"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits..." - Psalm 103:2
Our salvation in Christ Jesus does so much more than just give us entry to heaven after this life is over. It's so much more than just having our names listed in the Lamb's Book of Life. It's so much more than just feeling a good and fuzzy feeling.
It's so much more than that.
The truth is, the salvation we receive in Christ is the ticket to pretty much anything that we could ever dream of, work for, and ask God for. It's the key to unlimited blessings. It's the door to a whole new world where we find ourselves loved, cherished, and given a future regardless of who we are.
All of these things are given to us in Christ, because He has accomplished for us that which we could not accomplish: the will of God. He took the beating for our sake (Isaiah 53:4-6), experienced being separated from God for a time for our sake (see Matthew 27:46), and died on that cross for our sake (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 4:25). In the end, we read Him say,
"It is finished!" (see John 19:30)
Christ's atoning sacrifice does for us so much more than we can ever imagine or think. It does for us so much more than our hearts and minds can ever comprehend. And it does so much more for us than we can ever do for ourselves no matter how much we try.
To help you live in the fullness of Christ's salvation, here are a few benefits that only His atoning death and resurrection can give us.
1) It gives us access to the Father
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."" (John 14:6)
Christ gives us access to the Father. While sin separated us from our loving and holy Creator, Christ's atoning sacrifice sets us free from the grip of sin and allows us to be reconciled with the Father. Through Christ, we can now call God our "Father" and be assured of His love for us. (see Romans 8:31-39)
2) It gives us the privilege of being adopted as sons unto God
"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:26-29)
More than just being enabled to call God our Father, we are now legally His children through Christ. And think about the benefits that this gives!
Through Christ we enjoy the benefits of God's goodness. We are assured of open arms and open ears every time we come (see Hebrews 4:16). We are assured of all heavenly blessings in Christ (see Ephesians 1:3). These and many more are allotted for us.
3) It gives us an ever-present and indwelling hope for this life and beyond
"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14)
More than just being assured of eternal life after we die on earth, we are also assured of an abundant life on earth (see John 10:10). God gives us His Holy Spirit - the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead - as a guarantee of His love to us. The Holy Spirit allows us to live confident that God will never leave us nor forsake us, not to mention empower us to live a life of holiness and godliness.
