#6 - Salvation: God Saves Series

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#6 – Salvation

SONGS: It Is Well With My Soul

Arise, My Soul, Arise

He Touched Me?

Special Music: He Forgave Me

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12-13

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin…? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:18-19

Salvation is God repairing what sin damaged.

The consequences of Sin:

 Spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1)

 Sentenced to physical death. (Gen. 3:19, Romans 6:23)

 Separated from God. (Eph. 2:12)

 Domination of your will. (Eph. 2:1-3)

 Spiritual blindness (2 Cor. 4:3-4)

 Without understanding (Romans 3:11)

 Enemies of Christ (Matt. 12:30)

 Objects of God’s wrath (Eph. 2:3)

 Considered children of the Devil (John 8:44)

(From “Foundations” -- Warren/Holladay, Zondervan)

In short, sin did 3 things when it entered the world and the human race:

1. Bound your will as a slave to sin.

2. Separated you from God.

3. Damaged God’s creation.

Can God fix all this? Sin has you bound, separated from Him, the entire universe cursed and damaged because of sin?

Salvation is the WHOLE process of God fixing what sin damaged. We’re going to study in the next couple sermons how God will solve the problems through Jesus & the church…

 Problem: Unholy Man

o Solution: Jesus’ death

 Problem: Unholy Society

o Solution: The Church

 Problem: Damaged creation

o Solution: New heavens and a new earth

God knew in his wisdom that all this would happen, so he made a plan to deal with the consequences of sin.

Bring up 3 volunteers.

One is bound to a chair, on one side of the platform.

Islam says, “Work harder! Pray & make pilgrimages! Make yourself better.”

Catholicism says, “Give money, do penance, light candles.”

Humanism says, “You’re not really bound, you just think you are.”

Buddhism says, “Meditate and free yourself –realize there is no chair, no ropes, and really, no you.”

Christianity says, “God sent his Son to free you.”

What is “Salvation?”

Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. Psalm 143:2

But how can a mortal be righteous before God? Job 9:2

We use these words: Saved, born again, forgiven, becoming a child of God, becoming a follower of Jesus, becoming a believer… they all mean SALVATION…

What does it mean to be a Christian?

Here are some things it is not:

> attending church (though you will, if you’re a Christian)

> helping more people

> turning over a new leaf

> making some changes in my life.

Don’t misunderstand me, you WILL do these things if you get saved. It will change you, trust me! But these things are the FRUIT of salvation, not the ROOT.

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

Romans 3:20

Saved from WHAT?

Saved means:

1. Saved from God’s punishment.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! Romans 5:9

2. Saved from sin’s power.

For we know that our old self was crucified with him... that we should no longer be slaves to sin Romans 6:6

3. Saved from my own nature.

Job 5:7 Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.

Three things happen in one moment to someone who is saved:

1. Justification: I am declared not guilty.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2

Courtroom… judge God, prosecutor Satan, lawyer Jesus, defendant YOU…

2. Regeneration: I am given a pure, new life.

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." John 3:3

[God] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:5

3. Adoption: I am adopted into God’s family.

You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.