GREAT GRACE FOR SO GREAT SALVATION FROM THE LORD
Ephesians 2:1-10; Hebrews 2:3-4.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Ephesians 2:8). We have salvation by grace through faith in God. “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;” (Hebrews 2:3). How shall we escape the judgement of God, eternal perdition, the judgement that comes at the end of a graceless life if we neglect such grace salvation? Some people don’t reject, but they neglect so great salvation because they are holding on to graceless salvation, they are holding on to fruitless salvation, they have meaningless salvation, they are holding on to self-effort salvation, they are holding on to self-righteous salvation, and because they are holding on to self-improvement salvation which does not take anyone to heaven. The ‘so great salvation’ we receive comes from the Lord, not from religion, self-effort, traditional religion, denomination, or changing one’s dressing or outlook.
- GOD’S PROVISION OF TRANSFORMING GRACE FOR SALVATION
Titus 2:11-14; Acts 11:23-24.
‘So great salvation’ is the provision of God, and it transforms our lives when it comes to our lives. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” (Titus 2:11-12). This grace is the grace of God not the grace of man, the grace of the soul-winner, or the grace of the gracefulness of man. No man can produce enough grace, mercy, and love to save any man. The grace of God brings us salvation. There is the experience of salvation, the evidence of salvation, and the expression of salvation. The experience of salvation in Christ is shown in:
A – Atonement through His Sacrifice – Romans 5:8,11. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” (Romans 5:8, 11). Christ atoned for our sins when He died on the cross, and it is only through that atonement that we experience salvation. Turning over a new leaf and doing one’s best do not bring salvation; we have atonement through His sacrifice.
B – Birth by the Spirit – John 3:3-8. “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3). As a baby cannot be born by self-effort or self-improvement, we experience salvation by being born again, and born of the Spirit of God. “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5). Self- righteousness is the righteousness produced by self without the Spirit, and except a man be born by the Spirit of God, He cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
C – Conversion in Salvation – Acts 3:19,26. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” (Acts 3:19). When you repent, heaven does the conversion in you.
D – Deliverance from the control of Satan – Hebrews 2:14-15. Self-effort, religious activity, and social activity cannot release those who are under the control of Satan. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:14-15). When the grace of salvation comes into our lives, it delivers us from under the control of Satan.
E – Endurance in different Situations – Matthew 24:12-13. “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:12-13). Transgression, sin, and iniquity are increasing, and those who cannot endure join the people in sin. There is a present salvation, and we have it by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. When temptations and trials come, God’s grace helps us to endure them so that we can have the final, perfect, everlasting, and perpetual salvation when we cross over into heaven.
F – Freedom from all Sins – Romans 6:18,23. “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” (Romans 6:18). It is God’s so great salvation that gives us freedom from sin. “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” (Romans 6:22).
G – Godliness with Sobriety – Titus 2:11-14. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” (Titus 2:11-12). The experience of salvation brings godliness with sobriety. When we are saved, we are not superficial, clownish, joking about wine, women or wealth, but our lives have a sober and serious attitude that displaces frivolity, carnality, and being a friend of the world.
H – Honesty in all Sincerity – 2 Corinthians 2:17. When salvation comes into our lives, dishonesty in business and relationships will go out while salvation will produce sincerity in us. “For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 2:17).
I – Imputation by the Saviour – Romans 4:22-25. When we get saved, our lives are no longer empty because there is an imputation of the righteousness of God in our lives. “And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:22).
- GOOD PERCEPTION OF TRUE GRACE FOR STEADFASTNESS
1 Peter 5:12; 2 Peter 3:17-18.
False grace is a grace that has no evidence of the professed experience. How do we perceive the true grace of God in anyone’s life? “By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.” (1 Peter 5:12). We know we have the true grace for steadfastness when we have:
J – Joy of Salvation – Psalm 51:1-13. “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” (Psalms 51:12). When we are saved, we are saved from the penalty, pollution, and punishment of sin, and we are no more in imprisonment to the devil; this gives us the joy of salvation.
K – Kindness to Saints and Sinners – Colossians 3:12-14. When we are saved, we remember that since God is kind to us, we should also be kind to others. “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;” (Colossians 3:12). When we get saved, malice will be gone, and we will love the Lord, love the Saviour, love the saints of God, and love the sinners around us.
L – Life in the Son – Galatians 2:20. Salvation brings Christ into us. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20). After salvation, we live in the Son and no longer outside Him.
M – Mercy towards the Sad and the Sorrowful – Matthew 5:6-8. The evidence of salvation is that we have mercy on others because God has had mercy on us. “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7).
N – Nourishment in the Scriptures – Acts 17:11. When we are saved, we will delight in nourishing ourselves in the word of God; we love the Bible and love to hear from the Father. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11). The evidence of salvation is that we love the word of God more than our necessary food.
O – Obedience from the depth of the Spirit – Romans 6:1-2,17-18. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-2). Before grace came, we had disobedience to the law of God, the laws of the nation, the commandments of our parents, and every authority around our lives. “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.” (Romans 6:17). After salvation comes, we will have obedience to the word of God from the depth of our spirit.
P – Peace in the Soul – Romans 5:1-5. The evidence of salvation is that there will be peace in our soul; no torment, agitation, conflict, or tearing apart in the soul. There will be peace when you are alone, amidst all the turmoil in the world and the contradiction of the world. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” (Romans 5:1).
Q – Quietness without Strife – 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12. Those who are not saved are interested in strife, but salvation brings quietness without strife. “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;” (1 Thessalonians 4:11).
R – Righteousness without Subtlety – Acts 13:10. When we are saved, we don’t try to defraud others in a clever way, and we will not try to stop the progress of others in a crafty manner. “And said, O full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:10). Those who are not saved are enemies of righteousness and children of the devil.
When we have salvation, we have the experience of salvation, the evidence of salvation, and the expression of salvation.
- GREAT POSSESSION THROUGH GRACE BY SAVED SOULS
Ephesians 2:5, 8; 1:7-9.
Saved souls possess transforming grace, which is a possession greater than anything they may have in this life. “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:5, 8, 10). Salvation brings a new creation; a new nature is created within us, which causes us to express that salvation in our actions of good works and gracious life.
S – Strength for Steadfastness – 2 Peter 3:17-18. We are not saved for a while; we continue living as saved souls after salvation because salvation brings steadfastness with the strength from above. “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:17-18). We have a new portion of God’s grace for every new day, challenge, and situation in our lives.
T – Truthfulness in Speech – Psalm 15:1-2. When we are saved, our language will change; while we may still be speaking the same language, some elements, such as anger, deception, and lying, will be taken away from our language. “LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.” (Psalms 15:1-2).
U – Upholding by His Strength – Isaiah 41:10. When we are saved, the Lord upholds us. The devil would like to push us down, but the power that upholds us is stronger than the power trying to push us down. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” (Isaiah 41:10).
V – Victory over Secret Sins – 1 John 5:4-5. Salvation gives us victory over the sins in the heart’s secret, in our privacy and when we think we are all alone by ourselves. God’s camera knows what we do when we think we are alone; He knows the thoughts of our hearts, the actions of our hands, our plans and strategies, and the reason we do the things we do in secret. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5).
W – Worthiness for the Heavenly Splendour – Revelation 3:4-5. God’s salvation makes us worthy of heavenly splendour; any other salvation will not do. “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.” (Revelation 3:4).
X – X-pectation of His Second Coming – 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10. When you are saved, you are living in the expectation of the coming of the Lord. “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). Salvation gives us the expectation of the Second Coming.
Y – Yielding the fruit of the Spirit – Mark 4:8,20. At salvation, the good seed has been planted in us, and Christ lives inside us to produce the fruit in us. “And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.” (Mark 4:8, 20). The saved soul begins to yield thirty-fold fruit at salvation; with steadfastness and supplication, he becomes sanctified and begins to yield sixty- fold fruits; in baptism and immersion in the Holy Ghost, he can yield a hundred- fold fruit.
Z – Zeal in Soul-winning for the Saviour – John 4:28-30,42. “The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.” (John 4:28-30). When we are saved, we become zealous of good works, evangelization, soulwinning, touching other lives and bringing them to the Lord. “And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” (John 4:42).
Examine your heart, life, and profession: Do you have the experience of salvation? Can you show the evidence of salvation? Do you have the expression of salvation? Praise God for the grace He has given you, and praise him for more grace He will give you. All these will be evident in your life as you have more grace, and your life will give glory to God, and your ministry will bear fruit.
