Biblical Salvation

Eddie Fleming

What Does the Bible Say? • Sermon • Submitted 7 years ago

1 Timothy 2:1–6

Salvation

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Title: Biblical Salvation

Text:

Text: (Pew Bibles: Page 1263)

I. God Desires Salvation for All

II. God Provides the Knowledge of the Truth

A. There is Only One God

B. There is Only One Mediator

III. God Provides the Sacrifice

Intro: I recently responded to a question on facebook that was posted by the former foreign missions director of General Baptists, Shawn Warren. He now works for a video company that teams up with churches, denominations, and non-profit groups to assist them in producing videos for their ministries.

The question that Shawn posted on Facebook was, "Would you watch a Christian film that has profanity in it?"

Conclusion:

My answer was no, at least not knowingly. I then gave my reasons, all which were based on Scriptures. What shocked me was that many didn't have a problem with it. Of those who opposed it, few, if any, opposed it because of the teachings of the Bible.

The acceptance of the world's language, the world's attitudes, and the world's actions are a reflection of a much deeper problem than whether the Christian community is becoming more accommodating of bad language.

The last words of my reply were, "Unfortunately the fact that we are having this discussion and asking these questions is a reflection of the state of Christianity in America."

There is no doubt that the churches of America and many Christians in America are becoming more accommodating to bad language, immoral activities, and various forms of ungodliness. The reasons behind this accommodation involves certain key aspects of Christianity. It has to do with salvation, sanctification, and biblical decision making. Today I begin a series of messages that will address the concept of salvation, more specifically biblical salvation, next week that of sanctification, the week after, biblical assurance of your salvation, the following week biblical decision making, and the final week, death from the biblical perspective.

As a Bible believing church we need to know what the Bible says about salvation, sanctification, assurance of your salvation, biblical decision making, and the one issue we cannot escape-the final issue of death.

So what does the Bible say about Biblical Salvation? Let's read our text.

READ TEXT:

I use the term biblical salvation because I don't believe there is an authoritative or sure source of information on salvation to be found anywhere except the Bible.

If our salvation comes from God, which it does, the only correct information about it would also come from God. A sure salvation must be based on biblical guidelines and biblical assurances.

As you saw in our text, the apostle Paul, who was an evangelist, extraordinaire, provided some great insight into biblical salvation in his letter to young Timothy, the pastor of the church at Ephesus.

He told Timothy to care about all people. He told him to pray for all people, especially those in government leadership positions. The reason Timothy should pray like this is so that the people could lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. And then he added, that Timothy should pray like this because it's good, and it's pleasing to God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

God desires that all people be saved.

I. God Desires Salvation for All

I believe everything that's written in the Bible. But I don't understand everything that's in the Bible. There are a lot of paradoxical statements in it. For example, our text says that God desires that all people to be saved. But in Jesus said, "For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

According to Matthew's passage, most will not be saved. But if God is all powerful and good, which He is, why doesn't He save everyone? After all, it's His desire to save everyone.

My answer to this question is simple, I don't know. There is a lot about God that is a mystery. Mysteries are things that are to be reserved until the next life. Only then will we will have perfect bodies and perfect knowledge. If we could understand everything about God, there would be no need for faith. Our faith in God should be based on what we do know about God, not what we don't know about God.

What we do need to know about God, is that just because God desires something, doesn't mean that it's His perfect will for it to happen. For instance, there are some things that I may desire from my children, but there are also some things that I require from my children.

When our children are young and living at home, we have a right and a duty to require that our kids obey certain rules and guidelines in our home. Even after they grow up and move out of our home, we will continue to desire that they live according to the principles and standards that we have tried to instill in them. But it is also true that after they grow up and move out, we have to give them their freedom. Once they are on their own, we can't control them and dictate how they should live, regardless of how much they may disappoint us or break our hearts.

This is true of God in that He gives us freewill. So on the one hand God desires that all people be saved, but on the other hand, He allows us to have our freewill. He allows us to reject His love, reject His grace, reject His forgiveness, and reject His great salvation. He allows us to break His heart. He allows us to choose between good and evil, to choose between self and the Savior, and to choose between heaven and hell.

The latter part is really what we are referring to when we talk about salvation. Salvation is foremost that of being saved from hell, or more specifically, from God's angry wrath. In Paul's First Epistle to the Thessalonians he writes, 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come" ().

So why is God angry with us? Why does God bring judgment on those who sin against Him? Because God understands the pain and suffering that sin brings into the world. He understands the horribleness of sin, and He wants us to also understand it.

As I've said before, the root of sin is self. When we choose self over God, we choose to put ourselves on the throne and take God off it. In other words, we choose to rebel against God.

So what then does it mean for God to desire that all people be saved? It means He makes it possible for all people to be saved and He wishes they would be saved. God is not pushy, He won't force us against our will. But He will provide the means and the avenue by which we can be saved from His wrath.

We see that He does it through the knowledge of the truth.

II. God Provides the Knowledge of the Truth

What does verses 4-6 mean? It means that God desires that we be saved and that we come to the knowledge of the truth. It is through the knowledge of the truth that we are saved.

Salvation is based on God's truth. We need this truth. We need the truth about God's wrath toward us. We need the truth about there being only One true God. We need the truth concerning the need for a mediator between God and men. And we need the truth about this mediator, in that there is only one person who can be that mediator, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all.

The first truth is, there is only One God.

A. There is Only One God

Bestselling author Stephen Prothero, wrote a book entitled, God is not one. He points out that many Buddhists believe in no god, and many Hindus believe in thousands of gods.

He also points out that some like Gandhi claimed that, "'Belief in one "God is the cornerstone of all religions,' so it is toward this one 'God that all religious people are climbing."

Even today many are putting forth the narrative that the God of the Jews, the God of the Christians, and the God of the Muslims are the same God. While it is true that we all believe in one God, a look at the descriptions given by our Holy books, will reveal that the God of the Christians and the Jews is nothing like the God of the Muslims.

The apostle Paul wanted Timothy to know that there is only one true God, and He is the God of the Bible. The only true informational source about God and about His salvation comes from the Bible. There is no other trustworthy source.

If you want to know about God, if you want to know about salvation, if you want to know about heaven and hell, don't watch the history channel on your TV. Don't watch national geographic. Don't listen to some mystic, or guru, or some off the wall preacher, or some self proclaim holy book, go to the Word of God that has weather the storms of persecution, the distain of modern atheism, and the neglect of many churches. For in it you will find the truth. In it you will find the words of life. In it, you will find the God of salvation and the pathway to salvation. In it, you will also find that there is only one mediator.

In it, you will also find that there is only one mediator.

B. There is Only One Mediator

Paul makes it clear in our passage, that there;s only one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus.

I said a few weeks ago that Jesus is our go-to-person. He's the one we need to go to, for our spiritual and physical needs. He's also our go between person. He's our mediator. He intercedes for us. He goes between us and God the Father. Because He is both all man and all God, He is able to represent both sides. He is able to go between for us and God.

A mediator is someone who should care about both parties. He seeks not to enable one side to win, but rather to enable both sides to win or find an acceptable solution.

Some time back Shawn Warren, once again put a question on Facebook that I felt compelled to comment on. The reason I feel compelled to respond to some of these posts can be found in what Jesus said in . We are to be a light to the world and salt to the earth. Way to often people are putting garbage and darkness on the internet, while we Christian set back and say and do nothing.

Anyway, the question He put on Facebook was this, "If you were the owner of an NFL team what would your policy be about athletes protesting while playing for you?"

In my answer I tried to propose a solution that would help both the protestors to achieve their goal and the owners to accommodate the patriotic fans that feel offended. In so doing I had someone respond to me, saying I need to choose a side in the debate, and get all the way in on one side or all the way in on the other side.

My response was this, "But as I reflect on your comments, you seemed to have ignored my approach to helping the players achieve their goals. Do you think there is only one way? Do you think it's all about one group winning orthe other side losing like in a real ballgame. I know a lot of people who do, but I don't. Life is much more complicated.

In reflection on my original statement, I think my answer was more from a personal standpoint than that of an owner. I don't like seeing anybody be the loser, and I'm not talking about owners, but rather patriotic fans and socially minded players, as well as socially minded fans who are patriotic, and some fans are torn between the two issues.

Your reply reminds me of some marriage counseling sessions I've conducted. The couple is angry at each other and each one tries to get me on his or her side to justify their anger and actions. But I'm not there to takes sides, my goal is to try and solve the real problems that have created their divisive atmosphere. The vast majority of the time there are more than one solution to a problem if we are willing to look for it. And the best solutions are those where there are no losers, only winners, which of course doesn't happen in football, but can happen in marriages and I believe can happen in this situation. Unfortunately, such solutions require a lot more work and time than simple solutions, which often takes only one side in consideration and cares only about one side winning. In the spiritual realm, Christ provided a solution that would satisfy God’s demand for justice, and humankind’s need for salvation.

What we may miss, however, is that God is behind the plan of salvation. He sent His Son to die in our place. & 17 make this truth clear to all. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."

God's wrath may have burned hot against us, but His love sought a way to save us. He provided Christ as the sacrifice for our sins.

III. God Provides the Sacrifice

The Mosaic sacrifices in the Old Testament were designed to point to the One perfect sacrifice that would forever take the place of all sacrifices. That sacrifice was the perfect lamb of God. Christ lived a perfect life. He never sinned, so He was not subject to God's judgment. He was in perfect harmony with the Father.

But only a sinless person could die for sinners. Only a perfect lamb could die for an imperfect world. God provided the sacrifice in the person of Jesus. And Jesus choose to go to the cross like a lamb led to the slaughter. He gave Himself as a ransom for all. And by His blood we were redeemed from the bondage of sin.

In this world, if a famous person is kidnapped and the kidnapper demands a ransom, someone has to come up with it. That person or persons may have to empty their savings account, sell their properties, and mortgage their home. Regardless of what it takes, they will make the sacrifice for their loved one.

But in the spiritual world Satan didn't kidnap us, He simply damaged us. He polluted us. He contaminated us with sin. He used the law to separate us from God. He knew that the holiness of God would burn hot against the sinfulness of humankind.

But what he didn't count on was a remedy for this separation. He didn't figure on a ransom being paid to God to appease God's wrath and God's anger.

But that's exactly what happened. Christ became the ransom that was paid to God, the Father, to satisfy His wrath and accommodate God's demand for righteousness and holiness.

Consequently, Christ has done all the work. Our responsibility is to believe. We must believe Christ is the perfect Son of God. We must believe that our sin has separated us from God. We must believe that we can do nothing that will save us, at least nothing physically. All we can do is trust. All we can do is believe we are lost and that Jesus is the only solution, that He is the only way.

Do you believe this? Do you believe that by simply believing in and trusting in Jesus is all you have to do? If you do, then you are close to being in the Kingdom of God. Now all you have to do is turn from your sins and to Christ. All you have to do is give up living for self, and seek to live for Jesus. If you will seek to live totally for Him and trust totally in Him for your salvation and you will be saved.

Conclusion: In closing you need to understand that the acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior won't make you perfect. You may still have some fleshy desires. You may still use some bad words and listen and watch movies that have bad language and ungodly scenes in it. But if you accept Christ, those words and those scenes will now trouble you. The Holy Spirit will now let you know that such things are not right. The saved will feel conviction even as the flesh enjoys the pleasures of sin.

But for the unsaved, the odds are they can say such words, and watch R and X rated movies without feeling conviction or uneasiness.

When we accept Christ in our lives, the Holy Spirit comes to reside in us. His presence is there to guide us, comfort us, and convict us.

This past Friday night, our family attended the Fall Festival at Grace Baptist School where my wife teaches. My daughter and I participated in the cake walk. After I won a prize I waited for Elizabeth to win one. While waiting I watched the actions of those entering the cake walk. Before entering you were required to pay three tickets purchased at the door.

I watched a cute little girl win a prize and then prepare to enter the cake walk again. She went to the shoe box where you were suppose to put your three tickets in, but she faked putting them in the box. But as she faked it, she looked up saw me looking straight at her. She then stood there, trying to decide should she enter the cake walk and take a chance on me ratting her out, or should she put the three tickets in like she was supposed to do.

I didn't want to say anything, but I didn't want her to do wrong and get by with it, for doing so would teach her it's okay to cheat in life. So I stood there looking at her and then the box and back to her and back to the box. Finally she dug into her pocket and pulled out three tickets and stuck them in the box. She then entered the cake walk with a clean conscious.

It was my presence that made her feel bad about cheating. But it was also my presence that helped her to do the right thing. That's the way the Holy Spirit works in our lives. He brings conviction on us for our good. He cares about whether we live in obedience to God or not. He cares about whether we are saved or lost. He cares about whether we go to heaven or hell.