Do You have All the Benefits of Salvation?

Luke 24:1-7 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.”

After Jesus died on the cross, three days later He rose from the dead. It was for our salvation that Jesus gave His life. What is salvation?  Is salvation a ticket into Heaven? Yes, all those who are saved are going to go to Heaven.  Salvation is more than just a ticket to heaven. When you see the word salvation in the Bible, in the original Hebrew text salvation means: help, deliverance, and victory.  We have received salvation from God, and eternal life through the blood of Jesus. Most people only understand salvation as a ticket to heaven, and a pass out of hell. The salvation that we have in Christ is more than just a ticket to heaven.  The most common Hebrew word for salvation is teshuah, meaning help, deliverance, and victory.  When Jesus was crucified, he said, “IT IS FINISHED,” meaning that he had completed everything that was necessary for salvation. There are benefits of salvation. By our salvation we have access to the presence of God. Access to His presence gives us the help that we need. 

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Since we have access to the presence of God by our salvation, God has become our help in our time of need. Not only is God our help, but He is also our deliverance. We find deliverance in God through our salvation. We have gained access to God's power through salvation.

In Romans 1:16, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

It is the power of God that brings us deliverance through Jesus Christ. The power of God delivers us from sin, from disease, from shame, from guilt, from worry...and many other things.  Through salvation we see that God is our help, our deliverance, and our victory. We have victory through Christ. Our salvation gives us access to God's plan for our life, and we are able to overcome this world.

Galatians 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God our Father:

God has a plan for your life. His plan is to make you the head and not the tail. To bless you and not to curse you. To take you to heaven, and save you from hell. Is salvation more than just a ticket to heaven?  Yes, salvation is more.  Three benefits of our salvation include: God's power that leads us to deliverance, God's plan that leads us to victory, and God's presence that gives us the help that we need.  I have heard people say, “I don't need anything else from God, I just want to make it into heaven.”   God gives us benefits to help us in this life, why refuse the benefits?  Yes, He saw it necessary to give us benefits to help us in this life, why refuse the benefits? Did God think it necessary to give us these benefits?  Yes, He saw it necessary, and that is why He gave us these benefits. Do you know better than God?  God gave these benefits for us who believe, so do we know more than God what is necessary for us? Often a drug addict doesn't think they need help.  It is possible that they need help, and they don't realize it? Yes, it is very likely they need help, and they don't realize it.  This is how it is with us. Often we don't realize what help that we need, so we reject the gifts and benefits of God.  God is able to see that we need these benefits, so, who are we to disagree with God?  You do need the presence of God as your help. You do need the plan of God for your life to bring you to victory in life.

Prayer for today:  Lord, I thank you because you have saved me from my sins, become my help, my song and my deliverance.  Amen.