The Doctrine of Salvation

Introduction to the Doctrine of Salvation

You’ll hear the phrase, “is so-and-so saved?”   Salvation is the essential essential. Everything starts with Salvation; “Do not pass go, do not collect $200”. don’t leave home without it.   Gratitude for salvation is our motivation for everything we do for God.

Tonight, we’re going to cover the essential teaching or belief about salvation.   That’s what a ‘doctrine’ is; a teaching or belief.   I want us to have a firm conviction about Salvation.  We’re going to look at Salvation from different angles, until we’re so comfortable with it that we know it like the back of our hand.    I plan on bringing some practical application to the subject, but first we need to do a little book work to set the foundation.   Obviously, the book we use is the bible.   We use a couple words to describe what we believe about the Bible

    Infallibility means that on whatever subject God’s Word speaks, it is true.

    Inerrancy means God’s Word contains no errors.


We base our life on God’s Word because it is inerrant, it’s without errors.   But wait a second, even in our New American Standard Bible, we have footnotes at the end of Mark chapter 16 (and elsewhere) that say things like “these verses are not found in the earliest manuscripts”. So there are textual variants across ancient manuscripts of the bible. Why did those differences occur? Simple, God used men (called scribes) to make copies of the Bible, not copy machines.  So what do we mean by inerrancy?   2 Peter 1:20-21 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture becomes a matter of someone’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.   So by inerrancy, we mean the original handwritten manuscripts, written by Moses, Isaiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, James, etc., those originals were written by the hands of men, yes they were, but the author was God the Holy Spirit.   God himself is the author.  Your confidence can be that what we have is what was written because of the sheer volume (many thousands) of copies that we have of those early manuscripts. The process called “textual criticism”, is a set of rules scholars follow to compare variations across manuscripts to determine what the original must have said, so we can be assured that what we hold in our hands is completely trustworthy and reliable. Jesus said John 17:17 thy word is truth.

Salvation, What is it?

I like the old “Webster’s Dictionary”, because Noah Webster was a christian, and in his dictionary, Bible words were defined with biblical language… That doesn’t happen so much in modern dictionaries.  Modern dictionaries define everything primarily from a physical, naturalistic perspective.   But in Webster’s dictionary, the first definition for “salvation” is “deliverance from the power and effects of sin”.   Ok, that’s a little bit Christianese.   To my non-christian audiences, I like to define salvation like this; “how to survive death”.   We’re all going to die, we know that, but why do we die?   Medical doctors will define death as when your lungs stop breathing, your heart stops beating and your brain stops waving.   They will give the reason for death as injury, disease or natural causes due to old-age.   But death is not natural.

Death was not in the original design of creation.  When God created Adam and Eve, it says He created them in “His image”.   Humanity was created in the image of God, to represent God.  When I say represent God, I mean we were meant to display God’s character and traits.    He placed them in the garden and they would have lived forever, but you remember the story, God said, “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.”   Woops, they ate the fruit… but they didn’t die; at least not immediately.   The dying process did begin; the countdown clock started to tick so-to-speak.  As my evangelism partner likes to say, “every heartbeat is a drum beat to our own funeral march”.   Let me take another cut at this… They did die immediately (spiritually), they experienced separation from God, and to be separated from God is to be cut off from life itself, because the bible says, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men”, in John 1:4.
Why is there a need for Salvation Anyways?

Even one step further back, why is God so up tight?   Why even have right and wrong anyways?   This really goes to the very essence of who God; what His nature is.    Here’s the crux of it;  God IS holy, righteous and good, and He can have no part in sin.   Because they were selfish and chose their own will and disobeyed Him, evil came in.   Another way of putting it is they wanted to be autonomous, independent of God, and God let them.  I think if we can put our finger on the root of sin, this is it;  “I want to do it my way, God”.   Like the old Frank Sinatra song, “I did it my way.”   So when sin came in, when they disobeyed, it caused a rift between God and man.   Okay, but that was them, and we’re us; how or why should what they did affect us?   Well, because you and I were in Adam and Eve (literally our DNA goes back to Adam and Eve), we not only inherited a sin nature from them, but figuratively were in them when they sinned.   This is called the “Federal Headship” of Adam and Eve over the human race.   So, even though a little baby may be innocent and never have committed sin one, because they’re human, they’re born in sin (Psalm 51) and they’re born separated from God.   We are all born dead spiritually, Ephesians 2: 1 And you were dead in your offenses and sins.   Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned.   Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death.   The punishment for sin is eternal, because our sin against God who is eternal.    2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 ...when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power

So, salvation is being saved From:

    Death (physical and spiritual) - Death no longer has any sting for us.

    Sin (separation from God)

    Hell (everlasting judgement, punishment and destruction)


And salvation is being saved To:

    Life (a new life in the here-and-now where we properly represent God)

    To a right relationship with God (reconciliation)

    To Heaven (eternal, unending glory to God, the pie in the sky in the sweet by-and-by)

Biblical Illustrations of Salvation

    A horn - Psalm 18:2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my savior, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

    A shield - 2 Samuel 22:36 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your help makes me great.

    Clothing - Isaiah 61:10 I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a groom puts on a turban, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

    A victory - 1 Corinthians 15:57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

    A helmet - Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Conditions for Salvation

    Matthew 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not righteous, but I know someone who is absolutely righteous and he’s willing to give me His.

    Matthew 18:3 and [Jesus] said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

    Luke 13:5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

    John 3:3,16 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”... 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting [eternal] life.

The Golden Chain of Redemption

Let’s read Romans 8:28-35

Romans 8:28-35 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined [to become] conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God [is] for us, who [is] against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Foreknowledge

- Is there anything that God doesn’t know?   Can God be wrong about anything?   If God knows something, is there any chance that it will not come to pass.   

1 Peter 1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
Predestination

God gets to choose (or elect) those who are to be saved.   There is something in many of us (maybe all of us) that recoils at the thought of God choosing those who are saved.   So let me put it this way, if God didn’t choose, no one would be saved.   Those who are saved will be to the glory of God’s  mercy and grace.    Those who are condemned will be to the glory of God’s justice and judgement.

Ephesians 1:5-13 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, [that is,] the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you 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,
The Calling

- the Gospel proclamation goes along with being the “elect”.   Think of when Jesus called his first disciples…

John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

Contrast that with Jesus saying

Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few [are] chosen."

What about those who appear to come to the LORD and then fall away?

1John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not [really] of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but [they went out,] so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.
Justification

That we would be justified, be made right with God.   In other words, we would be made  “Just as if we’d never sinned”.   Jesus finished the work on the cross. Rom 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

Atonement - made “at-one” with God.   it requires an intercessor like Moses who was a type or shadow of Christ.

Exodus 32:30 And on the next day Moses said to the people, “You yourselves have committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

Reconciliation - having been separated from God, we’re brought back into a right relationship with God

2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,

Redemption - Think of the daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 36) and the story of Boaz and Ruth.   The kinsman redeemer (close relative) is willing to marry the brother’s widow to give her an inheritance.

Colossians 1:13-14 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Adoption - having been fatherless, we’re brought into the family of God

Romans 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”

Righteousness - having been full of iniquity, we’re given the Righteousness of Christ

2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Liberty/freedom - having been in bondage to sin, we’re freed from it’s shackles

Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Peace with God

Ephesians 2:14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall
Glorification

- heaven, paradise, eternal life, glory - The word for glory/glorification are: DOXA  - where we get our word ‘Doxology’

Glorification will be fulfilled at Jesus’ return

II Thessalonians 1:10 when He comes to be glorified among His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—because our testimony to you was believed.

Glorification Includes The Resurrection Of Our Physical Bodies!

I Corinthians 15:39-44 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of mankind, another flesh of animals, another flesh of birds, and another of fish. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body
Salvation is really in three parts

So in actuality, our salvation is three parts or tenses; the past, the present and the future.   In the past, we were delivered from the penalty from sin before the foundation of the world, that’s justification.   In the present we are being delivered from the power of sin, that is sanctification.   In the future, we will be delivered from the presence of sin; that is glorification.
Assurance of Salvation

Can you lose your salvation?   The answer is “No”, problem solved, right?  Let’s move on.   Obviously it’s more complex than that.   It is my contention though, If you are a true Christian, you will not fall away from Christ.   

John 10:27-30 My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Being a christian is much more than just saying you’re a christian.   

Matthew 7:21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; LEAVE ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’.

Salvation will impact the way we live, talk and think.   This is sanctification, which will be in another session. Philippians 2:12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;   As my friend John Dominick is fond of saying, “work out the salvation that God worked into you”.

If you’re saved and you know it, your life will surely show it.   If you’re saved and you know it clap your hands.