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Excerpt: If I come to Jesus, will He save me?

Jim Butler · 2020-08-11 · 569 words · 3 min

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Summary

Expository

Jesus Christ stands fully willing and fully able to save every sinner who comes to Him, and any theology that disputes this is plainly wrong.

The gospel offer is genuinely free: Jesus stands ready and willing to save every sinner who comes to Him, without preparation, merit, or prior self-reformation. Drawing on John 6:37 and the parable of the prodigal son, this excerpt refutes the lie that Christ might refuse or be unwilling to receive a sinner who comes to Him. The dying thief on the cross is the paradigm case — he brought nothing but himself, and grace was sufficient.

Key quotes

God most high is in christ jesus according to the apostle paul in second corinthians reconciling the world to himself — how did we ever get it so backwards?
There may be a whole host of people in your life that will cast you out but not Jesus — he will never cast out a sinner who comes to him.
There was nothing that this man had to bring but he simply clinged to the cross of our lord jesus christ.

Applications

  1. Disabuse yourself of any thought that Christ might refuse you — John 6:37 rules it out entirely.
  2. Come to Jesus without waiting until you feel sufficiently prepared or sufficiently penitent; grace requires no prior qualification.
  3. If you have been taught that God is reluctant to save, reject that teaching as patently wrong and embrace the God who runs toward the returning sinner.

Questions this sermon answers

Will Jesus save me if I come to Him just as I am?

Yes — Christ never casts out a sinner who comes to Him; John 6:37 makes this explicit and the dying thief confirms it, since he brought nothing but himself.

Do I need to be sufficiently sorry for my sins before Jesus will accept me?

No — Jesus asked the thief no such question; grace is the means by which sinners are saved, not prior emotional or moral preparation.

Is God willing to save sinners, or does He need to be persuaded?

God is a seeking and saving God from Genesis to Revelation — the image of the prodigal's father running from the porch to embrace his son is the pattern, not a reluctant deity who must be coaxed.

God's Readiness to Save

that is a pitiful uh uh one who has pity upon people and one who has the competency to actually act upon that full of pity joined with power jesus stands ready to save if that is contrary to your way of thought don't let it be because from genesis to revelation that's how god shows himself that's how god demonstrates himself when adam and eve sin they run from god it's god in compass when the babel builders or the tower builders at babel make that tower to make a name for themselves god scatters them god confounds them and then god comes to abram to assure him that in him there will be a great multitude saved god is a seeking and saving god if you have been taught otherwise you have been taught wrong the lord most high our god saves to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto him through his son the lord jesus so disavow disabuse get rid of any thought contrary to the father of the prodigal running from the porch and falling on him and kissing him and putting a ring on his finger and putting a robe on his back and slaying the fatted calf to rejoice that this son who was dead is now alive the son who was lost is now found that theology that confounds this that theology that that that disputes this is a theology that is wrong patently blatantly wrong god most high is in christ jesus according to the apostle paul in second corinthians reconciling the world to himself god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son

The Lie That Christ Will Reject

how did we ever get it so backwards how did we get it so reversed how did we take the prophets and turn them on their heads how did we take the savior and his apostles and turn them on their heads how did we ever think that if i come to jesus he won't save me or if i come to jesus he won't have me or if i come to jesus he will say what is it that you're doing coming to me why have we not listened to jesus when in john 6 37 he says all that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me i will certainly not cast out there may be a whole host of people in your life that will cast you out but not jesus he will never cast out a sinner who comes to him he is willing but he's able as well and in this we greatly rejoice

Grace Alone, Without Preparation

notice as well his grace his grace jesus ready stands to save you full of pity joined with power he is able he is able he is able he is willing doubt no more he is willing doubt no more that is the graciousness of god there was no sort of preparation on the part of this thief jesus doesn't say have you had your fill of misery are you sufficiently conscious of the fact that you're a sinner grace is the means by which sinners are saved then that grace is demonstrable it is manifest it is it is palpable at the at the cross there was nothing that this man had to bring but he simply clinged to the cross of our lord jesus christ

Scripture References

Study notes

Theological terms

  • Free Offer of the Gospel×3
  • Grace×4
  • Particular Redemption