GRACE TO HELP
Heb. 4:14-16

A. In America many people live good lives most of the time. But no one gets to the end of life without having to deal with difficulties, pain or suffering at some time or another.
Into every life some rain must fall — and in some lives the rain falls more often than not.
a. Sometimes It can be hard to keep from giving in to despair.
(A) The gospel of Jesus Christ meets the suffering and sorrow of the world with a
message of hope found no where else in all the world.
And the gospel is a message of hope precisely because it is a message of help.
(a) Heb. 4:14-16.
I don’t have to go through life and it’s harshness alone. I have One who has been there before me. Not only does He understand. He can help.
Sin and Satan, sins originator, are the worst enemies we have in this world.
The only way Satan can hurt God is to destroy God’s most precious creation.
If he can get you to be entangled and enslaved to sin you will loose your body, soul and your spirit. You will be eternally lost to God.
Just look around and you know Satan is no friend of ours. John 12:40, tells us why most of the Jewish nation disbelieved in Jesus and were lost. He said, "That Satan had blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them."
By encouraging us to sin, Satan has damaged us and our world.
And he is actively working to keep us from finding God’s offer of eternal salvation, 2 Cor. 4:3?4.
Our sin has alienated us from our God spiritually.
The resulting effects have so pervaded the physical world God created for us to live in that life is constantly filled with hardship and heartache.
It is obvious, even to the casual observer, that sin is the ultimate cause of all physical and spiritual suffering in the world. There would be no suffering in the world if sin had not entered in.
Rom. 8:20-22, informs us that, “The world in which we live “groans and labors” under the burden of the suffering caused by sin.”
Like Adam, we must watch evil destroy our families. We see the dying process make those we love grow old, live in pain, heartache and suffering. and finally one day die. We see that happen and we come to understand the deep loss and heartache of God when He sees us die in sin.
And because they die spiritually in their sin, we will never be reunited to them again. They are lost to us forever. Like Adam, to late do we learn the folly, stupidity and the horrible consequences of our sin.
But God does offer help. God extends the helping hand of salvation.
Understand, God does not deal with the problem superficially. He’s not playing games.
At the Cross God chose to deal radically with our sin problem. In dealing with the problem God laid down the unalterable terms of our salvation.
It begins with Jesus at the cross, Jno.3:16-17.

Rom. 5:6-11, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, and having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”
If you will accept His conditions and terms, God has worked out a way for your sin problem to be solved. But, Until then you will stay lost.
If you want salvation you must accept God’s terms exactly as He has stated.
Jno. 11:25-26, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.”
But, notice where that occurs. It is made possible only in Jesus. Jesus and only Jesus is the resurrection and the life. There is no other.
That’s the statement of fact in Acts 4:12, the apostle Peter spoke of Jesus when he said, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
“All spiritual blessings are in Christ Jesus.” Eph. 1:3. If all spiritual blessings are in Jesus there are no spiritual blessings out side of Jesus.
(1) In fact, Jesus said, in Jno. 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
(1) Yes, God has made a way for us in this world and out of this world. But, understand it is the way that God has made. We must accept God’s way for there is no other.
(1) There is only one way that God’s help becomes a reality. It’s called God’s way in Christ Jesus.
Phip. 4:13, says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Where does that mention any one other than Jesus? Jesus is God’s solution for the guilt and penalty of sin.
If you will not accept that solution you are ineligible to pray for help in regard to your sin or anybody else’s sin. If you are not in Christ, the way God tells you to get into Christ, you are on the outside looking in. If all spiritual blessings are in Christ there are none outside of Him.
(3) Heb. 4:16, tells us that in Christ there is “grace to help in the time of need.”
(1) If you are not in Christ you are lost in sin. So why not do the right thing and get in to Christ and receive the salvation He purchased for you. Do not turn away from God and His only offer of forgiveness and salvation.
(2) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 12/16/2001 pm