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Sermon Illustrations: Salvation
Anecdotes
A Christian was talking to a soap manufacturer about his faith. "Don't think much of your Christianity," he said. "It's been around all these years and look at the mess the human race is in." At this point they passed two or three children playing in the mud at the side of the road. "What about your soap?" replied the Christian. "It's been around longer than Christianity and look at the mess those kids are in." "Ah," said the soap manufacturer, "my soap is only effective as and when applied." "That's exactly how it is with Christianity," said the Christian.
Just because a mouse is born in a biscuit tin doesn't make it a biscuit. Just because you were born in a garage doesn't make you a car. Being born into a Christian family doesn't make you a Christian.
On visiting a seriously ill lawyer in the hospital, his friend found him sitting up in bed frantically leafing through the Bible. "What are you doing," asked the friend. The lawyer replied, "Looking for loopholes."
A medical student was asked how much of a certain drug should be administered to a patient. "Five grams," said the young man. A minute later he raised his hand and said, "Professor, I would like to change my answer to that question." The professor looked at him watch and said, "Too late. Your patient has been dead for 40 seconds." Sincerity is no substitute for the truth; we need to make sure we have the truth now. It will be too late to change our minds in eternity.
T-shirt: "God is dead - Nietzche." Reverse side - Nietzche is dead - God."
The camp director ran the most amazing camps. They were well organised, and there were games, sports, and everybody had a great time. Then on Saturday night there was a rally. Nicky was from a severely dysfunctional home. He disrupted everything, bullied the smaller kids, and swore at others. The camp director wondered how to deal with the situation, but then he had an idea. When he shared it with his leaders, they were shocked. He called Nicky in and got him to answer honestly how many stripes of the cane he thought each of his items of bad behaviour was worth. It totalled 25. "You can't cane me that much. It wouldn't be human," protested Nicky. "You're right. I'm not going to cane you 25 or five or anything." The director took off his shirt and sat on a chair hugging its back. He took all 25, by which time Nicky understood the meaning of grace.
How can one person die for all? Compare a stainless steel ring with a 24 carat gold ring. They may be exactly the same shape and size, but the gold ring is worth far more. Why? The value lies in the quality of the metal. The value of Jesus' life is worth far more than every human who ever lived. That's why He could pay the price.
Have you ever had mulberry stains on anything? If you get those stains on your favourite white garment you might as well kiss it good-bye. Nothing will get it out again - except for green mulberries apparently. And nothing will remove the stain of sin from your nature except for blood of Christ.
Quotes
Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried. Chesterton
No country in the world allows the keeping of some laws to balance out and pay for the breaking of other laws. In fact this idea could very well encourage people to break the law in 'moderate ways'. After all, if I go and break one law, I can just go and do something good and then there is no penalty to pay. No country in the world functions in this way, yet we are supposed to believe that a perfect and holy God does. E.S. Coplestone Jesus Christ or Mohammed? p35
The strongest, richest, most educated man outside the ark was lost. But the weakest, poorest, least educated man in the ark was saved. Reinhard Bonnke