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Bible Study: Salvation
What Is Salvation?
God knew that humanity would sin and need to
be reconciled to Him.
At the heart of God's plan to reconcile sinful humanity to Himself
is the Mediator, Jesus Christ
(1 Timothy 2:5–6).
The word salvation is defined as "deliverance from the power and
effects of sin."
All have sinned (Romans 3:23), but we cannot save ourselves,
because only a sinless person can save a sinful person.
The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ died for sinners (1 Timothy
1:15; Romans 5:6–8).
Provisions of Salvation
Certain provisions were necessary for
salvation to be available to humanity: the death of Jesus Christ;
the burial of Christ; the resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians
15:3–4); the ascension of Christ (Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9); and the
exaltation of Christ (Acts 2:33; 5:31; 1 Peter 3:22; Hebrews 1:3).
Process of Salvation: God’s side
Through the divine side of salvation, God
sovereignly acts to secure salvation for sinners through:
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Election: Through grace, God chose
salvation in Christ for those whom He knew would accept Him
(Ephesians 1:4–5).
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Regeneration: God makes us alive through
Christ, enabling us to be born again, and to
experience a new birth (John 3:3). Without a new birth, we are
"dead in trespasses and sins"
(Ephesians 2:1).
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Justification: When God justifies us, He
declares us guiltless before Him and places
all of the righteousness of Christ to our credit. Justification
represents both God's
forgiveness of our sins and the righteousness He has accounted
to us (Romans 3:28; 5:1).
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Adoption: Adoption means, "the placing of
a son." God gives us the full rights of
inheritance in His family as though we had been born into it
(Galatians 4:4–5; Ephesians 1:5).
Because we are God's children, we can call Him Abba, or Daddy
(Romans 8:15). As God's
children, we can be confident that He understands us, takes care
of us, and will bless us.
-
Sanctification: When we become Christians,
God sanctifies us, or sets us apart, positionally,
practically, and permanently for Himself (1 Corinthians 6:11; 2
Thessalonians 2:13). Through
sanctification, we become more and more like Jesus Christ
through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Process of Salvation: Humanity’s Side
Just as there is a divine side of salvation,
there is also a human side that shows itself through "free will":
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Belief: Acknowledging
Jesus Christ not only in our heads, but also in our hearts
(John 3:18, 36; 5:24; 6:47; Romans 10:9).
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Repentance: This is a
sincere and thorough change of mind and heart toward sin
(Psalms 51:3; 2 Peter 3:9). We must not only turn from our
sins, but we must also turn to God
(Acts 3:19; 26:18; 1 Thessalonians 1:9).
-
Faith: This is a confiding
trust. It involves our intellect, emotions, and will (Mark
4:16–17; Romans 10:9, 17; Ephesians 2:8–9; Hebrews 11:1, 6).
Product of Salvation
God created us, and Christ purchased us so
that we might know Him, walk with Him, and glorify Him
(Ephesians 1:11–12). He also wants us to bear much fruit (John
15:8; 13:34–35) as we invest our lives
in service to Him (Matthew 16:24–26; Galatians 6:10).
We bear fruit by winning others to Christ by helping them grow
spiritually (Romans 1:13;
Proverbs 11:30); by sharing our blessings with others (Philippians
4:17); by giving praise and thanks to God (Hebrews 13:15); and by
living a changed life through our conduct and character (Galatians
5:22).
Some people think that because they have "prayed to receive Christ,"
they can live as they please.
But salvation brings about a changed life (2 Corinthians 5:17) and
motivates believers to follow
God's purpose for their lives. |
