THEME: SALVATION: HOW GENUINE?
Memorise:He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Proverbs 28:13
Read: 2 CORINTHIANS 7:9-11
7:9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.
7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
7:11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
Message:
God’s offer of salvation is for all those who come to Him. To access this salvation however, there are certain criteria you must meet. For instance, you cannot experience salvation without genuine repentance. Unfortunately, there are people who think that they can be saved even without repenting from their sins. Some people believe that responding to an altar call for salvation is enough. No, it is not! Can you believe that when some people come out to answer an altar call, instead of repenting of their sinful lifestyles, they take pictures? Those who do so can only come out and go back the same way they came. This will not be your portion in Jesus’ Name! Heaven’s demands for obtaining salvation are clearly stated in Proverbs 28:13:
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
If you do not satisfy Heaven’s demand of confessing your sins to God and forsaking your sinful lifestyle, you will never be saved. If you claim to be born again, how did you get saved? Did you confess your sins to God out of a sorrowful heart and resolve not to return to your sinful lifestyle? If your salvation lacks this key foundational pillar, you will need to revisit the salvation experience.
In Luke 13:2-5, Jesus plainly taught His hearers that except they repented, they would perish like those who went before them. God does not want anyone to perish, but He wants us all to repent (2 Peter 3:9). God wants you to change your ways and to stop doing the wicked things you do. It is then you will obtain mercy from him. Today, the term “born again” has been so abused. Many people say they are born again but they do not even know what it means. If you are truly born again, you will receive genuine salvation that will completely turn your life around (2 Corinthians 5:17). When you come out to receive Jesus, you come out because you are truly sorry for your sins; you come out with a determination to change your ways. You need to come to the altar of God crying to Him for help, not only to forgive you your sins but to also change you inside out. When you do this, you will obtain salvation. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says it is godly sorrow that brings about repentance that yields salvation. Are you really born again? If your salvation is not genuine, go back to the cross of Calvary today!
Key Point:
Fake salvation can never produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Samuel 5-6
Ezekiel 8:7-18
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 11: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS
1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
2. Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
3. My cross I’ll carry till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
4. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.
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