17/02/2021
Theme: SAVED BY FAITH
With Pastor Kenneth M.
2 Timothy 3:14 “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; Vs 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
He encouraged him to continue in the things he had learned. In other words, he assures him that there is not a need to go and experiment with new things. Children are often attracted by new things and are quick to jump on to the latest trend in town. Not Timothy. He had been well trained and fed by Paul such that he instructs him to commit the same training to other people.
2 Tim 2:1 “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”
Paul’s words to Timothy are instructive. They ring ever true today and can be seen as timeless instructions that keep a minister of the gospel even today.
He seems to have taken a leaf out of Jesus’ preaching and teaching upon his resurrection. Luke 24:25, 44, It is thus clear that the focus of the utterances of the prophets have their fulfilment in the son.
Heb 1:1 “God, who at sundry times and in divers’ manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,”
God the father has spoken in his son. The writer of that epistle affirms that he had by himself purged our sins, and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. He puts a finality on the perfectness of the great work that has been carried out.
The question often arises: How is a man saved?
1 Cor 15:1 “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;”
Paul teaches that a man believes the gospel and is saved. He teaches the facts of the gospel as centred on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
Romans 1:16-17, “16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith.”
He teaches that the gospel is God’s only power to save to all men that believe.
Romans 10:8-10. “8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
It is instructive to see that the above text was a quotation from Moses about the gospel. It is thus clear that the gospel was preached through the ages.
Deuteronomy 30:11, “For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.”
Jonah 2:9, “But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.”
It is thus clear that salvation is all God’s work.
Having seen that salvation is of the Lord, it is thus pertinent to ask how a man receives what God has made available?
Ephesians 2:4-9
“4 But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. 5 We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s grace.) 6 Yes, it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. 7 God did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace. 8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about.”
In the above text, he teaches the love of God as God’s riches in his mercy. He did it all while we were yet sinners. And all of this is received by faith. It is all God’s gift. God’s gift of salvation is therefore received by faith when the gospel is preached. God is the giver, all we do is receive, and that by faith. He is altogether lovely!
The jailor asked a profound question in Acts 16:30 “……, said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Answer: To believe in the Lord Jesus as of result of hearing the message of the gospel.
