What is salvation?

Is it just a word, or is it a term, a concept or a doctrine? Is it important? If it is important, Why? What is required for salvation? The Biblical concept of salvation is the most important [gift] that is offered to all of humanity, yet it has been despised and rejected throughout all generations.

While there is only one Bible, the definitions of this subject has been twisted and maligned since the beginning of creation. For example, some believe that salvation takes place when we are baptized as infants, others believe that it is a simple prayer, or moral living. Some say it is just a ‘profession’, while others declare that ‘all men will be saved, none will be lost’. Then you have science and academia that want to dispel it all by saying “There is no God, when you die you cease to exist”. And there are hundreds of other beliefs that can be added to this very short list. When you have this kind of division and confusion, people will tend to just dismiss it and reduce it to a non-issue.

The purpose of this short study is to re-focus our attention on the Biblical definition of what salvation is, and why it is important, because salvation does in fact ‘transform’ a person’s life into a new creation. To answer these questions, we have to briefly look at four evolving trends which are actively influencing the Biblical meaning of this word, then we will look at the ‘call’ to salvation, and how scripture guides us as we become a new creation.

First, we live in what is called, a ‘post-modern generation’. That means, in very simple terms, a generation that believes that truth has different meanings for different people and circumstances. In other words, what truth is for me might not be relevant for you. The post-modernist does not want an absolute standard, they want freedom and flexibility. This generation is the most advanced generation that is focused on ‘self’. They are not focused on long term fulfillment but on ‘How am I satisfied today?” This group is open to new ideas and is willing to accept a liberal concept of salvation and put it into their quiver of ideals, but they are unwilling to accept the rules, restrictions and the ‘narrow path’ that is required in the Bible to complete this precious call to salvation.

The second trend is that of ‘political correctness’. This group is very influential on a wide audience because it questions our emotions and faith in God. Political correctness wants to eliminate all judgment against people groups, morality, sexual orientation and religious beliefs. This group is empowered by a secular world that is against both the Jew and the Christian, and by governmental legislation which uses fear to control the populace. While the ‘advertised’ purpose of political correctness is to bring tolerance and respect between the various groups, its end-game always produces division, animosity and hate in those that ‘feel’ like they have been offended.

The third trend involves the ripple effect of the Emergent Church movement. This new shift within Christianity has the potential of totally destroying any assemblage of Biblical order and meaning. It has been greatly influenced by the post-modern definition of truth and political correctness. The goal of this movement is to relax the laws of God’s Word and to be more tolerant and accepting of the world’s value systems. They are trying to accomplish this by removing the symbol of the cross from the view of their followers. The cross of Jesus Christ, and the blood of Christ that was shed on that cross, is an essential ingredient if we want to even come close to understanding the concept of our salvation. If they can eliminate the view of the cross, then they can declare that there are ‘many ways’ to find salvation. Additionally, this liberal gospel wants to remove the ‘call to repentance’, and if there is a call, tell them to do it privately so that others aren’t offended. There are many other objectives of the Emergent Church to liberalize the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but I want to mention one last objective which is to remove any mention of sin from the pulpit because it makes the sinner uncomfortable.

If you are a believer, or a professing Christian, you need to know that these first three trends are required tools of the ‘powers, principalities and governments of this age to bring about a global religion and a global government. There is getting to be more and more talk from government leaders that Christianity is the cause of world strife. We believers must wake up and hear the call of scripture and become doers of the Word if we are to be overcomers and victorious over the pressures of the world.

Our last trend which is firmly entrenched in the hearts and mind of the world that we need deal with in this study is the concept of sin, which is the primary factor governing the previous three. Once we begin to understand what sin is, then we can better understand what salvation is. You see, the first three trends mentioned, that truth is not the same for all, political correctness and the Emergent Church movement, do not have any foundation, or standard by which they operate, so it is in a constant state of evolution. Sin is something that man does not want to be accountable for, therefore the first three trends are man’s attempt to say that there is no sin, and therefore accountability is not required. They do this by attempting to diminish or eliminate anything that has an immovable standard that applies to all people.

Man is currently in the process of proving that his laws and his governments cannot produce peace or morality. Henry Kissinger has declared [http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=85442 ] that President Obama has been “groomed to bring about the New World Order”, which is supposed to bring world peace. Yet this president is doing everything he can to bring disorder. In fact, journalists around the globe have discussed this very idea, that if governments can create chaos, then the people will follow their false claims on how to correct the problems that exist globally. Obama is currently using his administration to promote abortion, to promote an open exhibition and recognition of the LGBT life style and they are ‘forcing’ this false philosophy into the textbooks of grade schools and the mind of our children. There is a renewed and fierce aggression today to divide the Nation of Israel, while at the same time professing to be the answer to world peace. The promotion of sin and peace cannot, and will not co-exist. Peace is not the nature of sin.

World leaders are correct about one proposal, we do need a single world government. The problem is that after 6,000 years of history and trial and error after error, man cannot be in charge. We need a leader that is without pride, without greed, and sinless. One who can rule without taking sides or bribes.

The only standard that will qualify as a standard is that from the One who created all that we see and all that exists. His plan, His purpose, His rules, which He gave to us in written form so that we won’t make any mistakes. A standard that can, and in the near future [will] work and apply to all peoples. That plan is the inspired Word of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Let’s take a quick look at that plan which was laid out 2,500 + years ago, and is currently being executed and carried out as we speak.

If you read the first three chapter of Genesis and the last two chapters of the Book of Revelation, you will get a glimpse of where mankind started, and where our future will end up. In Genesis, we read the story of creation, a sinless creation, where man and God communicated regularly and openly. God created man to live eternally. When God breathed life into man, He promised to provide all that he needed to sustain life. Man’s only responsibility at this point was to be a steward of what God created, and there was only one law, ‘Do not eat of the tree of Good and evil’. That was it, one law. But we find in chapter three of Genesis, that one law was broken and through that single act of disobedience, sin enter into the framework of man, man lost his intimate connection with God, and that sin corrupted all of creation. Ever since that first act of disobedience, man has been running from God, not wanting to be accountable for his actions. We find that the fruit of sin is death. Paul said this in no uncertain terms in Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death [separation from God], but the gift of God is [restoration back into fellowship and] eternal life [once again].” God has been calling man back to Himself to restore that fellowship God created man for.

Before we look closely at this desire of God’s to restore us back into fellowship with Him, let’s look at the end of the story, the last two chapters. These chapters come after a long struggle between man and God. But in the end, God wins. Those who, throughout history have answered that call from God, will be restored back to immortality and fellowship with God, to live with Him on a restored earth. Sin will finally be eliminated, no more strife, no more death. It is unimaginable what God has prepared for those who return to Him in Faith. But it is only for those who heed His call. Do you see? Sin will be eradicated! That includes people who want to continue their sinful life style. That is why the only standard to live by is the Word of God. Jesus said that not one jot or tittle will pass away until all the prophecies contained in the Bible are fulfilled and sin is no more. [Mat 5.18]

What is Sin?

Sin started out as a deception when the serpent deceived Eve. This deception was so cunning that she thought she was doing right. That is how sin enters in. James talked about this “Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. (James 1:13-16).” For the attentive reader, you will notice that this warning of deception is repeated hundreds of times throughout the Bible. In fact it is the most common trick of the devil in the life of the believer. But James, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit preceded his warning with this promise, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.: [James 1.12] Sin is not the act of being deceived and enticed, but yielding to the enticement.

Additionally, sin is disobedience to God’s instructions. We humans tend to view the ‘act of sin’ [ lying, murder, sexual misbehavior, etc.] as the sin, but in reality that is not the sin, but the result of sinning. It is disobedience to God’s instructions that is the sin. Jesus said “Why do you call me Lord if you do not do what I tell you?” [Luke 6.46] This is covered completely in 1 John 3.4-10.

How does desire give birth to Sin?

After my wife and I were married for a couple of years, we had a family problem come up that we needed some counsel on, so we went to the pastor who had married us a couple of years previously, and said we would like to meet with him for some advice. When we met in his office, and before we could explain the problem, he asked us two questions. These two questions literally changed my life and my relationship with God, and I have used these two questions as a gauge for my foundation in the righteousness of God ever since. His first question was, “Do you believe that the Bible is Truth?”[Psalms 119.160] Now before I go to the second question, please stop and reflect on that question for yourself, because the answer has everything to do with how you will believe and conduct your life from this point forward. “Do YOU believe that ALL of the Word of God is Truth? Or do you accept some parts, but not other parts. For example, many professing Christians today do not believe in creation as described in Genesis chapter 1. They say “Science has proved….”.

The answer by many will be to quickly say “Yes!”, but I beg you not to be so quick. Run this through your mind. Test every belief and conflict that you have at this moment, because I can promise that there are trials coming in your future that will test your metal and the foundation of your belief system. Your beliefs need to be settled early as we will discover. In this post-modern age, there are a growing number of ‘arguable’ points in scripture that people choose to modify to suit their own belief system. And by doing so, they are saying God is imperfect and that we can better interpret the complexities of life. If you do not believe in the accuracy and Truth of the Bible then there is no reason to continue because your mind and conscience will be able to justify anything that you believe as truth, thus overriding God’s Word. The other option at this point is to get this issue straightened out with God through confession and repentance [1 John 1.9].

However, if you do accept the Truth of God’s Word, then the second question this pastor asked will be both easier to accept while at the same time laying a solid foundation for your ability to make correct Biblical choices for all of the trials and decisions that you are going to face in the future. That question we were asked was, “Are you willing to be obedient to God’s Word and allow His instructions to govern your decisions?” He continued to say, “If you are not willing to let God’s Word instruct you, and you are not willing to act in accordance to God’s Word, then there is nothing I can do for you.”

When this pastor put a period on the end of that question, my eyes were opened. I knew at that point that the Holy Spirit quickened my spirit and showed me the meaning and Truth of what it means to be a Christian. Right then I realized that God will in fact direct all of my steps, if I put my trust in Him and His Word. [Prov. 3:5-10] It was at that moment that I realized how important it was to be actively drinking in the Word. And after forty eight years of experience since meeting with that pastor, I can say that when I did what was right in my own eyes, I started making mistakes, but as I learned to trust in His word, my wife and I were blessed, and the same will happen for you.

So how does this answer our question that is before us, “How does desire give birth to Sin?” It is important because we have to allow scripture to answer this question, and unless we are willing to accept scripture as Truth, it will be meaningless. There is an important mystery that happens when you read the inspired Word of God with an attentive ear. Paul tells us in [2 Cor. 2.12-13] “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.” Paul is saying here that born-again believers in Jesus Christ have received the Holy Spirit into their life, and we are to learn to walk in that Spirit for this reason: “But people who aren't spiritual [that is the ‘natural man’] can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, "Who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to teach Him?" But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. (1Cor 2:14-16 NLT)

Do you see that? Scripture reading is important when we read through the eyes of the Holy Spirit. But Paul reminds us here that seeing through the eyes of the Spirit is not a natural function. It is an act that we do on purpose when we ask God the Father to illuminate His Word to us. We pray for enlightenment in the Word and then read by ‘paying attention’ to what we are reading. Listen to what Paul said to Timothy about this very topic: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work. (2Timothy 3:16-17 NLT); “But…” Paul says, “… you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the Holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. (2Timothy 3:14-15 NLT)

With that precursor, we are going to look at just a few verses in Genesis. As I have mentioned, “The wages of sin is death.” [Romans 6.23] Death in this context means not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. So let’s see how this happens by going back to the original sin of Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter three;

How we sin --

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, "Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?"
"Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden," the woman replied. "It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, 'You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.'"
"You won't die!" the serpent replied to the woman. "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil." (Gen 3:1-5 NLT)

In these five verses, we have the root and foundation of all sin. God has shown us the two parties involved in sin, and the four causes of sin. Party number one is satan, listed here as a serpent, not just any serpent but depending on the translation you are reading from, he is described as “more subtle”, “more crafty”, or “more cunning than any other beast”. Jesus said that this enemy will operate through false teachers and will “show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” [Mark 13.22] Our first ‘cause’ then is deception. This enemy that is still using the same tactics is out trying to trip up any one who will give him an ear. That is why we are warned in Ephesians 4.27 “do not give the devil an opportunity to work.”

The second party to the act of sin is us, or more correctly, “me”. Each individual has to answer to God for our actions [Ecc. 12:14; Rom 2:16;]. John in his Epistle [1 John 2.15-17] lists the final three ‘causes’ as “the lust of the flesh”, “the lust of the eyes”, and “the pride of life.” Listen to these verses: “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. (1John 2:15-17 NLT) Many Christians today believe that these verses do not apply to them once they have become believers but that is erroneous belief. In the preceding verse [v 14] John was addressing the believer, “I have written to you who are God's children because you know the Father. I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God's word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one.” [NLT]

Then in verse 6 of Genesis chapter 3, it happened,“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” Eve was [1] deceived, [2] she justified it in her mind and [3] she consummated the act of disobedience to the only law God had given to her and Adam. The act of sin was completed, there was no turning back. Immediately they were separated from God, their eyes were opened [verse 7] and they tried to hide from God. As you continue reading God’s account of the decline and fall of man, you will notice that sin increased and the blame game began. That one act was carried on to all men. All sin all sickness, all death, all lawlessness, all crime, all trials, all of the weeds, all of the natural disasters including the Flood and the coming Tribulation period and the eventual burning of the earth so that it can be purged from sin, was initiated in that one act of disobedience. God, in His Mercy and Grace, went to great lengths to detail the devastating effects of sin [disobedience] when we do not live according to His instructions. This is illustrated in detail throughout all 66 Books that make up or our guide for life, the Bible. But as we are about to find out, God provided a plan of redemption. Jesus said; “No servant can serve two masters. For either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!" (Luke 16:13 ISV) Paul followed this up by saying; “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set our minds on the flesh leads to death, but to set our minds on the Spirit leads to life and peace. That is why the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile toward God. For it [the natural mind] refuses to submit to the authority of God's law because it is powerless to do so. Indeed, those who are under the control of the flesh cannot please God.” (Rom 8:5-8 ISV)

Here is Salvation!

Because man is sinful and because the penalty of sin brings death, separation from God, there had to be a way that we could be restored back into fellowship with Him. Somebody had to pay a ransom that was worthy of redemption. It had to be a perfect sacrifice, and that sacrifice could only be God Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. God had to become man, a man that would be sinless and clean to redeem us. Jesus said that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son [to die as the perfect sacrifice] that whoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [John 3.16] But we have to accept that sacrifice as our Lord.

The next time you are tempted to do something sinful in the privacy of your home, remember that our flesh and the world will tell us that “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”, but Jesus said “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. [Mark 4.22]

Then Jesus followed that statement with the most profound statement; “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” [v 23] That statement should be one that each of us hangs on to dearly. What Jesus meant is that when we became believers, that He gave us: “…the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you”. (John 14:26) Jesus gave us the power of His Holy Spirit to be overcomers of the world and the flesh. Listen to this; “…To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2Pe 1:1-4)” Jesus is saying, “Do you have your ears on? Are you paying attention, are you awake? Are you abiding in Me?” Jesus prayed that we would be sanctified in Truth [John 17.17], and He also inspired John to write in his first Epistle that [when] we do sin, that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” [1 John 1.9]

How our salvation happens:

Step 1 - The purpose and work of the Holy Spirit is to draw all men to God through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit then convicts us of our sins and our sinful ways. He opens our eyes to the ugliness of sin and makes us sorrowful for our sins, and allows us to see our need of a Savior.

God said, “My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are Mine. I, the LORD, have spoken! "I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at My word. (Isa 66:2 NLT) Only the Holy Spirit can produce this kind of a responsive heart in us.

“For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” [2Cor 7:10]

Step 2 – Repentance. This is the next key ingredient in the process of salvation, and this ingredient is becoming more and more controversial as we approach the return of Christ. Many pulpits today do not teach repentance, they call only for a prayer. Repentance requires admission of guilt As we can see from the scripture above, repentance is a key in our security as a Christian because “the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret”. That means that the temptation of turning back to our old life style is greatly diminished when salvation comes to us God’s way. The key to salvation, in this verse, is that it is repentance that leads to salvation.

We also find that it is repentance that leads us to a “knowledge of the Truth”, which is also a key to our security in Christ. [2 Timothy 2.25] The Holy Spirit creates a ‘hunger and thirst for righteousness” [Matthew 5.6] which causes the truly repentant to dig into the scriptures to satisfy that hunger. It is the combination of the reading of scripture and the work of the Holy Spirit that increases our ‘knowledge of the Truth’. In fact, the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5 were the foundation of Christ’s ministry. And Jesus made clear the point early in His ministry that salvation and Blessings are ‘only’ for those who exhibit the attributes mentioned in the Beatitudes and the many other ‘Blessed are…’ places in scripture. Many in the church at large believe that God’s blessings are automatic once we say a prayer. But if you look carefully, each of the ‘Blessed’ promises are tied to specific tasks and attributes. This is true in both the Old and New Testaments.

“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.” (Psa 1:1-6)

Step 3 – Pray. Prayer is next on the list. The reason I put prayer here is because it must be our response to God for what He has done for us. A response to the weight and guilt of sin that has been lifted from our shoulders. This prayer is the beginning of our communication with God. God communicates with us through His Holy Spirit and His Word. We communicate back through our prayers and obedience to His instructions He has given in the Bible. By reading the Word, we see what God’s will is, the Holy Spirit gives us understanding to God’s part, and what our part is in this spiritual relationship we have with Him. Prayer sets in motion the power to accomplish what He has called us to do. Prayer causes us to focus our mind on His will and purposes. Prayer allows us to see and access how we are doing in our walk of faith with Christ. The combination of prayer and reading the Word causes us to grow in faith and strength as we go through the trials of life.

Step 4 – Become a disciple of Christ. The last command that Jesus gave to us in the Book of Matthew 20:20 was “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations… Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Mat 28:19-20) Jesus made clear at the end of the “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew chapter seven, that it isn’t enough to merely claim you are a Christian, but to be a doer of the Word. And that is the whole purpose of this website, to build you up in Christ Jesus so that you may be presented complete in Him in that day when we stand with Him in Glory. [Col 1.28]

This is my prayer for you the reader of this study:
“I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. (Eph 3:16-20 NLT)

 We invite you to visit our website for additional articles on preserving the Definitions of the Word of God. These articles are written for small group leaders as a foundation for Biblical Truth.

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√ Unbelief is when God has spoken and you do nothing.
√ Presumption is when you act when God has not spoken.
√ Faith is when you act upon God’s instructions.
√ Truth Demands a response.

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