The certainty of God's salvation

Sermon notes from Sunday 11 May 2014

Acts 17 verses 30 – 34

The certainty of God’s salvation

The apostle Paul has come to Athens and found out something about this people – they were very religious  They had a lot going for them in a religious aspect.  What does it mean to be saved?  There are a lot of different experiences in coming to God for salvation.  Noah’s ark was built for the salvation of the world.  There was only one door into the ark.  Every animal came from every part of the world but there was only one entrance

There has to be an awareness of sin.  That is made clear through the preaching of God’s own word.  “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”  Acts 17 verse 32 “when they heard”.  There had to be that awareness in their lives.  Until you are aware of the danger you are in, in your sin you will never be saved.  Peter in Acts 3 preached about the person of the Lord who came into the world as a little baby, grew up as a man, preached about how he would die on the cross.  That was his purpose in his life – to die.  To make a way of escape.  To provide salvation for you and I and there on the cross he carried that out.  He loved you with all his heart, with the greatest compassion he ever had.  Peter preached about the power of Christ.  He found nobody in the tomb when he went to find him.  The chains of death couldn’t hold him any longer.  There is a great power to lift you from the sin you are in.  Peter preached about a pathway that had to be taken.  There is a pardoning that is waiting for you.  It all came through the preaching of God’s word.  Verse 37 “when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts.”  An awareness of their sin.  Was there an awareness of your sin when you came to Christ first and foremost?

An action that has to be taken.  The Bible says “when they heard this”.  They listened to this and realised they were not walking with God.  On the night you were saved was your conscience pricked?  When David lay on his bed in the evening time he couldn’t sleep so he got up and it was then that he saw Bathsheba.  He had to have her.  He lay with her.  He did wrong in that he coveted.  The Bible says you shouldn’t do that.  David had her husband killed.  Not only committed adultery but he committed murder.  Naboth came to David and told him a story about a rich man and a poor man.  The rich man took the poor man’s lamb.  David was upset and said that wasn’t fair.  Naboth turned to him and said “you are the man.”  Psalm 51 “before God I have sinned.”  He was made aware of his sin.  “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  That is our starting point in life.  An action that has to be taken.  Jesus spoke of it himself – “there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.”  That is the starting point.  What do you do when you are made aware of sin?  There is an action to be taken.  As Paul preached here to this religious people “in your ignorance God winked at it now he commandeth all men everywhere to repent.”  Maybe until this point in time might have never thought of your souls salvation.  God is beginning to speak to your heart and soul.  You realise something has to be done.  It is God that saves not a church, a preacher or a denomination.  God points to an action that must be taken.  In Athens Paul told them you have to repent.  When Peter preached on the day of Pentecost people knew there was action to be taken.  There has to be a repentance.  The rich young ruler realised he wasn’t saved.  When the Lord was in that area he ran to him.  There was a hunger in his soul.  He came to the feet of Jesus and asked him “what must I do?”  An action that must be taken.  Jesus pointed to the commandments.  “All these have I kept from my youth up.”  He realised there was still something lacking.  Have you ever come to that place where you realised there was something missing?  Jesus said to the young man “go sell all you have then come follow me.”  Is the Lord saying to you “it is time to come to me and in coming to me you must be prepared to leave that scene behind.”  There is an action to be taken.  You are not going to drift into God’s salvation.  It is a place of choice.  Remember Joshua when he brought the people to the Jordan.  He asked them to “choose you this day whom you will serve.”  There is an awareness of sin and an action to be taken.

There is an acceptance that takes place – verse 34 “and believe”.  They heard the word of God.  They hung on to the Lord and believed.  They took the Lord as their own and personal Saviour.  The Lord calls for you to step out and accept him as Saviour.  Acts 2 verse 41 “when they heard this.”  Peter preached and “they gladly received his word and were baptised and there were added unto them 3000 souls.”  The Holy Spirit came down upon them and they took the Lord as Saviour.  Here was a people who were made aware of their sin.  They were shown an action that must be taken.  Never be saved if don’t accept the Lord as Saviour.  “What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul.?  Jesus himself said what good would it do to hold onto a few religious relics hoping that was the way you would get into heaven?

There was an assurance that was granted.  “To as many as believed on him gave he the power to become the sons of God.”  “These things have I written unto you that ye might know you have eternal life.”  Do you know you have eternal life not an emotional experience?