Today I would like to speak to you about a very, very important subject. I want to talk to you today about salvation and give you a biblical description of salvation.

Now most everyone would agree that there's a tremendous need for salvation. The need arises because of our condition by nature, ungodly, lost, guilty, dead in sin. Scripture declares we've all sinned and come short of the glory of God.

The need of salvation arises Because not only of our condition, sinful, the need arises because God Almighty is holy. God, being holy as he is, must punish sin to remain in his holy character.

The need arises thirdly because we have a great need of salvation because we cannot save and justify and redeem ourselves from sin. Man at his best state is altogether vanished.

Salvation of guilty sinners, as it's described in Holy Scripture, is a work of God alone. It is God who saved us and called us. It is a gracious work of God done not only for us, Salvation is done for us. Christ died in our room and in our stead. He suffered for our sins, the just for the unjust.

But it's also an irresistible operation of God the Holy Spirit done within us. Christ in you, the hope of glory. God, who hath begun a good work, So salvation is a work done for us and a work done in us.

God has sovereignly chosen to give his glorious salvation to those given to the Lord Jesus Christ in the covenant of grace. Our Lord said, of all the Father hath given me, They'll come to me, and those that come to me, I will in no wise cast out. He said, the Father has given me power over all flesh that I should give eternal life to as many as the Father hath given me.

It was for his elect that the Lord Jesus Christ established righteousness for them. He is the believer's righteousness. It was for his elect that he died to redeem them from all their sin. He said, I'm the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. And it will be for his elect. And his elect will be called and regenerated by the grace of God, by the Holy Spirit, and made new creatures in Christ Jesus.

Yes, there is a need of salvation. I want to look at five Bible words that describe God's salvation. The first one is found in Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2, verse 3. We read, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? Now there's the first word about salvation. It's great salvation.

The excellency of this salvation is described by the words so great. This salvation that we read of in scripture is not a so-so salvation, but it's great. That is, it means that it's vast, mighty, and eternal salvation. This salvation comes by our great God. He is the architect, the originator of this great salvation. Jonah said it rightly and declared it plainly when he said that salvation is of the Lord.

This great salvation is great because of the cost of it. You think of the cost of it. We are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. God bought us with his own blood. It's great because of the success of this salvation. He shall not fail. He shall not be discouraged. He appeared once in the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

It's great because of the power of this salvation. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is the power of God. under salvation to everyone that believe it. Therefore, it is great danger to neglect this salvation. That's what it says in the text. How shall we escape the judgment, wrath, and condemnation of God if we neglect or make light of this so great Salvation.

So there's the first word that describes this salvation in scripture. It's great salvation.

Now turn, if you will, to Hebrews chapter 5, and let me give you another Bible word about this salvation that we so desperately need. Hebrews 5 verse 9 says this, And being made perfect, that is, speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ, the great high priest, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.

Now there's a second word. Not only great salvation, but this salvation, he is the author of eternal salvation. Salvation is an eternal work of God. known unto God are all his works from the beginning. It was devised, secured, predestinated, purposed, performed, perfected in the covenant of grace before the world began. All that God does in time to fulfill salvation was determined in eternity and in time He perfectly accomplished.

We read in Revelation 13, 8 that the Lord Jesus Christ stood as a lamb slain before the foundation of the world. You see what that means? You see, salvation wasn't an afterthought of the fall of Adam. It wasn't an afterthought of sin. Before Adam ever fell, the Lord Jesus Christ stood as a surety, mediator, and advocate of his covenant people. This is an eternal salvation. God sees the end from the beginning. It's God who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to God's own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world. You see, it's an eternal salvation.

Let me give you another word that describes this salvation. It's not only great, and it's not only eternal, but this salvation in Jude, turn over to the book of Jude, in verse 3 we read, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and to exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."

Now here's the third word. We've seen that this salvation is great, great salvation. We see that the salvation that's described in scripture is eternal salvation. And thirdly, We read it is called common salvation. Now what does this mean? All of God's elect receive and experience and possess the same salvation by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. All believers receive the same spiritual blessing that are common to all the elect of God.

We read in Ephesians chapter one, we bless God who had blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly things in Christ Jesus according as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. All of God's elect have all the same, these spiritual blessings in Christ are common to all God's people. We have common faith. There's one Lord, one faith, one baptism. This faith that's a gift of God, not of worthless any man should boast, this common faith looks unto one source for salvation, looking unto Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.

All believers are loved with the same common covenant sovereign love. He's loved us with an everlasting love. All are bought with the same price. The price of this salvation is the blood of Christ and it's common to all the redeemed. All the redeemed and all the elect of God are purchased and bought with the same blood, the same price. All are justified by the same righteousness. He's the Lord, our righteous. He established righteousness for us, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, these blessings are common to all of God's people, justified, the same righteousness, bought with the same blood. We're all called by the same gospel, just one gospel. The gospel of his grace, the gospel of his glory, the gospel concerning the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And all these believers possess the same glory hereafter. were glorified together in the Lord Jesus Christ eternally. And we sing that song unto him who loved us and washed us from our sin in his own blood.

Let me give you another word that describes this Bible salvation. Bible salvation, that's what we need. The only salvation that will really save is that salvation that God has given and has written of in Holy Scripture. Now, if you have your Bible, find Luke chapter 2, and here's the fourth word that describes this salvation. We read, Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, The same man was just, devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him, and it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law. Then he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now let us, thy servant, depart in peace according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Now, did you hear the fourth word of salvation that describes this salvation? Simeon took the babe, the Lord Jesus, up in his arms and said, mine eyes have seen thy salvation.

Now, Simeon was a just and devout man, yet he didn't rely upon his goodness. Simmons observed the ceremonies, ordinances of worship prescribed by God in his day, but he found no salvation in the things he did. He trusted the Lord Jesus Christ alone for all his hope of salvation.

I hope you see that the Lord Jesus Christ, I hope you can see our Lord Jesus Christ as God's salvation. We read in Acts chapter 4, there is salvation in no other. No other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. I hope you see the Lord Jesus Christ as all of your salvation and as God's salvation.

The whole of salvation is in Him. Don't expect to find any portion of salvation in yourself or any ordinance of the church. Salvation is not in baptism. Salvation is not in the works of the law. Salvation is not by your morality or by the deeds of the flesh. The Apostle Paul, when God taught him the gospel, said he counted everything loss that he might win Christ and be found in him.

Salvation's in Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ alone. You must look to and trust Christ alone for everything in salvation. Christ is all and in all. Christ Jesus must be all to you in salvation or nothing at all. He will not share his glory. And that's what Simeon's declaring unto us here. He's declaring that the Lord Jesus Christ is salvation.

Salvation's not in a denomination. Salvation's not in a church. Salvation's not in an organization. Salvation's in the Lord Jesus Christ. He's life. He is salvation alone.

Now let me give you the fourth word that describes this salvation that we read of in scripture. Now turn to Philippians chapter two, Philippians chapter two. Here's the fifth word rather that describes this salvation. In Philippians chapter two, verse 12, we read, wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do God's good pleasure.

Now what does this statement mean, to work out your own salvation? Does that mean that salvation is by works? Absolutely not, because the next verse says it's God which works salvation in you. You cannot work out that which is not within you. But what he's saying here, employ yourself in the things that accompany salvation. Employ yourself in working about faith, hope, and love.

But what I want to get to is this phrase here, your own salvation. Now this is the fifth word that describes salvation, your own salvation. If you're saved by God's glorious grace, the salvation you have is your own salvation. God planned it and devised it and determined to give it to you if you're saved by the grace of God.

We read in 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 9, God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. God planned and devised this salvation for you if you're saved by the grace of God. The Lord Jesus Christ bought you with his own blood. We're no more our own keeper, we're bought with a price. The Holy Spirit has brought you and has taught you the gospel of your salvation. He's revealed the things of Christ to our heart. God's servant has brought to you the gospel through the preached word which is able to make thee wise unto salvation.

If God has given you grace to believe and trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your salvation, all that Christ is and has is yours forever. The apostle, or rather David, the king of Israel said, the Lord is my light and my salvation, in whom shall I fear? Your own salvation.

Now the believer loves God's salvation. I've given you five words that describe this salvation, and the believer loves God's salvation. David said in Psalm 70, let all that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee. Let such as love thy salvation say continually, continually let God be magnified.

Now we love this salvation because it's the experience of grace in our heart. We love this salvation because of the method of it. Substitution, satisfaction through the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. We love this salvation because of the sureness of it. It is of faith that it might be by grace that the promise might be sure to all to see. We love this salvation because of the completeness of it. In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and we're complete in Him. We love this salvation because of the person of it. The Lord Jesus Christ is salvation. He is half the Son, half life.

I say with David, can't you? Let God be magnified, not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name. Give glory for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. Now, this is a good description of God's salvation, and this is the salvation that we need as guilty sinners.