Sermon Central
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The Gift We Receive, The Life We Live Series
Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Feb 21, 2026 (message contributor)
Summary: The God who saved you is the God who shapes you. The Christ who redeemed you is the Christ who renews you. The Spirit who sealed you is the Spirit who strengthens you. Salvation is received in a moment. Salvation is revealed over a lifetime.
BIG IDEA: SALVATION IS RECEIVED IN A MOMENT BUT REVEALED OVER A LIFETIME.
OPENING ILLUSTRATION: THE HOUSE AND THE HOME
Imagine someone giving you a fully paid-for house. The deed is in your name. You didn’t earn it. You didn’t negotiate for it. You simply received it.
But receiving a house is not the same as making it a home.
• A house is given in a moment.
• A home is built day by day.
• You can own the house and still live like a visitor.
• You can have the keys and still never move in.
• You can possess the gift and still fail to enjoy its fullness.
Salvation is like that.
WE HAVE A PROBLEM:
• “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
• “The wages of sin is death …” (Romans 6:23)
GOD HAS THE SOLUTION:
• “… but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
God gives it FULLY, FREELY, and FINALLY through Christ.
But then He invites us to move in—to inhabit the life He purchased, to furnish it with obedience, to fill it with His presence, and to let every room reflect His glory.
Paul captures this tension beautifully:
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12–13).
• We don’t work for salvation.
• We work out what God has already worked in.
WHAT IS THE GIFT OF SALVATION?
1. SALVATION IS A DIVINE RESCUE, NOT A HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT (Ephesians 2:8–9)
• Salvation is not a spiritual improvement project.
• It is not God helping good people become better.
• It is God raising dead people to life.
Paul says we are saved by grace, through faith, not of works, so no one can boast.
Grace means God moved toward us when we could not move toward Him.
Faith means we trust what Christ has done, not what we can do.
Not of works means salvation is not a paycheck—it’s a gift.
ILLUSTRATION: The Drowning Swimmer
A lifeguard once explained that the hardest person to save is the one who keeps trying to save themselves. They flail, fight, and resist. Only when they stop striving can the rescuer take hold.
Human effort doesn’t assist salvation—it interferes with it. We are saved when we stop fighting and let Christ hold us.
2. SALVATION IS A NEW IDENTITY, NOT JUST A NEW DESTINY (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Salvation is not merely a ticket to heaven.
It is a transformation of who we are right now.
Paul says we become a new creation.
• Not improved.
• Not upgraded.
• Not polished.
• New.
God doesn’t just change YOUR FUTURE—He changes YOUR NATURE.
ILLUSTRATION: The Adopted Child
When a child is adopted, their legal status changes instantly. They belong. They are chosen. They are family. But it may take time for their heart to catch up with their new identity. They may still act like an orphan even though they are a son or daughter.
Many believers live with an orphan mindset even though they have a Father.
Salvation gives you a new identity—now you must learn to live like it.
3. SALVATION IS A DAILY WALK, NOT A ONE-TIME EVENT (Philippians 2:12–13)
• Paul says, “Work out your salvation.”
• He does not say, “Work for your salvation.”
To “work out” means to bring something to its full expression—like working out a math problem, working out a muscle, or working out a garden.
• God plants salvation in you.
• You cultivate it.
• God works in you.
• You work it out.
This is not self-effort—it is Spirit-enabled obedience.
ILLUSTRATION: The Gym Membership
• A gym membership gives you access, but it doesn’t give you muscles.
• You can own the membership and still be out of shape.
• The membership is the gift.
• The workout is the response.
Salvation gives you access to God’s power. Working it out builds spiritual strength.
4. SALVATION PRODUCES A NEW WAY OF LIVING (Titus 2:11–12)
Paul says the grace that saves us also trains us.
• Grace is not just pardon—it is power.
• Grace doesn’t just forgive—it forms.
• Grace teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and “yes” to righteousness.
If salvation hasn’t changed your lifestyle, it hasn’t reached your heart.
ILLUSTRATION: The New Uniform
A soldier receives a uniform on day one.
The uniform identifies them, but it doesn’t yet reflect discipline, training, or character.
Over time, the uniform becomes a symbol of who they have become.
