If you were to be asked tonight by an unsaved friend : ‘What is salvation?’ what would you say?
I would tell them that salvation is the work of God in a human life when:
I turn from my sin
Place my faith in Jesus Christ
Depend only on Christ and His finished work at Calvary for my salvation
God forgives my sin
He cleans me of my old sin
Gives me a new and right relationship with Him
His Word becomes living and real
He places His Holy Spirit in me
My conscience becomes alert and energised
He gives me the joy of His presence
He meets my need for His service
He gives me the hope of a home in heaven
Maybe you would tell them about:
The Hell He saves you from
The Heaven He saves you to
The Hope He saves you for
The Heart He changes
The Home He promises
The Help He gives you
The Presence you know
The Peace you feel
The Promises He gives
Maybe I would too!
But to what salvation in the preceding verses does Hebrews 2:3 refer?
‘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;’
As I look back over the preceding verses I don’t see that description of salvation.
The closest we have is Heb 1:3 : ‘When He had purged our sins’
In Hebrews we have a different perspective on Salvation.
Salvation involves:
A Sinner
A Saviour
Salvation comes when a Sinner meets a Saviour
Like our 2 hands: on one hand we can think of salvation in terms of what it means to the Sinner.
This is how I tend to think of Salvation
This is the emphasis given in Romans:
Sin (chps 1- 3)
Salvation (chps 3 to 5)
Sanctification (chps 6 to 8)
Struggle with the flesh (chp 7)
Spirit filled life (chp 8)
In Hebrews the perspective is different: this is not salvation from the perspective of the Sinner but from the perspective of the Saviour.
In Hebrews the “great Salvation” is the Salvation provided by a Great Saviour!
He is the Saviour who is greater than the Salvation He gives.
Salvation is “in” Him: “neither is there salvation in any other” (Acts 4:12)
What does this mean?
That He is the only way? More than this!
That Christ is the only source of salvation? True but more than this!
That only Christ died for my sins? True but more than this!
That all salvation is located ‘in’ Christ
Is this not the theme of chapter 1?
He is Great!!
He is above all!!
Believer you not only have a great salvation; you have a great Saviour!
Your great Saviour is greater than your great Salvation!
I think that’s great!
So Salvation flows out from Him!
As a consequence of this - my salvation never exhausts my greater Saviour!
There is plenty more where that came from!
There is more to His Saving work than saving my soul!
The World to Come is subject to Him (2:5)
Death is defeated (2:14-15)
Satan is destroyed (2:14)
Creation is redeemed (Rom 8:23)
Sins past are forgiven (Rom 3:25)
Spirits in prison preached to (1 Peter 3:19)