Salvation

Basic Truths God wants His People to Know, Part 1


By Pastor Dan Kennedy

© January 28, 2018

www.pastorkennedy.com


Psalm 40:1–3

1 I waited patiently for the Lord;

he turned to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,

out of the mud and mire;

he set my feet on a rock

and gave me a firm place to stand.

3 He put a new song in my mouth,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear

and put their trust in the Lord.


When we speak of “Salvation” what are we speaking of?


  1. Deliverance from disaster?

  2. Deliverance from despair?

  3. Protection from death?

  4. Deliverance from hell after we die?

  5. Is it physical deliverance?  Is it emotional deliverance?  Is it spiritual deliverance?

  6. Is it all of the above?

When we speak of salvation from a Biblical perspective we will view it from a multi-prismed spiritual dynamic.


  1. From Sin-saturated to Life-Transformation:

oSalvation from a sin-saturated, “me first” life, to a life transformed by the Holy Spirit with a new, God focused, spiritual nature.  


oSalvation from the old love of recklessly (without consideration of anybody else) racing down the “everybody’s doing it” Broad Road leading to Eternal Destruction, to having a new desire to know God and travel on His “narrow road” leading to life.


oSalvation from daily destructive behavior to a new life – not perfect; but, growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord.  


oSalvation from old carnal motivations to a new motive for living – “God first,” having peace and fellowship with God and associating with those who love and serve Him.  Seeking to honorably follow God’s Word. Enjoying the friendship and fellowship with a totally different, God-focused group of people.  Distaining evil; loving good.


oSalvation by Refusing to Love what sends people to Hell and Rejoicing in a Meaningful Relationship with the Almighty God of Heaven!


This Transformation is only possible because of the price Jesus Christ paid on the cross in redeeming us from sin and the “New Birth” transforming work of God’s Holy Spirit.  (John 3)


God’s Long-Term Plan of Salvation

This Salvation is not a random act that evolved, by trial and error, over eons of time.  God Established His Plan before the Creation of the World…before the ages of the earth had ever begun.  (Eph. 1:4; Matt. 25:34; 1 Pet. 1:18-20)


1 Peter 1:18–20

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen (foreknown) before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.


What Did God’s Plan Foresee?


God’s Ultimate Goal at the End of the Ages, is A New Heaven and a New Earth in which Righteousness Dwells. (2 Peter 3:13)


  1. God’s Plan is to Build for Himself, through the ages, a Righteous, Redeemed, Profound and Eternal Kingdom, drawn from every Nation, Tribe, Language, and People.  (Rev. 5:9-10)

oPeople on earth have Eternal Spiritual Souls created in God’s Own Image.  Everyone dwells in a physical body capable of death because of sin. (God protected “the Tree of Life” once mankind had fallen. Gen. 3:24) The spirits of those Redeemed by Christ have been transformed and empowered to be Children of the Most High God, by God’s Power and Authority, and will one day be fully transformed into Christ’s Image.  (Phil. 3:20-21; 2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 8:29; 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 13:12)


oThose who are Redeemed and Transformed, because of Christ’s Salvation, will be Resurrected with New Bodies that are imperishable, glorious, powerful, supernatural and immortal. (1 Cor. 15:42-53)


oEternal Salvation awaits those, from the beginning of time to the end of time, who by grace, through faith are redeemed and transformed, to inherit and fulfill their unique place in God’s Eternal Kingdom, as part of the Bride of Christ, in the Home He has prepared for Us.  (Romans 8:29; Gal. 3:13-14; 4:5; Titus 2:11-14; John 14:1-6; Rev. 19:7-9; 21:1-4)


In Order to Accomplish His Goal, God’s Plan Foresaw the Following Events, both Bad and Good:


The Seed of Rebellion and Sin


  1. The Systemic Plague of Spiritual Rebellion:  Sin began through Satan’s self-centered pride, “I will be like the Most High,” (Is. 14:12-14) while within the Supernatural Angelic Host, by fomenting a Systemic Plague of Spiritual Rebellion, which he would also bring to the earth to tempt and ultimately seek to humiliate and destroy God’s Creation. (Gen. 3:5)

  2. Self-Destruction, Or Ultimate Glory:  God allowed rebellion to be initiated in heaven itself and brought to earth in the beginning (Rev. 12:3-4; 7-9), so that ultimately, at the end, deceit, hypocrisy, and rebellion would be ferreted out through the cancer of sin’s own corrupt “genetics.”

  3. The Spiritually Corrosive Agent of Rebellion and Sin against God will ultimately Reveal and Condemn the Corrupt (Rev. 22:11-17); and, it will also be used by God to universally test, reveal and reward Truth and Righteousness. (James 1:2-4; 12)


Why does God allow sin and spiritual darkness to flourish?  


Truth will be Revealed:  God allows spiritual darkness to flourish so that which is Truth in its Reality, will one day be revealed, even when ruthlessly stirred in the cauldron of this sinful world.  “We are in the world but not of the world.” (John 17:14-19; 1 John 2:15-16; 2 Cor. 10:3)


Stubble will be Burn up:  God allows spiritual darkness to flourish so that which is stubble – human works, pride, corruptness, self-centeredness and greed will be evident and burnt up. (1 Cor. 3:12–15)


Gold will be Refined:  God allows spiritual darkness to flourish so that which is tested and found to be Gold, before God, will be refined and purified. (1 Peter 1:3-7)


Eternal Brilliance Displayed:  God allows spiritual darkness to flourish so that one day, those who are truly God’s People, who overcome the wicked one, will be brought together in His Kingdom to enjoy the blessings of eternal life and shine like the brightness of the heavens.  (Daniel 12:2-3; Rom. 12:21; 1 John 2:13-14; 4:4)


Daniel 12:2–3

2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

Those in God’s Kingdom, who through testing and refinement in the furnace of affliction, will finally be revealed in the splendor of faithfulness, purity, beauty and brilliant glory. (Rom. 8:18-25)


Wickedness Condemned:  God allows spiritual darkness to flourish so that those who are wicked will justly suffer shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2; Matt. 25:46)


Rebellion and Sin against God will Reveal and Condemn the Corrupt; and, it will also be used by God to universally test, disclose, and reward the Righteousness and Godly.


What Did God’s Plan Foresee?


  1. God’s Plan is to Build for Himself, through the ages, a Righteous, Redeemed, Profound and Eternal Kingdom, drawn from every Nation, Tribe, Language, and People.


  1. God allows, for His own Purposes, the Seed of Sin initiated by Satan’s Systemic Plague of Spiritual Rebellion.

 

oGod knows that sin’s own “genetics” will eventually destroy itself and be justly Judged; while righteousness will be tested, revealed, refined and given great reward.


Rebellion and Sin had been initiated in the angelic host, but God Continued Earth’s Creation – He knew what He was planning…before the Creation of the World.


God Continued in His Plan through the Creation of the World


  1. Mankind was formed in God’s Image

oThinking

oCreative

oDynamic

oEternal…

oAlong with the Inbred ability to Choose to Disobey and Sin against God, their Creator


Adam Chose to Disobey God


  1. Deception by Satan

  2. Disobedience against God

  3. Depravity Prevails Universally on the Whole World to Every Generation

Romans 3:23

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…


Romans 5:12

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—


The Need for Salvation is Evident because of the Corruption of Sin


The Coming of The Messiah and Redeemer – The Savior Revealed


  1. Humankind has Searched for a Savior since the Fall – and those who have not found Christ, continue to search, today.

oThe Messiah was Promised (Gen 3:15; Is. 53, etc.)

oThe Promise was Fulfilled in Jesus Christ (John 1:29, Rev. 5:6-14)

- Jesus Christ’s Incarnation (Sinless God becoming man through His virgin birth) (Is. 7:14)

- Jesus Christ’s Profound and Powerful Life (Matt. 11:2-6; John 20:30-31)

oJesus was Rejected by the dominant persons and powers of this world. (John 8:58-59; 10:27-33; Matt. 20:18-19)

oJesus Christ was Crucified to bear the guilt of our sin upon Himself. (Is. 53; Rom. 4:24-25; 2 Cor. 5:21)

Jesus Christ’s was God’s Sacrifice on the Cross to provide Redemption and defeat over the judicial powers of sin, requiring sin’s “wages” to be paid – “The wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23)


  1. The Secret of the Redeemer

God had Cloaked His Son’s Coming by giving living “Pictures” of His Coming Sacrifice throughout the Old Testament (Heb. 9 & 10), but by not fully disclosing His Plan of Redemption until it was completed – or the spiritual powers of darkness and their human instruments would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. (1 Cor. 2:8)


  1. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ gained Victory over death through His Resurrection. (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20; 1 Cor. 15)


Through His Death and Resurrection, Jesus Christ has conclusive Authority, to Justify, Redeem, and Reward God’s Children, and also the Authority to Justly condemn the wicked and all the nations that forget God. (Col. 1:15-20; Ps. 9:17-19)


Faith:  God’s Plan Involved Accessing the Spiritual Dimension of Faith – Salvation by Grace through Faith (Eph. 2:8-9)


  1. The Essential Quality of Faith:  Belief in God, sustained by the Truth of His Word.

God Promised Abraham.  Abraham believed God, and his faith was counted to him as righteousness.  (Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6)


The Basis of the Biblical Message of Salvation (Romans 10; Matt. 28:19-20)


  1. God Has a Plan for His Eternal Kingdom

  2. God Created Us with the ability to Choose or Reject Him

  3. All Have Sinned – I have sinned and fall short of His Holiness

  4. God has made a way for forgiveness of our sin, through Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross, for Salvation

  5. All those who believe in Christ and receive Him as their Savior, will be Redeemed from their sin, become Justified in God’s sight, and have a Spiritual New Birth by the Power of the Holy Spirit.


The Necessity of Salvation


  1. A Transformed Life by the Power of God’s Holy Spirit

  2. Communion and Relationship with God through Prayer and God’s Word

  3. Fellowship with others who know Christ

  4. Guidance and empowerment to walk through life’s maze, through the Power of the Holy Spirit

  5. The Future of Eternal Life

  6. Participating in Christ’s Everlasting Kingdom

  7. Rewards for God’s Faithful

oThe Waste of Lost Rewards – burned up


1 Corinthians 3:12–15

12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.


oThe Wealth of Eternal Rewards – the Crown of Righteousness and Life


2 Timothy 4:7–8

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.


James 1:12

12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.


Revelation 2:10b

10 …Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.


God has provided sinful humankind the privilege of being reconciled again to Himself!


A Prayer for Salvation

“Dear Heavenly Father, I have sinned against You.  Jesus Christ, Your Son, died on the Cross for my sins.  I believe that Jesus died, was buried and rose again on the third day, to become my Savior, all-powerful over sin and death.  I now, by faith, repent of my sins and invite Jesus Christ to come into my life to cleanse me from my sin and guilt through His precious blood, before God’s Holy Presence.  I confess Jesus Christ as my Savior and my Lord. By faith, I receive your free gift of eternal life, because of Your Grace, and ask that Your Holy Spirit transform me into Your Child and fill me with His Presence.  Thank You, Heavenly Father, for Your Mercy and Salvation, giving me such an opportunity to be born again into Your Heavenly Family.  In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!”



This is Salvation, Today!  

God’s Plan is Continuing!


Those who have been Redeemed and Transformed

will be part of God’s Eternal Kingdom!