“The MAGNITUDE of God’s Provision for Man’s Salvation”: Hebrews 2:3

Dr. Gary M. Barker

Published in the Paso Robles Press 3/25/20

The biblical doctrine of salvation as I have discussed in past meditations deals with God’s loving provision for delivering sinners from the penalty of sin’s condemnation.  Jesus clearly taught in John 3:16-18 that He was sent into the world because His Father loved sinners and desired to deliver them from perishing. God’s motives for sending His Son were not to “judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17). A sinner is saved from condemnation by believing that Jesus died for his sins, was buried, and rose physically from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, John 3:16,18).  Jesus clearly said that an unbeliever was ALREADY CONDEMNED. The only solution to not being condemned was personal belief in Jesus.  Most people in the world are not aware of their spiritual condition as an unbeliever.  This was certainly true of me before I believed he true gospel of grace     (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Ephesians 2:8-9).  I thought that I was inherently good and did more good than evil and could earn my own way into heaven.  I learned from the Bible that my sins could not be atoned for by good woks (Acts 15:11, 16:30-31, Galatians 1:3-9, Titus 2:11, 3:4-7).  My sins were atoned for by the death of Christ on the cross (Romans 3:23-25, 5:8-10, 10:8-9, 1 Timothy 2:3-6, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 3:18).  The apostle Paul in Galatians 2:21 declared that if a person could save himself by righteous works, then “Christ died in vain.”  If a sinner could save himself by human merit, then Christ would not have been sent into the world to die for him. Only Christ as a substitutionary sacrifice as the “Lamb of God” could pay the penalty of sin thru His DEATH. (John 1:29, 36).

The writer of the epistle of Hebrews states that God’s salvation is a “great salvation.”  God’s salvation is of great magnitude.  This is true because of the everlasting benefits and blessings it provides as listed below:

1. Everlasting life in heaven (John 3:16, 14:1-6).
2. Everlasting redemption from sin’s penalty (Hebrews 9:12).
3. Everlasting co-inheritance with Christ as His bride (Romans 8:17, Hebrews 9:15, 2 Corinthians 11:2).
4. Everlasting forgiveness of sin (Matthew 26:27-28, Acts 13:36-38, Ephesians 1:7, 4:31-32, 1 John 2:12)
5. Everlasting existence in heaven with Christ and other believers (John 14:1-6, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
6. Live forever in an immortal and everlasting body (1 Corinthian 15:42-58, Philippians 3:20-21, 1 John 3:1-3).

There are many more benefits that could also be listed.  These benefits are ONLY FOR BELIEVERS in Jesus Christ.  Your personal FAITH in Christ will make you a possessor of these benefits.  Don’t Be like the people in Hebrews 2:3 that rejected God’s great salvation thru neglect that will result in not escaping God’s judgment.