“What Does Jesus Say
About Salvation”
Steve W. Reeves
stevereevesoutlines.blogspot.com
A. I was sitting in an audience of 1500 high school and
college students when the speaker conducted an
informal survey. He asked everyone to close their
eyes so the questions might be answered as anonymously as possible. He then
asked people to raise their hands in response to three questions. The first question
was, “If you died right now how many of you believe you would be saved?” The
second question was, “If you died right now how many of you believe you would be
lost?” The third question was, “How many of you do not know where you would spend
eternity?”
1. He reported that more people raised their hands saying they would be lost rather
than being saved. The vast majority, however, said they didn’t know.
2. This was not a secular gathering in a far-off city. It was a youth rally at a
congregation in Arkansas. The vast majority of the people in the audience were
from Christian homes.
B. The greatest question you will ever have to answer is this. “Where will you spend
eternity?” In this message I want us to ask, “What does Jesus say about salvation?”
A. As we begin to answer that question it is important that we define our terminology.
The terms, “saved” and “lost” are used in many ways by people.
1. As I use the term “lost” in this message I am referring to a person who is
separated from God because of sin and who, if they die in that state, will spend
eternity separated from God.
a. If you believe the Bible, this is not a matter of subjective opinion. The Bible
clearly teaches the tragedy of sin and the heartbreak of being lost.
b. In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus spoke of two roads a person can travel in life.
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that
leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate
is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
c. In John 5:28-29 Jesus said, “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in
which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth;
those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed
the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.”
d. Jesus proclaimed a truth that is revealed throughout the Bible. There is a
way of life and a way of death. There is a way of blessing and a way of
condemnation. In Mark 16:16 he said, “He who has believed and has been
baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”
2. When we use the term “saved,” we’re talking about a person whose sins have
been forgiven. A person who has been reconciled to God through the sacrifice of
Jesus on the cross.
a. God does not want anyone to be lost. “The Lord is not slow about His promise,
as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to
perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
b. It was for the purpose of redemption, the forgiveness of our sins and the
reconciliation of humanity with God that Jesus came, lived a sinless life and
was offered as an atoning sacrifice on the cross. In his resurrection He
overcame death once and for all and he offers us eternal life.
c. John wrote, “ By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent
His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In
this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to
Jesus say?” Regarding our eternal destiny Jesus said that salvation, like a coin,
has two sides.
1. On one side Jesus taught that the message of salvation originates with God.
a. John 3:16-17 - “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For
God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world
might be saved through Him.”
b. In John 5:39 Jesus made it clear that everything He did originated with His
Father. “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My
judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who
sent Me.”
c. Jesus did leave his heavenly existence to take the form of a man and
surrender Himself to the death of the cross because you and I are worthy or
deserving of it. Rather, it was an act of love, mercy, grace and generosity on
the part of the Father.
2. On the other side the message of salvation must be obeyed by men.
a. Matthew 7:21-23 – “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in
heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your
name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never
knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”
b. Jesus went on to say, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine
and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the
rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and
slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on
the rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on
them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain
fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that
house; and it fell—and great was its fall” (Matthew 724-2).
c. In John 14:15 Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”
d. Luke 6:46 – “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
e. Hebrews 5:8-9 states, “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from
the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to
all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.”
3. What Jesus said about salvation provided the basis for all other teaching about
salvation in the New Testament.
a. Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
b. Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one
may boast.”
c. Titus 3:5-7– “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in
righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration
and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through
Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be
made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
d. According to Romans 6:17, “But thanks be to God that though you were
slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to
which you were committed.” To what were they obedient? The Gospel.
1.) They had faith in Christ (Romans 5:1; Heb. 11:1).
2.) They repented of their sin (Acts 17:30).
3.) They confessed faith in Christ (Matthew 10:30-31; Romans 10:9).
4.) They were baptized into Christ (Acts 2:38-41; Galatians 3:27).
5.) They were commanded to life faithfully (1 Corinthians 15:58).
B. Jesus said that salvation is costly.
1. It was costly to Him. Paul wrote, “And being found in appearance as a man He
humbled Himself to death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).
Consider the pain of his scourging and the pain and humiliation of the cross.
2. It is costly to us. Jesus told the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:21 to “go, sell
your possessions and follow me.” The young man went away sorrowful because
his possessions were many. What has obedience to the Gospel cost you?
a. I have known people who had to go against their parents’ wishes to follow
Christ.
b. I have known young people who broke up with a boyfriend or girlfriend
because they did not share Christian values and faith in Christ.
c. A man I know left his job because of unscrupulous business practices that
were inconsistent with Biblical teaching.
C. Jesus said that salvation requires self-denial, responsibility and commitment.
1. After Jesus told his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, suffer and be killed,
Jesus said in Matthew 16:24 – “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must
deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”
2. In Luke’s account (Luke 9:27) the word “daily” is added.
D. Jesus said that salvation must be shared.
1. In Matthew 28:19-20 he told his disciples, “Go, teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit, teaching them to
obey all things that I have commanded you.”
2. In Mark 16:15-16, He said, “Go, preach the Gospel to every creature. He who
believes and is baptized shall be saved. He who does not believe will be
condemned.”
3. How can we keep this good news to ourselves when Jesus left a direct
command for us to share the message of salvation with others?
A. As a child did you ever play “Simon Says?” In that game the object is to do
everything that is prefaced with the words, “Simon Says” and do not do anything that
is not prefaced by those words.
1. What do the words, “Jesus Says” mean to you?
2. Are they words to be heard or ignored? Are they words to be obeyed or
disobeyed?
B. Listen to Jesus. “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you
rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in
heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is
light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
C. Do you hear Him?
