Rev. Dr. A. A. Obe (JP)
October 9, 2022
TOPIC: PRESERVE YOUR SALVATION
TEXT: John 3:1-6; Romans 10:9-10; 1Peter 1:23; Philippines 2:12
John 3:1-6
3 vs 1. There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit.
Romans 10:9-10
9. 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.
10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
1 Peter 1:23
23. Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Philippians 2:12
12. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Definitions: (Salvation)
1. Means of preserving from harm
2. This is deliverance by redemption from the power of sin and from the penalties ensuing from it.
3. Salvation is the act of saving from sin or evil, or sometimes just from an unpleasant situation.
4.. Salvation is God’s grace. It is the gift of freedom from our sins that Jesus made possible by taking the punishment for our sins on the cross.
5. Salvation means to be saved from sin and experiencing a new birth in Christ Jesus.
Introduction:
To be saved or Being born again is a conscious attempt to live according to the ordinances of the scripture. New birth means to abide by the divine guidance of the Holy Spirit about every aspect of your life in Christ Jesus.
How do you preserve your salvation
1. Know your identity
Who are you? Why are you on earth? Are you here for a purpose? Or are you just occupying space? You need a clear answer to these questions. Being aware of whom you are and why God made you will help keep you on track. God loves you, that is why He made you in His image to serve Him here on earth and to enjoy eternal happiness with Him in heaven.
2. Pray without ceasing (gives you access to His presence)
Prayer is the key. God listens to all our supplications and needs in prayer. How do you intend to meet God when He doesn’t know you since you don’t familiarize yourself with Him in prayers? You need not be told that prayer is relevant but let me tell you now, it is. When Jesus is your friend, He will carry you through all troubles and temptations like a baby.
3. Avoid sin (by abstaining from sin)
Just like a fish can’t live without water, so does man swim in the ocean of sin. But God is a merciful father, always ready to take us back to Himself. Whenever you sin, go back to Him in prayers and plead for forgiveness, He will forgive you.
4. Always study the Bible daily (Which is the Word of God)
John:1:1 – In the beginning, was the word, the word was with God and the Word was God.
Note:
A. The word of God is God.
B. Whoever spends his time with the Bible spends time with God.
C. Studying the Bible has a lot of benefits.
You get to know the God you serve
You begin to get the company of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit will explain the Word to you
As you pray and meditate as well in the period of Bible study, you master the Word of God and use it while you pray and preach.
Note: The word of God is the food of salvation
5. Involve yourself in the activities of Godly fellows and always attend fellowship.
The journey of salvation is not an easy one. You need help from brothers, sisters, friends, and relatives even the Church of God, you need people who can ginger your spirit to keep moving. You can’t keep up with a league of wrong people. You need God fearing friends with whom you will go to Church, attend fellowship with or even study the Bible.
Note: Evil acts corrupt good manners.
6. Decide to follow God with all your heart:
Decide to follow Jesus, remind yourself of it daily, and renew the decision always. It will help shape your thoughts and actions all through the day. At each point in time of the Christian life, decisions are relevant. Joshua 25:15 – “Choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served In the region beyond the river or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
7. Quit vices, embrace virtues (Change from Bad habits):
Some habits that are bad and unhealthy can’t help you in the journey of salvation. They instead make things more difficult for you. Embrace the virtues of holiness, simplicity, perseverance, love, kindness, happiness.
Bad habits are seeds of distraction from the devil to prevent your achievement. Quit them. Shun lying, stealing, cursing, immoral dressing, and so on. Fight vice with virtue.
8. Always preach the word daily:
There are so many benefits attached to expanding the kingdom of Christ through preaching and evangelism. Jesus said to his disciples
Matthew 4:19 – “come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men .”
Proclaim the gospel wherever you find yourself. That is the assignment given to us by God as Christians.
9. Always show the Acts of charity:
Show the practical Love of God to people. Jesus told us to love our neighbour as ourselves. It is the greatest of all the commandments. Be kind and cheerful to all around you. Let all those who encounter you see the manifestation of Christ in you.
10. Learn to live in obedience to God and man in Christ
Obedience is greater than you think. We suffer today because of the sin of disobedience our first parents committed. Obey all those above you; parents, teachers, pastors, priests. Keep the commandments; that is what obedience means.
But don’t be foolish to do the wrong thing in the name of being obedient. (Every obedience must be done in the Lord).
Conclusion:
There is no super human Christian anywhere, we guide our salvation with trembling. Day by day we build our life via the Bible. The closer we are to studying the Bible, the farer we are to sin. As a Child of God, whether old or new, we need to always as a matter of priority sustain our Salvation day by day.
Rev. Dr. A. A Obe(JP)