Dr. Stanley explains that we are living in a world where people’s morals are changing. Many have decided that the Word of God just doesn’t work anymore. But despite this challenge, we must remember this one constant: Jesus’ sacrificial, substitutionary, and sufficient death on the cross paid for our sin debt in full. If we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and we trust Him for our salvation, we will be saved. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to intouch.org/tv.
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in touch the Teaching Ministry of Dr
Charles Stanley reaching the world with
the Gospel of Jesus Christ next on in
touch the first step
good
do you remember the first time your
first child took their first step
oh you called your friends and your
family and you just said it’s wonderful
it’s just so awesome that they’ve taken
that first step and it was all just
beautiful
and next thing you knew
something wrong they were into
everything they went to this and to that
and everything so the whole attitude
changed but that’s all right there was
the beginning of a whole new life of
them and there’s the beginning of a
whole new life
for those who take another first step
because there are many people who
believe this they believe that if I
believe there’s a God that somehow in
some way everything’s going to be all
right and I will not die I’m going to
heaven or I’m going somewhere nothing
could be further from the truth just
because a person believes there is a God
has nothing to do I could believe there
are many things that have no effect upon
meth at all just because I believe there
is a God has nothing to do with having a
personal relationship with that God and
if all you know is that and believe that
there is one and you don’t have a
personal relationship with him then
you’re in trouble
and the title of this message is the
first step and if you’ll turn to the
16th chapter of Acts and just give you a
little background of what’s Happening
Here Paul and Silas are on their
second missionary journey
and so
they got thrown in jail
thrown in jail their feet were in the
stocks and they had been beaten with
rods now we think beaten with a whip
would be something a bit beaten with
rods and it was against the law to beat
any Roman citizen with rods and put them
in jail without some real true real
reason to do so
so as a result the scripture says in
verse 25 of the 16th chapter
but about midnight Paul and Silas were
praying and singing hymns of praise to
God and the prisoners were listening to
them now what do you think they were
singing I don’t have any idea what they
were singing in Hebrew or Greek but if
they’d had these songs that have been
saying in Jesus saved Jesus saves and a
whole lot of songs like you and I know
suddenly there came a great earthquake
so that the foundation of the prison
house was shaken and immediately all the
doors were open and everyone’s chains
were unfastened just think about that
when the jail awoke and saw the prison
there was open he drew his sword and was
about to kill himself supposing that the
prisoners had escaped because that was
the wrong law that was they gave you an
authority and a position and you didn’t
fulfill it you’d had it
and so Paul cried out with the loud
voice saying do yourself no harm for we
are all here and he called for the
lights and rushed in and trembling with
fear he fell down before Paul and Silas
and after he brought them out he said
sirs what must I do to be saved not a
lot of stuff about is there a God and
this that the other they said believe in
the Lord Jesus and you will be saved you
and your whole household and they spoke
the word of the Lord to him together
with all who were in the house he took
them that very hour of the night wash
their wounds immediately he was baptized
he and his whole household and he
brought them out into his house and set
food before them and rejoice greatly
having believed in God with his whole
household
now when the chief magistrates came for
example the rest of that passage says
that they were scared to death because
they found that they were Romans it was
against the law the beat and the chain
of Roman like that and so the
interesting thing is that they went away
freed and the magistration wanted them
to go as quickly as possible and please
don’t tell anybody what happened to you
but the most important statement that
whole series is this
he said what must I do to be saved and
Paul said very clearly look at this just
a simple verse
he said what must I do to be saved and
they said believe watch this not in
Jesus but believe in the Lord Jesus and
you’ll be saved and your household
and so when I look at that passage and
see how simple it seemed to be and think
about how people think about God and
salvation whatever it might be let me
ask you a question
if somebody said to you now tell me
exactly what you mean by salvation
what would you say what do you mean by
salvation well probably you’d have a
pretty good answer but I want to give
you a very simple answer because this is
a simple statements all true and all you
have to do is to say salvation is the
work of God’s Grace by Listen by which
he does what he pardons our sins and
bestows upon us what the gift of eternal
life that’s what salvation is all about
it’s the work of God’s grace God’s grace
is what his unmerited undeserved favor
and love for us as a result of that by
which he pardons us forgives us of our
sins and bestows upon us we don’t work
for it bestows upon us the gift of
eternal life so if somebody asks you
what is salvation that’s a simple
definition but it clarifies everything
the grace of God is his unmerited
undeserved favor he doesn’t save us
because we deserve anything and so many
people feel like if they know this they
got to believe there’s a guy then
they’re saved but absolutely they’re not
so I want to talk about a couple of
things primarily and the first one is
this is our spiritual condition before
salvation
if you ask the average person how they
were doing they’d probably say well I’m
not too bad and what they would do and
what they will do is they will talk
about other people or other things or
circumstances and situations and say you
know what I’m as good as that I know
some church members that do this and do
that and I’m as good as they are so I’m
not worried about going to heaven
because I don’t do any bad things
nothing can be further from the truth
because all of that is based on what you
believe that God thinks about your
conduct your work your attitudes you’re
this and you’re that and when he says by
grace that means unmerited undeserved
love for us God does not save us on the
basis of how much you do who you are
what you have he saves us on the basis
of a personal relationship with Jesus
Christ the Lord no matter what else you
believe you cannot deny that truth and
you cannot expect to be saved on the
basis of anything that you do if the
Bible is your compass
you have no true genuine Compass to live
by
and so no matter what you hear people
say about well here’s what I believe
about God and this religion that
religion doesn’t make any difference if
this isn’t your accomplice then you have
a major problem because one of these
days you’re going to stand before God
one of these days you’re going to die
and because there is physical death
spiritual death Eternal death physical
death we probably will experience that
notice I said probably Jesus could come
spiritual death
dead listen dead in trespasses and
violating the law of God so he says this
is where we are
so what is God’s provision for that and
here’s God’s provision
and that is God’s provision let me say
first of all is motivated by love
and um and let’s go if you will to uh
Romans 5 Romans 5 verse 5 and hope does
not disappoint because the love of God
has been poured out
and not sipped out poured out
the love of God has been poured out
within our hearts through the Holy
Spirit who indwells us who’s given to us
for while we were still helpless
at the right time Christ died for the
ungodly we were helpless to save
ourselves
for one will hardly die for a righteous
man though perhaps for a good man
someone would dare even die but God
demonstrates his own love toward us in
that while we were yet sinners Christ
died for us much more than having now
been Justified it means to be declared
righteous by his blood is as a result of
the cross
we shall be saved from the wrath of God
through him
for if while we were enemies we were
reconciled to God through the death of
his son much more having been reconciled
brought back into relationship with him
we shall be saved by his life not only
this but we also exalt or rejoice in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ through
whom we have now received
the reconciliation brought back into
relationship with him how could he do
that
because if he just forgave us then he
would have violated his own law the soul
that senated shall die and all of us
have sinned how can God rightfully
forgive us and here’s the way he does
the only way he does and the only hope
of salvation
God
and the person of Jesus Christ
came into this world for the primary
purpose of dying for our sins
and in so doing
he came into the world also to show us
who God is and what he’s like
God sent him into the world his only
begotten son for the primary purpose of
doing what of dying on the cross
shedding his blood his blood is atoning
blood
that is it’s blood that pays our sin
dead in full but now watch this
when he came into the world to die on
the cross
God placed upon Jesus
all the sins of all mankind all the way
back to Adam and Eve
and Jesus had to be God
because if it had been anybody else they
could only have died for their own sin
but Jesus was sinless he was the perfect
Son of God the perfect lamb who is the
only person
who gave his life first of all who is
sinless
who gave his life sacrificially
as a substitute
being
a candid all-sufficient in the eyes of
God for your sins nobody and nothing but
Jesus this is why we say
Jesus said I am the way the truth and
the life no one comes to the father but
by me you say well isn’t that sort of
prideful no it is truthful
it all goes back to the cross
for example if you take all the
teachings of the cross out about out of
the New Testament there wouldn’t be much
left
what do you have what man can do and so
just look around you you ask people
where you work where you live your
friends your family are you going to
heaven well some of them will say I
don’t know
well that’s a good answer because then
you can say well I I know I’m going well
that sounds very prideful no would you
like to know why I think I’m going I
believe I’m going I know I’m going if
they back off you that means they’re so
guilty already they can’t stand to hear
it
they don’t even want to hear it
so let’s talk about you have you ever
been saved so I’m going to talk about
Harry in a moment but what I wanted you
to see I wanted you to see primarily
here why God forgives us of our sins
it’s a four-letter word
l-o-v-e he loves us
and listen if he made it our works some
people in other words what works
would one thing be good for this person
not for that person we can’t even all do
the same thing
you have nothing but confusion if you
don’t have the blood of Jesus
and so when we see what he says about
our sinfulness and about the fact of his
death he says we’ve all sinned and come
short of the glory of God we certainly
would agree with that and that the wages
of sin is death
and so when he does come into our life
what happens it transforms us we’re not
we’re not the same person we used to be
for example Paul put it this way he says
therefore if any person is in Christ
have that relationship and I’m going to
talk about how in just a second if if
any person has that relationship he says
old things pass away behold Things
become new
what happens
there is a difference
when a person’s life is transformed by
the Lord Jesus Christ it’s a different
kind of life you’re going to walk
different you’re going to sound
different you’re going to look different
in ways I don’t mean how you dress
necessarily but some people need to
change their dress no doubt about that
but for example in divisions this first
chapter go back there for a moment verse
13. he says in him that is in Christ
that is you have a relationship with him
now also after listen after listening to
the message of Truth
and what is that message the gospel of
your salvation
having also believed you were sealed in
him with the Holy Spirit of Promise who
that is the Holy Spirit who is given as
a pledge this is a pledge from God
of our inheritance what we will receive
with a view to the Redemption of God’s
Own possession to the praise of his
glory
now
think about this for a moment
living in sin Disobedience to God lost
separated from God
the adequate and only adequate
substitute
acceptable to God the death of his son
he’s the only one who is sinless so
here’s what happened when he died
he opened the door to the world
to be saved
because he paid
ascended in full
because he was the perfect Son of God
and so salvation
as we said is a gift from God
and now how does that work in a person’s
life
so we said well you have to believe in
him so I want to put a couple other
definitions up here for a moment
saving Faith watch this saving faith is
trust in Jesus as a living person the
son of God
for the Forgiveness of sins and for
eternal life with God
is trusting in Jesus so when a person
says I want Jesus Christ as my savior
then what I must do is I must be willing
to ask him to forgive me of my sins and
place my trust
in him as the Lord and the Son of God
who went to the cross and paid my sin
dead in full by being crucified I’m
willing to believe that he because of
what he’s done for me and God’s
acceptance of that I’m willing to
believe that he saves me and the moment
I do the Holy Spirit as he says comes in
and seals us as the child of God
so you say well what am I supposed to do
saving faith is I place my trust in
Jesus not not Jesus is some idea but the
person of Jesus Christ who went to the
Cross died on the cross for our sins I
place my trust in him
now somebody says well
what about this lordship business and
there are people who say I want your
salvation father but I don’t want you to
telling me how to live
I thank you for your forgiveness and
thank you for the gift of heaven but
don’t tell me how to live lordship means
rule in our life guidance in our life
Direction in our life he’s the one who
makes decisions for us and shows us the
will of the father I don’t want that I
just want I want forgiveness and I want
salvation and uh I want to go to heaven
but I don’t want you as my Lord so let
me explain in Repentance
repentance is a heartfelt sorrowful sin
I’m ashamed God I’m I’m sorry for what
I’ve done a renouncing of it I don’t
want that more anymore in my life a
sincere commitment to forsake it and
walk in obedience to Christ now listen
very carefully
that is the confession of genuine
repentance let me tell you what that
means what it doesn’t mean it doesn’t
mean that if I Repent of my sins that if
I sin again I’m going to be lost that’s
not what it means if you repent of your
sin what are you saying you’re saying
Lord I’m sorry for what’s in my life I
don’t want this in my life it doesn’t
fit who I am as and will be as a child
of God I’m renouncing that
does that mean
that you won’t commit any more sin no
because we listen because the lifestyle
that we have had whatever it might be
and as a young kid for example I don’t
have any much any of that in my life but
God if we repent of our sin he accepts
that
and so what I may have to repent of it
more than once
salvation is I’m accepting him as the
Lord of my life and that means he’s in
charge
but in my weakness in my Frailty Lord I
didn’t I God forgive me I didn’t want
that I Lord I said I would never do that
again we’ve all been there
it doesn’t mean you’ve lost your
salvation it means that your weakness
and your Frailty and that old sinful
nature inside of us at times uh its
surfaces so what do we do
we ask God to forgive us watch this
carefully we ask God to forgive us and
cleanse us on the basis of what he did
at the cross
so
where does repentance fit in all this
does it mean that you that you get saved
by repentance no you’re saved by the
grace of God but repentance is a part of
the recognition of Jesus Christ as the
Lord and Master Of My Life
somebody says well can I just go ahead
and send all I want to and uh and be
saved I’ve met people like that a lot of
folks like that and you know what I’ve
never met one that I knew close enough
that did not deeply regret walking away
from God
can a person walk away from God in sin
living in sin yes they can
does that mean that they’re lost no it
doesn’t but here’s what it does mean
God’s awesome hand
of judgment will come upon them
you see that’s what Grace is all about
his love
his gracious in his love
but he is also demanding righteousness
and Holiness in all of our lives
and so I would say to you today
can you look back at some point in your
life where you can say I know
that at that point in my life I place my
faith in Jesus Christ
you say well I didn’t understand it all
then well neither did I
but I but here’s what happened I did
what I did I fully understood that is I
was a sinner and that God had saved me
and maybe today for the first time in
your life you’ve understood
why Jesus had to die
you see the only way Jesus can justify
you as a child of God
is having died as a sacrifice for your
sins
and so we are saved by his grace
goodness love and mercy
and I would encourage you if you’ve
never trusted him as your savior say God
I’m ashamed of the life that I’ve lived
I’ve claimed to be something I’m not I’m
asking you to forgive me and to cleanse
me I do acknowledge you as the Lord and
savior of my life God I just wanted you
to clean me up
and make me one of your children
let me just say this to you you don’t
have to beg him
when you come to him with a when you
come to him sincerely he will answer the
petition of your heart and that’s my
prayer for you
father how grateful we are that you
didn’t give us a list of do’s and don’ts
you just gave us one statement
faith
in the sacrificial
all sufficient
atoning death
of your son on the cross
and to surrender of our life to him as
the Lord and Master
thank you thank you thank you
and I pray that every person who hears
this who has never been saved
who’s dependent on something within
themselves to realize
there is no hope
apart
from the sacrificial all-sufficient
death of Jesus Christ the
substitutionary one
who took our place in Jesus name
amen