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Reminders of the gospel that was preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, that you may hold fast to the word preached to you.
I should like to call your attention this evening to the words which are to be found in Paul's epistle to the Philippians in the third chapter verses seven and eight. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. For whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ. Well then, the most important thing that happens to anybody in this life and in this world is to become a Christian. That is certainly my sole reason for trying to preach this gospel. It is because I believe that this is the most important and momentous thing that can ever happen to anybody. The message of the Bible is to say this, that this is of this importance. To be a Christian is not merely something that changes one's life and one and one's experience in this world. It isn't merely something that brings us happiness and peace and joy and various other benefits. The fundamental reason for becoming a Christian according to the scriptures is that one's whole eternal future depends upon this thing. Nothing less than that. There are many institutions in the world and many teachings, many things which are being put to the consideration of mankind, which are meant to assuage their grief and to mitigate their sufferings and to solve their problems. But that is not really the primary object of the Gospel. The Gospel comes to us and tells us that we are travelers through this world, but that this isn't the only world, that we're all going on to another world. And that in that world and in that life, we will go on living to all eternity without end. And that it is in this life and in this world that we determine that eternal destiny. And that every one of us therefore is confronted by two dread possibilities. Either we are going to an eternity of bliss and of happiness in the presence of God, or else we are going on to an eternity of unhappiness and misery and suffering. Everywhere I say in this book from beginning to end, that is the position confronting men. And then it goes on to say that what determines which of those two faiths is to be ours is whether or not we become Christian in this life and in this world. It is our relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ that settles our eternal destiny. Our blessed Lord himself said on so many occasions in different ways that he had come to seek and to save that which is lost. He repeated the very message of John the Baptist who said, flee from the wrath to come. Our lord himself emphasized that very thing, and these apostles whom he sent out, that was their message. So that I say there is nothing which is of such vital importance to us as that we should know for certain whether we are Christians or not. And for that tremendous reason that the whole of our eternal destiny depends upon it and rests upon it.