OUR BLESSED SALVATION

The apostle Paul speaks in 2 Corinthians. 9:15 of thanking God for "His unspeakable gift." He has reference in that verse to something that is indescribable. You can describe the house you live in or the car you drive, but it is impossible to adequately and fully describe God's unspeakable gift to us- salvation in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, though we can not fully describe what is ours, we do our best to proclaim the story of Jesus and His great salvation. Some think the "unspeakable gift" refers to "Christ" and others that it points to "the Gospel." As we think about our blessed salvation, lets consider several things about it.

I. THE BOW OF OUR SALVATION. When I speak of bowing, I refer to submitting, yielding, or stooping. First, Jesus had to come down. It is hard to image a Perfect One leaving a perfect world, coming down to planet earth to be made the sin sacrifice for every man (Phil.2: 8).

Secondly, I had to bow in recognition of the fact that I was a lost sinner, condemned to die and on my way to hell. No one is ever truly saved who fails to recognize that he or she is a lost, helpless sinner.

The sinner must see Jesus as his only hope.

II. THE NOW OF OUR SALVATION. The Bible says in 2 Cor. 6:2, "Behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation." We must be saved now because tomorrow may never come. Also, we must be saved because the Holy Spirit may stop pleading with our soul (Gen. 6:3). When God deals with the heart it is time to be saved and come to Christ without hesitation or delay.

III. THE HOW OF OUR SALVATION. God has a plan for our salvation.

One does not get "born again" by just any method. First, there is the element of repentance (Luke 13:3). Repentance is not sorrow you got caught, but a desire to turn from sin and give everything to God.

Secondly, there is the element of faith. The Philippian jailer was told, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts.16:31). The word "believe" is not a mental assent but a deep "commitment" to the Lord. Have faith in His blood (Rom. 3:25).

IV. THE WOW OF OUR SALVATION. "Wow" is not a word I use much in my vocabulary, but it is a word that speaks of an attitude of "wonder or pleasure." See 2 Cor. 5:17 and you might say, "Wow!"