You have heard the saying,  "Ignorance is bliss." "What you don't know cannot hurt you." 

Which simply means lack of knowledge results in happiness. There may be certain situations where you are happier or better off not knowing the truth. If you do not know about a problem or an unpleasant fact, you do not worry about it. 

A good example of this, are children. Children in some way live in bliss. Children live a carefree life. They are not aware and they do not have the kinds of burdens that we adults have—the burdens that come with responsibility and with awareness of the complexities of life. There are times I want to go back to my childhood were there are no cares and anxiety.

But there are times that "Ignorance is NOT bliss." There are times that "What you don't know CAN hurt you." Ignorance may be both tragic and fatal. Ignorance can eventually torture you. 

There are things and matters in this life that we cannot afford to be ignorant or indifferent.  One such matter is the matter of salvation "What is the Bible way of salvation?" "What must I do to be saved?" "If I die today, will I go to Heaven and be with The Lord forever?" 

What is the Bible's answer to these questions? Ignorance and indifference in the matter of salvation is both tragic and fatal.

Today I would like to begin a series of messages on salvation.

I — The Importance of this Study or Subject

I am strongly convinced about the supreme importance of understanding what it means to be saved. The careless living and the callous indifference of many professing Christians are the results of ignorance and indifference to the biblical doctrine of salvation.

1. A clear understanding of our salvation will provide a ...

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Translation: 

I can go to bed tonight and sleep well, knowing that if I die in my sleep, I will go straight to Heaven and spend eternity with God and with Jesus Christ and with all the redeemed.

2. A clear understanding of our salvation will cause us to give God the glory He deserves. It is not glory to me or the evangelist or the soul winner but glory to God.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10: But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

Salvation is much more than going to Heaven when we die.

3. A clear understanding of our salvation will cause us to be excited in proclaiming it.

II — What is Salvation?

False and unbiblical ideas concerning how to be saved have existed since Adam and Eve. If you examine all false religions and cults and much of today's so-called Christianity, you will discover that man's basic concept of salvation is based on merit and good works and self-righteousness.

"DO"

It's a performance based salvation. It is establishing one's righteousness kind of religion. 

Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2: For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3: For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

But the Bible salvation is ...

"DONE"

John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

A salvation based on the glorious person and the finished work of Jesus Christ. The righteousness of God put to my account.

Salvation is not merely learning new habits. It is not simply improving personal behavior or conduct. It is not merely knowing the Bible, knowing how to pray, being a good standing church member, faithfully going to church, being nice, or being generous.

The word "salvation" implies we are saved FROM something. It is to be delivered from, to be rescued from, to be recovered from, to escape from. What are we saved from? 

Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Salvation is basically a salvation from sin. Salvation is a threefold salvation from sin.

III — Threefold Salvation from Sin

1.  Salvation from the Penalty of Sin

We are saved from the penalty of sin. This is the doctrine of justification. We have been acquitted. We have been cleared and justified. We have been declared righteous. We have been declared not guilty.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4: But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6: Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7: That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 

No longer condemned and now and forever. 

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

2 Timothy 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9: Who 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,

All of these passages, and many more like them, speak of salvation as a work finished in the past. In this sense the salvation of the believer is complete. It is an act, and not a process. It occurs and is complete the moment the individual repents and believes. 

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

1 John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12: He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13: These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

These passages teach that believer has passed from under all danger of condemnation and the power of the second death.

This aspect views the believer as delivered once and for all from sin's guilt, penalty and spiritual death (Luke 7:50; 1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Cor. 2:15; Eph. 2:5, 8; Tit. 3:5; Heb. 7:25; 2 Tim. 1:9). 

So complete and perfect is this work of God in Christ that the believer is declared permanently saved and safe forever (John 5:24; 10:28, 29; Rom. 8:1, 37-39; 1 Pet. 1:3-5).

2. Salvation from the Power of Sin

We are being saved from the power of sin. This is the doctrine of sanctification. This not an act but a process.

Philippians 2:12 Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling ...

This does not mean that our good works saves us. It means that having received salvation through faith we are now to work it out. The sin of the past has been removed and we have been justified. However, the present is still here. We are still living and we face a world full of temptations and sin every day. This scripture says that we must grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Sanctification is done through the work of the indwelling Spirit as we behold the Lord and His glory.

Eighteen years after his conversion Paul writes in ...

1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle , (do not even deserve to be called an apostle) because I persecuted the church of God.

Six years later he wrote in ...

Ephesians 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

I am less than the least of all God's people. 

And five years later he wrote in ...

1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

I am the worst sinners.

As Paul grow in his faith the more he realizes his own need for sanctification. The more you and I grow in sanctification the more we realize our sinfulness and our need of sanctification.

3. Salvation from the Presence of Sin

We shall be saved from the presence of sin. This is the doctrine of glorification. This has not taken place yet. This is the future deliverance that all believers in a Christ are looking forward to.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14: Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 

Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Though once and for all saved from the penalty of sin and while now being delivered from the power of sin, the believer in Christ will yet be saved from the presence of sin which we will experience through a glorified resurrected body. 

Philippians 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Jesus died on the cross to save our souls from eternal death and granting us eternal life. He is coming back to complete our salvation by changing our bodies into immortal glorified bodies to live with Him in Heaven, forever. Then our salvation is complete. 

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3: And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

No more sin, no more temptation...

Revelation 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Nothing impure or unclean will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is abominable or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Revelation 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4: And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5: And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

This has not happen yet but it will. This will take place in the resurrection of those who sleep in Christ (1 Cor. 15:52-56; 1 Thess. 4.16) and in the rapture of those who are alive at Christ's coming in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). 

Closing thoughts

The all important question this morning is are you saved? Have you repented of your sins and trusted Jesus Christ to be your Saviour? Have you taken you own personal problem of sin seriously? Have you taken God's remedy for your sin seriously?

How could we neglect this great salvation?

Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2: For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3: 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;

How can we escape if we neglect this great salvation?

This is all part of His great salvation. No wonder the writer of Hebrews says, "How can we escape it we neglect so great salvation!?" God's salvation intends deliverance from the penalty of our sin and from the certainty of hell, from the power of the flesh, the personality, the nature and the traits of the individual. This immense salvation includes deliverance from the power of Satan himself and the demons of darkness. 

Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2: For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3: 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;

So we see that our salvation is a threefold salvation. It begins in justification - we have been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin. It continues through sanctification - we are being saved from the power and pleasure of sin. It ends in glorification - we shall be saved from the presence of sin.

What great salvation! God bless you all!