“Prepare the Way” (Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 3:1-6) - The Gift of New Hope II -

“Prepare the Way” (Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 3:1-6)

- The Gift of New Hope II -

Heaven, Hell, and Salvation

Last year LifeWay Research has published the results of a survey that explored how many Americans have what might be considered a “biblical worldview.”[1] Two thirds (67%) of adults believe heaven is a real place. Just under half of all adults (45%) believe there are many ways to heaven, whereas another half of Americans (53%) say salvation is in Christ alone. About six out of ten adults (61%) say hell is a real place. Two-thirds (67%) believe most people are basically good and would not go to hell. They believe you have to be really bad to go there. When it comes to faith, people like a do-it-yourself approach. Most adults (71%) say people must contribute some effort toward their own salvation. Two thirds (64%) say in order to find peace with God, people have to take the first step, and then God responds to them with grace. The editor concludes in this way: “The Study’s overall results show churches have a lot of work to do.” This study shows the wide gap in biblical understanding on salvation throughout our nation, in our neighborhoods, and in the seat next to us at church.

Good News of “Salvation”

What do you think of this survey? What is salvation? How do you define it? When it comes to salvation, many people think it is something that happens after death, the going to heaven, eternal happiness. John Wesley, in his sermon the Scripture Way of Salvation, expounds salvation in this way: “It [salvation] is not a blessing which lies on the other side of death… It is not something at a distance; it is a present thing, a blessing which, through the free mercy of God, you are now in possession of.”[2] In Ephesians 2:8, Paul says, “For by grace you have been saved.” It’s already happened here and now. Have you been saved? Or are you going to be saved after death? Salvation is the gift of God that we can have today. Salvation includes two components. Negatively, it is the removal of guilt (bringing forgiveness). Positively, it is the bestowal of the Holy Spirit (conveying new birth).[3] By God’s grace, we come to realize, “I am helpless. I am a sinner. I need help to be saved.” In one of today’s scriptures, Luke 3:1-2, Luke explained the historical background of the coming of Christ. At that time Israel was under the rule of the Roman emperor. In a spiritual sense, God’s people were in bondage to sin and death. But they didn’t know. The mission of John the Baptist was to go and tell this to the people, “You are in bondage. You must be saved.” Zechariah, John’s father, was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied John’s mission in Luke 1:76-77, “You will go before the Lord to prepare his way. You will tell his people how to be saved through the forgiveness of their sins.”

I would like to share part of the prayer of Missionary Horace Underwood, one of the first missionaries in Korea. In his prayer for Korea, he said, “Only stubbornly stained darkness can be seen. Only Korean people chained with poverty and superstition can be seen. They don’t even know why they are chained, what suffering is. They just distrust us and express anger to us as we tell them how to take away their suffering, which is not suffering to them.” The people of Israel were sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, but they did not know. John did go and tell them, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matt 3:2). That was his first message. Peter preached the same message on the Day of Pentecost, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” The people responded, saying, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37) But, when Stephen preached the message of repentance, the people were unprepared and furious and began to stone him (7:58). By grace, John the Baptist was sent, and he preached repentance. By grace, the hearts of the people were prepared, and they responded. They came out to John and were baptized as a sign of their willingness to change their hearts and lives. Do you hear the message of repentance? And when you hear it, are you pierced to the heart or furious?

Good News of Salvation “through Christ”

John the Baptist was a voice to prepare the way for the Lord. He was a good and faithful voice to preach the good news – good news of salvation through Christ. Although he baptized people, he knew that his baptism could not purify people completely. He knew his mission was to prepare the way of the Lord. He always did point to Christ, not to himself. When people asked him, “Who are you?” he clearly confessed, “I am not the Christ. I am not worthy to untie His sandals.” And then, he proclaimed “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Here John was saying, “Don’t look to me! Look to Christ, and you will live!” Prophet Simeon, moved by the Spirit, recognized Baby Jesus and took him in his arms and praised God, saying, “My eyes have seen your salvation!” (Luke 2:30). Jesus is our salvation. When Peter was arrested, he boldly proclaimed before Sanhedrin, “Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

There are countless people who accept Jesus as Savior and surrender their lives to him. All of them have one thing in common. They acknowledge Jesus Christ to be at the center of their conversion experience. Sundar Singh is one of many examples. He was born in 1889 into a rich family in India, and he grew up to hate Christianity as a foreign religion. He even expressed his hostility at the age of fifteen. He publicly burned a Gospel book. But three days later he was converted through a vision of Christ, and in his late teens, he determined to become an itinerary preacher. On one occasion Sundar Singh visited a Hindu college, and a professor accosted him aggressively and asked, “What have you found in Christianity that you don’t have in your old religion?” Sundar Singh replied, “I have Christ.” The professor continued impatiently, “Yes, I know, but what particular principle or doctrine have you found that you did not have before?” Sundar Singh replied, “The particular thing I have found is Christ.”[4] Christianity is not about institution or doctrine. It is all about one person, Christ. What we must have to be saved is the person Christ. What we must preach is good news of salvation “through Christ,” nothing more nothing less.

Good News of Salvation through Christ “for the Whole World”

John the Baptist preached this good news, good news of salvation through Christ. This good news is for everyone: good or bad, rich or poor, man or woman, young or old. As is written in the book of Isaiah: “All humanity will see God’s salvation” (Luke 3:6). The life of Jesus was from the manger to the cross. It was God’s perfect plan to encompass everyone, especially those who are pushed to the margins of society. Jesus was born in a manger to embrace the lowest of the low. He reached out to befriend the friendless – tax collectors and sinners. His nickname was “sinner’s friend” (7:34). He reached out to include the excluded – women and children; the poor and the oppressed; and the Samaritans and Gentiles. He reached out to touch those whom others regarded as untouchable – the sick and suffering. And at the end he died on the cross. He died a criminal’s death to include the felon. In Luke 23 the criminal on Jesus’ right side was saved at the very last minute. Some people complain about this. But, the story is included here to tell us this important message of hope, “If this criminal was saved at this last minute, it’s not too late for you. If this criminal who committed a felony and was sentenced to death was forgiven, you can be also saved.” This is good news through Christ for all people. Christ is the Savior of the world!

Prepare the Way!

If someone asked you to sum up the entire Bible in a sentence or two, what would you say? Probably, John 3:16 would be a good summary of the entire Bible: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” How can we be saved? A simple faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the way of salvation. And it is available to everyone, even those who despise God’s love! John Wesley said, “Expect God’s salvation by faith, expect it as you are, and expect it now!”[5] That principle equally applies as we prepare the way of the Lord in this season of Advent. How can we prepare the way of the Lord? You may think, “I am not ready yet. I must first be or do thus or thus.” No! The most important preparation is to prepare our hearts. Prepare your hearts, prepare the way of the Lord to you by faith in Christ. Prepare the way just as you are, neither better, nor worse. Just come to Christ as you are, as a poor sinner who has nothing to pay. If you come as you are, then prepare the way now! The Bible says, “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Co 6:2). Christ is ready. He is waiting for you. He is at the door (Rev 3:20). And he is all you need. Let your inmost being cry out, “Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus now!” (22:21) Amen.

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[1] http://www.lifewayresearch.com/2014/10/28/americans-believe-in-heaven-hell-and-a-little-bit-of-heresy/

[2] Albert Outler and Richard Heitzenrater, John Wesley’s Sermons (Abingdon’s Press, 1991), 372

[3] John Stott, The Incomparable Christ, (InterVarsity Press, 2013), Kindle Locations 457-458.

[4] E. Stanley Jones, The Christ of the Indian Road (Hodder & Stoughton, 1926), 64.

[5] Albert Outler and Richard Heitzenrater, John Wesley’s Sermons, 380.