Yesterday Today And Forever Things will always be

Yesterday, Today And Forever

Things will always be as they are today. II Peter 3: 4 – Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation. Ecclesiastes 1: 9 – That which has been is that

When a loved one passes it tends to cause one to consider his own mortality. ?

This morning each of us must ask, “Am I ready to meet God ? ” If I were to die this very moment do I know for certain that I would go to be with God eternally ?

II Timothy 1: 12 – For this reason I also suffer these things, but �� I am not ashamed; for I know �� whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to �� Him �� until �� that day.

Philippians 4: 6 -7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by �� prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And �� the peace of God, which surpasses all �� comprehension, will guard your hearts and your �� �� minds in Christ Jesus �� ��

Christians are saved and they should know it.

I. The Christian religion is all about salvation from sin.

Matthew 1: 21 – She will bear a Son; and �� you shall call His name Jesus, for �� He will save His people from their sins. Luke 19: 10 – For �� the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

The message of the Apostles was about salvation. Acts 11: 14 ( angel speaking ) he will speak �� words to you by which you will be saved, you and �� all your household. ’

Acts 16: 31 -33 They said, “�� Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and �� your household. 32 And they spoke the word of �� the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33 and he took them �� that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.

Romans 6: 23 For the wages of �� sin is death, but the free gift of God is �� eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 3: 23 -24 for �� there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory ���� of God, 24 being justified as a gift �� by His grace through �� the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

Luke 24: 47 that �� repentance �� forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed �� in His name to �� all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Acts 13: 38 Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that �� through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

II. Salvation from sin is promised only to those IN Christ.

Salvation is IN Christ. II Timothy 2: 10 For this reason �� I endure all things for �� the sake of those who are chosen, �� so that they also may obtain the �� salvation which is IN Christ Jesus and with it �� �� eternal glory.

Those in Christ have been sanctified. I Corinthians 1: 2 To �� the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been �� sanctified IN Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place �� call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, . .

IN Christ all the guilt of sin has been removed. Romans 8: 1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are �� �� IN �� Christ Jesus.

Colossians 1: 22 -23 a yet He has now �� reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to �� present you before Him �� holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in �� the faith firmly �� established and steadfast, and not moved away from the �� hope of the gospel that you have heard,

These benefits are found only IN Christ so one must get INTO Christ. Hebrews 5: 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all �� those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, Remember : Matt. 7: 21 -23

Galatians 3: 26 -27 For you are all �� sons of God through faith in �� Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized INTO Christ have �� �� clothed yourselves with Christ. Compare : Romans 6: 3

III. Though obedience is required for one to be transferred into Christ, his obedience does not save him.

Salvation is by grace apart from works. Ephesians 2: 8 -9 For �� by grace you have been saved through faith; and �� �� that not of yourselves, it is �� the gift of God; 9 �� not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. ��

Philippians 3: 9 that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having �� a righteousness of my own derived from law, but that which is through faith in Christ, �� the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

I Peter 1: 8 -9 and �� though you have not seen Him, you �� love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as �� �� the outcome of your faith the salvation of �� your souls.

Salvation is given as a gift, not earned Romans 3: 24 being justified as a gift �� by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; Romans 6: 23 For the wages of �� sin is death, but the free gift of God is �� eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Those who receive the gift are expected to reciprocate by living holy lives. Titus 2: 11 -14 For the grace of God has �� appeared, bringing salvation to all men, ���� 12 �� instructing us to deny ungodliness and �� worldly desires and �� to live sensibly, righteously and godly �� in the present

Titus 2: 11 -14 . . . Continued age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the �� appearing of the glory of ���� our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who �� gave Himself for us �� to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a �� �� people for His own possession, �� zealous for good deeds.

Ephesians 2: 1 -3 And you �� were �� dead �� in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you �� formerly walked according to the �� course of �� this world, according to �� the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in �� the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all �� formerly lived in �� the lusts of our flesh, �� indulging the desires of the flesh and of the �� mind, and were �� by nature �� children of �� wrath, even as the rest.

Being born again fosters a new lifestyle. I John 3: 9 No one who is ���� born of God �� practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. �� Remember. . . James 2: 14 f

IV. All who are in Christ, and maintain faith to the end, will be saved.

Faith motivates one to establish a relationship with Christ.

When one learns the story of the love and sacrifice of Jesus, he believes it. Mark 16: 16 He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

When one develops faith in Jesus he will change his life to conform to His will. Acts 2: 38 Peter said to them, “�� Repent, and each of you be �� baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

One who has faith will tell others. Matthew 10: 32 -33 Therefore �� everyone who �� confesses Me before men, I will also confess �� him before My Father who is in Heaven. 33 But �� whoever �� denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in Heaven.

One’s faith will motivate him to be baptized INTO Christ. Galatians 3: 26 -27 For you are all �� sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were �� baptized INTO Christ have �� �� clothed yourselves with Christ. ( Salvation is in Christ. . II Tim. 2: 10 )

The one who is in Christ seeks to eliminate sin from his life. I John 3: 9 No one who is ���� born of God practices sin, because His seed �� abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is �� born of God.

Christians are promised salvation. Revelation 2: 10 Be faithful until death and I WILL GIVE you the crown of life. Matthew 10: 22 You will be hated by all because of My name, but �� it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

Colossians 1: 21 -23 a And although you were �� formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly �� �� body through death, in order to �� present you before Him �� holy and blameless and beyond reproach — 23 IF indeed you continue in �� the faith firmly �� established and steadfast, and not moved away from the �� hope of the gospel that you have heard,

Hebrews 3: 6 Christ was faithful as �� a Son over His house—�� whose house we are, IF we hold fast our �� confidence and the boast of our �� hope firm until the end. Hebrews 3: 14 For we have become partakers of Christ, IF we hold fast the beginning of our �� assurance firm until the end,

V. To doubt the promise expresses lack of faith in the one who promised.

Who do you trust to save you ? Yourself or Jesus ?

If you have believed and obeyed His gospel, Jesus has saved you. Ephesians 2: 8 For by grace you HAVE BEEN SAVED through faith

Titus 3: 15 He saved us, �� not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but �� according to His mercy, by the �� washing of regeneration and �� renewing by the Holy Spirit,

II Timothy 4: 6 -8 For I am already being �� poured out as a drink offering, and the time of �� my departure has come. 7 �� I have fought the good fight, I have finished �� the course, I have kept �� the faith; 8 in the future there �� is laid up for me �� the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on �� that day; and not only to me, but also to �� all who have loved His �� appearing.

I Peter 1: 5 Inheritance. . . reserved in Heaven for you, 5 who are �� protected by the power of God through faith for �� �� a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ��

Christian. . . God has saved you and He wants you to know it. I John 5: 13 These things I have written to you � who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have �� eternal life.

Knowing that we are saved gives us great peace. Philippians 4: 7 And �� the peace of God, which surpasses all �� comprehension, will �� guard your hearts and your �� minds in �� Christ Jesus.

I John 4: 15 -18 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God �� �� abides in him, and he in God. 16 �� We have come to know and have believed the love which God has ���� for us. �� God is love, and the one who �� abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, �� love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in �� �� the day of judgment; because �� as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but �� perfect love casts out fear, because fear �� involves punishment, and the one who fears is not �� perfected in love.

Do you have the confidence to stand before God without fear ?