Alright, so keep your finger in Ephesians, actually you don't need to, turn to Genesis
chapter 2.
Genesis chapter 2, we're going to start from the very beginning.
Why do we need to be saved?
What is this salvation?
I mean, what are we talking about, right?
I mean, why do you save anybody?
If someone's drowning in an ocean and you save them, you don't just save anybody, right?
You save someone that's helpless, you save someone that needs to be saved, someone that's
perishing, someone that's dying.
So we need to understand, what is it that we're being saved from?
Genesis chapter 2 verse 16, Genesis chapter 2 verse 16, we have to start all the way back
to Genesis.
And by the way, you're going to find pretty much every doctrine in the book of Genesis.
Genesis is the first book of the Bible, pretty much anything in the scriptures is based on
things that you learn in the book of Genesis.
Genesis chapter 2 verse 16, and the Lord commanded the man, so this is the Lord speaking to Adam
after he created Adam, and the Lord commanded the man saying, of every tree of the garden
thou mayest freely eat.
Now is God a God that wants to control every aspect of our life, or is he a God that wants
to give us freedom and liberty?
What we see, the Lord commanded Adam, hey you can eat of every tree of the garden that
thou mayest freely eat.
Our God's not a God that wants to put these unnecessary burdens upon us, he's a God that
wants to give freely, hey take part he told Adam of every tree.
But then verse 17, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not
eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Now I love eating fruit, you know some of you might have fruit trees, but imagine what
fruit tasted like back in the garden of Eden when everything was perfect without corruption.
God says you can eat of every tree, but I'm going to test you Adam, there's just one tree,
just one, that you can't eat from.
And we know the story, we know that Adam partook of that tree, but now I just want you to notice
what did God say if he did eat of it in verse 17, for in that day that thou eatest thereof
thou shalt surely die.
Now God says you eat of that tree, that one tree that you're not allowed to.
You will die on that very day, right?
Now what we read in the book of Genesis, obviously Adam and Eve did not drop dead immediately,
okay?
But was God lying when he said in that day thou shalt surely die?
Was he lying?
No, it's telling the truth.
Adam and Eve did die on that day, but it wasn't a physical death, it was a spiritual death.
You see, you must understand that every one of you, everybody on this planet is made up
of three parts, okay?
First Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 23, you don't need to turn there, I'll just read it,
it says, and the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit
and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And you know when God created us in his image, I wouldn't be surprised if the fact that we
have three in one is the fact that God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and
these three are one.
I wouldn't be surprised if that is the nature of the image that we've taken upon from our
God.
But all of you are made up of your body which I can see physically, your soul and your spirit
I cannot see.
And on that day Adam and Eve did surely die when they took of that fruit, but they didn't
die bodily, they died spiritually.
They died in the spirit.
Now it wasn't just Adam and Eve that died, okay, that went through this spiritual death.
Each one of us turn to the book of Romans please, Romans chapter 7 verse 9, and we are
going to turn to many scriptures today, alright?
So get your fingers ready.
Romans chapter 7 verse 9, I want to show you that all of us go through this spiritual death.
Romans chapter 7 verse 9.
This is Paul writing, he says, for I was alive, now notice the words, okay, notice the words
of living or alive and death.
Romans chapter 7 verse 9, for I was alive without the law once.
So Paul is writing this letter, right?
And he's saying, hey, I was once alive before the law.
Now is he living?
Of course he's alive.
But what is he referring to if he's not referring to his physical life?
Sorry, I lost my part there.
Verse number 9, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
So Paul is saying, hey, when sin revived and the commandment of the Lord came, when he
knew the commandments of the Lord, when he knew the law of God, he said that's when sin
revived in him and he died, I died.
And the commandment, verse 10, and the commandment which was ordained to life, I found to be
unto death.
Okay, so notice these words, he died, he found it to be unto death.
Verse 11, for sin, taken occasion by the commandment, deceived me and it slew me, sin, it killed
me, wherefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good.
So Paul says, hey, there was a time in my life when I was alive without the law, right?
This is when we talk about little children who do not know the law of God.
They cannot understand right and wrong.
They are alive once.
This is why we believe little children, when they pass away, they go into eternity with
God because they are alive spiritually.
But once you get to an age, people say, what's the age of accountability?
I talk about this.
There is no age.
It's a knowledge.
Once you understand the law of God, and the law of God is written in our hearts, the Bible
says, once you understand you've done wrong, you've sinned against the Lord, and you're
deserving of punishment and of death, that's when sin revives in you and you die.
And that death is a spiritual death.
Everyone that's unsaved right now is alive bodily.
They have a soul, but they're spiritually dead, okay?
So they have a dead spirit, okay?
And when you die, guess what?
The Bible speaks very clearly that the soul and the spirit departs the body.
So if the spirit is spiritually dead, and then you die physically, the body is physically
dead, where's the soul going to go?
It's going to die with the spirit in hell, okay?
This is why we must be born again.
This is why the Bible speaks about being born of the spirit, being revived, being made alive,
being quickened.
And if you're saved today, your spirit is alive.
You've been born again in the spirit, okay?
And so when you physically die, when the soul and spirit leave your body, your soul
goes with the spirit, which is living, to God, to heaven, okay?
So we see that all of us go through this process.
We all spiritually die.
And what is sin?
Okay, first John, you don't need to turn there, 1 John 3, 4.
First John chapter 3 verse 4, whosoever commiteth sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is
the transgression of the law.
So when we say we're sinners, when we go preach the gospel and we say, hey, they've
sinned against God, we're saying you've transgressed the law of God.
You haven't necessarily transgressed the laws of the government or my laws and my rules.
No, you've transgressed the laws of God.
And so if God says thou shall not bear false witness, thou shall not lie, and you've
told a lie, guess what?
You've all transgressed the law of God.
You're all sinners and you've all died that spiritual death.
Okay, I should have told you stay in Genesis.
Go back to Genesis, but it's easy.
First book in the Bible, chapter 3, Genesis chapter 3.
So once Adam and Eve have taken all this fruit and they spiritually died, what did they try
to do?
What happened to them in verse number 7?
Genesis chapter 3 verse 7.
It says, and the eyes of them both were opened.
So guess what?
There's been an awakening in them.
They've noticed something about themselves.
And they knew they were naked.
And look what they did.
So they recognize now that they're not innocent, that they've sinned against the
Lord.
They recognize that they're naked, all right, and then it says this.
And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.
So in order to cover themselves, they felt they needed to cover their sin, right?
What did they do?
This is basically what man and most religions of this world will try to do is to work to
sew fig leaves together for themselves and make themselves aprons, to cover their sin.
This is a works-based gospel.
They try to cover their sins by getting fig leaves, sewing them together, and covering
themselves so they can be right before God.
Now was that enough?
This is man's first attempt to be right before God.
Now does God accept that?
No.
If you look at verse 21, chapter 3, verse 21, what does God do?
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothe them.
So those fig leaves were not sufficient to cover their sin.
God had to step in and what?
He had to provide the clothing for them.
He had to provide for them and how did he do it?
God made coats of skins and clothe them.
God had to take an animal.
It doesn't tell us, but it had to be.
God had to get coats of skin, take an animal, slay that animal, shed the blood of that animal,
take the coats of that animal and cover their sinfulness, cover their nakedness.
And so we see very quickly man's attempt to cover their sins, works-based.
We see God's method of covering sin, the shedding of blood and God's provision.
All you need to do is put it on.
You need to allow God to put on those coats of skin.
Very early in the book of Genesis we see this.
How are we to be right with God?
It's through the shedding of blood.
And then we also see that Genesis chapter 4.
We see that Cain and Abel also understood this.
I'm sure Adam and Eve taught their children that hey, they need to be right with the Lord.
Genesis chapter 4 verse 1 to 8, let's read the whole thing.
And Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bare Cain and said, I have gotten a man
from the Lord.
And she again bare his brother Abel and Abel was a keeper of sheep.
But Cain was a tiller of the ground.
And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought the fruit of the ground and offering
unto the Lord.
So now we have Cain, he knows he has to make an offering to the Lord.
He knows he's a sinner.
He knows he needs to be right with the Lord.
But he does the same mistake his parents did.
Instead of taking the lamb, the shedding of blood, instead of taking an animal to cover
his sins, he goes and he's a tiller of the ground, he's a worker of the ground.
Nothing wrong with being a farmer, nothing wrong with his work, but his job and his work
wasn't going to get him right before the Lord.
He came and brought fruit of the ground, this is stuff that he watered, he planted, he sowed,
he worked and he brought this to the Lord, the works of his hands.
And then verse number 4, what did Abel do?
And Abel he also brought of the first things of the flock and of the fat thereof.
And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering.
Why?
Because the offering of Abel was of his flock, was one of his sheep.
Abel took and shed the blood of an animal and offered that to the Lord, to be right
with him.
Verse number 5, but Cain and to his offering, he had not respect and Cain was very rough
and his countenance fell.
Let me tell you now, if you believe that salvation is only through the shedding of blood, guess
what?
What they're going to teach, it's by works, are going to be very wrathful toward you.
They're not going to like the gospel that you preach, they're not going to like you
whatsoever because you say hey no, it's the shedding of blood, no.
And they'll be saying no, it's by works, it's by works.
That's not sufficient to get you to heaven and they're going to be very angry with you,
just like Cain was toward his brother.
Verse 6, and the Lord said unto Cain, why art thou wroth?
Why is thy countenance fallen?
If thou doest well, shall thou not be accepted?
And if thou doest not well, sin life at the door, and unto thee shall be his desire, and
thou shall rule over him.
And Cain talked with Abel his brother, and it came to pass when they were in the field,
that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him.
Such a sad story.
Such a sad story for two brothers, one, to be so angry that his brother's offering was
accepted and his own works were not accepted.
That he slew his own brother.
And you're going to find that even in Christendom, those churches that teach it still by works
will hate us for teaching it by faith alone on Jesus Christ's shed blood.
And so I just want to show you that the fruit of the ground by Cain was his works.
Hebrews chapter 11, don't turn there, Hebrews chapter 11 verse 4 says this, by faith Abel
offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that
he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and by he being dead yet speaketh.
So Abel's offering was given by faith, and the Bible says it was a more excellent sacrifice
than that of Cain, and by which he obtained witness that he was righteous.
So because Abel had his faith on the shedding of blood to appease the Lord God, he was found
righteous and not Cain.
And then let's move on a bit further down into history.
Let's move on to Galatians chapter 3 verse 8 please.
Galatians chapter 3 verse 8, we're talking about Abraham now.
Abraham a major figure in the Bible, the father of faith the Bible calls him.
Galatians chapter 3 verse 8, it says, and the scripture foreseen that God would justify
the heathen through faith, remember how was Abel saved?
How was he righteous?
Through the faith of the shedding of blood.
So foreseen that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel
unto Abraham saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed.
In thee shall all nations be blessed.
So often people say hey, you know, did Abraham, did the Old Testament saints know the gospel?
Well the Bible tells us that God preached the gospel unto Abraham.
Abraham knew, maybe he didn't know the name of Jesus Christ, but he knew that salvation,
that being right with God was through faith, through the shedding of blood and we see this
further in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 17, I'll just read it to you, Hebrews 11 verse 17.
By faith, by faith, okay, by faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac, so he
offered up his own son, you guys know that story, where God asked Abraham can you offer
up Isaac as a sacrifice?
And Abraham and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom
it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be cored, accounting that God was able to raise
him up, even from the dead and whence also he received him in a figure.
So Abraham knew the gospel, it was preached unto him, he knew about a death, burial and
resurrection, but when God said hey offer up your son, Abraham knew yes I will do it.
Yes it's a hard thing to do, but I'm going to believe that God's going to raise up Isaac
from the dead, why?
Because he received him a figure, okay, so he saw his son as a figure of the future promise
to come to be, that was Jesus Christ, the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
And what is the gospel?
What is this gospel that was preached to Abraham?
First Corinthians chapter 15, let me just make it very clear what the gospel is, what
is the good news of salvation?
First Corinthians 15 one to four, it says moreover brethren I declare unto you the gospel
which I preached unto you, which also you have received and wherein ye stand, by which
also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed
in vain.
For I delivered unto you first of all which I also received, how that Christ died for
our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried and that it rose again
the third day according to the scriptures.
So Abraham knew this, which is why he was willing to offer up Isaac because he was expecting
God to raise him from the dead.
Now to give you further proof of this, Genesis chapter 22 please, you can go there if you
want, Genesis chapter 22 verse 7.
And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father and said, remember Isaac and Abraham went up to
do this sacrifice, and Isaac was carrying all the stuff for the altar, the wood and
all that, just like Jesus Christ when he had to carry his cross to Calvary, and Isaac spake
unto Abraham his father and said, my father, and he said here am I my son, and he said
behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
Where is the lamb?
Verse number 8, and Abraham said, my son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt
offering, so they went both of them together.
So Isaac's asking, where's the lamb, where's the sacrifice?
And he says, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.
The Bible very clearly at this point, God said he was going to provide himself.
God will provide himself.
So when God provided Jesus Christ, we know that Jesus Christ was God, right?
We know he offered himself, and what does John the Baptist say when he sees Jesus Christ
in John chapter 1 verse 29?
The next day John saith Jesus coming unto him, and saith, behold the lamb of God which
taketh away the sin of the world.
And Acts 20 verse 28, take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over
the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseas, to feed the church of God which he hath purchased
with his own blood.
So it's the church of God, you are the church of God, how did God purchase you?
He hath purchased with his own blood.
The blood of Jesus Christ was not just the blood of a man, but the blood of God.
Unbelievable.
I don't fully understand that, but that's what the Bible teaches us, right?
The lamb of God, God in the flesh, sacrificed and his blood was shed for us.
You guys know this already.
Now I'm just going to go through a couple of things.
This is how I normally preach the gospel to someone at the door, so I'm just going to
go through some very familiar passages, but let me just set the tone.
We understand right now that man has died spiritually.
And if they die physically, in a spiritual death, their soul will go to hell.
We know that so far, right?
And we know the only way we can be right with God is through the shedding of blood.
And we know those were pictured for us in the Old Testament through the animal sacrifices.
Though their blood could never take away sin, it was just an object lesson to Jesus Christ.
We look back to Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago, dying on the cross, the Old Testament saints
looked forward to Jesus Christ through the object lessons that God had given them, through
the types, through the foreshadowing.
Not just the blood of the lamb, but also the priest going into the Holy of Holies representing
Jesus Christ.
Also through the rock, remember that Moses struck and the living water came out of that
rock.
That's Jesus Christ.
Many Old Testament pictures of Jesus Christ, they may not have fully understood the story
like we understand it today, but they knew through the object lessons that God had given
them that they were looking forward to Christ coming.
So we know Romans 3.23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
The Bible says we're all sinners, we know that.
We've all died that spiritual death, and then it says we've come short of the glory of God
because God is perfect without sin.
He's holy, he's righteous, and he cannot see sin in his sight.
He cannot allow sin into heaven, and that's why we come short of God's glory because we've
all sinned and we can't make it to heaven on our own.
God's perfect and we can't make it to heaven on our own.
And because we're sinners, Romans 6.23, the first part says, for the wages or the payment
of sin is death.
So the reason we die in this world, the spiritual death, the physical death, is because we're
all sinners.
That is the payment, that is your wage for being a sinner.
Death, pain and suffering is in this world, not because that was God's plan, but because
that was man's sin and we've brought that upon ourselves.
We can't blame God for the sin of this world, we can only blame mankind for the sin of this world.
So we know that the wages is death, and the Bible speaks of two deaths, right?
We know of the physical death in the grave, but then there's the spiritual death found
in Revelation 21 verse 8, it says, but the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable
and murderers, murderers of course, right, whoremongers and sorcerers, people that do
magic and idolaters, people that worship idols, and all liars, all liars.
If you've ever told a lie in your life, guess what, you're an all liar, you're a liar, right?
You tell one lie, you're a liar.
If you're honest, you've told hundreds of thousands of lies throughout your life, okay?
All liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which
is the second death.
That's the bad news, right?
On our own, the fig leaves, the tilling of the ground, your works, insufficient, you
are destined to hell because you're a sinner.
But the gospel means good tidings, it means good news.
We know that God loves us, we know that the only way we can be saved and to be right with
God is through the shedding of blood.
So what did God do?
Romans 5 verse 8, but God commendeth his love toward us.
So God loves us, it says this, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
It doesn't say while we're trying our best, while we're trying to go to church and read
our Bibles and be a good person, no.
While you're a sinner, he sent Jesus Christ to die for us.
God became a man, lived a perfect life, the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world.
And what happened to Jesus Christ?
We know he was crucified on the cross, his blood was shed for us, our sin was put upon
Jesus Christ as though he had committed your sins.
All of my sins, all of your sins, the sins of the whole world were put upon one man.
Man, we know God hates sin, we know he's got a great wrath against sin.
Imagine dying just for your sins.
What a scary thought, to stand before God with your sins.
But what about taking the sins of the whole world, every generation that's ever lived,
upon one man, Jesus Christ, and paying that penalty.
That punishment, that wrath, was severe upon our Lord God.
And 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 says,
So he has made Jesus to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him.
So the reason we can be righteous before God is not because of your own righteousness,
but because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, who knew no sin.
There's a swap that takes place, right?
We give to Jesus Christ our sin.
He nails those sins on the cross.
And Jesus in return says, hey, you take my righteousness, you take my perfection.
So when God the Father looks at you, he sees you through the clothing, through the shed
blood, the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and you, in a position before God, are perfect.
And that's why we can enter into heaven, and that's how we can be right with God.
And then it says this, in Romans 6 23, the second part, you know, for the wages of sin
is death.
Then it says this, but the gift, let me just focus on that for a minute.
For the gift, a gift is free.
If you've ever given anyone a gift, your children, a birthday gift, a Christmas gift, who pays
for it?
It's always the giver.
It's never the receiver.
Gifts are free.
If you had to pay for it, it's no longer a gift.
If you had to work for it, it's no longer a gift.
But the gift of God, the Bible says, is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
eternal life through Jesus Christ is death, burial, and resurrection, a free gift available
to anybody.
Now, at this point in time, right, you can go, you know, when I talk about Christendom,
you know, I talk about churches that are right with God, I'm talking about churches that
are not right with God, I'm even lumping Roman Catholicism and the Greek Orthodox, pretty
much, maybe even the cults, I don't know.
But at this point in time, the things that I've just spoken about, just about every church
in this area, and throughout the whole world, would agree with that.
Believe it or not, you know, I can knock on the door of a Roman Catholic, and I'll say,
what did God do for you?
Oh, Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins.
There's nothing that I've said right now that's controversial, nothing.
Just about everybody believes this.
Just about anybody here in Australia, you say, say, you know, do you know the Easter
story?
What happened to Jesus?
Why did he die?
Oh, for our sins.
And then what happened?
Oh, he came back to life.
Right?
And why did he do it?
Oh, so we can be right with God.
Just about everybody believes this.
And let me give you a warning right now, because I see this happen time and time again.
You're going to meet people that say they're a believer, that say they're Christians, that
say they're saved, and you're going to say, oh, well, can you tell me, you know, what
we need to do?
Can you tell me how to be saved?
And they say, oh, it's just by Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ died on the cross for us.
He paid for our sins.
And let me tell you now, you're going to be fooled.
You're going to be fooled into thinking this person's saved.
Because so far, yes, that is the correct answer so far, right?
But let me ask you the question.
Just because Jesus has died for the sins of the whole world, does that mean everybody
goes to heaven?
No.
Otherwise, we wouldn't be needing to preach the gospel, right?
So there's something we need to do to be saved.
And this is the point of contention.
This is the point that's going to differ us from other Christians in this world, okay?
Nothing that I've said up to this point differs.
Even some of the cults will admit to this, right?
I think even the Jehovah Witnesses say, yeah, Jesus is the Savior of the world, and he died
for us, something like that, right?
But this is what differs.
The question is, how do we receive the gift of God, right?
How do we receive his forgiveness?
How do we make ourselves right with God?
How is it?
How do we receive it?
That makes all the difference.
What did Adam and Eve do?
How did they think they had to receive it?
By their works.
How did Cain think he had to receive it?
By his works, right?
And the clearest answer is in Acts 16 verse 30, Acts 16 verse 30 and 31, and brought them
out and said, Sirs, the question is, Sirs, what must I do?
What must I do to be saved?
Is it works?
The answer in verse 31, and they said, believe, and they said, believe, believe, believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
If your house, if your family, believe also, they too will be saved.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
Just believe?
What are you talking about?
Yes, just believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
John 1 verse 12, remember, how do we receive the gift?
How do we receive salvation?
How do we receive Jesus Christ?
John chapter 1 verse 12, but as many as received him, to them gave him power to become the
sons of God, who?
Even to them that work, even to them that do good, even to them that go to church, even
to them that confess their sins to the priest, even to them that get baptized, no!
Even to them that believe on his name, believe.
The most famous verse in the whole Bible, John 3.16, for God so loved the world that
he gave his only, it's a gift he gave, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, believeth in him.
The verse before it, verse 15, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, believeth
in him.
I know you're getting sick of me, I'm just going to repeat it.
Believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3.18, he that believeth on him is not condemned.
You're not condemned to hell.
Who's condemned to hell?
But he that believeth not is condemned already.
Why?
Because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God.
One verse, three times, believe.
John 3.36, he that believeth on the son, he that believeth on the son hath, present tense,
hath, you've got it now, hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not, he that believeth
not the son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.
The one that does not believe, the one that does not receive the gift by faith alone,
by believing alone, the wrath of God still is abiding on that person.
John 6.35, and Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life, he that cometh to me shall
never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
John 6.40, and this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the son
and believeth on him may have eternal everlasting life, and I will raise him up at that day,
the resurrection.
John 6.47, verily, verily, what's verily, truly, this is the truth, verily, verily I
say unto you, he that believeth on me, hath, present tense again, hath everlasting life.
John 7.38, he that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall
flow rivers of living water, being made alive, remember?
Even forever.
John 8.24, and I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins, for if ye
believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
And even this one, John chapter 11, I love this one, John chapter 11 verse 25 and 26,
please turn there, John chapter 11 verse 25 and 26, John chapter 11, 25 and 26.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever believeth in me shall never die, believeth
thou this.
So do you believe that it's belief, right, whosoever, verse 26, and whosoever liveth
and believeth in me shall never die, believeth thou this.
Do you believe that it's belief, do you believe that it's by faith?
That's what he's asking, it's believe, and he's saying, Kevin, you're just reading from
the book of John, yes, turn to John chapter 20, John chapter 20, and I can read, I can
show you a hundred verses, obviously, throughout the scriptures.
But John chapter 20 verse 31, the reason I'm just showing you from the book of John is
because the book of John serves one main purpose, it is a very special book written for one
main purpose.
We read about it in verse 31, John chapter 20 verse 31, John chapter 20 verse 31.
But these are written, so why did he write the book of John?
But these are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that believing ye might have life through his name.
The reason the book of John is written, it's written to the unbeliever so they would believe
and be saved and have everlasting life.
So did we read anywhere that it's by works?
Did we read that it's by your efforts, by your church, by your religion, it's by your
baptism, your communion, no.
It's believe on the Lord Jesus, boy, you know what, what a free gift.
What a free gift.
Just believe it.
And obviously, people will say, what, just believe the facts?
No.
We talked about the facts.
Every Christian religion believes the facts, they just don't know how to receive it.
The most basic thing, the most, the thing that's repeated over and over, I've found
over a hundred verses where it's by faith alone.
It's by believing on Jesus Christ.
They miss it.
I can only say it's the work of the devil.
To get them to this point where they know, yep, Jesus died for me, yep, the shedding
of blood, but to receive that, oh, I've got to work my way, it's through my church.
What a lie of Satan.
What a lie.
And it's our job to go and tell people and convince them and show them from the scriptures,
it's by faith alone on Jesus Christ.
I'm going a bit long.
What do I have here?
All right, Romans chapter 4.
Please turn to Romans chapter 4.
And someone might say, yeah, but you know, it's not, you know, when you say believe,
because when I say believe, I mean trust.
I say rely on.
Rest on Jesus Christ.
He's done all the work, we're trusting him alone.
Some people say, well, believe means, believe means following.
Believe means doing the commandments.
Believe means doing the works.
And so none of these verses I read actually say that it's not without the works.
But what's our memory verse?
Ephesians 2, 8 and 9, for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves
it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.
Romans 4 chapter 1.
Sorry.
Verse 1.
Romans chapter 4 verse 1.
What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
For if Abraham were justified by works, so was he justified by works?
No.
But if he were, he have whereof to glory, but not before God.
So if salvation was by works, and people were getting saved by their works, guess what?
Self glory.
And this is what you'll notice with people that believe in works.
You'll say to them, why do you think you're going to heaven?
Oh, because I'm a good person.
Oh, because I've done good things.
I remember once knocking on the door of someone from a Salvation Army.
I guess they have churches as well.
I'm not really familiar with it.
And I spoke to him.
I said, what do you think you need to do to go to heaven?
He goes, oh, it's by faith alone.
It's by faith.
And I was like, yes.
And I said, but faith on what?
Oh, I've served the Salvation Army for 40 years.
I've done this.
His faith was on his works for the Salvation Army, not his faith on Jesus Christ.
And so what was he doing?
Was he glorying in Christ?
No, he was glorying in himself.
Verse three, for what saith the scripture?
Abraham believed God, and he was counted unto him for righteousness.
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith
is counted for righteousness.
So how is our faith counted for righteousness?
The one that worketh not, but believeth on him.
Verse six, even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputed
of righteousness, without works, without works.
Salvation is without works.
Titus 3, verse five, not by works.
Titus 3, 5, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy
he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed
on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Jesus Christ our Saviour.
What's a Saviour?
Someone that saves you from perishing.
You need a Saviour, and that Saviour is Jesus Christ.
If you could save yourself by works, you don't need the Saviour, you can save yourself.
But it's not by works of righteousness.
Galatians 2, verse 16, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law.
What are the commandments?
What's the law of God called?
It's called the works of the law.
Should we do the law of God?
Yes.
Should we keep commandments?
Yes.
But we're not justified through the works of the law.
We're not justified by the works of the law.
But by the faith of Jesus Christ.
Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ
and not by the works of the law.
For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
No works!
Free gift!
Believe!
It's by faith!
I can't believe they don't understand this.
The most easiest doctrine in the world.
I'd rather get this right and get wrong on everything else in the Bible.
Then know everything in the Bible and get this wrong.
And go to John chapter 6, please.
John chapter 6.
The Pharisees speaking to Jesus Christ.
Remember the Pharisees, the religious leaders?
They knew the law of God.
I can't believe the question they asked Jesus here.
John chapter 6, verse 28.
Look at their question.
It sounds good.
It sounds like they're trying to be good and righteous and just want to serve the Lord.
But look at the question they're asking.
And they said unto him, they said unto Jesus, what shall we do?
What shall we do that we might work?
They want to work?
What shall we do that we might work what?
The works of God.
They want to do the work of God.
Now I'll challenge you just when you have time this week.
Just look up, you know, in a concordance or Bible software.
Look up that phrase works of God or work of God and tell me who works it, who does it.
The reason why it's called the work of God is because it's God's work.
Okay, let me give you one verse in Ecclesiastes chapter 8, verse 17.
Let me show you this.
Ecclesiastes chapter 8, verse 17.
Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done
under the sun.
Because though a man labored to seek it out, so though you try to seek out the work of
God, yet he shall not find it.
Yea, further, though a wise man think to know it, you might think you know God's work, yet
shall he not be able to find it.
It's God's work.
Every time it is only a work that God can do.
That's why it's called the work of God.
It's not something that a man can do.
And these Pharisees thinking they're so good, so high and mighty, hey, what is the work
that we can do to work the works of God?
You fool!
You cannot do God's work.
Salvation is God's work through Jesus Christ.
How does Jesus Christ answer?
In verse 29, I'm sorry, in verse, I didn't take it down, let me turn there, John chapter
6, 28.
So what shall we do that we might work the works of God?
What does Jesus say?
Jesus answered and said unto them, you really want to work, do you?
This is the work of God that you believe on him whom he hath sent.
And some people take this and say, see, believing is a work.
No, you fool, it's a work of God.
The work of God is that he sent Jesus Christ.
And what you need to do is believe on him whom he hath sent.
So that's the message we need to tell people that want to work the works of God.
Stop working, believe on him.
God's done the work, it's the works of God.
Don't be so prideful to think you can get yourself to heaven.
Such a foolish thought, so foolish.
And at this point you might be saying, Kevin, salvation, it's so simple.
It can't be.
It's simple.
And if you're thinking right now, it's simple, spot on, you got it.
It's simple.
2 Corinthians chapter 11, I'll read it out to you, 2 Corinthians 11, three to four.
But I fear lest by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through subtlety.
And that's what works salvation is, guys.
It's subtle teaching.
It sounds good, but it's a subtle Satan putting works for salvation.
So your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The scriptures confirm that salvation is simplicity in Christ.
Why?
For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive
another spirit which ye have not received, or another gospel which ye have not accepted,
you might well bear with him.
The reason Paul wants to reinforce that salvation is simple to this church, to the Corinthians,
is because you may allow someone to come into the church who preaches another Jesus, who
comes in another spirit, who teaches another gospel, and you might put up with him.
You might bear well with him.
Let me tell you now, if someone comes into this church preaching any other Jesus, any
other gospel, with another spirit, I'm not going to bear well with him, and I hope you
don't bear well with him, and we just kick that person straight out of the church.
We cannot allow Satan to come, and with his subtlety, come and corrupt our minds.
We cannot allow that, guys.
So many good churches in the past have allowed that to happen.
Alright?
Callum, you know that.
The simplicity that is in Christ.
Just because it's simple doesn't mean it's easy.
People will tease and laugh at what we believe and say, that's easy believism.
Well, it was easy for me because I grew up in a Christian home.
It was easy for my children because they grew up in a Christian home.
It's easy for them to believe, but it's not easy for most people.
That's why we're not seeing people saved door after door after door, because it's not easy
for a man to admit in his pride that his good works will not get him to heaven.
It's not easy for the Roman Catholic to say, I was believing on another Jesus, and I was
believing my idols, and Mary, and communion.
It's not easy for them to accept that that's not going to get him to heaven.
Alright?
You know, I was working with a Muslim man, and he kept asking me questions after questions,
and he finally understood that salvation was by grace through faith to believe.
He's saying, oh, so people have to come to your church?
No!
It's believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
My church cannot save anybody.
He finally understood it, and he said to me, Kevin, that makes the most sense out of all
the faiths, all the religions I've ever heard.
It makes the most sense, and just through a process of elimination, Bible Christianity,
salvation by grace through faith, made the most sense to him, and I was excited.
I was happy for him, but then he said this.
But if I accept that, then I know my parents will never accept that, and I have to accept
that they're going to hell.
So I cannot accept what I've heard.
Even though it makes sense to me, even though through his process of elimination, it's the
best and most logical and most biblical, he could not accept it.
It was not easy for him.
I pray that he gets saved, but he just couldn't bear in his mind his parents going to hell,
and him going to heaven.
He could not accept it.
He'd rather be ignorant, just be ignorant, but hey, for all eternity, he's going to know
such a sad thing if he doesn't receive Christ.
So it's not easy, believism.
It's believe, but it's simple, okay?
It's simple.
Now you might say, well, you know, some people say, well, yeah, okay, it's not by works,
but I know you're saved by your works.
It's not of works!
People think of this logic.
Salvation's not of works, we know it's not of works, and we know it's by faith.
But I know you're saved because you've got works.
What?
What in the world?
Where does that common sense come from?
Where does that logic come from?
It's not common sense.
If salvation's by faith, then the reason I know you're saved is because of your faith.
If it's not of works, then I cannot use works to judge your salvation, right?
Now what is the evidence?
The word evidence appears once in your New Testament.
Turn there, Hebrews chapter 11, Hebrews chapter 11 verse 1.
Now Nicholas, I'll get you to come up here.
Hebrews chapter 11 verse 1, just stand here.
Now look at Nicholas, I know he's innocent-faced and looks like an angel, but can you look
at him, can you judge him right now just by looking at him?
Can you see that he's saved?
Can you look at him and say, well, I mean, he was helping put up the chairs, he was working
a lot today, but can you look at him, can you say that he's saved just by looking at
him?
No, right?
It's something, salvation's something we hope for.
It's something that's invisible.
Okay, sit down.
So we can't judge someone's salvation by looking at them.
And yes, he was sitting up the chairs, yes, he was doing a lot for the church, but is
salvation by works?
No.
All right, Hebrews chapter 11 verse 1 says, now faith is the substance.
Stop there for a minute.
Is faith this empty faith, mindless faith, empty, without substance?
No.
It is substantial.
It is made up of something.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
So how do I know, Nicholas, when looking at him, that he was saved?
What's the evidence?
The Bible says faith is the evidence of things not seen, right?
If Nicholas gives me a testimony of salvation, he says, I believe in Jesus Christ, his death
bearing resurrection, I'm trusting him alone to get me to heaven, then by his faith, I
see the evidence of the things that I cannot see, the things that he's hoping for is through
his faith.
Faith is the evidence of the things not seen.
And right now we don't see heaven, we don't see the new man, the new revised spirit in
you, but I know you have it because of your faith, not because of your works, because
everyone has works, the believer and the unbeliever.
Let me give you just a worldly analogy of this.
If I said to you, the analogy falls short, but basically, how do I know someone's born
in Australia?
We have all kinds of documents, you might have a driver's licence, but the way we know
you've been born in Australia is by your Australian birth certificate, right?
You cannot be an immigrant born in India, let's say, migrate to Australia and get an
Australian birth certificate.
You'll have an Indian birth certificate, right?
Or if you migrate from China, you'll have a Chinese birth certificate.
The only way that I will know, the only evidence, let me use that word, that I have that you
were born in Australia is if you can produce your Australian birth certificate, right?
Now let's say in the ideal world, as soon as someone's born, they have an Australian
birth certificate.
I know it takes weeks.
The analogy falls short.
But let's just say, you get it immediately as soon as you're born, an Australian birth
certificate.
And we say the evidence of someone being born in Australia is their Australian birth certificate.
And I say, not by their driver's licence.
Not by their driver's licence, why?
Because you don't need to be born in Australia to have a driver's licence.
You can migrate to Australia, you can be from New Zealand, and when you come here, you can
have an Australian driver's licence.
So you see, the evidence of being born in Australia is not by the driver's licence,
but by the Australian birth certificate, right?
Now let me ask you something.
Can the person born in Australia have a driver's licence?
Yes.
But can the person born outside of Australia have a driver's licence?
Yes.
Anybody can have a driver's licence.
Anybody can have works.
The saved and the unsaved can have works.
But only the saved have the evidence of faith on Jesus Christ alone.
Only the person born in Australia can have the evidence of the Australian birth certificate.
So it's not by the driver's licence.
But it's so foolish that people believe it's by works.
It's like saying, yes, I know it's only by the Australian birth certificate.
I know that it's only by that.
That's the evidence that they're an Australian born citizen, but I'm going to judge them
by the driver's licence.
Foolishness!
Stupidity!
That is what people are doing.
They're going, hey, I know it's not by works, but I'm going to judge them by their works.
No!
What in the world?
How can you judge someone's salvation by their works when the whole world has works?
And here's the other thing.
Does every Australian born citizen have a driver's licence?
No!
You can be Australian born and not have a driver's licence, right?
So if you're judging them by the driver's licence, you're going to miss out on people
that are actually Australian born citizens.
It's like works.
You might be saved by grace through faith and you never see that person work.
You never see them do anything valuable for the Lord.
But they're still saved because it's by their faith.
It's not by their driver's licence, it's not by their works.
So I'm just trying to show you common sense in a real-world scenario.
We wouldn't use a driver's licence to prove someone's birth in Australia.
Then you don't use works to prove someone's been saved by faith because it's not of works.
It's not of works.
I once preached this in a church and I'm wrapping up now.
I preach this in a church.
Well, not this sermon, but same topic, right?
That's salvation by faith alone.
Someone cannot judge someone by their works.
I had someone come up to me and say, brother, I still think you can judge someone's salvation
by their works.
I know your teaching is right, but I still think you can judge them by their works.
If someone says this, please, just be patient.
Sometimes people just need, it doesn't mean they're not saved, they just need their thoughts
clarified.
I just said to him, alright brother, if that's what you believe, you need to tell me a few
things then.
I'm going to take what you're saying on board.
Let's say that what you're saying is true.
You need to tell me what are the works you're judging them by, how much works, and who's
the judge.
Who's the person that's going to give them the stamp of approval and say, yes, you're
saved.
What are the works?
How much works?
Is it a 10 church?
Is it a 10 church once?
Is it a 10 church five times?
As soon as you start saying this to them, because they know, oh yeah, it's all works.
It sounds easy, we can judge them by the works, but when they start thinking about
what is the works, then they realise, hold on, now I'm teaching work salvation.
Because they're saying without those works, they're not saved.
And that's contrary to what they know, by faith alone.
And he thought about it and he goes, yeah, you're right brother, we can't judge them
by their works.
You judge them by their faith.
Ephesians chapter two verse eight and nine, for by grace are you saved through faith in
that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.
If you, you know, if you thought you were a Christian and you were trusting anything
else other than faith on Jesus Christ alone, then please speak to me, speak to some of
the other men here.
I know there's plenty of you guys that know the truth.
Please get this right.
Just the...