Knowing Is Not Enough
Springfield Missouri is in the Bible Belt. A lot of people around here have grown up in church. Most people in our area know the Gospel. They know the facts about Jesus, how he came to this earth 2,000 years ago. How Jesus is the Son of God and how He took the punishment that guilty people deserve. Yes, many people know how Jesus suffer, bled and died on the cross, was buried and rose again the third day. A lot of people know this, but knowing is not enough.
Just knowing the facts about salvation is not the same thing as salvation itself. Yes, everything I just said is true. Jesus did suffer, bleed and die on the cruel cross and He rose victoriously from the grave three days later. Jesus defeated sin, death, Hell and Satan. This is all true. But knowing these facts do not save you. Again, knowing is not enough.
Easy Believism
Part of the problem is the easy believism that has been a part of the church for way too many years. Too many churches promote just believe these facts, walk an aisle, repeat a prayer, be baptized and then they gleefully tell you “Welcome to the kingdom.” Too many churches continue with this bow your head, repeat a prayer and then you are saved. You won’t find this method anywhere in the Bible. Jesus never said it and none of the apostles said to do this.
Jesus pointed out that many professed to honor Him with their lips while their heart was far away from Him. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men (Matthew 15:7-9).
Reciting Facts Doesn’t Save You
Reciting facts, knowing about Jesus is not enough. Jesus had harsh words for the religious leaders while Jesus walked this earth. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city (Matthew 23:23-34).
Harsh Words For Religious Leaders
Yes, Jesus had harsh words for the religious leaders while He walked this earth and He has harsh words for religious hypocrites today too. Just knowing the facts about salvation is not enough. I only took one religion class when I went to MSU many years ago. The class was about Old Testament studies, but the professor just tried to explain everything away. He was very learned, but very ignorant about salvation at the same time. You can know the Bible and still be very, very lost. You must believe.
Knowing facts does not save you. Jesus calls us to repent and believe the Gospel. Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel (Mark 1:14-15). Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life (John 6:47).
Believe On Jesus
Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent (John 6:26-29).
Knowing is not enough. You must believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior for salvation. 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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:9-13). Believe in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross and be saved.
The Wages Of Sin Is Death
Oh, recognize that you have sinned against Almighty God. For all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). We’ve all sinned against God. Each and every one of us have broken the 10 Commandments. We’ve all lied, stolen (even if it’s something small), lusted, disobeyed our parents and so on. If you break one commandment, you’ve broken them all.
God is so Holy that the punishment for telling a single lie is eternity in Hell. God is that Holy! But let’s face it, we’ve all done so much worse than that. You and I have a mountain of sin debt that has to be paid. Those suffering the torments of Hell will never repay that debt. That’s right, burning in Hell does not wipe out a single sin. The torments last forever.
For God So Loved The World
Oh but God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Salvation is found in Christ Jesus alone. Jesus walked this earth 2,000 years ago and He never sinned, not one time. Never in His thoughts, words or actions. Jesus willingly went to the cruel cross to take the punishment that He did not deserve. God poured His wrath over sin out upon His own precious, sinless Son. The Lord died on the cross and was buried and rose from the grave three days later. Salvation is for all who repent and believe the Gospel.
Not only do you have to believe, but salvation is of the Lord. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44). Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9). Why am I pointing this out? Because you cannot be forced or tricked into salvation. Repeating a prayer does not save you. Someone talking you into walking down an aisle at church does not save you. God draws lost souls to Himself through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Do Not Harden Your Heart
Please don’t misinterpret what I’m saying If God is convicting you to repent and surrender your life to Jesus, please do so! Do not reject such a great salvation. Do not continue hardening your heart. Truly repent of your sins and submit your life to King Jesus. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Oh, humble yourself tonight. Recognize that you have offended the one and only true God who is Holy. It takes godly sorrow over your sins to be saved. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death (2 Corinthians 7:10).
We are pleading with you tonight to quit rebelling against God. You will reap what you sow. Don’t continue barreling down the broad road to destruction. Instead, surrender your life to Jesus and be saved. Be saved today. Knowing facts about Jesus is not enough. Truly repent of your sins and believe the Gospel. Turn to Christ Jesus and live.
(This message was lifted up in downtown Springfield, MO on July 8, 2022)