What Salvation? II

Larry Siegle
11/10/24 - Sun AM

Link to sermon video: What Salvation? II - L Siegle

What Salvation?  II

“The RECEPIENTS of Salvation”

(Acts 4:12)

Series:  What Does the Bible Teach about Salvation?

Thesis:  The Scriptures teach that salvation is necessary for those who place their faith in Jesus Christ.

INTRODUCTION

1.    The title of this series is What Salvation? II

        a.     Does God actually and actively save people today?

        b.    Why has God been ‘silent’ over the past 2,000 years?

        c.     Is God active in the world around us?

               1)    If God exists, then why is there so much evil all around us?

               2)    Does God even care about what happens to us in our everyday lives?

2.    This is the second message in this series, and we are going to think about some of these issues that have become

        common objections to the very basic, foundational principles of what it means to have a relationship with God.

DOES GOD SAVE ANYONE TODAY?

1.    Because we understand that God has fulfilled all of His promises, and kept His Word, there are some who say, then

        you do not believe that salvation is for today, that it all ceased at the “end of the age” (Matt. 24:3; 28:20) in the first

        century.

        a.     God promised Israel that salvation would be “from generation to generation” (forever) (Isa. 51:3-8).

        b.    This “salvation” was not restricted to Israel alone, but to the people of the “coastlands” (the nations) who would

               also receive the benefit of coming into God’s presence.

        c.     The abundance of God’s “mercy” with the coming of Messiah into the world would be “from generation to

               generation” (Luke. 1:50).

               1)    eleos—“mercy, kindness, goodwill, compassion”

               2)    The “love of the Lord” never ceases and His “mercy” endures (Lam. 3:22, 23).

2.    The “power” of the gospel remains (Rom. 1:16, 17; I Cor. 1:18, 21,-24; Rev. 14:6).

3.    In the “fullness of time” (Gal. 4:4), the Word was “made flesh” (John 1:14) to become the redemptive “lamb of God”

        (John 1:29)—to shed His precious “blood” (I Pet. 1:18-21).

        a.     His sacrificial “death” was a ‘once for all time’ offering, when He appeared at the “end of the ages” (Heb. 9:12-26)

        b.    The “blood” of animal sacrifices could never cleanse someone of their sins and transgressions (Heb. 10:1-4).

4.    Through the process of redemption, accomplished by Christ, through the Cross, those who had faith in God, and trust

        in His promises received:

        a.     “everlasting life” (John 3:16; 17:3).

        b.    “eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12).

        c.     “eternal inheritance” (Heb. 9:15)

5.    The provision of “salvation” took place 2,000 years ago, through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

        a.     Christ does not shed His “blood” repeatedly to benefit those who would be saved (once for all time).

        b.    Those who believe come to Christ to appropriate the benefit of what has already been established for them.

               1)    Christ died “for everyone” (Heb. 2:9), to “bring many sons to glory” (Heb. 2:10)—the provision made, but the

                       benefits were only to those who would receive them by faith (John 1:11, 12; Gal. 3:21-26; I Tim. 4:10)

               2)    The position of where “salvation” is available has already been established (II Tim. 2:10-12; 3:15).

               3)    In this series, we will discuss the identity of “the elect” and the meaning of “election” in relationship to

                       “salvation”.

        c.     Jesus “paid it all” (once and for all time) and therefore, it is obedient faith that provides the application of that

               which has been accomplished (Heb. 11:6), Christ in His “death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8), was “delivered up” (Matt.

               26:2; Acts 2:22, 23; Rom. 4:25), and His victorious “resurrection from among the dead” (Rom. 1:4) was the means

               through which “justification” was made possible.

THE DESIRE OF GOD AND HIS OFFER TO HUMANITY

1.    Salvation is conditioned upon faith and acceptance of the terms of the “gospel of Christ” (John 3:16-18, 36).

        a.     The heartfelt desire of God is that all would come to “repentance” (Acts 17:30; II Pet. 3:9).

        b.    The heartfelt desire of God is that all would come to a “knowledge of the salvation” (John the Baptizer) (Luke

               1:77).

        c.     The heartfelt desire of God is that all would be saved and come into a “knowledge of the truth” (I Tim. 2:3-6)

2.    God is the source of “eternal salvation” to all who obey Him (Heb. 5:8, 9)—True faith is responsive faith.

3.    In this series we are going to discover what it means to be under the “umbrella of faith” in each aspect of how

        “salvation” takes place in the life of a person.

4.    We are going to discover what the Bible teaches about corporate aspect of “salvation” and the relationship of the

        corporate to the individual.

        a.     Salvation is both a “group policy” through which the distribution applies to each “individual” within the “body of

               Christ”---We need to stop making these two aspects mutually exclusive.

        b.    Resurrection of the dead has both a corporate and an individual aspect—it is not mutually exclusive.

        c.     A “whole” is equal to the sum of its “parts” (basic math).

CONCLUSION

1.    There is so many things for us to come to know and to appreciate about the purpose, process, and meaning of

        “salvation”

2.    When we think about how the price of redemption was paid, what God through Christ has done on our behalf, we

        stand in “awe” of God and the great things He has done!

3.    God continues to rule and to work all around us in the world today (Psa. 145:9-13)

4.    Our responsibility as the “church of the Lord” is to make His goodness known everywhere and to everyone.