How We Become Believers

Gospel in Life: Grace in the Case of Naaman PART 1
Dr. Timothy Keller
09 September 2012

2 Kings 5:1-14
1Now Naaman was commander of the army of the kink of Aram.  He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram.  He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

2Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife.  3She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria!  He would cure him of leprosy."

4Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said.  5"By all means go," the king of Aram replied.  "I will send a letter to the king of Israel."  So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing.  6The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of leprosy."

7As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God?  Can I kill and bring back to life?  Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy?  See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!"

8When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him the message: "Why have you torn your robes?  Have the man come and to me and he will know there is a prophet in Israel."  9So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house.  10Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."

11But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of leprosy.  12Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel?  Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?"  So he turned and went off in a rage.

12Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it?  How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!"  So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

WHY DO WE SEEK GOD?
--Self sufficientcy is a lie; something will always mess with your life.
--Nothing of this world can ultimately help you.
--Our deepest problems are beyond what the world can solve.

HOW DO WE FIND GOD?
--Shift our selfish focus of our own suffering to forgiving sins.
--Immediate suffering isn't the most pressing need.
--You need reconcilliation with God.
--Salvation can't be earned...it needs to be received.
--Believing in God is too humbling and radical for most people.

HOW DO WE ATTAIN SALVATION
--Jesus did the work for us...We just need to accept it and receive it.