October 12, 2025
What is the greatest thing in all the world? When we consider the greatness of our God extending such mercy to sinners like us in the giving of His Son to take away our sin, we must be overwhelmed. No wonder the writer of the book of Hebrews declared:
Hebrews 2:1–4 (ESV) — 1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
The word “salvation” is one of the greatest words in any language. Our salvation is so costly that it took the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to pay our ransom to free us from the bondage of sin and death.
1 Peter 1:18–19 (ESV) — 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
But we need to back up and realize from whence we have been saved. The famous Welsh preacher, Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones often pointed out that people have no appreciation of salvation unless they have a knowledge of where they are by nature and the great need of salvation from that condition.
The Bible is very clear that our status in nature is “dead in trespasses and sin.” We inherited a sin nature that is opposed to God. In fact, it is described as being locked into the desire of the devil in opposition to God and His word. Left to ourselves, we would stay there happy to be at war with God and left in that condition we would face God in the day of judgment and be counted guilty because we are and would suffer the consequences forever. God, however, pulls us out of that status and gives us new life in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:1–10 (ESV) — 1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Revelation 20:12–15 (ESV) — 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
What a great salvation! Look what God has done. If, you have called upon the Lord Jesus Christ, looking to Him alone for salvation, then consider what He has accomplished on your behalf. Consider the great price. This is nothing at which to yawn and take lightly. This is God’s wonderful work on display as the Lord Jesus Christ offers Himself as a sacrifice for our sin.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) — 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Hebrews 5:8–10 (ESV) — 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled every type and shadow presented in the Old Testament sacrifices and offerings, as well as the priesthood, and the deliverances of God’s people. All pictured this “great salvation” that He would accomplish in being made the sacrifice that He, the great High Priest, offered to God and was accepted as we know since He is risen from the dead.
Hebrews 1:1–3 (ESV) — 1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Hebrews 9:13–14 (ESV) — 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
It’s good to do as the writer of Hebrews admonished; take a closer look at what has been written lest we take for granted this great salvation.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker, Pastor
