We Believe: Salvation

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Today I want to look at salvation. What it is....what it means....and how one obtains it.

Last week we dove into repentance and I pray God showed you things you needed to repent of this past week and that you did in fact respond to God and repent of those things.

For the saved repentance leads to a closer more intimate relationship with God through Jesus

For the unsaved repentance leads to salvation.

Salvation doesn’t happen without repentance......180 degree turn from you and sin toward God.

As I said in the beginning of this series I want God to speak and teach us what We Believe as Christians.....His blood bought children.

God’s Word is how He does that. Now there are many, many scriptures that could be used this morning and if I used them all today we would be here for hours.

One of my prayers also in this series is that you begin or continue to connect the dots of scripture....you begin or continue to notice the theme of scripture....Jesus!!! You look for scripture to teach scripture

Jeremiah 31:31-34

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“Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—my covenant that they broke even though I am their master”—the Lord’s declaration. “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.”

Here we see God through Jeremiah telling of a new covenant that God will make with His people through Jesus. That covenant is salvation by grace through faith in Jesus’ atonement for your sins.

To understand this new covenant....a covenant that moves from physical blood lines to spiritual blood lines you have to understand grace before you can truly understand salvation.

Grace

The easy definition of grace is getting what we do not deserve.

What does grace do?

Grace is how you obtain salvation.

1. Salvation comes by Grace

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Ephesians 2:4-10

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“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.”

Salvation comes by grace. You have nothing to do with salvation. You can only respond to salvation. You can only have gratitude for salvation. You will have a cost associated with salvation that is for sure and you can never earn salvation

it can only be accepted because of the grace of God.

Grace is God’s free gift

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Verse 8 of Ephesians 2

You can’t earn gifts....you are given gifts because the person giving the gift wants to give it to you.

Grace cannot be bought

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Acts 8:18-21

“When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.”

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So many today want to buy their salvation. Not all with money but some do.....

I tithe.....

I always give at the special offerings....

I always give to the different fund raisers at church etc.

I even give to the homeless from time to time

Those are all great things that should happen as a result of salvation because of the gratitude you have to God for what He did to save you but they will never earn your salvation.

That is why Peter says your heart is not right with God because trying to buy salvation shows your heart.

There are even religions that say

do this many actions,

say this many prayers and

pay this much money and your sins will be forgiven......

that is not the gospel and therefore not true and will send you to hell if that is your belief.

You can not buy salvation you can only receive it.

Grace is a gift, Jesus paid the price for that gift by shedding His blood and dying in your place on the cross.....God freely offers you that gift Won’t you accept it?

2. Justification

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We will get more into justification later this morning but it is something that Grace does so I wanted to put it here as well

Turn to Romans 3 and we will look at three verses together

Romans 3:20

“For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”

Romans 3:24

“they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 3:28

“For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”

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You can’t keep the law well enough to be saved.

You can’t be a good enough person to be saved.

There is nothing you can do to be saved other than accept it.

Grace justifies you, removes you from the requirements of the law in terms of salvation.

Doesn’t remove the law but just the punishment you deserve because you broke the law by sinning.

What Is Salvation?

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We are going to look at 4 areas that will help us answer that question.

1. Redemption

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Redemption is God’s plan to redeem mankind

Exodus 13:13

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“You must redeem every firstborn of a donkey with a flock animal, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. However, you must redeem every firstborn among your sons.”

Here we see God telling His people to redeem all of their 1st born sons with a sacrifice from the flock. Bloodshed and death to pay their price. Redeemed

John 3:16

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“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Jesus came into the world to offer redemption. Jesus’ perfect life and death on the cross redeemed all of mankind

Think of redemption and salvation like a coupon.

You know the Wednesday paper usually has a supermarket add in it and it has coupons. Now that coupon has savings for everyone. It doesn’t say only those people named Sally can use this coupon. It doesn’t say to use this coupon you must be born into a certain family or bloodline.

No coupons are good for all people but the only people who get the savings are those who accept and use the coupon!

The same is true with salvation…freely offered to all but only those who accept it are saved

It is important to stop here and ask and answer this question:

Why did God have to have a redemption plan?

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Again we will turn to scripture to answer that questions

Romans 3:23

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“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;”

You, me, celebrities, rich, poor ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God

Romans 6:23

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“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The wages or price required to be paid because of that sin is death. The result of sin is death.

That is a price that you and I could not pay. Your death and my death are not enough to redeem us!

So Jesus died in my place....died in your place. Jesus’ death redeems all of us if we accept it.

Hebrews 9:11-15

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“But Christ has appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation), he entered the most holy place once for all time, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God? Therefore, he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance, because a death has taken place for redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”

Jesus died once for all mankind. His death was sufficient for all who ever have, are walking and will walk the earth.

I Corinthians 6:19-20

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“Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.”

We spoke last week of repentance and I said I don’t believe there is salvation without repentance. This is one of the verses that points me in that direction.

Repentance is realizing what you are is not enough.

You are a sinner

you are going to die and go to hell because of that sin so you turn to God.

You are bought....redeemed at a price.

You are no longer your own…repentance walking and living in that redemption not to earn it but because of the price Jesus paid to redeem you

2. Justification

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Justification means made right to be close to God.

God cannot stand sin. You have, do and will sin so therefore you must be justified to be close to God

Justification is a legal term meaning to impute innocence.

You are guilty.

I am guilty

we deserve death and hell and eternal separation from God

but if you will accept Jesus you get heaven and eternity in God’s presence.

That is justification. Jesus imputing His innocence on you.

I Corinthians 15:3-4

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“For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

It is Christ that saves.

It is because of His death and His burial and His Resurrection that through grace you can die with Christ, be buried with Christ and join Him in resurrection at the time appointed by God.

Galatians 3:8

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“Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and proclaimed the gospel ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you.”

Jesus death and resurrection was not just for those of the Old Testament but also for those, you and me, of the New Testament. We are saved by grace through faith…what faith....faith that Jesus is who He says He is....that He lived…He died....He rose again and offers forgiveness of sins because of His death.

When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior you are justified. Nothing you have ever done, are doing, or will do can separate you from the love of Jesus.

Nothing you have ever done, are doing, or will do, except walking away from Jesus can ever separate you from your salvation.

You are Justified in Christ.

3. Regeneration

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Transformed from old self into new spiritual self

II Corinthians 5:17

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“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!”

If you have accepted Christ you are a new creation.

Not should be a new creation you ARE a new creation.

You must be regenerated into new!

How are you regenerated? God is how. Prayer is how. Studying and applying scripture is how. Jesus is how

Psalms 51:10-12

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“God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.”

First you have to want to be regenerated. Again when you realize what Jesus did to offer you salvation....what grace means you repent, one way you repent is to pray to God to create a new clean heart inside of you.

David messed up ALOT but he always ran to God for forgiveness and to be cleansed because he realized what that sin did to God…what that sin did to his relationship with God…that is why God called him a man after His own heart.

John 3:3

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“Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.””

Born again. New. You are no longer who you were before Jesus. Nothing to do with you but because of this once you accept it you have things you must do to grow and mature in Christ.

Ephesians 4:22-24

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“to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.”

Put off the old self and put on the new self. Here is where the argument of works comes into play.

Some say you can be saved by your works. Some say you do works because you are saved. Is this just words.....smooth talking. No. It is very important to be able to understand and apply this truth

Romans 6:1-4

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“What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.”

Being regenerated you understand that yes you will sin. It is your human, evil nature to sin and you will lose the battle between your flesh and your spirit and sin will result.

That however is no reason to keep sinning.

You are to fight sin.

You are to fight temptation with the Word of God.

If you lose that fight you are to repent.

Run to God out of sorrow for breaking His law.

Out of sorrow for saying that Jesus was not enough for you in that moment.

Not sorrow because you got caught or sorrow because you are experiencing consequences of your sin.....no sorrow you rejected God and chose satan by sinning.

Grace and salvation are not a license to continue to sin but a spotlight shinning on the fact that because of what Jesus did you are new.

4. Sanctification

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Sanctification is human holiness and righteousness.

Philippians 2:12

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“Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

Work out your own salvation.......that is not saying work to gain salvation

no you can only accept it but you work as a result of your salvation.

I have been called to be a pastor. That is working out my salvation. I am called to do and think and give up things.....the list goes on and on but because of my calling working out my salvation is different than someone else’s. Not more important but different

we all have our own salvation to work out.

I was at a funeral of a friend who was Christian....He knew Jesus but He did attend a Catholic church and one thing that really struck me....it was the first Catholic funeral in a Catholic church that I had ever attended.....was when they swung the incense and were praying for God to accept him into heaven right then and there.

No his salvation was worked out long before he was in the casket.

Once you die it is over.

You are who you are and belong to who you belong at that point, satan or God.

Those prayers, even though very passionate and full of love did nothing for Him.

You can’t work out your kids or your spouses, or your parents or whoever’s salvation. Only they can and only you can.

I Peter 1:13-16

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“Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.”

Here is another call to quit living for the world and claiming to be Christian.

Be holy as the one who called you is holy. You will fail at this but you must try to be holy.

This looks very different for each of us and in fact will look very different at different stages of your life.

The more you dig into God’s Word and the more you move from milk to meat the more holy you become.

Not because of you but because you replace more of you with Jesus!!!!!!

II Corinthians 4:16

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“Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.”

This is a life long process that continues until you reach heaven.

Each day your inner person is being renewed…Praise God for that.

You can also choose to reject that renewal or miss it altogether by ignoring God, not being in His word and prayer everyday.

Romans 12:1-2

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“Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

Living sacrifices.

Salvation is free to accept.

Grace is free to accept

but make no mistake about it repentance and salvation will cost you dearly.

You are to die to yourself,

your desires,

your wants,

your nature in order to be filled with God’s Spirit and be more like Him everyday.

You must also die to the world, the Bible says to be a friend of the world is to be the enemy of God and to be the friend of God means you are an enemy of the world.

That will cost you. It will cost you

Friends

Maybe some family

Jobs

Money

Time

Energy

If God is truly first in your life then your life will be centered around God. So many struggle just to make it to church each and every week if that is you can you truly say God is the center of your life?

Are you friends with God and an enemy of the world, if so you will feel it because the world will hate you and attack you and take everything it can from you

If you are friends with the world and an enemy of God your worldly, daily life may seem easy because the world loves you but your insides are torn up

Your are at war with yourself

You feel God calling you but you refuse to die to yourself

It is time that God’s Children start living like God and not the world.

If you are here and saved today do you truly live a life of repentance?

A life of sacrifice.

A life working to be more like Jesus and less like you everyday?

Is there proof in terms of Spiritual fruit being produced in your life?

If not repent. Bring it to Jesus. Leave it at the foot of the cross and leave here living for Jesus

Maybe you are here today and you have not accepted the free gift of salvation. Wont you come. Today is YOUR day!!!!!!

Invitation song