So Great A Salvation

[0:00] Welcome. Thank you for choosing to listen to another faith-building message by Pastor David Entry. Faith comes by hearing and by hearing the Word of God.

[0:11] May your knowledge of Jesus Christ increase as you listen. Be blessed. Shall we pray? Father, thank you, thank you, thank you.

[0:22] Thank you for giving us so great a salvation. Thank you for planning to save us and working to save us and producing fruits of salvation in us.

[0:35] We pray that as we hear your Word, Holy Spirit, give us enlightenment and understanding into the enormity and the glories of our salvation.

[0:47] We pray that it will become more real to us, that we will be able to set our hope on the grace that is to be revealed at the revelation of Jesus.

[0:58] Thank you, Lord, that you are taking us from glory to glory. I pray that as I teach your Word, give me understanding, give me right choice of words, precision of speech, boldness, and utterance, that with boldness I will declare the mysteries of your kingdom, that the body will be built, churches will be established, believers will grow, and will be strengthened to the glory of your name.

[1:22] I bind the power of sickness, the power of confusion, and every work of the enemy, and I speak a release of your glory, your power, your presence, and your spirit upon this teaching, to the glory of your name, in Jesus' name, amen.

[1:38] Hallelujah. Hebrews chapter 3 verse 2 talks about how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation.

[1:50] Hebrews chapter 2 verse 3, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?

[2:06] How can we or shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Our salvation is great. In our previous session, I spoke about how God has, according to his abundant mercy, has saved us, or gotten us born again, unto a lively hope or a living hope to an inheritance that is incorruptible, that is undefiled, and faith is not a way reserved for us in heaven.

[2:41] Now, I want to draw your attention to something about Peter's writing. I told you in the first two verses, the first two verses were all about greetings. So, he speaks about Peter unto the church, and then he says grace, before he said grace, the elect according to the foreknowledge, the people who are elect according to the foreknowledge of God.

[3:05] Now, remember the word elect. In our previous teaching, I said we have been elected, but that's not all. God has also begotten us. So, he just didn't elect us, but he begot us.

[3:16] But look at this, our election was according to the foreknowledge of God. How about our being born again? Verse 3, he said, being born again according to.

[3:27] So, election according to, being born again according to. Did you see that? Election according to, being born again according to his abundant mercy. So, we are elected according to his foreknowledge.

[3:41] We are born again according to his abundant mercy. Hallelujah. So, that tells us that everything about our salvation is a God thing. Everything about we coming into Christ and the beginning of our salvation is fundamentally and predominantly and mainly dependent on God.

[4:01] It was not our idea. It is God's idea because he says he elected us according to his foreknowledge. And he got us born again or he regenerated us or he begot us, watch this, according to his abundant mercy.

[4:20] So, the verse 2, he spoke about God having predestined us or God having elected us according to his foreknowledge. And the Holy Spirit sanctifying us and unto obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus.

[4:36] So, all the Trinity, all the three persons of the Trinity have been represented in the greetings. Now, when you go to the actual body from verse 1, chapter 1, chapter 1, from verse 3, he starts his message by saying, Blessed be God the Father.

[4:53] Anytime you hear God the Father, it means God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. So, he said, Blessed be God the Father. All right. So, blessed be the God and Father.

[5:05] Sorry. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, you can tell the subject matter who is being spoken about is not necessarily Jesus.

[5:16] It's about God, the God and Father. So, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who are we talking about? We are talking about the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[5:27] Who are we talking about? We are talking about God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then he begins to talk about who, according to his abundant mercy, have begotten us again unto a livelihood.

[5:40] So, he starts to talk about how God saved us and gave us birth into his kingdom unto a livelihood to an inheritance that is not corruptible, that does not fade, that is reserved for us, hallelujah, in heaven.

[6:00] Then he continues to talk about verse 5. Who, so it's reserved in heaven for you, verse 4, for you, verse 5. Who, who is the who talking about?

[6:12] Not God, but those the inheritance is reserved for. Okay, so, for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed at the last time.

[6:27] Oh, oh, oh, oh. We are kept through faith unto salvation. I thought we already saved. Yes, unto salvation. But we are saved already. Is there another salvation to come?

[6:38] Unto salvation, which is ready to be revealed at the last time. How great a salvation. And then you go on, ready to be revealed at the last time.

[6:50] Wherein, within the salvation, in this inheritance, which is the salvation, wherein, in it, we greatly rejoice, in which we greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptation.

[7:10] If need be, some temptations will come, some trials will come. I'll comment on that in a minute, but I want to draw your attention to something. That's the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perished.

[7:25] Though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Whom, whom having not seen, ye love.

[7:37] Did you see that? You haven't seen, but ye love. Rejoicing, ye love. In whom, though now ye see not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, full of glory.

[7:49] That I mentioned in the previous two teachings about, I mentioned the tripod of Christianity, or the trinity of Christian virtue, faith, hope, and love.

[8:04] This book was written to suffering believers to encourage them to keep their eyes on the coming glory. All right. It's very important. That's why suffering, as I said earlier on, is mentioned 16 times in this small five chapters.

[8:20] 16 times. So, it was written to suffering believers, suffering saints who are scattered. It was written to elected migrants. It was written to chosen aliens, elected aliens, written to them.

[8:35] They are scattered throughout all the regions of Bithynia, Asia, Pontus, Galatia, and Cappadocia. They were scattered, and they didn't seem to even have a place where they could feel like, oh, now we can rest.

[8:50] There was so much pressure on them. And so, they were being encouraged to keep their eyes looking, not treat where they were as though that was their destination. That was their transit point.

[9:03] It was just a location of transit. It wasn't destination. So, keep your eye on. Keep your eye ahead, looking at what is ahead. And so, when he spoke about the tripod of Christianity, the three-dimensional Christianity, the faith, hope, and love, in this instance, the major emphasis was on hope.

[9:24] Because this message is to boost the hope of those who are going through the pain and suffering and standing for Christ. Whilst in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, where he spoke about love, he said, now these three abide.

[9:37] Hope, faith, and love. The greatest is love. Because that chapter was dealing with love. The focus of that chapter was love. And so, love was seen, was presented as the dominant at that time, within that message.

[9:54] Here, you can see, hope is the dominant. So, hope was the first we mentioned. God has begotten us again unto a living hope.

[10:05] And this hope is a living hope. A hope that is alive. A hope that keeps thriving. A hope that can see. A hope that can hear. A hope that can move. A hope that can smile.

[10:16] A hope that can rejoice. Hallelujah. It's a living hope. And so, he mentions the living hope. Then he goes on to say, if there need be, you are going through trial or your faith.

[10:29] And he says that it is your faith that is under trial. So, he mentions faith. Then, verse 8, he talks about, having not seen, ye laugh. Ye laugh.

[10:41] Having not seen, verse 8, whom having not seen, ye laugh. In whom, though now ye see him not, ye believe, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable.

[10:54] This is joyful love. And we have tested faith. And we have living hope. So, living hope, tested faith, joyful love. Just the first few verses of this chapter, the tripod is represented.

[11:09] Or the trinity of Christian virtue is represented. So, hope, faith, and love. And this time, it's living hope, tested faith, and joyful love.

[11:21] Living hope, tested faith, and joyful love. I pray that may your hope continue to be living, alive. May your faith, when tested, produce praise, glory, and honor to God.

[11:33] And may your love be a joyful love, excitedly. Loving God excitedly in the name of Jesus. There is no way Satan can keep you down when you have joy in your walk with God.

[11:48] In the mighty name of Jesus. So, we see, first of all, we see the first part I read. So, all down through to verse 9.

[11:59] Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your soul. It's talking about God. So, God the Father. Then he moves to God the Spirit. Look at verse 10. And I'll come back to pick it point after point again.

[12:12] But just, I want to show you a brief overview. Of whom, verse 10. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently. Who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you.

[12:27] Watch this, verse 11. Searching what? And what manner of time? Watch this. The Spirit of Christ. Did you see that? The Spirit of Christ, which was in them, did signify when it testified beforehand.

[12:44] And the suffering of Christ and the glory that should follow. So, the prophets were operating by the Spirit of God. It said the Spirit of Christ was inside them.

[12:56] And the Spirit of Christ was testifying about something that provoked a research in them. The Spirit of God was pointing to something. And they were wondering, what can this be?

[13:08] So, they started searching and inquiring, inquiring diligently. Searching diligently. Searching with precision. Like somebody who is doing a research for PhD.

[13:21] And potentially more. The prophets, when the prophets are, whoa. What am I talking about? This is interesting. What is this? What is this that the Spirit of God is indicating?

[13:32] So, the Spirit of God, watch this. God planned our salvation. The Spirit of God applied it. How did he apply it? By dropping it into the prophets for them to speak about.

[13:45] But watch this. They spoke about it. Verse 12. Unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves, but unto us. Talking about we the church.

[13:56] Unto us, they did minister these things. Which are now, watch this. What were they ministering? The things they ministered. They ministered. Are now reported unto you by them that preach the gospel.

[14:11] They preach the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. Which these angels desire to look into. So, they preach the gospel with the Holy Spirit.

[14:24] In fact, they prophesied about the coming of Christ. About the church and the message of the church. And this whole glories about the church. They prophesied it. And as they prophesied it, they prophesied by the Holy Spirit.

[14:38] Who was now beginning to take what God has planned. What God has initiated. And begin to bring it into reality and application. So, they prophesied it. And the prophets and the apostles, sorry.

[14:51] The apostles and the preachers of the gospel. Shouldn't preach anything different from what they have always been prophesied. Or what has been prophesied about. Engineered by the Holy Spirit himself.

[15:01] And if it is true gospel. If it's a true gospel. Then it's the Holy Spirit that also empowers the preaching of the gospel. Because don't forget, he is the one who does the sanctifying work.

[15:14] You remember. Through the sanctification of the Spirit. And so, right there, you see the Holy Spirit at work in our salvation journey. Then from verse 13.

[15:27] It talks about how we should set our minds. On the things that are supposed to come. But through the revelation of Jesus Christ. And then as obedient children. Then he begins to talk about the actual redemptive work Christ has done in our lives.

[15:42] Which produces a certain type of behavior and holy work. Which also produces love for the saints. And all which is a result of the intake of the word that got us born again.

[15:56] The word that abides forever. And so, Christ culminates everything. And works on us to produce the beautiful result that God has seen.

[16:08] God had prepared and planned from eternity past. Watch this. In Revelation chapter 13 verse 8. It talks about whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb.

[16:21] The Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the earth. The Lamb was slain right from the foundation of the earth. When the earth was being founded. A lamb had been slain already.

[16:33] So, God had planned our salvation. And it's a great salvation. But let me take you through something back. So, we are seeing in chapter 1.

[16:44] The working of God. The part of the Holy Spirit. And the part of Christ. We will go into a bit more details later on. But let's look at this again. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[16:57] Which according to his abundant mercy. Has begotten us again unto a living hope. Lively hope. By the resurrection of Jesus Christ. From the dead. How did he do that? When Jesus resurrected from the dead.

[17:09] That means that he had to die. You can't talk about resurrection without death. Okay. So, Jesus. When he said resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. That is what initiated our regeneration.

[17:21] That is very important. Our regeneration and initial salvation. Was initiated by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. So, then. If you come into Christ.

[17:32] The resurrection has taken place already. That means you are saved. Salvation has taken place. Does it? But I want to submit to you that. Salvation is so great. Now, the book of Peter.

[17:44] It's such an important book written. Apostle Paul wrote so much about our redemption. Our salvation. Our justification. And all that. But Apostle Paul never spoke about.

[17:58] The full salvation. If I should put it this way. Or he didn't even break it down. Peter is the one. That made us know.

[18:08] That salvation is in three stages. So, Apostle Paul didn't speak about the three stages of salvation. Even though it's implied in his teaching. It wasn't very clear. It took Peter. That's why we needed the letter of Peter.

[18:21] It took Peter. To come and bring us to the. To the awareness of the fact that. Salvation is in stages. It's in stages. Salvation is in.

[18:32] Yes. I mean. Salvation is in stages. Oh. What a great salvation. This is so great. A salvation. That only. Only one aspect.

[18:42] Only one thing. Can all encapsulate. And. Comprehensively. Handle every aspect of the salvation. Watch this. It takes. A whole lifetime.

[18:53] To experience the full salvation. Ha ha. Hallelujah. It takes a whole lifetime. A whole. Not an instant. Or just a moment. So.

[19:04] When you say. I am saved. When we say. I'm saved. Yes. I am saved. Yes. You are saved. If you are in Christ. Yes. You are saved. But guess what? There is more to salvation.

[19:15] Than just. The beginning. We have three stages of salvation. We have the initial stage. The progressive stage. And the final stage. The initial stage of salvation. The progressive stage of salvation.

[19:28] And the final stage of salvation. We have all gone through. The initial stage of salvation. But may I submit to you. The progressive stage of salvation. Takes your entire lifetime.

[19:40] Salvation requires. Or it takes a whole lifetime. To comprehend. Or to apprehend. And to experience. The full salvation.

[19:52] Of God. Which Christ initiated. On the cross. It takes a whole lifetime. It takes a whole lifetime. Not only a certain aspect.

[20:03] Of your living. Of your living. It takes. A whole lifetime. For a soul. To be actually saved. For real salvation. It takes a whole lifetime.

[20:14] It takes a whole lifetime. For a soul. To be saved. Oh. What a great salvation. Oh. So great. So great. A salvation. It takes a whole lifetime.

[20:25] Time for a soul. To be saved. Pastor explain it. Look. He says that. To an inheritance. Talking about. We have been begotten. By the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

[20:36] From the dead. Unto all. To an inheritance. Incorruptible. And undefiled. That fades not. Reserved. The Greek word translated.

[20:46] Reserve. Also means. Preserved. Protected. Heavily fortified. And guarded. Nothing. Listen. Doesn't. So. Nothing.

[20:57] Doesn't matter. Nothing you go through. From the outside. Can. Take away your salvation. Nothing you go through. From the outside. Can take away your inheritance.

[21:08] That has been reserved. Our inheritance in heaven. Is permanent. Permanent. Our inheritance. In heaven. Is permanent. Hallelujah.

[21:19] We have a permanent. Not a temporal. A permanent. Inheritance. An undefiled. Inheritance. Incorruptible. Inheritance. An inheritance. That does not fade away.

[21:31] And it is reserved. It is reserved. With our name on it. I know. There is a miracle. In this place. With your name on it. But guess what. There is an inheritance. In heaven. With your name on it.

[21:42] Hallelujah. So. As you are going through your pain. As you are going through. Persecution. As you are going through. Suffering. As you are going through. The process of growing in Christ. And living for Christ. Keep your eye on.

[21:54] Don't mind that. Preacher. Who told you that. Oh. Don't be always thinking about. Heavy. Heavy. Don't mind him. He is echoing the voice of the devil. What do you mean by.

[22:05] Heavy. Heavy. Heavy. Heavy. What do you mean by. Don't be thinking about. Heavy too much. Don't be. How on earth can you think about. Heavy too much. They were always looking for it. The only way. Watch this. The only way you can live the Christian life effectively.

[22:18] Is by looking unto Jesus. And looking at the reward. He said. Set your eyes on things above. Set your mind. Colossians chapter 3. From verse 1 to 3. He said. Beloved.

[22:29] Since you are crucified Christ. Set your mind on things above. Set your affections on things above. Where Christ seated. So that when Christ is revealed. Christ. Who is our life.

[22:40] When he is revealed. We shall appear with him in glory. Set your mind on things above. So. When you watch this teaching very carefully. Or this letter very carefully. He kept talking to them.

[22:51] Encouraging them. To keep their focus and their eye. On something greater. He says that. We have an inheritance. We have an inheritance. That is incorruptible.

[23:02] That is undefiled. That is. That's not faith. And is reserved in heaven. For you. For you. In spite of what you are going through. In spite of what is happening in your life.

[23:13] There is an inheritance reserved in heaven for you. And it's not like. It is waiting. One day it should be shown. It is there. Your resources. Oh. Thank you Jesus. Your resources are from above.

[23:24] Even in your natural life. Even in your family life. Even in your health. Your marital life. Even in your career. In your education. My darling. I want you to know.

[23:36] Don't be afraid. In spite of. The ups and downs that you are seeing. The persecution you are seeing. The marginalization you are feeling. How you are being disdained by different people.

[23:48] How the process you are going through. In obeying God. Obeying Christ. Remaining pure. Remaining faithful. To the gospel. And staying in faith. Don't be worried by what you are going through.

[24:00] Because. It is temporal. Tomorrow. Your reward. Is permanent. And nothing changes it. And it says that reserved. In heaven. For you.

[24:11] Watch this. For you. Who are. Verse 5. Who are kept. The Greek word translated. Kept. Means. Another way is. Who are garrisoned. Who are protected. You know.

[24:21] Philippians chapter 4. Verse 7. It says that. Verse 6. Be anxious for nothing. But in everything. By prayer and supplication. Let your request be made known unto God. Guess what. And the peace of God.

[24:32] Shall mount up a garrison. I think. Amplify uses the word garrison. Shall mount up a garrison. Or shall guard. A garrison. It's like. An army protecting something very precious.

[24:45] Protecting something very precious. In transition. You are being kept. You are being kept. By the power of God. The power that saved you. Is the same power that is keeping you.

[24:56] Hallelujah. That should make you rejoice. In spite of what you are going through. Something is keeping you. He's keeping you. God is keeping you. God is preserving you.

[25:09] God is protecting you. He says that. Verse 5 again. Who are kept. By the power of God.

[25:20] Through faith. So. We are kept. By the power of God. The word kept there too. Another word for it is. Shielded. We are shielded. By the power of God. It's not everything.

[25:31] That can get to you. You know. Don't be afraid of the devil. As you walk with God. In obedience. It's not everything. That can get to you. Don't be afraid of the devil. In fact. If you are not praying. He's troubling you more.

[25:43] Because. Not praying. And binding his work. Gives him more grounds. And freedom to operate around your life. The devil is a liar. I rebuke every satanic injunction.

[25:53] Satanic encroachment. Over your life. Over your family. Over your marriage. Over your health. Over your finances. Over your studies. Over your education. Over your children. Over your business. Over your career.

[26:04] Every satanic injunction of your life. I bind it. And I rebuke it. In the name of Jesus. Tomorrow morning. By tomorrow morning. By next week. You will have a testimony. In the name of Jesus.

[26:14] So. We are kept. We are shielded. Shielded. Guarded. Preserved. Like with military. Military. Great. Protection.

[26:26] That's what Bible says. And guess what is keeping you. The power of God. So it's that. You. Are kept. Remember. When somebody asks you. How are you doing. Tell the person. I'm kept. Hallelujah.

[26:37] That's what gives us the safe passage. I am kept. I'm protected. I'm guarded. I'm shielded. How are you doing, boy? I'm shielded by the power of God. Hallelujah. How are you doing?

[26:48] How are the children doing? Oh, my children are shielded by the power of God. How is your job? My job is shielded by the power of God. How is home? Home is shielded by the power of God. How is your marriage? My marriage is shielded by the power of God.

[26:58] Yes. I'm not married yet. But my marriage is shielded. I know it's reserved for me. It's reserved in heaven. And it will show up in time. Hallelujah. I'm shielded. You are shielded.

[27:09] It says, so you are shielded by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Did you see that? Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, where is the salvation?

[27:21] Is ready to be revealed in the last time. Oh, but pastor, I thought we are saved already. Yes, sir. So then which salvation is this? I told you salvation is in stages.

[27:33] There are stages of salvation. We are saved. We are being saved and we shall be saved. When you get born again, let me take my time and explain this. When you get born again, it's your spirit that gets regenerated.

[27:49] So when you get born again, it's your spirit that gets regeneration. So the first stage of salvation is heavily working in your spirit and it's instant. So actually the right word is regenerating, regeneration.

[28:04] The first stage of salvation is the stage of regeneration. And that includes redemption. According to Romans chapter 3, verse 24 to 26, it talks about how we have redemption through his blood.

[28:19] It talks about how we have been justified through the redemption that is in his blood. So we have justification. Justification means you have right standing with God.

[28:30] You have, there's peace, there's reconciliation. You and God are no more enemies. You are friends with God. You have access to God. There's reconciliation. So we have justification, reconciliation through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus that has brought us regeneration.

[28:48] Regeneration. Let me take my time to explain this. Now watch this. When we talk about the initial stage of salvation, what it entails is, you know, I spoke, we read about, we read about how God having regenerated us or begotten us again onto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

[29:08] As soon as Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead, something happened. During the death, on the cross, in his death, he defeated the devil.

[29:20] And guess what? He's the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. John 1, 29. And so what did he do? He took away the sins of our world. So his blood covers our sins.

[29:31] His blood covers our sins. There's a song that says, I know he rescues my souls. His blood covers my sins. His blood covers my sins. I believe. And my Redeemer lives. So he redeemed us.

[29:42] So by the death on the cross, there are two aspects of the death. The death, if you want to talk about his work on the cross, the death. And then when he died on the cross, he was buried and resurrected.

[29:54] So the death and the resurrection are so important. So the death on the cross paid for our sins. That's why he died. The wages of sin is dead. Romans chapter 6, verse 23.

[30:06] The wages of sin is dead, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus. So the soul that, according to the Bible, the soul that sins shall die. So once we sinned, we are supposed to die.

[30:17] God told Adam, the day you eat it, you shall die. Genesis chapter 2, from verse 16. He said, you shall not eat it. For the very day you eat it, you shall die.

[30:28] And the devil came, chapter 3. He said, you shall not surely die. He came to amend God's word. And so the day they ate it, they started dying.

[30:38] Their spirits died. Their soul died as well when they started doing false worship. And guess what? Their body eventually dies.

[30:49] Now, Christ came, Bible says that because the children were flesh and blood, he himself had to become, Hebrews chapter 2, verse 14. He himself shared in the same, that he might destroy him who has the power of death.

[31:07] That is the devil. And deliver us through the fear of death, have been subject to bondage all our lives. So he came to destroy the power of the devil, destroy death.

[31:18] But let me not go too much into that. So on the cross, and when Jesus died, the work of Christ on the cross, that's two works. One, the negative and the positive.

[31:29] The negative thing is to cleanse us from our sins, to ask for forgiveness. So we have redemption with God. So now we can relate to God. But the positive side is, now that we have relationship with God, we need the life of God.

[31:42] So the life of God, the Spirit of God, Bible says, because you are sons, Galatians chapter 4, verse 5 and 6. God has sent for the Spirit, verse 6. The sin for the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, that Christ our Father.

[31:55] So because we are sons, we have the Spirit of God. Now, that is what is called regeneration. The Holy Spirit coming, the Spirit of God coming into your spirit and giving you the new life. That's when we became born again.

[32:07] That's when we become born again. But we have to be redeemed. We have to be justified and reconciled to God. So redemption, justification, reconciliation, so that we can have regeneration.

[32:20] Okay. Regeneration kicked in place. And as I said last in the previous teaching, sanctification. But this time, it is the dispositional sanctification also happens.

[32:32] So the process of the initial salvation is what? It is redemption. It is justification. It is sanctification.

[32:44] It is reconciliation. And it is regeneration. Redemption, justification, sanctification, reconciliation, and regeneration.

[32:56] That is the initial aspect of our salvation. And guess what? Watch this. That happens instantly. It happens instantly. It's not a process. It happens instantly.

[33:08] So once you are saved, you are saved. Then watch this. Let me take it a bit further. And once you become born again and you are saved, guess what? As I said, the blood of Christ washes us.

[33:21] But according to John chapter 3, verse 3 to 6, it says that except a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And he says that, he spoke about how certain man is born of water and spirit.

[33:34] He cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. He says that for whatsoever is born of flesh is flesh. Whatsoever is, verse 6, is born of the spirit is spirit. And he says that the way the wind blows, you can see, you can hear, you can see.

[33:46] So is he who is born of God. So we are born of God. And so the spirit of God comes into us. The life of God, sorry. The life of God actually comes into us. This is very important.

[33:56] And as soon as we receive the life of God, guess what? We become sons of God. John chapter 1, verse 12 and 13. As many as believed in him, he gave them the right to become the sons of God, even as many as received him.

[34:13] Born of, born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but the will of God, born of God. So we have become born of God.

[34:24] And because we are born of God, which this is very important, we are now the children of God. And because we are children of God, there are other things we have also inherited. We have inherited eternal salvation.

[34:37] Yes. So we have gotten eternal salvation. That is what is reserved. We have eternal salvation. In Hebrews chapter 5, verse 9, it talks about how we have received eternal salvation.

[34:48] Let me just, verse 9 says that. And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. So as soon as we obey him, remember, sanctify 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 2.

[35:04] Sanctified through the Spirit unto obedience. So as soon as we obey him, guess what? He becomes the author of eternal salvation. We are granted an eternal salvation.

[35:16] Not only eternal salvation, we also have eternal life. John 3, 15. I didn't say 16. John 3, 15. John 3, 15. Those of us who believe in Christ, we have eternal life.

[35:29] So we have eternal salvation and eternal life because we are the sons of God. This is very important. I'm teaching about this is the core of Christianity. Because we have been saved, because we have the salvation, which is the first stage of salvation, which is the stage of regeneration, which is made up of our redemption, justification, sanctification, reconciliation, and regeneration.

[35:56] Because we have that, we are the sons of God. And because we are the sons, God has sent for His Spirit into our hearts. So we have the life of God. And because we have the life of God, guess what? And we believe in Christ.

[36:07] We have eternal salvation. And we also have eternal life. And guess what? Because we have eternal salvation and eternal life, there is no, we have escaped eternal condemnation.

[36:21] There's no more condemnation for us. In John 3, 16. John 3, 16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not what?

[36:34] Perish. We cannot perish forever. Hallelujah. We cannot perish forever. John chapter 10, verse 28 and 29. I would like to read it from my Bible. You need to see this. John chapter 10, verse 28 and 29.

[36:48] It says that, and this is talking about Jesus from verse 27. See, 27 said, this is Jesus talking. My sheep hear my voice and I know my sheep and they follow me. Watch this, verse 28.

[36:59] And I give them eternal life. Watch this. Jesus said, I give my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish. We have escaped eternal condemnation, eternal damnation and eternal perdition.

[37:16] That's condemnation and perdition. We don't have condemnation again and we can't perish eternally because we have been regenerated by the life of God.

[37:28] We have been redeemed, justified, sanctified, reconciled and regenerated. And so the Bible says, I'm reading again. I'm reading again. It says that, and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish.

[37:43] Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hands. Verse 29, my father, which gave them me is greater than all. And no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hands.

[37:54] He said, no one can pluck you out of God's hands. God is greater. And he said, I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. Your perishing is too late because you are in Christ.

[38:05] You are, you are regenerated. So at the first stage of regeneration, there's no more perishing. Look at John 3, 16. Let's go to verse 18 instead. John 3, 18.

[38:16] And he that believes on him is not condemned. So we escape eternal condemnation and we escape eternal perdition. We can't perish. We can't be condemned.

[38:27] Why? Because we have been regenerated. Now, back to 1 Peter. So once you come into Christ and you are regenerated, all these things have happened already.

[38:38] Now, with that in mind, that is the first aspect of our first step of salvation. With that in mind, let's go back to Peter and read it again. Verse 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be written.

[38:57] So, Pastor, which salvation is he talking about? That is the, I told you, the final salvation. Look at verse 9. Let me show you something in verse 9. Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

[39:10] I told you, the first salvation has to do with salvation of our spirits. The second salvation has to do with salvation of your souls. The third salvation has to do with salvation of our body. So the salvation of the spirit, the salvation of a soul, the salvation of a body.

[39:25] Salvation reserved for us. Watch this. Who are kept by the power of God through faith. So what is keeping us the power of God? How is the power of God keeping us? Through faith.

[39:36] You bring faith to the table, bro. You bring faith to the table. Satan will use everything to fight you, please. Don't allow all the attacks that are coming on your life from the external affect what is inside you.

[39:50] Because it's your faith that, it's your faith is the means through which God's power can keep you. We are kept by what? The power.

[40:01] By how? Through faith. Your faith is necessary. That's why in verse 9 it says, so that you receive the end of your faith. That you will receive. Verse 9 says that, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

[40:16] We are saved. We are being saved and we shall be saved. We are saved. We are being saved and we shall be saved. Full salvation. It's saved, being saved and we shall be saved.

[40:28] Three stages of salvation. Initial stage, the progressive stage and the final stage. The initial stage, the progressive stage. And the progressive stage takes your entire life, the entirety of your life.

[40:42] Bible talks about, in James chapter 1 verse 21, it says, Laying aside all naughtiness and super, all stubbornness, filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness. Receive with meekness the engrafted word of God, which is able to save your soul.

[40:56] James 1 verse 20, 21. Which is able to save your soul. See, your soul is not yet saved. Your soul is not yet saved. That's why sometimes you are so bitter and unforgiving.

[41:08] Your soul is not yet saved. That's why sometimes you are so, you can think evil about others. That's why you can be gossiping. Your soul is not yet fully saved.

[41:19] Your spirit is fully saved. But your soul is not fully saved. It's not saved. Your soul is being saved. And it takes the word of God. It takes constant flow of the word of God to wash you.

[41:33] Wash you from the inside. Wash you from the inside. Wash you. That's why it said, receive with meekness the engrafted word of God, which is able to save your soul. That is why it said, desire the sincere milk.

[41:45] The way all a child wants is milk. All a child wants is milk. It's really, it's not breakthrough. It's not breakthrough. It's true. It's milk of the word.

[41:57] As the word milk is essential to the child. That is how the word of God must be essential to the Christian who wants to grow. Who wants to grow in your salvation.

[42:09] You have to grow in your salvation. When you read some translation, let me see if the, okay, New American Standard Version. It says that 1 Peter 2, verse 2.

[42:20] 1 Peter 2, verse 2. Let's see how it puts it. It says that, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to your salvation.

[42:34] To salvation. Did you see that? Salvation. Grow in salvation. Let me see how the Amplify puts it. 1 Peter 2, verse 2. It says that, like newborn babies, you should crave thirst for, earnestly desire, the pure, unadulterated spiritual milk.

[42:56] That by it you may be nurtured and grow unto complete salvation. Did you see that? Salvation is not finished. We are growing.

[43:06] We are growing. And so, the first stage of salvation is how Christ has, is the stage of regeneration and is in our spirits and we are perfect.

[43:19] And it says that, well, we are the sons of God. We have the spirit of God in us. We have the life of God, actually, the life of God in us. We are, we have eternal salvation.

[43:30] We have eternal salvation and eternal life. And it says we shall never, never perish. That is what is happening in our spirit. But if you do not work on the second stage of your salvation, you will suffer losses and you will suffer certain types of perishing.

[43:47] Let me conclude by saying, so it says that we are kept by faith. Wait, sorry, we are kept, I'm sorry, by the power of God through faith. What does, how does it result?

[43:59] Resulting unto salvation. So, the source of what is keeping us is the power of God. The source is the power of God. The means is our faith and the results is our salvation.

[44:11] The source is the power. The means is our faith. So, there's never a time when it comes to your salvation, your initial salvation. It is not about you. It is God who starts everything.

[44:23] He elected you according to foreknowledge. And he, in time, he regenerated us. Okay. According to his abundant mercy.

[44:34] Mercy. He regenerated us. But now that we are regenerated unto obedience, we also have the responsibility. The faith that made the regeneration possible.

[44:45] That same faith, we have to walk by it. That is why Satan will fight you, make you go through all kinds of things to disengage your faith. Because once your faith is disengaged, your salvation process is aborted.

[44:58] And you are not being kept for what is reserved for you. You have lost touch. You have lost contact. And so, sometimes, if you lose faith, you get disconnected from the supply, heavenly supply, from the heavenly provision, from the heavenly favor, from the heavenly monitoring, from the heavenly preservation.

[45:19] Don't lose faith. Satan wants you to lose your faith. In spite of what you are going through, the persecution you are going through, the challenges you are going through. I know life sometimes can be so harsh.

[45:30] Life can sometimes be so confusing. Life can sometimes be so worrying. It's your faith. Your faith is being tried. And I pray that you stay in faith. My brother, stay in faith.

[45:42] How can we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? We have so great a salvation. We have so great a salvation.

[45:53] Oh, thank you, Jesus, for so great a salvation. For so great a salvation. A salvation that brings us into sonship. A salvation that brings us into inheritance reserved in heaven.

[46:07] That does not faith. That is not corruptible. That cannot be defiled. Reserved, kept, guarded, protected, preserved in heaven for us. Oh, thank you, Jesus, for bringing us into so great a salvation.

[46:21] For planning it and executing it in our lives. Holy Spirit, thank you for making this a reality in our lives. Help us to stay in faith. Help us to stay in faith. My brother, stay in faith.

[46:34] My sister, stay in faith. Stay in faith. Don't say, I'm tired. Don't say, I want to give. I don't even know what to do again. No. No. Press on.

[46:45] Keep your eye on the reward. Keep your eye on what is permanent. What you are going through is temporal. For our afflictions. Our temporal afflictions.

[46:55] Second Corinthians chapter 4 verse 17. Our temporal affliction is working for us. A far more eternal weight of glory.

[47:06] It's actually been your problem are your employees. They have been employed to work for you. They have been contracted to work for you.

[47:18] He said, our light affliction, which is bad for a moment. Don't forget that. Bad for a moment. It's not permanent. It's for a moment. They are working for you. Your problems are working for you.

[47:30] How are you? I am guarded. How are you? I'm shielded. And my problems are working for me. How are you doing? I'm shielded. And my problems are working for me. Stay in faith. Because the problems are working for you.

[47:42] We walk by faith and not by sight. We walk by faith. Second Corinthians 5-7. We walk by faith and not by sight. We walk by faith.

[47:53] Keep going. Keep going. Keep going. And set your hope on the grace that is yet to be revealed. According to 1 Peter 1, verse 13.

[48:05] Get up the loins of your mind. Set your hope. Set your hope. The other translation says, set your hope on the grace that is yet to come.

[48:17] There's grace to come. I'll pick it up in our next teaching. I pray that your faith will not fail. Jesus said, Simon, Simon, Luke chapter 22, verse 31. Simon, Simon, Satan has desired to sift you like wheat.

[48:29] But I've prayed for you that your faith will not fail. I also pray for you, my sister. I also pray for you, my brother, that your faith will not fail. Thank you for listening.

[48:41] To hear more from David Entry, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Why don't you subscribe to our YouTube channel at Karis Church? And subscribe to our podcast so you are always up to date.

[48:56] Be blessed.