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Obstacles

2/17/2019

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What are the some of the obstacles or hindrances that stop a person getting saved?
Why in a world of approx 8 billion people do so few find the truth?

Jesus said in Matthew 7 
"for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction"


Some reasons that spring to mind are pride, living a sinful life, science falsely so called
and false religion. Let's go through and look at some of those hindrances that might stop a person putting their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

There  is a famous story In Mark 10:23-25 where The Bible reads:


"And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! 
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle,
than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

 

A proud/rich person will struggle with the true Gospel because they are proud and think they deserve to make it to Heaven on their own merit.

They are Prideful and are used to trusting in themselves.
The proud person wants to have to pay for salvation.
But The Bible is clear, you go God's way or you don't go at all!


A person has to realise that they need Jesus Christ and He gets all the Glory for Salvation. 
Jesus paid it all, all to Him we owe!


During Jesus's earthly ministry it was the pharisees, so full of pride, that were the hardest to get saved.
It takes a humble person to admit they are broken and a sinner and can't make it to Heaven on their own. 


Sin is a big factor, and this works both ways as living a particularly sinful life can prevent a lost person coming to Christ and likewise a sinner's refusal to give up sin can mistakenly prevent them from getting saved as they think that they are saved by cleaning up their life.

On the issue of people living a particularly sinful and wicked life, this much is true,
People who love darkness, unrighteousness and evil don't often come to the light, whereas

people who are honest and love truth will often come to the light.


"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6

Some people probably think Hell is a great place, merely separation from God, who they don't like anyway. They probably think it's a place where the party continues and they can have fun with their friends. But The Bible makes it clear that those flames are real!

The Bible tells us that, until death and Hell are thrown into the lake of fire, Hell is in the centre of the earth. Have you ever stopped and wondered where all that volcanic ash comes from?

The other way sin can prevent a person coming to the truth is that 
there are people who don't get saved because they think they have to give up their sins
or they don't want to admit that the things they do are sinful and wrong.
They don't want the light shined on their sins.


But if you had to give up your sins to be saved no one would be saved.
If things were truly just in this world then we'd all be going to Hell for the Bible makes it clear
that there is none righteous no not one!

 
There is a false doctrine of works salvation that prevents many people getting saved.

"You have to be willing to give that stuff up" the false teacher would say.
But we're not saved by cleaning up our life.


Faith alone in Christ is all it takes for salvation.
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28


You can clean up your life later, you can get in Church, hear some great preaching, get to know
The Bible and become sanctified later! First and foremost though let's get you to first base...
Let's get you saved!


False teachers will try and add to the Gospel...being willing to turn from sin, being prepared to clean up your life, repenting of sin etc but that is works salvation. 

"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 2:8-9


We are saved by Grace alone, Faith alone, Christ alone.

There is no grey area when it comes to salvation, You must become child like here, the humble lost sinner is more likely to see the truth than the puffed up, prideful theologian who wants to add to the Gospel and make salvation difficult.

"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."
2 Corinthians 11:3


Another hindrance when it comes to people getting saved is science or what the Bible calls "science falsely so called"
There are people who profess truth when it comes to science that it is almost a religion in it's self.
Atheism is a religion then, as it takes faith in scientists and professors ect and their theories.
People trust in these people and that their claims are correct.
That is a belief system.

But something can't come out of nothing, there has to have been a Creator.
Only a fool would believe otherwise.

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God."
Psalm 14:1


The Bible is scientifically correct. Always ahead of it's time.
True science marries up perfectly with The Bible.


"He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing."
Job 26:7
"It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth"
Isaiah 40:22

"The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, 
and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas."
Psalm 8:8

"The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land."
Psalm 95:5


Most people deep down believe there is a God.
They know there is a God on a deep, intrinsic level,
For the laws of God are written on the hearts of man.

The sincere and rational person understands there has to be a Creator,
Someone who designed this incredible and beautiful planet, Someone who designed man.
All this could not happen by accident.


Which leads me to my next point.


False religion is a major obstacle in getting people saved.

There are people who are so steeped in a lie it is very difficult to break through that exterior.

Whether it is a so called Christian denomination that promotes works based salvation or baptism based, or it is any other belief system that denies that Jesus Christ is The Eternal Son of God and
The Saviour of the world, false religion leads people away from Biblical salvation and into darkness.


"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:"
2 Corinthians 4:3


Some people are so brainwashed by false religion it is hard to break through with the truth.
This can spill over to culture or nationality, which can also be a hindrance.

People don't have to ditch their entire culture to receive Christ.
God split the people at The Tower of Babel. God made the nations!
But don't put your nationality, culture or ethnicity above Biblical truth.


Indian people for example can keep some of the wonderful things in their culture such as music, food, family values, colourful clothing and sport but they would have to forsake Hinduism and turn to Christ alone as their saviour. You can't combine trusting on Christ with any other belief system to make it to Heaven. It has to be all your faith and trust in Him alone.

Biblical Christianity can not co-exist with any other belief system.


The Bible says that Christ tasted death for all man.
Christ died for Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Atheists, Pagans alike. 
He died for the sins of the whole world. We love these people and want to get them saved!


For God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners
Christ died for us. Romans 5:8


There is a saying that says, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, many a compromising 
preacher or televangelist has lead souls to Hell by trying to be too inclusive, too watered down.
By deceiving people by saying that there are many ways to make it to Heaven when
The Bible says there is One.


The Bible is clear, if you don't know the Son you don't know the Father.
It is clear then that in order to be saved you have to put all your trust and faith in what Jesus did for you. All other ways will fail you.

Jesus said if you have Faith as big as a mustard seed you can move a mountain!
Your Faith may be minuscule, but as long as it is in The Lord Jesus Christ, His finished work on
The Cross and what He did for you, and is in Him alone, then The Holy Spirit will come upon you
and you will inherit The Kingdom of Heaven and have Eternal life!


Jesus said "
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." 
John 14:18


When you preach the Gospel some people are going to get saved some are not.
You can try your best to present it as best as you can and pray for them to get saved,
​but ultimately it is up to them,
For God has given each person freewill to make their own choices.

The power though is in God's word.

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God".
Romans 10:17


The last thing I will say is that many lost people don't even know they are lost.
They are so busy with all the distractions of life that they lose site of what really matters.
They know something is missing, something is not quite right, they are unfulfilled
but they don't know that what they need is The Gospel of Jesus Christ.


I don't claim to be a theologian or academic, Just a sinner saved by Grace through Faith like millions of others before me. I was lost for years myself, I saw the world through the eyes of a lost person, before my journey towards truth led me to The Cross, led me to the feet of Jesus.

It is easy to get saved, as easy as taking a drink of water or walking through a door.
If you're lost right now why not call on Him today?
You can settle this now, The Bible says salvation happens in the blink of an eye.
In a moment of time we are passed from death to life.


Jesus said "Repent ye and believe" 
Repentance in a salvation context just means to turn, to change your mind about whatever it was you were believing or trusting in before to accepting the free gift of Salvation through
The
 Lord Jesus Christ and receiving Eternal Life.

The Bible says now is the day of Salvation.
Please read on for more scripture


Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. 

And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.


For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
​

Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

Acts 3:19-26

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