Sermon: Sustentation
by Chris Cumming
Let us begin this sermon with the title, "sustentation."
Sustentation
[suhs-tuh n-tey-shuh n]
Noun
1. maintenance in being or activity; the sustaining of life through
vital processes.
2. provision with means or funds for upkeep.
3. means of sustaining life; sustenance.
If we were to apply the word, "sustentation" to the spiritual we would
modify the definition a bit.
Noun
1. maintenance in the activity of salvation; the sustaining of moving
toward perfection in the salvation process.
2. providing the means to keep going in the process.
3. means of sustaining your life in the salvation process.
This sermon is going to be an immersion into our doctrinal statement on
salvation, as I encourage all of us to keep going in the salvation
process.
Keep going toward
eternal life.
Now there is something we should understand about doctrinal statements.
They were designed to give our best explanation of what we believe from
the Bible. The Bible was written by God and is therefore perfect. The
doctrinal statements were written by man; fallible man and are not
necessarily perfect. This is why the authors made the collection of
doctrinal statements a living document, meaning that it will grow with
the maturity of church and its ministry.
Note: The doctrinal text will be in boxes so you can easily
distinguish between the doctrine and my comments.
|
Doctrine 11:
Salvation |
|
DOCTRINAL OVERVIEW |
Quoted verses:
John 6:44
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will
raise him up at the last day.
Note: The John Gill commentary says the meaning here is that people can
come to Jesus physically but not spiritually because they have no power within
themselves, being dead in sins.
Romans 9:16
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that
sheweth mercy.
Notice the commentary:
But of God that showeth mercy - Salvation in its beginning, its progress, and
its close, is of him. He has a right, therefore, to bestow it when and where he
pleases. All our mercies flow from his mere love and compassion, and not from
our deserts. The essential idea here is, that God is the original fountain of
all the blessings of salvation. ~Barnes Notes
|
If one responds to the realization of God's truth by believing it, committing oneself to it and by acting upon it, God will then grant him the miracle of true repentance (Romans 2:4). Repentance is the state of mind which an individual attains through seeing and acknowledging his past sinful way of life, and by recognizing that he has broken God's laws (Romans 3:23; 1 John. 3:4) and resolving to do so no longer. Repentance, Includes both a deep ("godly") sorrow over past wrongs (2 Corinthians 7:10) and a steadfast determination to change the whole direction of one's life from disobedience to obedience of God. It is accompanied by a profound realization of the need for forgiveness and the help and strength of God to change. |
Note: The first part of this text is not talking about someone coming to
God through Jesus spiritually by their own power. It is talking about how God
uses the Holy Spirit to draw one towards the truth and then comes the miracle of
true repentance, baptism and the receiving of the Holy Spirit, thus entering the
salvation process.
Quoted verses:
Romans 2:4
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering;
not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Note: "the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance." There is nothing
in man that can get him to repentance.
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
1 John 3:4
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the
transgression of the law.
2 Corinthians 7:10
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the
sorrow of the world worketh death.
Note: Two kinds of sorrow here. We have Godly sorrow and worldly
sorrow. In Godly sorrow, our eyes are on God. In worldly sorrow, the eyes are
on the self. The author of Godly sorrow is God.
|
Once a person has repented and professed a sincere faith in the person, message and sacrifice of Christ, he may be baptized by immersion for the forgiveness of sins. This baptism is a type of Christ's death, burial and resurrection, which is our means of reconciliation to God (Romans 5:10) since He paid the death penalty for our sins. Baptism symbolizes the death and burial of one's old sinful way of life and the beginning of a totally new spirit-led life of obedience and submission to God. After baptism, the new convert receives the Holy Spirit through the laying-on-of-hands ceremony performed in accordance with the commands and examples of the apostles (Acts 8:12-17; 19:5-6). |
Quoted verses:
Romans 5:10
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,
much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Acts 8:12-17
12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of
God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with
Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received
the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the
Holy Ghost [Spirit]:
16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus.)
17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost [Spirit].
Acts 19:5-6
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost [Spirit]
came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
|
God's Spirit is an absolute necessity for the spiritual creation process of salvation as it serves many functions. It begets one as the son of God; it strengthens him to face trials and tests, to overcome problems and to build godly character, and it converts and changes the person's whole direction of mind from being carnal to being spiritual (Romans 8). As such, the Holy Spirit is the seed of eternal life within us which at the resurrection will overtake our mortality with immortality and clothe us with eternal life (Romans 8:11; 2 Corinthians 5:1-5). It is the guarantee to a Christian of eternal life which can only be negated by willful neglect or deliberate rejection. |
Quoted verses:
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he
that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his
Spirit that dwelleth in you.
2 Corinthians 5:1-5
1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we
have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house
which is from heaven:
3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we
would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of
life.
5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given
unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
|
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is clearly the focal point of the salvation process. He was "put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification" (Romans 4:25). We "were reconciled to God by the death of His Son" (Romans 5:10) and are thereby justified through faith in that reality (Romans 5:1). Yet salvation must go beyond justifying the past, it must continue into the future throughout one's life. The true Christian is admonished to "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). Indeed, the active participation of Jesus Christ in one's life through His Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for ultimate salvation. As Romans 5:10 concludes "much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." |
Quoted verses:
Romans 4:25
Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our
justification.
Roman 5:10
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,
much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Romans 5:1
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ:
Philippians 2:5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Note: this verse goes with our sermon on Ephesians 1:11, "Agency"
where we see God the Father doing all things after the counsel of his own will.
|
This whole salvation process is by "grace" (Greek "favor"-Ephesians 2:8)-It is unmerited and freely given by God and cannot in any way be earned. The Christian totally depends upon God's grace, initially for the forgiveness of sins he may commit subsequent to baptism. Nevertheless, the individual must meet certain criteria in order to be given this free gift. |
Quoted verse:
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God:
|
First, the person must live by and grow in faith-a total and real
conviction. One must have faith that God exists; faith that He will
perform all of His biblical promises including that of granting him
salvation (Romans 4); faith that the death of Jesus Christ will pay the
penalty for one's sins and reconcile him to God; and faith that the
resurrection of the living Jesus Christ will enable him to attain
eternal life. |
Quoted verses:
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be
not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners,
shall inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye
are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Romans 4:4
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Matthew 19:17
And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that
is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Matthew 16:27
For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and
then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Revelation 22:12
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man
according as his work shall be.
|
The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 also illustrates why obedience and good works are necessary. Although salvation itself is a totally freely given gift (and hence is "by grace"), our individual responsibilities within God's family and kingdom shall vary according to the way we have lived our lives since baptism. The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 shows plainly that we will receive responsibilities in direct proportion to the way we have conducted our lives. |
Quoted verses:
Matthew 25:14-30
14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who
called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to
every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and
made them other five talents.
17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's
money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents,
saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained
beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast
been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter
thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst
unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been
faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou
into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee
that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where
thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou
hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou
knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at
my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten
talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but
from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.
|
Today, God is calling a relative few, but now is not the only day of salvation. Every human being who has ever lived shall have an opportunity for the greatest free gift that could ever be imagined. God wants all mankind to receive the opportunity for salvation (1 Timothy 2:4) and is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). To this end God is infinitely patient and has apportioned a time for all human beings from all times to be called to Him and to the ultimate gift of eternal life in the family of God. |
Quoted verses:
1 Timothy 2:4 [see
Lesson]
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but
is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance.
|
In summary, salvation is by grace, through faith, not earned by obedience but dependent upon obedience, with the degree of our ultimate reward being according to our works. This salvation process is thus one which entails our continuance in God's way and necessitates our endurance to the end (Matthew 10:22; 24:13). Only when that process is complete and we have been born as spirit beings into the family of God shall salvation have been completely and totally achieved. |
Quoted verses:
Matthew 10:22
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the
end shall be saved.
Matthew 24:13
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
back to the top
back to the main page for this sermon