When we accept His free gift of salvation, we have total and complete forgiveness. When we sin, it is like a debt, a spiritual and moral debt. This debt we are not capable of paying. Jesus paid the debt that sin created when He willingly gave His life on the cross. Our forgiveness is purchased by the shed blood of Jesus.

Randy and Tina were a young couple who had very little. Neither one had much of an education, and the job that Randy held was low paying. One of their daughters ran up high medical bills. This was due to having an open spine at birth. Although they sought as much public assistance as possible they were still left with some high bills.

Shortly after making a commitment to the Lord and becoming faithful in their church, a wonderful thing happened. After making small but faithful payments on these bills they received notice that these debts were forgiven. The debts were completely taken off the books. It was as if they never had the debts!

The debt of sin is tremendous. Like a mountain that has to be moved. Because of Jesus' blood and work on the cross, that debt is paid, it is as if we had never sinned!

There has been much discussion on the topic "Born Again". There has also been some misunderstanding. To become born again is to have a new nature placed inside of you. This new nature is your spirit becoming alive towards God. Jesus also stated in John chapter three "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit", this gives us the definition that to be born again is to be born of the Spirit or to have your spirit become alive towards God.

This newness of spirit changes the inner nature. A person's desires and outlook will be changed. Instead of looking for ways to get by with sin, he looks for ways to avoid sin.

Salvation of the past grants to us complete forgiveness and a new nature inside.

The actions of a person can define who they are. Michelle Jordan is defined as a basketball super star. This dramatically effects what he does and what opportunities are available to him.

An ex-convict experiences a similar phenomenum, but only in the negative. He can great difficulty finding a job, and his voting privileges can be denied.

Our past sins can have similar negative effect on us. This effect can prevent us from enjoying all the benefits and privileges that come with salvation. Jesus, however, through His blood has separated us form our sin as far as the East is from the West! As far as God is concerned, our past sins have absolutely no reference to us. This means that our freedom from the past is complete.

Salvation from the past gives us complete forgiveness, a new nature, and freedom from the sins of the past.

Through the gift of salvation found in Jesus Christ we move from being cursed to being blessed. While under sin we are under a curse. Our general state of existence is unpleasing to God. We are heavily influence by the prince of this world, that is the devil.

This wonderful salvation moves us to the place of being blessed. We are no longer under sin, but under the grace of God. We become very pleasing to God and He delights in our existence! Our main influence becomes God Himself.

This is like being born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Someone characterized like this is someone who has all the privileges of life and the advantages of wealth. When we become blessed, we suddenly have all the privileges that are afforded to a child of God, and all the wealth of heaven to supply our need.

Salvation of the past gives to us complete forgiveness of sins, a new nature, freedom from the past, and causes us to be blessed.

As children of God, born again, sin does not have to have power over us. Sin begins with temptation. Temptation is to have no power over a child of God. In the midst of temptation God will provide both power and wisdom on how to navigate through it. By submitting to God, and resisting the temptation, the devil has to flee from us. Weather the temptation is coming from within us or from without we do not have to give in to it!

I can remember when my wife and I were flying from Dallas Texas, while attending school, to Spokane Washington to become married. We were flying a week ahead of time to work on preparations for the wedding. Our plane landed in Denver CO, the connecting flight was canceled due to snow, so we were put up in a nice hotel at the airliner's expense. The temptation to sleep together was tremendous, after all who would know? In the midst of that temptation the grace of God was upon us. We simply said good night and went to our different rooms. And we are very thankful for that to this day!

Salvation from the present mean power over the temptation of sin!

Most people carry conflicts within. These are unresolved issues that can have a great impact on our lives. God's salvation in Jesus brings reconciliation, it brings peace. There are many things that we will not understand in life, but we can still have peace without understanding.

A woman by the name of Coetta enjoyed 20 years of ministering side by side with her husband. Then without warning her husband died. Tragic and devastating are the words to describe what happened. In the midst of all this Coetta gained peace, and with this peace became reconciled in her heart to her situation. The Lord never forsook her but challenged her. She continues on, with joy, in the ministry that she and her husband began!

Salvation of the present gives power over temptation and reconciliation to the issues within!

Salvation of the present also means healing for our bodies. The passage quoted above out of Matthew states that everyone who was sick and came to Jesus were healed. With Jesus comes healing. While Jesus was beaten and whipped under the hands of Pontius Pilate, according to 2 Peter, He was paying the price for our healing.

Everywhere in the book of Acts when you see the Gospel preached, and this wonderful salvation accepted, you see people who were healed. God is the God of health and healing.

A woman by the name of Francis was diagnosed with breast cancer, a leading killer among women. She took her situation to the Lord and believed the promise that her salvation includes healing for today. Although it was not instantaneous, over time she was healed and the doctors were puzzled. Today she has been cured from that dreaded disease.

We live in a natural world and have natural needs. This wonderful salvation, salvation of the present includes providing for our natural needs. It is God's desire that we as His children would prosper. It glorifies Him when His people do well, not when His people do poorly.

In Jesus we become blessed, in Jesus our needs are met by His riches in glory. Earlier you will remember that we are no longer cursed, but blessed. The salvation that Jesus purchased for us includes the provision of every natural need that we might have.

Years ago while pastoring in a small community I was in need of a pickup truck. The one I was driving was very old, and looked it as well. The Lord placed it on an individual's heart to purchase a better truck for me. Shortly, I was driving a very nice metallic green truck. I've experienced God's provision time and time again in so many areas!

Salvation of the present means power over temptation, peace to inner conflict, physical healing, and provision for our natural needs.

Some say that there is no devil. The truth is there is God who is good, and there is a devil who is terribly evil. Just as there is both a heaven and a hell. Jesus said that the devil seeks only to kill, steal, and destroy. This is the devil's mission.

We like to think that his mission doesn't include us, but it does include us! This wonderful salvation includes giving us power over all the power of the enemy, that is the devil. He may come around to raise havoc, but He who is in you, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, is greater than the devil.

The devil will use rumor, lies, and manipulated circumstances to cause you to lose a job, home or family. We have power to stand up against such attacks. In prayer we can take authority over what the devil would try to accomplish, and stand victorious! The key to this victory is to have a sure knowledge of our power over the enemy and then not back down.

Salvation of the present covers everything for this present life, power over temptation, peace to inner conflicts, physical healing, provision for natural needs and power over the devil.

Naturally Salvation of the future means that we are accepted in the heavenly presence of God almighty. But there will be far more things than just going to heaven, in our salvation of the future.

One of these things is the fullness of knowledge. Here in the natural present we are quite limited, seeing as it were through a dim glass. In the future it will be all clear, and we shall know just as we are known by Him.

One of the most blessed aspects of this is that we shall know Him. God is infinite, and we will never have a complete knowledge of Him, but we will have a full knowledge of Him. This knowledge will give life and a wholeness yet to be imagined!

Salvation of the future means a fullness of knowledge.

This is exciting! Imagine having all the wisdom you have acquired over a life time, all of your life's experiences, and the fullness of knowledge in a young flawless twenty two year old body! A body that could never become ill, a body designed to enjoy the fullness of life. This is salvation of the future.

We see in the Gospels that Jesus was given an immortal body after His ressurection. A body of flesh and bone. He could walk through walls and doors, and yet have someone touch Him. We are also told that Jesus is the first born of many, meaning us. It is reasonable to assume that we will have bodies like Jesus!

Salvation of the future means fullness of knowledge and an immortal body, and much more that what we will cover at this time.