GOD, OUR SAVIOR AND OUR SUSTAINER
Eph. 1:15-23.

1. Paul expressed deep belief in that power, Rom. 1:16.
a. Rom. 5:10.
When we were in our sin and had no fellowship with God, He called us through His gospel and said, “Hey, I love you and I’ve made a way to have your sin to be forgiven, and in addition to that, I will raise you from the dead and give you eternal life.”
That’s God’s offer of salvation from sin and His gift of eternal life.
That’s better than getting “One good hand and one good check.”
When it comes to getting a good ride, you’ll never get a better draw than that.
That will get you the biggest buckle at the final day.
But, “salvation” involves more than simply the forgiveness of our past sins.
God wants us to live in the confidence that His power is capable of helping us in whatever way we need in life to “Be saved and then to stay saved.”
It begins, with the forgiveness of sins — but it goes on to deal with all the other hinderences that Satan uses to war against our souls.
Listen to Paul describe the greatness of what God has given us, Rom. 8:31?32.
Jesus on the Cross and in His resurrection is God’s demonstrated proof of His love and the power, which He is willing to exert to help you when you’re in need.
Don’t you ever believe that God is not there for you.
Jesus is proof that God gave everything He had for you.
God did all of that. And He’s not going to give up on you that easy.
God will not let you go without a fight.
Paul says, “I’m not ashamed of the Gospel.” I guess not, how could anyone ever be ashamed of such a magnificent love story.
The perfect, sinless Son of God died, was burried, and resurrected to prove how much He loved you.
And then He rose back into heave to prepare a place for you so that where He is you may be also.
b. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is the gospel story. 1 Cor. 15:1-4. The Gospel story is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. And it proved Him to be the Son of God with power.
(1) Acts 17:31. There’s a great day coming!
(1) Rom. 1:4.
(1) The historical fact of the resurrection is the foundation of our hope in God.
(2) It is an historical fact. Too many secular historians wrote about it and they had no vested interest in Christianity. And what they say, confirms to you and me that the biblical account of the resurrection is historically accurate.
(2) We can comfortably and confidently place our faith and hope on God and the power of this Gospel.
(1) That’s what Peter is talking about in, 1 Peter 1:21.
(2) Paul explained it this way, 1 Cor. 15:14-17.
(2) Our justification from sin depends on Jesus, who was raised from the dead and who is now seated at God’s right hand to make intercession for us, Rom. 8:33-34.
(1) One of the reasons we believe baptism is necessary for salvation is because God says in, 1 Pet. 3:21-22. “Baptism saves us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Rom. 6:4?5.

(1) The faith that saves us when we are baptized is “faith in the working of God, who raised Jesus from the dead,” Col. 2:12.
(2) God has “made us alive together with Christ,” Eph. 2:5-6.
(2) God saved us from our past sins, God does not cease to help us, Phil. 1:6, gives us that promise.
(1) 2 Cor 1:9?10, “Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, and that’s why we do not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and still delivers us.”
(b) Because of sin we were doomed to die. But God saved us and continues to
save us.
2. Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5. I’ll tell you now, God does not adopt us and then abandon us.
1. By the same grace and power with which He has raised Christ from the dead and saved us from our sins. God will also see us through whatever life may bring and raise us up in the last day to live eternally.
2. As the song says, “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.” Jude 24-25. Knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection is worth whatever sacrifice we may have make, Phip. 3:8-11.
c. Acts 20:32.

Spur - 5/27/2001 am