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Matthew 10:22 “You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Matthew 19:24-25 “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

Matthew 24:12-13 “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Mark 13:13 “Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Luke 7:50 “Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

John 10:9 “[Jesus] I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture.” 

Acts 2:21 “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Acts 2:46-47 “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”

What do we need saved from?  Why do we need to be saved?  I

Illustration: Beach lifeguard.  You can be in trouble and not know it.

We have a sin problem that has catastrophic ramification both now and after our death.  Romans 5:12-19

• Sin and death entered by one and repeated by all people since. (12c)
  
  
• Death became the consequence for all sinners. (12b)
  
  
• The Law comes to be that whistle that tells us we have a problem. (13)
  
  
• We are under God’s judgment. (16)
  
  
• The result of that judgment is condemnation—to death! (18)

God meets us at our very need and provides a way to be saved.  Romans 5:20-21

• Life replaces the death verdict by the act of one. (15)
  
  
• Justification and life replaces condemnation by the act of one. (18)
  
  
• We are made righteous by the act of one. (19)

Physical death is merely a doorway into an eternity of life or judgment.

2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

Revelation 20:11-15 “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. ¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵ Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

What do we need saved from?  
                 Answer: The judgement of God that fulfills all justice.  Justice is good news if you have been justified.

What can we do?
                  Answer: Repent and believe in God’s gift of grace found in Jesus.

Two keys to being saved.

1. You must repent! By God’s grace we need remorse to cause us to will for a different course.  2 Corinthians 7:10-11 
   • Godly sorrow means that you acknowledge how disgusting and how damaging your sin is. (10)
   • Godly sorrow leads to repentance which is a transformational change of your perspective. (11) Example: Josiah and Israel.
     • You become motivated and invested to pursue reconciliation with God. (earnest)
     • You are eager to become clean. (eager)
     • You are disgusted by your sin. (indignation)
     • Alarmed at your state and sins effects.
     • You become concerned.
     • You see the justice of God’s wrath and welcome the justification that comes in His son Jesus.

2. You must believe! Trusting in the sufficiency of Christ.

Romans 10:9-10 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

• Believe that Jesus is indeed Lord over you and all things.
• Believe that He raised from the dead thus taking control over your death penalty.
• Your belief is evidenced by confession.