The Cost Of A Soul

By Pastor David Lim

Isaiah 53:10

1. God is glorious. He delights in showing His glory throughout the universe
2. Out of His love, God created man with free will. He knew man would sin. Out of His love, God wanted to redeem man
3. Great contradiction : How to redeem man without compromising His glory? To overlook sin is to cheapen His glory and grace.

Bonhoeffer : Grace is free, but it is not cheap

For God so loved the world,
1. He gave His one and only Son
- Not delight in Son's suffering, but in success of upholding his justice & honour & providing salvation for sinners. (Isiah 53:10; Ephesians 5:2)
- Christ, the Lamb of God slain from before the foundation of the world.
a) The Word became flesh!
b) John 12:27-28 - For this purpose I have come to this hour.

2. That whoever believes in Him shall not perish
- Redeem us from Law's curse. Man's works cannot justify. Only True Repentance!
- Redeem us from empty life.
1 Peter 1:18-21 - Full life : purpose, empowering, hope.
- Redeem us from sin's bondage. Forgiveness, freedom based on truth of God's word. Grace is power, not just pardon. Grace enables us not to sin.
1 Thessalonians 4:7-8
- Redeem us from coming judgment (wrath). We deserve to die. All fall short.
- Redeem the church. Ephesians 1:20 - so she could spread his glory throughout universe.
- Redeem the world. Creation groans & travails in pain. A new heaven and a new earth.
- Redeem us from death. Hebrews 2:14-15 - In resurrection He defeated the powers of death. Result : Philippians 2 - At the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow - to the glory of the Father!

3. But have eternal life
- If life has meaning beyond this life, we must know how to reach it.
- If life has meaning now, we need to know what it is.
- If there is right and wrong, and ultimate justice, it must be absolute Right and Justice.
- If there is no hell and only heaven, I would like to believe that.

The Reality of Hell

- by Pastor Calvin Lee -

There is a hell.  It's eternal fire!

(1) The Bible teaches it
- A place of Suffering (Jude 1:7)
- A place of Sorrow (Revelation 20:14-15)
- A place of Separation (2 Thessalonians 1:9)

Matthew 25:41

(2) Jesus talks about it (Luke 16:19-31)

(3) God's justice demands it
- God does not send anyone to hell
- God sent His only son to die for the world
- It is the freewill of each and every human being to choose eternal heaven or eternal hell
- God rewards the righteous and punish the weaked
- God is a just God

(4) Human being misunderstand it
- There is consequences we have to face
- There is grave consequences when we choose not to believe in God

(5) The Cross presupposes it
- If there is no hell, why should Jesus die on the Cross?


* Do you believe in hell?
* What have you done with this knowledge of hell?

If I were the devil

1 Peter 5:8-11

- The devil is real from Genesis to Revelation.
- Satan, father of lies, accuses and condemns us, appears as angel of light to seduce us.
- Evil, cruelty and sin destroy families. It brings pain and bondage on mankind.
- The devil knows we are the height of God's creation.

If I were the devil, I want people to :
- Challenge Biblical Authority
- Doubt God's Power, then Despair about Life
- Distort God's Grace
- Promote Complacency among Christians
- Attack the Family Structure
- Exalt Greed & Selfishness

But in spite of seeming success in some areas, if I were the devil I would cringe in fear :
- Redemption!
- The Bible
- Transformation

What to Do?
- Be self-controlled & alert (1 Peter 5:8)
- Resist devil (1 Peter 5:9; Ephesians 6:12)
- God will restore (1 Peter 5:10)
- Fulfill your destiny! Impact your world (1 Peter 5:11)

The Glory of God

2 Corinthians 3 (glory or glorious word were repeated several times)
2 Corinthians 4:1-6

# The ultimate goal of the gospel is the glory of God Himself
# The glory of God must be both the fuel and the goal, the motivation

What is the Glory of God?
- the infinite beauty and greatness of His manifold perfections
- The appropriate outward expression of His own excellence
- His infinite and intrinsic weight and worth

We are all moving to the end that is the glory of God

SEE HIS GLORY
(1) We see God's glory in creation
Psalm 19:1 (Awe/Wow)
Kabod
(2) We see the Glory of God in covenant
Exodus 40:34-35 (Fear/Woe)
Shekinah
(3) We see the Glory of God in Christ
John 1:14 (Bewilderment/Wah)
Doxa

The Glory of God is everywhere. Many people will miss the glory because they always focus on the things below.

SERVE HIS GLORY
To serve God's glory is :
- Our pleasure; love to, not have to
- Our privilege; get to, not got to
1 Peter 4:10-11

- Our purpose; want to, not ought to
* God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.

* The main measure of your devotion to God is not your devotional life, it is simply your life.

SHARE HIS GLORY - The Crown of the Gospel (v. 16-18)
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
John 17:4-5, 22
- Present transformation; inward and gradual (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)
- Future glorification; outward and final

"Until we realize that God is in this venture of glorifying Himself through our participation, missional living will not be our daily prayer and preoccupation."