Salvation
The new life in Christ is the gift of salvation. God now calls us “saints” and it is only God that can call someone a saint. To be called that by the Bible means that our faith has been counted as righteousness by the Word of God, and we are no longer the enemies of God, but have been reconciled to Him by the blood of Jesus Christ. To be called a saint by God does not mean that we are sinless or that we have become righteous in our works. It does mean that righteousness is credited to us through our belief in the righteousness of God which is Jesus Christ. Study these verses for proof of our position in Christ.
Romans 4:5 “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
Romans 1:7 “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”
After we are saved, it is important to start learning what the Bible says about salvation. Salvation has the following definitions:
The act of saving or rescuing from great danger, destruction, or calamity:
The redemption of man from the bondage of sin and liability to eternal death, and the conferring on him everlasting happiness in heaven.
Aims of the Lesson:
q Understand that salvation is completely and totally by the grace of God.
q We are not saved by works, nor do we stay saved by our goodness.
q Salvation is based on a desire to be rescued from our sin and the threat of the eternal wrath.
q This rescue is done by the power of God.
Knowing what salvation is gives us great confidence before even studying eternal security and assurance. If we get that, just think of the victory we can have when we add eternal security and assurance to our faith and understanding.
The Bible is clear that there is a wrath to come and a judgment for all people. This is great calamity.
q Matthew 3:7 “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come the baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”
q John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
q Romans 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”
q Ephesians 5:6 “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.”
The Bible is clear that there is a penalty for sin.
q Romans 6:23 ”For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
q Romans 5:21 “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
q Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
The wrath of God is the answer of a Holy God to our sin. God is Holy and cannot tolerate sin. The wrath of God will be revealed against unrighteousness, and the consequence of the wrath of God is an eternity in Hell.
The Salvation of God is a rescue from the wrath to come and the penalty of sin.
Acts 23:12-35; Read this Scripture regarding a great rescue in the Bible then note these points:
1. Paul was the target of the wrath of more than forty men that had vowed a vow that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul. Paul was under a death sentence, just like we are born into this world under a death sentence.
2. He was essentially powerless of himself to achieve his own escape. Paul was restrained in the castle and had to rely on his nephew to get a message to the chief captain.
3. The Chief Captain had the power to rescue Paul and exercised that power. He was both willing and able to rescue Paul from those who were less powerful than the Captain but more powerful than Paul.
4. Paul consented to be rescued by sending the message to the chief captain by way of his nephew.
5. The Chief Captain provided a contingent over ten times bigger than those who sought his life, just as God is infinitely more powerful than the devil.
6. The objective was to “bring him safe” or bring him to safety.
7. Paul could not do anything to aid the rescue except to consent to it.
8. His rescue was planned and executed by one who was both willing and able to make sure that Paul was delivered safely to the governor.
9. Paul did not have to walk to his destination, but was taken there. He was accompanied by a written document provided by the one that did the rescuing. Jesus will one day return for those whom He has purchased with His own blood and take us with Him and out of this world.
10. Verse 27 says that a great army rescued him and brought him to safety.
The Parallel to Salvation in Acts 23 (No types are perfect. They merely give a graphic illustration that illuminates a Bible doctrine or principle)
1. Salvation is not of works but of favor. The Chief Captain could have ignored the plea of the nephew, but he chose instead to rescue him. God could have ignored the fallen creation and merely destroyed it.
2. Salvation is by consent. Paul wanted to be rescued, knowing that the Jews planned to kill him.
3. Salvation is not of ourselves but of one more powerful than we are, or than our enemy.
4. Salvation will keep us secure and take us to our destination of safety which is heaven.
5. Salvation cost someone a great sum but was free to us. Acts 23:27 states that the cause of the rescue was that he was a Roman. When Paul discussed this fact with the Chief Captain in Acts 22:27-28, the Captain informed Paul that he had obtained his citizenship in Rome at a great sum, or in a very costly manner. Paul informed the Captain that he (Paul) was freeborn. The picture is that Paul’s rescuer paid a great price for what Paul obtained freely. This is the cause of his rescue. Jesus paid a great sum for our salvation on the cross of Calvary. What Jesus paid for is ours freely.
The lesson of a rescue is to show us the nature of our salvation. Jesus, knowing that we as sinners faced the wrath of God, rescued us from that wrath and secured our safety.
Notice these basic verses on salvation:
q Ephesians 2:8-10; “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.....”
q John 20:31; “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
q I John 5:12 “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
q Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Salvation is the rescue from the wrath of God. Another great rescue is found in Acts 12:1-11.
Jesus Christ provided the rescue for the entire human race by his death on the cross:
1. It was not because we deserved it or earned it, but because the mission of God is to restore the human race to the image of God that we had before the entrance of sin and the fall of man.
2. He was not only willing and able, but he did it !
3. It requires our consent, acceptance, and call to Him.
Not only did the Lord choose to do it, but he also chose in advance to save all that would, with a heart of repentance, in real sorrow for their sin, call upon his name. This is consent. Not only to receive the rescue but to leave (turn from) the prison of sin.
The Chief Captain of our Salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ:
Hebrews 2:9-10 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering.”
Noah was the participant in another great rescue. Noah saw three things:
1. Sin was real.
2. Judgment was sure.
3. The ark was the only escape.
Jesus Christ is the ark of our salvation from the wrath of God for sin.
Lot was also rescued from Sodom and Gomorrah before it was destroyed in Genesis 19.
The reason that we can be rescued from the wrath of God is that Jesus suffered the wrath of God in our place and for our sakes.
Isaiah 53 describes the death of Christ upon the cross.
Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 8:32 “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”
Looking at 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,”
q We hear the word of truth, that truth being the gospel.
q We trust the word of truth.
q Then a work of sealing happens by the Holy Spirit that is the power of the rescue. This is the confirming or the closing of a deal in which a security deposit is placed against the certainty of a future event. That security is the Holy Spirit in us, and that future event is the return of the Lord for His children.
There is much more to say about salvation that will be covered in the lessons to come. Understandimg what salvation is will help a child of God to realize that whether he wakes up “feeling” saved or not, or whether he attains the spiritual maturity he desires as quickly as he desires, the rescue or salvation was done by the power of God and with His favor.
Conclusion and Review:
q Salvation is a rescue from the wrath of God and the penalty of sin.
q It takes the power of God and the consent of man.
