WHY PEOPLE ARE NOT SAVED

John 3:36

 

I.Intro.

A.these are sad words about the state of unconverted sinners

1.the sinner is not going to be lost when he dies, not going to be lost after the judgment, he is lost now

2.the wrath of God is on him all the time

B.those who have trusted Christ are already saved, have a new heart, and a new life in Christ

1.those who have trusted in Christ for salvation and have been converted are already children of God, they have already received the atonement - John 5:24

2.the stubborn sinner already has the wrath of God abiding on him

C.we know that God loves the whole world and gave His Son to die for sinners

D.along with this love for all men there is a growing, burning anger against all who reject Christ - Ps 7:11

1.those who are not saved are lost; they are lost now, and they are under the wrath of God

2.Christ-rejecting sinners are under God’s wrath, and He has already consented to their destruction

E.all about us are people who are condemned, though they do not know it

1.they have not trusted in Christ, so they have already been found guilty by the court of Heaven

2.they have spurned the offers of pardon, ignored the plea to repent; they are condemned already

F.this horrible thought, that unbelieving men are already lost, already condemned, already under the wrath of God, is one of the most solemn and saddest themes taught in the whole Bible

II.people are not saved because they will not come to Christ - John 5:40

A.the fact that sinners do not come to Jesus is sad, but far worse is the fact taught here

1.the tragedy is not that people CANNOT come; it is not that they do not KNOW HOW to come, it is tragic because they WILL NOT come

2.there is a wealth of sadness is in these words

3.that which stands between a sinner and salvation; the sinner and peace, forgiveness, a new heart, everlasting life and Heaven itself, is simply his own wicked, stubborn will

B.the one thing we own is our will

1.a dictator might be able to make us do what we did not want to do

a)by torture we might be compelled to tell secrets we never intended to repeat

b)people might seize our property, take away our liberty, put out our eyes, amputate our limbs, or take away life itself; but no human power can control our will

c)persecution might make us betray our country, but it cannot make us hate our country

d)persecution could make us say, "Heil, Hitler;" but it could not make us love Hitler

e)circumstances might make us eat black bread and cabbage soup, but they could not keep us from preferring sirloin steak and strawberry shortcake

2.that place in the soul where a man says "yes" or "no," "I love" or "I hate," "I will" or "I will not" is the last stronghold of a man’s soul

a)a holy God will not batter down the door of the will and save a man who does not want to be saved

b)people do not come to Christ because they do not want to come

c)sinners do not repent because they do not want to repent; sinners do not trust Christ for salvation because they do not want to trust Him

3.the words of Jesus in our text, tell us what is wrong with every atheist, agnostic or infidel

a)the trouble is not that they CANNOT believe, but that they WILL NOT believe

b)the trouble is not with the intellect, but with the heart, and the will

C.this truth needs to be pondered long and hard, for it proves the depravity of the human heart

1.it proves that men are wicked sinners, alien from God, and enemies of God by nature

2.if men were naturally good, then they would choose to come to Christ; they would choose to be forgiven, and choose to be redeemed

3.since they are wicked sinners by choice, they will not come to Jesus that they might have life

D.how wicked is the human heart that will not take mercy when it is offered, that will not accept the salvation purchased for them at such a great price—the blood of God’s own Son

III.people are not saved because they love darkness rather then light - John 3:19-20

A.these verses tell us why sinners deserve no mercy, and why they must be condemned

1.these verses show the awful moral guilt of Christ-rejecting sinners

2.those who do evil hate the light; that is, they hate Christ who is the Light, and they will not come to Him because their deeds are evil

3.they love their sins; they will not come to Christ for fear that their sins would be reproved

B.unsaved men do not always know why they reject Christ - Jeremiah 17:9

1.no man realizes how wicked he is, unless the wickedness of his heart is revealed by the Holy Spirit

2.sinners go without Christ and salvation because they love their sin, and do not want their sin reproved

3.they hate Christ, the Light, and choose the darkness of unbelief

C.some say that they cannot come to Christ because they cannot give up some enslaving habit, or sin

1.Christ did not say we should wait until we have conquered a habit, or until we made our heart white

2.Jesus Christ will accept the vilest sinner, the sinner who knows that he cannot reform himself, cannot break himself loose from the chains of habitual sin

3.no sinner need wait for victory over drink or lust or dope or over the power of sin in any other form, before he comes to Jesus

4.Jesus Christ will take the sinner just as he is, and do for him all that needs done, including forgiveness and cleansing

D.Christ can save not only from the penalty of sin, but also from the power of sin; but He cannot save the sinner against his will

1.He cannot make a drunkard sober, unless the drunkard wants to be sober

2.He cannot make the harlot pure, unless the harlot longs to be pure

3.the choice belongs to the sinner

4.as long as a man loves his sin, holds onto his sin and hates the light that would expose it, he will not come to Christ, and Christ will not save him

E.Christ will take a sinner who is covered with sin and save him, but the sinner must be willing for Christ to take away the sins and rebuke them and reprove them

1.God can save the drunkard, the murderer, the whoremonger, and the atheist instantly, if in his heart he hates his sins and turns to Christ, the Light

2.God cannot save the purest woman or an innocent child, until they chose to come to Christ

F.everyone who is ever to be saved, must face this innate love for sin and darkness, and this natural hostility to Christ and the light of the Gospel

IV.people are not save because they reject the love and compassion of Christ - Matthew 23:37

A.consider why this tenderhearted Saviour was weeping over the city that would murder Him in two days; consider why men hate such a good Saviour

1.again and again He had tried to win the people to love and trust Him

2.He knew all the prophets whom they had murdered, all the preachers whom they had stoned; yet He loved them and wanted them saved

B.did they hate Jesus because He was austere and unapproachable - Matthew 11:29

1.Austere? Unapproachable? No

2.He cast seven devils out of Mary Magdalene, the outcast

3.He took little children in His arms and blessed them

4.He took part in wedding feasts and Pharisees’ suppers

5.He wept with Mary and Martha at the grave of Lazarus

6.no sinner ever has a right to say that Jesus is unapproachable, that He cannot be found by any humble heart that seeks Him

C.are the demands of Jesus to difficult to fulfill; is He a hard Master; does He take away all pleasure and leave life bitter - Matthew 11:30

1.every sinner has found great freedom, when set free from Satan’s bondage

2.Jesus is not a hard Master; His way is not bitter; His yoke is not heavy and hard

D.what is wrong with Jesus that sinners will not have Him

1.is He harsh and unforgiving; No, He received the traitor’s kiss on His cheek and called him "friend"

a)on the cross He prayed for those who killed Him, "Father, forgive them"

2.do sinners reject Him because He offers enslavement; No, He cast out a legion of devils from a maniac who lived in a graveyard, so that he was found clothed and in his right mind

a)when a father brought his son, who often fell into the fire by devils; Jesus cast out the devils and sent the lad home, well and sound, with his happy father

3.do sinners reject Jesus because He ask us to give Him too much; No, Instead He wants to give us life, peace, joy and a home in Heaven

E.every sinner should remember that it is a weeping Saviour whom they reject, a Saviour weeping over the sinner’s lost soul

1.He knows that we are of a race of sinners, He knows every secret of our vile heart, yet He loves us and died for us

2.it is one of the saddest sayings in the Bible, that the people whom Christ wanted to hugged to His bosom in forgiveness and peace, would not come

3.Jesus said, "how often would I have gathered … and ye would not!"

V.Conclusion

A.will you today turn from your sins? Will you today give up your will to Christ? Will you here and now decide to accept Christ as your Saviour, depending on Him for forgiveness?

B.if you will, then today the peace of God will come into your heart, your sins will all be forgiven, and I will meet you in Heaven someday