The Landmark Of Salvation

 Temple Baptist Church - 2-14-2021

Genesis 4:1-7

 

Introduction:

 

A.  I have been preaching on the subject “Remove Not The Ancient Landmark, Which Thy Fathers Have Set” over the past couple of weeks. 

 

1.  Spiritual “landmarks” define boundaries and are points of reference from which all our doctrines are measured with the Bible being our Benchmark.

 

2.  We are not as many who corrupt the Word of God by making it conform to our doctrine, but we are those few who continually mold our doctrines to the Word of God.

 

B.  This morning, I want to look at the “Landmark of Salvation.”  To get a proper perspective of what salvation is and is not, I want to look Geneses, chapters 2-4.  First Mention is an invaluable tool in Bible interpretation.  I cannot say this enough!

 

1.  In Genesis 2-3, we find the fall of man and the initiation for God’s eternal plan of salvation for him. 

 

a)  Sin and its Result.

 

Genesis 2:17  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

 

Genesis 3:6  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

 

b)  Sacrifice for Sin.

 

Genesis 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

 

Genesis 3:21  Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

 

2.  In Genesis 4, we find the wrong way and the right way of salvation in the lives of Cain and Abel and God’s judgment of Cain. 

 

a)  The Wrong Response of Cain.

 

Genesis 4:3  And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

 

b)  The Right Response of Abel.

 

Genesis 4:4  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

 

C.  Genesis 4 declares that salvation is through the coming of the “seed of the woman” and requires the shedding of blood.  Genesis 4 shows both the acceptance and rejection of a blood bought salvation.  The account of Cain and Abel is profound:

 

1.  It Refutes Works for Salvation – God rejected Cain’s offering!

 

2.  It Refutes Ways for Salvation – God accepted only His Way!

 

3.  It Refutes Self-Righteousness for Salvation – God required blood!

 

4.  It Refutes Pre-destination for Salvation – God gave Cain a second chance and would have accepted him.  Cain’s problem was not election, it was rejection and, therefore, a sin problem!

 

D.  Though “Cain Worship” is almost as old as time, it has become much more prevalent in our day.  The Bible says, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”  Our Lord said that the only way to heaven is through the new birth.  In these last days, the New Birth is looked down upon and its recipients are maligned and mocked.  The “Landmark of Salvation” is still Repentance and Faith! 

 

1.  It Is A Singular Salvation - Proverbs 16:25  There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.  (Man’s ways may seem to them as the right ways but they are “dead wrong.”)

 

Isaiah 43:11  I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

 

Acts 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

 

John 10:9  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

 

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  (Is salvation simple or not?  Is salvation plain or not?)

 

2.  It Is An Eternal Salvation - John 10:27-28  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

 

John 3:14-16  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

John 5:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

 

Romans 8:35-39  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

 

1 Peter 1:3-5  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  (I want to say, “Blessed be God!”  It is self-righteousness that keeps people from believing in the eternal security of the believer!  Salvation belongs to the Lord!)

 

3.  It Is A Life Changing Salvation - Acts 20:21  Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.  (It is both repentance and faith, not faith alone!  Our Lord said to repent or perish!)

 

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

 

Ephesians 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

 

Matthew 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  (As one old fashioned preacher said, “If you ain’t changed, you ain’t saved!)

 

4.  It Is A Universal Salvation - Luke 24:47  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  (I know that I have dealt with this in the beginning, but I want to say again that everyone of us has the same basic testimony of salvation.  Your circumstances and mine may be somewhat different, but the salvation remains the same.  We recognized our sinfulness and destination in hell, turned to Jesus Christ for salvation, and were gloriously saved!  “In my hand no price a bring; simply to they cross I cling; O Lamb of God, I come!”)

 

Romans 10:12-13  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

 

2 Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us–ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  (Jesus Christ died for the sin of the whole world, not just the elect or the select.  What pride!  To thing that God chose me to salvation and rejected you!)

 

1 John 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.  (If you can interpret “the whole world” as being only the elect, you are totally ignorant of truth!)

 

5.  It Is A Gracious Salvation - Ephesians 2:8-9  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 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

 

Titus 3:5-7  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  (We deserve nothing; we deserve Hell, but because of His great love wherein He loved us—Jesus Christ DIED IN OUR PLACE!)

 

Conclusion:  The Landmark of Salvation has been removed from many churches and the result is confusion.  People rely upon almost everything else other than the finished work of Jesus Christ: His death according to the Scripture, burial, and resurrection according to the Scripture.  There is no other way!

 

Acts 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

 

Romans 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.