Salvation is Here

Introduction

“Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” Charles Wesley)

Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free;

from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee."

Peter is about to conclude his discussion on salvation.  He has presented this topic by looking at the three Christian virtues:  faith, hope, and love.  (Faith v.7, Hope v.3-4 and Love v.8)

Furthermore, he has described the joy of the believers, for they are indescribably rich in respect to their spiritual inheritance.

This text before us magnifies the Greatness of our Salvation.  It helps us understand the writer of Hebrews when he asks in Hebrews 2:3, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation.”  The amazing thing is that this salvation we are awaiting, (in its fullness) the return of Christ, was a part of God’s great plans for us from eternity.  The Old Testament prophets wrote about this salvation and studied closely what God revealed to them.  They saw the sufferings of the Messiah, and also the glory that would follow; but they could not fully understand the connection between the two.  In fact, in some of the prophecies, the Messiah’s suffering and glory are blended in one verse or paragraph.

When Jesus came to earth, the Jewish teachers were awaiting a conquering Messiah who would defeat Israel’s enemies and establish the glorious kingdom promised to David.  Even His own disciples were not clear about the need for His death on the cross (Matt. 16:13-28).  They were still inquiring about the Jewish kingdom, even after His resurrection (Acts 1:1-8).  If the disciples were not clear about God’s program certainly the Old Testament prophets could be excused.

God told the prophets that they were ministering for a future generation.  Between the suffering of Messiah and His return in glory comes what we call “the age of the church.”  The truth about the church was a hidden “mystery” in the Old Testament period (Eph. 3:1-13).  The Old Testament believers looked ahead by faith and saw, as it were, two mountain peaks:  Mount Calvary, where Messiah suffered and died (Isaiah 53), and Mount Olivet, where He will return in glory (Zech. 14:4).  They could not see the “valley” in between, the present age of the church.

Even the angels are interested in what God is doing in and through His church.  The Bible teaches that God is educating angels on the subject of salvation through the church (1 Cor. 4:9, Eph. 3:10).

If the Old Testament prophets searched so diligently into the truths of salvation, and yet had so little to go on, how much more ought we to search into this subject, now that we have a complete word from God!

DEFINE SALVATION

1 John 5:11: “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”

Salvation is the work of God that delivers us from sin and its penalty, restores us to a right relationship with Him, and imparts to us eternal life.  God accomplished and is accomplishing this work through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Bible presents Christ as the Alpha and Omega, the first and last of our salvation, and as the author and finisher of our faith.

From beginning to end, salvation is the work of God and is not found in any program, process, or prayer.

Salvation is a person, Jesus Christ, and therefore, “he who has the Son has life.” (1 John 5:11-12).

The New Testament presents salvation as the uniting of Christ with the believer and the believer in Christ.

Paul states that “in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive”              ( 1 Corinthians 15:22).  Paul’s point is that just as Adam, our representative, brought sin, judgement, and death upon us, so Jesus as our representative brings us forgiveness, righteousness and life.

Salvation is completely by grace.  Humanity is guilty of deliberately and freely choosing sin and as a result no longer has the inclination or ability to turn away from it.

Scripture describes the human condition in drastic and graphic terms; it portrays us as “ungodly;” as “sinners,” and even as God’s enemies (Romans 5:6-10).

We exist in a state of spiritual death. Yet it is while we are in such an inexcusable state that Christ dies for us. We have an eternal destiny, and for this reason the salvation of each person is a matter of great significance.

WHAT SALVATION PROVIDES

I. ETERNAL SALVATION IS FOR ALL:  ALL  CAN BE SAVED

Hebrews 2:9

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.”

II. ETERNAL FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LORD JESUS MAY BE ENJOYED

Ephesians 2:13: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

III. DIRECT WAY OF ACCESS TO GOD IN PRAYER IS GRANTED

1 Timothy 2:5-6: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,  who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

IV. THE RIGHTEOUS DEMANDS OF THE LAW ARE FOREVER SATISFIED

(This delivers the believer from its bondage)

Colossians 2:14: “having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

V. ETERNAL FORGIVENESS FOR SIN IS ASSURED.

Ephesians 1:7: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

The believer will never stand before God in judgment for sin.

VI. THE BELIEVER BECOMES THE RECEIPIENT OF GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS - JUSTIFIED.

2 Corinthians 5:21: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Romans 4:25: “who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”

VII. THE ANTICIPATED HOPE OF HEAVEN BECOMES A REALITY - ANTICIPATED

John 14:1-6: "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  And where I go you know, and the way you know." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”