Two Things to Do With the Gift

(Ephesians 2:8-9) Grace is the gift of God. It is a gift to be received and to be shared! Rejoice today in God's grace to you and pass the truth on to someone else. (0958250306) ----more----

 

Salvation by Grace 

We're discussing day by day what the Bible says about great truths, a great Bible doctrine, and I know that normally today we would move on to. Yet another doctrinal section, but I can't, I'm sorry. Forgive me. The last time we met, we talked about so great salvation. Lemme just tell you, it's so great that there's more to talk about.

In fact, we're not even scratching the surface. We really aren't on any of these doctrinal sections, but I feel like I can't move on yet. You see what the Bible says about salvation is so rich and so full that we must press it just a little more. We've talked about the greatness of this salvation. Let's consider today the grace of this salvation.

Ephesians chapter two and verse number eight and nine says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." God's perfect salvation is all of grace. You don't deserve it. I don't deserve it. You don't get to the place where you're worthy of it.

Instead, it is just the free gift of eternal life. That's what grace is. Let me read another scripture to you from two Timothy chapter one. The Apostle Paul, who is a great sinner, but he met a great savior, testified and said in second Timothy chapter one, verse nine, "Who have saved us and called us with an holy calling. Not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace." There's that word again, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our savior Jesus Christ, who have abolished death and have brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

In other words, it's all of grace. Every good thing in my life is because of God, not because of me, and everything connected to salvation is the gift of grace in my life. In the same chapter in two Timothy chapter one. He goes on to say this in verse number twelve, "for the which calls, I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and then persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day." 

Past, Present, and Future of Salvation

Did you know that there's a past, present and future tense to your salvation? There's a past transaction. It's done, it's already paid for. It's been already settled and dealt with on the cross of Calvary. Jesus Christ paid for your sin in full. I. When Jesus went to the cross, all of your sins were future. You weren't alive when Christ died. When He died on that cross, he paid for all of mankind, sin for all time, past, present, and future that settled. And the moment you come to the Lord Jesus Christ and receive him as your personal savior, all of your sins are dealt with at that moment.

In a moment of time, Isaiah chapter one, verse number 18. Jesus said come now. Let us reason together though your sins be a scarlet. They should be white as snow, though. There'll be a red light, crimson. They should be as wool. In other words, salvation is instantaneous. My sin was nailed to the cross of Jesus Christ.

He paid for my sin, debt in full, all of it. And the moment I come and acknowledge that and accept the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, I'm delivered from the penalty of my sin and the guilt of my sin, P.P. Bliss, one of my favorite hymn writers, he died as a very young man in his thirties, but he wrote these words, "My sin, all the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin, not in part, but the whole. It is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Even so it is well with my soul." I wonder, can you say it's well with your soul today? That's done. That's cared for in my life. I trust it's cared for in yo