Born to Save

As we approach a very important time of the year …

The celebration of the birth of Jesus – whom we love, worship, and serve

I want to spend the short time we have together between now and then looking at various aspects of the birth of Jesus and the events surrounding that world-changing birth

Just to hopefully keep us focused a little on what is really important during this season

And, to remind us what Christmas is really all about and what was truly and permanently accomplished by the birth of a baby in Bethlehem

One of the many Christmas Scriptures:

Matthew 1:18-25 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:  “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”

Jesus was born to die

The crib needs to be connected to the cross or else we simply have another baby born out of wedlock and living in poverty

Jesus died to defeat sin and death and live again

And so the cross needs to be connected to the crown – because He rose from the dead and will return as King of kings and Lord of lords to rule forever

The crib – the cross – the crown… the full story of the birth of a child whom they named Jesus, who was born in a very ugly, dirty, smelly stable in the small hamlet of Bethlehem

“His Name is Jesus – He will save His people from their sins”

There is a lot more to this comment than first appears

There is a lot more to this comment than we often realize

There is a lot more to this comment than we are living (realizing) in our lives today

There is a wealth of understanding that it would be helpful to review as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Him who is called Jesus

SALVATION…

“save His people from their sins” = Salvation

He was born, died, and rose again to defeat “the power of sin and death” in our lives

But, we often don’t realize that there are three levels to salvation…

The past

The present

The future

You were saved from your sins

You are being saved from your sins

You will be saved from your sins

THE PAST:

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Jesus was born and grew up just as we did …

Luke 2:52 “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and man.”

He came to Earth and became one of us without us asking for Him to come

We did not even know – we were not aware – that we needed a Saviour

We did not deserve for Him to enter into our world

We did not do something to earn His birth as one of us

The Father God so loved us that He sent His son – that whoever believes should not perish but live forever.” (John 3:16)

Paul writes:

Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

This is what we who are Christians call “grace”

Grace – receiving something from God that we did not earn and do not deserve

It is the opposite to mercy

Mercy – not receiving from God something that we do deserve

This mercy is also a result of His love…

So, salvation came to humankind through the gift of grace … poured out because of God’s great and unconditional love and mercy

“For by grace have you been saved, not of works”

Religion – you are working to please God as you reach out to Him trying to do enough and be         good enough

The word here is “do”

The Christian faith – God reaching out to us offering us salvation through Jesus and not through anything we did or can do

The word here is “done”

We simply need to believe – have faith – total trust in the accomplished work of Jesus

Jesus being God born as a man

Jesus’ death on the cross paying the penalty for all of our sins

Jesus being raised from the dead and now sitting at the Father’s right hand in Heaven

Jesus coming again as Lord and Saviour to judge and establish His Kingdom

But more than believe the information 

Believe means to totally trust Jesus and what He has accomplished for us through the crib – the cross – the crown

Question: What or who are you trusting in?

Your skills – Your credit card – Your abilities – Your ‘good life’

Your solid daily walk with Jesus – Your good deeds

You then have a born again “religion” – but a religion nonetheless

“This is not of yourself…” Nothing you can do to earn salvation

He initiated and you responded ….

Be careful not to reverse that … where you initiate and expect Him to respond

Galatians 3:3 “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

So we need “faith” to be truly saved – TOTAL trust in Him in all aspects of our life

We need faith – not just information and head knowledge

We need faith – a total transformation of who we are and what we hold to be valuable in life

Knowing, realizing, trusting … that He is the ONLY way to have all our sins forgiven

Past forgiven

Purpose for living

Place in Heaven

God reached down to us … still reaches down today to those who have yet to believe and receive…

He reaches out to us in grace

We reach out to Him with faith

Even this faith is a gift from Him (Romans 12:6)

So, saved by grace through faith

This salvation and having your PAST FORGIVEN is all about God and is for God’s glory

Salvation displays God’s boundless love, grace, and mercy for all those who are helpless, hopeless, and dead in sin

LET’S BACK UP IN EPHESIANS 2 A FEW VERSES…

Ephesians 2:5 “even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved…”

We were dead spiritually – Totally cut off from God’s presence, power, and peace by our sins

When we accepted Him as Lord and Saviour He made us “spiritually alive”

We cannot bring a spiritually dead person to life by our own efforts

A spiritually dead person needs to be made alive by God

Other way: “Be 100%+ perfect like God (Matthew 5:48)

Salvation by grace through faith brings spiritual life to the spiritually dead

The power of God raises the believer out of death and makes them alive

Holy Spirit comes to live in us – the life of God flows in us (Romans 6:1-7)

God’s power in us energizes and enables every aspect of Christian life and living (Romans 6:11-13)

Salvation is MUCH MORE than having our sins forgiven….

THE NEXT VERSE…

Ephesians 2:6 “…and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”

The words “raised” and “seated” here are present tense

These are immediate results of being “saved by grace through faith”

You were dead in sin – Now you are alive to righteousness through Christ’s birth – death – resurrection

This passage and others states that through your being “saved by grace through faith” you are STANDING on earth and, at the same time, you are SEATED in Heaven 

Standing in the natural realm – Living in the supernatural realm

The spiritual realm:

Where our blessings are (Ephesians 1:3)

Where our inheritance is (1 Peter 1:4)

Where our affections should be (Colossians 3:3)

Where we enjoy fellowship with the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14)

Where we receive revelation / insights (Ephesians 1:17)

Where all our praise, petitions, prayers go

Now we are forgiven and born again – AND able to do what God has always had planned for us to do…

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

So, we don’t work for our salvation … it is a gift from God through grace and faith

But, once born again – saved – forgiven – we have things to do for Him

Every member of Christ’s Body, the Church, is a minister…

Every member has things that we are called to accomplish for Him who has done so much for us

These “good works” include anything that we do “in His Name”

These “good works” are the same things that He did while ministering for the three years before His death…

John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do…”

More importantly, really only those thing that He has asked us or led us to do…”

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

So, saved by grace and faith

But, once born again, there are things God has planned for you to do since before the foundations of the world

Unique to you… part of your “going into your world and making disciples…”

So, we have looked at: Ephesians 2:4-10

On November 9th, 1976 (40 years ago) I was saved (justified – just as if I never sinned)

Totally forgiven … but today I am still being saved (it’s called sanctification)

Present tense:

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

“being saved” – – – – PRESENT tense (sanctified)

And, the Bible states there is a future salvation…

Future tense:

1 Peter 1:4-5 “to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

“a salvation ready to be revealed…” – – – –  FUTURE tense (glorified)

Let’s look at these next two steps next time we are together…