THE GUARANTEE OF SALVATION

Read Luke 1:26-38; Matt. 1: 18-25 text Matthew 1:21

A: Introduction

·        Despite technological advances, improved medical research and ability to communicate to vast audiences man’s heart remains deceitful and wicked.

·        Daily, we observe and hear of our wickedness to each other and our despising of our creator.

·        When we seek answers to these perplexities we keep returning to God’s declaration that all have sinned, hence universal wickedness and death.

·        God continually reminds us in nature and in the bible that we must give an account for the things we do and face the terrible consequences.

·        We are hopeless because everything we do is corrupted by sin, which is natural to us. Mere religious work, regardless of the religion, is useless.

·        We must find hope in God’s declaration in the words of our text and similar scriptures. Our text tells how God guarantees our salvation from our sins.

B: The Conception Of Jesus

·        Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, not by the power of man or nature. (20)

·        Jesus partook of our human nature, yet He escaped the corruption and pollution of it, and was not conceived and shapen in iniquity. Psalms 51:5

·        Jesus was conceived in David’s linage just as the Messiah was to be a descendant from David.  “Joseph, thou son of David;” Luke 1:32

·        The conception of Jesus was to prepare Him a body, as was promised him, when he said, Lo, I come, Heb. 10:5, Gal. 4:4, Lu. 1:42.

·        Jesus Christ was born of a virgin not only because his birth was to be supernatural, but because it was to be spotless, pure, and without sin.

·        Jesus was conceived in order to qualify to be our High Priest Hebrews 5:1.

·        The mystery of Christ's incarnation is to be adored, not pried into.

Eccles. 11:5, Ps. 139:13-16. Come let us adore Him!

·        The nature of the conception of Jesus qualifies Him to guarantee salvation to all who believe on Him.

C: The Characterization That Jesus Received 

·        Thou shalt call his name Jesus, the same name as Joshua, the termination only being changed, to conform it to the Greek. Acts 7:45; Heb. 4:8

·        Joshua means Jehovah is salvation. Two Joshuas mentioned in old testament

·        The first Joshua was Israel's captain, who replaced Moses and first led them into the promised land of Canaan. Josh 1:1,2.

·        Joshua had been called Oshea, but Moses prefixed the first syllable of the name Jehovah, and so made it Jehoshua (Num. 13:16).

·        The second Joshua who was their high priest at their second settlement in Canaan after the captivity,

·        Christ is our Joshua; both the Captain of our salvation, and the High Priest of our Christian profession, and, in both, our Saviour

·        Jesus is the Son of God, and the Mediator between God and man: for they shall call his name Immanuel; that is, he shall be Immanuel, God with us.

·        God incarnate among us, and so God reconcilable to us, at peace with us, and taking us into covenant and communion with himself.

·        Jesus is God for if he had not been Immanuel-- God with us, he could not have been Jesus-- the Saviour from sin and its consequences.

·        He shall be great, the greatest; for he shall be called the Son of the Highest, the Son of God who is the Highest; of the same nature, Luke 1:32,33

·        Jesus’ characterization qualifies Him to guarantee salvation to all who believe on Him.

D: The Commission That Jesus Accepted

·        Christ was that promise of a sign which God gave to king Ahaz .

·        Jesus was the promised seed, a descendant from David, the Messiah, of whom the prophets witnessed. Acts 13:21-39

·        Jesus, Joshua who comes in the stead of Moses, does that for us what the law could not do, in that it was weak. Hebrews 10:9

·        Who are ‘His’? “He shall save His people from their sins”, all who were given him by the Father's choice, and all who believe on Him. John 6:37-39.

·        Those whom Christ saves He saves from their sins; from the guilt, dominion, wrath, curse and everlasting misery in hell.

·        Christ saves His people, not in their sins, but from their sins; to purchase for them, a liberty from sins, to redeem them from all iniquity .

·        Jesus was commissioned to and did save His people. John 6:38,40, Rom. 4:24,25.

·        Jesus’ successful completion of His commission qualifies Him to guarantee salvation to all who believe on Him.

E: Conclusion

·        Are you saved my friend, or will you suffer eternally for your sins? Believe in Jesus because in Him, and Him alone, your salvation is guaranteed.

·        My brother and my sister, what good news you have to tell? Salvation from sin is guaranteed to all who believe regardless of classification.

·        Let us adore, worship and obey Jesus our Saviour who became incarnate on the first Christmas.