Title: Working Out Our Salvation
Text: Philippians 2:12-13
Date: April 21, 2024
Introduction: What is the Christian doctrine of salvation? Salvation is deliverance from danger or suffering. To save is to deliver or protect. The word carries the idea of victory, health, or preservation. Sometimes, God’s Word uses the words saved or salvation to refer to temporal, physical deliverance, such as Paul’s deliverance from prison (Philippians 1:19).
More often the word salvation concerns an eternal, spiritual deliverance. When Paul told the Philippian jailer what he must do to be saved, he was referring to the jailer’s eternal destiny (Acts 16:30-31). Jesus equated being saved with entering the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24-25).
There are three questions to consider on this subject:
Who does the saving? Only God can remove sin and deliver us from sin’s penalty (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5).
How does God save? In the Christian doctrine of salvation, God has rescued us through Jesus Christ (John 3:17). Specifically, it was Jesus’ death on the cross and subsequent resurrection that achieved our salvation (Romans 5:10; Ephesians 1:7). Scripture is clear that salvation is the gracious, undeserved gift of God (Ephesians 2:5,8) and is only available through faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).
How do we receive salvation? We are saved by faith. First, of all, we must hear the gospel, the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection (Ephesians 1:13). Secondly, we must believe, fully trust the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16). This involves repentance, a changing of mind about sin and Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19), and calling on the name of the Lord (Romans 10:9-10:13). As we approach Vacation Bible School, what is another way of answering how we receive salvation?
A-Admit that you are a sinner (Romans 3:23, 6:23)
B-Believe Jesus is who He said He is: the Savior of the world (John 3:16; Romans 10:9)
C-Confess Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9-10)
A definition of the Christian doctrine of salvation would be “the deliverance by the grace of God from eternal punishment for sin that is granted to those who accept by faith God’s conditions of repentance
and faith in the Lord Jesus.” Salvation is available in Jesus alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12) and is dependent on God alone for provision and assurance. (gotquestions.org)
One of the tragedies of today’s church is that we have become blasé’, indifferent, or nonchalant about salvation. Why? Because we have lost sight of what salvation really is. Paul clarifies our thinking in our text. What does he remind us about salvation?
I. Salvation is a
II. Salvation is a
III. In salvation, we have a
Larry Gipson
First Baptist Church-Oneonta