied Acts 2:38 --- Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit

3.      Peter later told some of the same people

a.      Acts 3:19 --- Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord

4.      Peter told of the conversion of Cornelius to the Jews in Acts 11:18 ---

a.      V. 18 --- When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God saying, Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.

5.      Paul preached to the Greek intellectuals in Athens

a.      Acts 17:30 --- Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent…

6.      As we see Repentance is an important link in the chain of salvation

 

        VIII.      8th  LINK     WE ARE SAVED THROUGH BAPTISM

A.     Many do not like this link in the chain of salvation

1.      But 1 Peter 3:20,21 --- … Once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.  There is also an anti-type which now saves us --- Baptism

2.      Mark 16:16 --- He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

B.     Many will object to the necessity of baptism for salvation

1.      Many come up with arguments against the necessity for baptism

2.      Ask the question

a.      Where did Jesus place baptism?

b.      Before ore after salvation?

3.      No where in scripture do we find salvation before baptism

C.     Order of Baptism

1.      Day of Pentecost Peter said

a.      Acts 2:38 --- Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ

b.      V. 41 --- Then those who gladly received his word were baptized;

2.      Paul on the road to Damascus

a.      If Paul was saved on the road

b.      Why was he told to go see Ananias --- (to be told what to do)

c.       Why did Ananias say to Paul Acts 22:16 --- And now why are you waiting?  Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

d.      If he was already saved why did he have to have his sins washed away?

e.      Doesn’t that tell us clearly the purpose of baptism?

3.      Still same today

a.      We need to be baptized in order to be saved

b.      But baptism alone will not save anyone either

c.       We need every link in the chain

D.    Scripture says in Romans 6:3

1.      We are baptized into Christ Jesus

2.      We are baptized into his death

E.     Every spiritual blessing is in Christ (Eph. 1:3)

1.      We need to be in Christ in order to receive the blessings of salvation

 

              IX.      SATAN WILL TRY TO BREAK THE CHAIN TO SALVATION

A.     If he can get us to leave out

1.      God

2.      Christ

3.      Gospel

4.      Blood of Christ

5.      Grace

6.      Faith

7.      Repentance

8.      Baptism

 

THEN HE HAS BROKEN THE CHAIN

 

B.     Don’t rely on any one link to save you

C.     We need every link.  Study the word of God

D.    Is there a link you are leaving out?  And if you are leaving it out, Why?

E.     We are saved by

1.      Blood of Christ

2.      Given to us through God’s grace

3.      Told to us through his Gospel

4.      God and Christ have done their part

F.      There are links that depend upon our response

1.      Faith

2.      Repentance

3.      Baptism

G.    Don’t let there be a missing link in your chain to salvation