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Many people in the world today have no thought of and feel that God's salvation is of no consequence to them.
Text:- "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation" [Heb.2:3]
[1] SALVATION IS OF GOD. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish , but have everlasting life." [John 3:16] "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" [Acts 2:21]
[2] IT IS AN ETERNAL SALVATION "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;.... " [Heb 5: 8,9]
[3] IT IS A COMMON SALVATION "I gave diligence to write to you of this common salvation" [ Jude 3]
[4] IT IS A GREAT SALVATION "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation" [Heb.2:3]
The writer to the Hebrews calls God's salvation a great salvation.
a. This salvation is greater that health. You may lose your health:
Find it difficult to walk, tiring to breath. Body not as strong as it used to be, eyesight failing, burdensome to try and hear, BUT this salvation rests on the Almighty Shepherd and He will never let one of His sheep out of His hand. "My sheep hear my voice...........and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one." [John 10: 27-30]
b. This salvation is greater than earthly power. This power comes from heaven and the Eternal Almighty God the Spirit. ".....ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you" [Acts 1:8] "..........sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise" [ Eph 1:13]
c. This salvation is greater than any earthly position
Those that have received this salvation have a heavenly position. "Beloved now are we the sons of God" [1 John 3:2]
"..to as many as receive him to them gave he power to become the sons of God......." [John 1:12]
d. This salvation is greater than earthly ties
Unsaved relatives are not as precious as Christian brothers and sisters. This salvation goes beyond earth's end. It goes into eternity. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" [John 3:36]
IT MIGHT ASKED BUT WHY THEN IS THIS SALVATION SO GREAT?
Four reasons why this salvation is so great.
[1] Because of the PROVIDER
The eternal God. Planned an purposed before the worlds were made.
"Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin......" [Isa.53:10]
"Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." [Acts 2:23]
[2] Because of the PRICE.
The cost was the sacrifice of the sinless holy Son of God.
"All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all" [Isa. 53:6]
"Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold........... but with the precious blood of Christ" [1 Pet. 1:18, 19]
[3] Because of the POWER
The effect upon earth, heaven and hell. "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son......" [Rom. 5:10]
a. Power known in heaven.
When a soul is saved the angels in heaven rejoice and their name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth....." [Luke 15:7-10] "Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven"
[Luke 10:20] [Rev.3:8]
b. Power known on earth.
A life is changed and the saints rejoice. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [creation] ; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new." [2 Cor. 5:17]
Give illustration of people who are known to you whose lives have been dramatically changed.
c. Power known in hell.
Consternation among the demons as men and women are unshackled and rescued from Satan's grasp.
"...a firebrand plucked out of the burning" [Amos 4:11]
[4] Because of the PERIOD covered
Not only for time but for eternity.
"And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish" [John 10:28]
The positive and negative aspect of eternal life. [John 3:16]
"shall not perish" Negative. "but shall have everlasting life" Positive.
The question that must be asked by everyone is:-"How shall we escape if we neglect [make light of] so great salvation" [Heb. 2:3] We all have to face this question.
THE ANSWER:- There is no escaping the wrath of God if we make light of this great salvation.
Men and women do not have to reject God's plane just go about there life as if God had never made escape possible. "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal" [Mat. 25:46]
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