Salvation
Summary
Fundamental 6
Salvation: The Incredible Truth
“For god so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
God the Father and Christ the Son are both spoken of as Saviour and thus are agents of salvation. In the Old Testament, the Messiah receives salvation from God (Psalms 19:6; 20:1-2), but He in turn comes to offer salvation to the ends of the earth (Zechariah. 9:9; Isaiah 49:6,8). In the New Testament, God the Father is Saviour in that He provides salvation by sending His Son and through Him, the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:47, 67; 1 Timothy 2:13; 4:10;Ttitus 3:4-6). The Son was born to save God’s people from their sin and their enemies (Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:71) and that was the aim of His ministry. Luke 19:10; John 3:17) As Saviour Jesus heals (Mark 5:34; 10:52), justifies (Titus 2:13-14; 3:6, 7), heals the Church (Ephesians 5:23), and gives eschatological deliverance and blessing (Philippians 3:20; Titus 2:13).
The Biblical concept of salvation progressively unfolds. Salvation grows until its final accomplishment (Hebrews 6:9). Christ saves in His second coming (Hebrews 9:28). Salvation will be revealed on the last day (1 Peter 1:5), and Christians must grow to the fullness of salvation (1 peter 2:2). He who perseveres to the end attains salvation. (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; Mark 13:13). One must lose his life in order to save it (Matthew 16:25; Mark 8:25; Luke 9:24). Salvation is entrance into the eschatological kingdom (Matthew 19:25; Mark. 10:26; Luke 13:23; 18:26). Salvation in the eschatological sense returns to the Old Testament idiom in which salvation means victory; the salvation of man is God’s final victory over evil.
Salvation involves three ideas:
- Justification. Man must be freed from the just punishment which God’s judicial sentiment requires so that he may without fear be reconciled to God but in such a way that God may still be just in his justifying or saving action. Blood sacrifice; (Romans 5:9). 2. Temporal Victory. Victory over evil was promised through the “seed of the woman” (Genesis 3:15). It was accomplished by the Holy Spirit working in Old Testament leaders as they subdued idolatry and evil in Israel and conquered pagan nations and supremely by the victory of the Christ (Anointed One) over Satan (Matthew 4:11; 12:26-29). Finally in the church age, Christ sends the Holy Spirit to work in and through the Church so that believers work out their own victory over evil (Luke 10:17-20; 19:9; phil. 2:12-13; 1 Timothy 2:15; 4:16). 3. Final Deliverance and Blessing. Christ will come a second time and deal finally with evil powers and consequences of sin; He will complete victory over Satan, destroying him and his allies; He will give immortal bodies to believers and usher them into a new heaven and earth. (Hebrews 9:28; John 14:2-3; Romans 13:11; 1 Peter 1:5, 9).
What is Salvation?
Salvation is a work of God’s mercy and not of man’s activity (Titus 3:5), a work of his grace (Ephesians 2:5; Titus 2:11) and His patience (2 Peter 3:15). Salvation comes through Jesus Christ (Luke 2:11; John 10:9; Acts 13:23; Romans 15:11). Jesus is the Saviour of the Church His body (Ephesians 5:23); the meaning of “save” is explicit in Ephesians 5:26. Salvation is in Jesus alone (Acts 4:12; 2:21; Romans 10:13).
“Salvation” really is simple enough for a child to understand and respond to. Jesus said it best when His disciples tried to shoo children away from Him. “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 6:16-17
How and Where does one receive Salvation?
Belief, or faith, that Jesus Christ is the means of our salvation is the prerequisite. We don’t have salvation without it. We don’t receive Gods free gift of grace without it.
Is salvation necessary?
Salvation is necessary if you desire victory over Satan and be gathered with Christ in his second coming; where the salvation of man will be God’s final victory over evil (Acts 16:31)
How can Salvation be Explained in the Simplest Terms?
“Salvation describes how each of us can be “saved” – saved from the penalty of our sin, and saved to eternal life with God.
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation; it is God’s gracious gift to us (Ephesians 2:8,9). Once you believe by faith that God has saved you by His grace in Jesus, you are secure in Christ for eternity (John 10:28-29). Salvation reunites man with God; salvation also gives man a new nature-God’s nature.
Can we Lose Salvation When We Sin Again and Again After We have been Forgiven?
Salvation is the prize no one can take away or lose, once received, the gift of salvation is guaranteed forever. Christ’s sacrifice and death on the Cross was sufficient to cover all sins of all people for all time.
Since God Knows We are Going to Sin is Salvation Given in Spite of This?
Salvation comes from God, offered to us by Him as a free gift. God offers His grace freely to mankind. Grace means “unmerited favor”. God offers salvation to us even though we don’t deserve it. Salvation is made available to us at a great cost to God (the death of Jesus) (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Think About It:
Doing good does not save us. Being religious does not save us. Being American does not save us. We are not saved because we intellectually understand and agree that Jesus Christ is God and is the means of salvation. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and thus not from ourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast “. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
