1062. Salvation in the Bible: The Simplicity and the Mystery

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. The school was founded in 1927 by the evangelist Dr. Bob Jones Senior's intent was to make a school where Christ would be the center of everything, so he established daily chapel services today.

That tradition continues with fervent preaching from the University chapel platform today speaker is Dr. Steve Pettit, who served as an evangelist for over 29 years before becoming president of Bob Jones University. Please take your Bibles this morning and turn with me to the gospel of John.

John chapter 1 this morning. So this week we are having a few more chapels just simply because we really want to focus our attention on some very important things spiritually in one of those I'd like us to look at this morning from John's gospel chapter 1 beginning in verse 11, and I read down to verse 13 he came unto his own and his own received him not.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Which were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flash, nor of the will of man by God.

These are Scripture verses that reveal the coming of Jesus into the world to be our Savior, salvation, and the Bible is considered actually to be something that is quite simple but at the same time. It is profoundly mysterious it it's like it's like looking into the skies at night and you look up and you see the dark sky see the twinkling stars. Perhaps you see a full moon and when you look at the sky at night. Really it's it's simple but we all understand is a great mystery. The mystery of the heavens, the breath and the depth of the universe. The size of the stars and the planets in the galaxy. The distance between them. In light years is beyond our finite minds to grasp simple yet. It's a mystery it's like looking in the face of a newborn baby and you look at this child and it's simple in your enthralled with his new life in this beautiful baby but it's also a mystery because each person is unique.

They have their own personality their own abilities their own traits what their future's going to be like. It's like the birth of the child is simple and yet is profoundly mysterious so it is true with the matter of eternal life salvation. The Bible is a very simple experience. You don't have to have any formal training.

You don't have to have a religious background to be able to comprehend and understand how a person is safe. It's very simple but at the same tat time is a great mystery, for it is an experience that is of such a nature that even a Dr. of Divinity can never really grasp the full depths of the gospel in the unsearchable riches that are in Jesus Christ. So this morning my message is this.

The simplicity and yet the mystery of salvation.

Simple that it can be grasped by everyone in this building, but mysterious and that it will be a study for the rest of our life to fully comprehend. So let's begin with what John says here in his introduction here in John chapter 1 about the simplicity of salvation. We read in John chapter 20 in verse 31 why John wrote his gospel listen to what he said but these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and that believing you might have life through his name. What was the reason for the writing of the gospel of John is really simple.

He wants all of us to become believers and the resultant believing is that you have eternal life in the name of Jesus Christ. It's that simple. He wants you to believe. And he wants you to receive eternal life.

So let me be transparent. One of our great goals and one of our great desires is that every one of you here, if you are not already a believer in Jesus Christ. That's our passion number years ago I went to church with my mother who was living in Columbia, South Carolina. She sat under the ministry of Dr. Sinclair Ferguson who pastored the first Presbyterian Church in downtown Columbia in he was a wonderful gospel preacher and one day we sat there and we listen to a very compelling sermon on believing in Christ, my mother turned to me and said in only the way she could say it. She said why that man will make you want to believe and I said a man if a preacher does not preach for you to become a believer that what kind of preacher is so what is John wanting John is wanting us to believe. Maybe you're here this morning you said I don't think I can really believe I just don't think I can do that and actually that's not true because believing is not just a matter of intellect.

I can believe in the existence of the universe and still not understand everything because in the Bible believing is actually a matter of the will, believing in an airplane simply means that I choose to get on the plane. I trust in the plain. It is that that is exactly what it means to believe in Jesus Christ. It's not a matter of you cannot is a matter of you will not and that's important for you to understand faith in the Bible is a choice, what is it say in John chapter 1 and verse 12 but as many as received him, to them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name receiving Jesus and believing in Jesus are not two separate things. There one and the same is like when you get married you stand at the wedding alter what you doing you are receiving one another.

You're taking one another and at the same time you're trusting or believing your lives to one another. So to receive Jesus and believe in Jesus is at essentially the same thing and it is a choice that you make just like you make to get married so he says when you receive Jesus. That is a choice, but likewise rejecting Jesus as a chore when what he says in verse 11. He came unto his own and his own received him not. John tells us that the very people that you thought would eagerly welcomed Christ were the very ones that did not his own Jewish brothers and sisters, and why did they not receive Jay's. They did not receive Jesus in his day the same reason we don't receive Jesus in our day. It's not that we can't understand Jesus, but Jesus said they love darkness more than that. They love the light they made a choice. They chose to reject Jesus. You either choose Jesus are rejected.

If you reject him you choose said that's the reason why you do it. That's why you don't believe it's not that you can't understand it is that you love your said more than you love your God, and that's why we were called to be, say were called to repentance and faith.

Repentance is really leaving your old life to receive a new life is choosing the Savior over your sin and those who did make the decision especially in John's Gospel are people who are clearly identified. They were identified for the choice that they may so what we find in John chapter 3, we find a Jewish rabbi coming to Jesus at night as an individual in John chapter 4, we found a woman at the well who accepted Jesus in John chapter 5 we find in invalided. The pool of Bethesda in John chapter 9, we find a man who was born blind in John chapter 11.

It's very interesting what it says.

Jesus says it says any of the Jews seeing the miracles which Jesus did from that they believed on him and in John's gospel everyone who believes make a personal decision. Personal choice to as many as received him, to them gave he the power to become the sons of God. I cannot believe for you anymore than you can believe for me that is impossible. Your mother and father may be the greatest believers.

But their faith is not transferable to you. You must make your own choice.

Fact is, John is so emphatic about the need of faith that he tells us that there three ways you cannot be saved look at what he says in verse 13, who were born, not of blood nor the will of the flash nor the will of man, he says, you first of all, cannot be saved through your family, your parents can be saved but you can be lost. It's not your heritage. It's not your pedigree is your own personal faith. It is not of blood. Then he said, is not of the will of your own will, he says, is not a do-it-yourself salvation.

It's not by you trying to earn it is by you receiving Jesus in the notice. He says it is not through the will of man.

In other words, he saying you can't be saved by your religious association. I grew up in church I grew up in Sunday school, the church I attended as a child had what they called confirmation classes and I went through the classes and it's almost like at the end of the class I signed on the dotted line and I had the knowledge, but there was no real acceptance of it in my life just like a person who sick and they go to the doctor. The doctor says your sick and he says you need to take this medicine and you go to the pharmacy and you get the medicine you receive and take the medicine that's the idea of salvation. They narrowed their whole. They don't need a doctor but they that are sick, we go to the doctor to be delivered and we come to Christ like medicine and he is the great physician and what is he do he heals the sick mess of our own soul that is caused by sin is a choice that you make as many as received him, so salvation is simply receiving Christ and then he says, believing on his name. What is it mean to believe on his name on the Bible. A name is more than a label. A name has a meaning it refers to that person's character, the kind of person that they are is reflected in their name so that believe on the name of Jesus means that your believing only what his name is intended to mean what it reflects is very interesting that in John's gospel Jesus is given different unique titles. One of the titles that Jesus is given is a phrase that says I am so we read in John 858 Jesus said, before Abraham was, I am what is that mean I am was a phrase that was used to refer to the name of God in the Old Testament the name Yahweh. The name Jehovah or the name LORD Lord, and capital all means the same thing. It means I am is God's title.

I am the God who exist in Jesus. To many people all day should sleep and even blasphemous sleep claimed and said I am the I am Jesus in the New Testament is Jehovah of the Old Testament so to believe in his name biblically is to believe that Jesus is God. So we worship Jesus like we worship God the father we pray to Jesus like we pray to God the father, we obey Jesus as we obey God the father.

Jesus is the IAM and what is that mean seven different ways. In the book of John, Jesus said I am this I am this so Jesus said, for example, on the bread of life was that mean he's the one who provides for me. I'm trusting Jesus to be my provider and operating he says I am the light of the world. That means he's the one who guides us through the midst of our darkness. I'm trusting Jesus to be by God when he asked you this morning are you trusting Jesus to provide an guide for you.

Are you looking to him is he is he the one you're trusting in Jesus said on the door, the one through whom we enter into heaven by him what you trusting to get you into heaven. Jesus said on the good shepherd the one who protects me. Who are you looking to to protect you throughout life. Life is simple, we need a provider we need a protector.

We need someone to give us peace. Jesus said I am on the resurrection and the life. Want to get his victory over death.

I am the way, the truth, the life you want to lead you in the way of all truth. I am the true vine. Jesus said I'm the one from which you get your power source to live your life. So to believe in his name is to actually trust him for all of these things.

This is not complicated.

This is not something that you can't do it is not the greatness of your faith that counts is the greatness of the one that you're trusting in. And so John writes that you would become a believer. And so our prayer for is that you would believe him.

I'm rejoicing this morning is Jeremy shared with me last night that after the service. He was late, he was able to lead one of our students to Christ. He became a believer and in heaven they rejoice over one sinner that repent. So to believe a simple but let me hasten to say this morning that though believing is simple the effects or the results of your faith are profoundly serious.

So let me say a few words about the mystery of salvation we see that here in our text this morning because first of all, he says, everyone who believes in Jesus is given a new status. But what he says in verse 12 but as many as received him, to them gave he the power are literally the authority to become the sons of God. One of the great mysteries of faith is that through faith I become a son of God. First John 31 behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God the father gave us crimes in order to make his son and so what happens is our status changes when you came to Bob Jones University as a student you are given a student ID card that is a different status than before you came and so when we receive Christ were given a new status before we were called slaves now are called sons Galatians 47 wherefore thou art no more a slave to sin but you are a son of God, he says in Galatians 4 in verse six he gives us the Holy Spirit to make us feel like we are his sons and daughters and because you are sons, God sent this. Of his son into our hearts, crying, Abba father was at me.

It means that we can legitimately and sincerely pray our father which art in heaven, I only have two sons on dad to them and there are no other sons that I have Steven and Michael those rumblings so when my boys call me on the phone. They say hey dad and when I called them back and forth. I talked to them completely different than I talk to other people why because they are my son.

I love them. I am proud of them. I want to see them succeed. I have an earnest passion for their lives in their future and their care, and I think if I am evil and I know how to give good gifts to my children how much more shall the heavenly father give good things to them that ask him. You see, it'll take all your life to even grasp the fact that you are a son of God, but the moment you believe you are as much a son of God. In that time, the day you Internet have is a profound mystery, but revel in it. Rejoice in it, be happy in it.

I'm a child of the King, but then as a second profound mystery and that is that everyone who believes is given not only a new status but you're given a new nature. Look at what he says in verse 13. Which were born, not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God.

Here is the incredible mystery by simply receiving and believing in Jesus you are given a heavenly birth on new heart. This is not the physical birth it comes to a natural process.

This is a spiritual birth it comes to a divine process. Jesus talked about this new birth in John chapter 3 talk to the religious spiritual leader named Nicodemus. He said Nicodemus in order for you to get in a heaven you have to be born again and immediately he was confused because he didn't understand mass city this morning that when somebody is born.

Nobody understands that. Do you want did you understand your birth when you were born. Of course not affect this unit even probably understand on how birth actually takes place until years later.

If that's true physical birth. What about the new birth the second birth, and yet the Bible says the moment that you believe in Jesus of birth is taken place. Why do you need to be born again because of what happened to you when you are first born when you were born into the world you were born into the world as a center you have an original father. His name is Adam all of us are cousins because were part of the human race.

But Jesus Christ came to the world to start another race that race is the race of believers and how you get into that race.

You have to be born but is not physical.

It's spiritual, it's not natural it's super natural is a radical birth. It's not a cleanup it's not a touchup.

It's not a do over.

It's not a repair is a complete renovation, you are actually new born on the day that you believe in. This is a radical change.

You may not feel it and surely you don't comprehend it or understand it, but God has birth in you bring in new nature, a nature that loves God and a nature that hates sin.

That's why you and I as Christians are uncomfortable when we sin before I was saved.

I hated church after I got saved. I begin to love church before I was saved I ran to sin. After I got saved. I wanted to run from sin. Why is it that I can't do what other people do is because I've been radically born again and you know all of your Christian life you will be living this out. You will begin to learn about the new nature and the old nature and the flash in the spirit in its mysterious because we we understand its reality.

But we're living with this and with trying to see it take place and grow in and throughout our life. We all are those super natural. Last semester I met with all of the freshman class at various intervals in groups of 50 to 80 students and they could ask me questions about Bob Jones University. It was just kind of a Q&A to get to know them and one question I was asking was very interesting. They asked me if you were a superhero. What superpower would you want now. Before that time I have essentially not watched any of the marvel. I was on vacation with my family for two weeks in Florida couple weeks ago.

My kids asked me that if you do have you seen the Marvel movies is another kind of boring message you need to watch and so my children sat me down and made me watch the adventures and then I understood the superpower. But when I was asked the question.

My answer was, I'm already a superhero, why do I need to become one and already have a superpower because God the Holy Spirit who was a part of the creator of the world came to live inside of my heart the moment I was born again.

The response was, but think with me of the profound mystery that the one who created the world lives in your heart. You see, you're not only a son and daughter of God, but you literally are a miracle of God. Do you know what makes Bob Jones University so different than other schools is called the mystery of salvation. What we want to have here is an atmosphere that is can elusive for your growth in those mystery so those things that God does in the new birth can grow out of your life. Here is a student so you can flourish and grow as a believer and this is a mystery that is profound and that we will grow when the rest of our life.

So as believers. Let's revel in that the fact that we are his children and we have his nature and his heart and then feed that nature in grow and that grace as you grow in the Lord this semester. You bow your head with videos. We pray this morning. Father, we thank you so much for the great simplicity and yet the great mystery of salvation. Thank you Jesus that we can simply believe and receive you, and you transform your our lives by your power, we praise you for that help us to grow in the grace of the knowledge of Jesus we pray. Amen. You been listening to a sermon preached by Dr. Steve Pettit, president of Bob Jones University. If you appreciate this program and benefit from the faithful preaching and teaching of God's word would you consider sending us a special financial gift.

You can easily do that through the website. The Daily Platform.com. I'm Steve Pettit, president of Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.

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