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 naught of you builders, which has 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.'" Now, 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. He 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 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. In 2 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 is 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
the 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 unto 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 are 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. And 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. You 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 to draw him. We had no repentance,
but, my friend, He gave repentance. We had no faith, but He gave
us faith. You see, salvation is received
by 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 cause us to approach unto
Thee. We read in Jeremiah 31, He's
loved us with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness,
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 plucked
him 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 plucked
him out of my hand. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all, and no man can pluck him 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.