Paul the Apostle emphasizes the importance of this subject:

Hebrews 2:3

"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;"

He understood the benefits of salvation and treasured its value.

In the latter part of his life he described it in these words.

2 Corinthians 9:15

"Thanks are unto God for his unspeakable gift."

He had great insight into the teachings of the Bible and regarded Salvation as the greatest experience a person could have.

Jesus said;

Luke 10:20

"Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."

Salvation is more important than having power to cast out devils.

Salvation is great because of three things:

I.    Its value.

Matthew 16:26

"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Jesus clearly taught that salvation is more valuable, than all the wealth of the world and that there is nothing that a man can give in exchange for his soul.

2.  Its power.

Romans 1:16

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;"

Salvation has a powerful impact on our lives. It totally changes and transforms a wrecked, damaged and destroyed life. It brings complete hope, healing, restoration, success and new direction to a lost sinner. It changes our destination from hell to Heaven. A defiled, contaminated, filthy sinner becomes a holy, righteous Saint and chosen Servant of the Lord.

Simeon the Priest in Jerusalem waited his entire life to see Gods Salvation come in the person of Jesus.

Luke 2:28-30

"Then took Jesus up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation."

3.  Its fifteen great experiences.

We may experience and enjoy all of them:

1. We experience Gods love.

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Romans 5:8

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

1 John 4:16

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us."

While we were sinners, God manifested and proved his love for us, in sending Jesus to die for us on Calvary. He procured our salvation even though we did not deserve His gift of love.

When we experience salvation we personally discover and feel Gods love. We are drawn near to Gods heart and feel His warm embrace. His love fills our entire being and there is nothing in the Universe that can separate us from it.

Romans 8:38-39

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

A good definition of Gods love is found in

Romans 2:4

"The riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"

Its ingredients are goodness, forbearance and longsuffering.

Because of Gods goodness He loves undeserving sinners. God forebears us through the times that we sin, reject and grieve Him. In longsuffering He patiently waits for us to change our rebellious, hard hearted and sometimes stiff-necked attitude. Day by day, week by week and sometimes year after year He patiently continues to reach out to us.

2. We experience Gods Grace.

Ephesians 2:8-9

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Gods grace is the basis of all the gifts He gives to us:

His grace is unmerited or undeserving favor. He saves us, not because we deserve it but because He wants to. He is like a lifesaver diving into the water to save a drowning victim.

Paul describes our condition. We are deprived of goodness and our human nature is evil.

Ephesians 2:3

"Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath."

We are as filthy rags in Gods sight.

Isaiah 64:6

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;"

Regardless of how sinful we are, His grace is sufficient for us.

Romans 5:20

"But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:"

Gods grace is much greater than our sin. It out-measures our sin.

3. We experience Gods foreknowledge.

1 Peter 1:2

"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father."

Foreknowledge is knowledge of something before it happens.

Only God presently has knowledge of everything that is in the future. Time consists of things that are past, present and future. God is not contained in time and is outside of time. What we see in the past, present or future, God sees taking place at one time, in the now.

God is called "I am" and sees the beginning and the end of time at the same moment. He sees all our life experiences at the same time.

This foreknowledge of God was before man was ever created.

Ephesians 1:4

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world."

We were in Gods thoughts and on His mind before we were born.

We were so important to God that He saw us and chose us to be His children before the creation of the earth. The decision for choosing us was based on His foreknowledge of us. It pleased Him to see us before we were born, living our life, accepting Jesus Christ and serving Him.

He said "I choose you" therefore let us appreciate and enjoy this miracle.

If we were on Gods mind before time began, then we are still on Gods mind, right now.

Psalm 139:17

"How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!"

4.  We experience Predestination.

When a King decides and commands something to be done, he decrees it and says

"So let it be written, so let it be done."

His command will stand and be executed.

Who can remove, obliterate or make of none affect, the Decrees of God.

When God foreknew and chose us He gave us a destination.

That destination was given to us before we were born and that is why it is called pre-destination. Our destination included being saved, serving God, working for Him and going to Heaven.

Romans 8:29

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son."

It is important for us to get to know what Gods plan is for our life in order to reach our destination.

5.  We experience Gods calling.

Stop for a moment and think about the fact, that you have been called, by the Most High God. This calling of God will lead you to His destination for your life.

Romans 8:30

"Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called:"

Every Child of God needs to know that they are called and what His purpose is.

Romans 8:28

"To them who are the called according to his purpose."

God has a purpose and a plan for His children.

We have a small part in His great universal plan called the dispensation of the fullness of times.

Ephesians 1:10

"That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ."

Our part in Gods plan begins the first day that we are saved and never ends.

6.  We experience Redemption.

Revelation 5:9

"For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood."

Jesus Christ died for us on the cross and by His blood we have redemption.

To be redeemed means to be bought.

1 Corinthians 6:20

"For ye are bought with a price:"

The price Jesus paid for us was His blood.

Jesus went to the bargaining table and paid the payment that was necessary to redeem mankind.

He looked at our lives as valuable treasure and gave all he had to buy it.

Matthew 13:45-46

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."

Jesus bought us out of bondage and slavery to set us free.

We no longer are under satans bondage but we belong to God.

If you are a child of God, you are paid for. The transaction is done.

7.  We experience Substitution.

A substitute is someone who takes another persons place.

As sinners we needed someone to take our place.

Romans 3:23

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

We are convicted and pronounced "Guilty". We are guilty sinners.

Romans 6:23

"For the wages of sin is death."

We are sentenced to death for our sin.

Jesus cries:

NO! I will be their substitute.

I will take their sin on myself and die in their place.

Galatians 3:13

"Christ being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."

He became a curse for us. He took our guilt, punishment and Gods wrath upon Himself. He became our substitute and was crucified in our place.

Galatians 2:20

"I am crucified with Christ:"

Jesus was saying -

"All you have to do is hang there symbolically with me on the Cross and I will be your substitute."

As substitute, He became the propitiation for our sin.

1 John 2:2

"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

The word "propitiation" means "appeasement".

It means to satisfy or pacify.

God is holy and abhors sin and because of this, His wrath was revealed against sinful man.

As our substitute, Jesus died in our place to take the brunt of Gods wrath towards us. He is our propitiation and satisfies the demands of Gods wrath against us.

8.  We experience Repentance.

Repentance is a change of heart towards sin. It is a feeling of sorrow and contrition for committing sin. We see our filthy and wretched condition as God sees us and we sorrowfully repent.

Isaiah 64:6

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;"

In repentance we see ourselves as we really are, change our way and walk in a completely different direction that is pleasing to God.

The word repentance is the Greek word "metanoia" and it means to change and walk in a new direction.

It is a continuous experience throughout our Christian life.

1 John 1:8-10

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

It is a change of attitude towards sin in our life. When we sin we honestly admit it, repent and confess it to God.

9.  We experience Faith.

Ephesians 2:8

"For by grace are ye saved through faith."

We experience salvation by believing that Jesus Christ died to save us and we receive Him into our lives as our Savior. This is our first experience of faith and we continue to live by faith.

Romans 1:17

"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith."

We embark on a new way of living. We totally trust Jesus for everything.

Galatians 2:20

"I am crucified with Christ: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God."

Before we were saved we lived by sight. Now we live by faith in God.

2 Corinthians 5:7

"For we walk by faith, not by sight:"

We trust God for salvation, restoration, healing, deliverance, protection, provision and blessing.

10.  We experience New Birth.

John 3:3

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

The moment that we receive Jesus into our life as Savior, we are born again. We are born into Gods family and open our eyes in the Kingdom of God. God the Father receives us as His child and we receive Him as our Heavenly Father.

John 1:12

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God."

Ephesians 2:19

"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners but of the household of God;"

2 Corinthians 6:18

"And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

Our names are written in Gods Book of Life. This is Gods heavenly register of all of His children.

Revelations 21:27

"And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."

How does this rebirth take place?

Spiritual birth is very similar to natural physical birth. It takes place in the spiritual dimension. It cannot be seen with the natural eye. In physical birth an ovum is fertilized, becomes an embryo in the womb and nine months later a beautiful baby is born.

Similarly when reading or hearing the preaching of the Word of God, it is sown into our hearts as seed.

Luke 8:5, 11

"A sower went out to sow his seed:

The seed is the word of God."

1 Peter 1:23

 >"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."

The Holy Spirit quickens the seed of Gods Word and makes it come alive in our heart.

2 Corinthians 3:6

"The Spirit giveth life."

This quickened seed becomes a spiritual embryo and then we are born into Gods family as a spiritual baby.

1 Peter 2:2

"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."

As spiritual babies we grow and learn how to talk, walk, think and behave as Christians.

11. We experience Justification.

As sinners we are all guilty of sin.

To be justified means to be pardoned of all evil deeds and made just as if we have never sinned.

Criminals are pardoned when the King, President or Governor of a State forgives and sets them free.

When we turn to God for forgiveness of sin, He not only forgives us, but He pardons us and lets us go free.

Isaiah 55:7

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

Being justified, the sin is removed that separates us from God and we have Peace with God.

Romans 5:1

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"

Once a person has been pardoned, they can never be charged for the same crime they have committed and be punished again. When God saves us, we are justified and enjoy this same privilege.

Romans 8:33

"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth."

Romans 8:1

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."

12. We experience Sanctification.

Sanctification is a cleansing of sin in our lives.

God is called Jehovah Kadesh - "The Lord our Sanctifier."

When we are saved we experience an initial sanctification.

1 Thessalonians 5:23

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Throughout our Christian life we may experience continued sanctification.
When we sin we may ask God to cleanse us and He sanctifies us by the precious Blood of Jesus.

1 John 1:7

"And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

We have confidence to go to God for forgiveness and cleansing anytime.

1 John 2:1

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"

God knows that we need an Advocate, because we have an accuser satan, who continuously brings accusations to God against us. God has therefore provided His son Jesus, a righteous advocate to defend us.

When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin we confess our sins and we are sanctified by God.

1 John 1:9

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Reading the Word of God also has a sanctifying effect upon us. As we read it, the words cleanse and refresh us.

John 17:17

"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."
The verb sanctify is related to the word holiness.
When we are sanctified, we are set apart and filled with Gods holy presence.

13. We experience Gods Righteousness.

The Bible says that as sinners, our righteousness is as filthy rags in Gods sight.

We need Gods righteousness.

Isaiah 64:6

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;"

God has wonderfully made provision for us.

2 Corinthians 5:21

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

When we are saved we awake to righteousness:

1 Corinthians 15:34

"Awake to righteousness, and sin not;"

We follow after righteousness.

1 Timothy 6:11

 >"But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness."

Every step of faith we take we experience more righteousness.

Romans 1:17

"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith:"

We are led to walk the paths of Righteousness.

Psalm 61:10

"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels."

Psalm 23:3

"He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."

A Christian has a natural desire to seek more experiences of righteousness.

Matthew 6:33

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;"

We yield ourselves to God as an instrument of righteousness.

Romans 6:13-18

"But yield yourselves unto God, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."

This covering of righteousness protects us from the enemy and is our breastplate.

Ephesians 6:14

"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;"

14. We experience Gods Glory.

When the Israelites came out of Egypt a cloud and pillar of fire went before them. It was Gods manifest Presence and Glory. The Israelites had Gods glory but the Egyptians did not. We as children of God have something the world and sinners do not have. We have the Glory of God.

Sinners come short of Gods glory.

Romans 3:23

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

When we are saved the Presence of God and Gods glory comes into us, shines out of us and makes us look different.

As we grow spiritually, the glory of God intensifies in our life.

2 Corinthians 3:18

"But we all are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD."

In this scripture the first Greek word "glory" >is "doxe".

It means the initial experience of glory.

The second word "glory" is "doxan".

It means the highest form of Gods glory.

We are led from the initial experience to the highest form of Gods glory.

As we are changed, we receive more and more of Gods glory.

This glory can be seen as was the glory of Jesus.

John 1: 14

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory."

When Moses came down from the mountain after his encounter with God, his face shone with Gods glory.

Exodus 34:29

"And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone."

While Steven was being tried before the Sanhedrin, the glory of God was manifest upon him.

Acts 6:15

"And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel."

When Solomon dedicated the Temple, the glory of God filled the Temple so greatly that the priests could not stand.

2 Chronicles 5:14

"So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God."

The glory of God is our supernatural protection.

Isaiah 4:5

"And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence."

God has promised that the end time church will have a greater experience of glory than the first church.

Haggai 2:9

"The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts."

15. We experience Assurance.

The songwriter wrote a song with these wonderful words:

"Blessed assurance Jesus is mine.

Oh what a foretaste of glory divine."

Many people in the world have only financial security.

Christians may have a higher form of security.

They have spiritual security and it embraces everything.

It is a security of total salvation.

2 Peter 1:10

"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:"

God wants us to make our calling and election sure. He wants us to be totally secure in our Christian walk. God wants us to be His child forever, not just for a week or a year.

God does not want us to have a fluctuating up and down experience of salvation.

God does not expel his children out of His Kingdom every time they sin.

Though we sin he allows us to remain His child and He expects us to deal with the sin. He wants us to live a Godly life. He wants us to walk circumspectly and in excellence.

Enjoy your salvation and trust in Gods ability to keep you from falling and present you faultless in Heaven. If you do your part He will do His part.

Jude 24

"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy."

God has given you a Great Salvation.

Visit and drink out of the wells of salvation!!!

Isaiah 12:3

"Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation."

The reality of backsliding:

The consequences of the spiritual backsliding of a Christian can be eternal damnation in hell and should be prevented at all costs.

It is a fact that some Christians backslide and return to their old sinful way of living.

Backsliding can best be defined in two ways:

1. A slipping back.

2. A withdrawing from.

Israel was described as a Heifer that was slipping back. Although she was facing the right direction, the muddy dirt she was trampling was causing her to slide back.

Hosea 4:16
"For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer:"

Paul also speaks of those who withdraw from the Lord.

Hebrews 10:38-39

"But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him."

How do Christians draw back or backslide?

Christians begin backsliding by neglecting their salvation."

Heb 2:3

"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?"

There are several things that indicate that a person is backsliding:

Not attending Church regularly.

Prayerlessness.

3.> Neglecting to read the Bible regularly.

4.> Falling back into old sinful habits.

5.> Finding fault with other Christians and Leaders.

6.> Totally falling away from Christianity.

There are different degrees of backsliding, from the least to the most serious:

1. Being overtaken by sin and continuing in it.

Galatians 6:1

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault."

2. Not abiding in Christ.

John 15:6

"If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered;"

Colossians 1:23

"Moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard."

3. Being taken captive by satan.

2 Timothy 2:26

"That they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."

4. Falling into doctrinal error and instability.

2 Peter 3:16-17

"Beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness."

James 5:19-20

"Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth;

5. Total sinful depravity.

2 Peter 2:20 -22

"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world and are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

For it is better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

1 Timothy 5:12-15

"Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. style='font-family: "Bookman Old Style"'>
>For some are already turned aside after Satan."

Hebrews 10:29

"He who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"

Two examples of men backsliding:

a. Esau.

Hebrews 12:15-17

"Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God;

Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."

b. Demas.

2 Timothy 4:10

"For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world."

We should value the precious things we have received from God.

Matthew 16:26

"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Hebrews 6

"Those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost; And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,"

We should hold fast that which we have received:

Hebrews 10:23

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;"

There is hope for the backslider!

Those who have backslidden may return to their Savior Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:25

"For ye were as sheep gone astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."

Love reaches out to warn Christians against backsliding.

Acts 20:31

"Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears."

2 Corinthians 2:4

"For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you."

Jesus the Good Shepherd seeks lost sheep and welcomes them back into His sheepfold.

Luke 15:4-6

"...Doth leave the ninety-nine sheep going after the one that is lost, until he find it.

And when He hath found it, He layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing ... saying:

Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep, which was lost."

 >Isaiah 55:7

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

Many Christians have been wounded by satan in spiritual battle and have backslidden, but there is hope for there return and restoration.

Always remember that every battle scarred General or Soldier who has recovered from wounds may return to the battlefield. An example is that of Samson.

Judges 16:28

"And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God."

Joel 2:12-28

"Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart: The LORD your God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil... He will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten."