Christians in this age of grace have more reason to rejoice in their salvation than believers of any previous time.

The original plan!

• Very early in man's history, God revealed His plan to bring spiritual blessing to the entire world through Abraham.
• God promised:
• In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.  Genesis 12:3
• History unfolded the details of Abraham's seed providing a specific Saviour as a sacrifice for sin.
• Then the remainder of the nation was to become a kingdom of priests ministering to the world.
• Romans 15:8-12
• When Christ came the first time, it was "to confirm the promises made unto the fathers," vs 8.
• Had Israel responded in belief, the millennial kingdom would have been established and Gentiles would have at last enjoyed God's blessing.
• Then, the Gentiles would have glorified "God for His mercy," (vs 9), rejoiced, (vs 10) and praised the Lord because they too would trust in Him (vs 11-12).

• Israel refused to believe and God's plan to bless the Gentiles could have been frustrated.
• However, "the God of hope" still had a plan for the Gentiles.
• Romans 11:11-14 explains that God is now blessing Gentiles NOT through Israel's rise to prominence, but through her fall from God's unique favor.
• As a result, salvation is offered to all apart from Israel's promises solely on the basis of grace.

• He even exhorts us to abound in the confident expectations of eternal blessings.
• Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: Ephesians 1:3
• Colossians 2:2 - That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

Galatians 2:16 - Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Ephesians 1:13 -  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

I Thessalonians 2:13 -  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Romans 4:24 -  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

Romans 6:8-10 -  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Romans 10:4 - For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Romans 10:9,10 - That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

I Timothy 3:16 - And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

I Timothy 4:3,4 - Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

II Timothy 1:12 - For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.