Salvation: So Great a Salvation

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Messages on Salvation

So Great A Salvation

by Pastor John Khng
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 2:1-4
"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great (a) salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;"

Introduction: During my message in July on “Christ Our Captain” three words caught my attention – “so great salvation” – and ask you to meditate on “what is so great about our salvation in Christ” – I have been thinking since July and now I present to you my thoughts on this most wonderful subject, “So Great Salvation”
Only Two Main Points to Bring Across To You:
I. So Great Salvation - The Greatness of Christ’s Salvation - Heb. 2:3
II. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? – Heb. 2:3

I. So Great Salvation - The Greatness of Christ’s Salvation
1. Salvation is Great because the Giver of the Salvation is Great

A. “Which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord” – Christ is the Author of this great salvation – Heb. 2:3
B. Christ is God, the Creator, the High and Lofty One, Dwells in Heaven, Worship by angels, He is the Sovereign God, the Supreme One.
C. Example – Value attached to a gift corresponds to the status of the giver – from Classmate, Teacher, Principal, Minister of Education, Prime Minister of Singapore, President of Singapore- same gift but we attach different value to it.
D. Salvation is given to us by God, the Highest, the Greatest, the Most Supreme Being throughout eternity, therefore it is a Great Salvation

2. Salvation is Great because the Purchase Price is Great.

A. Redeemed by The Precious Blood of Christ
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;" – 1 Pet. 1:18-19.
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
B. Illustration – Pastor Gordon paid $2 to set the birds free.
A story told by Paul Lee Tan illustrates the meaning of redemption. He said that when A.J. Gordon was pastor of a church in Boston, he met a young boy in front of the sanctuary carrying a rusty cage in which several birds fluttered nervously. Gordon inquired, "Son, where did you get those birds?" The boy replied, "I trapped them out in the field." "What are you going to do with them?" "I'm going to play with them, and then I guess I'll just feed them to an old cat we have at home." When Gordon offered to buy them, the lad exclaimed, "Mister, you don't want them, they're just little old wild birds and can't sing very well." Gordon replied, "I'll give you $2 for the cage and the birds." "Okay, it's a deal, but you're making a bad bargain." The exchange was made and the boy went away whistling, happy with his shiny coins. Gordon walked around to the back of the church property, opened the door of the small wire coop, and let the struggling creatures soar into the blue. The next Sunday he took the empty cage into the pulpit and used it to illustrate his sermon about Christ's coming to seek and to save the lost -- paying for them with His own precious blood. "That boy told me the birds were not songsters," said Gordon, "but when I released them and they winged their way heavenward, it seemed to me they were singing, 'Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!" You and I have been held captive to sin, but Christ has purchased our pardon and set us at liberty. When a person has this life-changing experience, he will want to sing, "Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!"
C. We are captured by our sin (master), Christ has to pay a price to set us free.
D. The price was not $2, not large sum of money, silver or gold.
E. Salvation is free to us but it is costly to Christ – Price is His own precious blood.

3. Salvation is Great because the Down Payment is Great.

A. The Holy Spirit “is the earnest of our inheritance” – Eph. 1:13-14
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
B. An earnest is part of payment, and it secures the full sum.
C. Illustration – Property transaction – down payment the higher, the more is the commitment to go through with the deal. Our salvation transaction is seal with the Holy Spirit. The deal will be completed because the Holy Spirit of God is the down payment.

4. Salvation is Great because the Recipient is Most Unworthy.
There could be Three Responses of Sinful Man towards God’s Gift of Salvation

A. Sinful Man – unworthy of the gift – receive with gratefulness
B. Sinful Man – unworthy of the gift – refuse to accept without doing something to merit the gift.
C. Sinful Man – unworthy of the gift – refuse to receive the gift period.
D. Illustration – 3 ways of receiving a gift because of relationship, works (service) or grace Eph 2:8, 9 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.
E. The adulterer, the murderer, the blasphemer, drug addict, drunkard, may come and be saved, and the salvation which redeems such unworthy sinners is “great.”
F. In our earlier illustration the gift is based on merit – reason for getting a reward from your teacher or principal or Minister of Education or even the President. But salvation is a gift not based on merit. It is based on the grace and mercy of God.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

5. Salvation is Great because the Deliverance is Great.

A. Think of the worst kind of punishment for sins we have committed – caning, jail term, death execution – ultimate punishment on earth is death. Is death the end of all things? No! So it is not the ultimate punishment. Eternal suffering in hell is the ultimate punishment – and this what we are saved from when we receive Jesus.
B. Salvation is great - Saves us from the greatest danger, eternal punishment, from hell.

6. Salvation is Great because the Gift is Great.

A. Saves us from Great Sins, Saves us from All Sins and give us new life and a place in heaven. Think about it - the gift is eternal life. Chinese emperors set out to look for eternal life – eternal youth – all fail in their attempt.
B. Gives us Eternal Life - Rom. 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. “
C. Bless us with all spiritual blessings; we have a heavenly inheritance..
D. The gospel of Christ saves us from being cast into the worst of all places – Hell. The gospel of Christ also saves us to live in the best of all places – Heaven.

7. Salvation is Great because the Offer is Great – Available Free of Charge to All People.

A. Is Free, Is Free For Every one. Is Free For Anyone, Is Free For You.
B. Is Available Today - You can have it immediately. You must get it personally.
C. Repent from our sins and Receive Christ today by Faith.
D. Illustration – Receive the free gift of salvation personally
One Christmas season a pastor pointed to a Christmas poinsettia. "Whoever wants it can have it," he said. "All you have to do is take it." The congregation simply stared. The pastor waited. And waited. Finally a mother timidly raised her hand and said, "I'll take it." "Great! It's yours." But to the pastor's astonishment she nudged her son, "Go get it for me." "No," said the pastor. "Whoever wants this gift must come and get it personally. You can't send a substitute." She shook her head not willing to risk embarrassment. The pastor waited again. It was a gorgeous (lovely) flower, unusually large, wrapped in red cellophane with a gold satin ribbon. It was set in front of the pulpit. Several people had mentioned how beautiful the plant was. Now it was free for the taking. Someone snickered, "What's the catch?" "No catch," said the pastor. "It's free." No one moved. A college student asked, "Is it glued down?" Everyone laughed. "It is not glued down. Nor are there any strings attached. It's yours for the taking. "Well," asked a pretty teenager, "can I take it after the service?" The pastor shook his head. Again he waited. Then a woman stood up at the back. Quickly, as if she were afraid she'd change her mind, she strode up to the front and picked up the plant. "I'll take it," she said. At that the pastor preached with enthusiasm on the free gift of eternal life. When the service had ended and most of the people had gone home, the woman who claimed the poinsettia grabbed the pastor. "Here!" She held out her hand. "This flower is too pretty to take home for free. I couldn't do that with a clear conscience." The pastor looked down at the crumpled paper she stuffed into his hand. It was a ten dollar bill! Remember the Bible says salvation is free, to be received by each person personally. Do not be influenced by your “I must pay for it” feeling and self dependency.

II. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? – Heb. 2:3

A. We cannot escape the punishment of sinning against God – No other way of salvation, neglect this great salvation. No other way of escape!
B. “Every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward;” – Heb. 2”2
C. If we neglect - It is not merely if we commit great sins. Not, if we are murderers, adulterers, thieves, infidels, atheists, scoffers. It is, if we merely “neglect” this salvation - if we do not embrace it - if we allow it to pass. “Neglect” is enough to ruin a man.
D. A man who is in business need not commit forgery or robbery to ruin himself; he has only to “neglect” his business, and his ruin is certain.
E. A man who is lying on a bed of sickness, need not cut his throat to destroy himself; he has only to “neglect” the means of restoration, and he will be ruined.
F. Most of the calamities of life are caused by simple “neglect.” By neglect of education, children grow up in ignorance;
G. By neglect, a farm grows up to weeds and thorns;
H. By neglect, a house goes to decay;
I. By neglect of sowing, a man will have no harvest; by neglect of reaping, the harvest would rot in the fields.
J. No worldly interest can prosper where there is neglect; and why may it not be so in religion? There is nothing in earthly affairs that is valuable that will not be ruined if it is not attended to - and why may it not be so with the concerns of the soul?
K. Illustration - Tract... "What you have to do to go to hell." Tract... "What you have to do to go to hell." Inside the tract was totally blank. In other words you don't have to do anything to go to hell... just continue as you are.
L. Be concerned for your soul. Do not neglect your spiritual life. The time to do something about our sin is now. Repent and Believe the Gospel.

The Main Thing Forgotten

It is related that a lady whose house was burning was frantic. She ran into the burning building and got her silverware and took it out to a safe place. Then she did likewise with her fine paintings and Oriental rugs. Finally she seemed to come to herself and cried, "Oh, where is my darling baby?" She frantically ran around to the room where the baby was and, looking through the window, she beheld the burning room and the bed where her baby was. She broke the window open and began to enter the room, but just then there was a mighty crash as the building caved in and buried her baby in the flames. She screamed and ran about, wailing most piteously, "Oh, I have saved my goods, but I have lost my baby!"
That is what multitudes are doing. They are neglecting the main thing. "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Heb 2:4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
The gospel is a confirmed fact – confirmed by the Lord, Christ Himself, confirmed by eye witnesses, the disciples who heard Christ, confirmed by God through the giving of many miracles, signs and wonders, and confirmed by God through the giving of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit – the Church today is the testimony that the Gospel of Christ saves us from all our sins.

It is so great a salvation - why?
because the Giver of the Salvation is Great,
because the Purchase Price is Great.
because the Down Payment is Great
because the Recipient is Most Unworthy.
because the Deliverance is Great.
because the Gift is Great.
because the Offer is Great.

MESSAGES:​Salvation

Messages on Salvation

So Great A Salvation

MESSAGES:
Salvation