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 is 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 in his best state
is altogether vanished. Salvation of guilty sinners,
as it's described in Holy Scripture, is a work of God alone. It's
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's 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. It's
great, 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 unto 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 the seed.
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's 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.