This morning’s lesson is called "Is That Your Final Answer?" I suppose that most of us have seen Regis use this to make certain that the contestants in his show do not want to revise their answers. On the show, great sums of money depend on the final answer. When we bring this particular context of our faith, we must remember that each time we give answer to God, we must consider it to be our final answer.

Romans 13
^11b   for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Be assured that God has appointed a day and time that Jesus will return. I don’t know when that is. I simply know that it is nearer now than when I first believed. It is nearer now than when I started preaching this morning. When Jesus comes, our answer to Him, whatever that has been, becomes final! At that point no revisions are to be allowed. Additionally, God may call for my soul at any time before Jesus comes. I may die before Jesus comes. Again, I don’t know when I’ll die. I know that I am now nearer to death than I was yesterday. Each day and each moment on this earth is by the grace of God. When God calls for our soul, whatever answer we’ve given Him up to that point is final!! At that point our fate will be sealed for all of eternity. It’s important we give the Lord the right answer. There’s much more at stake than a million dollars. Instead of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" we should be thinking, "Who wants to be an Heir?"

Before we get to the final answer, I guess that we need to determine "What’s the question?" Open your bibles to:

Matthew 23
³⁶   Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
³⁷   O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
³⁸   Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

Jesus here, being God in the flesh, speaks to Jerusalem, but reflects the request that has been made to all men. Come and follow me, and I will protect. He states in:

John 3
¹⁶   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.

He gave his own life to call the entire world to salvation. He says it again in:

John 12
³²   And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

He calls from the cross. Jesus said in

Matthew 11
²⁸   Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
²⁹   Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
³⁰   For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

He calls us into his rest. What Jesus asks is that we surrender our lives to him so that he can spare our lives from the eternal consequences of our sins. The question simply stated is "Will you give your life to Christ, so that he can spare your life from Hell?" When put in simple terms, it allows for only correct answer, yes. There is also only one way to say yes. Please open your bibles to:

1 Peter 3
²¹   The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Baptism is the answer. When I first understand the question, then baptism is the answer of a good conscience to God. It is because of this answer that baptism saves me by the resurrection of Christ. Baptism is my answer to God. It is the way that God has given to me to answer "Yes, I will give my life to Christ, by being buried in the likeness of his death, so that my life will be hidden in him through his resurrection." It is an entry into our covenant with God. I will give Christ my life, and in return Christ will save me. And brethren, it is intended to be a final answer! I am not supposed to go back on my covenant with God. We’ll speak more of this later.

Now, what I’d like to do is look at a few scriptural examples of those who have given the wrong answers. Because one of these may be you. Open your bibles to:

Acts 24
²⁴   And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
²⁵   And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
²⁶   He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.

Something touched a chord with Felix. As Paul reasoned with him of judgment, he trembled. Anybody who is lost should have this attitude toward judgment. For the lost, it is indeed a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God! Yet Felix sends Paul away, until he has a more convenient season. Perhaps there are some among us today who are waiting for a more convenient season. You intend to say yes to Jesus some day. The time just isn’t right. I’ve known men like this. They know that they need to make changes in their life, and want to wait until they’ve made the changes to come to Jesus. If you wait until you’re good enough to come to Jesus, you’ll never be good enough. You just might as well say no. Let’s take a look at:

Ephesians 2
⁵   Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

What Paul said here is that Jesus takes us just as we are. We are not to wait until we’re good enough. If I could be good enough, I would not need Jesus. To wait until I’m good enough is kind of arrogant really. It’s telling God that we don’t need Him to help to change us, that we are capable of making ourselves perfect without His help. I’m not saying that we have no personal responsibility to change. What I am saying is that God’s grace, when allowed to work within our lives, helps to produce change that is more significant and lasting than those changes that we try to make without His help. If you are waiting for a more convenient season this morning, I’d ask you not to wait. Consider this. It May be your final answer.

A sideline on Felix is the note that he expected to get some money from Paul in exchange for his release. Money gets in the way of salvation more often than we should let it. Jesus said that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. As much as Felix trembled at the thought of the judgment, the love of money allowed him to put it out of his mind. You can’t serve God and money. It’s impossible to truly give your life to Christ, if your life still belongs to money.

Open your bibles to:

Acts 26
²³   That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
²⁴   And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
²⁵   But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
²⁶   For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.
²⁷   King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
²⁸   Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
²⁹   And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
³⁰   And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:
³¹   And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

Maybe there are some among us today that are almost persuaded. The American Standard more accurately translates Agrippa’s statement as follows: "With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian." I don’t know how close Agrippa was to being persuaded. He states that he simply needs more time. It’s obvious from Paul’s approach to Agrippa that he was a man firmly convinced of the Jewish faith, believing the prophets. And like many of the Jews, he would find it hard to accept that the prophecy had been realized in Christ. Hey, even Paul had trouble at first. I pray that Agrippa was able to let go of his religious system, and be altogether persuaded while there was yet time. I believe that Agrippa’s problem is being to deeply invested in a religious system to give it up. Perhaps there is an Agrippa among us this morning. You’ve heard us preach that one must repent and be baptized for forgiveness of sins in order to be saved. You’ve turned with us to Acts 2:38 and Mark 16:16 and this morning to 1 Peter 3: 21. You’ve read the scriptures. You see what they say. But that’s not how they taught baptism where you came from. It’s not how you were brought up. You’re thinking maybe even right now that you might need to be baptized again. And I tell you if your baptism was without proper understanding, you do need to be baptized again (Acts 19:5 ff). If all of this still leaves you almost persuaded, then I say that I would that all present were altogether persuaded as I am. When you stand before God, and He has called for your soul, you cannot say, "I need a little more time to decide." At that point the time for decisions is past. At that point you’ve given your final answer.

Of course, not everybody in scripture gives the wrong answer. Let’s turn our bibles to:

Acts 2
³⁶   Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
³⁷   Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
³⁸   Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
³⁹   For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.
⁴⁰   And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
⁴¹   Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter accused the Jews of crucifying Jesus, who was both Lord and Christ. There was probably not an audience that was ever more convinced of the guilt of their sin, or that there would be ultimate punishment for this particular transgression. As they are at the peak of their woes, Peter gives them the "good news" that Jesus still calls from beyond the cross to come to him, to give their lives to him in baptism. That day about three thousand of them "gladly received" that news, and were baptized. I suppose that this is the key factor. They were convinced of the guilt of their sin and that there would be ultimate punishment. We’ve all sinned and fallen short. There is ultimate punishment that awaits the unforgiven sinner. Turn with me to:

Matthew 25
⁴¹   Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

The punishment may not be what we pictured. Hell is not a place that God prepared to punish men. It is a place to punish the devil and his angels. Men who give the wrong final answer will be there, sharing the same punishment. Those on Pentecost gladly received the message and gave the right final answer. They were baptized.

Is baptism the final answer? Let’s look at:

Matthew 21
²⁸   But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
²⁹   He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
³⁰   And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
³¹   Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

The message here is clear. As long as I have breath, I can change my final answer. I believe that baptism is supposed to be the final answer. It is where I enter a covenant relationship with God. I give Christ my life that my life be hidden in his. Can I break the covenant? Sadly, all too many do. They take back the life that they had given unto Christ. The good news is that God is faithful. He will not go back on his word. I’m not saying, "Once saved always saved." If I break the covenant, the covenant is broken, and I am lost. But if I repent, and go back into the field, and give my life back to Christ, He is faithful and just to take me back.