Are You Willing to Be Saved?

Q: What does the Bible say about being willing to be saved?

The Bible emphasizes that being willing to be saved involves a sincere desire to know God's will, as expressed in John 7:17. Being willing to be saved is fundamentally about a heartfelt desire to understand and do God's will. Jesus states in John 7:17, 'If any man wills to do his will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on my own authority.' This implies that a genuine willingness to seek God's truth leads to a deeper understanding of His doctrine, which is divinely inspired rather than humanly constructed. It requires humility and a readiness to be taught by God rather than by man, acknowledging that salvation is orchestrated by God’s sovereign grace.

Q: How do we know God's doctrine is true?

God's doctrine is true because it is revealed by Him and not derived from human wisdom, as stated in John 7:16-17. The truth of God's doctrine is foundationally established on its divine origin. Jesus declares in John 7:16-17 that His teachings are not of human origin but from the Father who sent Him. The authenticity of God's doctrine is confirmed by its power to transform lives and its consistency with the Scriptures, which testify to God's sovereign plan for salvation. Moreover, those who truly seek to know God with sincerity will recognize the divine truth within these teachings, as indicated by the spiritual discernment granted by the Holy Spirit. This truth is not just an intellectual acknowledgment, but a lived experience of faith and obedience.

Q: Why is understanding one's sin important for salvation?

Recognizing one's sin is crucial for salvation because it acknowledges the need for a Savior and the need for forgiveness. Understanding one's sin is vital to the process of salvation as it establishes the need for repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. The realization of our sinful state before a holy God propels an individual to seek forgiveness and deliverance. The Bible states in Romans 3:23, 'For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.' Recognizing our sinfulness allows us to appreciate the magnitude of God’s grace, highlighting our absolute need for a mediator who can reconcile us with God. Without this acknowledgment, one cannot genuinely pursue the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ, as it is this faith that provides the assurance of being justified before God.

Q: How can we seek God genuinely?

Genuine seeking of God involves a heartfelt pursuit for His truth and an acknowledgment of our dependence on Him for salvation. To genuinely seek God, one must approach Him with an earnest heart, desiring not just to know about Him but to have a personal relationship with Him. As stated in Jeremiah 29:13, 'You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.' This pursuit is marked by sincerity and a recognition of one's need for God's truth. It is critical to come before God acknowledging our weaknesses and sins, and understanding that we cannot approach Him based on our righteousness but solely through faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice. This genuine seeking involves a willingness to forsake human traditions and submit to God’s terms for salvation, which include repentance and faith.

Q: What does it mean to be willing to accept God's terms of salvation?

Being willing to accept God's terms means recognizing the need for repentance and faith in Christ for true salvation. Accepting God's terms for salvation requires a willingness to submit to His authority and recognize the necessity of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. This was articulated when Jesus said that the wicked must forsake their ways and thoughts (Isaiah 55:7). God's method of salvation is not negotiable; it is rooted in His righteousness and holiness. Thus, acknowledging our inability to save ourselves by our efforts leads us to rely solely on the finished work of Christ on the cross. This willingness is not an act of mere compliance but a heartfelt response to God’s invitation for relationship and redemption.

I want you to listen carefully
to the title of my message today. I'm going to speak to you on
the subject, Are You Willing to be Saved? Are you willing
to be saved? Now, don't answer the question
quickly. Wait till I finish the message,
and after I complete the message, then answer the question, Are
you willing to be saved. Now, we're going to turn in our
Bibles to John chapter 7, the seventh chapter of John, and
I'll be reading four or five verses beginning with verse 14. John chapter 7, verse 14. Why don't you get a Bible and
see what our Lord has to say here in John 7, verse 14. Now,
here it is. Listen. Now, about the midst
or the middle of the feast, This was an eight-day feast, the Feast
of the Tabernacles. And about the middle of the feast,
that is, on the fourth or fifth day, Jesus went up into the temple
and taught. Now, all the religious people
from that area had gathered in Jerusalem for this Feast of the
Tabernacles. And our Lord attended the feast.
He went up about the middle of the feast. And He went to the
temple, and there He preached to many people. Now, we're not
told what his subject was on this occasion, but I'm sure,
as always, that our Lord expanded the Old Testament Scriptures,
and I believe He probably told them the true meaning of this
Feast of the Tabernacles, because He is the fulfillment of the
Feast of the Tabernacles. But anyway, in the next verse,
now listen to the next verse. He began to teach. He went to
the temple and began to teach these people, preach to them.
And the Jews, that is, all these religious folks and their leaders
marveled. They were astonished at his words. They were astonished. You know,
one of them said one time, no man spake like this man. And
they said this, how does this man know so much? How does he know learning? How
does he know letters having never learned? That is, he never attended
our schools. He never studied under our supervision. He never sat at the feet of our
recognized teachers. How does this man know what he
knows, having never attended our schools? And the Lord Jesus
answered them. Now look at the next verse, verse
60. And the Lord Jesus answered them,
and he said to them, My doctrine is not mine. That is, he's saying,
my doctrine is not of man, because he was at that time in the flesh,
he was a man, the son of man. So he said, my doctrine is not
of man, nor is it learned from man. My doctrine is the word
of my Father, which has sent me into the world. My doctrine
is not of man. You don't learn it in school.
You don't learn it from your supervisors. and you professors. My doctrine's not from man. It's
not of man. It's not about man. And my doctrine
is the doctrine of my Father which sent me. And listen to
this statement. Now listen carefully. And he
said, If any man will do his will, that is, if any man really
desires to know God's will, who really desires to know God's
message, and God's way. If any man really wills to know
God's will, he'll know the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether
it be of man. Now, my friends, the doctrine
of salvation, the way of eternal life, is not of man, nor is it
revealed by men, nor did it come from men. The doctrine of salvation,
of eternal life, is of God. It's planned by God. It's purposed
by God. It's taught by God. It's revealed
in the heart by the Spirit of God. And if any man, this is
what our Lord's saying, if any man really desires to know, to
know the truth of God, the truth of the mysteries of God, If any
man truly wills to know and do the work of God and the will
of God, if he really wills to, desires to, he'll know the doctrine. Gotta teach him. You see, John
6, 44, 45 says this. You're familiar with this scripture.
Our Lord said, No man, no man can come to me except my Father
which sent me draw him. It is written in the Prophets.
This is what's written throughout the Old Testament Scriptures
by the Prophets of old. And they shall all be taught
of God. Every man, therefore, that hath
heard and hath learned of the Father. They said of our Lord,
when they heard Him speak, they said, how does this man know
learning? How does he know these doctrines,
having never learned, having never been taught? having never
been to our schools. You don't learn this in our schools. Christ said, and they shall be
taught of God, and every man that hath heard and learned of
the Father, from the Father, he cometh unto me. I constantly
hear people say this, and you may have said this, you may have
heard people say this, Oh, there's so many preachers today, and
there's so many denominations, and there's so many different
doctrines. I just don't know what or whom to believe. You
ever said that? Oh, so many preachers and denominations
and so many different doctrines. I don't know whom to believe.
And then I hear people say this, well, I read the Bible, preacher.
I pick it up every once in a while, and I try to read the Bible,
but it's just so difficult to understand. and all the different
denominations and television programs and preachers all trying
to prove what they believe by the Bible. And they can be miles
and poles apart, but they still try to prove it by the Bible.
My friends, listen to me just a moment. Here's the problem. Our Lord gives it right here
to the people in the temple that day. Here's the problem, two
things. You see, He says, My doctrine is not of man. It's
not of man nor from man. The doctrine of God, the doctrine
of eternal life is not of man. We've got to quit following men. We've got to quit listening to
the wisdom and arguments of men. We're going to have to start
listening to God. See, your faith must not stand in the wisdom
of men. It doesn't matter how wise They
may seem, but your faith, Paul said, must stand in the power
of God. This is one of the things he
said in I Corinthians. He said, I didn't come to you
with enticing words of man's wisdom. I didn't come to you
with eloquence of speech. I came to you with the simple,
plain gospel of God, the Word of God, that your faith should
not stand in my wisdom or any other man's wisdom, but in the
power of God. And that's our problem. We're
following men. We're listening to men. We're
debating with human beings. And the gospel of God, he says
plainly, is not of man. Even Paul said that in Galatians
1. He said, I didn't receive my gospel from men or of men. I was taught the gospel by the
revelation of the Son of God. If my voice or any other man's
voice is the only voice you hear, and I'm not talking about hearing
funny voices in the air, I'm talking about hearing God speak
from heaven through His Word. If my voice or the voice of any
man is the only voice you hear, nothing of any consequence will
be accomplished. You've got to hear Him speak
who speaks through His Word. He is the Word of God. You see,
the gospel's not revealed by men. It's not explained by men. It's God's gospel, and it's revealed
by God. Christ said, my doctrine is not
of man. My doctrine is the doctrine of
my Father who sent me. Paul said in I Corinthians 2,
the natural man receiveth not the things of God. They're foolishness
to him. Neither can he know them. They're
spiritually discerned. So here are these two things.
Now, I said this. Here's the problem. People say,
I don't understand the Bible. There's so many denominations.
Here's the problem. Number one, we've got to understand this.
Let this be established. Our gospel is not of man. It's
not what this man says or that man says or the other man says.
What does God say? And here's the second problem.
Besides knowing that salvation and eternal life in Christ is
only revealed by God and taught by God, there's got to be a willingness
to be taught. There's got to be a willingness
and a desire to know what God has to say about Himself. We
can't be content with our traditions and content with our customs
and ceremonies. We've got to have that deep personal
desire to know what God says. So there's the great problem.
It doesn't matter how many denominations or doctrines or preachers or
programs or whatever they're There are in this world, it doesn't
matter how much people are different, we're not listening to people
anyway. We're not following people anyway. We're not being taught
of men anyway. Our doctrine is not ours, it's
God's doctrine, God's Word, God's gospel, God's truth. It's taught
by God. It's revealed by God. It's revealed
by the Spirit of God. And then, but it's revealed to
people who really want to know it. You understand what I'm saying?
And this is the problem. Who today is truly seeking the
truth of God? Who is really seeking the truth
of God? Who's willing to part with his
religious traditions? Who's really willing to part
with his preconceived notions? We're all brought up in some
denomination. We're born to parents who are
this or that or the other and so we just follow what they've
always held to and our great grandfathers and this sort of
thing, you know, and it's just sort of a rut with both ends
knocked out and we just stay in that rut. Who's willing to
be done with his religious traditions and his preconceived notions
and his wisdom of the flesh and be done with his religious experiences
and professions and works and come to the Word of God as a
little child willing and ready to be taught of God. Who's willing? That's what Christ said. If any
man will to know God's will, he'll know it. Now, those are
the two things. They said, how does this fellow
know? He's never studied. He's never been in our institutions. He's never been in our program.
He's never been under our supervisors. He's never been taught about,
no, he's been taught of God. And if a man wills and really
desires to know the truth, he'll know it. Well, here's a question. Someone may say, well, preacher,
while you're on that subject and talking about somebody who
really wants to know the truth, what would you say are the characteristics
of a person who truly wills and desires to know the will of God? What do you think are the true
signs? What do you look for when you're preaching or teaching
or witnessing or trying to help someone with the gospel, with
the truth of God? What signs do you look for which
reveal that a man is sincere, really sincere, a person's really
honest before God? Well, I'll give you several.
I'll give you several. Listen to me. I believe a person,
our Lord said, if any man wills, truly desires to know God, he'll
know Him. He desires to know the truth.
I'd say the first sign is this, the first characteristic is this,
that person, man or woman, young person, who truly wants to know
God is sincerely, genuinely seeking the Lord Himself. He's not seeking
an experience. He's not seeking just a good
friendly church. He's not just seeking some doctrine
that he thinks is strong enough. He wants to know God. There's
where it starts. The Scripture says this, you
shall seek me and find me when you search for me with all your
heart. What's the one word there? that's
used over and over again, the prominent word in that scripture. You shall seek me and find me
when you search for me with all your heart. That's, I want to
know God. Eternal life's to know God. Not just to know about God,
it's to know God. David said, as the thirsty deer
panteth for the water brooks, my soul panteth for thee, the
only true God. David wanted to know God. "'Ye
shall seek me,' he said." And this is what Paul said, "'Oh,
that I may win Christ and be found in him.'" Most people are
concerned about the right discipline or doctrine or church or ordinances
or form or ceremony. Do you kneel or do you stand?
Do you come on Sunday morning or Saturday night? Or do you
pay 10% or what do you do? This sort of thing has nothing
to do with it. or that I may know Him," Paul
said, in the power of His resurrection. When he gave his testimony, he
said, I know whom I have believed, and I'm persuaded He is able
to keep that which I've committed to Him against that day. Salvation is a person, not an
experience or walk in an aisle or a feeling or a vision or a
positive mental attitude or emotional experience, it's knowing God
daily, knowing God, seeking God. Here's the second characteristic
of a person who's really seeking the Lord, who really desires
to know God and the truth of God. I say this, he always has
before him the value of his soul. That's right. He always has before him the
value of his soul. You see, it's of greatest importance
that I know God. For what shall it profit me if
I gain the whole world and lose my soul? I've got to know God. It's appointed unto me and wants
to die, and after that, that's what I'm concerned about, after
that. It's not just death I'm apprehensive
about, it's after that. It's appointed unto me and wants
to die, and after that. What are you going to do about
after that? After that, the judgment. After that, eternity. After that,
either glory or damnation. After that, either comfort or
condemnation. Now, well, that's the problem.
Shall I seek the approval of men and be rejected of God? I'd be a fool. Shall I seek the
riches of the world and lose eternal riches? I'd be a fool. Shall I seek acceptance here,
approval here, And when I stand after that and hear him say,
depart from me, I never knew you, I'd be a fool. No, I have
one eternal soul that shall spend eternity somewhere. And that's
the main reason that I'm interested in knowing God. Is it well with
your soul? That person who's seeking God
always has this. in his mind, the value of his
soul. Thirdly, I believe one who truly
desires to know God is aware of his sins. I really do. I believe that every person,
this is a sin question. I hear people say, it's no more
the sin question. Oh, yes, it is too. It's the
sin question. And anybody who truly desires
to know God is aware of his sins before God, before the holiness
of God. The Bible says if we say we have
no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth's not in us. The Bible says if we say we have
not sinned, we make God a liar and his word's not in us. David
was aware of his sins. He said, my sins are ever before
me. Against thee and thee only have
I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. He said, all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God. That's what Paul
declared. All we like sheep have gone astray. Our Lord told about
two men who went down to the temple to pray. I suppose you
might say they were seeking God. They both went to the temple
and they both went to pray. But one of them prayed this way,
I thank you, God, I'm not like other men. I'm not a sinner. But the other man would not so
much as lift his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, and
he said, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. Christ said that man went home
justified. The other man condemned. So it
is a sin question, isn't it? What are we going to do about
our sins? How will sin be put away? Who's going to cleanse
us from sin? I believe a person who really
wants to know the truth of God wants to know the truth of God.
He wants to know God. He wants to know the truth of
God because of the value of his soul and because of his sins. He knows that his sins are between
him and God. He wants to know that those sins
are forgiven. Fourthly, one who truly desires to know God is
aware of this fact, too. Not only that he's a sinner.
But he's aware of the fact that he is not and cannot and will
not be able to come to God on his own merit. Wouldn't you say
that? In other words, this person knows he's a sinner and he knows
that he cannot come to God who is holy and righteous on his
own merit. He's got to have help. He's got
to have a savior. He's got to have a substitute.
He's got to have a mediator. That's what the publican prayed
in the temple. He said, Lord, let thy blood
be propitiation for me on the mercy seat. You see, in my flesh
dwelleth no good thing. I can't honor God. I can't please
God. In the flesh, no man can please
God, the scripture said. It's not by works of righteousness,
which we've done, but according to his mercy. He had saved us. So the man who truly wants to
know the will of God knows this, that he cannot satisfy the righteousness
of God. He cannot, by his own merit or
power or works or righteousness, make himself acceptable to God.
He's got to have a mediator, someone between him and God,
someone who is God and man. Someone who can take hold of
God and be accepted and take hold of Him and bring Him to
God. That's what it said about Christ
in I Peter. He died the just for the unjust
that He might bring us to God. Bring us to God. Now whom shall
it be? Can a ransom be found? Can a
righteousness be found? Can a substitute be found? I
tell you this, it must be one whom God hath appointed. We're the offender, not God.
It can't be one of our choice. It's got to be one of His choice.
Secondly, it must be one who has a suitable sacrifice, one
who has somewhat to offer, Paul said. A suitable sacrifice, one,
a sacrifice, a righteousness with which God will be pleased.
He's got to have that. And then thirdly, it's got to
be one who has a perfect life. And then it's got to be one who
can honor the law and justice on our behalf. It's got to be
one who can die for us and yet live again. It must be a faithful
high priest and a mediator. And such a one and only one is
Christ our Lord. You see that? So the man who
wills to know God's will, He seeks the Lord. And he seeks
the Lord earnestly because he knows the value of his soul.
And he seeks the Lord as a humble sinner. He knows, like David,
who is man that thou art mindful of him. And he knows he cannot
come alone. He knows he has nothing to bring.
In my hands no price I bring, simply to the cross I cling.
He knows he has nothing with which God can be in agreement.
He can't please God. So someone's got to come before
Him. Someone's got to come bringing
Him to God. Someone whom God will accept. Someone who has
a sacrifice with which God will be pleased. Someone who can fully
atone. And that one's Christ. And then
I'll tell you this, one who truly desires to know God will be willing
to be saved on God's terms. Now listen, on God's terms. You
see, this was the problem Naaman had. He had leprosy. He wanted to be cleansed, but
he wanted to be cleansed on his terms. The prophet of God told
him what to do, and he answered in this vein, Well, I thought
you'd do this. That's not the way that I'd do
it. And that was the Pharisees' problem.
They wouldn't submit to the baptism of repentance. They didn't believe
that they were sinners who deserved death. The rich young ruler,
he wouldn't do what Christ told him to do. He wouldn't part with
the world and follow Christ. And this is what I'm saying.
If a person really wills to know the will of God, he'll be willing
to be saved on God's terms. God dictates the terms, not us. And those terms are repentance
toward God. and faith in Christ Jesus. The
Scripture says in Isaiah 55, let the wicked forsake his way,
let the unrighteous man forsake his thoughts, and let him return
to the Lord, to the Lord's ways, to the Lord's thoughts, and God
will have mercy on him. Let him bow to our God, and God
will abundantly pardon. So what we've got to be willing
to do is is forsake what we think, our thoughts, our ways, our own
wills. You see, God must save men in
a way consistent with His righteousness. God saves sinners in a way whereby
He can be just and justify. God saves sinners in the way
that His wisdom and holiness is honored. You know, when the
Lord took upon himself and counseled in eternity in purpose to save
sinners. Sure, he took in consideration
the fact that we were unable, unable to do anything, unable
to provide anything, unable to produce anything. But this was
the main consideration. How can he, this born of woman,
be clean? How can God be just and justify
the ungodly? How can a man who's worthy of
hell be taken to heaven? How can a man who's guilty be
declared innocent? And only, you see, God has got
to deal with sinners in a way that'll be consistent with His
justice and His righteousness. One who truly desires to know
God will bow not only to the will of God, but to the Word
of God. I hope that's helpful. If you want this message right
for it, it's entitled, Are You Willing? To be saved. If you're
willing, you will be. May God make you willing. Send
$2. We'll mail you this tape and the one I'll preach next
week. Here's the address. God bless you.

Are You Willing to Be Saved?

What does the Bible say about being willing to be saved?

How do we know God's doctrine is true?

Why is understanding one's sin important for salvation?

How can we seek God genuinely?

What does it mean to be willing to accept God's terms of salvation?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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Are You Willing to Be Saved?

What does the Bible say about being willing to be saved?

How do we know God's doctrine is true?

Why is understanding one's sin important for salvation?

How can we seek God genuinely?

What does it mean to be willing to accept God's terms of salvation?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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