Let's begin our service opening
our Bibles to the book of 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy chapter 1. Lord willing, I'll be preaching
tonight at Todd's Road Grace Church. Covet your prayers as
we travel and preach. And then, shockingly enough,
tomorrow we will be celebrating the 30th birthday of our firstborn,
Holly Louise. to me that she's already 30 years
old. We look forward to that return home Lord willing on Tuesday.
All right. Second Timothy chapter one. We'll
read the first 14 verses. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ
by the will of God, according to the promise of life, which
is in Christ Jesus to Timothy, my dearly beloved son, grace,
mercy, and peace from God, the father and Christ Jesus, our
Lord. I thank God. whom I serve from
my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance
of thee in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see
thee, be mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy.
I call to remembrance the unfamed faith that is in thee, which
dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and in thy mother Eunice,
and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore, I put thee in
remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in
thee by the putting on of my hands. For God has not given
us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound
mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner, but
be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the
power of God who has saved us and called us with an holy calling,
not according to our words, 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 hath abolished death and hath brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel, whereunto I am appointed
a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles, for
the which cause I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I
am not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed
unto him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words,
which thou hast heard of me in faith and love, which is in Christ
Jesus. That good thing which was committed
unto thee, keep by the Holy Ghost, which dwelleth in us. End our
reading there. All right, let's stand together
as Mike leads us in singing our call to worship. Amazing love, God chose the dead
In Christ our hope and head Chosen by God, a time began to receive
life again, to receive life again, receive, receive life again. He let not for some good in me
I know that cannot be despite the my sin and shame Christ stood
to bear my blame Christ stood to bear my blame Christ stood,
Christ stood to bear my blame Amazing blood was shed for me
gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone,
gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone,
gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone,
gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone,
gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone,
gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone,
gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone,
gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone,
gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone, gone,
Lose and lose all of this band. Amazing mercy from on high, For
I deserve to die. Mercy that brings salvation nigh
to such a rich as I, to such a rich as I, to such Well, I got to get to the p.m. I forgot. Free from the law, O happy condition,
Jesus hath bled, Cursed by the law and death by
the fall, Grace hath redeemed us once for all. O brother, believe in, linked
to the cross, the burden of sin. Christ hath redeemed us once
for all. Now are we free. There's no condemnation. Jesus provides. Come unto me,
O hear His sweet call, Come and He saves us once for all. O brother, believe it, cling
to the cross, the burden will fall. Christ hath redeemed us
once for all, children of God. Surely His grace will keep us
from falling. Passing from death to life, that
is called. Blessed salvation, once for all. Turn over to 474, 474. Not have I gotten, but what I
receive. Grace hath bestowed it, since
I have believed. I'm only a sinner saved by grace. Only a sinner saved by grace. Only a sinner saved by grace. This is my story God be the glory. I'm only a sinner. Save my grace. Once I was foolish and sin ruled
my heart. Causing my footsteps for God
to depart. Jesus hath found me happy, my
case. I now am a sinner, save thy grace. Only a sinner, save thy grace. Only a sinner, This is my story. To God be the glory. I'm only a sinner saved by God. Next to verses, tears on the
belly, no merit had I. Mercy had saved me, for else
I must die. In an alarm bee, fearing God's
face, But now I'm a sinner saved by grace. Suffer a sinner whose heart overflows,
Loving his Savior Tell what he knows, what's more to tell it. And I embrace I'm only a sinner
Saved by grace Only a sinner Saved by grace Only a sinner
Saved by grace This is my story To God be the glory I'm only
a sinner Saved by grace Pastors ask that we read from
1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter 1, we'll read the first
13 verses. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ
to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia. Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father. through sanctification of the
Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ,
grace unto you and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten unto us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible
and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven
for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto
salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time, wherein ye
greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, here in
heaviness, through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith,
being much more precious than of gold that perisheth though
it be tried with fire, might be found under the praise and
honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom having
not seen, ye love, in whom though now ye see him not, yet believing,
rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving
the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls, of which
salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently who prophesied
of the grace that should come unto you. Searching what manner
of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify
when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and
the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed that
not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things
which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the
gospel unto you, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven,
which things the angels desire to look into. Wherefore, gird
up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for
the grace that is brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus
Christ. Our God and Father in heaven,
Lord, we thank you again for this opportunity to gather together
some people. Lord, thankful for this place
you've given us to assemble together. Lord, thankful for a faithful
pastor. Lord, we pray that you would bless our brother Frank
as he stands in this place today to preach your word. Lord, take
that which you've laid upon his heart And Lord, speak to the
hearts of your people. Lord, may we not hear the mere
words of a man, but may you be pleased to speak to your messenger
here this morning. Lord, we thank you for your many
blessings. We're thankful for our families,
thankful for our homes, thankful for all that your hand has provided.
But above all things, we thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank you for the Savior. Lord, bless us to know more of
Him. Lord, cause us to rest more and
more in the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, we pray for those of our
number who are in a time of difficulty, a time of trouble. Lord, you
know the needs of your people. Lord, you brought them. You brought
them into this place. calls us to not be so quick to
lean on this arm of the flesh, but, Lord, to look to Thee and
to rest in Thee, knowing that Thou doest all things well. Lord, we thank You for these
many, many young ones You've given us. Lord, may we be faithful
to teach them and preach unto them the truth of Thy Word. And,
Lord, we pray that in Your time you'd see fit to be merciful
to them, Lord, that you'd save their souls. We thank you for,
again, your many blessings. We pray for our country, Lord,
for the leaders of our country, Lord, that you give wisdom, Lord,
for our military, Lord, those who serve in harm's way, Lord,
that you protect and keep and defend. We, again, thank you
for this place. Thank you for an opportunity
to once again Gather together. Pray that all that's done and
said in this place, Lord, would be to thy glory. Lord, that this
morning you'd give glory to your name. For it's in the name of
thy Son, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray and give
thee thanks. Amen. I'd like you to help me on the chorus
of this song. Amazing grace, oh, how sweet
the sound That saved a vile sinner like me. Though once I was lost, yet now
I'm found. Though I was blinded, now I see. And it's all because of God's
amazing grace. on Calvary's mountain, He took
my place. And someday, some glorious morning,
I shall see Him face to face, all because of God's amazing
grace. To disappointment and danger
too, Through labors and sorrows we've come. But God's grace has guided us
safely through, lead us all. And it's all because of God's
amazing grace. Because on Calvary's mountain
He took my place. And some day, some glorious morning,
I shall see Him face to face, All because of God's amazing
grace. Around God's throne we'll praise
our Redeemer and King. We'll tell how His mercy for
our sin did atone through countless ages His song It was all because of God's amazing
grace. Because on Calvary's mountain
He took my place. Oh, someday, some glorious morning,
I shall see face to face, all because of God's amazing grace. Alright, if you would, open your
Bibles with me first to Genesis chapter 49. I titled the message this morning,
Salvation. A subject that is very, very
near and dear to my heart. There's nothing that I desire
more for me or for you than God's salvation. This morning, people
are meeting all around this country in buildings much like this one.
And they meet because they at least have some interest in my
subject this morning. They have invented many different
ways to try to get that salvation. Some of them think that they
can earn it by their law keeping and their morality. Some of them
think that God will save them because they've done so many
good and wonderful works for others. They think that God will
be impressed with those things. Some of them think that God will
save them If they're sincere, they don't know God from Baal,
but as long as they're sincere in what it is that they're doing
of a religious nature, they think God will be impressed if they
are sincere in what they're doing. Some of them think that they
would be saved if they're baptized in water or a man wearing a Halloween
costume performs some kind of ritual over them. And all of
that is a shame. That's where man goes if God
don't stop us. That's a shame. And what makes
it such a shame is this. God's given us a book that describes
him, tells us what he's like. God's given us a book that tells
us how it is that God saves sinners. And they've ignored it. And I can't do anything about
that. But I want us to know, I want us to know and to believe
what the Bible says about salvation. Brother Eric just read to us
that the angels desire to look into these things. Well, I do
too. I desire for us to look into
these things and maybe God be pleased to teach us something
about salvation. Now, not surprisingly, God's
word has a lot to say about this thing of salvation. The word
is used 164 times in scripture and I'm not going to have 164
points. but it has a lot to say about salvation. And I want us
to look at a few ways to see how it is God describes salvation
in His Word. And the first one is this, in
Genesis 49 verse 18, this is the first time the word salvation
is used in the Word of God. Salvation is God's salvation. Genesis 49 verse 18, I have waited
for thy salvation, O Lord. This is when Jacob is blessing
his sons before he dies. And Jacob knew that salvation
belongs to God. It's God's salvation. He calls
it thy salvation. In eternity, before anything
was created, God purposed the salvation of his people. Salvation
is all God's idea. The father elected a people to
save out of Adam's reign. Not because there was any good
found in them, but simply because God would. He set His love on
some of Adam's fallen race and chose to save them. And God the
Son agreed to be the Savior of those people. He promised that
He would come incarnate. God would become a man so that
He could be the representative of His people. He promised to
live as a man and to obey God's law, to do it perfectly and work
out a righteousness that he would give to his elect. He promised
that he would suffer and die for the sin of God's elect people.
And God the Holy Spirit promised to give life and faith in Christ
to all those people that the father elected and all those
people for whom the son died. That's salvation. Salvation is
entirely the idea of God and man didn't contribute anything
to that. And it's entirely the work of God. Man does not contribute
anything to this, this manner, this matter of getting salvation
done. The only role you and I play in this matter of salvation is
providing the sin from which we need to be saved. That's our
contribution. We're not capable of doing any
of the work of salvation. It's got to be God's salvation. That's why Moses said unto the
people, stand still. Stand still. Don't contribute
any work to this. Don't think you're going to do
anything. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. It's
the Lord's salvation. Salvation belongs to God. That
means that salvation is God's to give. And it's God's to withhold
as he sees fit. And there is not one blessed
thing you and I can do about it. It belongs to God. By that
I mean this, there isn't one thing that we can do to get God
to save us. We can't do something that would
obligate God Almighty to save us. We can't do something that's
so impressive that it would put God in our debt and make Him
have to accept us. That's why Jonas said salvation
is of the Lord. It's of the Lord. Salvation is
a gift that only God can give. And there's not one thing that
we can do to get God to save us. But you'll notice, I didn't
say there's not anything we can do. No, we can seek the Lord. We can beg God to be merciful
to us. In Psalm 85 verse 7, David says,
show us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation. David's begging for mercy. Lord,
salvation is yours to give. Would you give me your salvation? And that's the only way any of
us will be saved. If God grants us his salvation. Salvation is God's. All right,
now Exodus chapter 15. Salvation is described in God's
word as my salvation. Exodus chapter 15, verse two. The Lord is my strength and song,
and he is become my salvation. He is my God, and I will prepare
him in habitation. My father's God, and I will exalt
him. He is become my salvation. David, as he was dying, said
something very similar. Although my house be not so with
God, yet hath he made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered
in all things and sure, for this is all my salvation. Now, salvation belongs to God.
So how can a sinful man or woman call it my salvation? Well, it's
my salvation because God gave it to me. It's my salvation because
God saved a wretch like me with His salvation. Now, we know Christ
died only for God's elect. In Psalm 14, verse 7, David calls
salvation the salvation of Israel, not the salvation of all of Adam's
race, the salvation of Israel. God's salvation is the salvation
of his people, spiritual Israel. Now that does not mean that God
would stop somebody from being saved who wants to be saved on
God's terms. No, God will never cast out a
sinner who comes to him begging for mercy. That's what he said.
So when we say that Christ died only for God's elect, This is
what we're declaring. We're declaring the successful
Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ saved everyone
for whom he died. Since salvation is God's salvation,
that salvation can't fail because God can't fail. So Christ saved
everyone for whom he died. So my salvation means that Christ
died for me and that he died for me on purpose. No more shocking, unlikely statement
cannot be made that the son of God would die for me on purpose. We wouldn't dare to imagine such
a thing if God didn't put it down in his word and give us
the faith to believe it. No one but God would save sinners
by sacrificing his darling, perfect son to pay for the sin of his
people who have done nothing but sin against God. Only God
would do such a thing. But that is exactly what God
did for me. That's why it's called my salvation. God's salvation is my salvation
because God worked that salvation in me by revealing his son to
me and in me. God's salvation is my salvation,
just like faith is my faith. A faith is the gift of God, but
it's mine because He gave it to me. That's why our Lord Jesus
could tell blind Bartimaeus, receive thy sight. Thy faith
hath saved thee. Yes, it's faith God gave him.
Absolutely. Blind Bartimaeus couldn't have
known who Jesus, the son of David, was if God didn't reveal it.
He couldn't have called and begged for God to save him if God didn't
give him a heart to do it. He couldn't have believed that
the Lord Jesus could give him his sight. He couldn't believe
that the Lord Jesus would save his soul unless God gave him
faith. But God did and it's his faith because God gave it to
him. God's salvation is my salvation, just like the gospel is my gospel. God gives his gospel to his people
to believe it, to hear preaching. That's why the apostle Paul told
young Timothy, you remember Timothy, that Jesus Christ of the seed
of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel.
This is the gospel that God used to save me. He let me hear it
and gave me faith to believe it. This is my gospel because
God gave it to me to believe. He used it to reveal his son
to me and in me. Salvation, my salvation. Or I
thoroughly look in Job chapter 13. Job chapter 13. Salvation is
a person. Job 13 verse 16. He also shall be my salvation
for a hypocrite shall not come before him. He, is my salvation. Now, salvation is not this mystical
thing that God gives to his people. Salvation is a person, the Lord
Jesus Christ. Salvation is not a legal standing
before God. Salvation is a person. Salvation
is a living, vital union with a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. We must know him. We must believe
him. Salvation is not having the right
doctrine. Salvation is not being found
in the right denomination. Salvation is not having the right
form of worship. Salvation is seeing, believing,
and knowing a person. It's being joined to a person,
being joined to Christ our head. That's why Simeon could hold
an eight day old baby in his hands and say, Lord, Now let
your servant depart in peace according to thy word, for mine
eyes have seen thy salvation. God's salvation was in that baby,
that person. Simeon saw the Lord Jesus Christ. He saw God manifest in the flesh,
come to produce the salvation of God's elect. But not just
to produce it. He came to be their salvation. Simeon said, I see your salvation. It's this person, the Lord Jesus
Christ. And the only hope of salvation
I have is him, that same person that Simeon believed. The only
hope that I have is that Christ is all of my salvation. He's
got to be all. See, I don't want to just trust
in the righteousness of Christ. I want to trust Christ, my righteousness. And if you know Him, you just
heard the difference in what I said. There's a big difference
between trusting the righteousness of Christ and trusting Christ
my righteousness. I don't want to just know about
salvation. I have here in my notes, I want,
I must know Christ who is my salvation. That's who I must
know. I don't want or need a salvation
that's just a legal sheet of paper somewhere. Janet and I
are married somewhere in our house that junk has accumulated
in seemingly over the years. But somewhere we used to know
right where it was when we first got married. Now maybe you do.
There's a legal document somewhere in our house to prove she and
I are married. But our marriage is not a piece
of paper. Our marriage is not not a documents,
you know, we pull out every once in a while and say, yeah, this
is here on this date and this date. We're married. Henry signed
it. We've got these witnesses to
sign it. So, yeah, I reckon we're married. Our marriage is not a list of
vows that we took, although we took them and promised to do
them. Our marriage is a living union with the person. To me,
to me, I cannot think about marriage without thinking about her. She's marriage to me. And you
know what? Everything else will take care
of itself if I'm in love with a person. See that? That's the best illustration
I could think of. But that's the salvation a sinner like me
needs. I've got to have a marriage union with Christ so that I am
joined to him, that I am become one with Christ, my bridegroom. If Christ is my salvation, I'm
saved. Now, if it's knowing all this
other stuff, it's highly in doubt. But if Christ is my salvation,
I'm saved. If Christ is my life, I have
life and I'll never lose it. David said in Psalm 62 verse
6, he only is my rock. He only is my salvation. I shall not be moved. I won't be moved if Christ only
is my salvation. And when the way becomes hard
and it becomes very dark, and I become full of doubts and fears. Don't beat me up and tell me
you shouldn't be afraid. You got nothing to be afraid
of. Don't beat me up and say, why do you got such weak faith?
I already know that I shouldn't be afraid, but I am. I already
know I shouldn't have weak faith, but I do. If you would comfort
my heart, tell me one more time about Christ, who is my salvation. Just open up his word and read
it to me. I don't know the exact circumstances
our brother David was in when he wrote Psalm 35, but in Psalm
35, David cried unto the Lord, Lord, say unto my soul, I am
thy salvation. Oh, if the Lord will say to me,
I am your salvation, I'll be saved. I'll have peace and comfort. Salvation is a person. All right,
fourthly, turn to Romans chapter one. Salvation is revealed through
the preaching of the gospel. Psalm 98 verse two, the Lord
hath made known his salvation. His righteousness hath he openly
showed in the sight of the heathen. Now there it is, it's God's salvation.
The Lord hath made known his salvation. But how'd he make
it known? How'd he do that? Was through
the preaching of Christ. Now we don't need psychology
to trick people into making a profession of salvation. We don't need guilt
trips to guilt somebody into making a profession. We don't
need signs and wonders to all people into making a profession. If we would be saved, we need
the plain, unadulterated preaching of the gospel. It pleased God
by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Salvation
is a mighty work. It makes the dead live. It makes
a sinner to be righteous. The gospel is a mighty work. God uses it to reveal Christ
to the heart of his people. And only the gospel is powerful
enough to do it. Romans 1 verse 15. So as much
as in me is, I'm ready to preach the gospel to you that are at
Rome also, for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for
it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth, to
the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein, and that
gospel is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. As it's written, the just shall
live by faith. Now when the gospel is preached,
God the Holy Spirit moves in power and he gives life and faith
to the dead. At the same time, the same gospel
being preached, he feeds and he comforts the hearts of God's
The same message will meet a dozen different needs here in this
room. The exact same message at the exact same time. Somebody
might be heartbroken and this message, the message of Christ,
comfort your heart, gives you hope, gives you rest. Someone
may be here and not know the Lord from a hole in the wall.
And God used that message to reveal Christ to your heart.
Someone may be here a babe in Christ. And God used that message
as the sincere milk of the word to feed your soul. Someone at
the same time may be an old believer, been around a long time. And
that message that was milk to the babe is meat to the old man. You know why that is? Because
Christ is all we need. It will preach Him. It will meet
the need of every person who hears us. And we desperately,
oh, I wish I could get across how desperately we need to hear
Christ preached. We need to hear the gospel preached. No one's going to be saved by
having a miraculous experience. Saul of Tarsus had a miraculous
experience, didn't he? He still needed Ananias. No one's
going to be saved by reading the Bible and figuring out the
salvation on our own. The eunuch had the word, and
he still needed Philip to come preach to him. Cornelius had
the word, and he needed Peter to come preach to him. Now, Peter,
we're all here to hear, to hear what God's given you for us to
hear. Look at Ephesians chapter one. You who believe, isn't that
your story? You knew about religion, You
knew the name of God. You knew the words of grace and
mercy and righteousness. You knew the name of Jesus Christ.
But you didn't know God. One day you heard the gospel. Ephesians 1 verse 13. In whom
you also trusted. When? After you heard the word
of truth, the gospel of your salvation. In whom also after
that you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.
God saved you. He revealed his son to you and
in you when you heard the gospel of your salvation. Then and only
then did you believe, because it's pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them to believe. All right, here's the
fifth thing. Salvation is by God's grace. Paul told Titus in Titus chapter
two, verse 11, for the grace of God that bringeth salvation. hath appeared unto all men."
Salvation is by grace. If you're still there in Ephesians,
look at chapter 2 verse 8. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. And just
so we're sure that grace means grace, Paul adds verse 9. Not
of works, lest any man should boast. Hold your place there. Let me read this to you in Romans
chapter 11. Verse five, even so then at this
present time also, there's a remnant according to the election of
grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works. Otherwise
grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is
it no more grace. Otherwise work is no more work. Now in 2019 languages is what
Paul says. Salvation is all of God's grace
or it's all man's works. It's all of one or all of the
other, no in between. No mixture. Grace or works? God's grace or your works? Which do you choose? By God's grace, we choose his
grace, don't we? Because salvation is by grace. Salvation is God's. Remember,
that's where we started. Salvation is God's. It belongs
to God. And God gives that salvation to sinners by grace. Wherever you are, whatever your
situation, that grace is enough. It's grace that is greater than
our sin. It's grace that's greater than
our rebellion. It's grace that's greater than
our death in Adam. Salvation is by God's grace.
Electing, saving, calling, regenerating, keeping grace. Oh, amazing grace. Amazing grace that saved a wretch
like me. That's the only way a sinner
like me can be saved. Thank God salvation is by grace. Now look at first Peter chapter
one passage brother Eric read for us a few moments ago. Salvation
is through faith through faith. First Peter one verse two. Here is the description of a
saved person, God's people. Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father through sanctification of the spirit and obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you and peace
be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again into a lively living hope by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance. incorruptible
and undefiled and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven
for you." Now, like I said, this is a description of the people
that God has saved. God elected them. He sanctified
them. He caused them to be born again. And He's reserved all this in
heaven for them. Now, I'm telling you, I like
the sound of that. Don't you? I like the sound of that. Well,
how can I tell? If I am one of those people,
is there any way that I can know right here this morning that
I am one of those people that the Father chose? That the Spirit
sanctified? Is there a way for me to know?
Have I really been born again? Is there a way for me to know
that? I mean, you know, the only gospel I ever really remember
hearing is this one. How do I know that I just Keep
coming back here out of habit because this is what I know.
You know, maybe if I was raised in Catholicism, I just kept doing
that because that's what I know. How do I know that this gospel
is my gospel, that this this savior is my savior? How do I
know that? There's one way you can know.
It's faith. It's faith. You hear this gospel
preached, you hear Christ preached, do you believe him? Do you? That's
the only evidence you have. God saved you. It's faith. Cause
look what he says for you. And here's the description of
those who are kept by the power of God through faith, through
faith, unto salvation, ready to be revealed at the last time. And that's going to get the job
done. Look at verse nine, receiving
the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. We just read this in Ephesians
chapter two, that faith is the gift of God. We're saved by grace
through faith and that not of yourselves. It's the gift of
God. Salvation is believing Christ. It's resting in Christ. You rest in him because you believe
he's all it takes to save you. And salvation by faith in Christ,
without any of our works added to it, is so vitally important,
the Apostle Paul wrote a whole letter to the church at Rome
to tell us about it. They were justified by faith
without works. Look at Romans chapter 3. Romans
chapter 3. Therefore, we conclude that verse
3, verse 28, Romans 3, 28. Therefore, we conclude that a
man is justified, how? By faith. And I love how Paul
clarifies, what does faith mean? Without the deeds of the law.
It's by faith in Christ alone. Look across the page, chapter
4, verse 16. Therefore, it is a faith that
it might be by grace to the end that the promise might be sure
to all the seed. Not to that only which is of
the law, the Jew, but that also which is of the faith of Abraham,
who is the father of us all. Salvation is by faith. How we
need to beg God to give us faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. All
right, now look at Hebrews chapter two. Here's the seventh thing.
God's salvation is a great salvation. Hebrews chapter two. Verse three. How should we escape if we neglect
so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken
by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him? How should we escape if we neglect
so great salvation? Salvation in Christ is so great. because of the author of it.
This is God's salvation. And the Lord Jesus Christ is
both the author and the finisher of it. Oh, this is a great salvation. This is a great salvation because
of the wisdom of it. Remember I told you people meeting
in buildings like this one? And they come with so many different
ways to try to be saved, but there's no wisdom in it. It can't
get the job done. This salvation is so great salvation
because of the wisdom of it. God found a way to be both just
and justifier. God has the wisdom to provide
a salvation that's merciful to sinners while He's still God.
Just and holy. This salvation is so great a
salvation. Because of the cost of it. It
took the blood of God. Precious blood of Christ. Christ
had to give Himself a ransom for our soul. A greater price
could not be paid. It's so great a salvation because
of the power of it. This is the power of God unto
salvation. We preach the gospel and every
once in a while you watch it happen. Slowly you see the dead
have been given life. Suddenly there's a light on where
there's always only been darkness. Suddenly there's faith where
there was only unbelief. Suddenly there's submission where
there's only been a rebel. Oh, this gospel, this salvation
is great power to give life to the dead. This salvation is so
great a salvation because of the difficulty of it. Boy, it
didn't come easy. had to be made a man. The Eternal
Father had to be made a Babe of Days. And then, the Holy Son
of God had to be made sin for His people. So that He could
take that sin away from them and put it away when life itself
died. Oh, it's difficult. But God did
it. God has the power to do it because
it's the only way justice could be satisfied. It's the only way
the character of God could be satisfied. Next, this is a great
salvation because of the freeness of it. You'd think something
that took such great cost to purchase would be sold at a markup,
wouldn't you? Not God. God gives it freely. Oh, the freeness of His grace. There's nothing greater than
God's free grace to His people in the Lord Jesus Christ. Lastly,
this is so great a salvation because it saves great sinners. It won't save little sinners.
If you're a little sinner, I got no good news for you. But if
you're a great sinner, if you're the chief of sinners, I've got
good news for you. Salvation in Christ is so great
a salvation because he saves to the uttermost all that come
unto God by him. I believe sinners like you and
me can trust so great a salvation. Don't you reckon? That's the
salvation we need. Then lastly, look at Jude, the
book of Jude. God's salvation is the common
salvation. Now when I say common salvation,
I don't mean common like common and ordinary. You know, there's
nothing ordinary about God's salvation. Salvation is always
extraordinary. But the common salvation means
this, that every one of God's people is saved the exact same
way. Now, we have different experiences
of that salvation, how God applies that salvation to our heart.
But the way God saves us is common. It's the same to every believer,
no matter where you find them. Book of Jude, verse three. Beloved,
When I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common
salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort
you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was
once delivered unto the stains. Jude calls this the common salvation. Now, like I said, the experience
of salvation, how it is that God calls us, how it is that
God reveals himself to us is different. How the Lord called
Peter and Paul, oh, Very different experiences, wasn't it? The Lord
just walked by Peter and said, follow me, I'll make you pictures
of men. I mean, this light shone and a thunder and a poof. All was quiet when the Lord called
Peter, wasn't it? Nothing was quiet when the Lord
called Paul. How the Lord called Lydia is causing her to walk
down there by a quiet riverbank where some women were wont to
meet. And how the Lord called the Flippian jailer when he shook
the foundation of that and shook the doors off its hinges. Very
different experiences. But it's a common salvation.
He called them to the same Savior. He called them. He saved them
by the very same grace. He saved them by giving them
the very same faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And if God has
saved you and me, we recognize that. Because this is a common
salvation. There's no other way of salvation. Now let me close with this exhortation
to you and me. The writer to the Hebrews told
us, don't neglect. So great a salvation. What an indictment on human nature.
We'd have to be told that. How is it that we neglect? So
great salvation. Well, we neglect so great salvation. By not coming to the service
at all or by coming to the service, but not listening for God's message
to me. To me. We neglect so great salvation
when we hear the gospel. Not as a sinner who is in need,
but when I Hear the gospel is, oh, this is what everybody else
needs. You know, I hope Jonathan hears this, you know. That's
neglecting so great a salvation. This is the gospel I need to
hear. We neglect so great salvation
when we seek doctrines and pet words and phrases and we seek
different motions of religion. But not Christ, but not Christ. Salvation is God's. God's salvation. It's God's to give and it is
God's to withhold. Like I told you a minute ago,
there's nothing we can do about it. Nothing we can do to get
God to save us. But we can seek the Lord where
He's found. And if you're wondering where
He's found, let me tell you. He's found in His Word. Did you know
the Savior? Seek Him in His Word. Did you
know the Savior? Seek a man who's preaching faithfully. Maybe the Lord will be pleased
to reveal Himself to you. The Lord's found where His people
meet together to worship Him, where two or three are gathered
together in His name. That's where He is. I believe if I want
to meet Him, that's where I want to be. Don't you reckon? We can
beg God for mercy. I don't find one example in God's
book of the Lord turning away a sinner who's seeking mercy.
Not one. And that encourages me to beg
God, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. Let's seek the Lord
at begging for mercy. And do it right now. Right now. Today is the day of salvation. In Psalm 78 verse 22, David said,
the Lord came upon Israel in the wilderness. You know why? Because they believed not in
God and they trusted not in His salvation. They wanted to trust
in the arm of the flesh. May God be pleased to make us. I can't do it on my own. I can't
trust Him on my own. May God be pleased to make us
trust Him. is salvation. Let's bow together
in prayer. Our Father, we're so humbled at the reading
of your word, the revelation of your salvation that's in the
Lord Jesus Christ. So great salvation, purposed
and purchased and applied Father, we beg of you, would
you be merciful to us? Would you be pleased to save
sinners like we are? Faith is the gift of God. Would
you be pleased to give us faith and make us to believe on the
name of your son, the Lord Jesus Christ? Grace is a gift of God. God, would you be gracious? Would
you show your mercy and grace? You said you'll be gracious to
whom you will be gracious. God, would you be gracious to
us? Not because we deserve it. Far from it. But because you're
merciful, because you're gracious, because it's yours to give. God,
be merciful and grant us thy salvation, we pray. It's in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ for his glory, we pray. Thank you.