THREE ASPECTS OF SALVATION

TITUS 3:5

A. "ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY HE SAVED US"
  1. The term "Salvation" as used in the Bible has three aspects:
    1. The past - Titus 3:5
    2. The present - Phil. 2:12
    3. And the future - Rom. 13:11
  2. It affects us in three ways:
    1. Our sinful past as covered by the atonement wrought through Jesus Christ - 2 Cor. 5:14-17
    2. Presently we live in hope - Rom. 8:24-25
    3. And what is true of the present is true also of our future - Heb. 11:1-3
B. LET US TAKE A PRAYERFUL LOOK AT THE THREE ASPECTS OF SALVATION
  1. Past salvation - "According to his mercy He saved us":
    1. This phase of our salvation marks the turning point in our life - 2 Cor. 5:17
    2. Paul just loved to dwell upon his conversion and God's tender mercies attending it; it was one of the great arguments of his ministry - Acts 9:1-20; 22:6-21; 26:9-17
  2. The thought that my sinful past is covered is most enchanting:
    1. "if any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new" - 2 Cor. 5:14-17
    2. "But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before" - Phil. 3:13-14
  3. God, too, wants me to forget my sinful past:
    1. "I have blotted out as a thick cloud, thy transgressions and as a cloud, thy sins; return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee" - Is. 44:22
    2. "For thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back" - Is. 38:17
    3. "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us" - Ps. 103:12
    4. "Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" - Micah 7:18-19
    5. This is a glorious truth which the enemies of the gospel seem t ignore - Acts 13:22
C. SALVATION - PRESENT AND FUTURE
  1. My part in salvation:
    1. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" - Phil. 2:12-13
    2. Abiding in Jesus Christ is a must for all who want to be in God's kingdom - John 15:1-11
    3. We must walk by faith and hope not going by our every changing feelings - Rom. 8:24-25
    4. "The just shall live by faith" - Rom. 1:17
    5. We must set our face like a flint toward the kingdom of God, ever looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith - Heb. 12:1-3; Is. 50:7
  2. Nature of our present salvation:
    1. Spiritual growth - 2 Pet. 3:18
    2. Growth by spiritual additions - 2 Pet. 1:2-8
    3. Development of character is the one great factor of our present salvation; by beholding the Lord Jesus we become transformed into His image - Rom. 8:28-29; 2 Cor. 3:17-18
  3. Salvation - future:
    1. Our salvation will not be complete until all our enemies will have been eliminated and death is one of these enemies - I Cor. 15:26
    2. This cannot take place until Jesus Christ our only hope, will come the second time to abolish death - I Cor. 15:50-58
    3. The people of God are at this present time pilgrims and strangers in this world, they are looking for a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness - Heb. 11:14-16; 2 Pet. 3:13
  4. Salvation - past, present and future:
    1. How glorious it is to forget the past of our sinful life
    2. Forget it because God is willing to forget it
    3. Salvation present - we live by faith day by day trusting the Lord as we seek to walk in the light the word of God gives us
    4. And the future is as bright as God's gracious promises to His people; as we look into the future we see how God loves us and what He will do for us if we but be true and faithful to the end - Rev. 21:1-8


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