GIFT OF SALVATION GIFT OF SALVATION
John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish... GIFT OF SALVATION

John 3:16-18

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

INSIGHT

-Salvation in Hebrew is written as yasa which means to save, help in distress, rescue, deliver and set free. Salvation is a gift from God and is also the nature of God to save. John 3:16 is probably the most common part of scripture that some of us were trained in as we grew up. It actually forms the foundation of our Christian faith, that Jesus Christ who knew no sin became sin for us, so that we may become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). For it is through the sin of one man Adam that sin entered the world, and death through sin, therefore death came to all people because all sinned (Romans 5:12). God gave us the gift of salvation which is not like the trespass. For if many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many (Romans 5:15). God demonstrated great love for us that when we were still sinners Christ died for us. It is then through faith that we have been justified in Jesus Christ, and we have been called to believe in Him.

PRAYER

Abba Father, we thank You for loving us. Thank You for Your grace and mercy upon our lives. We appreciate You for sacrificed Your only Begotten Son for the sake of our salvation. Thank You for loving us dear Jesus. Thank You for giving us this most precious gift of salvation to us and to all our descendants. Thank You for Your saving grace upon our lives. We thank You for enabling us to see this day in perfect peace. Thank You for this far that You have brought us and the far that You are taking us. We commit this entire week unto Your able hands, may You lead us and direct us according to Your will. Be with all those who do not know You to believe that You died and resurrected for the sake of our salvation, dear Jesus. Grant the gift of salvation to all our relatives, friends, leaders and nation, merciful Savior. All our hope and trust is in You Jesus. All glory, honor, power and salvation belongs to You Jesus; now and forever. Amen 

Further reading: Romans 5:15-17

 

 

1 Peter 1:18-23

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

INSIGHT

-God designed a formula for our redemption by the precious of Jesus Christ, which is without blemish or defect, for the sake of our salvation. Jesus suffered and died for our sins, and has justified us by His blood, that we may be saved from God’s wrath through him (Romans 5:9). When the Israelites were under captivity, the Lord redeemed them from there oppressive masters. Before the final plague that caused destruction of all the firstborn male sons of the Egyptians, God instructed the Israelites to paint their door posts with the blood of a lamb, that the angel of destruction may pass-over. Such is the love that Jesus showed us when He became the Lamb of the sacrifice and has rescued us from eternal destruction by His precious blood. If then we are born again not of the perishable seed but the imperishable, and have sure hope of salvation, we should love one another deeply from the heart. God is love and has commanded us to love Him and our neighbors as ourselves, and He will make a home with us.

PRAYER

We thank You Jesus for You are good and Your mercies endures forever. Thank You for redeeming us with Your precious blood. Thank You for loving us and caring for us. We glorify Your holy name. Your blood speaks better things than that of Abel. Thank You for the gift of salvation. May Your peace that surpasses all understanding dwell in our hearts and minds through You Christ Jesus. May Your love be evidenced in our lives always. May You settle the hearts of those who are bereaved. May Your grace and peace always be found in our hearts. Be with our president and leaders, and guide them in the way they should go. There is neither Jew nor Greek but we are all in You Jesus, save all Your people Jesus. Cleanse us with Your precious blood dear Jesus. Guide us through Your word that You may shepherd us in the way that we should go. All glory, honor, power, salvation and praise belongs to You Jesus, now and forever. Amen

Further reading: Galatians 3:13, Hebrews 12:23-

 

 

Ephesians 2:8-9

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

INSIGHT

-Our God is both holy and good. His grace is unmerited, undeserved and free. It is not that we are good that we deserve His mercy and grace, but because God loves us and does not desire that anyone should perish. His salvation is a gift that He has freely given us. Through grace, God meets us at our points of need and purpose through the Person of Jesus Christ, including His power, provision and favor. When Saul was persecuting Christians, Jesus appeared to him and saved his soul. He experienced a turn of events and a shift in his character and mentality, and began to walk in the light. Likewise, when the prodigal son was lost in worldly pleasures, he went back home and his father who did not condemn him, but showed him great and unexplained love. The salvation God offers a gift of hope to sinful rebels who stand under his just judgment. No one is good apart from God, there is no one good, not one (Romans 3:10-12). We are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling through obedience to God’s word (Philippians 2:12).

PRAYER

You have called us and chosen us to walk in Your purpose, we adore You Lord. We have all sinned and fallen short of Your glory Lord, forgive us merciful Father. Wash us with Your precious blood together with all our generations. May Your strength and prosperity be our portion always. You have promised to make everything work out for our good, for we love You, thank You for loving us fast. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood and a holy nation, thank You for choosing us. Watch over Your word dear Jesus that You may bring it to pass. Our children be blessed of You, we thank You dear Jesus. Our families are blessed, we exult Your holy name. Our lives are prosperous, we adore You Lord. We are highly favored, we proclaim You holy name. Thank You for the crown of salvation from everlasting to everlasting. Water us dear Jesus with the water of Your word that we may always be steadfast in Your salvation. Grant us the grace and strength to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Thank You for Your saving grace upon our lives, families, churches, nation and the entire world. May You grant the nation of South Africa peace during these trying times. May Your peace that surpasses all understanding be felt in all the nations of the world. Thank You dear Savior for loving us and for saving us. Thank You for Your gift of salvation upon all our descendants. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forevermore. Amen 

Further reading: John 1:16

 

 

2 Corinthians 9:14-15

“And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

INSIGHT

-The church of Corinth was a very generous church as Apostle Paul indicates. They provided for all his needs and gave alms generously. Such unselfish love, he compares to the gift of salvation that came to us through Jesus Christ, by His death and resurrection. In verse 12, Paul prays for God’s supply into all their needs according to the riches of His glory for their generosity that extended beyond Jerusalem. Cornelius in Acts chapter 10 has also been sighted giving alms generously to the needy and praying relentlessly. As he prayed at three in the afternoon which was a Jewish time of prayer; called the hour of the evening incense, he saw a vision and the angel disclosed that his prayers and alms have come as a memorial to God. He was then sent to Peter who came and prayed with them, and the Lord saved Cornelius and his entire household. Similarly, when Zacchaeus repented and offered to give half of his possession to the poor and restore four times the amount he had stolen, salvation was given to him and his household (Acts 19:1-9). On the other hand, in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man failed to provide for Lazarus’ needs and when they all died, he went to hell as Lazarus went to heaven. We are called to freely scatter our gifts to the poor for our righteousness endures forever (2 Corinthians 9:9).

PRAYER

Father You are good and Your goodness endures to all generations. Jesus You are righteous and Your righteousness endures forever. Holy Spirit You are loving and Your love is everlasting. Lord You are faithful and faithfulness is unending. You have been faithful to us Lord even when we have become faithless, we thank You and glorify Your holy name. You have also supplies unto all our needs according to the riches of Your glory, we thank You and exult Your holy name. May our prayers and alms always come to You as a memorial pleasing to You Jehovah. Be with all those who are sick and suffering, and heal them, for by Your stripes we are healed. Be with all those who are bereaved that Your grace and peace may be their portion. Restore all those who are in prison by Your saving arm dear Jesus, we humbly beseech You. Grant rest to all the street families, that Your hand of grace may lead them into their destinies. Guide us always Holy Spirit as give to the poor in our society for our righteousness endures forever. Guide us Holy Spirit when we pray and intercede for us when we know not how to pray. Light Your fire of prayer and thanksgiving in our hearts that we may always give thanks to You. Only You Lord deserves our worship and praise. Victory belongs to You Lord. Thank You God for Your merciful love upon our lives and to all our generations. May You always supply all our needs according to the riches of Your glory. All glory, honor, power and salvation belongs to You Lord, now and forever. Amen

Further reading: Psalms 112:9, Luke 16:19-31, Matthew 25:31-46

 

 

John 4:10

“Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

INSIGHT

-The story of the Samaritan woman evidences another reality of how we receive the gift of salvation. Somehow before one receives this gift, he/she does not understand it nor comprehends it’s importance. Like the Samaritan woman, we encounter Christ our Savior who comes to us unaware of His impact, through self manifestation or through impartation by His word. The Samaritan woman encountered Jesus who manifested Himself to her and when she believed in Him, she received the gift of salvation. Jesus then gave her living water by the power of the Holy Spirit, who enables us to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Likewise, the Jailer in Acts Acts16:30-31 encountered Jesus through His word, as Paul disclosed to him that, in order to receive the gift of salvation, he must believe in Jesus Christ. Salvation is found in no one else but Jesus Christ, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

SUMMARY

The gift of salvation came to us through Jesus Christ who is the Door to eternal life. It is through love that God gave us His only begotten Son that we may believe in Him and have eternal life. By the sin of one man Adam; we all sinned and death came into the world, and it is through the death of one Man Jesus Christ that life came into the world. Jesus took away our sins on the cross and became sin so that we may become the righteousness of God. He took away our curse for the Bible says cursed is everyone who hang on a tree (Galatians 3:13). Jesus hang on a tree for the sake of our redemption. Whoever then does not believe in the Son, denies the Father also and whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father (1 John 2:23). Salvation is also a confession of Jesus Christ by our mouths as we believe in our hearts that Jesus was raised from the death. For it is with our heart that we believe and are justified, and it is with our mouth that we profess our faith and are saved. For anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame (Romans 10:9-11). Also, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13, Acts 2:21). God is love and loves us so much and we are also called to love. To love God by keeping His commandments, for we have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer us who live, but Christ lives in us (Galatians 2:20). If then we died with Christ and have been raised with Him, we should focus on the things above, and have hope that we will appear with Him in glory. We should then put to death whatever belongs to the earthly nature including; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry (Colossians 3:5). We are also called to love one another as ourselves and remember to give to the poor in the society, for God’s righteousness in us endures forever. If then we were made righteousness by His blood, we will be judged righteously by the Righteous Judge, and there is no condemnation in our hearts we who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). We therefore have victory in Christ and have the sure hope of living forever with Him.

PRAYER

God You are our Salvation and our Shield. We trust in You. God You are our Strength and our Defense; and have become our Salvation. May we always draw water from the wells of Your salvation with joy. We give praise to You Lord, and proclaim Your name. May Your living water be found in our spirits that we may worship You in spirit and in truth always. We make known all You have done unto us and among the nations Lord. We proclaim Your name dear Jesus for You have given us victory, we exalt You. We sing to You our Lord and our God, for You have done glorious things in our lives. We are Your children and have eternal life in You our Lord and Savior. We sing and shout for joy for Your gift of salvation. You are our Savior and Lord; we praise You. You are great and greatly to be praised. We thank You and glorify Your holy name. You are the Door by whom we access the gift of salvation, grant Your salvation unto all of us, our relatives, friends and the whole world. May Your revival be found in all the nations of the world. Our Father who art in heaven; hallowed be Your name; Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil; for thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory; forever and ever. Amen

Further reading: Isaiah 12:2-6, John 14:6

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