Salvation

Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3.

“Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”  Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” John 6:27-29.

Jesus has made salvation available to all mankind, once and for all. He has atoned for sin; He has appeased God’s wrath against sin, and paid the penalty for sin. For that reason, we can be forgiven for our sins, changed from within, and have everlasting life. He has brought in the Kingdom of God, which is a spiritual kingdom in this age, but in the age to come it will be a tangible kingdom. He has initiated the New Covenant, an unconditional covenant in which God promises to write His law on our hearts, so we can know God and please Him. The question is, how do we receive all the blessings Jesus has made available to us; is there anything we must do to personally receive forgiveness for our sins, a change in our nature, entrance into the kingdom of God, and participation in the New Covenant?  Jesus and the Apostles have provided the answer for us. We must repent and believe in the gospel.  How can we do this?

Until this point, God has done everything to reconcile us to Himself, but at this point it gets personal.  Each person has a responsibility. Meeting this personal responsibility will be easier for some than for others. God knows that because He knows each of us.  As the Psalmist David wrote, “You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them” (Psalm 139:13-16).

God knows each of us intimately, and we are all created “in the likeness of God” (James 3:9), with intellect, emotions, and the ability to reason.  But there are many differences in people. These include physical attributes, intelligence, the ability to develop skills, and various personality traits.  We are also affected by our past, and the social environment we have lived in.  But the most important factor that we must consider in responding to the gospel is pride. The importance of overcoming pride is apparent when we consider that Jesus stated that “whoever exalts himself will be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).  The Apostle Peter, as well as James, the half-brother of Jesus, both made a similar statement, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6).  It is that statement that we must consider.

In His earthly ministry, Jesus consistently condemned and criticized all who were consumed by their own pride.  He warned them of the judgment that would come upon them.  He was especially harsh with religious leaders who had oppressed the people with their own man-made rules and their hypocrisy; who had exploited their power for their own advantage. He also spoke against any who did not understand that they needed God’s mercy; who couldn’t admit that they had no eternal merit of their own.  But also in His earthly ministry, Jesus consistently showed mercy to those who were broken. These included people who had been oppressed by man-made religious rules that they couldn’t possibly follow, people who were among the most despised sinners of the time, and people whose spirit was broken by shame over the knowledge of their sinfulness.

God knows each of us, and all of our circumstances.  He knows that some may not believe the gospel because it doesn’t make sense to them. We must understand that it is not our place to judge how God orders His creation, it is our place to believe what He has revealed to us. We don’t believe the gospel because of a “leap of faith” (i.e. irrational faith), but because of the clear teachings of the Bible and also because of what we observe in the world.  The truly wise man sets aside his own constructs or wishful thinking, and believes what God has revealed.  The Apostle Paul addressed this issue by saying, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.’ Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe…Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:18-21, 25).

If any person has heard the gospel message, understood Biblical truth, and has come to believe that the gospel message is true, it is because God has led him to that point.  The Apostle Paul stated this well when he said, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10). It is important that we understand that we are saved by faith, and that God’s grace, our salvation, and our faith are all gifts from God, and not the result of anything we have done or of any superior merit or wisdom on our part.  Stated another way, the faith that saves us is a gift from God, who enables us to believe the gospel.  We are not saved by any works on our part, but once we are saved we will do good works, which God has prepared beforehand for us.  Once we have come to believe in the gospel, the Bible teaches us that the first two things we will do, and must do, is repent of all that dishonors God, and believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was sent by God the Father to save us from the consequences of our sinful condition.

We must repent of all that dishonors God.  In the present era, in both the United States and in the world at large, there are many, and perhaps a majority, who do not fully understand the concept of sin. Most pagan religions don’t have a well-developed concept of morality or holy living.  The individual relies on his conscience, or on the standards of the community.  Both are flawed. The concepts of holiness and God’s standards of morality are more well-defined in Judeo-Christian religion than in paganism or secularism. Also, there are false “Christian” groups who have discovered that it’s easier to tell people about God’s love than about His righteousness, holiness and judgment of sinners. Since these groups have neglected Biblical teaching and the gospel message, the definition of sin has been lost to many. But even when we consider these things, we know that when God created us “in His image” (Genesis 1:27), He imparted to us His communicable attributes, including a conscience.  Also, Jesus and His Apostles gave us specific guidance about sin in the New Testament.  (This was mentioned in the section entitled “Jesus Christ, God’s Justice and Mercy”, under the topic “Jesus fulfilled the Mosaic Covenant.”)  Jesus and His apostles gave us the “law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21), which can be discerned from a study of the New Testament. Space does not permit us to describe all of this.  But for our understanding of sin, we can define it as rebellion against God’s order and will.  When we learn about the character and sovereignty of God, we understand that sin is anything that dishonors God.  General categories of sin include pride, anger, greed/covetousness, lust, dishonesty, unbelief, and idol worship. This last item includes creating a God of one’s own making, which consists of redefining God contrary to Biblical teaching, to suit one’s own purpose.  Sin includes our attitudes, thoughts, and actions that we take as well as actions we fail to take.  Christianity is perhaps the only religion in the world that teaches that failure to do the right thing is sinful.  James stated, “…to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). Having defined sin, we must understand what it means to repent of sin.

Repentance begins with the sinner’s acknowledgment of his sin and need for forgiveness.  This requires a humble spirit. Repentance involves more than a mere change in thinking; it includes sincere sorrow and remorse over our sins.  We are told that “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).  We must confess to God that we have sinned and that we need forgiveness.  The Apostle John told us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Note that when we repent, God not only forgives us, but He cleanses us, allowing us to overcome our tendency to commit sin.  The prophet Isaiah also gave us this message when he wrote, “Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7).  Note that when we repent, God has compassion on us; He gives us the ability to live according to His will, however imperfectly we may do that.  We must never forget God’s abundance in pardoning us.  He knows us and He helps us.

We must also understand two things that repentance does not involve.  First, there is no Biblical authority for the concept of “penance.” There are some groups that teach the idea that simple repentance is not enough; they add certain prescribed works to the concept of repentance. There is no Biblical authority for this false doctrine. Second, there is no requirement to confess our sins to a priest or other mediator.  This is because “we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God…for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are yet without sin.  Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Once we have acknowledged the offensiveness of our sins to God, repentance involves turning away from a life of sin; a change of direction.  The Apostle Paul was required to defend himself before King Agrippa. In his defense, Paul said that Jesus told him that he was to preach the gospel to Gentiles as well as Jews, “so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:18).  As he continued to testify to King Agrippa, Paul stated that in obedience to the command of Jesus Christ, he “kept declaring…that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance” (Acts 26:20). Jesus Christ Himself gave us a comprehensive command when He said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). When we consider that in our natural state, we are sinners (see the section entitled Man, and the Fall of the World), we have to agree with Jesus that in order to come after Him we must deny ourselves (i.e. turn away from our very nature) and turn toward Him (i.e. follow Him).  There is a cost involved. Turning from sin and toward obedience to God involves “taking up our cross daily.”  This is difficult.  Because we are we sinners in our natural state, we are enslaved by sin.  Jesus stated “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin…So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:34,36).  It is not always easy, but God helps us.

We need to always remember the words of the Apostle Paul, when he wrote about Jesus, that “He saved us, not on the basis of works which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).  It is only through God’s Holy Spirit that we are able to love God more than we love our natural tendency to sin against God.  This is how we come to repentance.

We must believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. This is the other half of repentance.  If we turn away from sin, and turn from darkness to light, it means that we turn to Jesus Christ.  To receive the blessings that Jesus Christ has provided for us, we must believe that He is both our Savior and our Lord; we must have faith in Him.

The foundation of faith is knowledge.  Contrary to the secular humanist philosophy of the popular culture, which deems faith as the opposite of knowledge, true faith must be based on knowledge; it must be rational. It should be obvious that we only form beliefs on the basis of facts that we can learn and understand. Believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior is not a mindless “leap of faith” or a mystical kind of irrational trust, or wishful thinking. The Bible represents knowledge of the truth as the basis for faith.  Jesus stated, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:31-32). The Apostle Peter stated, “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty… So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:16, 19).  Nowhere in the Bible are we told to believe anything that is not based on fact. The truth of the gospel message is revealed in the Bible, foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament, validated by history, and it provides the factual and intellectual basis for the Christian faith.  This is the intellectual element of faith.  The mind embraces knowledge; an understanding of the truth concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ.

The heart gives assent, or agreement with the fact that Jesus Christ has provided for our salvation.  This is the emotional element of faith.  There are many who have an intellectual knowledge of the teachings of the Bible and even the historical record concerning Jesus Christ and the Apostles, but they are unwilling to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  The facts are there but they reject the facts. It is not easy to sincerely give heartfelt agreement to the assertion that in our natural condition we are lost sinners, and that Jesus Christ has provided the only means of forgiveness and salvation.  The Apostle Paul demonstrated this heartfelt agreement with the gospel when he said, “I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).  Paul was imprisoned in Rome when he wrote this letter to Timothy. Paul knew that he would soon be martyred for his faith in Jesus Christ; this was his last letter. In that letter, he encouraged Timothy and gave very little thought to his own situation. He went on to say, “…the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).  No one is willing to die for something he knows to be false.  Paul could have denied Christ and lived.  Paul encountered the risen Jesus Christ, and it changed his life forever.  Paul had personal knowledge of Jesus, and he loved Jesus; he had heartfelt commitment to Jesus, and he trusted Jesus.

Trust is the volitional element of faith. After we have received intellectual knowledge and accepted it in our hearts as true, we must place our confidence in Jesus Christ. To trust in Jesus means that we rely entirely on Him for our redemption, righteousness, guidance, direction, and comfort.  By relying on Jesus for guidance and direction, we trust in Him not only as our Savior, but as our Lord.  Faith that trusts is faith that obeys. Jesus told us, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15); and “He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him” (John 14:21). The Apostle Peter told followers of Jesus to “humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). We see from these and other statements in the Bible that when we trust in Jesus, He promises to love us, disclose Himself to us, and that He cares for us. We must emphasize that we are saved by faith, not by things we do.  But saving faith will result in obedient actions. Works are the fruit, not the root, of salvation. By coming to obedient faith in Jesus Christ, we have the opportunity receive love and caring guidance from the creator and sustainer of the universe.  There is no greater gift than this.

Will you come to genuine repentance and place your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?  If you do this, you are a new person. All of the blessings and benefits Jesus made available to you become yours. You are counted righteous in the sight of God, and your past, present, and future sins are forgiven. You are part of His kingdom, and you are included in the New Covenant. As noted in one of the Bible verses at the beginning of this section, Jesus said that “unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). In our opening Bible verses of the material about Jesus Christ, we quoted John 1:9-14, which includes the promise that “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.”  When you repent and place your faith in Jesus, you receive Him, and you are born from above; you become a child of God.  The Apostle Paul tells us that believers are to “lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Ephesians 4:22-24). We can’t do this in our own strength or through our own willpower.  When we repent and believe in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit immediately acts to change us from within. We are told that “In Him also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:13). We are also told, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Note that when you repent and place your faith in Jesus, you are “in Christ,” in other words you are in union with Him.  Because of that union with Christ “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

You must understand that coming to repentance and faith in Jesus is not just a one-time “sinners’ prayer” or decision on your part. Genuine faith “abides,” it is continuous; Jesus said, “I am the vine, and you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5), and “if you keep my commandments you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.  These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” (John 15:10-11).  Our joy is made full when we abide in the love of Jesus.

What should you do now?  If you have come to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, there are things you will want to do (and should do) in order to continue to grow in your faith. These things will strengthen you through trials (which will come), and make you aware of the many promises of God. These do not involve “earning your salvation” or “being perfect.” Your salvation is a gift, and you won’t be perfect in this world even though you are being transformed day by day. The Bible describes five things that God commanded us to do, in which God has promised blessing to us when we do them, and that are available to all believers. We should all avail ourselves of these practices because they help us continue to abide in Christ. These are Baptism, God’s Word (the Bible), Prayer, Fellowship (with other believers), and the Lord’s Supper.  We will not go into a detailed discussion of these here. But you should immediately begin a practice of regularly reading the Bible, and regular prayer.  You should also find a good Bible-believing church if one is available near you. Be careful. We recommend a church that teaches verse-by-verse through the Bible (expository preaching).  We recommend against churches that substitute liturgy for clear Biblical teaching. The liturgy usually results in mindless repetition, with Biblical truth often forgotten or minimized. If that happens, the church becomes filled with false “Christians” and false teaching.  As a result, there is no true fellowship and God’s Word is absent or misrepresented. We also recommend against churches that promise wealth and success to all believers, churches that are eager to take your money, and churches that practice spectacular and exotic “works of the Holy Spirit.”  Also, beware of people who claim to hear “personal words from God,” or have “prophetic gifts,” or who are given “new revelations.” These are unbiblical; people may make these claims to aggrandize themselves or exploit people. In some cases, however, genuine Christians will sense that God is placing something on their minds, and they may say that God told them something. This is more of an interpretive error; we may have a strong sense that God wants us to do something, but we must be humble and realize that we are still fallible human beings.  Because of that, our sense of leading may be from God or may not.  We noted in the section entitled “Jesus Christ, God’s Justice and Mercy” that after Jesus died, only the Apostles gave revelation of God’s commands, and they only proclaimed what they had been taught by Jesus. The Apostles were objectively chosen, personally taught by Jesus, personally witnessed the resurrected Christ, and performed miraculous signs during their ministry.  They were qualified to speak authoritatively as those sent by Jesus Christ, and they have all died. There are no more Apostles and no new revelations during this age, the church age.  As a new believer, you will probably lack discernment in these things, but if you dedicate yourself to learning the teachings of the Bible you will develop discernment. The Bible is your only true guide.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, you are promised that the Holy Spirit will be at work in your life.  There are too many aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit to discuss in detail here, but it is promised that you will be indwelled and sealed by the Holy Spirit; that you have been baptized by the Holy Spirit; that the Holy Spirit will help you to understand God’s word and empower you to live by it; that the Holy Spirit will transform you according to the image of Christ; and that as you fill yourself with God’s word (the Bible) you will be filled by the Holy Spirit. There is much confusion in certain churches about the work of the Holy Spirit.  Many people look for spectacular and emotional manifestations to prove the presence of the Holy Spirit, and to assure themselves of their salvation.  This is a mistake, and reliance on such manifestations is often proof that the individual doesn’t really have genuine faith and trust in the promises of God.

If you have not repented and believed in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you should understand the everlasting consequences you will experience. The Apostle Paul, after proclaiming the gospel to the pagans in Athens, told them “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).  Jesus will either be your Savior and Lord, or He will be your judge. We suggest you revisit the material we have presented regarding “Man and the Fall of the World.”  We also suggest that you consider the idea that through the Bible, God has revealed His will for us. If the creator of the universe has loved us enough to redeem us from our condition and reveal His will to us, we would be wise to live by it because God’s will is best for us.  Finally, if you are not fully convinced of the truth of the gospel, we recommend that you continue to investigate what the Bible teaches.  Many dedicated believers in Jesus Christ found that their doubts and hesitance to believe the gospel were solved after their own prayerful and honest study of the Bible.

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