Salvation is the gracious deliverance of our souls from all evil. It is deliverance from sin, deliverance from the curse of the law, deliverance from death, deliverance from the eternal wrath of God in hell, and deliverance into the eternal bliss and glory of God's presence in heaven. This salvation of our souls is the gracious act of God. It comes to men through the merits of Christ's righteousness and shed blood. It is a work performed in the heart by the power of God the Holy Spirit. And it is received by faith. Salvation is not to be attributed to the works of man in any measure whatsoever. This is what the Word of God says about our salvation - "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves (Neither the grace nor the salvation, nor the faith is man's work.): it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2: 8-9). "God 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" (II Tim. 1:9). Here are four facts about salvation which are plainly revealed in the Word of God.
1. OUR SALVATION WAS PURPOSED BY GOD IN ETERNITY.
The Lord our God sovereignly purpoeed the salvation of his people in Christ before the world began. Before angel loved angel, before man loved man, God's heart was set upon his people in love and grace. Before the world began, before the sun, the moon, and the stars gave forth light, before the heavens were made, before the foundations of the earth were laid, when God dwelt alone in the glory and bliss of his sacred and eternal Persons, he said of his elect, "I will be their God and they shall be my people." It was God's eternal purpose of grace that determined who he would save, when he would save, and how he would save. His eternal love and infinite wisdom drew all the details of salvation's eternal plan. He "predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will" (Eph. 1:5).
2. OUR SALVATION PURCHASED BY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AT CALVARY.
The Lord Jesus Christ came into this world, assuming our nature, so that he might redeem us to himself. When he voluntarily laid down his life at Calvary as the Substitute for his people, as the sacrificial atonement for our sin, he purchased us out from under the curse and penalty of God's holy law. And he purchased for us all the blessings of eternal salvation. Entering in once into the holy place with his own blood as our Representative, the Lord Jesus Christ has obtained eternal redemption for us and purchased in our name the eternal inheritance of the heavenly glory.
3. OUR SALVATION WAS PERFORMED ENTIRELY BY THE GRACE OF GOD.
When we were dead in trespasses and in sins, God the Holy Spirit regenerated us by sovereign power, giving us life in Christ. We could not and would not come to the Lord; but he came to us. We had no repentance; but he gave us repentance. We had no faith; but he gave us faith. In the day of his power he gave us life, revealed Christ in our hearts, and made us willing to come to Christ, trusting him as Lord and Savior. As it is written, "Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee' (Ps. 65:4).
4. OUR SALVATION IS PRESERVED BY GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.
We were chosen by grace, redeemed by grace, saved by grace, and we shall be preserved unto eternal glory by grace. Like a mighty preserver, we are sealed by God the Holy Spirit in Christ until the resurrection day, when our salvation shall be perfect and complete. Salvation is by GRACE ALONE. "SALVATION IS OF THE LORD!
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