Faithful Sayings

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
(I Timothy 1:15)

There are many kinds of sayings. Some are true and some are not. There are poems and odes, mottoes and creeds to name a few. Things like, “Every tub shall set on its own bottom,” “A stitch in time saves nine,” and so on.

When in High School I burned my finger and was running cold water on it and my mother said “Don’t do that, you will drive it in.” All I knew was that it felt good. A few years later a friend burned himself very badly. They called the doctor before going to the hospital and was told to put ice on it.

Let’s look at some faithful or true sayings.

I. CHRIST CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS.

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.      (I Timothy 1:15)

1. If Christ came to save sinners, who are they? The answer is everyone.
   

   As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;      (Romans 3:10-19, 23)

2. Why did He come to save sinners? Because they cannot save themselves.
   

   But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.      (Isaiah 64:6)

   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)

   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;
   (Titus 3:5)

3. Christ is the only way to heaven.
   

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

4. He can save any and everyone that will come to Him for salvation.
   

   Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.     (Hebrews 7:25)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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 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.     (Romans 10:9-13)

II. THE SAVED ARE TO LIVE GODLY LIVES.

But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. (I Timothy 4:7-9)

1. Bodily exercise does a little good.
2. But godly exercise is profitable in all things, not only now, but in heaven also.
3. God’s people are to be holy.
   

   Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.     (I Peter 1:13-16)

III. THE SAVED ARE TO DO GOOD WORKS.

This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.     (Titus 3:8)

1. It is God’s will for us to do good works, not to be saved, but because we are saved.
   

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

2. Good works will enable us to be fruitful in the work of God.
   

   And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.     (Titus 3:14)

3. Godliness is not the same as good works, for godliness has to do with our behavior in the eyes of God, while good works has to do with our deeds toward our fellow man.

IV. CHRIST IS COMING AGAIN.

It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: (II Timothy 2:11)

1. He is coming invisibly first for His saints and then He is coming visibly with His saints.
2. Why is Christ coming again?
3. To fulfill all the prophecies about His coming.
   

   But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.     (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.     (Matthew 24:29-30)

4. To keep his promise of His coming.
   

   Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.      (John 14:1-3)

5. To judge the redeemed.
   

   For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (II Corinthians 5:10)

6. To judge the lost.
   

   And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.     (II Thessalonians 1:7-10)

   And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.      (Revelation 20:11-15)