The Bible is supernatural. It is the living word of God. Christians understand this, but unbelievers don’t. My Christian friends will understand what I’m saying tonight. I was reading in Acts the other day, Acts 13:46 and the words jumped off the page at me: judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life.
The full verse reads: Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Again, I’m astounded by the words – seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life. What does it mean to be unworthy of everlasting life? Are any of us worthy of eternal life? None of us are worthy of everlasting life. We don’t deserve it and we can’t earn it.
There is none righteous, no not one. There’s not a single one of us is so good that God is reigning on His throne in Heaven and looking down on us and saying, “wow, Johnny or Suzy you have been so good that you haves earned salvation.” No, God isn’t looking down from Heaven astounded at how good we are.
Do you think we are any better than people were before God flooded the whole earth? I dare say we are not. Please listen to Genesis 6:5: And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Doesn’t this verse describe our culture today? We have murdered millions and millions of precious babies in the womb for convenience and money. Sexual immorality is running rampant throughout America. I saw an article the other day that claimed that there were only three zip codes in the whole United States where there wasn’t at least one person who had an account with the adultery website – Ashley Madison. Only three! Saying that every imagination and thoughts of his heart was only evil continually sure sounds like America to me.
Since none of us are good, what did Paul and Barnabas mean when they said that the Jews judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life? Earlier in Acts 13 they had reminded the Jews of their history, how God had rescued them from bondage in Egypt and they reminded them about King David who was a man after God’s own heart:
And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will (Acts 13:22). Then in verse 23 Paul continues: Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.
So the apostle Paul goes on to tell them about Jesus and how John the Baptist came first, preaching repentance and baptizing with water. He reminds them that John the Baptist said that he wasn’t the Savior and Paul relays the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ:
Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead: And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people (Acts 13:26-31).
So Paul told the Jews in Antioch in Pisidia about Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the One, the Savior of the world and how did they react: But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming (Acts 13:45).
The Jews in Antioch in Pisidia were told the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ and they reacted by contradicting Paul and blaspheming God. What does the Bible warn about blaspheming God? Our Holy God does not hold those guiltless who take His name in vain (Exodus 20:7). Blaspheme against the Holy Ghost is the unpardonable sin.
These Jews contracted God’s truth, the wonderful words of life and they blasphemed God. So their judging or showing themselves unworthy of everlasting life was their rejecting the truth; their rejecting Jesus the Christ. They passed sentence upon themselves. They were guilty, guilty, guilty.
Are you guilty tonight? Are you guilty of taking God’s name in vain? Are you guilty of rejecting the Good News of Jesus Christ? Are you contradicting and blaspheming God by rejecting the Gospel? Are you judging yourself unworthy of everlasting life? Are you passing sentence upon yourself through your own rebellion against Almighty God?
Please notice at the end of Acts 13:46, Paul tells the Jews at Antioch in Pisidia that since they rejected the Gospel, since they rejected salvation found in Christ alone, that he was no longer going to plead with them to surrender their lives to Jesus. He was going to turn to the Gentiles. In other words, he was going to spend his time and energy sharing the Gospel with others.
Acts 13:47-48 states: For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
Don’t you see that we are out here doing what the apostle Paul did in his day? We are preaching the Gospel to this lost and dying world. Jesus is the Light. He is the Way of salvation. Turn to Jesus and be saved. Our hope is that God will convict you through the power of the Holy Spirit; that God will make Himself known to you. That you will understand that you are a sinner in need of salvation. Then you too can glorify the word of the Lord; you too can believe in our Lord Jesus and receive eternal life.
Why would you reject such a great of salvation? Why would you harden your heart and say no to God? Why will you die in your sins and receive the just punishment for those sins for all of eternity? Why would you judge yourself unworthy of everlasting life?
Don’t continue wallowing in the depths of your depravity. Don’t continue walking down the broad road to destruction. Don’t continue rejecting God – the great God of Heaven and earth. Don’t continue contradicting God. Don’t continue blaspheming God.
Admit that you are a sinner. Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus. Be saved today. Today is the day of salvation. Jesus said: All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out (John 6:37). Jesus will not cast you out. Jesus will not say that you have been so evil that He cannot forgive you.
Your sins can be forgiven, no matter how bad you’ve been. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins (Acts 10:42-43).
Confess and forsake your sins. The Lord says: I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins (Isaiah 43:25). Acts 3:19 states: Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
Be forgiven. Be cleansed today. Be saved. Do not judge yourself unworthy of everlasting life. God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. Humbly bow your knee and confess with your tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord. Do this today. Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus.
Believe on the Lord Jesus today and receive everlasting life. Whosoever among you feareth God to you is the word of this salvation sent. Don’t pass sentence upon yourself by continuing your rebellion, your sinning against God. Don’t arrogantly show yourself unworthy of everlasting life. Fear God. Come to Jesus. Repent and trust Jesus.
(This message was lifted up on the square in downtown Springfield, MO on August 28, 2015)