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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.
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
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.
Galatians 3:26
"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,” says the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:18
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– John 1:12
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, <"Abba,> Father." Romans 8:15
Three truths about salvation:
All men need to be saved.
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
You have never met a person who was not guilty of sin. You have never met a person who was outside of these two categories: saved and lost.
We tend to separate people into “good, average, bad, horrible.” But God doesn’t measure things that way.
All men can be saved.
…We have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. 1 Timothy 4:10
You get to vote on whether or not you think this person can be saved… give me a thumbs up if you think they can, or a thumbs down if you think they can’t be saved – if they’ve gone too far.
First contestant: Lifelong thief, probably a murderer. (On the cross)
2nd contestant: Rich crooked IRS agent (Zaccheus)
3rd: prostitute. (Mary)
4th: possessed by 1,000 demons.(Gadarene)
You have never met an addict God couldn’t save. You have never met a child abuser God didn’t love. You have never seen a picture of a rapist that God didn’t love. The man we heard about in Austria this week who kept his daughter locked in the basement and raped her, fathering multiple children by her… God (as shocking as it is) loves that man, and Jesus died for him too.
You have never met someone so damaged by sin, so emotionally damaged as that girl probably is… yet she’s not so damaged that Jesus can’t save.
Most of us “aren’t that bad.” But sometimes, we’ve got things that we hide very deep inside.
It’s easy to say, “Anyone can be saved.” But is it really true for:
The girl who was abused at an early age… carries guilt (even though she wasn’t at fault) and so has slept around looking for love?
The guy who cheated on his wife?
The man who fathered children & feels like he can’t support them?
The woman who has ignored God for so long she can’t
The addict?
The compulsive liar?
The thief?
The answer is a resounding YES!!!! The truth is, we’re no different in God’s eyes than the man who kept his daughter locked in the basement. We’ve all sinned, and one sin is enough to cause a separation between us and God.
But we ALL can be forgiven. The bible says,
“Where sin abounded, grace abounded more!”
Some Christians believe
All men can know they are saved.
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
Romans 8:16
This is what we sang about when I told the story of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, and then we sang “Arise, My Soul, Arise.” Wesley came into a culture much like ours. People believe there is a God, they believe there is a Jesus, but they aren’t sure HOW to be saved, or if they can KNOW they are saved and right with God.
But Christians believe in this: Not a hope-so, think-so salvation – but a KNOW-SO salvation. We believe it is possible to be certain that, live or die, I am the Lord’s.
How to be saved:
1. Confess & Repent of your sin.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
2. Believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. John 3:18
3. Commit to Jesus Christ as your leader.
Whoever serves me must follow me; John 12:26
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)
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.
Salvation is God ______________________________________________.
How NOT to be saved: No one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law… Romans 3:20
Three things happen in one moment to someone who is saved:
1. Justification: I am _______________________________.
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
2. Regeneration: I am given a _______________________.
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 _________________________________.
You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26
"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,” says the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:18
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– John 1:12
Three truths about salvation:
All men ____________________________ saved.
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
All men _________________________ saved.
…We have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. 1 Timothy 4:10
“Where sin increased, grace increased all the more!” Romans 5:20
All men can ___________________________ saved.
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
Romans 8:16
How to be saved:
1. _______________________________ of your sin.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
2. __________________ in Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. John 3:18
3. ___________________ to Jesus Christ as your leader.
“Whoever serves me must follow me.” John 12:26
