Our Common Salvation

 Temple Baptist Church - 2-19-2025

1 Corinthians 1:1-3; Jude 1-3

 

Introduction: 

 

1 Corinthians 1:1-3  Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,  (2)  Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:  (3)  Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Jude 1-3  Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:  (2)  Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.  (3)  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

 

A.  As we continue our study of 1 Corinthians, we find many similarities between the carnal and worldly Corinthian church and the Laodicean churches of our time.

 

1.  The Corinthian church was filled with new believers who were unfamiliar with the ways of the Lord. They did not have access to the complete Word of God, as it was still being written, and there were no printing presses to distribute the Old Testament widely.

 

2.  Additionally, this was a Gentile church, comprised of people not raised with the Word of God, unlike the Jews.

 

3.  In contrast, the Laodicean churches of today have grown up with God's Word and local churches readily available. The Corinthians were carnal due to their recent conversion, whereas the Laodiceans are carnal by choice.

 

4.  The former is much more "fixable" than the latter!

 

B.  One key similarity between these two is that of a common conversion. Both the Corinthians and the Laodiceans were converted in the same manner.

 

1.  This message is crucial because we live in a time where many major denominations have altered or added to the biblical concept of conversion.

 

2.  Today, everyone seems to have their own opinion on salvation, but these opinions often differ from one another and, more importantly, the differ from the Bible. The Bible is and must be our final authority for both faith and practice, not religious traditions or personal interpretations!

 

3.  Verse two shows the conversion of the Corinthians was a biblical one. 

 

C.  To accurately interpret a verse of Scripture, it is essential to understand who God is addressing and whether the verse should be viewed from beginning to end or from end to beginning. God perceives all things in the light of eternity, which is timeless, and He knows the end from the beginning and vice versa. Verse two is seen from the end to the beginning. Why is this important? The difference lies in the perspective of the Calvinist versus the truth of God concerning salvation!

 

D.  Calvinism teaches that sanctification and election precede salvation, rather than following it. Thus, teaching that the saint was predestined and elect unto salvation from eternity past.  The Select Elect is a damnable heresy.  I am not here to preach on the fallacy of the TULIP Theology known as Calvinism and Reformed Theology.  If any of you have any questions on the subject, just come and ask.  This verse should be enough,

 

1 Timothy 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

 

E.  In verse 2, it is clear that these individuals are already saved, as the verse reflects a retrospective view rather than a prospective one. This verse delineates three stages of the believer's journey:

 

1 Corinthians 1:2  Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

 

1.  Personal Salvation – “all that … call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.

 

2.  Practical Separation – “called to be saints”

 

3.  Positional Sanctification – “sanctified in Crist Jesus”

 

F.  Salvation has always been a "common salvation." Some teachings, like Ruckmanism, suggest that salvation required faith plus works in the Old Testament, is attained by faith alone through grace in the Church Age, and again requires faith plus works during the Tribulation Period known as “Jacob’s Trouble.”

 

1.  The Old Testament Saint.  Acts 15:10-11  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?  (11)  But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

2.  The New Testament Saint.  2 Thessalonians 2:16-17  Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,  (17)  Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

Ephesians 2:8-9  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.

 

3.  The Tribulation Saint.  Revelation 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

 

Revelation 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

 

G.  What is “common” salvation?

 

1.  By “common,” the Bible is not referring to something cheap or inexpensive.  Salvation is free, not cheap.  It cost God His Son!  Romans 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

 

2.  By “common,” the Bible is not referring to something plenteous.  There is still a remnant according to the election of grace!  Matthew 7:13-14  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  (14)  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 

3.  By “common,” the Bible means that salvation, characteristics-not circumstances, is the same for all God’s children! 

 

a)  If we are saved, we are saved the same way as every other believer throughout the millenniums.  The circumstances that surrounded each of us at the time of salvation may differ, but the characteristics of our salvation experience were the same. 

 

b)  Repentance from dead works (knowing that you are hopeless and helpless within yourself and with godly sorrow turning to God through faith in a finished product called the Gospel.

 

H.  Every child of God shares the same characteristics because they are part of the same spiritual family, possessing the same spiritual DNA.

 

1.  All are called from Sin to Christ!

 

2.  All are called from Vanity to Purpose!

 

3.  All are called from Ungodliness to Holiness!

 

4.  All are called from Dishonor to Honor!

 

J.  How are we saved?

 

1.  Through a New Birth.  There are NO exceptions which is show in the word “except.”  John 3:7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 

 

2.  Through the Word of God.  “Marvel not that I said unto thee.”

 

Romans 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by 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. 

 

3.  Through Faith Alone.

 

Ephesians 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

 

Romans 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Theology: The Doctrine of God - Part 1

 Temple Baptist Church - 2-16-2025

Genesis 1:1

 

Theology – theos (God) logos (Word)

 

Introduction: As we read the first four words in the Bible, we are reminded that there are aspects of God that will remain beyond our understanding until we stand before Him in eternity. Only then will all questions be answered. Until that time, we rely on God's Word to reveal what He wants us to know. Theology is not mere speculation; it is grounded in biblical revelation. As we journey in our faith, we should strive to "know Him" deeply, as the Apostle Paul spoke of knowing Christ.

 

Philippians 3:8-11 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, (9) And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: (10) That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; (11) If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

 

A. Hosea 4:6 declares that God’s people are destroyed due to a lack of knowledge. This statement indicates that God's people have the capacity to understand and should seek to know Him yet often fail to do so. In our time, many believers find salvation but are not deeply taught the Word of God, often due to superficial sermons and preachers who prioritize pleasing messages. After salvation, we should dedicate our lives to learning about and truly knowing God.

 

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

 

B. Over the past few weeks, we did an elemental study of Bibliology, the study of the Bible. I did so because if we do not believe that we hold the Word of God in our hands, the foundation upon which everything that we believe is cracked or destroyed.

 

C. This morning, we will begin a study on Theology, the study of God. People are so confused concerning who God is and what God can do. As I begin, I must begin where the Bible begins: Genesis 1:1.

 

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

 

D. I often assert that the most profound theological truth in the Bible is encapsulated in the phrase, "In the beginning God!" This foundational statement of faith captures the essence of theology. It defies complete understanding and explanation, yet it is a truth I wholeheartedly believe: "In the beginning God!"

 

I. The Existence of God

 

A. Different perspectives and beliefs about the existence of God. Given the constraints of time, we cannot explore every philosophy or belief system in the world. However, there are several significant viewpoints, both affirming and denying God's existence, that have direct or indirect impacts on our lives.

 

1. Atheism – the rejection of belief in the existence of God.

2. Agnosticism – the view that human reason is incapable of providing sufficient rational grounds to justify knowledge of whether God exists or not. It includes:

a. Agnostic atheists: those who do not believe in any deity but do not deny the possibility of its existence.

b. Agnostic theists: those who believe in a God but do not claim to have knowledge of it.

3. Deism – the belief that reason and observation of the natural world can determine that the universe has a creator, without the need for organized religion. Deists typically believe that this Supreme Being does not intervene in human affairs or alter the natural laws of the universe. There are two main forms:

a. Classical deism

b. Modern deism

4. Pantheism – the belief that the universe in all its changing forms is a manifestation of the one unchanging universal substance, which is God. Everything is God, and God is everything; thus, God is identified with nature and is not independent of it.

5. Polytheism – the belief in many gods, all of whom have equal intelligence and power.

6. Monotheism – the belief in only one god (as in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Bahá'í). This God is knowable and has an intimate relationship with humanity.

7. Humanism – the belief that human ideas are central and that man is responsible solely to himself, effectively making man his own god.

8. Theism – the belief in a God, a Creator, who is both beyond and within the world and can intervene supernaturally. This God is the Creator and Sustainer, sovereignly controlling the world, with everything finding meaning and substance in His being.

 

B. Nowhere in the Bible is there an effort to prove the existence of God; it is a statement of fact. God can be known to exist:

 

1. Because of the universal belief in God. Psalm 14:1 states, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." People all over the world believe in the existence of a supreme being or beings to which they feel morally accountable and seek to appease or worship. This belief is not derived from the Bible alone, as not everyone has access to it; rather, it is intrinsic and comes from within the very heart of humanity.

 

Romans 2:12-16 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (13) (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. (14) For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: (15) Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) (16) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

 

By "nature," we refer to the inherent state of all things. In the spiritual sense, this denotes the light and law that God instills within every individual. The knowledge of God is inherent in humanity. Deny or forsake it if you will, but its presence cannot be altered.

 

2. Because of the origination of things.

 

a) When we observe something, we naturally wonder about its origin. If we see a house, we ask who built it. Similarly, when we look at the world, we ask how it came to be. Did it create itself, or is there an external cause?

 

b) The answer is straightforward and logical: the complexity of both the universe and human beings indicates a divine design. It's improbable that such intricate systems emerged by chance. Believing in a spontaneous explosion that led to the creation of the universe and the marvelously made human being requires more faith than believing in God.

 

c) The Bible says, "Every house is builded by some man;" likewise, the world we live in was created by an infinitely powerful and wise designing mind.

 

Psalms 19:1-6 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. (2) Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. (3) There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. (4) Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, (5) Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. (6) His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

 

Romans 1:18-21 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (19) Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. (20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (21) Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

 

II. The Eternality of God

 

A. God has always been! He is infinite in His person.

 

1. "In the beginning, God!" This phrase touches on the idea of eternity or infinity—concepts that are difficult for us to fully understand. In our finite minds, everything seems to have both a beginning and an end. But God has always existed. He is eternal.

2. We perceive time and space as linear, stretching from the past to the future. Eternity, in human terms, extends infinitely in both directions without end. It represents a continual state that never changes. This is the realm where God exists—the high and lofty One dwells in eternity.

3. Eternity is also the way God views everything. Before He created anything, He already knew the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning. Eternity is a constant state of perfection, without change or sequence. It neither grows nor diminishes—it remains perpetually the same. It is a fundamental characteristic of God's nature.

4. Everything originates from God, created by His will and for His pleasure. The concept of God's eternality can only be grasped through faith in the record He provides, for nothing existed before Him, and no one was with Him. His testimony is true.

 

Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

 

Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

 

Proverbs 8:22-27 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. (23) I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. (24) When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. (25) Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: (26) While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. (27) When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:

 

John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God.

 

Colossians 1:15-17 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (17) And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

 

B. God is! God exists not only in the past but also in the present. He dwells in an eternal now. This truth is evident in the way God describes Himself. Years ago, the "God Is Dead" theory emerged in our world, yet even this was foreseen in the omniscience of God (a topic we will address later).

2 Peter 3:3-4 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (4) And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

 

1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Those who reject God’s existence will ultimately face the consequences of their deliberate denial and disobedience to the Supreme Ruler of the universe.

 

Exodus 3:13-14 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? (14) And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. (I AM means to exist or to continue to exist. Therefore, Jehovah God said in my words, “I exist that I continue to exist.”)

 

 

John 8:57-59 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? (58) Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. (59) Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

Many times, the Lord Jesus Christ used the words I am when referring to Himself. The Jews fully understood what He said to them and took up stones to stone Him. The same thing took place in John 10:31 when He declared oneness with the Father, thus making Himself God.

 

C. God is eternals and always will be! God's existence is as boundless as eternity itself. Something with an eternal nature never begins to exist, for having a beginning means it did not always exist. Likewise, something eternal never ceases to exist. God is immutable, not subject to change.

 

Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

 

Psalms 90:1-2 A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. (2) Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

 

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

 

Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

 

Revelation 1:17-18 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: (18) I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.