We’re in a message series called “My Salvation.” Despite all that God has done for us and the salvation benefits that we as believers have in this life, we still live in a fallen world. Looking around us, watching the news can be depressing and/or distressing. We see violence, disasters, perversion, conflict and the list of negative stories goes on and on. The vast majority of news is bad news. Maybe we shouldn’t say I’m going to check out the news, but more accurately, I’m going to check out the bad news. Studies have shown that the more news you watch, the more depressed you’ll be. God’s Word warns us about the time that we are living in.
2 Timothy 3:1-4 (ESV) But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
In case you wondered, we are living in the last days. According to the Bible, the last days began when Jesus rose from the dead and will continue until He returns again. So, the last days have been going on for some 2000 years. But it is inarguably true that we are 2000 years closer to the end of the last days then the writer of these verses, Paul. According to these verses, we are living in difficult times. Why? Because people love themselves, money and pleasure rather than loving God. And when people don’t love God, all the other negative attitudes and behaviors described in these verses come about. But there is good news. Something else is going on at the same time as all this bad news in the last days.
Acts 2:17, 21 (ESV) “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; … And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
In the last days, God is pouring out His Spirit on people and many are getting saved. Those who are saved and not indulging in the sinful behavior we’ve previously read about. Rather they are hearing from God and speaking His words of truth and love to those around them. So, is it getting better or worse in the last days in which we live? The answer is both, it is getting better and worse. The kingdom of God is growing brighter while the domain of Satan is getting darker.
What will be the final outcome of the world? How can we have peace and joy in the midst of so much bad news? Today’s message “Ultimate Salvation” will talk about how to have confidence and joy in the midst of a divided country and world full of bad news. God’s Word helps us open our eyes to see what God is doing now and what He will do in the future. Our points this morning will be directed to believers, but if you are not yet a believer, these are reasons to become one. And we’ll give you an opportunity at the end of the message to believe in Jesus. Rather than being depressed by the bad news around us, we should …
Rejoice in the coming transformations
The first truth and can give us confidence and joy is the recognition that this world will not always be the way it is now, nor will you be the way you are now. God is going to transform and change things dramatically, so dramatically that it will be a re-creation of everything that we know. Rather than thinking of yourself as merely a citizen of America, as a believer …
You are a citizen of heaven
Philippians 3:20 (ESV) But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Believers are citizens of heaven or of the kingdom of God. As citizens of the spiritual realm of heaven, your first allegiance is to the laws of heaven and the government of heaven. You also can begin to enjoy some of the benefits of being part of the kingdom of God in this life. Of course, we are still citizens of America, but if our citizenships conflict, our allegiance is first and foremost with our citizenship in heaven. Our citizenship is heaven is not just for this life, but for eternity. And the King of heaven will one day, in the not too distant future return to this planet and transform everything. At that time …
Your body will be transformed
Philippians 3:21 (ESV) who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Wouldn’t we all like our bodies transformed? Some would like to taller, shorter, thinner, stronger, prettier and so on. But the transformation talked about here is not so much about external features, it’s first and foremost about making our bodies immortal, so we can live forever. Amazing! Not only immortal, but bodies that are suited for the new heavens and the new earth. Bodies that can interact with the physical world and with the spiritual world.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (ESV) Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
When will this transformation happen? When Christ returns at the last trumpet. Believers who are dead will be raised to life with imperishable bodies. Those who are alive will likewise have their mortal bodies transformed into immortal bodies. Those transformations are all good news, something to rejoice about.
The Bible speaks of believers as being aliens or pilgrims in this fallen world. It is not our final home. So, it is normal for us to be distressed about the evil and sin around us. Yet, when we remember that we are citizens of heaven we can rejoice. Sometimes problems with our bodies get us down in this life, whether sickness, injury or age. Remember that your body with its aches and pains will one day be transformed into a pain-free model that will last forever. There will be a last trumpet, when Christ returns and the bad news ends. So …
You can have a living hope
1 Peter 1:3 (ESV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
This living hope comes when a person is born again, when they become a believer in Jesus. This living hope comes as we remember the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. His resurrection transformed death into life. So, the hope that God wants to give you is a hope that is alive and centered on Jesus who is alive in heaven today. We have a …
Hope in heaven
1 Peter 1:4-5 (ESV) to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
As difficult as things may get on this earth, believers have an inheritance waiting for them in heaven. This inheritance, what God has prepared for those who love Him, is far more wonderful than anything you can imagine. In the meantime, these verses tell us that God’s power is guarding us in this life as we put our trust in Him. Our ultimate salvation will only be revealed in it’s fullness at the end of time. So we put our …
Hope in Christ’s return
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (ESV) For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
These verses speak of Jesus’ return to earth when believers whether dead or alive will be transformed. As Jesus ascended into the sky, so we will ascend to meet Him in the air. Once we are with Him, we will be with Him forever. This hope is a great encouragement for every believer, and we can use these truths to encourage those who are discouraged. We can have a living hope.
There was a time in my life where I wasn’t too excited about heaven. It did seem like a vast improvement over the other option, the lake of fire. But heaven seemed kind of boring, just people floating around on clouds playing harps. As I learned more about heaven from the Bible, it became more and more amazing. Being trained in science, I have always appreciated the complexity of our world on the molecular level. Every living organism is so amazingly intricate that science can never fully understand all of its mechanisms. But I thought for a time, that heaven would not have this level of diversity and complexity. Then I remembered that the same God created both the heavens and the earth. Creation on earth is constrained by various physical parameters, such as the chemical building blocks.
Heavenly creation will be full of spiritual creatures with incredible and unique characteristics. We have a small glimpse of those creatures in the book of Revelation. Best of all, in heaven, we will relate to the creator of the universe, whose wisdom and understanding is infinite. I believe He has created a heaven that will be far beyond what we can imagine. Finally you can be …
Be confident of your ultimate salvation
When Christ returns, believer’s bodies will be transformed, suitable for life in the new heavens and new earth. Our bodies will be the merging of the physical and spiritual. And the place where we will live will be the merging of heaven and earth into a new creation. But before that happens …
Evil will be judged
Revelation 19:1-2 (ESV) After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
These verses speak of the final judgement of evil in our world, which includes both the judgement of evil people and evil spirits. These judgements will remove all evil from our eternal home in the new heavens and new earth. Our forever home will be paradise restored in all its beauty and perfection. And the response is that …
Believers will rejoice forever
Revelation 19:6-7 (ESV) Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;
Heaven reverberates with the praise of believers and angels. These verses describe the ultimate occasion, the marriage of the Lamb (Jesus) and the Bride (Church) made up of all believers. This is the culmination of history. Those who have believed in Jesus are forever united with Him in an eternal spiritual marriage. We can be confident of our ultimate salvation.
Even though it seems as those evil thrives today without constraint, the final judgement will come. God is a just judge and He will punish evil doers by removing them from His presence and sending them to the eternal lake of fire. As believers, we will be freed of evil around us and filled with joy in the presence of the Lord. We can be confident of our ultimate salvation.
We began today’s message with the question: How can we have confidence and joy in the midst of a divided country full of bad news? The answer is to fill our minds and hearts with the good news of God’s Word. We can rejoice in the future transformation of our bodies and our world. We can have a living hope in heaven and Christ’s return. We can be confident that evil will be judged and we will forever rejoice with God. The focus of our hearts and minds should be on heaven, living for eternity. Seeking to take as many people as possible with us to heaven.