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Salvation: What It Is and Why We Need It
When it comes to thinking about Salvation, there seem to be two vastly different approaches to the subject. Although both of these are very broad generalizations… To the “Unsaved,” Salvation is often regarded as either– an antiquated theological doctrine, designed to rob life of its happiness and any sense of personal fulfillment; or, a religious crutch for those who lack the intelligence, sophistication, attractiveness, or success necessary to do life well on their own; while… To the “Saved,” it is often regarded merely as the means by which— their sins are forgiven and their lives are made right with God; and, their eternal destination is changed from Hell to Heaven.…
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God Remembers…
In anticipation of our soon-to-begin Vignette #8, let’s take a few minutes to review the situation that poor Noah was in when our last Vignette ended. As you may recall he, his immediate family, and a large number of animals were locked up in the Ark—the really big boat he had built at the direction of God—and were floating around on what must have seemed like an interminable sea. This massive ocean had come into being (perhaps I should say it had come back into being) when God released onto the earth the waters which had been stored above and below it at the beginning of creation; an action which…
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Now…On to the Welcome Center of the Word
Well…we have made it across the border! Having received the gift of God’s glorious Salvation as the result of the New Birth, we have left behind the spiritual bondage and death so characteristic of the dark, barren land of the natural life, and are now entering the vibrant, verdant, and fruit–filled land of the Spirit—a land simply exploding with light and liberty! I hope you have already noticed the change in the atmosphere. Something else to take notice of as you eagerly survey this brand-new landscape, is that the land through which we are now traveling is one that is filled with peaks and valleys: majestic peaks, blanketed…
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Next Stop…the New Birth!
Now that everyone is back on board the train, it’s time for us to leave the Salvation Station; the place where we were introduced to God’s wonderful plan for saving sinners from death and destruction while, at the same time, adopting them as His very own children–in the process, giving them a hope in this life as well as a glorious future in the next. What we didn’t learn here, though, is just how we can appropriate this salvation that God has so graciously provided for us. With that as our immediate goal, let’s make our way to the next stop on our tour, the New Birth Station; where we will not…
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All Aboard…For Salvation!
Woo-hoo! The time has finally come for us to embark upon our rocking and rolling trip through the Word of God. So far, we have gone over our travel tips and have gotten our itinerary all worked out. Now, here with our bags packed and our tickets in hand, it is time for us to board the Truth Train and depart for the first stop on our journey, the Salvation Station. At this point, some of you may be wondering why a stop there is necessary at all. For those of you traveling in Group #1—those who may have already experienced salvation, or who may have been involved in the…
