Luke 18:26-27 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
Our salvation is impossible. We cannot save ourselves. No amount of good works or sacrifices would save any of us. We can’t be really good and be saved. We can’t do it. It’s impossible. However, nothing is impossible for God. He made a way for us to be saved.
Ephesians 2:8-9 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.
We can’t save ourselves, but God can save us. Salvation is a gift, a grace gift, like everything we have. It’s all a gift from God. How do we receive the grace gift of salvation? We can’t earn our salvation; if we could, then we wouldn’t be saved by grace. Do you remember the definition of grace that says grace is getting what we don’t deserve? We don’t deserve to be saved. The wages of sin is death. We deserved to be paid back with death for the sins we’ve committed against a holy and just God. No amount of trying is going to dig us out of our grave; we’d only manage to get ourselves buried farther under the muck of sin and self.
How do we receive the grace gift of salvation? By faith. We believe God offers it to us. We believe we have received it. In the last lesson we talked about giving up your life in in order to receive Christ’s life. We believe that when we do that, there is a supernatural exchange. We crucify ourselves. We are resurrected with the life of Christ by His Spirit Whom we have received. Our sins are forgiven.
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.
There’s a new word for us: redemption. To redeem is to buy. We were bought with a price. You no longer belong to yourself.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 …You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
We were bought out of slavery to sin and become slaves to righteousness.
Romans 6:18 (NLT) Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.
We receive new life, but there is more. We’re transferred out of Satan’s domain into God’s.
Colossians 1:13 (NLT) For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.
We’re made citizens of heaven.
Philippians 3:20 (NLT) But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.
These are the first gifts of our salvation. They are instant and complete and permanent if we choose to remain.
Make a list of the spiritual transactions that take place when we are saved. List them.
Lesson Point: Salvation is a gift. We can’t earn it. We can only receive it by faith.
Challenge Question: Do you have faith in your salvation? Look at the list of things you received as part of your grace gift of salvation. Do you believe you have received? If there is any point of hesitation or questioning, go to God in prayer and ask for help believing. Then make the choice to take it on faith that God’s word is true.