"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;"
When our boys were younger, they had difficulty understanding the concept of Great Grandpa and Great Grandma. They would ask, "What did they do that made them so great?" In our text this afternoon, the writer speaks of salvation and refers to it as "so great salvation". The question I want us to consider today is why is salvation so great?
I. It is great because we didn’t do anything to get it!
A. Salvation is all of God and none of man.
B. We simply accept God’s plan or reject it...we cannot improve upon it.
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;" (Titus 3:5)
"And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:" (Phil 3:9)
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph 2:8-9)
"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," (2 Tim 1:9)
II. Salvation is great because we cannot lose it after getting it!
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand." (John 10:28-29)
A. If man did anything to gain salvation, he might be able to lose it...
B. But praise the Lord, salvation is all of God...nothing I do can cause me to lose my salvation!
C. I have been born again and I cannot be "unborn"!
D. Eternal life means ‘never ending’.
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10:28)
III. Salvation is great because we can’t do anything to make it better.
A. The Bible says that we are complete in Christ.
B. That means that there is nothing more to add.
C. When we have Jesus we have all there is to have.
"For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:" (Col 2:9-10)
IV. Salvation is great because whosoever wants it can receive it.
A. That word is all inclusive.
B. All we must do is realize that we need it.
C. Understand that Christ paid for it on Calvary.
D. And ask Him to be our Savior.
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Rom 10:13)