God's Christmas Gifts: Salvation
God's Christmas Gifts • Sermon • Submitted
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Intro:
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Last Sunday we started a series entitled, [God’s Christmas Gifts]. The subject of today’s message is [Salvation].
When I think about Christmas gifts, I think of my mom. She worked hard to make sure we had everything we either needed or wanted on Christmas.
She had a system to make sure the needs and the wants were in separate categories. Santa always brought our wants. Mom and Dad always gave us our needs.
Truthfully, I looked forward to the Santa gifts. He always gave the toys, gameboys, the tvs, the stereos, or anything else of significant value or enjoyment.
I never got overly excited to open a new pair of jeans, socks, or shirts. The shoes always seemed insignificant to the new bike Santa brought.
As I prepared this message, I thought back to being a child on Christmas morning. While I looked forward to opening what I wanted, I am glad my parents also gave me what I needed.
As fun as the toys, computers, or games were, they didn’t keep me warm or clothe me. My parents understood this, therefore they gave us both what we needed and what we wanted.
When I think of Jesus’ words in Matthew about God giving good gifts to us, I thought of Christmas morning and opening what I needed and what I wanted!
While
God knows how to give good gifts to us when we learn to be persistent in asking, seeking, and knocking! However, I want to place some of these gifts into the categories of needs and wants.
The gift of salvation is a NEED. We cannot go to heaven if we are not saved. We will not live the life God has for us without the blessing of salvation.
God wants EVERYONE to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, He wants us to pray in tongues, but we do not NEED to go to heaven.
God wants to give the gifts of healing, but we do not NEED divine healing to get to heaven.
Once we receive the NECESSARY gift of Salvation, then we should WANT all God has for us. Now that we are saved, we should want:
to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
God wants to respond to our praise and worship by gifting us His presence, but we do not NEED the presence of God
to pray in tongues
to spend time in God’s presence
to know more about Him
to study the word
to have Him work in and through us
But God cannot fulfill our WANTS until He satisfies the NEED in our life.
What kind of parents would I have had if they had said: “Daniel, it is Christmas, you have outgrown your shoes, your pants are short, and your winter coat no longer fits. BUT since you WANT all of the fun items, we will neglect what you need and provide what you want.”
I would have suffered had they ignored my needs. Remember what Jesus said, if earthly parents know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask.
The Lord knows what we want. However, to get to the point where we can ask and receive from heaven, we must acknowledge our individual need.
Salvation is a necessity. Before I can walk in the blessings, favor, and presence of God, I have to ask Jesus to save me.
Until I am saved, peace, joy, hope, and divine help will remain consistently absent. But thank God He showed me my need of salvation.
Now that I am saved, the need to become reconciled to God is satisfied and I can walk in the favor and blessings of God. God desires to give us what He wants us to have, but we must first acknowledge our necessity for salvation!
I have three points concerning this Christmas Gift, [The Nature of Salvation], [The Need of Salvation], and [The Name of Salvation].
Let’s begin
1. The Nature of Salvation
1. The Nature of Salvation
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
To see the nature of salvation, we need understand the term: salvation.
The Holman Bible Dictionary defines salvation:
the acute dynamic act of snatching others by force from serious peril. In its most basic sense, salvation is the saving of a life from death or harm. Scripture extends salvation to include deliverance from the penalty and power of sin.
When Adam and Eve were in the Garden, they lived in an era of perfection. God gave them everything they NEEDED, but He issued a warning, you have everything you need, but do NOT eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
For some time, we do not know how long, the lived in the provision of garden, until one day Satan came to tempt. Surrounded by everything they needed, Satan started to tempt them with something they wanted.
He posed the question, surely you want to know how the forbidden fruit tastes. Don’t you want to be like God and know everything? And don’t listen to Him, when you eat the fruit, you will not die.
Even though they had everything they needed, they were tempted. They ate the fruit, their eyes were open, and they were ashamed.
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
Once they realized they were naked, they took matters into their own hands. They fashioned a manmade covering to hide their shame.
Around that time, God came walking in the garden. We can see this was a usual occurence for Adam and Eve. They knew He would be there soon so they HID themselves.
Imagine the sadness this caused God. He gave them everything they needed and could ever wanted. He knew their decision altered the future.
Since Adam’s sin in the garden, humanity has been trapped in sin. But God had a plan. Our nature is to sin, His nature is to save. Therefore the nature of salvation is to snatch people from peril or danger. However, we must come to realize...
2. The Need of Salvation
2. The Need of Salvation
But God had a plan. Our nature is to sin, His nature is to save.
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
If ever a scripture that needed underlined, it is this one. Though Adam and Eve altered the foreseeable future, the Godhead had a plan.
Because of sin, humanity needed a savior. However, to redeem humanity from the grip of sin was special task. Because sin entered through a man, it had to be eradicated by a Man.
God understood this, so He promised that the Seed or offspring of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent. Satan slithered in the Garden to tempt Adam and Eve. Therefore, God would send a Man to destroy the works of Satan.
Therefore, God would send a Man to destroy the works of Satan.
Romans
Why would God have to send someone to provide the way of salvation?
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
Romans
To provide salvation, God needed to send someone who was worthy enough to save people from sin. It is our nature to sin and His nature to save.
To provide salvation, God needed to send someone who was worthy enough to save people from sin. It is our nature to sin and His nature to save.
Therefore, the one to come could not be contaminated by the sin nature. He needed to be blameless and perfect. To bring this about took a long time.
21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.
Genesis
21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.
Adam and Eve displayed what each of us face. We are prone to trust ourselves and depend on our intellect and ability. For instance, when they realized they were unclothed, they took it upon themselves to cover their sin with fig leaves. God had another plan.
God took an animal, killed it, and took its skin to provide clothing for Adam and Eve. They made the decision to give into temptation then they attempted to cover their sin on their own.
Instead, the Lord began to establish a precedent. To cover sin required to blood of an innocent animal. For years God would use this to get His people to understand their need of salvation.
3. The Name of Salvation
3. The Name of Salvation
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
3. The Name of Salvation
3. The Name of Salvation
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
God determined it was not longer appropriate for Adam and Eve to stay in the Garden of Eden. Their imperfection was incompatible to the perfection of walking with Him in the Garden.
Therefore, He forced them to leave and placed an angel to protect the Tree of Life. Adam and Eve populated the world. But the problem was their offspring had the same nature of sin and need of salvation.
I wonder how Adam and Eve felt. Because they are like us and we are like them, let’s put ourselves in their shoes. When I sin, I feel conviction. Even when I repent, I still have to deal with the consequences of my sin.
However, I can say, any sin I have committed did not alter the face of the world like it did with Adam and Eve. Therefore, they held onto the promise that their offspring would defeat the serpent.
I wonder how Eve felt when she gave birth to Cain and then Abel. Perhaps they wondered, which son will be the one to overcome our sin. Neither succeeded, both were born into the sin nature and both had the wrong name.
Generations passed, the world’s population grew and they were exceedingly wicked. But there was a man named Noah, he found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
He built and ark and through his family, he spared the world from total annihilation. But was he one promised by God? No, he had the wrong name.
Noah’s eighth great grandson named Abram was born. God made a covenant with him. He promised, through your seed all the world will be blessed. Years later it was said, “Abraham righteousness God and it was accounted for him for righteousness.”
But he was not the One God had in mind.. No, he had the wrong name.
Hundreds of years later, Abraham’s descendants are in slavery in Egypt. God used Moses to lead the Israelites out of bondage and helped them get to the Promised Land, surely he was the one God had in mind… No, he had the wrong name.
God spared one baby and Pharoah’s daughter raised him, naming him Moses.
After nearly four centuries of continuing in the sin nature, God’s people still needed salvation. The people decided they needed a king. They selected Saul hoping he would be the one to save them. character his many character flaws, he wasn't the one, he had the wrong name.
He was anointed by the Holy Spirit and he an
What about David? He was strong in battle, one of Israel’s greatest warrior. He wrote more Psalms than anyone else. I mean he was considered a man after God’s own heart.
Could he be the one to save Israel from their sins? He was incapable because he had the wrong name.
Maybe his son would succeed? He had more wisdom than anyone in his time. Surely he could navigate Israel out of the sin nature. In fact he made it worse. With all his wisdom, he was incapable, because he had the wrong name.
For centuries various men and women were used by God:
Elijah,
Elisha
Jehoshaphat
Hezekiah
Josiah
Nehemiah
Esther
Isaiah
Jeremiah
or Daniel just to name a few
But each of these people died, doing their part, but not saving people from sins. Why? Because they had the wrong name.
For thousands of years the earth waited for a Savior, hoping to be redeemed from their sins. The Old Testament closed and for 400 years there was utter silence from God.
Malachi 3:2
Finally God spoke to a man and woman. He told them in your old age, I will visit you and you will have a son. The father was so old he did not believe it was possible.
They baby’s name? The father finally spoke after nine months of silence, he will be called John. With the supernatural events surrounding his conception and birth, surely he would save the people from their sins.
But we have the same song and different dance, he was unable to save the people because he had the wrong name. Who then was good enough? Who was holy enough? Who was righteous enough?
He needed to have the right background, the right parents, but most important, He needed the right name. When the time was just right, God sent the Angel Gabriel with a divine announcement:
30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.
30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.
Luke 1:
Then he informed Joseph:
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Since the beginning, humanity’s nature was gripped with sin. But God’s nature is to save and lead us to the point where we realize our need to be saved.
No one else is good enough, perfect enough, or capable of saving us from our sins. When God revealed His name, He gave Him the name that means THE LORD SAVES!
Through Faith in His Name, God will reverse what began through Adam and Eve. They brought sin into humanity, Jesus provides the means to save humanity from sin.
Matthew traced His genealogy back to Abraham and Luke traced Him back to Adam, proving He is the Seed of the Woman. Now, sin no longer has dominion, Satan has lost his power, and death is nothing to fear.
Because in HIS name we have salvation.
12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
Close:
During this Christmas season, we celebrate the gifts God gives us. There are many things we want from God. But our wants pale in comparison to our greatest need!
Our nature is to sin, God’s nature is to save.
We must come to the realization that we need salvation.
And when we do we simply call on His name and He is there!
We have heard the joyful sound, Jesus Saves, Jesus Saves. Spread the tidings all around, Jesus Saves, Jesus Saves. Bear the news to every land, climb the steeps and cross the waves, onward tis our Lord’s command, Jesus Saves, Jesus Saves!
I thank God that in the name of Jesus we have the nature and need of salvation revealed!
What then do we with the revelation of His name! What do we do with the free gift of salvation His name provides?
First, let us NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER take salvation for granted!
Let met say that again, we should NEVER take salvation for granted.
If we are saved our lifestyle will tell people we are saved long before our mouth tells them we are saved. Because of the free gift of salvation, we should let God change us and make us more like Him.
Second, because we realized our nature is sinful and we need to be saved, let’s declare the name of Jesus!
praise the name of Jesus
shout the name of Jesus
sing the name of Jesus
preach the name of Jesus
teach the name of Jesus
teach Jes
whisper the name of Jesus
speak the name of Jesus
shout the name of Jesus
and tell everyone about Jesus because:
12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Thank God for Jesus. In Him I have what I want because He is everything I need!