Salvation (Click "Salvation" for audio access)
"Foundations, Part One" • 1.8.12 •
Sunday Morning Service, Calvary Christian Fellowship
Intro.
- To speak
about the topic of salvation, one would not be guilty of overstating if they
said that this was the single greatest topic that the world has ever known, if
only for the terms involved.
- The term
"salvation," If you looked it up in the dictionary, will read
something along this line: "the act
of saving
or protecting from harm, risk, loss,
destruction, etc."
- When a
Christian uses the term salvation, there are definite nuances that need to be
acknowledged, in terms of what the Christian Bible says.
- To a
Christian, salvation is God's rescue mission that He accomplishes on behalf of
His people. Salvation, at least in the most basic of terms, is one part
deliverance and one part reward.
• Colossians 1:11b-14 (NLT) : "May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has
enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in
the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred
us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and
forgave our sins."
- Salvation
means first, that a person is delivered from their sins, which we will discuss
in a moment. Second, salvation points to a reward that is yet future to us,
even beyond this life.
- We have these
two poles dealing with our past and our future, yet salvation is also about
this present moment and what it is effecting in you.
- Tonight, I
want to delve into this topic. I can only pray that after this study, you will
have the beginnings of a firm grasp of what God's salvation means.
- We'll begin
with the question, "Why is it that
we need salvation?"
Text
- We need salvation,
simply because we are all infected with something the Bible calls "sin."
˚ "Sin
is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature. Sin is here
defined in relation to God and his moral law. Sin includes not only individual acts such as stealing or lying or
committing murder, but also attitudes that
are contrary to the attitudes God requires of us." Wayne Grudem
- Sin, the
word, refers literally to "missing the mark," a term borrowed from
the world of archery. The mark, the standard that God sets for His people is
perfection. Anyone perfect!?
- You can turn
in your Bibles to Romans 3 and the
author will explain just how bad it is.
• Romans
3:10-13 & 23 :
"As it is written:
'There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have
together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.' Their
throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit'... For all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God." : "All have sinned."
"There are none righteous." "There are none who seeks after
God!" This is fairly simple to comprehend: Humanity, before God, is in a
bad way.
- We could categorically
say that salvation is necessary because entrance into eternal relationship with
Christ requires something that we do not possess: Righteousness!
- Sin is not just a mistake that one
makes or a moral failure, though both are expressions of sin. Sin refers to what
we are intrinsically.
- The bible
tells us that because of sin, prior to salvation, we are God's enemies, at war
with Him, openly hostile toward God. (Romans
5:6-11.)
- When a sinful
nature expresses itself that action is offensive to God, who is completely
holy.
- You might not
consider yourself rebellious, but consider this: I am telling you that God in
the scriptures tells you that you must submit yourself to Him in order to be
saved. How do you respond?
- That
immediate impulse to fight and say, "I don't need to do anything
different!" is the innate sin nature rearing it's ugly head.
- You inherited
a sinful nature from your parents, you have nurtured a sinful life prior to
Christ and you will pass it on to your children whether you have been saved or
not!
- There are no
exceptions. Sure, one might be a greater sinner than another, in terms of what
we are able to observe in this world.
- A murderer in
our society is considered on another level than a man or woman who has a problem
with coveting. However, each sinner, once all of the externals are stripped
away, is a rebel.
- Herein lies
the crux of the problem: Man is hopelessly enslaved to sin and God cannot allow
sin or unrighteousness to exist in His holy presence.
- God hates sin
because it by it's very nature, represents everything that God opposes. God
brings life, sin brings death (Romans
6:23) .
- God demands
holiness, sin caters to that which is unholy and unrighteous in this world.
- God wants to
rule the heart of mankind, but sin is the slave master controller.
- God's hatred
of sin then will one day be fully expressed in His wrath against those who
allow sin to be their master for life, as he allows unrepentant sinners to
experience His holy wrath forever.
- Turn to Romans 1. If there was ever a doubt
regarding God's feelings about sin, this chapter provides a fully orbed picture
of God's emotions. Lacking for time, let me highlight.
• Romans
1:18,24,26, 28-32 :
"For the wrath of
God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,
who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 24 Therefore God also
gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their
bodies among themselves, 26 For this reason God gave them up to vile
passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against
nature. 28-32 And even as they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are
not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit,
evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning,
untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous
judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death,
not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them." :That is the problem. That is why we need a Deliverer.
At this point, all religious systems devise a way for self-salvation, either
through works of the law or church traditions of men.
- However, a
cursory glance at God's law reveals to us the impossibility of keeping it!
God's law was never meant to save. It was meant to expose. It is meant to show
you that you your need.
- When I have
talked with people in the streets, I have taken them through 2 or 3 key
commandments found in Exodus 20 and all
are exposed right there.
- This method,
as far as I am aware, was demonstrated to me via Ray Comfort's classic work
"Hell's Best Kept Secret" which I wholeheartedly recommend.
- I begin by
asking that person if they have ever lied. Most will admit after prodding that
they have. Next, I move onto stealing.
- Most deny
that they've stolen anything, but I remind them of their recent admission that
they have lied in the past!
- From there I
move onto murder and finally adultery, both of which are heart attitudes
according to Jesus Christ in the Sermon on The Mount.
- By this time
a person is fairly convinced that they are lying, thieving, murderers and
adulterers! Looking at the mirror of the law produces shame and a certain sense
of dread.
- Why? Because
the law is unforgiving. You cannot flatter yourself when you look at reality
and the reality is a stark contrast to what you had believed about yourself
just seconds before.
- Usually, that
person acknowledges that they are indeed sinners. For some, it's a stark
revelation, to others, what was once a hint is now clearly defineable.
- I then ask
them, "If I held you by a ten link chain over the grand canyon, how man
would you want to break? Most realize that the law broken at one point, damns
them before God.
- Keeping the
law won't do it. Working to balance your good and bad works won't do it!
- Only
Christianity points exclusively to faith in Christ! Christians believe that
salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone!
- Now, this
naturally leads us to "What must a
person do to be saved?" God has determined the terms for surrender. He
calls men, women and children everywhere to believe upon Jesus Christ.
- Consider
these verses that are essential for understanding this truth.
• Acts
4:10-12 : "let it be known to you all, and to all the
people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you
crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before
you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has
become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other,
for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be
saved.'"
• John
3:16 : "For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life."
- God calls you
and I to believe in His Son, the representation of righteousness, the Holy One,
who died on your behalf, was buried and was then resurrected, ascending to the
Father 40 days later.
- As we have
noted in Acts 4:12, the name of
Jesus Christ, the representative from God the Father, God the Son, died because
of your sins.
- All of the
wrath that the sins committed by God's people for all time, has been absorbed
in Jesus Christ. For those who have trusted in Christ, God has no more wrath
for their sins.
- Turn if you
will, to I John 2. This verse is
critical in understanding what the cross means.
• I
John 2:1,2 : "My little children, these things I write to
you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our
sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." : Jesus Christ lived a perfect life according
to God's law so that God might treat you as though you lived His life! When
Jesus took your wrath, you received His righteousness! Turn over to Romans 4. Listen to what your faith in
Christ accomplishes.
• Romans
4:4-8 : "Now to him
who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does
not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted
for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of
the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 'Blessed are those
whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the
man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.'"
- His righteous
clothes were put upon you! You were at that point, declared righteous before
God! He died to take your sins and that His righteousness might be accounted to
you!
- He raised
from death so that the world would know who He was. He ascended to the Father
to stand as our Advocate, our lawyer.
- The sense is
that Jesus stands there to defend us, pointing to Himself, saying of Himself,
"I have satisfied the Holy wrath of God for them because they have
believed!"
- These are
gospel events that Christians believe. But how do you know that you have
believed? What are standard signs that you have believed.
- First, in
your heart and mind, you have fully trusted God regarding what He has said
about Jesus. You acknowledge it's truth mentally.
- Perhaps you
began to believe when someone witnessed to you or you heard a message on
television. At some point, you believed God.
- Second, in
your actions and speech, you have turned or repented from anything that you
already know displeases God.
- If you
believe in Christ, you have already begun to turn away from sin, knowing that
it's not something that will help you to love God!
- Third, in
your desires and appetites, there is a need to feed! Your curiosity is piqued.
You want to know more about God. You desire to meet people who can feed that in
you.
- Christians
call this "study of the scriptures" and "fellowship" and
they are marks of a truly converted person to Christ.
- This brings
us to our final question: "What happens to a person who is saved?"
We'll begin by synthesizing what we have just said.
- First,
salvation is a change of position.
In theological terms, this is called, "Justification."
- In the mind
of God, a legal transaction has taken place and you have been moved from one
line or category to another.
- As we saw in Colossians 1:13 that God has rescued us
from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of His Son. Ephesians 5:8a says "You once were darkness but now you are
light!"
- You were once
considered sinners only. Now you are sinners, who are saints! You once were
dead in trespasses and sins, but now, God has made you alive to Him! (Ephesians 2:1)
- You had been
a slave to sin, but are now a slave to righteousness! Listen to Romans 6:22.
• Romans
6:22 : "But now having been set free from sin, and
having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end,
everlasting life."
- Second,
moving from the past to the present, salvation is a change of possession. In theological terms, this is called
"Sanctification."
- God has not
just transferred you from one place to another only to leave you to figure it
out!
- The Bible
tells us that God has given us His Spirit to live in and through our lives.
- Turn over to John 16. Jesus announces what will
happen after He leaves the disciples.
• John
16:7-13 : "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to
your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not
come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He
will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin,
because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father
and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However,
when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for
He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak;
and He will tell you things to come."
- Jesus
announced this promise to the disciples and then, 40 days after His ascenscion,
the Holy Spirit came, baptizing the believers and filling the church with
power!
- He is here to
do the same for you, convicting you of sin when you have sinned, speaking to
you of things that are right for you to do and giving you the power to discern
God's judgments.
- The Holy
Spirit comes upon believers (Acts 2),
He governs in the church, He fills believers for acts of service and gives
power to them so that they might witness!
- When you came
to Christ, the Holy Spirit came to live in you and He began a work of
conforming your character to Christ!
- Because He
lives in you, when you sin, all you need to do is confess, say the same thing
that His Word says, and you will be cleansed. (I John 1:9)
- Finally,
salvation means that you have a certainty
of place! In theological terms, this is called
"glorification!" However, it is more commonly known as
"heaven."
• Romans
8:28-30 : "And we know that all things work together for
good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His
purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image
of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom
He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified;
and whom He justified, these He also glorified." : Paul tells us that God has been working all along to bring you
to Himself!
- Tonight, if
you have come to Christ, and His Spirit indwells you, your future is secure
because God cannot fail! Every promise that God has ever made, He has
fulfilled!
- Turn with me
to John 14. Jesus has made a promise
to His church that stands to this day and points to this reality.
• John
14:1-3 : "Let not your heart be troubled; you 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 to Myself; that
where I am, there you may be also."
: Jesus ascended to heaven to be
our lawyer and to be our contractor! He's preparing a place for us now, so that
He can bring us and fulfill every promise to us for eternity!
- That is the
glory of salvation! In justification, Jesus has removed the penalty of our sins
by becoming sin for us. In sanctification, God's Spirit is removing the power
of sin from our lives.
- In
glorification, God promises that we will be removed from the presence of sin
forever!
Conclusion
- Salvation is
such a glorious topic that I can talk about for days. God's love, Christ's
obedience and the Holy Spirit's faitfhulness are more than we need to live this
life for the Lord.
- I pray that
in whatever state you find yourself tonight, whether brand new believer or aged
veteran, that His salvation will again lift your heart to His in thanksgiving.
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