Q19. Rescued

[Pastor Ralph]

Q19. (Ephesians 2:8) From what have we been rescued by God’s grace? How has God personally rescued you from your situation before Christ? What did God’s favor have to do with your salvation?

[Krissi]

We are rescued from our own proclivities. Some of us are rescued without knowing we were in trouble.

I have a pretty good idea what I would have been like had I not miraculously -- by His grace! -- become a Christian, which is what everyone else in my family is like, unbelievers all. So, for reasons I do not understand, God plucked only me from this family ... He rescued me even though I didn't know I needed rescuing.

If you're drowning and subsequently plucked out of an ocean, you necessarily feel gratitude and thankfulness, but in my situation, I was drowning but didn't know it. My rescue was entirely His doing. I didn't ask to be rescued; I didn't want to be rescued; I didn't know I needed to be rescued -- but I was rescued. Amazing grace.

 

[t-c]

We have been rescued from our life of sin and separation from God. We were once slaves to sin and we are now slaves to righteousness, in Jesus Christ.

 
God pursued me with His love for many years before I finally came to faith in Jesus Christ. I believed for years in the gospel message and truly wanted to be saved. I attended church but just didn’t get it.
But I also wanted to hold on to my old life and just add Jesus. My old life and Jesus! Doesn’t work that way. God’s kindness and  love eventually led me to repentance through a sermon I was listening to on the radio; about God’s love and how that love is a two way street. God loves me and I also love Him, a relationship. A real heart change for me! That day I got saved and haven’t missed or longed for my old life.          
 

God loves me and He love the world. He also desires that none should be lost and that all should be saved. He leaves the “99” sheep to go out and find the “1” that got lost. His love never falls. He pursues us and doesn’t give up, even if we give up on Him. That’s grace.

 

 

 

[Katy]

Q.19. We have been saved from our sins and from eternal damnation. God has personally saved me by dying on the cross for me. God sent His precious Son from Heaven into this world with one object in mind and that was to die on the cross to give mankind the opportunity of turning from their sinfulness and following God and spending eternity in His presence. It was only through God’s grace and mercy that I have been saved, God was under no obligation to rescue me. I could do nothing to earn or work for my salvation, it is only through my faith and belief in Jesus and all that He has done that I can be saved. Praise God for His grace, mercy and favour. 

[Jen]

Q19. (Ephesians 2:8) From what have we been rescued by God’s grace? How has God personally rescued you from your situation before Christ? What did God’s favor have to do with your salvation?

We have been rescued from our life of sin and the consequences, a life of shame and God's wrath.

Like others I didn't know I was lost although I felt lost sometimes.  I was like a cast sheep and needed a Savior.  I needed to be rescued, from what and to what I didn't know. God personally rescued me when I called out to Him while in Iran during the beginnings of the revolution and He answered my prayer and got me and my children out and gave us a place to stay.

I knew Him shortly thereafter as my Savior.

Why?  Because He loved me as He does all of us and had mercy on me and He has had on all of us.  

God Bless!

Jen

Numbers 6:24-26

[Lottie]

 

Q19. (Ephesians 2:8) From what have we been rescued by God's grace? We have been recued from being God's opponents and from hell itself. We have been rescued fron being seperated from Him forever. We have been saved from the second death and from the clutches of the enemy. We have been freed and given new life. How has God personally rescued you from your situation before Christ? He has saved me from myself. From living in bondage and addiction. From being enslaved to this world and all its attractions that cause me to sin. What did God's favor have to do with your salvation? It was because He chose to save us and nothing we did ourselves. Simply because He n loved us and wanted us to be saved.

[hanks]

Q19. (Ephesians 2:8) 
From what have we been rescued by God's grace? How has God personally rescued you from your situation before Christ? What did God's favour have to do with your salvation? 
God’s grace has rescued us from the power of sin over us, from being slaves to our sinful nature, and from spiritual death. Being dead in our transgressions and sins, we live a life as if God does not exist, and walk according to the leaders of this world. We live this life of deceit, immorality, ungodliness, selfishness, violence, and rebellion; our only concerned is to satisfy our fleshly desires and appetites. We are on our way to spend eternity away from God. The bottom line is that we have been rescued from spending eternity in hell. Only by being united with Christ can we be seen as righteous in God’s sight. It is through His powerful creative work that we are rescued, made spiritually alive, have been raised up, and are seated with Christ. We are totally unworthy of receiving this gift of salvation, and it is given only on the basis of the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. This gift of eternal life is given only through faith in Christ; even this faith is given by grace, a gift of God so that it is all God’s work, and no one can boast. God’s favour has everything to do with my salvation. It is totally only a gift of grace, a free gift, and there is nothing I did or could do to earn this gift. It is grace that is neither earned nor deserved, and definitely not as a result of any ability, effort, or service on my part. Remembering that we deserve nothing but God’s wrath, I can only humbly respond with gratitude, praise, and joy, hoping to bring glory to my Heavenly Father. 
 

[Janzie]

On 10/6/2022 at 7:36 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q19. (Ephesians 2:8) From what have we been rescued by God’s grace? How has God personally rescued you from your situation before Christ? What did God’s favor have to do with your salvation?

We have been rescued from a life without God, a life of sin and spiritual death. 

He personally rescued me from a bad marriage and in my desperation, a friend told me about Jesus.  I cried out to him, put my trust in Him and He rescued me.

As soon as I put my trust in God, He gave me favor and showered me with His wonderful grace and salvation. 

[Diane D.]

• We have been rescued from the absence of God in that, when we take a look at the cursed environment in which we currently live (see Deuteronomy for examples in Deuteronomy 28).  I don't say that Christians are guaranteed a totally blessed life here, however, rescue comes with a trust in God's promises and a knowing that his eyes are always on us while we are here in the boot camp and we are encouraged to have hope and joy and trust that Jesus paid our full penalty.  Spiritually, it means that we are rescued from the worst life both here and in eternity without hope and without connection to God.  If we were not rescued, our lives here and in eternity would be forever hopeless and helpless rather than joyful and full of purpose.
• We cannot earn our salvation.  There is no amount of good doing that would enable us to be rescued.  Only God is capable of taking us in and keeping us close through all eternity.  We simply don't have that capability. Because we acknowledge this, and God knows this, through His live for us, He gifts us with it.  We have only to believe.

 

Janzie!  What a wonderful story.  Thanks for sharing.

[Rob Mc.]

As human beings and sinners, we are wide open to the influence of the evil one.  Our pride, sinful attitude, and love of worldly things (cravings of the flesh) keep us from seeking the “rescue” that God is offering.  But because of His love, God persisted in His mercy, bothering us continuously. 

Eventually, at least in my case, I recognized that I couldn’t finish this journey by myself.  I was lacking something. My wife was a Christian when I met her, and she led me (gently at first) to the Lord.  I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior in 1984, being baptized via submersion in the presence of my aunts and uncles.  But not my parents, who being Roman Catholics, did not understand why my first baptism (shortly after birth) was not good enough, so would not attend this amazing event.  So you see, my R. Catholic upbringing led to a woeful lack of understanding and I almost missed out on being rescued.  But God wouldn't let go.

I hope it is clear that God’s favor kept sending the right people to me at the “right plan” time.  His grace brought me home.  I am now a “handiwork” of God and thankful everyday that He chose me (as I am certain are each one of you).

[BoazNigel]

I have been saved/rescued from sin & eternal judgment - by God's grace

In my own life although I was raised in a somewhat 'religious family' & I was sent to Sunday School as a child - I never heard the Gospel until the late 60s when I read Billy Graham's 'The Jesus Generation' & responded to the Gospel. 

This was despite being 'raised in the church' & being an 'altar boy', a 'choir boy' & a member of the PCC but God in His grace bypassed all of that to reach me

What has God's favour have to do with this? EVERYTHING - Praise His Name!

[Irmela]

Q19. (Ephesians 2:8)

From what have we been rescued by God's grace?
From sin and (death) eternal damnation.  We have literally been saved from the devil's clutches.  

Sin causes spiritual deadness, and we have been saved from this.

We have been saved from being followers of the ways of this world.

We have been saved from conforming to satan, from unknowingly being followers of him.  

We have been saved from indulging in the desires of the flesh and the mind .

We were under the sentence of God's wrath.

How has God personally rescued you from your situation before Christ?

By the richness of His mercy

By His great and wonderful love

By making us spiritually alive with Christ

By raising us up with Christ and seating us in heavenly places with Him (because we are in Him)

By showing us the richness of His grace  by providing for our salvation
What did God's favor have to do with your salvation?

I did not deserve to be saved, it was all His doing, it was unmerited favour (grace).  It was a gift from God.

[haar]

Q19. (Ephesians 2:8) From what have we been rescued by God's grace?

We have been saved from judgment resulting into death sentence due to our sin.

How has God personally rescued you from your situation before Christ?

God loved us while we were yet sinners and sent his only begotten son who was sinless to pay the penalty of my sin and die on my behalf.

What did God's favor have to do with your salvation?

My salvation is due God’s grace and favour, unmerited.
 

[Zanele Tlhakanelo]

God rescued us from spiritual deadness, that is, from our transgressions and sins that we have repeatedly engaged in. We have been rescued from following the ways of this world; from following Satan, who is the ruler of the kingdom of air; and from our own gratification.

God has personally rescued me from my situation before Christ by showing me His abundant love. I could have died in my sin even though I was a church-goer from birth. He saved me from all terminal diseases and never contracted any. That how miraculous of God is and will forever be grateful for rescuing me.

I want to belief that I did not have to work to earn my salvation. It was on through God's love and grace. It is a gift from God that I did not deserve.  

[lighthouse2014]

Being rescued by God's grace has kept us from being opponents or enemies of God. We are all victims of Satan's  lies and deceits, God through his mercy and love has rescued us from eternal damnation.

Before knowing Christ, God rescued me from my evil and unjust ways, thinking of only myself.

Reading the bible and hearing God's word, I realized how much he loved me. Through his favor he granted my salvation through faith in the death and resurrection of his beloved son.     

[Debra Grant]

Q19. (Ephesians 2:8) From what have we been rescued by God’s grace? How has God personally rescued you from your situation before Christ? What did God’s favor have to do with your salvation?

1. We  have been rescued from habitually sinning, following Satan and his deceitfulness. We have been rescued from hell through grace.

2. God rescued me from lying, drinking, smoking, fornication, and following Satan to do what my flesh wanted.

3. Receiving salvation from a burning hell, being able to tell others about his love and grace.

[Dixter Kaluba]

Q19 from eternal death and my continuous subject to the devil's tricks of dangling a bait so that i can be following in his evil ways

God personally has rescued me from my hopeless and desperate situation by making available his word for my spiritual consumption and as a light unto my path

God's goal is to save his creation. So, his favour had to do with my salvation in line with his long plan of salvation for mankind

[pickledilly]

The grace and favor of God has secured rescue for humanity from the consequences of our rebellion and rejection of Him - our transgressions, iniquities, and sins that separate us from Him. Like every other person in this world, I was born with a deadened spirit that is naturally set on what I think and want and feel. The mind, will, and emotions are all components of human make-up where, by default, we're all completely susceptible to the influences of the current ruler of the earth, the enemy of God, satan. So I could not be accepted by God in that state of unholiness and impurity. I was personally doomed to stand before Him one day to answer for my life without a shred of acceptable defense that would set aside the rightful judgment and sentence that I was due. A death sentence was hanging over me with a situation that was hopeless and impossible for me to change.

BUT GOD, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved me, even when I was dead in my trespasses, made me alive together with Christ – by grace. (from Eph.2:4-5)

God sent the only One who was worthy and capable of standing in my place, taking all of my sin upon Himself and bearing my spiritual death sentence of judgment – but with the purity to conquer it. Jesus came to redeem and rescue me. Before I came to understand and fully accept that, I was doomed to eternal separation from God. But the very moment I made this decision, I was fully pardoned for eternity! There’s nothing in me that deserves that or could have earned it. This miracle is truly an outright gift of God’s love and merciful grace.

[JOLLAM BANDA]

We have been rescued by God’s grace from the following: (i) Spiritual deadness caused by transgressions and sin. Our repeated sins and transgressions of God's holy principles have somehow dulled us, deadened us, so we are unperceptive. We are without spiritual life as it pertains to God; (ii) Following a corrupt culture by following the ways of this world; (iii) Following of Satan who is the ruler of the kingdom of the air. Though we pretend to independence, we have come under his influence and are now marching to his drumbeat; (iv) Self-indulgent (Ephesians 2:3a), by gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. We desire, we want, we burn with ****, with hate, with greed, and we steal to satisfy ourselves’ and consequently from (v) Divine judgment and righteous anger since we are rebels against God, justly under a sentence of death.

[blezed]

Q19. (Ephesians 2:8) From what have we been rescued by God’s grace?

We have been rescued from sin.

How has God personally rescued you from your situation before Christ? What did God’s favor have to do with your salvation?

God has personally rescued me from living the life of the world.  God's favor is that he chose to rescue me, an undeserved sinner.

[Old Jerry]

We have been rescued from eternal punishment by God’s grace. It was Christ that rescued me from my situation. He died on the cross for me. God’s favor sent His son for my salvation.

[Lisa Wolf]

Q19. (Ephesians 2:8) From what have we been rescued by God’s grace? How has God personally rescued you from your situation before Christ? What did God’s favor have to do with your salvation?

From what have we been rescued???  You offer a great quote here, "Yes, sinning is pretty ugly and involves a lot of human cooperation, but sinners are victims of Satan's lies and deceit just like we used to be. At the root of this is the fact that they are human beings caught in a whirlpool they can't escape from. They need rescuing."  Whirlpool is a terrific analogy. Sin is a whirlpool. God showed his grace to me in revealing to me that Jesus was REAL.  Once I could see that Jesus REALLY died on the cross for me...no turning back.

[HCDukes]

Topic: Rescued

Q19. Ephesians 2:8 (AMP)

“For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God;”

3 Question(s):

1)From what have we been rescued by God's grace? 

2)How has God personally rescued you from your situation before Christ? 

3)What did God's favor have to do with your salvation?

Answer(s):

1)We have been rescued from eternal damnation/death/separation from God. 

2)God’s prevenient grace rescued me from my self life, darkness and life of sin. God first sought me.

3)God’s favor had EVERYTHING to do with my salvation. Acts 4:12 say’s it all for me: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”