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Rev. Ronald C. Purkey claims no originality for this Bible study outline.
However,
every outline posted on this website has been taught by Rev. Purkey.
To see more Bible study outlines go
to page two: More Bible Study Outlines.
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THE
HIGH COST OF A FREE GIFT
SCRIPTURE: Matthew
27:32-38, 45-54
TEXT: “For the wages of sin is
death; but the GIFT OF GOD is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
(Romans 6:23)
INTRODUCTION: Perhaps you
have heard it said: "The best things in life are free!"
1. This is
especially true when you consider that the "best" thing in life is a
gift.
2. I am speaking
of that which God offers to all who will accept it: "eternal life".
3. It is truly a
"gift from God"!
4. And yet, though
eternal life is a gift...a high cost was paid to offer it!
I. THE FREE GIFT
OF SALVATION.
A. MANY HAVE A WRONG CONCEPT ABOUT HOW
SALVATION IS OBTAINED.
1. They think
that salvation is earned by the "good works" they do.
2. Consider this
statement by a devout Muslim:
"All my life I have obeyed the
Koran and worshipped Allah faithfully. If, after death, I find that there is no
paradise and there is [nothing] with which a man may be comforted, as the Koran
promises, I shall feel that I have been miserably cheated."
3. Many
professing Christians have a similar concept of attaining heaven, that their
reward is received because of:
a. Their good
life.
b. Their
generous giving of their money.
c. Their
faithful attendance at church.
B. BUT SALVATION IS GOD'S GIFT TO UNDESERVING
MEN, WOMEN, BOYS, AND GIRLS.
1. Salvation was
offered while we were still sinners, ungodly, and enemies.
“For when we were yet without strength,
in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will
one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God
commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us.” (Romans 5:6-8)
2. Salvation was
given not because we love God, but because He loved us!
“In this was manifested the love of God
toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we
might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved
us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10)
3. And salvation
is offered to all who will receive it!
“And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha
and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of
the fountain of the water of life freely.” (Revelation 21:6)
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.
And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And
whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17)
4. Salvation,
then, is offered "freely".
5. But does that
mean it costs nothing? NO, Not at all!
II. THE HIGH
COST OF PROVIDING THE GIFT OF SALVATION.
A. WHAT IT COST THE GOD THE FATHER.
“For God so loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“He that spared not his own Son, but
delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all
things?” (Romans 8:32)
1. It cost God
the Father the sacrifice of His only begotten Son!
2. God the
Father did NOT spare His Son in an effort to save us from our sins!
3. Think of the
value of a child to you, God the Father willingly gave His Son, Jesus Christ,
that we might have eternal life.
B. WHAT IT COST GOD THE SON.
(Philippians
2:5-8) 5 Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being
in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But
made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was
made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a
man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross.
1. It cost Jesus
Christ the renunciation of glory and majesty, which He had with the Father
before coming to this world
2. It cost Jesus
Christ the humiliation of servitude, even to the point of suffering and finally
dying by crucifixion for our sins.
3. You might
say, "I didn't ask Jesus to die for me!" but that only reveals HIS
GREAT LOVE for us
4. Jesus Christ
didn't wait for us to ask Him; He saw our need and was willing to die in order
to meet that need.
C. WHAT IT COST GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.
1. His has been
a ministry through the ages of patiently wooing the stubborn hearts of sinful
men through the call of the gospel.
2. Suffering
long with men and women who treat the Holy Spirit as if He didn't exist, and
being grieved when they resist Him.
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God,
whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)
III. THE HIGH
COST OF ACCEPTING GOD’S GIFT.
A. IT COSTS THE DENIAL OF SELF, AND THE
RENUNCIATION OF MUCH THAT WE HOLD DEAR.
1. Paul, who
gladly paid the cost, expressed it vividly in several passages
“I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I
now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and
gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
“But what things were gain to me, those
I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for
the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win
Christ.” (Philippians 3:7-8)
2. You and I
cannot accept Jesus Christ and His salvation on lesser terms than the complete
surrender of “self” to Him!
B. THIS IS WHAT MAKES THE GOSPEL OF
CHRIST "A HARD GOSPEL" FOR MANY TO ACCEPT.
1. They want to
accept Jesus as Savior, but not as LORD of their lives.
a. SOME even
suggest that accepting Jesus as Savior and as Lord are two entirely separate
acts.
b. But the two
are inseparable.
“For unto you is born this day in the
city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)
“Therefore let all the house of Israel
know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,
both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36)
“The word which God sent unto the
children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)”
(Acts 10:36)
2. No person can
accept Jesus as "Savior of his soul" without Him being "Lord
of his life"!
C. ACCEPT CHRIST AND BE SAVED!
1. But many
people assume that it is a matter of "just accepting" Him.
2. Saying the words,
“Jesus, I accept you” does NOT mean a person is saved!
“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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)
3. Consider the
words of Jesus.
“He that hath my commandments, and
keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of
my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” (John 14:21)
“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a
man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will
come unto him, and make our abode with him.” (John 14:23)
4. To
"receive Jesus", requires a full surrender to the lordship of
Christ in our lives.
WHAT A SAVIOR!
And said unto them,
Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the
dead the third day. (Luke 24:46)
What was the power and influence that
changed the cross from an instrument of bloody torture into the most glorious
and beloved of all symbols? The Romans crucified thousands of people before and
after Calvary. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, no right-minded person
would have glorified anything so hideous and repulsive as a cross stained with
the blood of Jesus. By the miracle of His rising from the grave, Jesus placed
the seal of assurance upon the forgiveness of our sins.
A dead Christ could not have been our
Savior. An unopened grave would never have opened heaven. By bursting the
chains of the tomb, Jesus proved Himself to all ages the conqueror of sin. The
sacrifice on Calvary had fulfilled its purpose; the ransom price paid for your
sins and mine had been accepted by God. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
–
Adapted from Billy Graham, BGEA devotion, April 5, 2020
CONCLUSION: The
"gift" of salvation, while offered freely, still comes a with high
cost.
·
Salvation cannot be earned, nor merited, by any amount of
good deeds.
1. For even after a lifetime of diligent
obedience we are still "unworthy servants."
2. But the Lordship of Jesus rightly demands
a full surrender to His authority.
3. The gift of salvation is costly.
4. It cost God more than heaven can
declare.
·
It cost Jesus the agony and shame of the cross.
1. Even today it costs the Holy Spirit
who seeks to woo people through the gospel.
2. And it costs everyone who truly
receives it the total submission of self to the rightful claims of Jesus Christ
on the lives and souls of all who would be His for time and eternity!
3. Jesus Christ has paid the high cost
to offer you the gift of salvation.
THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: “Lord Jesus,
with a deeply grateful heart I thank You for Your sacrifice upon the cross.
Your blood has cleansed my sin and made me worthy of forgiveness.”
* * *
REFERENCES: References used in these Bible studies are the King James Bible (KJV),
The Moody Bible Commentary, Dr. J.
Vernon McGee Thru the Bible Radio Network (www.ttb.org), the Scofield Study Bible,
the Believer’s Bible Commentary, Dr. Charles J. Woodbridge Bible Outlines, Dr.
Lee Roberson’s Sermons, Dr.
Charles Stanley: (http://www.intouch.org/), Don Robinson’s Bible Outlines, Women’s Study Bible, The Bible Reader’s
Companion Ed. 3, The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version, Tony Evans
Commentary, KJV Bible Commentary, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the New
Testament ed. 4, Dr. David
Jeremiah: (http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/), Dr. Cliff Robinson’s Bible Outlines, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of
the Old Testament, Dr. Alan Carr’s The Sermon
Notebook (www.sermonnotebook.org), With the Word Bible
Commentary, Wiersbe’s “Be” Series: Old & New Testaments, RBC Ministries (http://rbc.org/), selected
illustrations, and other references.
E-mail:
Ronald Purkey
·
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