Do You Have the Knowledge of Salvation? Part 3 – Luke 1:77-80

How can you have the knowledge of salvation? The knowledge of salvation comes through the forgiveness of sins. God’s forgiveness is the foundation of the knowledge of salvation, and only those who have experienced God’s mercy know the power of the gospel. Forgiveness can not be bought or earned by works. Followers of every other religion in the world labor to have the knowledge of salvation, but the Bible tells us salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. He causes us to repent of our unbelief and gives us saving faith in Jesus. God completely wipes out our sins- past, present, future- and He sets us apart from the power of sin, even as we still live in its presence. He considers us justified and perfectly righteous in Christ, and through adoption as sons, we can call out to Him any time and anywhere because He is our Father in heaven. (Mic 7:18-19)

God’s forgiveness is present and complete because Jesus paid it all by His blood. We can be assured that no word can be spoken against us, because there is no higher authority than God’s Word. The Bible says Jesus shed His blood on the cross for our sins. God calls us to turn to Jesus for forgiveness, and He promises to forgive us. This is the love of God. He came to us not to judge, but to save, to give hope, and to show the way to eternal life. You don’t need to be a Bible erudite to have the knowledge of salvation. You simply need to know that Jesus died and rose again for you. (Heb 9:22; Eph 1:7)

God’s forgiveness is an objective fact. Many believers sometimes doubt their salvation because they don’t feel saved. Thankfully, God’s salvation doesn’t depend on your subjective feelings, but on the fact of Jesus’ resurrection. Those who have repented can rest their souls on the objective truth of God’s forgiveness in the gospel.

Forgiveness is not a light matter. For one, God is holy, and He can not compromise His holiness by simply forgiving sinners. He had to humble Himself by coming to the world as a man, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only mediator between God and man, because He is wholly God and wholly man. We must not take forgiveness lightly also because sin is powerful. We were all under the bondage of sin that leads every man to hell. But God delivered us from this bondage and He calls us to forsake sin and self. In Christ, we now bear the fruit of forgiveness because God has removed our guilt and has given us a new heart. We are temples of God, and His Spirit dwells in us, causing us to bear the fruit of forgiveness.

What is the fruit of forgiveness?

– Trusting in the Lord for forgiveness. We know we have nothing to offer to God to be forgiven, and we rest on God’s grace.

– Desiring to get nearer to God. God is no longer wrathful towards us, but He draws us near with His love.

– Forgiving others. Those who are forgiven are quick to forgive.

– Desiring to serve. Not to pay a debt, but because we love Him who forgave us.

Today is the day of forgiveness. This is the gospel, and we are able to experience it every day because God is with us. If you have this, you have the knowledge of salvation.