INTRODUCTION
* “Gifts You Won’t Find Under the Tree*
* The gift of salvation is unique because of its source: God himself
* Salvation is the greatest of all gifts: it is the greatest theme in Scripture (both OT and NT)
* Salvation is referred to as a gift for many reasons: our text points out three...
1. Salvation is a gift because of what is delivers us from (v. 1-3)
- Verse 1, “you were” = Before & After
A. Without this gift, we are dead (v. 1)
* Transgressions = falling aside when one should have stood upright
* Sins = to miss the mark; to wander from the right path; to do or go wrong
* Natural consequence of sin = death
* Spiritual death without God’s intervention
B. Without this gift, we are deceived (v. 2a)
* Our lives were lived with a sinful attitude; we were deceived by this world because the world is the enemy of God
* Without the first Christmas, we would still be deceived and unaware of our need for God
C. Without this gift, we are disobedient (v. 2b)
* Before Christ our nature and character was influenced by the spirit that prompts people to disobey God
* Our sin caused us to ignore and disobey the will of God for our lives
D. Without this gift, we are defiled (v. 3a)
* We were controlled by our natural desires: our flesh
* Nothing about our lives was acceptable - 100% defilement
E. Without this gift, we were doomed (v. 3b)
* “objects” = children by natural descent; born of sinful parents, into a sin-cursed world, with a nature bent to sin and exposed to God’s wrath
* Before Christ: without Christ, without God, and without hope = DOOMED
- We WERE...but we no longer have to be exposed to these things because of the gift of salvation
2. Salvation is a gift because of Who it points us to (v. 4-9)
- Verse 4, “But...” = the dark side of sin can be overcome by the work of Jesus Christ
- Salvation points us to Jesus Christ; what Paul said Christ gave us when he provided salvation for us...
A. With this gift, God gave us love (v. 4)
* John 3:16 = agape love
* Christ showed love by his mercy
* His mercy is continuous = Lamentations 3:22-23
B. With this gift, God gave us life (v. 5)
* We were dead, but now have life!
* John 5:24
C. With this gift, God gave us liberty (v. 6)
* Liberty = freedom from the power of sin
* Salvation gives us a new perspective on life
* Colossians 3:1-2
* Why God gives this gift (v. 7) = to point people to Jesus
* How God gives this gift (v. 8-9) = grace
3. Salvation is a gift because of what it encourages us to do (v. 10)
* Workmanship = a piece of art
* We do not serve in order to be saved, but because we have been saved
CONCLUSION
* Only thing keeping many from this gift is their choice to receive it...
* John 1:12
