Acts 28:16 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

The third P which we are saved from is the power of sin. During our salvation process there is the transfer of power over sin. On this point I must make it clear that power is not consequence. We will deal with that tomorrow. The issue of power is influence. When we were dead in our sins we had no power, dead things have no power. When you accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you are dead in Christ. You still have no power over sin. The transfer of power went from Satan to God, not from Satan to you.

Romans 1:16a For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;

Psalm 49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

Romans 13:1a Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God:

Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

The power over sin resides in God and God in us in the form of the Holy Spirit. As such now this becomes true.

Romans 13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

In order for us to have any power over sin we must surrender to the power which is in us.

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.