THE PLAN OF SALVATION


A. ITS IMPORTANCE
  1. It is the oldest plan in the world:
    1. It is not an afterthought.
    2. Dates back to eternity - 1 Pet. 1:18-20; Rev. 13:8; John 3:16
  2. It is a revelation of the counsel and pleasure of God:
    1. John 3:16; Rom. 8:1-3
    2. Eph. 1:9; Rom. 16:25; Isa. 46:10
B. WHAT IT REVEALS
  1. The fall of man:
    1. It is opposed to many modern theories of man's goodness.
    2. Evidence of man's fall can be seen and witnessed everywhere, in society, in the home, and in the everyday life.
    3. Gen. 3:1-22; Rom. 3:23; 5:12-19; Gal. 3:22, 23
  2. The Redeemer:
    1. A common misconception which excludes our heavenly Father as the great Redeemer
    2. John 3:16; Rom. 8:31-33; 2 Cor. 5:18-21
  3. Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord and Saviour:
    1. There is no other name under heaven - Acts 4:12; Matt. 1:21
    2. 1 John 2:1-3; Heb. 7:25, 26
  4. What our salvation includes:
    1. Freedom from sin - Matt. 1:21; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 7:26
    2. Life everlasting - John 3:16; 1 John 5:10-12; Mark 10:30
    3. A home on the new earth - Matt. 5:5; Isa. 65:17-21; 66:22- 23; Rev. 21:22
  5. Our finite minds cannot fully comprehend all that is included in the plan of salvation:
    1. That is what Paul says - 1 Cor. 1:9, 10; Rom. 11:33-36
    2. We may know, however, that when God's promises are brought to pass, we shall be as they who are dreaming - Ps. 126:1-4
C. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PLAN OF SALVATION
  1. To vindicate the character of God:
    1. Lucifer's rebellion in heaven has brought to many, including some of the angels, a misconception of God's character - Matt. 25:24, 25
    2. But the plan of salvation exposed Satan and vindicated the character of God - Luke 19:21, 22; 1 Tim. 3:16
  2. To reveal the awfulness of sin:
    1. The suffering and death of the Son of God on the cross of Calvary are vivid testimony of the true character of sin.
    2. If you wish to realize the terribleness of sin, linger long near the cross!
    3. The scars on the body of the Son of God will be eternally reminding the redeemed of the price paid for their salvation.
  3. But the plan of salvation reveals the perpetuity of the law of God:
    1. The death of Christ on the cross vindicates God's law.
    2. If God's law could have been set aside there would have been no need for Him to die to satisfy the claims of the broken law.
    3. Christ came to magnify the law and make it honorable - Isa. 42:18-21; Matt. 5:17-19
  4. The restoration of fallen humanity to the image of God, which had been marred by sin, is another great objective of the plan of salvation:
    1. Man had been made in the image and likeness of God - Gen. 1:26, 27
    2. But that image was marred by sin - Gen. 5:1-6; 6:1-11
    3. It will be restored through the gospel of Jesus Christ - John 3:1-9; 2 Cor. 5:14-17
  5. Finally:
    1. The grand and glorious objective of the plan of salvation is to wipe out sin from the universe - Zech. 3:9; Nah. 1:9; Rev. 21:1-3
    2. The former glory of Eden will be restored, yea, surpassed - Rev. 22:


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