Sermon #1353[i] Miscellaneous
Sermons
Title: “THE SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS”
Text: 1 Peter 1:1-125
Subject: Salvation
Date: Monday Evening –
Introduction:
[1 Peter 1:9]
"Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."
I want to talk to you tonight about “The
Salvation of Your Souls.” We all have many responsibilities and
cares. But when all is said and done...
Proposition: There is nothing that is
of greater importance than the salvation of your souls.
·
You are a living soul. You have a body; but you are
a living soul. You will spend eternity somewhere, in some state. You will live
forever, either in the eternal bliss of salvation in heaven, or in the eternal
state of death, the second death, in the torment of divine wrath in hell.
·
The salvation of your soul
involves the very glory of God himself. --If the Lord God is pleased to save you by
his almighty, free and sovereign grace in Christ, it will be to show forth the
praise of the glory of his grace. God saves sinners for his name’s sake (Eph.
1:3-14). He says, “For mine own sake,
even for mine own sake, will I do it” (Isa. 48:11).
Psalms 106:8 Nevertheless he saved them for his
name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
·
It is the salvation of your
immortal souls that I am talking about. I am not talking about
earthly, temporal things, but about spiritual, eternal things. I am not talking
about your house, property, money, or health. I am not talking to you about
politics, history, or even church dogma. I am talking to you about something of
real importance. I am talking to you about your soul!
Mark
The
salvation of your souls is the subject of 1
Peter chapter one. So I want you to keep your Bibles open on your laps,
as I endeavor to give you the message of the first twelve verses of inspired
passage.
Because the salvation of our souls is of
such immense importance, we are admonished in the Scriptures to make our
calling and election sure, lest we be deceived with one of Satan’s
devices to the damning of our souls. May God the Holy Spirit make us honest
with ourselves and honest before him. As we look at
the salvation described in this chapter, let us ask ourselves one question -- “Is
this the salvation I have?”
If
the salvation described here is your salvation, you have reason to give thanks
to God continually. If the salvation you think you have is not described in
these terms, then your imagined salvation is a vain delusion, a refuge of lies
that will crush your soul down to hell forever, unless the Lord delivers you
from it.
In
these twelve verses God the Holy Spirit describes what salvation is. If we are
saved by the grace of God, this is the salvation we have experienced. If we
have not experienced this salvation, we have not yet been saved by the grace of
God.
TEN THINGS
ABOUT SALVATION
I.
In Bible terms, salvation is a radical thing.
Salvation is something so
radical, so life altering that it makes every saved sinner a stranger in this
world. Religion makes people strange; but grace makes them strangers to the
world.
1 Peter 1:1 Peter,
an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
“Therefore the world
knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” Believers are strangers to the
people of the world. We are a paradox, a people puzzling to the world.
·
Rich, but Poor in Spirit.
·
Happy, but Heavy Laden.
·
Strong, but Weak.
·
Confident, but Trembling.
·
Assured, but Fearful.
·
Meek, but Uncompromising.
The world can never understand what makes us tick, why we
do what we do, how we live, or what motivates us. The world can understand and
explain any and every form of human religion. But the world can never
understand a child of God. It’s a grace thing. They just can’t get it. Grace
experienced in the soul makes a person a stranger in this world.
Now, look at verse 2...
1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be
multiplied.
II.
Salvation
is the work of the triune God alone.
A. It begins in that blessed,
eternal work of God the Father called, “ELECTION”.
B. Salvation is wrought in us
by the regenerating, sanctifying work of God the Holy Spirit -- IRRESISTIBLE GRACE.
C. This salvation was earned
and purchased for us by the obedience and death of God the Son, our Lord Jesus
Christ. -- PARTICULAR REDEMPTION.
D. God’s salvation brings
both grace and peace. -- It brings every gift and blessing of
grace as a matter of pure, free grace. And where there is grace, there is peace.
-- Peace With God. -- Peace From
God. -- The Peace of God. -- Grace and peace multiplied, never divided.
Look at verses 3-4...
1 Peter 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to
his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
(4) To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not
away, reserved in heaven for you.
III.
Salvation,
as it is described in the Bible, both honors God and gives all praise and honor
to God.
“Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ:
IV.
That
salvation which is described in the Book of God gives hope.
A. A Lively (LIVING) Hope -- “Christ in you, the hope of glory!”
B. A Hope That Is Based Upon And Is Found In God’s Abundant Mercy.
C. A Hope That Is In A Risen Savior.
D. A Hope For
Eternity...
·
An Inheritance
·
An Incorruptible Inheritance.
·
An Undefiled Inheritance.
·
An Inheritance That Fadeth Not Away.
·
A Reserved Inheritance.
Read verse 5.
1 Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
V.
God’s
salvation is a salvation that keeps all by grace who are in grace.
·
Grace chose me.
·
Grace found me.
·
Grace put me in the way.
·
Grace keeps me in the way.
·
Grace keeps me through faith, yes; but it is grace that gives me the
faith through which I am kept.
VI.
This great salvation, great
as it is now, in this present, earthly experience of it, is a salvation “ready to be
revealed.”
VII.
Salvation,
real salvation, causes saved sinners to rejoice in the Lord.
I am not talking about
giddy, giggly, ha-ha, hee-hee joy. I am talking about real joy, joy in the very
depths of your
heart and joy, joy in God your Savior. When we have nothing else in which to
rejoice, we can and should rejoice in our God and in his salvation.
Illustration: David did -- Dancing Before the Ark
On His Deathbed -- 2 Samuel
23:1-5
Look at verses 6-9.
1 Peter 1:6-9
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are
in heaviness through manifold temptations:
(7) That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that
perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour
and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
(8) Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with
joy unspeakable and full of glory: (9) Receiving
the end of your faith, even the
salvation of your souls.
Notice that we are here told three things about our trials
in this world. Let us never forget them.
1. They are only for a season.
2. There is a “need be” for them all.
3. They will make heaven more
glorious and blessed than it otherwise would be, or could be (v. 7).
Now, read verses 10-11.
VIII. This salvation is a
salvation which is consistent with
all the Scriptures.
1 Peter 1:10-11 Of
which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who
prophesied of the grace that should come unto
you: (11) Searching what, or what
manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it
testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should
follow.
Illustration: Cinderella’s
Glass Slipper
Now, let's look at verse 12.
IX.
The only way any sinner can ever know and experience this salvation is by divine revelation.
1 Peter 1:12 Unto
whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister
the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the
gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the
angels desire to look into.
Illustration: The Cherubim
Looking On The Mercy-Seat
[Ephesians 3:8-10] "Unto me, who am less than the least of
all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ; [9] And
to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which
from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by
Jesus Christ: [10] To the intent that
now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of
God."
That is how the Word of God describes this thing we call
“salvation”. Have I described your salvation? If I have,
If you do not have this
salvation, let me ask you a question -- Why not?
·
Salvation is to be had for a look.
·
It is free.
·
It is all in Christ.
·
The Door is open. -- Come own in. Come and welcome!
[i] Saturday
Evening --
Saturday Evening –
Monday Evening –