I want to share something with us very briefly, I trust God is going to be brief. And it has been titled: The Truths About Eternal Redemption. And one thing that the Holy Spirit kept emphasizing in my heart, as He was preparing me for this writeup, is the fact that there is need for us to re-echo and to re-emphasize in the hearts of men, the need for redemption, the need for salvation. You see, there is a provision of God that He has made available by which man can be saved. If mankind will not take advantage of this provision, the fault is not going to be from God. The fault is going to be with humans. And that is why for those of us that God has enabled, and he has given this task of letting out His word to the to the world, it is our responsibility to let the whole world know that there is a provision of God that has been made available so that man can escape from the tribulations and trials that is pervasive in the world.

 

So, in this piece, I want to share with us these truths. And I believe it's going to resonate with us, it is going to resonate with as many people that will come across this piece in the mighty name of Jesus. Let's open our Bibles to Hebrews Chapter 2 from verse 1-3. There is something I quickly want to show us there about what we are going to be talking about in this piece. The Bible says: “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. ² For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, ³ how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation…” And I want us to pay attention to those words. It says: which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him…”

 

So, what does this particular Scripture is showing us? It is simply showing us that salvation redemption is the escape that God has made available. It says: If we neglect salvation, it says, how shall we escape? Now notice, the first thing it says is that “we must give heed to the things that we have heard.” What are the things that we've heard? That's the question, what are the things that we must pay attention to? What are the things that we must give heed to? It says, pay attention to them because these words are not ordinary words. These words are not just the words of men. They are words that has been packaged from above, from the throne of grace, which are capable of saving humankind from damnation.

 

So, the writer of Hebrews said, how shall we escape? So, there is no other way of escape for anyone on earth, whether a man or a woman if such a person neglects salvation. That is the provision. That is the redemption that we are talking about. If anyone rejects this provision, it says no other way of escape in any other form. Now, there is no way we will understand this better. I want us to go to our main text, 1 Corinthians chapter 15. We are going to be reading from verse 1-19. But we will not read the verses at a stretch, it will help us to understand what Hebrews 2:1-3 that we read, you know, in a proper context, 1 Corinthians chapter 15, I want us to examine some certain words that Apostle Paul wrote to the folks at Corinth concerning this same subject matter. Now look at what the Bible says, Paul said:

 

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, and in which you stand.” Now, don't forget Hebrews Chapter 2, from verse one, the writer says, we should take it to the things we have heard or else you will drift away. Now if you look at what Paul is saying, it says, “which also you received, and in which you stand…” So, that tells us that the gospel is the platform upon which we stand. As believers, and as unbelievers, who will come into Christ, the gospel is the platform upon which we stand, if there is not going to be a fall away, then we must be standing on something. You know, there is that song that says “all other grounds, they are sinking sand.”

 

The Gospel is that solid rock upon which we stand. It says: By which also you are saved. So, the gospel saved us, and it also became the platform for our standing in the faith. It says: “if you hold fast.” So, there are conditions, if you hold fast, that word, which I preached to you. So, there is a holding onto. Did we get that? There is a holding onto. First and foremost, there are things that we have heard certain words that we have heard. Now Paul is showing us that hold fast to those words, and then let them be the basis of your standing in the faith. Hold onto them. If you will not fall away, or drift away, stand upon these words. He says, if you don't do so, it means you are believed in vain. So, Paul was showing us something fundamental in these verses, that there is an eternal dimension to salvation.

 

Now, what makes salvation eternal, it is simply because the vehicle upon which salvation is conveyed, is not man made, it is divine. Salvation is a divine provision of God for man to be saved. If you read Galatians chapter 1, from verse 11-12. What makes salvation divine and eternal is because of the platform upon which it came. And Paul showed us that platform in Galatians, chapter 1 from verse 11-12 the same Paul wrote: “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man…” The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, that brings about redemption and salvation is not orchestrated by man. It is divine, it is revelational. Look at what he says further:

 

“For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Did we see that? So, the gospel is a revelation of Jesus Christ. It is divine, it is supernatural, it is spiritual. So, this is the perspective that gave salvation that eternal dimension. This is the perspective that gives redemption that eternal nature. So, the gospel is not the orchestration of any man. The gospel is the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now let's go back to verse three to four of that first Corinthians chapter 15. Let's look at what Paul said further. It says: “For I delivered to you, first of all, that which I also received.” So, Paul was showing us that this gospel was received. Don't forget, he said, “I was not taught, I received it by revelation.” I don't want to go into the antecedents of Paul, it is something that we all are familiar with.

 

So, he says, I received, that Christ died for our sins, not for His home sin. Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and this is the provision that God has made, that Christ should come and die for the sins of the world. Not for the sins of the angelic beings in heaven, not for the sins of the Godhead, not for his own personal sin. It says, He died for our sins, according to the Scripture, verse four, and that He was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures. Now, what exactly did Christ come to do? You see, what Christ did for us is that He took our place. The provision is that Christ should come and be the propitiation for our sins, and take our place.

 

So, in other words, the consequences of the errors of human race were punished upon Jesus Christ, it is called substitution. Jesus took your place, He took my place, so that you don't have to suffer so that you don't have to go through the consequences of the errors of humankind. Now, you will understand how substitution works. For example, if you look at a typical football match, and the referee subs, a player who was already on the field of play, so the implication of that is that the player who is about to go in, will go and play the roles; is not the way it works, of the player that is coming out. So, if a particular player was playing, maybe center back, for instance, I'm just trying my best. And the referee says, “Okay, you so, so and so player, go and take the position of the center back.” What it means is that the activities and the performance of that original center back will be transferred back to the player that is being substituted. Please pardon my football ignorance. I'm just trying, you know.

 

So, what does substitution mean? It simply means that Christ came, and then took our place. In other words, the punishment that was meant for the errors of human race, Christ came and then took that punishment on Himself, He took our place. So, we took the place of Christ. And then Christ took our place. Let me show us a Scripture that will help us. 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5, from verse 9-10. This Scripture will give a clearer explanation than the substitution example. Pardon me. Paul explained further this way, it says: “For God did not appoint us to wrath...” So that shows us something that there was a wrath upon mankind. There was a punishment kind of upon mankind. But the Bible says God did not appoint us to that wrath, it says, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Even though there is a wrath, God says, He has not appointed us to it, but as many that we obtain salvation will escape this wrath. You know what wrath talks about? It talks about vengeance. Did we see that? it says, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Look at verse 10. It says: “who died for us that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.” Did we see that? So, we can see from this verse that salvation has been made available for us for the taking. Salvation has been made available for us to obtain. So, when we obtain salvation, the wrath, you know, that was hitherto meant for humankind, has been transferred to Jesus. And that was exactly what he was explaining in this place. That if we hold fast to the things that we've heard, that Christ has made available for us through redemption, it says that we can live instead of dying.

 

So, anything negative that you could imagine that should come as a result of the consequences of sins of man, you can see it being played out in the life of Jesus. That's what he's saying. Look at 2 Corinthians 5 14-15. It's a reference Scripture to that. The same thing Paul is saying, He says, “For the love of Christ compels us because we judge thus that if one died for all, then all died.” So, Christ died for all of us. So it was, you know, in this scenario, that as Christ was dying, we were also dying with Him. You know, there is a Scripture in Romans that talks about that, that if we died with Christ, we should also, you know, rise with Him.

 

But Paul is showing us that Scripture here in another format. It says that if one died for all, then all died. Verse 15 says, “and He died for all, that those who live…” Those who now live, these people who live were meant to die before, but now they live because Christ died for them. Now, those who live should live no longer for themselves but for Him who died for them, and rose again. Now, this was made possible because Jesus stepped into time and took our place. Are we getting something? Now let's go back to 1 Corinthians 15, we will read from verse 5-11. Don't forget where we stopped, please. 1 Corinthians 15, from verse 5-11. Let's see some of the things that Paul said.

 

“and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. ⁶ After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. ⁷ After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. ⁸ Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. ⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. ¹¹ Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”

 

Now, Paul was showing us something fundamental in this place. It says “the grace of God was what made redemption possible.” So, you can look at grace as that heavenly resource or a divine resource that facilitated our escape from the corruption of the world. Did we see that? He said “the grace of God.” So, when Christ took our place, grace was made available and that grace drew us to Him, and Him to us. Now, don't forget in Titus 2:11, the Bible says, “the grace of God that brings about salvation.” So, grace is that resource that made salvation available. There is nothing like you can’t be saved or you can't be redeemed, there is no humankind or any man or woman that cannot be redeemed. Why? Because the resource to make that redemption possible for you has being made available. It is called Grace.

 

Grace is a divine resource. And the Bible makes us to understand that that grace has been given to all men, it has appeared to all men. Now you can begin to categorize “all men” as “all men” in that context. Now what does that signifies? It simply means that there is no one on the face of the earth that is not worthy of salvation. There is no one on the face of the earth that that redemption provision does not cover. It doesn't matter whether you are Hindu, or whatever you belong to, whether you are white or black. You see, salvation is not for the Jews alone. Isn’t that what Paul showed us? When the Jews were trying to misbehave, God reached out to the Gentiles. Do we understand? So, when you begin to look at all men, it simply means all men, there is no man irrespective of whatever you think you have done grace has been made available for you. That grace is that resource that is drawing you to God.

 

Look at what it says in verse 12. It says that grace is: “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age…” Let me ask the question, what do we need to live soberly and righteously in this present age? He says grace. So as much as that grace is working for you and I who have believed that grace is also working for as many who are yet to be saved. To us that grace is making us to understand that see, there is now a way to live. Grace is not a license to sin. Grace is not a license to misbehave. If the Bible says we have been saved by grace through faith, how come it is that same grace that is now giving you the go ahead to sin? It is not possible. So, grace is a resource to us who have believed, it gives us that platform to live soberly and righteously in this age.

 

Now, how many of us knows that this age is not a palatable age? If you remove the grace of God from this present age, have you imagined how the world will look like? Let's assume there is no grace. Let's assume there is no salvation, have you imagined how the world will look like if there are no believers in the world? Imagine all of us are like Putin. Imagine all of us in the face of the earth, you know, so to say are like Adolf Hitler? Now, what exactly can you imagine how this world will look like? It will be chaotic? Do we understand what I'm trying to say? So, grace is that resource that is helping us to live soberly in this age, it is still the same age. Even though it looks as if we live in a more civilized world, and things are more technological and all of that, but in that time as well they have their own peculiar issues as well, that made up that age. Do we understand? Now what is the difference? Grace! Grace has been given to us. That grace helps us to live soberly, quietly, gently, righteously, that grace also is facilitating redemption. Salvation is reaching out to all men, not some men.

 

Verse 13 says: “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Did we see that? So, grace is teaching us. Grace is not a license to misbehave. Grace is always exposing us to how to live soberly and righteously in this present age.

 

1 Corinthians chapter 15, look at what it says in verse 12-14 of that Scripture, we are going to verse 19. Let's go back. We are going to read from verse 12-14. It says: “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. ¹⁴ And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.” Now, did we see that? He says the reason, the basis upon which our salvation and redemption is standing is because Christ died and then He rose. You know, I perceived there were some people at the time who were arguing whether Christ resurrected or not.

 

So, Paul was telling them that see, that if Christ truly did not resurrect, you can discard everything that we preach to you. It means there is no salvation, there is no redemption, and there is no faith anywhere. Because the basis upon which our salvation rests, is that Christ came into the world, He was sinless, He took our place, He was persecuted, He died and then He rose again on the third day, and now He is the right hand of the Father, the Bible says full of glory and majesty. So, faith stands upon these revelations. Did we see that? It says: “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty, and your faith also is empty. In other words, there is no basis upon which your faith is standing. So, what give credence to that provision of God is that Christ died and resurrected. If Christ did not resurrect, you see, the disciples will not propagate the gospel. Because Christ told them, he says, “destroy this temple, and in three days, I will build it.” The Pharisees and the Sadducees got angry, they thought he was talking about their synagogue, their physical building, not knowing that Jesus was talking about the Temple of his body, he was going to die and the buried and then on the third day, resurrect. And the Bible says on that third day, very early in the morning, His disciples ran to the tomb, to really find out if what he said, was really true. And when they got there, they met an empty tomb. And that was the beginning of the good news, the gospel that this man said He was going to resurrect, and then He did same. And it did not stop there.

 

The Bible says he even…, you know He could have resurrected and go back. The Bible says He was with His disciples in that glorious body for 40 days. Is that not what the book of Acts showed us? He was with them. So, He didn't just resurrect and disappeared, and say “well, I have done my part for, for you guys carry on from here “, No! He was with them for 40 days in that glorious body. The Bible made us to understand that they would be in a place and Jesus would appear, you know, before He would walk in with them, but in that glorious state, He will appear. You know, when Thomas was having a conversation with them, whether truly He had resurrected or not, the Bible says Jesus just showed up, and then begin to show him his hands and his legs and then see, I am the same person.

 

That is why the Scripture says, “even though we used to know Christ in the flesh, He says, No ye him not in the flesh again, anymore.” That is the basis of our faith. He resurrected; He did not remain in the grave. The Bible says he went down to Sheol, hell, and then He trip death naked. Look at verse 15-19, it says: “Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God…” If Christ did not resurrect, he says you can call us false witnesses; “because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up…” So, it means we will be telling you lies if we had said that God raised Him up, and He did not raise him hope. That's what Paul was saying. He says, Call Us liar. And when you call us liar, we will in turn, call God, a liar. And the Bible says God is not a man that he will lie.

 

It says further: —if in fact the dead do not rise. ¹⁶ For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. ¹⁷ And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile…” it is failure. It's telling you there is no faith. If Christ is not risen, there is no faith anywhere. You don't have any basis to believe anything. If Christ had no risen, I will not be preaching this message. If Christ had not risen, you will not be here listening to this message. He says our faith is failed, it is futile, it is not powerful, it is not producing any transformation at all. That's what he's saying. It says: “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” In other words, there is no redemption anywhere and your sins, they still remain. ¹⁸ Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. There is no hope for resurrection of those who have died in Christ. So, Christ is the firstborn among many brethren, Christ showed us that these things are possible. ¹⁹ If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”

 

Did we see that? So, what was Paul showing them in essence? Paul was showing them that see, the basis upon our faith is that Christ died and he rose again, if that did not happen, then count us as liars. And also, if that did not happen, that Christ died, then know that your sins remain. And the consequences of those sins will be visited upon you. That was what Paul was saying. He says if Christ did not rise again, then we will have the cause to also go back to God and ask Him what you said, is not true. But in all of these things, Paul was saying, we have shown you that Christ died, and then he resurrected by our preaching, but it does not end there. If only in this life, you have hope in Christ, He says, you are still most miserable. You are pitiable.

 

If the reason why you became born again, is so that you can enjoy wealth and prosperity alone. He says that is still miserable. I'm going somewhere. If only in this life, you accepted Christ, so that you don’t end up in certain places that you've been told, not because you didn't love God, but you just want to escape, he says you are still most pitiable, because salvation is eternal, it is not only here.

 

You see, the life that Christ came to give us is not only for this place alone, it is for that place, as well. And that is the eternal dimension of that redemption that we are looking at that life in Christ is not only for this world alone, when we ask people to be saved, and received this provision, it is not so that you won't fall sick, or so that you can live and die at an old age. No, it is about now and there. It is the gateway to enjoying eternity with God. That is the essence of redemption. That is the essence of salvation. And that is why Paul said, “therefore, knowing the terror of God, he says we persuade men” that your life is not all about this earthly realm, is not all about this place. There is an eternity dimension to your life. And what will guarantee that eternity dimension to your life is what you do here with redemption, what you do here with the gospel.

 

What Happens If Man Rejects Eternal Redemption?

 

Let me show us two things. What exactly happens if man rejects eternal redemption. Number one, there is wrath an indignation upon every soul of man that rejects redemption. This provision that God has made available. He says, if you reject it, if you don't accept it, freely it has been given to you, it says wrath and indignation awaits that soul of man who rejects. John 3:36, look at what Jesus said. He said: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life…” ‘HAS’, what does that connotes? Possesses! Do we understand? and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

 

Now, he was speaking to people who are alive, He was not talking about their natural life. He was talking about another kind of life, a divine kind of life. So, don't assume He was speaking to dead men and women, he was speaking to people who were alive at the time. he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” on that one, the wrath of God. So, anyone who rejects that salvation package has the wrath of God abiding in them. That's what Jesus was showing them in that place. And that is why we, we preach salvation, we teach salvation and redemption, it is not because of any other things but so that men can escape that wrath and that indignation and that the souls of men do not perish. Knowing therefore the terror of God, we persuade men.

 

Look at the second thing I want to show us. Anyone who rejects redemption, the person risk losing eternity with God. Any man, any woman who rejects redemption, risk losing eternity with God. Now, the implication of this is simple. If you reject God, what it simply means is that you are accepting something else. There is God and there is Satan. There is faith and there is unbelief. So, if you reject one, you don't stand on the fence. You are not a moralist. Moralism is not what will commend faith to you. It is being saved. So, you can't say “I don't want God, I don't want Satan. I just want to live my life philosophically.”

 

Philosophy does not save any man. How many philosophies today are saving the world? Look at many philosophers and their philosophies, they have failed. You know, there is this example. Look at…there is the basis upon which, for example, United Nations and NATO and all those organizations, there is a philosophy that binds those organizations. But what is happening in Ukraine today, have those philosophies helped anybody? No! So, if you reject God, what you're simply saying is that I am embracing something else. If I reject God, I am embracing Satan. If I reject the Word of God that brings about salvation, it means I am accepting the philosophies of men, and that does not commend anyone to God. That's what it means.

 

Look at what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 10:28, Jesus said something to His disciples, it says, “And do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” So, if you reject redemption, it says God is capable of destroying your soul in hell. Now, it is in His mercy. It is the justice system of God. You know, the Bible makes us to understand something about second death. As many that will not embrace salvation, what it means is that they are embracing Satan. And the Bible made us to understand that the destiny of Satan had been preordained.

 

As many that will follow Satan till the end will also end up where Satan will end up. Where did the Bible show us that Satan will end up? The Bible says in the lake of fire. So, that any man will not end up in that lake of fire that is why redemption has been made available. Revelation Chapter 20, verse 11-15, I just want to show us something that if you will not embrace salvation, if you will not embrace redemption, at such a time as this, it simply means you are embracing Satan, and where Satan ends is where such a person will end. See what John wrote to us:

 

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

 

This is called ‘second death’. In this kind of death, there is no coming back to life, it is eternity with Satan and his cohort in the lake of fire. You know, if a man dies spiritually, redemption can make the person to be alive again to God. That is spiritual death. When you receive salvation or you become saved, and the blood of Jesus washes your sin, you will be active back to God, God will receive you, your spirit will be active, you can communicate with God, you can fellowship with God again, that is for spiritual death. When a man dies physically, chances are the person can still come back to life are there. The Bible gave us an example. Right? Many examples, Lazarus was dead for four days. And Jesus called him back to life. Jarius daughter was dead. And then she was she was brought back to life. The woman in the in the Kings, was it Elijah or Elishah, that the son died. People can die physically and then by the power of God, they can be prayed for, and then life, physical life will come back to them, it is biblical.

 

But when we talk about second death, there is no coming back. It is the final destination for as many who will remain ungodly, for as many who would not receive redemption provision that God has made available. So, what should be our disposition? Redemption is that way out, salvation is that way out. As many people who are yet to give their lives to Christ, the reason why we are teaching these and showing people this is because there is still grace, we are in the dispensation of grace, no doubts. When you call upon the name of the Lord at such a time as this for salvation, you will be saved. That's what the Bible made us to understand. If you confess Christ Jesus with your mouth and you believe in your heart, he says, you will be saved.

 

So, grace is available. And that is why if you are reading right now, and you are yet to give your life to Christ, it is another opportunity to receive Christ. Because these things are real. Eternal redemption is real, salvation is real. These things are palpable. They are not Biblical stories. They are the Word of God, the foundation upon which our salvation and faith stands.

 

May the Lord Help us all in Jesus’ name!

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Obayomi Abiola Benjamin!

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