The name of the message is, so
great salvation. Now salvation in Christ is not
just something that occurs, it's great, it's great. It's great
salvation. Someone may be rescued and that's
great, but in no way is this rescue, this salvation in comparison
to anything that occurs upon this earth, because this salvation,
this rescue, is the rescue of the eternal souls of God's people
from our sins, from hell, from the wrath of God, and from the
justice of God. And it's called a great salvation
because Christ is God himself, and he is the one who's wrought
out the salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ, in him alone. It is he
who came to this sin-cursed world, sent by the Father, And it is
he who wrought out this great salvation. And it's great because
of who he is. He's God incarnated in the flesh,
the sinless one dying for sinners. And I ask you a question. How
shall we escape judgment, wrath, and eternal damnation if we neglect
or disregard or count as non-essential the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ and his great salvation? How shall we escape? Judgment,
wrath, and eternal damnation. Well, if we disregard the gospel
and count it not as essential, then our souls will be damned
forever if the Lord doesn't save us. But God's people, this salvation
in Christ to God's people is great. The amazing thing is that
before we were saved, we did not desire salvation. We did
not desire Christ. But now, oh now, we desire as
born-again, blood-washed believers to hear more and more about this
great salvation. And it's a vital soul-searching
question when I ask you, how shall we escape judgment? How shall we escape the wrath
of God? How shall we escape eternal damnation if one neglects this
great salvation? Well, the answer is they won't.
They won't. None who neglect the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ and his perfect sin-atoning work shall
escape the wrath of God. The scriptures are very plain
about this. It says, if any man love not
the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, 1 Corinthians 16,
22. In the Greek, let him be cursed.
Now, here's five reasons for every born-again, blood-washed
believer to consider why this salvation is great. Now, there's
many more. There's many more reasons, but
I'm going to hit on five reasons Five reasons why this salvation
is called so great a salvation in Christ. Number one, this salvation
in Christ and Him alone is great in its planning. In 2 Timothy
1, verses 8 to 10, it says this. Paul's writing this to Timothy.
So, not according to anything we do. but according to his own purpose
and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior,
Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality
to life through the gospel. Oh, it's wonderful. This salvation,
beloved, this salvation in Christ, this great salvation, was eternally
conceived by God before Adam was created or sinned. Let us
marvel at this, beloved. Before there was ever a sinner,
there was a Savior. There was a Savior. Before Adam
fell, our Lord Jesus Christ stood as the surety and mediator of
His people. Isn't that wonderful? Oh, that's
great salvation, isn't it? And it's planning. Number two,
this salvation is great in purchase. In Acts 20, 28, it says this,
Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission for sin. And this salvation is free to
any sinner because of the great price that was paid to secure
it. The general call goes out. Whosoever will, let him come.
Let him come, taking the water of life freely. Listen to this.
He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all,
how shall he not with him freely give us all things? O beloved,
we who are spiritually bankrupt sinners, we who are the people
of God, who are spiritually bankrupt sinners, are rich in the Lord
Jesus Christ. through Christ is the Son of
God. He's not exempt from suffering
if He has to redeem His people. So in order for God to save us,
He must become a man and He must die in our room and place and
shed His precious blood. That's why that scripture in
Acts says that feed the church of God, which He hath purchased
with His own blood. God became a man, and His name
is the Lord Jesus Christ. And He purchased our eternal
souls with His precious, precious blood. Oh, my. After the crucifixion,
our Lord spoke these words to His disciples in Luke 24, verses
44 to 47. He said, And He said unto them,
These are the words which I speak unto you, while I was yet with
you, that all things must be fulfilled. which were written
in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning me."
So Christ himself there is proclaiming that the Old Testament testifies
of him. Then opened he their understanding.
Oh, God must open our understanding that we don't know anything about
him. that they might understand the Scriptures, and send them
to them. Thus it is written, and thus it behoove Christ to
suffer, to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance
and the remission of sins should be preached in his name among
all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." That's the general call, beloved.
That's the general call. So think of this, being perfect
in his active and passive obedience, Christ became the author of a
perfect eternal salvation to all who believe on Him. The question
is, have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? Oh, for His
people, He gives us a perfect righteousness before the law,
a perfect justification before the throne of God, our Father,
who sent Him, God Himself, sent Him to save us from our sins. Praise His mighty name. This
salvation in Christ alone is great in its performance. Psalm
57, too, says, I will cry unto God most high, unto God that
performeth all things for me. I couldn't save myself, could
you? Oh, but Christ goes to the cross for his people and saves
us from our sins. God himself performed that. Oh,
it's wonderful. Our Lord Jesus Christ, he's the
captain of our salvation, and he's met all the demands of the
law of God, of the justice of God, that it demands for a salvation
of our souls. Oh, everything that's salvation,
the salvation of our souls required, Christ fulfilled it all in our
room and place. He said this in John 17, verse
4. He says, I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished
the work which thou gavest me to do. And then on the cross,
right before he dies, he cries out these words, it is finished. Oh my, He redeems us with His
precious blood. So His performance in all aspects
was perfect, complete, and of infinite value as He performed,
perfected, and provided all righteousness for His people and all redemption
for us. We are totally redeemed by the
precious blood of the Lamb. Number four, this salvation is
great in power. and power. Oh my, Romans 1, 16
and 17 says this, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,
for it is the power of God, the dynamite of God, beloved, unto
salvation to everyone that believe it, to the Jew first and also
to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith. As it is written, a just shall
live by faith. Oh, the preaching of the gospel reveals the righteousness
of God, which is Christ Jesus our Lord, the Lord our righteousness. What does it take to make a vile,
guilty sinner a saint? Power. God's power, beloved. This is what the gospel reveals
to us. Saving power. Listen to this
in John 17, verses 1 and 2. Saving power, the Lord Jesus
Christ has all power to give eternal life. It says this, these
words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said,
Father, the hours come. Glorify thy son, that thy son
may also glorify thee, as thou has given him power over all
flesh. Who has all the power? The Lord
Jesus Christ has all the power. Oh my, we're weak beggars, beloved. Oh, thou has given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou has given him. Praise his mighty name. Praise
his mighty name. And then, think of this. The
power, same power that saves us is the same power that keeps
us, beloved. That keeps us. You want to know
why you keep on keeping on for the Lord? Why you keep looking
to Christ? Because God's keeping us. That's why. Listen to this. who are kept by the power of
God through faith, faith in Christ, faith in Christ unto salvation,
ready to be revealed in the last time, 1 Peter 1.5. And the last
point I'd like us to consider is this salvation in and through
Christ alone is great in its purpose. It's great in its purpose. 1 Corinthians 1.26-31, the scriptures
declare, for ye see your calling, For ye see a calling, brethren,
how not many wise, just common people, that means, after the
flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath
called the chosen, or God hath chosen the foolish things, the
common things, right there, of the world, to confound the wise. And God hath chosen the weak
things of the world to confound the things that are mighty. and
the base things of the world, and the things which are despised. Oh, sinners, despised sinners. I stand before you a saved man.
Oh, my. Sinners saved by grace, hath
God chosen, yea, and the things which are not, to bring to naught
things that are, that know flesh. Why does God save common folks
and sinners? Why? Oh, 1 Corinthians 129, that
no flesh should glory in His presence. Oh, the only one we
have the glory in, beloved, is the Lord Jesus Christ, in Him
alone, who saved us by His perfect redeeming work, shed in His blood,
to redeem our eternal souls. And then it says, what of him
are ye in Christ Jesus? This is present for the believer.
Listen to this. Who of God is made unto us? Wisdom. Christ
is all our wisdom. Righteousness. Christ is all
our righteousness. Sanctification. He's all our
sanctification, beloved. And redemption. He's the only
one who can save sinners from all their sins. That according
to this written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. And
we glory in this wondrous salvation, don't we? This great salvation
that the Lord God, our Father, hath provided in all aspects
of the gospel. The ultimate design is the glory
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise his mighty name. Amen
and amen.