"What Does it Mean to be Saved"

Sermon Transcript for November 19, 2000

By Rev. Mike Beck

Scripture Reading: John 3:1-17

 

I want to think together today about this critically important question: What does it mean to be saved? I’ve asked Sarai to play an old gospel song. See how many of you recognize it. (Sarai plays). Let’s see your hands if you recognize that.

Saved by His power divine!

Saved to new life sublime!

Life now is sweet

and my joy is complete,

for I’m saved, saved, saved!

Unfortunately, this wonderful term, saved, has been so misused that in many churches "the baby has been thrown out with the bath water". Let’s look for a moment at the misuse of this doctrine of salvation.

Some of you stood as a badge of superiority that I’m saved and you’re not. In inviting people to receive the gift of salvation, there’s often an extreme emotionalism or the manipulation of people in order to get them saved. Or sometimes we have had this attitude, "My experience must be your experience." In other words, if I came forward to an alter of prayer and shed a whole lot of tears as I received salvation, then everybody else who receives God’s gift of salvation must do it in the same way. And nothing could be further from the truth. Or often times, especially between the Methodist and the Baptist, we’ve argued about this doctrine. "Once saved always saved" or "Can you lose your salvation?" Or in some churches, every single Sunday they’re preaching on the doctrine of salvation and totally neglecting many other important areas of faith.

While acknowledging all of this, we nevertheless must realize that salvation is the dominant theme that runs through all of Scripture. And what is important to God must also be the top priority of His church.

The Bible gives us many beautiful images related to this concept of salvation. And as we look as those very briefly realize some aspect of this element of salvation that is revealed through the Word. In the Old Testament the predominant word for salvation was the word "deliverance". And in the Old Testament, more often than not, it was deliverance from some physical peril. Someone was in danger and God intervened and delivered them.

Another Old Testament image is the image of "redemption". Redemption means to buy back something that had been lost. A third image the Bible gives us of salvation is the image of "adoption". And just as a child would be adopted into an earthly family, God has adopted us into the family of God through what we call salvation.

There is the Biblical image for salvation of "justification". Justification is a legal term. Justification simply means that although we should have been declared guilty of our sins, God says we are not guilty. We have been justified. And then finally there is the beautiful image of conversion, which means to turn around or to change within. Paul talks about that in II Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verse 17, when he describes the process with these words, "If anyone be in Christ, they’re a new creation. The old has passed away. And behold all things are becoming new."

I would like to consider this doctrine of salvation today by asking four simple questions.

Why does God care about me?

Why do I need to be saved?

How can I be saved?

How can I know that I am saved?

Let’s look at each of those individually.

 

Why does God care about me?: Think about this. I take up one small spec in God’s universe. I’m not worth a whole lot. I know my shortcomings and failures. Why in the world would the God who created the universe even care that I be saved? Let me answer that question very simply. In fact, I’m going to try and preach in a very elementary way this morning. God cares about me because the nature of God is love. It all starts there. That the nature of God is love. And then follow my train of thought, the essence of love is to give. As you brought your stewardship cards this morning to the front, it was a tangible way of saying to God, "This is an expression, Lord, of my love for you." At the close of the 11:00 a.m. service last week, Holly Klotzsche and Tony Myers caught up with me. Big smiles on their faces because Tony had popped the question to Holly and on her finger was an engagement ring--the essence of love is to give. In the story of Nicodemus we read this morning, that’s what John 3:16 is all about. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him shall no perish but have everlasting life."

 

Why is it that I need to be saved?: And that question deserves careful attention in our day. For we live in a day of relativism. We live in a day where sin isn’t talked about much because whatever is right for you is right for you, whatever is right for me is right for me. Society would want to say there is no such thing as right and wrong. We live in a day where the accepted norm is often, "I’m okay, you’re okay, we’re all okay." That creeps in even to our seminaries with the doctrine of universalism which would want to teach, I believe very falsely, that everybody’s eventually going to be saved because God is alive.

But I invite you to think about this. Nicodemus, as a Pharisee, was a remarkably good and ethical person. You couldn’t have found a better person in that day than Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a strong believer in God, but he knew that something inside was wrong, something inside was missing. And so he came to Jesus by night. And Jesus said to him as He says to each of us, "Nicodemus, you’ve got to be born again." Why?

1. First of all because of the holiness of God. The doctrine we often forget, when I was down in Tennessee with my preacher friends from Texas and Alabama...one night we got into a conversation in which we asked ourselves the question, "Would we really want to come face to face with God?" There’s a verse in the Bible that says, "It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of a holy and awesome God." God is holy.

2. The Bible tells us that we, because of our sin, are separated from God. God is holy. His holiness could have Him do nothing, to have any part with sin. That sin separates us from God. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

It is for this reason, the holiness of God, our sin and separation from God, which results in our need for salvation.

 

How can I be saved?: As we try to answer that question, the story of Nicodemus’ dialogue with Jesus reminds us that salvation is a reality, but yet it is a reality that lies in the arena of mystery. In verse 4, Nicodemus asks a very natural question. When Jesus said, "You have to be born again", Nicodemus said, "How in the world, I’m a grown man? How can I enter back in to my mother’s womb?" To which Jesus replies in verses 6-8, he said, "Nicodemus, you’re talking about earthly things. I’m talking about spiritual things." And then Jesus uses the analogy of the wind. He says to Nicodemus, "Nicodemus, can you see the wind?" To which Nicodemus replies, "No." But Jesus said, "But nevertheless you know the reality. You don’t know where the wind comes from, you don’t know where it’s going, but you know it is a reality. So it is with spiritual things."

Salvation lies in the realm of mystery. But the way in which we receive the gift of salvation is clearly revealed to us in Scripture.

1. It starts with our belief in God. If you take in all of these messages related to the Christian Believer, you’ll get a pretty good course this year in systematic theology. If you’ll remember, that first sermon dealt with the question, "What does it mean to believe?" Hebrews 11:6 says, "Without faith it’s impossible to please God." We must believe first of all that He exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.

2. But it doesn’t end with just a vague belief. We must recognize, secondly, our sin. We must recognize our need of God. That’s what is taught in the parable of the Prodigal Son. That the prodigal son, who has gone off into sin, there’s a little phrase that says, "One day he came to his senses and said I’m going home". For us salvation unfolds as we recognize, "God I need you. Oh God, I am a sinner."

3. We repent of our sin. We are sorry for the ways in which we have fallen short of God’s glory. The ways in which we have trampled on His flock. And we turn from our sin and turn back to God.

4. We are saved as we trust in what Christ has done for us. The word trust is a very important word. The word trust implies I face my full confidence and note what is being trusted in. Not trust in myself, but trust in what Christ has done for me on the cross.

 

How can I know that I am saved? As a pastor I think that’s a very practical and important lesson. Because in the days in which altar calls were common, and part of the reason in which they came less common, the same persons came forward over and over again. And you ask this lady who came forward, "Why have you come?" "I’ve come to receive salvation." "That’s what you said you came for two weeks ago. Did God not come through?" Friends, it is not presumptuous or arrogant for us to be confident of our salvation. God desires that for us. Now, hear me carefully on this. The test of our salvation is not found in the perfection of our actions. We’re going to fall short even after we’re saved. Rather, it is found in what the Bible calls the "heart". So let me suggest these things as a possible Biblical litmus test for salvation.

1. I believe the person that is saved will have a hunger after the things of God. The person that is saved is not coming to church out of duty. They’re not reading the Bible and praying because they have to. The person that is saved has within them a hunger after the things of God.

2. The person that is saved claims the promises of God in Scripture. The promise of Jesus: "Anyone who comes to me, I will in no way turn aside." The promise I have to claim often is the promised enrollment. There is no condemnation, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

3. The Bible also tells us that if we are saved, we will have the witness of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says His Spirit bears witness with our Spirit that we are His children.

4. If the Spirit is living within us, we ought to be exhibiting in increasing ways, the fruit of the Spirit in our lives--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. If we are saved and living in Christ, with each passing year those fruits of the Spirit should become more evident in our lives.

There is a story of a tour group that was touring the great cathedrals of Europe. And they had gone inside this magnificent cathedral. And a member of the church was taking them through showing them the beautiful stained glass windows, telling them the history, showing them the ornate alter. And at the close of the tour, the church member and tour guide asked, "Are there any questions?" To which a little man in the back raised up his hand and said, "Yes, I just want to know this. You have a beautiful church, but has anybody been saved here lately?"

And, friends, here at Grace we have a beautiful church. We have a wonderful history. But we need to be asking the same question. Who is it that, through the ministries of Grace Church, have found the gift of salvation for the very first time? Why do we make it so difficult? I’ve tried to explain it this morning in as simple terms as I knew how. But this week in my devotions I found myself asking this question, "Am I believing and am I praying that as we come together at Grace Church this week for worship, someone or several people will be saved through our worship? Will come to know Christ for the first time?"

And so as I close the service today, I extend a very specific invitation. There may be persons hearing my voice who know about God but who have never received the gift of salvation. There may be others who are unsure of their salvation. As we sing this great hymn of invitation this morning, if you feel God speaking to you, come forward to the alter. What a wonderful gift to give to yourself at this special season of the year.