Remember last week how I said that God will not step in and fix a situation with His power unless you use your authority and ask Him? That is how salvation operates also. God waits patiently for you to align your will to His will. This is called repentance. It’s not just an apology. It means you have changed your mind about your direction and you want to turn around start going God’s way. God gave you the authority to choose where you will spend eternity and he will not violate His promise. It is your choice that determines your eternity. Now because it is His will that you spend eternity with Him, when you use your authority to ask Him to use His power to save you, His immediate answer is yes. Now, having said that, does your current lifestyle reflect a decision like that? Has anyone been able to notice that there has been a change in your life’s direction since you said you changed your mind and repented? Here’s a very simple test you should take. Ask yourself this: Does anyone at your work know that you claim to be a Christian? Have you had an actual conversation with them concerning your faith? Would they be surprised based on your daily behavior and language that you have taken on the name of Christ? If so, have you taken His name in vain? Let’s back up a minute, maybe you don’t call yourself a Christian. Maybe you are not interested in identifying yourself with Jesus Christ. So why then would you want to come to church? Perhaps you’ve got questions about what happens after the death of your physical body. Is there an after life? Is there a heaven?
An eternal life. That’s what it’s all about, right? That’s why you show up here on Sundays, isn’t it? Eternal life is the carrot on the end of the church stick that keeps you coming back. So let’s talk about that for a minute. Your eternal existence is not in question. You will 100% absolutely and most certainly exist for eternity. The only question is where. Why does it always come down to real estate? Location. Location. Location. The location of your eternal existence home will define your situation as either eternal life or eternal death. Eternal life means you’ll spend eternity with God in heaven, but as you might imagine, eternal death means you’ll spend eternity separated from God. The choice is completely up to you. God has given you free will and is not going to force you to spend eternity with Him. If you have no desire to spend time with Him now on earth for a few years, He will certainly not force you to spend eternity with Him in heaven. Like I said, you don’t have to spend your eternity with God, but you will certainly exist for eternity. So, what are the other options for your eternal location? Well, I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news. The good news is that there is another option. The bad news is, it’s a pretty unattractive option. well, maybe it’s not all bad, It is a lake property. The last book of the bible has the real estate listing, and describes the neighborhood. Revelation 21:8 “8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Yep, that’s hell and all the folks who will be there with you. Additionally, the devil and his angels will be there because it was custom designed for them. God never intended for people to be there. But if you refuse to align your will with His, that’s your only other option. Does that sound like a place you’d want to hang out for eternity? No. That is not where you want to be. Well, how do we secure our eternity with God? Now before a lot of you check out and think this next part isn’t for you, hang on for a few more minutes. This question is for everyone. For those who who don’t call themselves Christian...and also for those who do. Is walking an isle and repeating a prayer that a preacher prays enough to secure your eternity with God? Is that all it takes? What happens after that? Here is what happens after that...your actions will reveal if you are going to spend eternity with God. Notice, I didn’t say your actions will determine, I said your actions will reveal. Ephesians 2:8-10 “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” By the grace of God, you have been saved through your faith in the work of Jesus. Grace is a gift you are given that you don’t deserve. If you could earn it, you would deserve it. But you didn’t, so you don’t.
Let’s be clear about this. Good works won’t save you. However, our faith is shown by our good works. Our good works will show if we have really accepted the grace of God through faith in Jesus. James 2:14 “14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? “ Notice what kind of faith this verse is questioning. It’s just lip service...saying you have faith. Look closely, it doesn’t say that person actually has faith, only that they say they have faith. James is saying he needs to see proof not just hear words. Then he goes on to plainly explain what he is talking about. James 2:15-20 “15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? That’s pretty harsh. He calls people who believe they can have real faith apart from good works foolish. He asks if they want to be shown, and then he proceeds to show them, with old testament examples. James 2:21-26 “21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that
says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. If you don’t have any works, there is no way to show that you really have faith...and faith is the means of salvation. The grace of God has been provided by the work of Jesus on the cross. So the grace part is taken care of. You’ve said you put your faith in that gracious work of Jesus. Now all that’s left, is to see if that’s true...and that will be manifest by your works. The works don’t save you...they show that you have been saved. Faith is like electricity and good works are like a light. A light bulb is not electricity...light produced by the bulb is the proof of the electricity. Where there is no electricity, there is no light. Works are not faith...works are the proof of your faith. Where there is no faith, there are no works. When you put your faith in Jesus, He sends the Holy Spirit to live in you. The Holy Spirit is the power of God in you to do good works. If you have put your faith in Jesus, there will be evidence by good works. As a side note, just the act of going to church in and of itself is not a good work. That is not the evidence of your faith. Lots of people go to church, but they don’t want anything to do with Jesus. How do I know? There is no evidence of faith in their life. Because there are no good works, there is no evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit in them.
The kind of work I’m talking about is the kind of work that would require real faith. Again, we can not work our way to heaven, but if we are walking on the narrow path that leads to heaven we will be working as we go. It’s a natural process. The question isn’t “am I doing enough?” The question is “am I doing anything at all?" These good works are what the Bible calls fruit. Good fruit is the evidence of a good tree. And bad fruit is the evidence of a bad tree. The problem is that we can’t see inside the fruit to know if it’s bad. The fruit is the product of the tree that bears it. Mathew 7:15-20 “15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” What we need is a fruit inspector...and you are not it. Fortunately we have one. His name is Jesus. Everyone who is sitting in a church today will eventually have a conversation with Jesus and it will go one of two ways. Some of you will hear “well done, good and faithful servant.” Because your work as a servant pleased Him. But others may have this next conversation. This is the one you don’t want to have. It’s the one where He tells you that your fruit is rotten.
Matthew 7:21-23 “21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” “I never knew you.” How is it possible for someone to do the things described here and still not be known by Jesus? It’s not enough for you to know about Jesus...Jesus needs to know you. But what does that look like? A relationship is required, not just knowledge. There is a story in Acts that illustrates the difference between knowing about Jesus and having a relationship with Jesus. Acts 19:11-16 “11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” These guys didn’t have the power, because they didn’t have the relationship. Knowledge about Jesus is not the same as a relationship with Him. The relationship produces the fruit.
Jesus will eventually separate those who have a relationship with Him, from those who don’t. Matthew 25:31-46 “31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Both categories, the sheep and the goats were judged by the same criteria. The criteria was the actions they were supposed to be taking towards other people. Does it look like all they had to do was walk an isle and pray a prayer to inherit a kingdom that was prepared for them? What happened to those who walked an isle and prayed a prayer... then went back to living however they wanted and ignoring the hungry, the stranger, the naked, the sick and the prisoner? Eternal punishment and separation from God in hell. These are not my words...these are the words of Jesus. If there is more to this salvation than just walking an isle and saying a prayer when you were a kid, how can you know you are saved? Remember, salvation is by grace through faith. You have to look for the evidence of your faith being activated. Faith, which is shown by good works is that evidence. If you have no desire to serve the King, then you are not on the narrow path that leads to eternal life...you are on the easy way toward the broad gate that leads to destruction. Matthew 7:13 “13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” These verses are very difficult to accept for those who are cruising through their “Christian” life without any difficulty or hardship.
I don’t see anything in there about the blessed life, but that’s what we want for ourselves. We want to pray away our difficulties, but that is exactly what these verses describe as the way towards eternal life. Have you ever done anything for the kingdom that would make your life the least bit uncomfortable? Remember that simple test I talked about earlier? Ask yourself this: Does anyone at your work know that you claim to be a Christian? Have you had an actual conversation with them concerning your faith? Would they be surprised based on your daily behavior and language that you have taken on the name of Christ? If so, have you taken His name in vain? I hope not. Are you worried that if you talk to them you will get labeled a holy roller? Are you worried they will pass you over for that promotion if you don’t go hang out with them at the strip club after work? Are you worried that it will make your way hard? Are you? Do you profess Jesus only when you are at church? Are you a Christian in name only. Lip service is not service at all. Calling yourself a Christian does not make it a reality. Talk is cheap. James 2:14 “14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? “ If the only evidence you have for your salvation is that you walked an isle and prayed a prayer when you were a child...then you don’t have any evidence at all. Do you have any evidence? The good news is that you can change that right now. All you have to do is change your mind about your direction and repent. When you repent, the Holy Spirit will empower you to do the good work that shows faith has been activated in your life.
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