TEXT: Rom10:8-10
TIME & PLACE: 16/03/08 ELBC
SUBJ: SALVATION
THEME: 3
SHALTS OF SALVATION
P/S: E.P. CAN BE
SAVED
T/S: BY
UNDERSTANDING 3SHALTS/ABSOLUTES
OF SALVATION AS SET FORTH IN THE TEXT.
INTRO: I
want to look at what should be a very familiar passage of Scripture this
morning and see what we can uncover in it in regards to Salvation. It seems in
these last days that we live in that there are no absolutes anymore. Life and
society has come down to a “whatever I think it should be concept”
Even in the Church realm we have people that many times are not assured of
there salvation because they misunderstand absolutes. The Bible in many
instances is a book of absolutes. This is the main reason in the day we live
that many out of and even in the Church will not yield to God and His
word...because of the absolutes. I want to look at 3 shalts (absolutes) that
are found in one verse of Scripture in what has become to be known as
“The Romans Road” (Rom3:23, Rom5:8, Rom6:23 and Rom10:9) If the
verses in the chapters proceeding this are commonly referred to as “The
Road” then I believe it is safe to say that this is the destination of
that Road. However many have found that they can bypass this destination and
refuse the shalts of Salvation and come in some other way. Christ however
called that person in Jn10:1 a thief and a robber. And we all know that there
is no other way into the Sheepfold, but through “The Door”
I want to first by way of
introduction define this word that we will be looking at more closely.
The word Shall
– defined
1. Future Events - indicates
that something will or ought to happen in the future
2. Determination - used
especially in formal speech and writing to indicate determination on the part
of the speaker that something will happen or somebody will do something
3. Rules and laws - indicating
that something must happen or somebody is obliged to do something because of a
rule or law
4. Certainty - indicating
the certainty or inevitability of something happening in the future
So
with that being said let’s look a little closer this morning and see what
we can learn preaching on this thought....”3 SHALTS OF
SALVATION”.
I.
THE SHALT OF ADMISSION vs9a (REVEAL)
“That if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,”
Note: Confess = To disclose
something damaging about oneself, admit. In order to be saved a person must
come to the absolute that they must CONFESS. Yes God already knows what you and
I have done......He just wants us to admit it......
Isa 1:18 Come
now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they
shall be as wool.
Psa
32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I
not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou
forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
I also would like to say that this is not a confession to man or any
representative so called for him on Earth. This is a one on one conversation
between you and the God of Heaven.
A.
IT IS PROPOSITIONAL “That if”
B.
IT IS PERSONAL “thou”
C.
IT IS PRIVATE “shalt confess”
Appl: How about you? Has there ever
been a time in your life where you admitted to the God of Heaven what He
already knew.....that you were or are a sinner that has refused to come to Him
before today? Today can be the
fulfillment of the first absolute.... “That if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,”
II.
THE SHALT OF ACTION vs9b (REPENT)
“and
shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the
dead,”
Note: Believe = To have
confidence in.... The next absolute in salvation is an action. And that action
is to BELIEVE. This is not a blind faith but a believing fact. Whether folks
choose to accept it or not...Christ did come and do and is doing what He said
He would do. And when I “believe” in Him I am (repenting) turning
completely away from all I have known and believed before being convicted and
convinced of this truth, which has been revealed to me by the preaching of the
Word and the conviction of the Holy Spirit of God!
A.
TO RESPECT “and shalt believe”
Note: I respect Him now because I am
accepting, no longer rejecting the love He demonstrated towards me in what He
did by dying on the Cross.
B.
TO REPENT “believe”
Note: As I said before I repent in that
I now have a change of belief. I reject all that I was and receive all that He
is. (by the way....not a 1 time event repentance that
is.)
C.
TO RECEIVE “in thine heart”
Note: I think this is possibly the
hardest part for most people. I don’t want to do an injustice neither to
the sovereignty of God by trying to explain it, but believing is much more that
what we deem it to be yet so simple to do that only God knows when we have
fulfilled its requirements. I will say this you’ll know when you playing
or when you’re serious and so will God!
Appl: Has there ever been a time in
your life where the record would show that you acted on the.... “shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,” today could be just that day.
III.
THE SHALT OF ACCEPTANCE vs9c (RECEIVE)
“thou shalt be
saved.”
Note: The Scriptures tell us that if we
shalt then God shalt. When we have fulfilled the 2 shalts that God requires of
us then He will fulfill the absolute He has set up....THOU shalt be saved!
For we know it is God that does the saving and not ourselves.
Eph
2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God:
I came across this definition when studying
concerning the shalt mentioned here in the passage.
* In
the second and third persons, shall implies
a promise, command or determination. "You shall receive your
wages," "he shall receive his wages," imply that you or
he ought to receive them; but usage gives these phrases the force of
a promise in the person uttering them.
When shall is uttered
with emphasis in such phrases, it expresses determination in the speaker, and
implies an authority to enforce the act. “That
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,” “and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,”
Thou SHALT be saved!
A.
IT IS DEFINITE “shalt”
B.
IT IS DELIVERING “thou”
C.
IT IS DEPENDANT – upon the 1ST 2. “If thou shalt”
“and shalt believe”
Note: It is as simple as 123
1.
CONFESSION - “That if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,”
2.
PROFESSION – “and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,”
3.
POSSESSION – “thou shalt be
saved.”
Appl: Has there ever been a time in
your life that you have done that? If not today might just could be that day.
2Co
6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day
of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is
the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
Rom
10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. .....Won’t
you call on Him today?
Inv: Hymn