Citrusdal | Clanwilliam | Graafwater | Kompas Gemeente Vredendal | Somerset-Wes

Categories
Sermons

Why does the modern man need salvation?

Why does the modern man need salvation?
Salvation from what:
Bad habits?
Relationships gone bad?
Spiritual disconnection?
Self?
Moral decay?
A humanistic Worldview?
Being alienated from God, and church?

Possibly modern man needs salvation from all of the above, but mainly mankind is lost without Christ!

Christ is salvation!

Knowing, loving, believing, following Christ is salvation! He is the anchor of my soul, the unsearchable riches and wisdom of God. He is peace, hope and love. He is oneness with God! He embodies the timeless, sustained presence, and favour of God. He is forgiveness and acceptance from God. He is the best way to do life. He became the ‘son of man’ or ultimate human, to reveal the divine in our humanity.

We are lost, drowning, dying, and desperate until we are awakened to His righteousness.

God did not give us a saving buoy, He gave Himself.

How do I become a follower of Christ?

Say the welcoming word to God—”Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. Rom 10:9-10. (The Message) Salvation is a theological term. How can one describe this encounter with Jesus in more general life terms? It is best explained as the moment one begins to believe: Like the centurion who believed if Jesus would only speak a word his servant would be healed. Luk 7:1-9, or the Tax Collector: “Lord have mercy one me, a sinner.” Luk 18:9-14, or the thief on the cross “Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom.” or Paul’s exclamation: “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Acts 9:6, or Zacchaeus who made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. Luk 19:6 or Nicodemus the theologian who was told that he should get born again. John 3:1-3. How one is saved, is a divine mystery but what is evident, faith comes like a spark of fire into the heart of man, when a person receives Him John 1:12 and awakens to righteousness. 1 Cor 15:34; Rom. 13:11; Eph. 5:14

Share with someone.

After the demon-possessed man met Jesus and was delivered of his torment, he also asked this question; “Can I come and stay with you?” Jesus however, told him: “Go home to your own people. Tell them your story—what the Master did, how he had mercy on you.” Your testimony of knowing, and experiencing Jesus is the fuel that flames the fire. It is important to confess your faith, too someone. Rom 10:9. Say to someone; “I am saved” or “I am now a child of God” or “I am now following Jesus” or directly share your story of how Jesus made Himself real to you. Each one of us has a unique story to tell.

Hear & Obey

“Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me, and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. Mat 16:24 (The Message Bible) This new path you have chosen is an ancient path, a tested path, you do not know the way He has to lead you. It is also imperative that you walk back on your own life path, and repent, reconcile, and make restitution if necessary of all the wrong you have done. This is the first part of your journey, leaving al the baggage of past hurts and disappointments behind. It is a path of holiness and right-wiseness in doing what is right. One remains on this path till the end of one’s life, enduring until the end, and finishing the race of your purpose.

No individual salvation.

Getting to know Jesus, is not a solo mission. As you walk and connect with fellow pilgrims, and acknowledge His work in them, you get to know more of Him. He reveals Himself to you directly, but also indirectly. God is a family, and He rules and reigns the world as a family. In God’s family, one is trained on how to be wise and mature about relationships. As we connect more deeply with other people, we also connect more deeply with God. He uses people to demonstrate the incarnation of His love, mercy and grace collectively. No one person will individually attain the full stature of Christ. But together we make known His manifold wisdom to principalities and powers Eph 3:10 as He builds His church Mat 16:18, and bring us into His fulness together Eph 4:11-16.

The Holy Spirit Reveals Christ.

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” Matt 16:17 It was on this direct implicit revelation rock foundation the NT church is built. In the New Testament order, everyone can know God and enter His throne with boldness. Heb 4:14-16; 10:19. Everyone who hears His voice is part of His flock. John 10:27 Furthermore the: the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. John 14:26 The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to you. Being led by the Holy Spirit is what distinguish us from the World as His children. Rom 8:14

There are not enough books to contain the knowledge to be obtained of Jesus Christ, the express image of God. Heb 1:3. Yet as we make seeking Him and His righteousness, His right-doing, right wiseness and divine Will the principal, the pre-eminent focus of our lives, we get all the other things being added to us. Mat 6:33 Wealth, peace, joy, provision, favour, seems to follow us, as we lost interest in running after that what is temporal.

Selfish, ego-centric, self-centred, greed, pride, arrogance, produce death and destruction. Self-serving motives of self-interest distort the image of Christ. When Christ becomes our focus, our centre, our consciousness, our identity, our way of doing life we begin to heal, and do good. Only Jesus Christ can save us from ‘self’ and lead us to a life of total self-forgetfulness, love, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Rom 14:17