Some Key Elements of Salvation

One of the aims that I have as pastor is to teach you in such a way and to teach things, the foundational, fundamental doctrines of the Bible and the Church of God, to where you will be able to master those same things. And so you will be able to give answer for the hope that lies within, and that you are not just a passive listener sitting there, each Sabbath, hoping that there will be some kind of just inspirational thing that you can latch on to. We want that too. But at the same time, you are learning, you're growing, and you are becoming more and more able yourself to explain what is contained in the Bible. The title of the sermon today is Key Elements of Salvation. Key elements of salvation. Probably we should put some key elements of salvation because we could never cover all of the elements of salvation. Do you really know and understand the key elements of salvation? The purpose of this sermon is to help you be better grounded and established in the key elements of salvation. If you can master the material in this sermon, you'll be better prepared to personally understand these elements and better equipped to teach others. We know that in the millennium you will be kings and priests according to Revelation 5.10. You shall be kings and priests in the kingdom of God.

We could ask ourselves, what is the most important goal in your life? Well, brethren, I hope it is salvation.

Your life shall have been in vain if salvation is not the outcome of your sojourn here on the earth. Let's turn, please, now to Romans 2.

In Romans 2, we will read the apostle Paul writing in Romans 7. To them who by patient continuance and well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality eternal life. Will you be satisfied with anything less than glory, honor, immortality, and eternal life in the kingdom of God? Would you settle for anything less than that? To those who seek for that, will you be satisfied with anything less? I believe that one of the greatest weaknesses in all of our lives is our refusal to obey Matthew 6, 33, which probably we can all quote, I hope we can, but seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

Oftentimes, we tend to let the trials, troubles, and distractions of this life throw us off track. Satan hates you, that is a fact, and he would like to see you thrown off course and destroyed. Note the warning that Jesus gives us concerning how we can be thrown off course. Mark 4, verse 19. Mark 4, verse 19. For those who seek after glory, honor, immortality, eternal life, salvation is the song that deliver us into the kingdom of God. Mark 4, verse 19. And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. The cares of this world is one of the things that we really have to battle in the age in which we live because they are many, and they will increase, generally speaking, and oftentimes increase more as you grow older. Of course, we are warned in the book of Ecclesiastes about really enjoy the days of your youth. Do the things that bring the kind of happiness and joy that can be attained by obeying God as you heard about in the sermonette because tougher days are ahead, and generally the trials are greater with graver consequences. Now, in Luke 21, verse 34. Forward, please, Luke 21 and verse 34. The first part here is just a warning. I shouldn't put just. It is a warning from Jesus Christ Himself to not let this world throw you off track from what you really are here for. You were created for this. You were created. Become a glorious, radiant spirit being in the kingdom of God with honor, with glory, with immortality, eternal life. In Luke 21 and verse 34.

Luke 21 verse 34. And take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, surfeiting, is a medical word used for the nausea after drunkenness, the nausea after drunkenness.

In other words, don't have a hangover, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. The admonition ever in the Bible is to always be ready. So what is the first element in the process of salvation? It begins with the Father. With the Father. God our Father. How does it begin? It begins, and I don't know how He does this. I'm sure no one else knows either. Look to 1 Peter. We talked about this considerably in a Bible study recently. In 1 Peter chapter 1, that God in His grace and His mercy decided to call you now. Why did He call you now? I don't know why He called me per se. Why did He call you? You probably don't know either per se, but for some reason, then notice what it says. In 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 2, elect according to the foreknowledge, prognosis, to know beforehand. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. Elect has to do with electing. It has to do with calling through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. Grace, divine favor. We'll have more to say about grace. Now in John 644, once again a scripture that probably everybody could quote John 644.

No man can come to me unless the Father draw him. No man can come to me. So how does it begin? How does this first element of salvation and element is a part of? It begins with the foreknowledge of God the Father. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, who has called us into this marvelous light. And God the Father has to call us. Now we're saying the opening hymn that says God is calling children. Well, it wasn't the opening hymn, but it was after the sermon at that God is calling children. That He is set before our children, as it were, the tree of life. And they are in a sense living in an identity kind of situation where they have access to the tree of life. They are not cut off. They are set apart.

Now, working hand in glove with the Father, of course, is Jesus Christ. But let's notice further in James 1.17 about the Father. Now, the world talks about preaching Christ, and we also talk about preaching Christ. And we have placed a greater emphasis in the Church of God in recent times on preaching Christ. But at the same time, God the Father is the one who initiates the salvation process. That's a very sobering thing to contemplate. You look at James 1.17. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, of His own will beget He us with the Word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures or creation. God the Father personally involved. And what you see, the sign held up at the football games, and sometimes on the roadside, and perhaps the universal verse as far as the Christian world is concerned, that He loved us so much, the John 3.16.

See, the next element, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. So working hand in glove with the Father in the salvation process is Jesus Christ. So now let's notice John 1, verse 1. John 1, verse 1. The Gospel of John is the only gospel that really zeros in to a large degree on the pre-existence of Christ and His station with the Father before human beings were created. From John 1.1, we get three things concerning Jesus Christ. His existence, His relationship, and His identity. His existence, relationship, and identity. And we'll point it out. In the beginning was the Word. Was, is tantamount equal to the English word, the English verb, to be? So in the beginning was the Word. In the beginning, the Word existed. Of course, this Word is existed in eternity. It didn't have a beginning in the sense that we think of a beginning that back here it didn't exist and here it did exist. Without Father, without Mother, without beginning or end of days. That's Hebrews 7, 3, or 4.

So in the beginning was the Word. He existed. And the Word was with God, relationship. He became the begotten Son of God, and by the resurrection, the Son of God at birth resurrected to a Spirit being, a life-giving Spirit. And the Word was with God, relationship, and the Word was God, identity. That's who He is. In fact, in Matthew 1, 23, I believe it's 23, that says, And His name shall be called Emmanuel, which means God with us.

Now you look at verse 14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John, this is John the Baptist, bear witness of him and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spoke. He that comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me. And of the fulness have all received, and grace for grace, divine favor for divine favor.

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The ultimate way in which grace and truth have been manifested to the world came through Jesus Christ. Now we saw elements of it. We saw glimpses of it through the Old Covenant and through the law of Moses. But it has been much more openly revealed in these last times through Jesus Christ. Now, look at Luke 10. Luke 10 will tell us exactly what I just said. What are we talking about?

We're talking about elements of salvation. Like you're going to take this person, this new person, who walks through the door there. They have never attended a Church of God service. And you are going to begin to nurture them and help them to understand the plan and purpose of God. How it all begins. What all is involved in it? You're not going to just pick out little parts here and there. See, elements of salvation, elements make up the whole package.

And as I said, we can't cover every last aspect. We can cover some very foundational points in it. In Luke 10, verse 20, Not with a standing in this rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather to rejoice because your names are written in heaven. In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit and said, I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes. He revealed them unto us, elect according to the foreknowledge of God.

And Jesus Christ is a revelator. Of course, as the word he and the father planned out, this awesome plan of salvation, hath revealed them unto us, even so, Father, for it seemed good in your sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father. All things are delivered to me of my Father. And no man knows who the Son is but the Father, and who the Father is but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

So clearly Jesus Christ is the revelator that reveals the Father to us. Let's note further in Acts chapter 4 and verse 10. Acts chapter 4 and verse 10 begins with the Father. Jesus Christ works hand in glove with the Father. And Acts chapter 4 and verse 10 begins with the Father. Be it known unto all you and to the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, Jesus Christ did not resurrect himself.

Jesus Christ was in the grave three days and three nights and had no consciousness in the grave. And just before Jesus Christ died on the stake, he cried out and he said, Laba laba, bashtana, something like that. Unto your hands commend I you my spirit, my life essence is in your hands.

So God raised him from the dead, even by him. Does this man stand here before you whole? So there we're talking about, well, how in the world did this miracle occur? This is the stone which was set at nothing of you builders. Of course, the Jews rejected him. He came to his own and his own received him not, which has become the head of the corner.

Jesus Christ is the head of the church. The church in that sense is a pyramidal kind of structure. Now, a building does have a corner stone down here, but with Jesus Christ, he's not just a... He is part of the foundation, but he's also the head. He is the chief cornerstone or capstone like you might have on a pyramid, which is the head of the corner.

Neither is there a salvation in any other. Now, see the the plan of salvation. And people want to talk about, and this is one of the big things in the world today, oh, you say the only way you can get into heaven is to be a member of your church. Or the only way you can get into heaven is to be in the Catholic Church or to be a Buddhist or whatever religion you want to name.

See, salvation is inclusive. Jesus Christ died for everyone, but the process is exclusive. No matter what the Pope says, atheists are not going to be in the kingdom of God. Buddhists, if they remain Buddhists or Hindus or whomever you want to name, they're not going to be in the kingdom of God unless they come through the door, and that door is Christ. There's no other way. That's what it says. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. He is the way. Now notice in verse 41, Acts 4, 41.

I've got a misprint here. It must be 31. Let's see. In Acts 4, 31. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken, where they were assembled together, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. And they spoke the word of God with boldness. And the multitudes of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul, neither said any of them that ought of the things which possessed his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power gave the apostles witness the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace, divine favor, was upon them all.

Now we go to Hebrews chapter 5. Hebrews chapter 5 and verse 9. Hebrews 5 talks about Melchizedek and the priesthood. No man takes this honor to himself.

Jesus Christ didn't appoint himself per se, but the Father appointed him in that case. In Hebrews chapter 5 verse 1, For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, but that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. Verse 4, And no man takes his honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. So also Christ glorified not himself to be made in high priests, but he that said unto him, You are my son, today have I begotten you. So God the Father is the one who in that sense appointed Jesus Christ to this office of priesthood, the priesthood of Melchizedek. As he said also in another place, you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Now that's in Psalm 110 verses 1 through 3 or 4. Now notice further here in verse 9, And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation. So Jesus Christ, the author of eternal salvation, in that he was the forerunner. He is the one that went before. He has gone through the process that we are going through. He took upon himself a form of a man. He was made flesh. He dwelt among us.

And he died, and he's been resurrected. Just as we're going to die or be either way, whether we are dead in the grave or caught up in the air, this physical life will cease when we are changed to spirit. So verse 9, Being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all of them that obey him, called of God and high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered. In other words, it's a difficult subject to really understand all of it, and we don't understand a lot about it.

For when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God and are become, such as one that has need of milk and not strong meat. For everyone that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is obeyed. Now here is one of the most important verses, and this ties in with what Isaiah writes when he asks the question, to whom shall he teach knowledge? Those that are drawn from the breast and weaned from the milk. Drawn from the breast, weaned from the milk, here little, there little, line upon line, precept upon precept. So here's sort of a summary of that. See, at the time you ought to be teachers, you have need of milk. Verse 14, strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, going on to maturity, that spiritual maturity, even those who by reason of use, in other words, they are doing what they know to do. And one of the greatest weaknesses in the church and has been, through the ages, one of my greatest weaknesses, one of your greatest weaknesses, is closing the gap between what we know and what we do. And that's what we're here to try to do, is to close that gap where strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised, in other words, they have done it to discern good and evil.

Now look at Hebrews 12. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1, similar to what I've already verbalized. In Hebrews 12.1, wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, speaking of that group of men and women that are catalogued there in the last part of chapter 11, compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which thus so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

God the Father is involved all the way, but at the same time, as we shall see as we go deeper into the various elements of salvation, that grace and truth came through Jesus Christ, because Jesus Christ was a principal agent that God used to convey and reveal this plan to the world. And not only did he reveal the plan, but he has actually gone through the plan himself, lived in the flesh, died, resurrected. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, see, he, and one of the elements we'll be talking about is this joy set before him, the big picture burning brightly in his mind, he knew that that glory was going to be restored as he prayed in John 17, 3, 4, 5, where it says, and restore unto me the glory that I had with you before the world began, who for the joy that was set before him endured the stake, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. And what is he doing at the right hand of God? He ever lives to make intercession for you and I. Why is the role of Christ necessary? Now we go to Romans 3 and verse 23. Of course, there are many reasons, but we're looking at keys like the... you can't cover everything, but the foundational points. Remember the... I gave one or two sermons way back a couple of years ago on mastering the book of Romans. It said, if you master the book of Romans, you shall have gone a long ways toward mastering all of Paul's epistles and so much of the Bible and so much of the plan of salvation.

Romans chapter 1 takes the Gentiles to task the non-Jewish people by birth. Romans chapter 2 takes the Israelites people to task Israelites by birth. Of course, Romans 2 concludes by saying, well, who is a Jew? He is not a Jew who is one outwardly, but a Jew is one who has had not the flesh circumcised, but the heart. Then Romans 3 begins to bring those two chapters together and summarize them. And here's the great summary statement. Romans 3.23. Romans 3.23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3.23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No matter what your ethnic origin is, no matter what your race, nationality, or any of that is, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And then Romans 6.23, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Therefore, what does that mean? Well, Romans 6.23 tells you, for the wages of sin is death. So what does it mean, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Wages of sin is death. And everybody who's ever lived has the death sentence on their head. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now we go back to Romans 3.

See, all of the above introduces another key, which we've already mentioned, and that is grace.

About six months ago, I think it was in July, I gave a sermon on grace. Grace is not an active power, per se. Grace is not tantamount to the Holy Spirit. Grace is an attribute of God that He extends to us His divine favor.

So the best definition, just trying to put it in everyday terms that I can come up with for grace is that grace is God's active love, care, and concern for His creation. We read the verses that not even a sparrow falls to the ground unless he's aware of it. Or we read Matthew 6, how that He clothes the lilies of the field and He feeds the fowls of the air and so on. And of course, He loved us so much, He created us in His own image with the potential of eternal life.

So grace has many, many aspects.

The Greek word is charis, C-H-A-R-I-S, and it means divine favor.

In some cases, this divine favor is totally unmerited.

But on the other hand, you can grow in grace. And if you can grow in grace, it means that you are doing something that produces, produce would not be a good word, that results in God extending His grace to you. For example, the plan of salvation is totally gracious, unmerited. We did nothing to deserve it. We did nothing to deserve even having life. Life is our most precious possession because this life is our potential for eternal life.

So grace is divine favor. Now you can grow in grace like it talks about in 1 Peter chapter 2 or 3, where it talks about if you endure suffering wrongfully, then this is grace, divine favor with God, because God is going to fight your battles for you. The plan of salvation, this gracious plan, was developed before the foundation of the world. Let's notice this in 1 Peter 1.20. 1 Peter 1.20.

We go back and back again to 1 Peter chapter 1, it seems. That's where we are in our Bible studies. In 1 Peter 1.20, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in these last times for you before the foundation of the world. Now another way of expressing this, it also says, is similar in Revelation 13.8 before the foundation of the world. But let's go to 2 Timothy, because the expression is a little bit different here, but in essence means the same thing. In 2 Timothy chapter 1, 2 Timothy chapter 1, verses 8 through 10, "...be you not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord..." This is a prison of pistol. Paul was in prison when this was written, and he's writing to the young evangelist Timothy. Timothy evidently was beginning to draw back a bit. I'm sure people were saying, well, you know that old Paul claims to be an apostle. He's in prison. Why in the world would God let an apostle be in prison? He must not be an apostle after all. But anyhow, "...be you not therefore ashamed of his testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be you partaker of the afflictions of the gospel, according the power of God, who has saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose..." See, plan and purpose of God. "...according to his own purpose and grace, divine favor, which was given us in Christ Jesus when before the world..." And in this case, there, in this case, the world is chronos from which we get time, chronology. "...before chronos began..." Before time began, this plan of salvation was worked out. So, of course, grace is the vital element of the plan of salvation. Next, we look at another element, and that is faith.

We go to Hebrews 11.1. Hebrews 11.1.

Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for. Now, of all the things that you hope for, what is the number one thing? The number one thing is salvation, glory, honor, and mortality, eternal life.

To be in the resurrection, a glorious radiant spirit being. Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. The evidence of things not seen, God working powerfully through Christ, through his Spirit, in our lives to bring to pass that which he has promised, and he can do it. Now, in simplest terms, faith means to believe God and do what he says. It's as simple as that. To believe God and do what he says, so we get like a working definition. This biblical definition here is a high definition, the substance of things hoped for. Now, this word, substance, is this famous word that the Greek scholar used when he tried to explain the nature of God as being three hypostasis, which in essence, which he tried to make into three ways of being God. You can be sort of like a three-headed turtle. You can stick that neck out, you can be the father and stick this neck out, or head, be the son and stick this neck out, be the Holy Spirit. So that word, hypostasis, really means foundation, the foundation.

Faith is the foundation of things hoped for. Now, it came to be later in academic circles and theological circles called substance, but it is sort of an abstract concept in one way, but the kingdom of God is not to be abstract to us, it is to be real.

You know, Thomas said, well, I'll not believe it. The apostle said, well, we've seen the Lord. He's been resurrected. Thomas said, well, I won't believe it until I've thrust my hand into his side. And then Thomas came and he did it. And Thomas said, my Lord and my God. And Christ said, Thomas, because you have seen, you believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed. Or like the example of Abraham. Abraham looked for a city whose builder and man city, which had foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Of course, there wasn't a concrete city on earth at that time, but he knew that city was to come. So the substance, this is the high view, the substance that things hope for, the evidence that things not seen. Now we can show in the scriptures this put into action in the life of Abraham. We go to Romans chapter 4. Romans chapter 4. And we keep in view the substance that things hope for and the evidence that things not seen.

We'll begin in verse 17. Romans 4. 17. Remember when Abraham was an old man, Sarah was an old woman chronologically.

Getting well up in the years, past the way of women was Sarah.

How was she going to conceive? Because God came to them and said, you're going to have a son, the son of promise, a son that was born after faith. So in this case, what is that which is hoped for?

It's Isaac, the son of promise. What is the evidence of things not seen? Well, it's the Spirit of God making it possible for Sarah to conceive and for Abraham to father a child. So let's notice this in verse 17. As it is written, I have made you a father of many nations before him whom he believed, even God, who quickens the dead and calls those things which be not as though they were, which thing Abraham had done in the case of Isaac, which it talks about this in Hebrews, that he was asked to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham said, okay, because I know that if he dies, he'll be as good as alive and resurrection. Who against hope believed in hope. What does that mean? Who against the hope of this world, if you look at it humanly, it was not possible for Abraham and Sarah to have a child. Sarah was past child-bearing possibility in the human sense, but he believed in hope. What hope? The hope in God, which is one of the elements of salvation that maybe we'll get to as time is fleeting, that he must become the father of many nations, that he might become the father of many nations. According to that which was spoken, so shall your seed be. Now, that seed of many nations, of course, the 12 tribes became, in essence, 12 nations eventually, but the principal seed is Christ, and all are Abraham's seed if they are in Christ. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead when he was about a hundred years old, neither the deadness of Sarah's womb. See, he believed God. In order for her to have a child, they've got to come together, and they have to have intimacy for this to come to pass. Who believed God, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief. He was strong in faith, giving glory to God, so he did his part. He believed God, and he did what he said. And being fully persuaded of what he had promised, he was able also to perform. That's evidence of things not seen. And therefore, it was reckoned to him for righteousness. Now, it was not written for his sake alone that it was reckoned to him, but for us also it shall be imputed or reckoned if we believe on him that raised up Jesus from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification. So there you have it. The substance of things hoped for eternal life. The evidence of things not seen. The Holy Spirit had worked in our lives. And the first few verses here in Romans 5 shows the process of going through that. We'll read down through verse 5 here in Romans 5. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We're counted enemies of God until we exercise repentance and faith in the sacrifice of Christ. And we're no longer counted as enemies. And not only so, but we glory in tribulation, also knowing that tribulation works patience and patience experience and experience hope. And hope makes us not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto you. So we have this big picture burning brightly of salvation. We go through all kind of trials, troubles, and tribulations. Sometimes we wonder, can I make it? Then he says, hope makes us not ashamed because, see, the evidence of things not seen is at work. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

But once again, I come back and say, you know, in simplest, everyday working terms, faith means to believe God, do what he says. And that's what Abraham did. Now another element in salvation is hope. Look at Romans 8. Romans 8 and verse 24. Romans 8 and verse 24. For we are saved by hope. Now we're going to read later, we're saved through faith. We're going to read, we're saved by grace. See, elements of salvation. You have to put the whole package together. In verse 24, for we're saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. See, it is an abstract kind of thing. What do we hope for? We hope for eternal life, that city not made by hands. Now in the case of Abraham that we read in chapter 4, God made a promise of something that you could feel touch see a son Isaac born of faith. And we are typical sons of Isaac, of faith, as Paul talks about in Romans 9. We're saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope for what a man sees. What is he yet hoped for? But if we hope for that, we see not. Then do we with patience wait for it. So there you have that, once again, the substance of things hoped for. The very kingdom of God. We're hoping for the kingdom of God. We want to be in the kingdom of God. Hope may be divine, may be defined, as the earnest expectation that what is desired is going to be fulfilled. The earnest expectation you're hoping for the kingdom of God, you're hoping for eternal life. Now let's go to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 8, "...but let us who are not of the day be sober, that is, of those who are asleep and drunken, as in verse 7. But let us who are of the day be sober, we're watchful, we're vigilant, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, both of those are elements of salvation, for gods who love the world, and for in helmet the hope of salvation." So hope is the helmet of salvation, a vital part of the armor of God. See, it's one of the main things that will keep you from being thrown off track. The cares of this world, trials, tribulations, all kinds of difficulties. You're going to tread right through that. You're going to shred it and go right down the middle because you have on this helmet. A helmet covers the whole head. In a word, it's to protect the head from injury. The head is the seed of thinking, and as a man thinks, so he is. Thought is the precursor of action. So if the helmet of salvation is hope, then hope should permeate our very being. What hope? Once again, the hope of eternal life, the kingdom of God. So in practical terms, the helmet of salvation means to keep the big picture, the kingdom of God, burning brightly in your heart and in your mind. It means to focus on the purpose of human existence. Why were you created? Why were you born? My hope is in God and Christ, who has promised eternal life. God, who cannot lie, has promised eternal life. So it really doesn't matter in the long run what happens here and now, for I am bound for the Promised Land. And there is nothing. If God be for you, who can be against you? Now, another element in the salvation process is what we call justification. We've already talked about it in Romans, well, we read Romans 5.1, but let's talk a little more specifically. We go back to Romans 3. Romans chapter 3. Could you explain justification?

Justification is related to, of course, the fathers involved. We get this whole process going down the line. For knowledge of God, elect according to for knowledge of God. No man can come to me unless the Father draw him. The Son reveals the Father. Jesus Christ gave his life for God so loved the world that he gave us Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ gave himself that we might be reconciled to God. Now, let's look at this process. And we talked about, well, why do we need the Redeemer? Why do we need Jesus Christ? For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We have talked about the grace aspect, that because of God's grace, divine favor, he created us in the first place. Now we look at Romans 3.24. All have sinned, that's verse 23, come short of the glory of God. And we read Romans 6.23, the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is the eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Being justified freely by his grace through God's divine favor, he sent us a Redeemer through the redemption, the buying back power that is in Christ Jesus.

Grace is not cheap. In this case, this grace that redeems us requires the life of a being counted worthy, and that being is the Son of God, Christ Jesus, whom God has sent forth to be a perpetuation. In other words, a go-between, he went in our stead through faith in his blood. Now we get here with justification two aspects of faith again. The abstract aspect is to believe that God is true, God is faithful, that Jesus Christ is the Savior, and that there is the hope of eternal life. The abstract dimension that you don't see in the concrete sense, but it's in your mind and heart, and the foundation is the Word of God.

And then there is the doing what he says part, which involves repentance and turning it into and turning from sin and exercising faith in Christ, that he has paid the penalty for your sin.

Whom God has set forth to be a go-between going in your stead through faith in his blood, boy, the life is in the blood, so he gave his life's blood to declare his righteousness, and in this case, this righteousness has to do with his faithfulness and forbearance, that he's going to carry out what he promised that he would do, that he would send a Redeemer for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. The sins that are passed. So, if you were to begin to perfectly obey at any point, that in and of itself would not pay for sins that are passed. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Wages of sin is dead. Therefore, you've got to have a Redeemer. That Redeemer is Jesus Christ. How does that become applicable to you through faith, believing that he did this for you, and it is coupled with repentance?

Verse 30, seeing it as one God which shall justify the circumcision, that is, those of Israelite-ish descent, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and the non-Jew uncircumcision through faith, do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid, yes, we established the law. Can you explain that scripture? How do you establish the law through faith?

The fact is this. See, if the law were not in effect, and if the wages of sin was not death, then it would be farcical to say, I'm going to sin my only begotten son to die for your sins, because there would be no sin. Paul writes in Romans 7, I would not have known sin unless the law said. See, because we have sinned, because the death penalty is on our head, we have to have a Redeemer. We have to exercise faith in that Redeemer and repent, and thereby doing that, we establish the law that it is in effect.

I don't see how it is simple logic. What shall we say then? That Abraham, and then gives the example of Abraham, which we've talked about. You look at Romans 6, verse 1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue and sin that grace may abound? No. So this justification process requires the belief aspect and the repentance, the doing aspect. Once again, believe God, do what he says. Now look at Galatians chapter 2, and we'll see this doing aspect that so many miss the only believe crowd in Galatians chapter 2, verse 16. Imagine you. You are now sitting down and you are doing baptismal counseling. Everything that we've gone through here today, you would need to bring forth. Galatians 2, 16, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law. Not only the works of the law, whether you are circumcised, uncircumcised, whether you offer sheep, goat, or whatever, or even if you perfectly obey the word of God from a certain point, that does not justify pay for sins that are passed. But by the faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. See, the big problem in Galatia, they had Judaizers teaching there that in order to be justified, you had to be circumcised according to the flesh. But notice this, but while we seek to be justified, if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners. See, if you haven't repented, is therefore Christ the minister of sin?

In other words, you can't just say, well, I believe and not change your life. You know, I have done funerals for people who are not in the church, and you'll have somebody give a eulogy and talk about they're in heaven now, and they're looking down on us, and what a good time they're having, and all of that. But yet, you know, they were breaking basically every commandment in the book. Is Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. Point is, you have to believe, exercise faith in the abstract dimension, and repent, and do what God says to do. On the day of Pentecost, you look at Acts 2.38. This gift of the Holy Spirit is conditional. In Acts 2.38, Peter preached this inspired sermon on the day of Pentecost, the day that the Holy Spirit was given to the New Covenant Church. They were pricked in their hearts. They were convicted. See, it is the Word of God and the Spirit of God that convicts. Verse 37, when they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Man and brethren, what shall we do? In other words, they were convicted. This weight was on them. They knew that they had sinned, that they had crucified the Prince of Life, that the death penalty was on their heads. How is that going to be taken off? How are they going to be justified? How are they going to be redeemed? Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for their mission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Now, Peter didn't spend time there with faith in the sacrifice of Christ, but we have also spent time with that, or already spent time with that, here today.

So we tend to think of some of these elements of salvation in isolation. And so somebody may say, well, you're saved by grace. Somebody may say, well, you're saved by faith. Somebody may say, well, you're saved by hope. And those three elements are named as being saved. But all of this goes together. So you must not think of these things in isolation. Look at Ephesians chapter 2. In Ephesians chapter 2, 2, and verse 8.

In Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 8, 4, by grace are you saved. And if you were to put a period there, it's just totally gracious. You don't have to do a thing. But then it says, it continues, 4, by grace are you saved through faith. We've just talked about faith, the two elements, the abstract dimension of belief and the doing part of repentance.

For by grace are you saved through faith in that not of yourselves. Now, the key question here is, what does that not of yourselves modify? Does it modify faith, or does it modify saved? It is the gift of God. So we see here that grace and faith are inextricably linked together. You can't have one without the other. Saved is a verb, and it is neuter. By grace are you saved. Gift is a noun and neuter. Thus it modifies saved. It cannot modify faith, since the Greek word for faith, pistis, is feminine. So therefore, that not of yourselves is saved. Faith is something that you must have a part in. You must believe God and do what He says. You can't just say, Oh, I believe. You remember the James 2? The devils believe and tremble, but will you know, O vain man? The devils believe and tremble, and faith without works is dead. Do Christians sin under grace? Yes. Do Christians sin after they've received the Holy Spirit? Yes. Any way you want to say it, God is in us. Christ is in us. We have God's Holy Spirit. But yet the old man is still alive. And this new man, this new man of faith, this new man of grace, this new man of hope, is supposed to put to death the old man. You notice 1 John. In 1 John chapter 1, verse 8, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to clothe us or to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. But yet, notice the next chapter, my little children, these things are right unto you that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate, a patocletos, this translated comforter, oftentimes in the Gospels, we have and patocletos, comforter with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He is a propituation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know Him if we keep His commandments.

He that says, I know Him and keeps not His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in Him. So there's hereby we know. Hereby we know. There are three or four times John uses that hereby we know in this epistle.

So brethren, here we are. Christ plays an active role in our lives right now. The salvation process involves grace because of grace that was planned out, initiated, ordained, denigrated. We have to have faith. We have to put on the helmet of salvation, hope.

We have to repent to receive the Holy Spirit. And Christ is playing an active role in our lives right now. The just shall live by faith. He's sitting at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us. There are times that God does things for us that we don't even know. You take the analogy of Father and Mother doing things for their children that the children are unaware of. You go in and check them after you tuck them in. You see how they're doing at times, especially when they're sick through the night. You do things for them while they're away, or things through the day that they may not even be aware of. They just sort of take it for granted. It's below their level of consciousness. God does the same things for us and more. And just like parents with a child, you don't give them everything they ask for because in your wisdom and experience you know that it would not be good for them. And God does, the Father does the same thing. Remember the Garth Brooks song? One of the greatest gifts, or one of God's greatest gifts, is unanswered prayer. There are many situations that you will face where there's nothing you can do but to turn to God. A stronghold on your mind. The weapons of a warfare are not carnal, physical, but mighty, spiritual to the pulling down of strongholds. A sick child. A family squabble. Your attitude toward your neighbor. Attitudes of covetousness and envy. Forgiveness of sin. Your fearful, anxious, tormented. Figuratively speaking, when the plane is going into a freefall and a nosedive, there's nothing you can do. You must take it to the high priest. Back in the early 70s, we were flying over Monroe, Louisiana in the college plane, going to a funeral. Death is on your mind, and suddenly it went dead.

Carburetor had frozen. Pilate did not turn on the carburetor warmer. He turned it on and sort of miraculously, it started again. You can pray a lot in a few seconds.

There are times in which you have to look only to the author and finisher of your salvation. We must seek the advocate, the comforter, the para cretos, and we know the greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. So, brethren, here today we've looked at a few of the elements of salvation, some of the very key elements. And I'm hoping that you will be able to follow up on this in your own personal study so that when and if, and if you're in the kingdom of God, eventually it will be not if, but when, you'll sit down and you will teach. Well, here's what it's all about. Here's a plan of salvation, and here are some of the key elements.