How NOT to be Saved

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ, based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said, "'But we did not yield in subjection to them "'for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel "'would remain with you.'".

In short, if you like smooth, watered-down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn't for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we're called by the divine trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.

Here's our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

The Problem with Plexiglass Pulpits and the Day's Topic

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, ministry. Mike Abendroth here, and what is on my desk today? All kinds of things. There's a big picture of Rob Bell over here. I gotta put a piece of paper on that. I don't wanna see him today.

Get that out of my peripheral. Now, with my glasses on, he's got glasses. I can't see so far, but it looks hot out there today. Looking outside, blue skies, one proverbial cloud. It's in the shape of a plexiglass pulpit.

It's interesting. How do you see that way up there? I think that's a sign. I think that's a sign. Now, there are some people that preach with a pulpit that's plexiglass that I would have respect for, but not many.

Why is that? Well, maybe that's the only thing you've got. Maybe it's easily transported. Maybe, I don't know. Tell me why plexiglass pulpits are good. See, it's my own personal world here that I live in in No Compromise, and I don't have to like them.

Now, you can like them, but I want to be hidden behind some behemoth of a wooden structure, so if someone has weapons, I can hide. Although, the slug would just go right through it. I do know of a pastor who has his pulpit lined in Kevlar.

What do you think of that? Hmm, not too sure. Let me talk today about how not to get saved, how not to get saved. Now, we're going to be teaching from Romans chapter 10. As you know, I've been in the book of Romans on Sunday mornings here at Bethlehem Bible Church, bbcchurch .org.

I think we're gonna get a new website pretty soon. Seen little snippets of the new look, bbcchurch .org. You can get on our, I don't know, what do you get on there? Do we have a BBC Facebook account or something?

I'm not sure. I didn't make Rick Warren's top 100 pastors that you should follow. I don't think Rick Warren's ever heard of No Compromise Radio Ministry, so I don't have to give any shout-outs. Israel is the bad example to learn from in Romans chapter 10.

Now, without giving you all the details of the vindication of God's righteousness in Romans chapter 9, 10, and 11, in general, the sovereignty of God as the ultimate cause for Israel's temporary downfall, chapter 10, the immediate cause for Israel's downfall was lack of faith or unbelief, and then the restoration for the future of Israel in Romans chapter 11.

I could give you some of the details, but Paul is talking about what Israel didn't do, learning from a bad example in Romans chapter 10. So I thought that would be a good way to talk about evangelism, and maybe if you're listening today, not a Christian, to evangelize you or help other Christians when it comes to evangelize, learning from a bad example.

You maybe drive by a high school this time of year or right around prom times, they do the same thing, and they put a wrecked car in front of the school building, high school building. I went past Chelmsford High in Massachusetts here, Central Mass, and they had a car that was all smashed up, and it served as what?

It served as a warning to drunk driving. Don't drink and drive. First, I thought it was don't go to high school, don't let your kids drive, but it was don't drink and drive because this is what could happen.

It's a bad example. It's an example of what? Of what not to do. And so similarly, we learn from Israel's bad example, and so I'd like to talk to you about that issue today, how not to be saved with Israel as a backdrop.

Sincerity Is Not Enough to Be Saved

And so the first thing that you need to do if you would like not to go to heaven is to just be sincere. Just believe sincerity is enough. That's exactly what happened with Roman's account of Israel. Paul says, Romans tend to, for I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

So they're zealous, they're religious, they have religious fervor, they are, think about it, concerned with spiritual things, divine things. They're concerned about theology, and of course, Paul knew a little bit of that, didn't he?

When he grew up in a theological system, and Old Testament Judaism was torqued into a works righteousness system, and here Paul was not unconcerned about theological issues, he was so concerned he persecuted people who were against his particular system.

Paul knows of this kind of zeal. So when someone says, though, it doesn't really matter what a man believes as long as he sincerely believes it, you know that is a farce. If that's what you believe, I just have some sincere beliefs, sincerity is not an exchange for truth.

I don't really need to believe in what Jesus said in the Bible, I'll just be sincere about what I believe. Now, if you can get to heaven by being sincere, why kill Jesus? So that one's not going to fly.

And if you take strychnine, lackadaisically, or half-heartedly, or, you know, without too much zeal, without sincerity, I'm trying to think of other words, where's my dictionary while I need it? Without ardor or zeal, it's still gonna kill you as if you guzzle it down and slam the bottle down on the countertop because you drank it with such sincerity and zeal.

So religious beliefs that are wrong, sincere beliefs that are wrong will not cut it. Think of Jesus talking to the most sincerely religious, zealous people, and he blisters them. My mom used to say, Mike, you need a blistering.

Here's a verbal blistering, a scathing rebuke. "'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, "'because you travel about on sea and land "'to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, "'you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourself.

"'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, "'for you tithe mint and dill and cumin "'and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law.'". See, they had a zeal, but they needed a zeal according to the knowledge of God, but the text says they didn't, not according to knowledge.

They stumbled over the stumbling stone, Jesus Christ. They sought God via laws, via Moses, via rules, via external rights. They didn't have it according to knowledge. They can quote the Bible, the Israelis could, the Israelites could, but they didn't believe.

So you can be sincere and you can be sincerely wrong. Number two, how do you not get to heaven? Go your own way spiritually. Now, I'll talk more about this when Pastor Steve is back because I think it will be good for no co-fodder, but think about going your own way spiritually.

People want to do what they want to do. We don't have this man ruling over us in our society. We don't want that. And I was thinking of funeral songs the other day. Lots of funerals, I officiate, and people wanna sing a song, Great is Thy Faithfulness.

They wanna sing Amazing Grace. What do secular people choose for their songs? Well, they do choose Amazing Grace, but sung by Elvis Presley, of course. In the arms of an angel, Sarah McLachlan, angels among us, Alabama.

As long as I can see the light, credence, clear water, revival. For you older folks there, we have a few of those listening. Ave Maria, Perry Como, older Catholics like that one. Baby mind, Bette Midler.

Beyond the sea, Bobby Darin. Now see, bright eyes, Art Garfunkel. Mariah Carey gets two of them, Butterfly and Bye Bye. How about Bye Bye Butterfly? Candle in the Wind, Elton John. Circle of Life, Elton John.

So you get a little Lion King, Reincarnation, Circle of Life, Hinduism. Close to you, The Carpenters. Tears in Heaven, Eric Clapton. What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong. Lean on Me, Bill Withers, Forever Young.

See, you want me to sing some of these. I just have a few more. We'll Meet Again, Vera Lynn. You'll Never Walk Alone, Jerry and the Pacemakers. Knockin' on Heaven's Door, but the Guns N' Roses version.

Not the original, but this one. Who did the first one, Knockin' on Heaven's Door? Is that a Bob Dylan song? Imagine, John Lennon. So at a funeral, you know, imagine there's no heaven. It's easy if you try.

Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin. Morning Has Broken, by Cat Stevens, who's now Muslim. Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd. I guess it does make sense. But one of the most popular songs at secular funerals is, what?

That was my drum roll. My Way, Frank Sinatra. I did it my way. And that is the air of the Jew in Romans chapter 10, and that is the air of many in society today. I did it my way, Romans 10, three, for being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own.

They did not submit to God's righteousness. Sin, by default, just goes into, I'm gonna go my own way, and if God says faith, I'm gonna do the exact opposite. Works. Remember Michael Smith, the sociologist, talked about Sheilism.

I think he's the one that talked about it. What does Sheila believe in? Well, she has a little dab of Hinduism, a little dab'll do ya for Christianity, a little bit of secular psychology, a little bit of this, that, and the other.

You put it all together in a big hodgepodge Plato pile, and what do you get? Sheila-ism. Her own deal. She's got a little pinch of everything. She constructs it into her own little power of babble image.

These folks, the Jews, they weren't ignorant about God and what he required, but they sure were acting like it, weren't they? Paul is saying, don't do what Israel was doing. They had a mistake. Warning, watch out.

Galatians 2 .21, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. So inevitably, there's only two religions in the world, the religion of divine accomplishment through the Son, and only the Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord, the substituted and representative, the risen Savior, and work, and works, and because of pride and arrogance, Israel, and maybe you, if you're listening, think you're gonna do your own way.

Who are you to tell me God is the attitude of people, that I have to believe in the imputed righteousness that comes from Christ Jesus' perfect life, and I have to believe in an atonement, a substitutionary atonement, and a penalty has to be paid?

Your religiosity can't save. Israel had the law. They saw Jesus in person do things, but they won't submit to that. We will not have this man rule over us. No wonder, Isaiah says, all we like sheep have gone astray.

Each of us has turned to his own way, seeking to establish their own righteousness, because they don't want God's righteousness. They're striving with all their effort with a white-knuckled kind of grip to do what they want to do, not being subject to the law of God.

Human Effort Cannot Produce the Righteousness God Requires

Now, they have these all around the country now, but I think they pretty much started off, maybe in the big cities, but certainly Los Angeles, San Francisco area, farmer's markets. Now, even here, a town close by, Bolton is a right-to-farm community, and there's something about organic, something about homemade, buy local.

There's something appealing to that. I like tomatoes that are actually red. Tastes like tomatoes versus going to the store, and there's something to be said for that. It's fun to go eat. I don't know, what's my favorite thing to eat at the local farmer's market?

Well, the one in Santa Cruz has tamales. I don't know if they're homemade or organic or what. But there's this great brown salsa that they have, salsa that is so good. Mm, spicy. As my daughter used to say when she was little and couldn't say the S-P, she could only say P, that's Pisces, Dad.

That's like when she went up to MacArthur and said, put the wood, put the wood, John. Okay. But when it comes to religious acceptance, comes to standing in the presence of God, homemade, organic, farmer's market hemp stuff isn't gonna do it.

Matter of fact, you're smoking hemp clothes if you think you can get to heaven by your own righteousness and earning your own way. Paul has said in Romans chapter three, but now apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.

No wonder Isaiah said, your righteousness and deeds will not profit you, Isaiah 57. No wonder he said in Isaiah 50, excuse me, Isaiah 64, all our righteous deeds, that's the best we have, are like a filthy rag or garment.

It was not good when the lawyer in Luke 10 wanted to justify himself. It was not good when the Pharisee and the publican in Luke chapter 18 stood there and said, praying thus to himself, God, I thank thee that I am not like other people, swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax gatherer.

I fast twice a week. I pay tithes of all that I get. But the tax gatherer standing some distance away was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast saying, God, be merciful, be propitious to me, the sinner.

What about you? Are you trying to derive your own righteousness from the law? How would that work? Verse four of Romans 10 says, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Yes, I think Christ is the goal of the law. Yes, I think Christ is the fulfillment of the law. But I think what Paul is specifically saying here in Romans chapter 10, verse five, that Christ is the determination.

Did I say determination? The termination of the law. This legality is done away within Christ. Righteousness now, only through faith in Christ Jesus. And I think you realized what James Denny said in your own personal way, didn't you?

Think about it. Denny said, the moment a man sees Christ and understands what he is and what he has done, he feels that legal religion is a thing of the past. The way of righteousness is not the observance of statutes, no matter though they have been promulgated by God himself.

It is faith, the abandonment of the soul to the redeeming judgment and mercy of God his Son. Yes, Christ is the goal of the Old Testament. Yes, he consummates or fulfills the law, but he is the termination.

Law is no longer binding on Christians. We need to look to him by faith, in faith for Christ's righteousness. His death and resurrection terminated the ministry of the law for those who believe. By the way, what does this say for Messianic Judaism?

It says that it's wrong is what it says, but that's a different show. How do you get to heaven? Well, maybe if I'm sincere enough, wrong. How do I get to heaven? Maybe if I figure out my own way, wrong.

How do I get to heaven? Maybe by works, verse five. How not to be saved? Get to heaven by works. Well, I've already said that, but I'll make it more explicit now. For Moses, Romans 10, five, writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandment shall live by them.

Now, see, hypothetically, if you do keep the law perfectly, you would be able to go to heaven, except we've got a problem with that, and the problem is we can't do it. We've got Adam's sin credited to our account, and there's no way we can live a life of 100 holiness, 100 loving God with all our heart, 100 loving our neighbor as ourselves, because the law, see, was never meant to save us.

It was meant to tell us what was required, and we can't keep it, and we need a savior. The Jews would say, you know what? We did obey it. The Romans 2 says, no, but not from the heart. And the law is taken as a whole, for whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles, in one point, he has become guilty of all.

Yes, it's true, if a man observes them, he'll live, Ezekiel chapter 20. If it's possible to do, I guess it could happen, but we know it's impossible. That's why Romans 8 is so important, when it says, for what the law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh.

God did, sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and as an offering for sin, he condemns sin in the flesh, Romans 8, 3. Righteousness that you produce is tainted. Righteousness that God has accomplished in Christ Jesus can save.

Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do them. That's why we need the rest of Galatians 3. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.

Believe in Christ, Not Anything Else

How do I get to heaven? Sincerity, no. Go your own way, no. Get to heaven by works, no. How not to be saved, number four, do everything and anything, but believe. To do anything and everything, except believe.

Now, I think it was 78 ,000 people who signed up for a one-way trip from Earth to the moon, excuse me, to Mars, in something like 2024, something like that, 2034. In the year 2525, if man is still alive.

Who's saying that? I don't know, sign, sign, everywhere a sign. Locking up the scenery, breaking my mind, breaking my back. Where's that song from? Sign, Steve would know. He would know both of those, wouldn't he?

He would know, Jeremiah was a bullfrog, he'd know every one of these songs. My daughter was singing that the other night, and I thought, three dog night, why is my daughter singing that? It's funny, my daughter knows some songs and some people because of Lucy, and so she'll know who William Holden is because, oh, he was on Lucy.

I think that's kind of interesting. Okay, do anything and everything but believe. Now, I will tell you that if you had to go to Mars or the moon to get heaven, to make it to heaven, to not go to the eternal lake of fire, to go to hell forever to be punished, I think we'd make a valiant attempt.

I think I'd sign up for that. I think I'd save up all my money and figure out a way that if I can get to Mars, then I get to go to heaven. But here's the thing. Heaven came down and glory filled my soul.

You don't have to go anywhere. You don't have to do anything except believe. It's all been done. Romans 10, but the righteousness based on faith says, do not say in your heart, he's quoting Deuteronomy 30, who will ascend into heaven?

That is to bring Christ down. There's already been the incarnation. You don't have to go up there and have him come down and live your perfect life for you. It's already happened. Who will descend into the abyss?

That is to bring Christ up from the dead. Yeah, but then Jesus died and he's down there in the abyss someplace. And I got to get him to be raised to confirm that his death was for others, that he didn't die for his own sin.

So Christ could have his ministry validated by God the Father. I got to go bring him up from the dead. But what does it say? Deuteronomy 30. The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith that we proclaim.

And here we have righteousness based on faith, speaking, personified like it could speak. And it says this, you don't have to go to heaven and you don't have to go down to the great abyss to get saved because Jesus Christ came from heaven, cloaked himself with humanity, lived a perfect life, and he has been raised from the dead after his great substitutionary death.

Faith is something that you don't obtain, as one man said, you attain it. MacArthur said his point is that the righteousness of faith does not require some impossible odyssey through the universe to find Christ.

J. Vernon McGee said you don't have to make a trip anywhere to get it. It's close to you. You've heard, you've even heard on No Compromise Radio that Jesus Christ is God and that he's a sin-bearing God and that you're a sinner and you lack righteousness and you need to have righteousness if you're going to go to heaven.

And the only way you can get it is take God and his word through faith. The gospel is near to you. Good news, Christ saves sinners at the expense of his son. This is the righteousness based on faith. The word is near to you and for the Jews it was near and for most people it's very near.

Righteousness only received through faith. It's easy to understand, it's intelligible, it's readily obtained, it's close to you. Charles Hodge says the gospel, instead of directing us to climb up into heaven or go down into the depths, tells us the thing required is simple and easy.

Believe with all your heart and you shall be saved. See friends, because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. My name is Mike Abendroth, this is No Compromise Radio. How to be saved? You have to look to the Lord Jesus Christ.

How not to be saved? Do exactly what the world says. Be zealous, go your own way, make up your own rules, be good, do good, have a lot of works, righteousness and you'll get there. That's the wrong way.

Jesus is the only Savior and you must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. My name is Mike Abendroth, this is NoCompromiseRadio .com.

No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Abendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life transforming power of God's word through verse by verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 10 .15 and in the evening at six. We're right on route 110 in West Boylston. You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.

The thoughts and opinions expressed on No Compromise Radio do not necessarily reflect those of WVNE, its staff or management.