It’s by the grace of the Lord that we’re here to talk about grace. We’re happy that all of you have come to be with us. You might go through the passages that you call to mind in the New Testament that have to do with grace, and we hope to touch upon these during the course of our studies now through Wednesday night. And of course, the most familiar one is Ephesians 2:8-10: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
When the Lord said, “by grace have we been saved…,” He didn’t put a “period” there. He continued to say, “through faith.” Grace is God’s part; faith is man’s part. But does man really have any part at all to play in salvation? Aren’t we told in Psalms 3, verse 8 that, “Salvation belongs to the Lord”? And isn’t Christ the only One Who can give us salvation? Yet He said, “by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast,” verses 8-9. Yet in verse 10, He said, “we are His workmanship.” Didn’t He just get through saying it’s “not of works, lest any man should boast”? And now He’s saying, “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus out of good works”? No, that’s the wrong preposition, and the wrong preposition would make the wrong proposition! Had He said we’re created “out of” good works, then He would have gone against what was said in verse 8. It wouldn’t be by grace. There is a difference in being created “out of good works” and created “unto good works.”
So you might wonder why these themes for the lessons: “Since by Grace, Why Steadfastness?”—or “Since by Grace, Why Anything Else?”—or “Since by Grace, Why Aren’t All Saved?” “Since by Grace, Why Obedience?” “Since by Grace, Why baptism?” “Since by Grace, Why the Church”—as if to say that, if it’s by grace, is there anything else? Is there anything on man’s part? In Philippians 2:12, Paul said “work out your own salvation.” He didn’t say “work for it.” That would be the wrong preposition again, and it would make the wrong proposition. But he said “work out.” There’s a difference. The next verse says, “it is God Who worketh in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Men have learned at great expense that you never work oil “out of the ground,” unless somewhere along the way it’s been worked “into the ground.” If God hadn’t “worked in,” verse 13, you couldn’t “work out,” verse 12. You just simply “work out” what God “worked in.” He worked in the possibility, and now we work out the probability. But there has to be the possibility, or there would be no probability.
So let’s talk about steadfastness. The question is: Does it really have anything in it [steadfastness] that is contrary to grace? No—there is God’s part and that part is most important. Without that part, nothing else would matter.
Then later we’re going to talk about what grace is and what it isn’t, and what it does, and so forth, because there has been so much misunderstanding about grace. The general idea is that if it’s by grace, then that’s all there is. But today we’re going to talk about if that’s the case [saved by grace alone], then why aren’t all people saved? No, there is something on man’s part.
In Revelation 3, verses 20 and 21, “I stand at the door, and knock.” It’s interesting that doors were not a barrier to Jesus. In John 20 [verse 19], after His resurrection, the disciples were meeting behind locked doors, and He appeared. They didn’t even have to open the door, because doors were not a barrier to Him! There’s one door that he definitely respects, and that’s the heart’s door. And if that door is open, it will always be opened from within and not from without. And so He said, “I stand at the door”—not at the “window looking in”—“I stand at the door” wanting to come in. And He said, “I knock and if any man will open the door”—there’s a “condition.” So much in the New Testament has to do with “conditions.” We’ll talk about that in a moment. “If any man opens that door, then I will come in and will sup with him and he with Me.” It’s by grace that the Lord appeared at that door. It’s by grace that He made it possible that this man might open that door and the Lord would come in unto him.
No man accidentally becomes a Christian. No man accidentally lives a faithful Christian life. We don’t all of a sudden find that, without realizing it, we’re Christians, we’ve been bought with the blood, and our names are in the book of life. No, it’s not accidental that we become Christians! It’s not accidental that we remain faithful Christians. You see, “if” is the condition. There’s always an “if” in the middle of life when you spell the word, l-if-e, and also when you live it. For instance, in John 8:31-32, “if you abide in My Word,” which means there is the possibility of not abiding in that Word. But “if you abide in My Word, then”—that’s an adverb of time. When?—“When you abide in My Word”—not untilthen. “If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples and you shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free.” But I thought that the Lord said, “by grace have you been saved.”And then later He said, “not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.”But here are some conditions that would make us realize that maybe we haven’t gotten the whole picture. It’s still by the grace of God, and without that grace, there would be no salvation at all.
In one of our following lessons we’re going to talk about what grace is not, and what it is. For the moment, if it’s “not of works, lest any man should boast,” does man have any part at all to play? Well, what did the Lord say?—“if you abide in My Word.” There’s the possibility that we might not abide in that Word. Is it important that we do abide? Definitely! Otherwise, there would be no discipleship. What about John 13, verses 33 to 35? “By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if”—(there’s that condition again)—“you have love one for another.” What about 1 John 1, verses 8 and following? “If we say we have not sinned, we’re wrong, but if we confess our sins”—(there’s another “if”)—“He’s just and faithful to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The Bible speaks about Christ as a Son over His Own house, whose house we are if we hold fast”—(there’s another condition)—“if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end,” Hebrews 3, verse 6. We’re “partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence firm [steadfast to the end],” Hebrews 3, verse 14.
Hebrews 10:23says: “Let us hold fast our profession of faith without wavering.” It is possible for us to waver. What did Paul mean in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “be steadfast”? Why that admonition if it really doesn’t matter? If grace solves everything, then why that admonition to be “steadfast”—be “immoveable”? The implication is, you can be moved, and the implication is you might not remain faithful, you see. What about John 15, verses 5 and 6? If a man “abide in Me and I in him, the same bears much fruit.” But if a man “does not abide in” Him, he’s cast forth as a branch, withered, cast into the fire and burned. The “if.” In John 13:17, there’s a double “if.” “If you know these things, happy are you if you do them.” Sort of like James 1:22, “Be doers of the Word, not hearers only.” But didn’t the Lord say, “not of works, lest any man should boast”? Didn’t He say, “it’s not of ourselves”?
When the Lord said “by grace are you saved through faith,” that brings man into the picture, because faith is not what God has. God has knowledge; man alone has faith. In Hebrews 4:2, the Bible said that, “the Word preached did not profit some, because it wasn’t mixed with faith on the part of them that heard.” So, faith is very important and “without faith it is impossible to please God,” Hebrews 11:6. And Jesus said, “except you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins,” John 8:24. “He that believeth not shall be damned,” Mark 16:16. Do these passages contradict each other? “By grace have you been saved through faith, that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” And yet faith definitely is something that man does, you see.
We’re going to mention later, and go into more detail, that grace involves three things. It’s something that cannot be earned; it cannot be deserved; and it cannot be repaid. Anything that can be earned is not grace. Anything that can be deserved is not grace. Anything that can be repaid is not grace. But when the Lord said, “by grace are you saved through faith,” faith doesn’t earn grace or it wouldn’t be grace. Faith doesn’t deserve grace, or it wouldn’t be grace. Faith doesn’t repay grace, or it wouldn’t be grace. And yet, here is man’s way of accepting what God provided. It’s still by grace, and if it weren’t by grace, then it wouldn’t matter how much faith, or what man has—nothing else would matter. But you see, by faith, we accept that grace. So when the Lord said, “if you abide in My Word”—man’s part—that doesn’t mean we earn it. We can’t. We don’t deserve it. We cannot repay it. No—it’s by grace. But there is something for man to do.
Tonight, the Lord willing, we’ll talk about “why aren’t all saved?” In other words, people get the idea that grace has done everything, so let’s all “sit back” and “don’t worry” about this thing, this salvation. What about those suicide bombers? What about the atheist? What about all those people? We know that isn’t the case! So any time what you believe the Bible teaches is contradictory to something else you believe the Bible teaches, then something is wrong with the instruction you’re putting upon a passage. The Bible said the Holy Spirit will guide these men [men inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the Words of God] “into all Truth,” John 16:13. “All Truth” runs in parallel lines. No one Truth can contradict any other Truth. No one Truth can go against any other Truth.
Now, today there are things being said even in our brotherhood that are very disturbing. In a book recently, a person wrote—“Some of these commandments are important and some of them are not.” Now which one is not? Is there any unimportant commandment that the Lord ever gave? When the Lord said, “if you love Me, you will keep My commandments” [John 14:15], which ones should we keep, and which ones do we not keep, if some are more important than others? Don’t misunderstand: I grew up on the “red-letter” edition of the Bible, but, in a sense, I wish they had never done that! Because, you see, from childhood, in my mind, if Jesus said it, it was a lot more true than if the Holy Spirit revealed it through somebody else [inspired writers]! That isn’t the case! The Truth is Truth, regardless of who said it. So if Jesus Himself said it, is it any more true—is it any more important—than the Holy Spirit moving Paul (or James or John or another inspired author) to say or write the Word of God? No! Pay attention to this because this is very vital. NO! All of it is important!
What did the Lord mean when He said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God,” Matthew 4:4? And the Holy Spirit tells us that He has given us “that which is able to furnish us unto all good works,” 2 Timothy 3:16 and 17. The Bible said we have “all that pertains to life and godliness,” 2 Peter 1:3. So that means every Word is important!
Now some commandments may be a little “deeper” than others—some sins may be more “destructive” than others. But there is no such thing as a “little sin.” There is no such thing as a “little transgression”—a “little white lie.” No, they’re all pretty “black”! There are no “little insignificances.” You see, sin is “missing the mark.” Sin is “anti-God.” Which ones? Which sins? Well, any sin—all sin—regardless of its nature. Murder—that’s sin. We’re not saying that murder is no worse than something else, because it is. But, the point is, when we miss the mark, we sin, and any sin “separates us from God,” Isaiah 59, verses 1 and 2.
So we should get away from this idea that maybe some of these passages are much more meaningful—much more important. They are not, you see. They are ALL important and meaningful. Now the writer who wrote, “Some of these commandments are important and some of them are not,” went on to mention that some commandments are closer to the cross and are more significant. Now, which ones are closer to the cross? Don’t they all have to do directly or indirectly with it? You see, the Bible says that everything He said is for our admonition. Old Malachi, the prophet, said, “…this commandment is for you,” Malachi 2:1. That’s a good thing. I read God’s Word—it’s for me! Forgiveness—that’s for me! Loving brothers—that’s for me! Not holding a grudge—that’s for me! And there are no unimportant passages—no unimportant commands—no unimportant Scriptures!
You see, the devil is a lot easier to please about obedience than God is. He doesn’t require much. He doesn’t require a lot of love. In fact, he’s demanding in one thing only—he demands that you put [write] “non-essential” over any one passage, or “not important.” Or, you can just write out in the margin of your Bible the words, “not important!” That’s all the devil needs. You see, if one thing is not important, then the whole thing crumbles! So, the point is, if it’s God’s Word, it is very important! If it’s God’s Word, it is vital! He said, “the Words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life,” John 6:63. You see, by the Word, we’re “saved,” James 1:21, we’re “sanctified,” John 17:17, and “freed” from our sins, John 8:31 and 32.
So why be steadfast? Why give attention to it? Because it is possible to “fall,” 1 Corinthians 10:12. Even though “by grace we have been saved,” it’s still possible to fall. It’s possible to “fall from grace,” even though by grace we’re saved. Galatians 5:4 specifically mentions it that way. It’s possible to “fall away,” Hebrews 6:6. It is possible to fail to “inherit,” even though we were children of His, Galatians 5, verses 19 to 21. It is possible to be a “castaway.” Even in Paul’s case, as close to the law as he was, it was possible for him at last to be a “castaway [disqualified],” 1 Corinthians 9:27. Or he talks about a brother “perishing,” 1 Corinthians 8, verse 11. And on and on we could go. Or, John 15 that we mentioned a moment ago. Even though you’ve been a branch on that vine, it’s possible to be severed from that vine and to be cast into the fire and burned.
When Jude spoke that God is able to keep us from falling, Jude 24, what did he mean? Well, why didn’t He [God] do that—keep us from falling? Why doesn’t He just keep anybody from falling and man wouldn’t have to give any attention to the matter at all? No—that isn’t the way it works! You see, every man is to obey or reject, and everyone will obey or reject. For instance, in Luke 7:30, the Bible said when John was preaching, “they rejected the counsel of God,” by “not being baptized.” Then in Acts 2:41, “they that gladly received it were baptized.” So you have two classes and everybody is in one of those two classes. You reject the counsel of God by not being baptized; you gladly receive the counsel of God and be baptized; and yet, it’s still by grace—“by grace have we been saved through faith.” The Bible says, “it is the gift of God, and not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Grace, then, is not what many people think it is. Grace does not eliminate obedience. Not in any sense! In fact, from the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, God expected man to obey and because he did not, we’re in the mess we’re in today! If Abraham and Sarah had obeyed the Lord, and not taken the thing into their own hands by letting Abraham have a child by Hagar the hand maid, we wouldn’t have all the problems in the Middle East today. You see, every time man steps away from God, he is in trouble. What about that story in Jonah 1? On board that ship was Jonah, and the storm came because Jonah was on that ship. Now he was trying to run away from God, but you can’t do that! That’s the longest race in the world! You can’t out run God. Jonah couldn’t do that and no man can. Had Jonah not done what he did, then the storm wouldn’t have come. Now, you take Mark 4 and the story of the Sea of Galilee and the storm that came. The storm ceased because Christ was present. In Jonah’s case the storm came because Jonah was present. Human beings have a tremendous influence, one way or another! And yet, regardless of the influence we have on somebody else—either bringing them closer to Heaven or closer to hell—it’s still “by grace that we’ve been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” It’s the finish that counts! Many a ship that has sailed the seas has been wrecked just outside the harbor.
The Lord didn’t say we would faint if we are not the right kind of people, but He DID say that we will faint if we do not do what the Lord wants. Galatians 6:9, “we shall reap, if we faint not.” In 1 Corinthians 15 [verse 58], when Paul said “be steadfast, immoveable,” he did not say “always abounding in the worship of the Lord,” but, “always abounding in the work of the Lord.” There is a work, as well as a worship. You see, one of the tests of discipleship is in John 15, and verse 8, when the Lord said, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” That makes it a test. The one test was John 8:31-32 we mentioned, “If you abide in My Word, then are you truly My disciples.” Another test is John 13:35, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” And then this test [John 15:8], “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” I’ve often said, “Just sitting in a church house will no more make you a Christian, than sitting in a hen house will make you a hen!” There’s a lot more to being a Christian than “sitting in a church house.” There’s not only a service to attend, there’s service to tend to! It’s not enough to be a saint; you’ve got to be a servant! It’s not enough to be faithful; you’ve got to be fruitful! And in Titus 1:16, the Bible said, “Some profess to know God, but in every works they deny Him, being in every good work a reprobate.”
Now if you were to ask one of these four elders [of the Northeast church of Christ], “How many reprobates do you have at the NE Albuquerque church?” Well, probably none, that we know of! And yet, we’re thinking that the term “reprobate” spoken about someone is a person who is really mean, wicked, vile, or heartless. But you can be none of those things and still be “reprobate”! The word “reprobate” originally didn’t even refer to a human characteristic. It was used of coins that had lost their value. Now the coin is still of the same metal. The metal didn’t change, but the value changed. The coin is still here, but its value has changed. When the Lord said “being in every good work a reprobate,” He is saying that you can be morally good, you can pay your debts, you can pay your taxes, you can be a good neighbor, and still be reprobate. That means “not productive.” 2 Peter 1, verses 6-8, talks about if you like these things, referring to the Christian graces, add to your faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, love, and then he said “you will neither be barren nor unfruitful.” In Romans 7:4, we are “married” to Christ for the purpose of bringing forth fruit. And, “by their fruits you shall know them,” Matthew 7:20.
Now, all of this goes back to that passage—“by grace you have been saved through faith, that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” And then he said, “we are His workmanship, created”—(not out of good works but)—“unto good works.”
You see, baptism is not an end. It is a means to an end. And the new birth is not a graduation—it’s a commencement. You haven’t ended—you’re just beginning!
In 1 Kings 20, verse 11, “Let not him who puts on his armor boast, as the one who takes it off.” Now that’s pretty good reasoning, isn’t it? If you’re going to boast, don’t boast as you start out. Boast when you get through. It’s the finish that counts!
“He that endures to the end shall be saved,” Matthew 24:13.
Or Luke 9:62, if a man puts his hand to the plow and looks back, he is not “fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Luke 14:30, some “began to build,” but were “not able to finish.”
Or in Philippians 1:6, the Bible says, “He Who has begun a good work in you will complete it.” It’s the completion that really counts!
When Jesus was giving that Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:17 and 18, He said not “one jot or one tittle,”—not the dot of an “i,” not one cross of a “t,” as we would say—would “pass from the law till all” things be accomplished or “fulfilled.”
In John 17:4, when Jesus prayed, He said, “Father, I have glorified You…I have finished the work which You gave Me to do.” The way to glorify God is to just simply do His work! Jesus said that He had “finished the work….”
And then on the cross, one of the last things Jesus said was, “It is finished!” John 19:30. He started out saying nothing would be “past” until all things be “accomplished.” It’s the finish that counts!
What about Paul, in Acts 20:20 to 24, when he was speaking to the elders at Ephesus. He said he wanted to “finish” his course, you see. Then in 2 Timothy 4:7 and 8, he did! It’s the finish that counts! He said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins! Stopping on third base won’t add any more to the score than if you had struck out! And you can’t take third base and keep your foot on second—you’ve got to move along! Many people want to just stop where they are, but it’s the finish that really counts. The Lord wants us to realize that when we are created in Christ Jesus, that’s not the graduation—that’s just the commencement. It’s “unto good works” that’s the finish. So this is the means to that end.
In Romans 6, verses 3 and following, when we are “buried” and “raised” in baptism, that’s not the end. We’re not raised to just “sit.” No! The purpose-clause is used—we are “raised” to what purpose? To “walk in a new life!” That means, with that new birth, that’s not the end—that’s just the beginning! We rise for the purpose of “walking a new life.” Now there can be no “new life” without a “new birth.” And yet that new birth is not the end—it’s just a means to an end. But if it weren’t for that new birth, there would be no walking “in the newness of life.”
So when Paul said “be steadfast, immoveable,” he was indicating that man can be moved away from the purpose of “walking a new life,” even though, “by grace have we been saved through faith, that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” And then later on, two verses later, he emphasizes this by saying, “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.”
You see, we’ll never be the body of Christ until we have the mind of Christ. In Philippians 2:5, we ought to have the “mind” in us that was “in Christ.” Well, Christ had the mind of serving the Lord. He came as a servant. He took upon Himself the “form of a servant,” Philippians 2, verses 6 to 8. In Acts 10:38, what about “doing” that which was “good”? Christ was always serving—He was doing what God wanted Him to do! Activity! Now when He was baptized of John in Matthew 3, verses 13 to 17, that wasn’t the end! That was just the beginning! It was the beginning of His ministry.
Well there is something to do—even though “by grace we’ve been saved,” even though we’re born again, even though we have been created anew, even though we have buried the old man and have been raised a new man, there is still an end and this is all a means to an end. He that “endures to the end,” the same “shall be saved.” And so it’s the finish that counts!
Why is it that some people don’t finish? How many people have given up? How many people have just “thrown in the towel”? What if Joseph of the Old Testament had quit? In Genesis 41:38, we read, “can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” Joseph, one of the greatest characters of the Old Testament—what if he had quit? What if Daniel had thrown in the towel? What if Nehemiah had just given up? In Nehemiah 6:3, he said, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down.” “I can’t stop”—“Got to keep on.” Hebrews 6:1, says, press “on to perfection.” Well, that’s why we were created!—that’s why we’re married to Christ!—to bear fruit! We have a work to do and the Lord’s going to hold us accountable for that work! So, it’s not an end, but a means to an end. It’s not a graduation—it’s a commencement!
So consider, “ created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them,” [Ephesians 2:10]. Let’s think about the passages that have to do with good works. This is important, because people say, “Well, it’s not of works. That means I’m not supposed to do anything or else I’d be earning salvation.” You can’t earn it! Well, “I deserve it!” You can’t deserve it! You can’t repay it! There’s no way! And, yet, the Bible said we should “be ready unto every good work,” Titus 3:1. We should be “examples of good works,” Titus 2:7. “Be careful to maintain good works,” Titus 3:8. Be “fruitful in every good work,” Colossians 1:10. Be “perfect in every good work,” Hebrews 13:21. Be “full of good works,” Acts 9:36. What about 1 Timothy 5:10? What if you “followed every good work”? Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and” (not glorify you, but) “glorify your Father in heaven.”
The Bible is filled with passages that have to do with good works. That’s the work of a Christian! He’s not working for something—he’s just doing that purpose under which he’s been created. So the Lord wants us to be busy. He wants us to be active in His service.
Now, the three tests of discipleship are these: “If you abide in My Word”—are you doing that? And “If you love one another as I have loved you”—are you doing that? Are you “bearing fruit”? If not, then you don’t pass that test.
So, “Since by grace” (NOT “if by grace”), then why be steadfast? Because, that’s just where it all starts. When Paul put Christ on in baptism, as we’re told in Acts 9, when he was baptized, that’s when the work really began. It wasn’t when it ended—it’s when it started! And so there was a great work before him, and it’s the finish that counts.
What if some of these others we’ve mentioned had given up and quit? Well what causes people to quit? Sometimes they get tired. Sometimes people just get discouraged. We all know what discouragement is. There are times when maybe a criticism has crippled someone and sometimes our skin is pretty thin, and the least little thing just sort of throws us off. Some people don’t really have thick enough skin to take the criticisms, even though the criticisms are not valid. But criticism will come, and this sometimes throws a man off course. Sometimes it just causes him to give up and quit.
Well, another thing that causes people to quit is that many times people just don’t call upon the Lord. They try to go it alone. In John 15:5, he says “for without Me you can do nothing.” But in Philippians 4:13, he said, “through Him,” “I can do all things.” Without Him—nothing! Through Him—all things! So we need the Lord’s help. Regardless of what we are to accomplish with His help, it’s still by the grace of God that all of this works.
Many times people just give up and quit without realizing it would have been better had they never “known the Way of righteousness,” than after knowing it “turn from” it. He said it’s like “a dog returns to his own vomit” and “a sow that had washed, [returns] to her wallowing in the mire.”The last state is worst than the first, 2 Peter 2:20 to 22. You think of this wonderful body of people [sitting in the congregation listening to Brother Bailey]. It would be better that any one of you had never yet become a Christian—it would be better had you never known the way of righteousness, than to know it and give up. That last state is worse than the first.
Now that being the case, don’t you think we ought to get busy and help bring back those who have fallen by the wayside? It’s pretty serious business! We go all out to try to convert someone, but after that person has been convinced, convicted, and converted, we sometimes don’t realize that he needs to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” 2 Peter 3:18, so that “the Word” can work “effectively” “in you who believe,” 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 13.
Many times people who fall by the wayside don’t realize what a terrible state they are in. If in the Albuquerque area—however many hundred thousand people you have—if the truth were known, if you just took a census, it probably would be appalling how many people in Albuquerque or the Albuquerque area were at one time members of the Lord’s church, but now are not! Whose responsibility is it? It’s mine! It’s yours! It’s every Christians! Everybody on this side of Heaven ought to be interested in everybody on this side of hell. Evangelism will never be complete until the evangelized become evangelists. In Galatians 6:6, “Let him that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.”
What about Galatians 6:1—“if a man be overtaken in sin, you who are spiritual…”? He didn’t say “you elders”—he didn’t say “you preachers”—he didn’t say “you Bible teachers.” Do you consider yourself to be “spiritual?” Would you be in that group? Then it’s your responsibility! Saving souls is not optional—it’s obligatory! And the soul you save might be your own! I don’t believe anybody goes to Heaven alone, not even a baby who dies in infancy, because people want to go to be where that baby is. Nor do I believe anybody goes to hell alone, either! If you go to Heaven, you’re going to take somebody with you! If you go to hell, you’re going to take somebody there, too! You don’t go to either Heaven or hell alone! Everybody is somebody’s big hero. Everybody wields an influence. In Acts 5:15, mention is made of “the shadow of Peter” overshadowing them, which really speaks of influence—and our “shadows of influence.” We have a great responsibility!
Let’s go after those people who have never become Christians. Let’s really do all we can to convert as many as possible. But, on the other hand, let’s be sure to realize the seriousness of anybody who has fallen by the wayside, regardless of why they fell.
I’d like to close with this: For the novelty of it, a fellow wanted to walk from the Golden Gate Bridge to New York City. After that long journey and how much time it took, he was being interviewed and he was asked, “What were some of the biggest problems along the way?” Well, he said it wasn’t the mountains that he had to climb. He said it wasn’t the hazards of the desert that he had to face. He said it wasn’t the rivers that he had to cross. It wasn’t the biting winds. But, he said, “It was sand in my shoes.” Sometimes it’s the little thing—sometimes just little grains of sand can throw us off course. Let’s be sure that we remain“steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,” [1 Corinthians 15:58]. It’s the finish that counts! When the Lord says, “Well done” [Matthew 25:21, 23], that will be at the end of the Way, not at the beginning!
Shall we pray: Holy Father, we’re grateful that by grace we have been saved and we’re grateful that while we couldn’t possibly work the thing out, You can, and You can work it through us. We’re grateful that we can be workers together with You, that we can be in partnership with You. We’re grateful that You have promised that through You, we can do all things. We’re grateful that You never give an assignment without giving assistance, and that where You guide, You provide. Help us to take seriously all of these passages that have to do with our part, and then give You the glory and praise for Your part. We pray, Father, that as we study these messages together, we will have a better understanding of not only Your part, but our part in being saved by grace. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.