John 17:3 (NIV)
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
My brothers and sisters, eternal life could not be given to believers, unless Christ Jesus, the confidence and surety of one’s faith, both glorified the Father, and was glorified of Him. This, however, is the sinner's way to eternal life, and when this knowledge shall be made perfect, holiness and happiness of the redeemed would be fully enjoyed.
You see, brothers, we are experiencing eternal life in Jesus Christ, that unbroken age which is to come, but which through Christ is already present. It’s clear, as long as we have Jesus Christ in us we have the surety of our salvation. You see, our present salvation is an anticipation of what we shall enjoy fully in the future. All we have to do is reached the finish line – persevere until the very end.
My brothers, our Church is using the word "ACTS" as an acronym that gives detail to the meaning of our mission of "Investing in Eternity."
A - Acquire the investment already made for me through Jesus Christ (The pursuit of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ).
Ephesians 2:1-3 (NIV)
[1] As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
[2] in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
[3] All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature, and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
My friends, mankind is dead in trespasses and sin and therefore is powerless to save itself by good works or attempts to keep God’s commandments. However, God has provided a way by which man may be forgiven, declared righteous, and made right in God’s eyes. You see this is the meaning and purpose of Christ Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the dead for all men.
Therefore, salvation comes only through our Lord Jesus Christ who offers His own sinless life as a substitute for the guilty (every one of us). Thereafter, final salvation occurs when one receives the commendation following the last judgment when God conveys in…
Matthew 25:21 (NIV)
“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!”
Let’s also read from…
Hebrews 9:27-28 (NIV)
[27] Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
[28] so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
You see, my brothers, nothing can deliver a sinner from being condemned at the Day of Judgment, except the atoning sacrifice of Christ Jesus; nor will anyone be saved from eternal punishment whom despise or neglects this great salvation…amen!
Let me tell you something else, we all die; this is a fact that is inescapable for each of us. Death is the end of the journey and the arrival at our final destination...PARADISE! However, there is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked. In this way as we know, it’s appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.
Therefore, the only way to live on beyond death is through Christ; nevertheless, only through our Sovereign God’s love can there be a new existent beyond the grave. Praise be to God and Our Lord Jesus Christ…amen!
However, let’s read…
Ezekiel 18:21-22 (NIV)
[21] "But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die.
[22] None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things.”
One of the reasons why we should seek salvation through Christ Jesus is because Jesus is the absolute way and the path to heaven. Thus, Jesus continually stated, and I’m paraphrasing the Scripture, “I am the way, the truth and the life and no one come to the father unless is through me (John 14: 6 NIV).
As a result, the sinner would be saved if he turns away from evil ways, worldly desires and that old life and accepts Jesus Christ’s gift of salvation…Himself!
All that is required from the sinner is to ask God’s forgiveness, and repent of sinning against Him. Thereafter, he needs to appropriate the Son of God and Savior of men as his Lord and Savior.
Now hear this, my friends, Father and Son are in perfect unity in their natures and actions, and Jesus has promised eternal life if we follow Him to the end. He further stated we would never perish, and no one can snatch us out of my Father’s and my hands.
Now we can be reconciled to God by faith as we identify ourselves with Jesus. He has become our representative and stands on our behalf. For that reason, God no longer remembers our sins against us. Praise God!
Jesus painfully paid the price for our transgressions; He died that His people might be sanctified, and that is fact!
C - Continue to invest (The pursuit of spiritual growth through a moment by moment personal relationship with God).
Let's read...
Psalm 116:13-14 (NIV)
[13] "I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.
[14] I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.”
For this reason, my brothers, let’s take the cup of salvation allotted by the Lord. Receiving the benefits God donates upon us through his divine kindness and grace, and taste His life in them, as the portion not only of our inheritance in the other world, but of our cup in this world.
God is full of benevolence, kindness, grace and abundant love for his children in this world, and we depend upon Him alone!
Also, let’s read…
Job 10:12 (NIV)
“You gave me life and showed me kindness,
and in your providence watched over my spirit.”
My brothers, God has given us this powerful tool of free choice so we can love and serve Him willingly. However, some people use this ability, this free will to do the wrong things, immoral behaviors, or self- righteous acts, rather than to serve and please God.
Also, God has given us the Holy Spirit who mediates to us the glorified Christ, and continues Christ’s work in the world. Most importantly, the Spirit as a Comforter is the earnest of our inheritance. It is the gift of God, and a precious gift it is.
We need to stay close to God’s heart through Christ Jesus; God sustains us, and preserves all of life; God works personally in our lives every day in more ways than we realize. His divine hands of providence are guiding our life every moment and every day of our lives in this world.
Furthermore, when we surrender our self-will to Him; we will ever remain totally dependent upon His divine grace for the will to make good moral choices. A true Christian might not only desire God’s divine grace, but will also pursue spiritual joy in this life as well. Let’s read…
Psalm 51:12 (NIV)
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Jesus is the joy of our salvation, and the Holy Spirit to sustain us, and guide us into righteousness. My question is how can we, those who have been delivered from darkness into the light, repay the Lord for his divinity and providence?
Let me tell you, my brothers, anything we do to repay is unworthy of his acceptance. However, we ought to devote all we possess to his service. We ought to have a fervent support, a burning desire of commitment to Christ Jesus, as our Lord and Savior, and a faith relationship to Him, and a continuing identification with the Church, which is the common Body of Christ.
This faith will grow as the knowledge of God and experience in His fellowship advances. You see, my friends, the more we exercise faith in our walk with Christ Jesus, the more we are able to believe, to hope, and to trust.
When our faith grows, it makes possible for us to face the future with the calm confidence that comes from absolute assurance. Therefore, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, and the proof of what we do not see.
T – Take the Investment Home (Bring the love of God home to family and close friends).
Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
A true Christian’s love and conduct should be always pure and holy. We are to consider how we can be of service to each other at home to family and close friends especially stirring up each other to the more vigorous and abundant exercise of love, and the practice of good works.
We are to encourage and teach our family and friend the Christian’s life. It requires a fervent commitment to Christ Jesus, and acceptance of the general religious principal of the Christian community.
Furthermore, children especially our children are to be trained and taught. The Bible teaches that parents have the responsibility of training and disciplining their children so that they might be brought up knowing the Bible and honoring the Lord.
Failure at this task results in a generation, which does not know the Lord. We must remember children belong first to God and are his gift to us as…
Psalm 127: 3 (NIV)
“Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him.”
For that reason, my friends, Jesus valued children, and he illustrated the ideal childhood in His own life in subjection to His parent’s control. He also manifested tenderness of affection for children…let’s read:
Matthew 19:14 (NIV)
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
S – Share the investment with others (To share Christ through love, relationships, fellowships, community service, giving, sacrifice and evangelism)
Sharing the investment with others requires humility, unselfishness and fervent love. The apostle Paul stated in…
Ephesians 4: 3 (NIV)
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
This means to seek what is best for them spiritually. The goal is to help them grow in the Lord, and to build them up in Christ Jesus. For that reason, the book of Romans…
Romans 14: 19 (NIV)
“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”
In other words, mutual edification refers to strengthen, unifying and making for peace. Therefore, and I quote from Beacon Dictionary of Theology…"Believers are built-up, growing together, strengthened by one another into a “holy temple in the Lord. Also the Christian must maintain a growing, consistent love relationship with his fellow Christians. Let’s therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.”
Amen!
Consequently, every Christian needs to be identified with a local church, and as a member of the church the Christian is a part of the family of God. Therefore, we need to follow Jesus’ instructions of... “Go and make disciples of all nations, and teaching them to obey everything, I have commanded you.” Jesus also promised in Matthew 28: 20b NIV, " And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
He is not referring just to his disciples and apostles. This, however, is a general statement to our present generation of believers who belief in Christ. Therefore, we need to get out of our comfort zone and follow Jesus' commandment and "go and make disciples of all nations."
Be aware, brothers, Jesus' presence, when we are witnessing to others, will guarantee the sustenance, or the support of those who undertake the task.
In summary, my brothers our responsibilities are to love and help those who are spiritually lost - spiritually blinded; those are the ones who are in need of God’s divine salvation in this world.
We need to build a friendship - a relationship so we can communicate the Gospel, the Word of God to them. If we do not carry on with our commission given to us by Christ of evangelizing, and relating the Word of God to others (as an example, by personal witnessing, using our own experiences as Christians) they would perish.
They would not have a chance of surviving in this world. The only way for them to have a chance to salvation is by helping them to see the reality of Jesus’ divine sacrificial death on the cross. Hopefully they will be drawn to make a decision about being part of the Kingdom of God.
Nevertheless, we must be very careful to avoid passing judgment against those whose behavior seems improper to us. Remember, judgment is not ours.
To this extent, we need to follow our responsibility of “Community Service” by the sharing of goods, and the love of Christ to the world. The best illustration I can give you is the New Life Community Church of the Nazarene, where Rev. Curt Lanford, and members of the Church are distributing to the necessity of others in their community by giving them food supplies and other items.
We must also continue the giving of tithes and offerings, and the alabaster giving as well to support the ministers of God and His church; moreover to evangelize the world as Hebrews…
Hebrews 13:16 (NIV)
And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
As a result, brothers, our giving can send missionaries and do acts of mercy so others will see the love of God through the body of Christ. Just remember this “ faith without action isn’t anything.”
Overall our commitment as a true Christian should be as the apostle Paul stated in Colossians 3: 16a, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom." Therefore, we must continue to encourage those who are weak in the Lord, by helping them to deal with obstacles of life, and submitting themselves obediently to our God the Father through Christ Jesus.
The great end in all our actions must be that God may be glorified in Christ. So, let’s end this sermon with this precious Scripture…
Romans 15:5-6 (NIV)
[5] May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
[6] so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s pray…
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the whole Bible", Henry Matthew, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1997.
Beacon Dictionary of Theology, Richard S Taylor, Associate Editor, Consulting Editors J Kenneth Grider & Willard H. Taylor, Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, Missouri, 1983.
I would like to thank my wife Martha Muniz, who helped me with editing.