Precious the time of God’s favor for the salvation of your soul!
A. The wise man’s advice: Ecc.3:1,6
For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: …
there is a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to seek, and a time to lose,
a time to keep and a time to cast away…. Ecc.3:1,6.
1. Have you heard about this phrase--> It meant to be? Yes, it is true there is a time for everything!
2. When there is the time to embrace God’s favor for your salvation please don’t hesitate to embrace!
B. The Holy Spirit says: Heb.3:7-13
1. Toady, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time
of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.
That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said: Their hearts are always going astray, and
they have not known my ways. So I declared on oath in my anger: They shall never enter my rest.
2. See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today,
so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. Heb.3:12-13
C. Apostle Peter’s advice: 1 Peter 1:8-9
Though you have not seen him, you love him;
and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with
an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
D. Apostle Paul’s advice: 2 Cor.6:1-7:11.
As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 6:12.
For he says: In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.
I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. 6:2
Now that you are here in the church of Christ.
This is the time of God’s favor for you!
Now is the day of salvation for you! Please embrace it and keep it!
This is about the salvation of your soul!
3. Don’t blame us and don’t blame others!
You are here! You alone have the say!
We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 6:34.
We had gone through all these for you! 6:4-10
5. We have spoken freely to you and opened wide our hearts to you. 6:11
We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 6:12
As a fair exchange-- I speak as to my children-- open wide your hearts also. 6:13
6. These you have to do for yourself!
a. Do not be yoked together with unbelievers… 6:14
b. “Come out from them and be separate,” says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. 6:17
7. If you do yours, God will do these! 6:18
Says the Lord Almighty: I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters.
E. Reason and how to show that you precious the time of God’s favor! 2 Cor.7:1
1. Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and
spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
***“Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit” is all about cleansing the desires
of the flesh and the soul! This is about things in the invisible spiritual world,
such as perfecting holiness in the fear of God!
This spirit is the spiritual situation of the soul!
2. For the time of God’s favor will not always be there for you!
It is not that God will change! It is you will change!
2 Tim.4:3--> For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of
teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
*** I would not surprise tomorrow you may become one of these people!
May the Lord bless you and keep you always!
Preach this on May 20, 2012.