Understanding Salvation: Grace, Security, and Purpose in Christ

Understanding salvation, I'll argue, is the most important thing in your life, in your heart that you need to understand, that I need to understand, because it is the understanding of how and where do I spend everlasting life. [00:00:13]

Because reality is no one is guaranteed tomorrow. Now, these are questions that it's not meant to be morbid, but they're real questions. Because there was a time when you never were, but there'll never be a time now that you will not be somewhere. [00:00:59]

So how good do you have to be to get to heaven? Well, I'll tell you how good you have to be. You've got to be perfect, and you've got to be sinless. That's it. Those are the requirements of salvation. You must be perfect, and you must be sinless. If you're perfect and sinless, you're good to go. So that leaves me out, and that leaves out all of you, and that leaves out everyone who's ever lived since Adam and Eve. [00:01:59]

And so Jesus comes along, and he does for us what, again, we could not do for ourselves. He makes us sinless by taking our sin, and then he exchanges his righteousness for ours. Now, he is perfect, and so he gives us his righteousness, and he takes our sinfulness. So now what he has done, according to 2 Corinthians 5, 21, he who knew no sin became sin, so that we could have the righteousness of God in him. [00:02:26]

It's not what we have done, and it's not what we do. It's what Jesus has done for us. And because we understand or begin to understand what he has done for us, that we praise him and we say, thank you for what you've done for me because I am not fit, I am not worthy on my own to get into heaven. [00:03:11]

So he's making it clear that we are sealed in the Holy Spirit. We are sealed in our salvation. So we have the moment we trust in Messiah Jesus for everlasting life. We have everlasting life, and it's forever ours. That's how long it lasts. It lasts forever. [00:07:03]

For by grace you have been saved through faith, not of yourselves, in other words, nothing you did, it's the gift of God, not as a result of works that no one should boast. So what he's saying is this, salvation is nothing you did, it's nothing you accomplished. You didn't, you know, do this right and do that right and keep this and take care of that. Salvation is not based on your efforts. You cannot, I cannot, we cannot enter into heaven on our own. It is all by grace. [00:08:52]

So what God's word is saying here is this, you're saved by grace, the grace of God, God doing for us what we don't deserve, God doing for us, again, what he can only do, God giving us this amazing gift that, again, we're not deserving of, but he's willing to give. And not only is he willing to give it, he is willing to make it happen, he is willing to pay the price for it. [00:09:53]

And the good news is this, according to Ephesians 1, we are sealed in this bubble of grace. It's kind of like being in a submarine in the water, being in an airplane in the air. You're not doing it. You're in the submarine. You are in the airplane. You're not flying. The airplane's flying, but you're in it. And so therefore, you have the benefits of it. [00:10:49]

We're not saved by our feelings. We're saved by grace through faith in Jesus. Sometimes you get it right. Sometimes you're feeling like, hey, I am just on fire for God. God's going my way. Things are going my way. God's blessing me. Things are great. Good. Sometimes nothing in your life that day is going to go well. It is a terrible day. Nothing goes well. Nothing goes right. You're still sealed. [00:11:29]

When you become a believer in Jesus, he gives you now this amazing purpose. Your purpose now is to know him in a deeper way, but also to make him known. He gives you a deeper meaning. He gives you certain gifts, certain opportunities. He gives you this meaning. He gives you different desires. Your desires in life begin to change. [00:12:47]

You're not an accident. God has placed you right here, right now, in this generation, in this time in human history for such a time as this. He knew you before you were born. He had you already in mind, and when you came into this world, he said, here is your purpose. Here's the goals. Here's the dream. Here's what I have for you, and we're going to find it together. [00:13:16]

As Christians, our goal is not just heaven one day, even though that's important, even though that's the end goal. Well, that's where we want to head, heaven one day. But also it's understanding and loving and knowing and having Jesus right now. And by doing that, we make a difference that lasts for all eternity. [00:14:08]

If you claim to be a follower of Jesus, that is great. That is wonderful. As you trust in him, as you believe in him for everlasting life, just know this. As you make that claim, as I make that claim, there are people who are going to be watching you to see what a Christian is all about. You see, as we've said before, this may sound cliche, and I get it, but it's true. You may be the only Bible some people ever read. [00:18:12]

There's something about being a follower of Jesus that says this. There's some responsibilities there. Your kids look up to you, your friends, your family. [00:19:25]

He's saying, look, you are saved by grace. You're in this bubble of grace. You are sealed in the grace of God. But with that comes amazing responsibility. And with that comes a life that you're called to live because people are watching. You have a new purpose. You have a new meaning. [00:20:44]

I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I've kept the faith. I fought the good fight. Again, anybody tells you that following Jesus is easy is lying to you. It's the greatest thing you'll ever do. It's the greatest hope you'll ever give and have. It's the greatest thing you'll ever know. Following Jesus, knowing him, knowing his word, it's the greatest, but it is a, in some days, in some seasons of your life, it is a fight. [00:22:18]

Fighting for your faith, I will argue, is one of the greatest things you will do because there's so many things coming against it. So this is why this disciplined life is so important. Are you in the bubble of grace? Absolutely. [00:23:23]

If salvation is believing in Jesus and doing this and doing that and going here and going there, it's believing in Jesus and taking communion, believing in Jesus and getting baptized, believing in Jesus and repenting of all your sins, believing in Jesus and, you know, keeping the Sabbath, believing in Jesus and never saying anything unkind to your mom and dad, believing in Jesus and never looking at someone with adultery in your heart, believing in Jesus and, then you would have a works -based salvation. [00:29:17]

The reason why God gave us the Ten Commandments is not just so that we can live by them because we really can't and we really don't. We can try all we can. It's a good thing if you can, but it's not going to get you saved. But it's to say to you, I am a sinner. Look at the laws I've broken. Look at what I've said to my mom. Look how I've not kept the Sabbath. Look at the people I've lied about. Look at the things I've done. Look at the adultery in my heart. The list could go on. I am a sinner in need of a Savior. [00:35:24]

And Jesus says, you're exactly right. That's why I showed up. I came to do for you what you could not do for yourself. I'm gonna take all of your sin on me and give you all of my righteousness. [00:36:19]

If just being a good person, you're good outweighing your bad, which is not gonna happen, doing the best you can, okay, if that was all it took to get into heaven, then once again, the ultimate question is this. Why did Jesus die on a cross the way he did? Because that is the only way, the only way your sins could be forgiven, that God's wrath would be poured out and be satisfied. That is the only way that we could know forgiveness and grace. [00:38:36]

He punishes the one who is sinless, the one who knew no sin, who took our sin and shame upon himself and gave us his righteousness. And the moment we receive it, it is forever ours. You are sealed. And if you now live and lead a thankful life, a gracious life, a life full of purpose and meaning, God, just do something in me and through me, you will see the satisfaction, the joy, the hope, the purpose that God has given you and placed you for such a time as this. [00:39:42]