Part 2 of 21 –

More of the Immediate Blessings of Salvation

As presented in Part 1, the primary immediate blessing of salvation was to receive full pardon for our sins such that we are no longer subject to the judgment and wrath of God (1Thes 5:9). Here now I list “forgiveness of our sins” with several additional immediate blessings of our salvation.

1) God forgives all the believer’s sins; past, present, and future. Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened (made alive) together with him, having forgiven you ALL trespasses

2) God rescues and redeems (ransoms) all believers from the penalty of sin, which is eternal death. He does this by Jesus’ propitiatory sacrifice (appeasing sacrifice), as payment “for the sin of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2 And he (Jesus) is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

3) God justifies (counts innocent) all those who have trusted in Jesus Christ alone (Rom 3:26). At the very same moment believers are also

4) Believers are reconciled to God, to enjoy “peace with God” (Rom 5:1),

5) Believers are baptized (immersed by the Spirit into Christ’s One Body (1Cor 12:13),

6) Believers are adopted as a child of God (making God their Father), and

7) Believers are positioned at God’s right hand in the heavenlies wherein is “all spiritual blessings” (Eph 2:6).

8) Each believer then has been “sealed” (Eph 1:13) by the deposit of the Holy Spirit of Christ (Rom 8:9, 2Cor 3:17).

9) By all these immediate blessings bestowed upon believers, they are made eternally secure “in Christ,” having then the “helmet of salvation” (Eph 6:17), which enables them to keep their heads about them in times of tribulation or stress.

10) Every believer then also immediately receives the impartation or deposit of Christ’s resurrected “Spirit of life” ( Col 1:27, Rom 8:9, 11b, Eph 3:16) into their human spirit, making them also eternally alive. The “Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:2a) is more than the human “spirit in man” (Job 32:8) that God had originally breathed into mankind via the first man, Adam. Christ’s eternal resurrected “Spirit of life” is the One LIFE that has been proven able to overcome (John 16:32) sin and its resultant eternal death (1Cor 15:56a). Now Christ’s Spirit does the same within every believer.

1 John 5:11-12 (AMP) And this is that testimony (that evidence): God gave us (the believers the) eternal life, and THIS LIFE (Zoe, God’s spirit-life) is IN HIS SON. ¹² He who possesses the Son has THAT LIFE; he who does not possess the Son of God does not have THAT LIFE.

1 John 5:4-5 (NIV) for EVERYONE BORN OF GOD OVERCOMES THE WORLD. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even (that is) our faith. ⁵ WHO IS IT THAT OVERCOMES THE WORLD? ONLY HE WHO BELIEVES THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD.

Beyond salvation from God’s judgment, all these listed blessings are either accounted to or imparted to believers at the very moment they trust in Christ. There also are a multitude more blessings that I have not addressed in this paper, but these here establish us well in “the faith.” Thus, every believer is then equipped to live a life of peace and rest in their hearts. Knowing, understanding and trusting these truths of what we have received, is the ultimate empowerment for victorious Christian living.

Take note now of the above listed immediate blessings of salvation as most appear in the following noted verses and brief commentary.

At the very moment of salvation, we as believers are redeemed and receive forgiveness of all our sins. “WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH (Christ’s) BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, according to the riches of his (God’s) grace” (Eph.1:7).

In Paul’s first sermon he declares: “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that THROUGH THIS MAN (JESUS) is preached unto you THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS: And BY HIM (CHRIST) all that believe are JUSTIFIED (counted innocent) FROM ALL THINGS, from which ye could NOT be justified by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38-39)

Of the blessings listed above, “the forgiveness of sins” must come first. Ephesians 1:7b (above) assures us of “the forgiveness of sins” in Christ; then going on to say “according to THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE.” In the next verse Paul continues: “WHEREIN he hath abounded toward us ...” meaning the believer who first is established in the state of forgiveness and grace; he then has all these further blessings accounted to him.

All believers were formerly “the children of disobedience” due to the sin “spirit” (Eph 1:2) and “nature” (Eph 1:3) that had dominion in us. We, therefore, were “by nature the children of wrath.” “But God, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, for His GREAT LOVE wherewith HE LOVED US,” has given each believer the very life of the resurrected Christ; raising each one of us from the dead, to “heavenly places in Christ...” (Ephesians 2:4-7).

When we are saved we are “reconciled” to God. Colossians 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. Where we had been estranged from God and even enmity with God (Rom 8:7), there now is reconciliation and acceptance of the believer “in Christ.” All believers are clothed with Christ’s righteousness, they are counted as righteous (2Cor 5:21). Christ’s righteousness is “imputed” to the believer (Rom 4:22-24).

Thus, believers are made acceptable and accepted “in Christ.” Every believer enjoys being “reconciled” to God and salvation from perdition “by the death” of Jesus. All a person must do is “believe”; thus identifying with this fact and truth of Christ’s saving work for them… by faith.

When we trust in Christ as our saviour we receive the forgiveness of our sins, redemption from sin, justification, and reconciliation to God. These are “imputed” or counted to us when we believe (Rom 4:24). We receive all this the very moment we trust in Jesus Christ alone as our savior – not trusting in any work or effort of our own. We do as Paul suggests, simply “believe on (trust in) the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Then also at the same time every believer has, quite unknowingly, had a dry baptism wherein they have been baptized or wholly immersed into Christ’s body – the invisible church. “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body… (1 Corinthians 12:13) When God forgives us He no longer sees us as our old sinful selves. God now sees us clothed “IN CHRIST.” Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. He took our place, dying for our sins on Calvary ’s cross. He hung on the cross in our place that we might now stand “COMPLETE IN HIM” (Col.2:10).

Being now “in Him,” the particular church of which we are now members is not Baptist, Presbyterian, or any other manmade people grouping. Our Church is called “the body of Christ.”

“(God) …gave him (Christ) to be the head over all things to THE CHURCH, ²³ WHICH IS HIS BODY, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” (Ephesians 1:2b2-23a)

Beyond the imputed blessings of “the faith” already noted, believers also receive another most wonderful immediate blessing. This blessing is imparted to them – they actually receive God’s “Spirit of adoption,” making them God’s own children and Him their Father. Believers are redeemed so they might receive His “Spirit of adoption.” “To redeem them that were under the law, that we might RECEIVE THE ADOPTION OF SONS. (Galatians 4:5) This is a new kind of adoption, it’s not a legal transaction; it comes to us by means of a new birth, a rebirth in our spirit, which Paul calls “regeneration.” We are immediately regenerated with the “the Spirit of life in Christ.” “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy HE SAVED US, by the washing of REGENERATION, and renewing of THE HOLY GHOST (SPIRIT);” (Titus 3:5) This regenerating Spirit is nothing less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. “Now the Lord is that Spirit” (2Cor 3:17a). This deposit of Christ’s Holy Spirit makes us a brand new creation. 2Corinthians 5:17 Therefore IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATURE: OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW.

This adoption is according to God’s eternal plan for believers. Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: ⁴ According as he hath chosen us in him BEFORE the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: ⁵ Having PREDESTINATED US UNTO THE ADOPTION OF CHILDREN by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶ To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein HE HATH MADE US ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED (CHRIST).

When they “first trust in Christ,” believers are made eternally secure by God who immediately “sealed” them with His Spirit.

Ephesians 1:12-13 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who FIRST TRUSTED IN CHRIST. ¹³ In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of YOUR SALVATION: in whom also after that ye believed, YE WERE SEALED WITH THAT HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE,