CHAPTER 34
SAVING LOST SOULS
Saving lost souls is the whole reason we are still dwelling upon the earth. Saving lost souls is the reason God does not send a fiery chariot to take us up into heaven after we are saved. We have work to do. We need to preach the gospel to a lost and dying world. We need to feed those that hunger and thirst after righteousness. We need to lead the lost out of the barren wilderness and into the Promised Land.
Do you know the gospel? Are you saved or are you just going through the motions? There is an interesting interaction between some un-named person and Jesus in the Book of Luke. Jesus was journeying through the villages of Israel and teaching the people. Jesus was journeying toward Jerusalem and His eventual crucifixion. Obviously, somebody was wondering what all of us have wondered at one time or another because they asked Jesus the following question: “Lord, are there few that be saved?”See Luke 13:32.
Jesus answered:
STRIVE TO ENTER IN AT THE STRAIT GATE: FOR MANY, I SAY UNTO YOU, WILL SEEK TO ENTER IN, AND SHALL NOT BE ABLE.
LUKE 13:24
Should we be afraid? There are many false teachers, false prophets, false religions and false churches in the world today. They are all inspired by the rulers of darkness to lead people away from our glorious liberty in Jesus Christ. Apparently, false doctrines sprang up like weeds where ever the gospel was preached. Essentially, these false doctrines all preach and teach the same thing. They all teach that you make it into heaven by your own works and not by the grace of Jesus Christ. The message of justification by works always bears bad fruit and eventually leads to death and hell. The message of grace always bears good fruit and leads to eternal life and the Kingdom of God.
The works of the flesh are adultery (sleeping with another person’s spouse), fornication (sleeping with anybody other than your spouse), uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry (image worship), witchcraft (drug use), hatred, variance (quarreling), emulations (jealousy), wrath, strife (contention), seditions (division), heresies (disunion), envying, murders, drunkenness, revellings (rioting), effeminate, abusers of themselves with mankind (homosexuality), thievery, covetousness, reviling, extortion, and such like. See I Corinthians 6:9-10 and Galations 5:19-21. If your churches founder(s) or your church leader(s) endorse or practice these types of works, you need to come out of that church organization. Jesus said:
BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS, WHICH COME TO YOU IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING, BUT INWARDLY THEY ARE RAVENING WOLVES.
YE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS. DO MEN GATHER GRAPES OF THORNS, OR FIGS OF THISTLES?
EVEN SO EVERY GOOD TREE BRINGETH FORTH GOOD FRUIT; BUT A CORRUPT TREE BRINGETH FORTH EVIL FRUIT.
EVERY TREE THAT BRINGETH NOT FORTH GOOD FRUIT IS HEWN DOWN, AND CAST INTO THE FIRE.
WHEREFORE BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM.
MATTHEW 7:15-20
Therefore, I cannot stress this enough, please do some research on the founders of the church you are attending and ask people about the pastor, minister, preacher, priest or reverend of the church you are attending. If they are bearing good fruit, they can teach you how to bear good fruit, but if they are bearing bad fruit, they are most likely leading a lot of people to hell.
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?
78) FOR I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST: FOR IT IS THE “POWER” OF GOD UNTO SALVATION TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH; TO THE JEW FIRST, AND ALSO TO THE GREEK.
79) FOR THEREIN IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD REVEALED FROM FAITH TO FAITH: AS IT IS WRITTEN, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.
ROMANS 1:16-17
POWER. 1411. Doo’-nam-is; force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): - ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y deed), (worker of miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work. (The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984.)
The Apostle Paul was explaining to the Romans why all the miracles were occurring around himself and the other followers of Jesus Christ. Miracles always follow the preaching of the true gospel. People are saved, sick people are healed, poor people are made rich, foolish people are made wise and those bound and imprisoned by the rulers of darkness are set free. Have you seen any miracles lately? If you want to see miracles, maybe you should listen to somebody who is preaching the gospel or maybe you should start preaching the gospel yourself.
80) FOR I DELIVERED UNTO YOU FIRST OF ALL THAT WHICH I ALSO RECEIVED, HOW THAT CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES;
81) AND THAT HE WAS BURIED, AND THAT HE ROSE AGAIN THE THIRD DAY ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES;
I CORINTHIANS 15:3-4
The Apostle Paul explained to the Corinthians the gospel in a nutshell: 1) Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, 2) He was buried, and 3) He rose again on the third day according to the scriptures.
The first and most important part of the gospel is: Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. Most unbelievers do not have a clue about sin. Most non-Christians and probably many self proclaimed Christians will say something like this: “I’m not a sinner” or “I’m a good person”, or “God does not send good people to hell.” Unfortunately, according to scripture, everyone is a sinner.
82) FOR ALL HAVE SINNED, AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD;
ROMANS 3:23
Then they might ask something like this: “ Isn’t hell only for really bad people?” The Book of Revelations has a pretty long list of people cast into the lake of fire.
83) BUT THE FEARFUL, AND UNBELIEVING, AND THE ABOMINABLE, AND MURDERERS, AND WHOREMONGERS, AND SORCERERS, AND IDOLATERS, AND ALL LIARS, SHALL HAVE THEIR PART IN THE LAKE WHICH BURNETH WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE: WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH.
REVELATION 21:8
The fearful, unbelieving and ALL liars are lumped in with murderers, pimps, and sorcerers. It looks like nobody has a chance to escape the lake of fire, and that is the whole point. Nobody has a chance without trusting in the grace and resurrection power of God. If God has the power to resurrect us from the dead, He also has the power to save us from our sin. However, we must believe in Jesus Christ and what He did for us!
There have been many people through history who have proclaimed themselves as savior or messiah, but Jesus is absolutely unique because He fulfilled the scriptures. No other self proclaimed savior or messiah has ever willingly and meekly laid down their life for the sins of mankind and has fulfilled Bible prophecy so perfectly.
84) ALL WE LIKE SHEEP HAVE GONE ASTRAY; WE HAVE TURNED EVERY ONE TO HIS OWN WAY; AND THE LORD HATH LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.
85) HE WAS OPPRESSED, AND HE WAS AFFLICTED, YET HE OPENED NOT HIS MOUTH: HE IS BROUGHT AS A LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER, AND AS A SHEEP BEFORE HER SHEARERS IS DUMB, SO HE OPENED NOT HIS MOUTH.
86) HE WAS TAKEN FROM PRISON AND FROM JUDGMENT: AND WHO SHALL DECLARE HIS GENERATION? FOR HE WAS CUT OFF OUT OF THE LAND OF THE LIVING; FOR THE TRANSGRESSION OF MY PEOPLE WAS HE STRICKEN.
87) AND HE MADE HIS GRAVE WITH THE WICKED, AND WITH THE RICH IN HIS DEATH; BECAUSE HE HAD DONE NO VIOLENCE, NEITHER WAS ANY DECEIT IN HIS MOUTH.
ISAIAH 53:6-9
Pontius Pilate washed his hands saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person. Oh, if it was only that easy. However, Pontius Pilate, as the civil authority, did not find Jesus guilty of any crime let alone a crime deserving the death penalty. Jesus did not demand His rights. Jesus did not tell His disciples to find the best defense lawyer available. Jesus did not conduct His own self-defense. Jesus silently allowed Himself to be accused and while He was nailed to the cross He prayed that God would forgive His accusers and those who crucified Him. Jesus died on a cross between two thieves and He was buried in a rich man’s tomb. No other self-proclaimed savior or messiah in history has fulfilled the ancient prophecy of Isaiah so perfectly.
The second part of the gospel is that Jesus was buried. Jesus died just like everyone on earth has died or eventually will die. No one gets out alive! Jesus Christ is God but He was also a man. He laughed, He cried, He worked, He played, He was born and He died. He was our perfect substitute. He was a man so He could suffer temptation just like we suffer temptation, but without sin. Sacrificing a chicken or a goat or a cow will not pay for the sins of a human being. If somebody murders a man, the courts do not give the death penalty to a sheep. If somebody murders a man, the murderer must pay the ultimate penalty.
Jesus did not commit any sin but He paid the ultimate price, He gave up His own life. Then the question is: How can one man pay the price for the sins of billions of people? The answer is: Jesus was not only man but He is also the Eternal God Almighty! Only the Almighty God can pay for the sins of the entire world!
The third and final part of the gospel is Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day according to scripture. This part of the gospel message has definitely never been fulfilled by any other self-proclaimed savior or messiah. The Apostle Paul testifies that over five hundred people saw Jesus alive after He was crucified and buried. See I Corinthians 15:6.
88) FOR THOU WILT NOT LEAVE MY SOUL IN HELL, NEITHER WILT THOU SUFFER THINE HOLY ONE TO SEE CORRUPTION.
PSALM 16:10
89) AND MANY OF THEM THAT SLEEP IN THE DUST OF THE EARTH SHALL AWAKE, SOME TO EVERLASTING LIFE, AND SOME TO SHAME AND