A TIME
AND
A PLACE
him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not
heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" Romans 10:13- 14.The previous Bible passage deals with how a person gets saved. We see here a definite sequence of events
that begins with hearing the Gospel, believing it and finally responding to it by asking God to save the
hearer. This logically implies that salvation has to be learned about first and then understood.
Unfortunately, there are many who claim to be saved who have never gone through the process of hearing,
believing and calling on His name. Therefore, they can't point to a time and place when their salvation
took place. We will break down this passage further and, as we do, please ask yourself, "Was there a time
and place when I understood the Gospel and got saved?"1. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13
This verse contains an obvious truth. Salvation is a matter of choice. It is available through God's grace
for the asking. Once a person realizes their lost sinful state before God, repents of their sins and is ready
to trust Christ as their Saviour, all they have to do is call upon His name. In much the same way a
drowning man cries out "Save Me!", a repentant sinner must call upon God. Salvation is not bestowed
upon everyone whether they want it or not. God doesn't save anyone against their own free will. We are
all born as sinners rebelling against Him and there must be a time and place when a person chooses to
stop his sinful rebellion and ask God for forgiveness on behalf of Christ. God expects us to understand
and decide."I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death,
blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:" Deuteronomy
30:19.The problem is too many people can't point to a time and place when they consciously made a decision
and called upon God. Instead, they claim the choice was made for them as a baby, as if by proxy. Yet
nowhere in the Bible is this taught. Rather, the Bible says:"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." Romans 14:12There must be a time and place when a person calls upon God in repentance and faith asking Him to save
them.2. "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?" Romans 10:14a.
But of course, how can a person call upon God to save them if they don't believe what God says about His
Son?"He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath
made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the
record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." I John 5:10-11There are many who claim to be saved or feel that they have some sort of personal relationship with God
but don't believe that salvation is only through Christ. Instead, they are trusting in their own good works
when the Bible clearly says good works won't save them."Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even
we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the
works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." Galatians 2:16
The Bible teaches that salvation is not through good works, church membership, baptism, communion,
saints or any other church sacrament. Salvation can only be through faith on Christ since He provides the
only accepted payment for our sins - death."For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave
himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." I Timothy 2:5-6Many claim to be saved yet never had a time and place when they stopped trusting in what they were
previously told and started trusting in God's Word, believing Him when He says that man is lost and
condemned already (John 3:18, 36). Many can't point to a time and place when they even saw
themselves as lost and on the way to Hell. In fact, many don't even believe that the Bible is the inerrant
Word of God. That is why there are so many religious doctrines in this world. People don't believe God's
Word is enough - they must add more. Regardless of how religious a person might be there still has to
be a time and place when they believed God's Word and called upon Him in repentance and faith to save
them.3. "[A]nd how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?" Romans 10:14b.
It goes without saying that a person can't believe what God says unless they hear it first.
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17
There are many who think they were saved and thus became a child of God when they were baptized as
a child or feel that they have always been a Christian. Yet, these same people may have never heard the
previous Bible verses. It all must begin with hearing what God has to say first. There must be a time and
place when a person:
* heard that they were a lost hell bound sinner,
* realized that their good works could not save them,
* believed Christ died for their sins, and
* called upon His name in repentance and faith to save them."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." Romans 10:9I hope the reader realizes that salvation requires a definite time and place when it happened. God expects
us to realize our lost state and willfully ask to be saved. Salvation is not a gradual life long thing, nor is
it something we can do as a baby. Please examine yourself.Do you have a time and place that you can clearly point to when you understood the Gospel and
received Christ as Lord and Saviour?"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that
believe on his name:" John 1:12.If you can't point to a time and place when you heard, believed and responded to the Gospel and became
a new creature in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17), please feel free to contact us or pay us a visit at the address
listed on the back [below] of this tract.
WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO UNDERSTAND FIRST THE BAD NEWS:
1. We must realize that we are lost, sinners that are spiritually dead.
* "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10
* "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23.
* "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3
* "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John 3:62. As spiritually dead, lost sinners, God's judgment and wrath are upon us.
* "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Hebrews 9:27.
* "For which things' sake [sin] the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience
[sinners]:" Colossians 3:6.3. Our good works can't stop this judgment and wrath. God demands death as payment
for sin.
* "Not of works..." Ephesians 2:8,9.
* "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" Romans 3:10.
* "the soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezekiel 18:4
* "For the wages of sin is death;" Romans 6:23.NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS!!
4. God is willing to accept someone else's death in our place. That someone is Jesus Christ.
* "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who
gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." I Timothy 2:5-6
* "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us." Romans 5:85. Jesus has bought salvation for us and now God can offer it as a gift by grace.
* "Ye are bought with a price;" I Corinthians 7:23.
* "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not
of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9How does someone accept this gift? Through repentance and faith. REPENTANCE: means to change your mind and adapt an attitude of not sinning against God.
FAITH: means to simply take God at His Word, i.e., believe the verses you have just read.
* "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward
our Lord Jesus Christ." Acts 20:21
* "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:136. Upon being saved and born again spiritually, we become converted to a new creature in
Christ.
* "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall
not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3
* "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold,
all things are become new." II Corinthians 5:17CALVARY BAPTIST
CHURCH2030 West Main Street
Valley City, North Dakota 58072Speaking the truth in love
Ephesians 4:15701.845.9220 Schedule of Services
Sunday Morning Worship . . . . . 10:30 a.m.
Sunday Evening Service . . . . . . . 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday Bible Study . . . . . . . 7:00 p.m.
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