The Blessing of Salvation
In that we can earn. A very important theological point, you know, we could never be good enough for work hard enough to deserve the gift of salvation. But yet it is a freely available to all And that is both a beautiful and a very humbling truth. That sound patient is a free gift given to us out of God's abundant grace and his love. And it's not based On our own Merit is based entirely on his Mercy. And today we're going to start a series counting every blessing and you know, we're going to start it out by reflecting on this greatest blessing of all salvation. But it's going to be a series that is actually going to carry us through till after Christmas. Because as I was looking and preparing it this series on, Being basically thankful for the blessings. We have I realize that the last one I was coming up with was hope the blessing of hope that we have. And wouldn't, you know it, that that is the first part of Advent, when we start into the first candle is Hope and they were hitting on the same Sunday. So I thought looks like we're continuing this series longer and you will see how they just roll into each other and You know, today I want us to look at the fact that, you know, Salvation isn't just about the idea of each of us securing our spot in heaven. Yo. It's about being transformed here. And now today realizing that salvation is something that comes to us. Now it's about being that New Creation in Christ.
And I think that what I want you to keep in mind today as I begin, this message is that salvation is more than just our future hope. It is our present reality also, and we need to remember that. So we're going to begin by looking what what? Paul says in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 4 through 9. The first point is that we are saved by grace not by works.
You know, it's a point that I have made many time and many sermons, but you know, fishes chapter two paints, a beautiful picture. Of our condition before salvation. You don't think it sounds beautiful, but if you tie it with the rest of it is, cuz it Paints the picture that We were dead in our sins. not just misguided, not just misled, but
Dead people can't bring themselves back to life. We do not have the power to do that. We don't have that capacity, you know. And that's good because it helps us to realize that there is nothing that we can do to change that fact on our own, within our own power. It has to come from something outside of us. No good deed, or religious act or religious ceremony. Can change that.
Paul writes in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 4 and 5. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in Mercy made us alive with Christ. Even when we were dead in transgressions, It Is by Grace, you have been saved. you know, it's the grace that unmerited favor of God that brings us salvation that saves us
All too often in our American culture of earning everything or feeling that you're entitled to everything. You know, we think that it's going to be what we do or who we are that earns us that favor. Well, that's not the case. When it comes to Salvation. Nothing that we could ever do or nothing that we could ever say would make us worthy of God's salvation on her own. And that's the point. Salvation is a free gift that is available to everyone because of God's mercy.
men, think about it this way, if Someone came up to you and said, you know what, I'm going to erase all of your debt. You would really like that person, wouldn't you? If they walked up to you and they said Not only, am I going to get rid of every penny of financial debt you have, but I'm going to wipe out any of your emotional debt and hurt. That's there. Any spiritual debt or hurt that? They're all of, it's gone.
What would you say then? I think most of us would be speechless at that point. We wouldn't know what to say.
I mean, I don't even know how you would begin to respond because Most of us you know, if someone said they were going to wipe out our financial debt, okay, we might be able to repay them overtime. Most certainly not all at once because if we could we wouldn't have the debt, right? So there's that. But then how do you repay for emotional debt? How do you repay for Spiritual death? That's there. You can't. But again, like I said, that's the point. We're not supposed to be a comp able to accomplish that on her own. So instead of trying to earn our way into God's favor, we're invited to live in the freedom that that Grace was designed to bring us. Yeah, that's our response or is Paul says in Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2. Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters in view of God's. Mercy to offer your bodies as living as a Living Sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, This is your true and proper worship, do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you'll be able to approve. What God's will is his good pleasing and perfect will
Did you catch that line in there that this is your true and proper worship. Some translations say, this is your true act of worship.
I mean, what would our lives look like how would they look different if we stopped striving to earn God's approval? If we stop striving to earn God's acceptance, then what if we actually embrace the fact that You already have it. When you were saved by God's grace, you were approved by him. You were accepted by him. You don't have to keep striving to get it. Cuz you didn't have to in the first place. It was a gift that was freely given to you. Now, you need to embrace it and live like it.
You embrace the fact that God loves you, not because of what you've done, but because of who he is and what he's already done.
What he's already done on your behalf, that's what we have to embrace.
The second point I want to make is that salvation is a new beginning.
a passage that gives another powerful reminder of what salvation means is in Titus Chapter 3 verses 3 through 5 where it says At one time, we too were foolish disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in Malice and envy being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God, our savior appeared, he saved us. Not because of righteousness, we had done but because of his Mercy he saved us through the washing of rebirth and Renewal by the Holy Spirit.
You know, this passage doesn't just tell us what God saved us from. It tells us what he saved us for. You know, Salvation is not just about being forgiven you all too. Often we take it out its face value and we think that's all that it's about. But Salvation is about being made new. It's about transformation. That is supposed to take place in our lives. The old self with its sinful desires, misguided. Pursuits of things that we think will make us acceptable to God or make us happy or approved by others are approved by God. Those things are gone.
It's through the working of the holy spirit in our lives, that God renews each and everyone of us.
We are reborn in that new birth marks the beginning of a new life, a life that reflects the character of Christ. And that is the Here. And Now part of salvation,
I mean think about a caterpillar, he like it spins the early part of its life crawling around on the ground and leaves, right? Not a very beautiful thing. You might call it cute but not really beautiful. and then it enters into a chrysalis and it, you know, there's this miraculous transformation that takes place and it emerges as Not a chubby caterpillar anymore but a beautiful and graceful butterfly. It flies source and its entire Nature has changed from what it was once before. That's what salvation is meant to do in each of us. Take us from what we formerly were and transform us into the end result of what. God intends for us to be. You know, we're no longer the same people that we were before we encounter Christ, we are New Creations in him.
Probably the most popular verse in scripture about that, 2nd Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any wasn't one is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone. The new is here.
so want you guys to ask yourselves today, am I living like someone who's been made new, am I living like someone who is a new creation or am I allowing myself to be sucked back into my old ways? My old patterns before I really knew Christ.
You know, are there parts of our life? That just seem to keep coming back are there parts of our life? We haven't surrendered?
remember salvation is More than just a future promise. It's a present reality. And we have to allow God to continue to transform us day by day. in each, and every way that he needs to
And we got to see Kim on the good days. Let me cut a cecum on the bad days. We need to praise him on the good days, we need to praise him even more on the bad days. Knowing that he's with us through it all to the very end. you know, if you remember the last part of the Great Commission in Matthew, 28 verse 20, the very last half of that versus and I am with you always to the very end of the age.
You know, Jesus knew when he made that statement, what all they were going to encounter.
But one of them to know I am with you always.
the third point is that salvation is available to all if we go back to Ephesians chapter 2, now starting up in verse 8.
You know, Paul reminds us about this grace. When he writes for it is by Grace, you have been saved through faith and this is not from yourselves. It is the gift of God not by works so that no one can boast.
And you know, that is something very important for us to remember. I mean, if we look at it in light of Jesus's context and really Paul's context, a lot of the time, what was part of the problem? They were dealing with with the Pharisees? The Pharisees thought, they were the only ones who were good enough, they thought they were the only ones that God was going to save. But Salvation isn't something that's reserved for a select few. God's grace is available to anyone who believes no one is excluded based on their background, their Pastor, their failures. The gospel message is the one and only thing that it is, truly all inclusive. It is meant for everyone. It, welcomes the center, it welcomes, those who are broken it welcomes, those who are lost. Doesn't matter what faith you were before, or what life, you might have lived before. The gospel is available to anyone. It is an open invitation to anyone, who will receive it.
Me just imagine for a little while a great banquet where everyone's invited to come in and you know, there's just tables full of food. So you know, it's like a basic carrying, right? Tables. Full of way too much, delicious food. Doors are wide open for everyone. To come in. Everyone's invited to come in. Regardless of what their social status or what they've done, everyone's invited to have a seat at the table.
Now, that is an image of God's salvation. There's a seat at the table for everyone and just like the invitation to a banquet where we invite everyone who's present to come and join it. Salvation is the same way. Everyone has an invitation to it. It is freely offered to everyone.
You know, Matt was saying in his planning for the campus life banquet, that's where some of the office, ladies for getting a little frustrated with him because he wouldn't give him a solid number. NyQuil. How many people have you invited? He said, everyone. That's his number, he would give them everyone. But, you know, that's true. Everyone's invited and he's trusting there will be enough cheesecake for all who choose to stay tonight and enjoy it. She was followers of Christ. We must not forget that we are also messengers of this invitation
You know, we need to know that we are supposed to be sharing the message of the grace that we have so freely received with others. I'm sure all of us can think of someone in our life that needs to hear that a message of Grace. I mean someone that we know needs to know that God's love is available to them.
You know, there's people in our lives that unfortunately, we all can get so frustrated with someone that we get to a point where we basically have written them off, right? We think there is no hope for that person.
I'm glad Jesus never felt that way. I never thought that way because there is hope for everyone always
We need to commit ourselves to sharing the blessing of Salvation with those around us. Just as freely as God did with us, we've been freely given. We need to freely, give it away and share it with everyone. We come into contact with This week, I want to give you three practical steps to live out the blessing of salvation. The first one is to embrace that Grace. You'll take time each day this week to remind yourself that you don't need to earn God's favor. You already have it. It's a gift that's been given to you. So when you feel the temptation to measure your worth, by what you're doing or what you've accomplished realize that is not where you're were Falls at all.
You're worth Falls and who God created you to be.
And your salvation isn't based off of any of that. It's based off of God's unbiased love for all of humanity.
The second one is to live as a new creation. You don't reflect on areas of your life where you need to experience transformation. We all have them. May not want to think we do, but we all have areas where we could be better in our lives areas that we haven't fully surrender to Christ to allow him to transform us as he needs to. Think of those areas and realize that. When you don't release those areas of your life, really, the only person you're robbing is yourself. Cuz you're not experiencing the true joy and freedom that God wants for you because you won't surrender it all to him. Ask God to help you to live in that freedom in renew. That Spirit of Salvation within you.
And the last one is to share the gift of salvation. You know, look for opportunities, to share the message of Grace with those around you. Maybe it will just come in showing that person. that least deserves to be shown Grace that you work with or maybe you live with choosing to show them Grace. Because God showed you Grace and maybe when they question it. You know, it doesn't matter if it came through a conversation, a kind gesture or just an invitation to go to lunch or maybe invited him to something at church.
Let them know that you freely gave them Grace, because Grace was freely given to you. And that can transform people's lives. Please pray with me.
Gracious. God, we thank you for the gift of Salvation that we could never earn on her own. Help us to live in gratitude for your mercy and Grace, transformed by the love. You have shown us through Jesus Christ, your son. Amen.
