The Tragedy Of Ignoring So Great A Salvation Series

“How shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2:3)

“Time past and time present are both together in time future,” wrote T.S. Elliot. His rhythmic words simply and eloquently describe the ordinary flow of history. But the letter to the Hebrews presents a very different perspective on God’s purposes and patterns in the flow of history. There, it would be true to say, the future determines the past and the present, rather than the other way round. To understand Hebrews — and thus to understand how the Bible as a whole works — we need to understand this riddle: The invisible is more substantial than the visible. The future comes before the past. The new is more fundamental than the old. What does all this mean? Simply put, it means that the story of the Lord Jesus, His person and work, is not a divine afterthought, No — the coming of Christ was in the plan before the fall. Everything that precedes it chronologically actually follows it logically. From one point of view, of course, the Old Testament serves as the model of what Christ would come to accomplish. But Hebrews teaches us never to lose sight of the fact that the Old are simply a shadow. This is why Hebrew 10:1 describes the law as “but a shadow of the good things to come.” Christ is the original; He is the Messiah. Our salvation depends on God’s covenant, rooted in eternity in the plan of the Trinity, foreshadowed in the Mosaic covenant, fulfilled in Christ, enduring forever. No wonder Hebrews calls it “great.” the salvation is so great because of the greatness of the Savior who provides it.

Salvation is the central theme of the Bible, and indeed the very heart of the gospel. Salvation is a promise, a reality and a hope. Mankind has four enemies: Satan, Sin, Sorrow and Death – so man’s greatest need is salvation. (Luke 19:10) The bottom line is that you need to have your sins forgiven! Only Jesus can forgive those sins and give you salvation. Salvation is not found in a religion or good works, but in a Person... The LORD JESUS CHRIST! "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord Shall be saved"(Romans 10:13) Jesus is incomparable; therefore anything we compare him always fall short. He is bigger than our comprehension and wiser than the wisdom of wise men, brighter than all the stars of the universe. There may be another Mother Teresa, Shakespeare, Lincoln, Einstein, or Edison but there will never be another Christ. God only has one son His Name is Jesus. He stands alone. Jesus Christ is the only foundation for salvation. Christianity is all about a person and His name is Jesus Christ. Bible says “He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

The author of Hebrews wrote about the “great salvation”, but more than that, he speaks of “such a great salvation”.

(1) It is great because of the great love that provided it: Look up John 3:16 and notice the ‘God so loved the world’ there!

(2) It is great because of the great price paid for it. Salvation cost God the best that He had. To provide salvation for us it cost Him the gift of His only Son (1 John 4:9). Creation cost God a word – “And God said” (Genesis 1:3); but redemption cost Him “His only son” – it cost Him the gift of the Savior who went to the Cross to die for us (John 1:1-2, 14).

(3) It is great because of the great blessings included in it. Salvation includes every blessing that we need, because salvation provides for our need completely in the gift of Christ Himself (Ephesians 1:3). When we talk about being saved we mean being forgiven (Acts 13:38-39); being cleansed (1 John 1:7); receiving eternal life (1 John 5:11-12); having joy (1 Peter 1:8); peace (Philippians 4:7); grace (2 Corinthians 9:8); and heaven as our home (John 14:1-3). What a wonderful provision God has made for us!

The Hebrew and Greek words for salvation imply the ideas of deliverance, safety, preservation, healing, and soundness. Salvation is the great inclusive word of the Gospel, gathering into itself all the redemptive acts and processes: as justification, redemption, grace, propitiation, imputation, forgiveness, sanctification, and glorification." Salvation has a three-fold nature in regards to its timing. It has a past, present, and future aspect to the believer in Christ. Salvation, therefore, in its broad sense, has to do with both the soul and the body, with the present life as well as with future life. It has reference, not only to the remission of sin’s penalty and the removal of its guilt, but also to the conquering of the power of sin and to the final removal of the presence of sin from the body. It is only by recognizing this that one can grasp the full sweep of the Bible doctrine of salvation. We can best accomplish this end by carefully considering each tense. All three tenses are roughly summed up in 2 Cor. 1:10 NKJV: "who delivered us from so great a peril of death, (past tense) and will deliver us, (present tense): He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,” (future tense) “Sin” is any thought, word, or action that is contrary to the character or law of God. “