Introduction:
God wants everybody to be
saved. (I
Timothy 2:3-4)
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who
desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the
truth.” (II
Peter 3:9)
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count
slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any
should perish but that all should come to repentance.” NKJV
But, In spite of God’s desire, some people won’t be saved while
Jehovah has made salvation available to everyone. He doesn’t force
salvation on anyone. So why will some not be saved?
Body:
I.
Those Who Do Not Want to Be Saved
God calls people to salvation through the gospel. (II
Thessalonians 2:13-14)
“But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren
beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for
salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the
truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
NKJV
This gospel has the power to save. (Romans
1:16)
“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.”
NKJV
This invitation to come to Christ has been extended to all. (Matthew
11:28-30)
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle
and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My
yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
NKJV But
some people have no interest in answering that call. (Matthew
22:1-14)
“And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:
‘The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a
marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who
were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.
Again, he sent out other servants, saying, Tell those who are
invited, See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle
are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding. But
they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm,
another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated
them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it,
he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those
murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants,
The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.
Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to
the wedding. So those servants went out into the highways and
gathered together all whom they found both bad and good. And the
wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to
see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding
garment. So he said to him, Friend, how did you come in here
without a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then the king
said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and
cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
NKJV
Those who are unconcerned and indifferent have a bleak future –
outer darkness.
II.
Those Who Believe Their Goodness Will Save Them
Good works are not the basis for anyone being saved. (Matthew
7:21-23)
“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many
wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never
knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ”
NKJV
Not even “wonderful works” can save you. Man by himself is not
capable of directing his own steps nor of cleansing his sins.
(Jeremiah
10:23)
“O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man
who walks to direct his own steps.”
(Isaiah
64:6-7)
“But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses
are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities,
like the wind, Have taken us away. And there is no one who calls on
Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have
hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our
iniquities.”
NKJV
These passages teach us that just being good doesn’t have the power
to save.
Instead one must trust in Christ’s atoning sacrifice and be redeemed
by His blood. (Romans
5:8-10)
“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.
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the
death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be
saved by His life.”
(Ephesians
1:7)
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of His grace” NKJV
III.
Those Who Refuse to Turn from Their Sins
Sin is what separates man from God. (Isaiah
59:1-2)
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor
His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have
separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from
you, So that He will not hear.” NKJV
Christ suffered and died on that terrible cross to save people from
sin, not save us in sin. (Romans
6:1)
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may
abound?” NKJV
To fail to repent of our sins is to fail to turn from sin. (Luke
13:3)
“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise
perish.”
NKJV
Everyone stands at the brink of spiritual death until repentance
occurs. It is impossible for one to be saved who refuses to turn
from his sins.
Conclusion:
Even though God wants all men
to be saved, many will be lost. He has left the road we choose to
travel up to us.
Bobby Stafford
November 29, 2015
