Rsbc
February 22, 2004
Sunday Morning
Subject: “ What Is Salvation”
Text: Genesis 49:18 I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.
Intro: One of the greatest things in the Bible is that a Sovereign Lord would ever consider saving some of the fallen race of Adam. This text is the first time the word salvation is found in the Bible.
The Hebrew word meaning of salvation is: It means to deliver. The greek word meaning for salvation is : It Likewise means to deliver, but to deliver with the idea of making ones soul healthy and preserving one.
By way of introducing this theme of “What is Salvation” I wish to Two things are to be noted in this text:
I. THAT SALVATION MUST BE WAITED FOR.
This speaks first of all how sinners are allowed nor are they capable of speeding up God in the saving of their souls. I realize that most references in the Old Testament speak of God saving man from something other than his soul. But even in that is the lesson for sinners that God moves when he wants to, and upon whom he desires, and at the time he has chosen.
Moses standing at the red sea invites his people to watch God save them; now I know that this means from Pharoh and his army, but the spiritual application is here...
Exodus 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
A. The wait must be until the Lord calls.
2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called [us] with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
B. The wait must be until the nature is changed.
Jesus told Nicodemus:
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John 3:7‑8 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
C. The wait must be until you have been reduced to the sinner you are, needing the mercy he gives.
Luke 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
D. The wait must be until there is no strength left in you to resist.
1 Corinthians 15:56‑57 The sting of death [is] sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law. 57 But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
E. The wait must be until there is no where else you can go.
Peter answering the Lord said when Jesus ask will ye also go away, and Peter knowing in his heart and mind, there is no where else to go: John 6:68‑69 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
F. The wait must be until there is a convincing and convicting in the soul that Christ indeed has called you.
2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
This is so important..
1st. Because many have thought they were saved and were in fact lost:
Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
2nd. Because the heart is deceitful.
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Jeremiah 17:9 The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Deceitful hearts will experience the wrath of the Lord. I pray you are not deceived this morning.
Psalm 5:6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
II.. THAT IT BELONGS TO THE LORD.
Isaiah the great Prophet:
Isaiah 12:2‑3 Behold, God [is] my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH [is] my strength and [my] song; he also is become my salvation. 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
This speaks of Christ, for he is Jehovah, and he spoke of being the water of life, and drawing from the well’s that shall spring up in our souls. Listen to what he said:
1st. It is his for the dispensing of it..
John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
Again Jesus Christ spoke of this great spiritual water that comes with believing in him.
2nd. It belongs to him for the providing of it:
John 7:37‑38 In the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
This my friends speaks to the heart of the one and only way for being saved is through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Jesus said: I am the good shepherd and the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. It was in the garden he prayed not as I will but thy will be done. The life he gave, the blood he shed, the torture he endured, the scoffing he ignored, the humanity of his flesh screaming with pain, Chirst my friends is the provider of it.
No church can save for it cannot provide it, No baptism can wash away sin, for it did not shed anything, no works can remove one stain of sin, for works has not enough virtue, no preacher can save, for he himself need salvation.
3rd. It belongs to him because his word affirms it.
1 Chronicles 16:23‑24 Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth from day to day his salvation. 24 Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations.
Isaiah 25:9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this [is] our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this [is] the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
4th. It belongs to him for he is very essence of it:
The word “essence” means That by which a thing is what it is, it’s intrinsic nature, the important elements or features of a thing. Paul in his writings introduces the Colossian letter with a brilliant portrait of Christ.
1st. That he was and is the very image of God:
Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: John Calvin said: “He mounts up higher in discoursing as to the glory of Christ. He calls him the image of the invisible God, meaning by this, that it is in him alone that God, who is otherwise invisible, is manifested to us, in accordance with what is said in John 1:18 No man hath ever seen God: the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, hath himself manifested him to us.
Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
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2nd. That he is the first born creature: This is not to suggest that he was simply a created being, but rather speaks of his right to supremacy over all things.
The very next verse declares it: verse 16
3rd. That he is before all things: vs 17 Speaks of his preexistence...
4th. That he is the head of all things: vs 18
5th. That he please his father: vs 19
6th. That he was the one that made peace: vs 20
7th. That he is the one that reconciles : vs 21
8th. That he will one day be present with us and for us to presents us: vs 22
There can be no doubt that it is his the essence, the heartbeat of it, that he is the all and in all of it. He is the sum and the substance of it. Believe it this morning and experience the greatest of it, the wonder of it, the security of it, the surety of it...
Next What is Salvation?