Much of this lesson taken from a sermon by Foy L. Smith The Great Salvation Church of Christ at Medina July 20th, 2014 Much of this lesson taken from a sermon by Foy L. Smith

Salvation “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” - Hebrews 2:1-4, ESV

Salvation “Someone compared man’s mind to a leaky vessel. What he hears and receives will slip away if he does not exercise caution to retain it.” No subject is more fully treated in the Bible than the topic of salvation. “Salvation belongs to the Lord…” (Psalm 3:8) “Before the lost can begin the journey toward the realization of salvation, he must realize that he is lost.”

Salvation God provides salvation today in the person of Christ and in the good news of the gospel. Acts 4:12 – “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (ESV) 2 Timothy 2:10 – “Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” (ESV) Ephesians 1:13 – “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit…” (ESV)

Salvation God provides salvation today in the person of Christ and in the good news of the gospel. 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 – “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” (ESV) Romans 1:15-17 – “So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (ESV)

The Great Salvation God’s Salvation is great because of who authored it. Hebrews 5:8-9 – “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source (author) of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.” (ESV) Jesus showed us the way to salvation by suffering for us and still being obedient. It is only then through the author of salvation and His blood – Jesus – that we can receive the forgiveness of sins. Romans 5:8-9 – “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” (ESV)

The Great Salvation God’s Salvation is great because of the magnitude of the awful condition from which it saves. Romans 616-19 – “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.” (ESV)

The Great Salvation God’s Salvation is great because of the position which it places man. God does deliver us from the depths of sin and allows us to partake in the “divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2 Peter 1:4) We are allowed to become part of the family of God. (1 John 1:3)

The Great Salvation God’s Salvation is great because of the price paid! 1 Peter 1:18-19 – “…knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (ESV) Hebrews 7:27 – “He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.” (ESV)

Salvation can be neglected. People neglect salvation when they neglect their opportunities to obey. Each invitation may be the last one… Each time he neglects, his heart becomes harder… They may drift away from the truth they have been taught… They are wayside hearers who had the truth of the gospel snatched from their heart by the devil. (Luke 8:12)

Salvation can be neglected. People neglect salvation when they neglect their opportunities to worship. Hebrews 10:24-25 – “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (ESV) 2 Peter 2:20-22 – “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”(2 Peter 2:20-22 ESV)

Salvation can be neglected. People neglect salvation when they neglect their opportunities to study and know Him. Ecclesiastes 12:1 – “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them.’” 2 Timothy 3:15 – “…and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

We are preparing for an eternal salvation! Our salvation here is only a small portion of the salvation that the Christian will enjoy. Hebrews 9:28 – “…so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (ESV) ‘For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17, ESV)