Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

We all have an eternal life after this earthly life is over. The question only remains as to which of the two eternities you will experience, punishment or a righteous life. How can we avoid punishment?

The second aspect of sin from which we are saved once we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the penalty phase. This is the eternal judgment of God.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Just exactly where does mankind fall under condemnation in the first place?

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

We already covered John 3:16 and 17 but it is 3:18 that speaks to the only reason we fall under condemnation. It is not because of our sin(s) that we are condemned but rather because we failed to accept the free will offering of salvation in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The reprieve from condemnation does not come on judgment day, it comes in life, in the life in Christ. We who have accepted the offering of salvation have already received a pardon before we die in the flesh. We have become one of His own.

2 Timothy 1:9-10 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

Given us IN CHRIST. That precious promise of eternal salvation is made to us because we are in Christ.

John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

The first thing that needs to be explained is what exactly are we saved from?

Romans 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Over the next four devotionals I will be covering the four aspects of sin from which we are saved. Today it is P1, the first thing we are saved from is the pleasure of sin. Sin never stops being what sin is, pleasing to the flesh. We are not talking about the salvation of the flesh, we are talking about the salvation of the soul.

Psalm 72:13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.

We are first saved from the pleasure of sin when we recognize we need to be saved. No one will come to a doctor unless they feel like they need to be healed.

Luke 5:31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

Let me put it yet another way.

Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

If you have ever seen a dog eat until they make themselves sick and vomit, it is disgusting to watch that dog eat his own vomit. Disgusting as that is, we were or are like that before being saved. At what point do we recognize we need help? When do we know we are sick!

Recognize that what we are doing is no longer satisfying. Sin does not provide the lasting pleasure we seek. We repeat the sequence of sin over and over and it does not satisfy.

John 4;13-14 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.