This morning for our Bible study,
let's turn to the book of Acts. Acts chapter 4, and let me read
starting at verse 10. I would encourage you to get
your Bible this morning, and let's study these verses together.
Acts chapter 4, verse 10. Be it known unto you all, and
to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ
of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead,
even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is
the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become
the head of the corner. Now listen carefully, neither
is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under
heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Our study this
morning is concerning salvation. Neither is there salvation in
any other. In the book of Hebrews, we read,
how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? Salvation, my friend, is of the
Lord. Salvation is a gracious deliverance
of our soul from all evil by the power of God. It is a deliverance
from sin, a deliverance from the curse of the law. Christ
being made a curse for us, redeemed us from the curse of the law.
Salvation is the deliverance from death. Salvation is deliverance
from the eternal wrath of God. And salvation is deliverance
into eternal glory, the glory of God's presence in heaven.
This salvation that we read of in Scripture, this salvation
of our soul is a gracious act of God. The sovereign, eternal
act of God. It comes to men through the merits
of Christ, and His righteousness, and His priestly work, and His
sacrificial atonement. It is a work performed by God
the Holy Spirit, by the power of God in the heart. We read
that clearly in Scripture that salvation is a heart work, being
confident of this very thing that God who has begun a good
work in you will perform it. It is received by faith. This
salvation is not attributed to works, the works of man or the
merit of man in any measure whatsoever. It's not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to God's mercy He saved us. This is what the Word of God
plainly says about salvation. It's all of grace. We read in
Ephesians 2, 8, 9, By grace are you saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works,
lest any man should boast. Timothy 1.9, we read, God had
saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our
worth, but according to God's own purpose and God's own grace
which was given us in Christ before the world began. Now listen
to me carefully this morning. Here are four plain facts revealed
in Scripture about the salvation of God. Here's the first point.
Salvation was purposed by God in eternity. We read in 2 Thessalonians
2 verse 13, We are bound to give thanks always to God for you,
brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit
and belief of the truth. Salvation was purposed by God
in eternity. The Lord our God sovereignly
purposed the salvation of His people in Christ before the world
began. before the world was, before the sun, the moon, the
stars gave forth their light, before the heavens were made,
before the foundations of the earth were laid, when God dwelt
alone in the glory of His sacred person, He said, I will be their
God, and they shall be My people. That's the language of the covenant
of God, and that's the language of salvation of God. I will,
and they shall. It was God's eternal purpose
that determined who he would save, when he would save them,
and how he would save them. His eternal love and infinite
wisdom drew all the details of this salvation that's eternal. The Lord Jesus Christ was delivered
to be our sacrifice by the eternal, determinate counsel of God. We
read in Ephesians chapter 1, He predestinated us under the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according to
the good pleasure of His will. You see, salvation is by the
eternal purpose and decree and determination of God. Here's
a second thought about salvation. Salvation was purchased by the
Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary. Now we read in Acts chapter 20,
these are the last words of Paul to those believers at Ephesus. He said, take heed therefore
unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost
hath made you overseers, made you ministers, to feed the church
of God which he purchased with his own blood. We read in 1 Peter
that we're not redeemed with corruptible things, nor are we
redeemed by our money, our morality, our works, but with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
He's a spotless lamb. He had no sin, who was barely
foreordained before the foundation of the world that was manifest
in these last times for you. You see, we're bought with the
blood of Christ. God loved His church. He gave
Himself for His church. He purchased us with His own
blood. The Lord Jesus Christ came to
this world in time, assuming our nature in the fullness of
time. God sent forth His Son, made
of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under
the law. He voluntarily laid down his
life at Calvary as the sinner's substitute, as a sacrificial
atonement for the sin of God's people. He purchased us from
the curse of God's law and the penalty of God's holy law, satisfying
his own justice and satisfying his own law and entitling God's
people to glory. Now we read in 2 Corinthians
5, verse 21, "...God made him to be sin for us, who knew no
sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
You see, we are made righteous by the sacrifice of Christ. He
purchased for us all blessings, all grace now, and all glory
in eternity. He purchased for us all the blessings
of God's eternal salvation, entering in once into the holy place.
not made with hands, but in the heaven itself, as the great high
priest, as a representative man of God's people, the Lord Jesus
Christ obtained eternal redemption for us and purchased glory for
us in His name and made us heirs of God and joint heirs with the
Lord Jesus Christ. He bought us, He made us, redeemed
us, and justified us with His own blood. So salvation was purchased
by the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's the third thought about
salvation. The glorious, clear fact of scripture. Salvation was performed entirely
by the grace of God in our heart. That is, this application of
salvation that was purposed by God in eternity and purchased
by Christ at Calvary was made in our heart. By the application
made real in our heart, experienced in our heart, in time, God applies
salvation to the hearts of God's elect. We see, my friend, we
were dead in trespasses and in sin. God the Holy Spirit, in
time, through the preaching of the gospel, regenerated us by
his sovereign power, giving us life in Christ. You hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and in sin. God is more than a mighty
orator beseeching men. He's a mighty operator quickening
the hearts of dead men to life. We could not and would not come
to the Lord in ourselves and by ourselves. He came to us. He said no man can come to me
except the Father which sent me. Draw him. We had no repentance,
but my friend, He gave repentance. We had no faith, but He gave
us faith. You see, salvation received my
faith. In the day of His power, God's
power, He gave us life, revealed Christ in our hearts, and made
us willing to come to Christ, trusting Him as Lord and Savior.
We read in Psalm 65, blessed is the man whom thou choosest
and causes to approach unto thee. We read in Jeremiah 31, he's
loved us with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness
he says, I will draw you. You see, the Lord purposed this
salvation in eternity. He purchased it at Calvary, and
in time, He applies that salvation to the heart of God's people
solely and totally by His sovereign grace. Now, here's the fourth
thought. Salvation is preserved by the
power of God. We read in 1 Peter 1.5, we're
kept by the power of God. There is no possibility of God's
people, God's elect, ever perishing. The blood of Christ, the purpose
of God, and the grace of God will not allow it. We were chosen
by grace, redeemed by grace, saved by grace, and we shall
persevere and be preserved unto eternal glory by the grace of
God. Like a mighty preserver, we are
sealed by God the Holy Spirit in Christ until the glorious
resurrection day when our salvation shall be perfect and complete
eternally. He saved us with eternal salvation. He obtained eternal redemption
for us. Listen to the Lord as He speaks
in John chapter 10, we read, My sheep hear My voice, I know
them, they follow Me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they
shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My
hand. He gives what kind of life? Eternal life. And this word that
He uses here, they shall never perish, that's a pretty strong
word, isn't it? Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all, and no man can pluck them out of my Father's
hand. I and my Father are one." You see, we're preserved, we're
kept by the power of God, and His people do persevere in faith. Salvation. Salvation of God. Salvation is by grace alone,
through faith alone, in Christ alone. Salvation is of the Lord.