Goodmorning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that I wanted to share something with you.
Many years ago, before I became a believer in Jesus, I was in charge of a safety committee at a large manufacturing plant. We would have regular meetings and talk about safety issues. I taught the crew about how to lift properly, and how to watch out for anything that could potentially cause harm to another worker. Many of the meetings had to do with people complying with P.P.E., or Personal Protective Equipment that were supplied to the employees when they became gainfully employed by the company. This equipment included such things as hard hats, ear protection, and steel toed shoes. The main problem is that many people didn’t want to use the items that could potentially save them from danger, and possibly their life. Some of the complaints were.”do I really have to do this?”.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Preaching God’s Word is very similar to offering someone safety equipment, but scripture can save your soul. Preaching shows that you want others to be saved and you truly care for them. The greatest love for your neighbor is to offer them scripture, which is far more important than handing them a hard hat on the job. But, although you can warn people, it doesn’t mean that they will listen. Some people may refuse to wear their steel toed shoes, or throw their earplugs on the ground, and it’s their choice if they choose to throw caution to the wind. Those who do these kinds of things in regards to Christian teachings, endanger themselves and their own salvation. The greatest protective equipment that we have in the church, are the teachings of scripture, but in order for them to protect and save you, we must put them on, wearing them each and every day of our life.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
God’s Word teaches us how to live our lives and be transformed, but in order for this to happen, we need to lovingly submit to what it says. In modern forms of Christianity, many people believe in God’s love and forgiveness but their lives are completely exempt of submission to scriptural truth. They want to believe that they will be in heaven, but completely reject the doctrine of heaven. Instead of choosing sincere obedience to the will of God, some choose naughtiness instead
James 1:21-22 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Scripture is very much like a hard hat, but you need to put on if its going to be effective. We need to do the will of God rather than just hearing the will of God. We are saved through God’s grace, but without faith, becoming a doer of God’s Word will not happen.
Ephesians 2:8-9 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.
Part of our salvation depends on God’s merciful grace, but it also must be combined with our faith. Real faith in a person’s heart will cause them to obey the will of God. Conversion to biblical truth is not optional, its mandatory. We are not saved by grace alone, it must be mingled with faith, otherwise people will come short of paradise.
Hebrews 4:1-2 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Many people listened to Jesus as He preached the things of God’s kingdom, but some of them really didn’t believe in the message He taught. People can have knowledge of God’s Word but without faithful application, it does not benefit them at all. All it is, is head knowledge. Its like having a locker full of protective equipment but never even bothering to put it on. To save our souls, we need wear it and put it on.
1 Thessalonians 5:8 ………putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
We must put on the armour of light
Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
You must put on the new man.
Ephesians 4:22-24 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Colossians 3:9-10 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Genuine faith is required for salvation. Haven’t you ever been at a manufacturing plant that said hard hats are required? Many forms of modern forms of Christianity preach grace, but reject faith that is required to accomplish the will of God.
Luke 18:8 ……..Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
The evidence of faith is obedience to the teachings of scripture. If people are going to willfully reject obedience, faith is non-existent. How can you claim to believe in something, yet refuse to obey the thing you claim to believe?
1 John 2:3-5 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
Obeying the will of God is not obtaining salvation by works, it is doing what is required of a God who loves us. We prove our love for Him through our obedience.
Romans 2:7-10 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God, but God wants to transform and convert us from sinners into saints. If you really want to get to heaven someday, you are going to need to do the will of God, which requires faith. It’s a matter of reaching inside the locker each day for Gods Word, and making sure you put on your…
…..Hard Hat
Let’s think about these things for right now, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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