SEVEN INDESPENSABLE THINGS
Introduction
By indispensable we mean something that is necessary, unavoidable, vital, essential, or needful. There are so many things we have to do and we have to know as Christians but I honestly think these seven is the most important.
I. Without Jesus Christ you can do nothing Jn. 15:5.
1. Many people including professing Christians rely on themselves.
2. They think they are too smart, too good, too skilful, and doesn’t need any help. They boast on their riches, influence, influential family or friends.
3. They fail and they refuse to acknowledge that what they have were given only by God
4. Deut. 8:18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth. Everything we have were not really ours.
5. To be fruitful and to bring much fruit, we must abide in Christ.
6. He is the vine and we are the branches.
7. As a branch cut or separated from a vine dies or cannot bear fruit, so are we if we are without Christ.
II. Without shedding of the blood there is no remission – Heb. 9:22
1. It is a general custom to purify everything by blood. Almost everything in the tabernacle and temple service was consecrated or purified by blood.
2. Remission means forgiveness of sins.
3. It was a biblical truth that no sins were pardoned except by the shedding of blood. The stain of sin could be removed only by blood. It was universally true that in order to have forgiveness of sin, blood must be shed.
4. Sin can never be, and never will be forgiven, except by the shedding of blood. It is on this principle that the plan of salvation by the atonement is based, and on this that God in fact bestows pardon on men.
5. There is not the slightest evidence that any man has ever been pardoned except through the blood shed for the remission of sins. In the Divine arrangement there is no principle better established than this that all sin, which is forgiven, is remitted through the blood of the atonement.
6. New versions of the Bible have removed the blood. Satan have been working hard because we can overcome him by the blood of Jesus Christ (Rev. 12:11).
The big difference between Christianity and all other religion is the shed blood on the cross. All other religions are blood less. The Lord Jesus Christ was the lamb slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8)
III. Without faith it is impossible to please God – Heb. 11:6.
1. Heb. 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him. Without confidence in God–in his faithfulness, his truth, his wisdom, his promises. It is impossible for a child to please his father unless he has confidence in him.
2. It is impossible for a wife to please her husband, or a husband a wife, unless they have confidence in each other. If there is distrust and jealousy on either part, there is discord and misery. The same thing is true of God.
3. He cannot be pleased with the man who has no confidence in him; who doubts the truth of His words and promises; who does not believe that his ways are right.
4. There were many kinds of faith, like demonic faith, dead faith, and many more. But there is only one saving faith that is faith in Jesus Christ.
One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, “Jump! I’ll catch you.” He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flame, smoke, and blackness. As can be imagined, he was afraid to leave the roof. His father kept yelling: “Jump! I will catch you.” But the boy protested, “Daddy, I can’t see you.” The father replied, “But I can see you and that’s all that matters.”
IV. Without works , faith is dead – Jas 2:26
1. Paul looks at it before a man is converted, with reference to the question how a sinner may be justified before God;
2. James after a man is converted, with reference to the question how he may show that he has the genuine faith, which justifies.
3. Paul affirms that the sinner is justified before God only by faith in the Lord Jesus, and not by his own works;
4. James affirms that it is not a mere speculative or dead faith which justifies, but only a faith that is productive of good works, and that its genuineness is seen only by good works.
5. Paul affirms that whatever else a man has, if he have not faith in the Lord Jesus, he cannot be justified;
6. James affirms that no matter what pretended faith a man has, if it is not a faith which is adapted to produce good works, it is of no value in the matter of justification.
If the question is asked how a sinner is to be justified before God, the answer is to be that of Paul, that it is by faith alone, “without the works of the law;” if the question be asked, how it can be shown what is the kind of faith that justifies, the answer is that of James, that it is only that which is productive of holy living and practical obedience.
V. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord – Heb. 12:14
1. The terms “holy,” “sanctify,” “consecrate,” “dedicate,” and “saint” are translated from the same Hebrew and Greek words in the Bible.
2. The basic meaning of these is to be set apart for God’s purposes (Le 20:26). Many things other than people are said to be holy: The ground (Ex 3:5), the Sabbath (Ex 16:23), Aaron’s garments (Ex 28:2), the altar of the Tabernacle (Ex 29:37).
3. Therefore, to make holy does not necessarily mean to purify or to make righteous. Aaron’s garments were not purified in themselves or made sinless. They were simply set apart for God’s service.
4. Thus, to be holy is to be set apart for God. A holy person is a person who has become God’s possession.
5. Holiness is also intimately connected with righteousness and moral purity (Jer 31:23; Lu 1:75; Ro 6:19; Eph 4:24). Holiness is contrasted with uncleanness (Isa 35:8; 1Th 4:7) and is connected with cleansing from sin (2Co 7:1; 1Th 4:3).
VI. Without love, I am nothing – 1 Cor. 13:1-3
1. We are commanded by the Lord to love one another.
2. Yet I think most Christian fall on this matter. Why? Because within the church itself we cannot even love our brothers and sisters.
3. We talk about “agape” love which is unconditional love, and “phileo” which is brotherly love.
4. But what really is biblical love? John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. See also 1 Jn. 5:3, Phil. 1:9-10, 2 Thess. 3:4-6.
5. Biblical love is obedience to God and His Word.
6. For a woman to love her husband means she submits to and serves him according to the Bible.
7. For a man to love his wife means he treats her in the way the Bible commands.
8. For children to love their parents means they honor and obey their parents as the Bible commands. Love is obedience to God’s Word.
9. The Ecumenist tells us that we need to love all the denominations regardless of what doctrine they teach. I reply that I need to love God and His Truth first, and that means that I will obey the Bible, and that means I will measure, mark, and avoid those who are committed to error. A genuine love for God requires that I care more about His Word and His will than about men and their feelings and opinions and programs.
10. We are charged with being unloving, for example, when we expose the fact that John Paul II or Mother Teresa teaches a false sacramental gospel. The Charismatics and Pentecostals for their speaking in tongues, health and wealth, prosperity doctrine, for their contemporary church music and use of modern Bible Versions.
11. This is nonsense. The fact is that we love people enough to warn of false gospels so they will not be led astray to eternal hell.
12. A shepherd who loves wolves more than the sheep is a confused and wicked shepherd.
VII. Without chastisements you are not sons – Heb. 12:8
1. When Christian sins, we don’t lose our salvation. We lose our fellowship with Him and our joy.
2. We lose our testimony.
3. We must realize that the Lord Jesus would not allow sin to go unpunished.
4. He is a God of Love but also a God of Judgment. Our relationship to Him of being a son cannot be a license to commit sin.
5. Chastisement are proof that we are indeed God’s children.
Conclusion:
These seven indispensable things should make us cling more to Christ. Truly without Him we cannot do anything. Without His shed blood on the cross, there will be no remission. Without faith, we cannot please God. Without works, faith is dead. Without holiness we cannot see God. Without love we are nothing, and without chastening we are not sons. If you are blessed by this message why don’t you come to Christ now? For those who are already Christian, commit yourself to the Lord and
