so here we have the gospel in its simplest form in verse 15
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life
anyone who believes on Jesus Christ alone for salvation
is saved, period
and if you add anything to that you're perverting the gospel
the Bible says for by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves
it is the gift of God
not of works lest any man should boast
you say well Pastor Anderson, and this is how people just
cannot just accept that for some reason
because of pride, they don't want to accept Jesus paid it all to him I owe
sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow
they don't want to believe that salvation is through faith alone
by grace alone to God alone be the glory
and so they want to add something to it so they say this, well but
I just believe that everybody who believes just will get baptized
you know if you really believe you'll get baptized
if you really believe you'll have the works you know the works don't save you
don't get me wrong
but if you don't have them you're not saved
well let's let the Bible answer that the Bible says in Romans 4-5
but to him that worketh not
does it say to him who does very little
barely any works just barely any
but to him that worketh not
but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly
his faith is counted for righteousness
we're talking about salvation with no works
before, during or after if you don't believe that
you're not saved if you believe
that you have to have works to go to heaven you need to get saved
because the Bible says that you must trust Christ alone for salvation
and if you think that it's your good works your good life
before, during or after you think that you must have works
you must live the life you need to get
saved. Period. I don't know how else to explain it to you
there are two kinds of people in this world those who are saved and those who
are not saved
and it's not based on how they live it's not based on what they do
it's based on what they believe
and it's not complicated it's the simplest thing in the world
people try to make it complicated whenever there's a gray area
it's because it's not the truth because God doesn't have gray areas God has black
and white on all pop cold heaven hell
good bad and this is the way God boils it down
if you're trusting Jesus Christ alone for salvation and what he already did on
the cross you're saved
if you're trusting anything else in addition to that you're not saved
it's either Jesus paid it all or it's
Jesus plus fill in the blank Jesus plus
works Jesus plus my good life Jesus plus baptism
Jesus plus communion Jesus plus church attendance
Jesus plus tithing Jesus plus give up my sins in my old wicked ways
you haven't given up your old wicked ways to this day you've been saved for
years and neither have I
because none of us is without sin
the Bible says we say that we have no sin
we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us and guess who the truth is
Jesus Christ is not in you if you say that you have no sin
anybody who says I'm sinlessly perfect I saw this preacher had this list of books
you know that he liked and he knows what I'm talking about
you know this list of books that he liked and there was a book on there by a guy and he says in
that book
that he believes people can reach a state of sinless perfection and that he's there
the author of the book. It's written by one of these Quakers or whatever
you know they think they're so cool with their beard with no mustache
they think they don't have any sin okay well look he's not saved
anyone who believes
that they have no sin is not
saved. You see this is the way I exegete the Bible
I just read it and I just believe what it says and when it says
it says if we say that we have no sin
we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us that's what it says
and if we say that we've not sinned we make him a liar and his word is not in us
and so we see that in John chapter 3 let's go back there
and in John chapter 3 I think you were still there
but look at verse number 17 it says for God sent not his Son
into the world to condemn the world but that the world
through him might be saved. Now Christ's first coming was not a coming of
condemnation
it was a coming of salvation now he's coming again
and it will be with condemnation for the wicked
I'd like to ask you a question do you know for sure if you died today would you go to heaven?
you may say I'm not sure if I'm going to heaven maybe you've never even thought
of it
but the Bible says you could be 100 percent sure you are on your way to
heaven
now according to the Bible you need to understand a few things in order to be
able to receive salvation
the first thing is this the Bible says in Romans 3 23
for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God
the Bible tells us that sin is a transgression of the law
when we break God's law we sin and according to that verse we've
all sinned I'm a sinner you're a sinner
and unfortunately there are wages for our sin
Romans 6 23 says for the wages of sin
is death now the word wages means payment
it's what you earn when I go to work they give me money
those are my wages but because of my sin the wages
is death what I earn is death for the wages of sin
is death now when we think of death most people think of a physical death
but Revelation chapter number 20 verse 14 and 15 says
and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire a reference to hell
it says this is the second death and whose serve was not found written in the
book of life was cast into the lake of fire
so according to the Bible our wages for our sin is not just a physical death
but the second death you say what is the second death
being cast into the lake of fire this is the second death
what we earn because of our sin is death a physical death the second death which
is being cast into the lake of fire
revelation 21 8 says for the fearful
and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers
and idolaters
now that's a pretty bad list right murderers whoremongers sorcerers
most people would agree a murderer oh yeah they're gonna go to hell but notice
he says
for the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers
and sorcerers and idolaters
at the end of that list he says this and all liars
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone
which is the second death and the reason that God adds that sin of lying at the
end of that list
he's trying to make a point and the point is this we're all sinners
every human being has lied and he's trying to say there is none righteous
we've all sinned we all deserve to go to hell and that's the bad news
I'm a sinner you're a sinner and and we're all initially condemned to hell
but the gospel is the good tidings or the good news
Romans 6 23 says for the wages of sin is death
we understand what that means now but the second part of that verse says
but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
the Bible says that God has a gift he wants to give you and that gift is eternal life
now in Ephesians 2 8 and 9 the Bible says
for by grace are ye saved through faith
the word grace means to get something you don't deserve
you didn't earn it you didn't pay for it are ye saved is a reference to being
saved from hell
because I don't want to go there I'm sure you don't want to go there through faith
the word faith means to believe it says for by grace are ye saved through faith
and that not of yourselves has nothing to do with you here's why
it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast
a gift is not something you work for a gift is something that's given to you
someone else pays for it but you don't pay for it if I gave you a gift and asked you to give me
money for it that wouldn't be a gift
I gave you a gift but ask you to do something for it that wouldn't be a gift
now the gift doesn't cost you anything but it costs the person giving it to you
something
and the gift of God is the exact same way Jesus had to pay for that gift
Romans 5 8 says but God commendeth his love toward us
in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us
John 3 16 the most famous verse in the Bible says for God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish but have everlasting life
the gospel is this Jesus Christ was born of a virgin
he lived a sinless life he never sinned never did anything wrong
he died on the cross was buried
the Bible tells us his soul went down to hell for three days and three nights
and he rose from the grave not to pay for his own sin because he had no sin
he died to pay for our sins and see
it's already been paid for the gift has already been paid for
now you gotta understand this about the gift John 3 16 says everlasting life the
gift is everlasting life
that means the word everlasting means it'll last forever life that'll last forever
it's never gonna end
John 3 15 says eternal life eternal means it'll never end
John 3 36 has everlasting life Romans 6 33 says eternal life all throughout the
Bible you find this concept
eternal life everlasting life life that will last forever
life that will never end according to John 3 36 you get it the moment you
believe
he that believeth on the Sun hath everlasting life
now some people think well I can receive salvation
but once I have it if I do something really bad like commit adultery like
murder
commit suicide then God is gonna take away my salvation
but if he takes it away then it didn't last forever see we gotta understand
that salvation is not something that we
earn and once we have it is not something that we keep the Bible says in
Titus 1 2 it says in hope of eternal life
which God that cannot lie promised before the world began
see our hope for eternal life is this God can't lie
if God promised me eternal life then guess what it's eternal life
he promised me everlasting life then it's gonna last forever so what if I do
something really bad
what's not of ourselves it has nothing to do with me
it's a gift that will last forever now here's the only thing you need to do
just like any other gift you get a choice
whether you'd like to accept it or reject it you may ask well how do I
accept the gift of God
Romans 10 9 says this that if now it says
if because you get a choice he says if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus
the word confess means to admit say what am I admitting well you're admitting
you're a sinner
you're admitting that you deserve to go to hell but you're asking for
forgiveness
he says if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus
but it's more than just saying words he also says and
shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead
you're believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross was buried and rose from
the grave as a payment for your sins
he says if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in
thine heart that God has raised him from the dead
the Bible says thou shalt be saved it doesn't say you might be saved
it doesn't say you hopefully will be saved God says I will save you
if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart notice you don't
have to go to church
doesn't say you have to get baptized doesn't say you have to repent of your sins
doesn't say you have to do anything simply believe and ask him to save you
if you believe that in your heart if you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross
for your sins was buried but rose from the grave he wants to give you a gift
it's eternal life
then why don't you just confess with your mouth right now I'd like to help you
form a prayer
if you believe that why don't you just pray with me right now
dear Jesus I know I'm a sinner and I deserve to go to hell
please forgive me of all my sin and give me eternal life
I'm not trusting in my works not trusting in my religion
I'm only trusting in you thank you for saving me
amen if you prayed that prayer and you believe in your heart
according to the Bible
you're now saved you have eternal life congratulations