Communion Message
What is Salvation?
July 18, 2004
Pastor Leighton Sheley

You know each Sunday we have in our midst those who have this question, 'What is this salvation thing all about?' And we find these words in the Book of Ephesians that describe it thusly, Paul writes, How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.

And so we praise God for the wonderful kindness that he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God's anger just like everyone else.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's special favor that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms--all because we are one with Christ Jesus. And so God can always point to us as examples of the incredible wealth of his favor and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us in Christ Jesus.

God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things that we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things that he planned for us long ago.

May God bless the reading of his Scripture.

It says God planned for us to do good things, but this passage also tells us that we were born with an evil nature. And Paul tells us in Romans that evil nature resides in our members and there is a conflict between the old nature, the evil nature, the rebellious nature, the nature that rebels against God, and the new nature that he has placed within us, his Holy Spirit. And quite frankly, sometimes the old rebellious nature wins over the new nature that God has given us and we sin.

Thanks be to God that he has given us his word, and in his word it says, if we confess our sin he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all righteousness. The scriptures says at times like this we should examine our self, and I would like to invite you, if you're physically able, to join with me now as we kneel in the presence of our Lord and Savior.

Lord, your word says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is not one righteous, not even one. Lord all of us have sinned and we cannot save our self. Thank you Lord for providing for us salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, your only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior. The elements that we hold remind us of him fulfilling your promise, of him going to Calvary's cross to pay the wages of our sin. Forgive our sins we pray, Lord, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We now partake of these elements in remembrance of you. Let's partake of the bread, and also the cup.

Thank you Lord, thank you Lord, in Jesus' name we pray, and all God's people said...amen.