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“In classical
Greek the verb sōzō, “to save,” and
the noun sōteria, “salvation,” are
used for the concept of “rescue,”
“deliverance” or “salvation,” and even
“well-being” or “health.”
[1] In
Biblical terms, salvation means the “saving”
of a sinner from God’s righteous judgment.
When someone truly seeks forgiveness in
Jesus Christ, their sins are forgiven and they
are cleansed from all unrighteousness.
Their relationship with God is restored to
what God had originally intended, and they
are made into a whole new person in Christ
Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation. The old has passed away; behold,
the new has come.”
“To be in Christ
is to be a new creation (cf. Gal. 6:15).
This new creation is brought about by the
Holy Spirit, the Agent of regeneration
(Titus 3:5) and the Giver of divine birth
(John 3:3, 6-8).”
[2]
Therefore, a saved person is
someone who has fully trusted in Jesus
Christ as their Lord and Savior and possesses the Holy Spirit (John 3:16; Acts 16:31;
Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 10:9-10; Titus 3:4-5).
All of this is the work of God, not man. Our
salvation is a free gift from God above.
Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is
death, but the free gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Isaiah 59:2
tells us that if anyone sins, they deserve
eternal separation from God, but because of
God’s love and mercy, God the Son, Jesus
Christ died in our place. 1 Peter 2:24 says,
Christ “bore our sins in his body on the
tree, that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness. By his wounds you have been
healed.” Jesus bore the sins of the entire
world in His body on the cross to bring
complete redemption for those who trust in
Him alone for their salvation. And 1 John 2:2 says, “He is the
propitiation for our sins, and not for ours
only but also for the sins of the whole
world.”
Propitiation means “averting
the wrath of God by the offering of a gift.”
It refers to the turning away of the wrath
of God as the just judgment of our sin by
God’s own provision of the sacrifice of
Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross.
Propitiation brings about the merciful
removal of guilt through divine forgiveness.
We are forgiven when we
realize that there is nothing we can do to
earn God’s favor and we put our trust in
what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have
been saved through faith. And this is not
your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a
result of works, so that no one may boast.”
God alone can save us. The only thing we
bring to the cross is our sin. Both God the
Father, and Jesus the Son are called Savior
in scripture (Isa. 43:3, 11; John 4:42). It
was the Father who sent the Son to save the
world from their sins. 1 John 4:10 says,
“In
this is love, not that we have loved God but
that he loved us and sent his Son to be the
propitiation for our sins.” When Christ died
on the cross, He made a
complete atonement for our sins and
delivered us from death unto life.
The message of the gospel is the message of
forgiveness for our sins through Christ’s
atoning work on Calvary’s cross. The plan of
redemption is God’s rescue plan for those
who put their trust in Jesus Christ to be
reconciled to God. This great plan of
salvation is put into effect by the power of
the Holy Spirit who comes to live inside of
us.
The Bible describes our salvation
as a present possession, and in terms of a process: past, present, and
future.
• Ephesians 2:5 says, “You have
been saved” (past tense), which is our
justification;
• 1 Corinthians 1:18 says,
“You are being saved” (present tense), which
is the process of our sanctification;
•
Romans 5:9 says, “You shall be saved”
(future tense), in the believer’s final
glorification.
When we come to Christ
certain things happen in our lives that
conform us into Christ’s image and
ultimately brings us home to be with Him for
eternity.
The first thing to happen
in a Christian’s life is they are born again
through the process of regeneration.
Regeneration is a supernatural work of the
Holy Spirit by which the divine nature and
divine life are given to the new believer
(John 3:3-8). Regeneration occurs when God
acknowledges a person’s belief in the gospel
and they are “born again” into the family of
God.
This change is made through the
power of the Holy Spirit. The new birth
begins and ends with God, not man. John 1:12-13 says,
“But to all who did receive
him, who believed in his name, he gave the
right to become children of God, who were
born, not of blood nor of the will of the
flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
(cf. 1 Jn. 2:29; 5:1-4).
The
Bible is clear, when we are born again we
are transformed spiritually into a new
person.
We are not saved unless we have experienced
the new birth. John 3:5 says, “Jesus
answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and the Spirit,
he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
Our
good works have nothing to do with it. Titus 3:5 says,
“He saved us, not because of works
done by us in righteousness, but according
to his own mercy, by the washing of
regeneration and renewal of the Holy
Spirit.” God made the provision for us to be
born again and regenerated through the new
birth so that His Spirit could come and live
inside of us.
When we are born again
God justifies us.
Justification is
the divine act of God whereby He legally
declares a sinner righteous because that
sinner has put their faith in Jesus Christ
alone for their salvation.
Romans 3:21-26 says,
“But now the righteousness of God has been
manifested apart from the law, although the
Law and the Prophets bear witness to it —
the righteousness of God through faith in
Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there
is no distinction: for all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God, and are
justified by his grace as a gift, through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom
God put forward as a propitiation by his
blood, to be received by faith. This was to
show God’s righteousness, because in his
divine forbearance he had passed over former
sins. It was to show his righteousness at
the present time, so that he might be just
and the justifier of the one who has faith
in Jesus.”
Therefore, justification
is not the result of any works the newly
justified person did, or will do, to earn
their salvation. We are justified freely by
God’s grace and His good pleasure in His
Son. Jesus suffered torture and death for
all those who would trust in his righteousness
alone to be saved. 1 Peter 2:24
says, “He himself bore our sins in his body
on the tree, that we might die to sin and
live to righteousness. By his wounds you
have been healed.”
Jesus Christ finished the
work required for our justification on the
cross. At the moment we trust in him for our
salvation we are justified (legally declared
righteous). Romans 5:9 says, “Since,
therefore, we have now been justified by his
blood, much more shall we be saved by him
from the wrath of God.”
When we are
justified we enter into a saving
relationship with the God who created us.
Justification is a one-time event in the
life of the believer. Romans 4:25 says,
Christ “was delivered up for our trespasses and
raised for our justification.”
Once we are justified, God
begins the process of taking the world out
of us and molding us into His image through
our sanctification.
Justification sets God’s people legally
free from the penalty for their sins;
sanctification sets God’s people free from
the power of sin. Justification is something
that God does for us; sanctification is what
God does inside of us.
Sanctification
means, “to be set apart” for common use, “to
be made holy.” To sanctify a person is to
make that person holy in God’s eyes.
Sanctification is God’s gracious work that
enables Christians to follow God’s moral
teachings. In sanctification, we learn to
love God supremely and to love our neighbors
as ourselves. God does not sanctify us
because we are worthy or good. God
sanctifies us because of His mercy alone.
Sanctification is God’s free gift to those
who believe (Eph. 2:8).
The
New Testament speaks about both the
relational aspect of sanctification (setting
a person or thing apart for God), and the
moral aspect (living an upright life).
The nature of sanctification is twofold
in that Christians are made holy through
Christ, and they are called to continue to
grow into, and strive for holiness by
cooperating with the indwelling Spirit until
they enjoy complete conformity to Christ in
their final glorification. These two types
of sanctification are usually called
“positional” sanctification, and
“progressive” sanctification.
As a
onetime event (positional sanctification),
when we are born from above, we are brought
into God’s family and set apart for holy
living (Acts 20:32; 26:18; 1 Cor. 6:11). As
a process (progressive sanctification), the
new Christian becomes more sanctified, or
spiritually mature over time like a child
growing up into adulthood. 1 Peter 2:2 says,
“Like newborn infants, long for the pure
spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up
into salvation.”
This means that
Christians should anticipate developing a
deeper spiritual life and become more like
the loving, compassionate, and
self-controlled people that God created us
to be. Even though there will be occasional
failures and setbacks, God will ultimately
make His people more like Him.
In
Philippians 3:12-16 Paul said, “Not that I
have already obtained all this, or have
already been made perfect, but I press on to
take hold of that for which Christ Jesus
took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider
myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one
thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and
straining toward what is ahead, I press on
toward the goal to win the prize for which
God has called me heavenward in Christ
Jesus. All of us who are mature should take
such a view of things. And if on some point
you think differently, that too God will
make clear to you. Only let us live up to
what we have already attained.” (NIV)
Paul realized that he was not yet
perfect and because of that, he still sinned
at times. He looked forward to the
resurrection and his final glorification
when he would be made perfect. Paul
emphasized the need for progress in our
Christian lives. He presented himself as one
who continually reached forward to see God’s
kingdom come about. Paul knew that this side
of the resurrection we still have to deal
with a fallen sinful nature. Our flesh is
corrupt (Rom. 7:15), and that will only
change when Christ glorifies us and takes us
home to be with Him for eternity (1 Cor. 15:51-55).
The Holy Spirit is the one who
sanctifies us and transforms us into Christ’s
image.
We grow in our
sanctification when we walk in the Spirit
and stop carrying out the desires of the
flesh. Galatians 5:16-18 says, “But I say,
walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify
the desires of the flesh. For the desires of
the flesh are against the Spirit, and the
desires of the Spirit are against the flesh,
for these are opposed to each other, to keep
you from doing the things you want to do.
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are
not under the law.”
The flesh and the
Spirit are at war with one another. They are
mutually exclusive. You either live by the
power of the Holy Spirit which results in
new spiritual attitudes and righteous
behavior, or by the flesh which can only
produce sin and unrighteousness (Rom. 7-8;
Gal. 5:22-26; 5:19-21).
Trying to
live according to the law doesn’t help us
either. Focusing on the law only results in
death. 1 Corinthians 15:56 says, “The sting
of death is sin, and the power of sin is the
law.” When we focus on the law, all we are
focused on is our performance.
Christ
wants us to turn our minds and hearts over
to Him so He can change us from the inside
out. John 15:4-5 says, “Remain in me, and I
will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit
by itself; it must remain in the vine.
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain
in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches.
If a man remains in me and I in him, he will
bear much fruit; apart from me you can do
nothing.’” (NIV)
In the New
Testament, Christian growth is spoken of as,
increasing in faith (2 Cor. 10:15); knowing
Christ with increasing intimacy (Phil. 3:10);
increasing in love (1 Thess. 3:12);
and growing in grace (2 Pet. 3:18). Through
it all, holiness and sanctification remain
something we have in Christ as a present
possession.
Growth of
this kind can only happen as we surrender
our lives to Christ through the Spirit’s
indwelling.
Romans 12:1-2
says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in
view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as
living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to
God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of
this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able
to test and approve what God's will is—his
good, pleasing and perfect will.” (NIV)
Paul also describes growing in Christ as
the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-26
says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;
against such things there is no law. And
those who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified the flesh with its passions and
desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us
also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us
not become conceited, provoking one another,
envying one another.”
People need to understand that
our sanctification is already a done deal.
When we talk about the believer’s need
to grow in Christ, we do that from the
position of already being totally sanctified
(Acts 20:32; 26:18; 1 Cor. 6:11). At every
step in our Christian growth process, we can
have the assurance that we are completely
sanctified because of who we are in Christ
Jesus.
When we are truly born-again,
Christ gives us an incorruptible love. Our
old self gets crucified with Christ and we
are no longer slaves to sin, but rather,
“slaves of righteousness” (Rom. 6:1-14). We
will all stumble and fall at times, but
Christ helps us to our feet, brushes us off,
and we begin the process of living for
Christ all over again.
The final step in our salvation is our
glorification.
Glorification follows
the believer’s justification and
sanctification. It is the work of God in the
believer’s life to bring them to the
ultimate and perfect stage of
Christlikeness. Romans 8:29-30 says, “For
those whom he foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son, in
order that he might be the firstborn among
many brothers. And those whom he predestined
he also called, and those whom he called he
also justified, and those whom he justified
he also glorified.”
When we
talk about our glorification, we do that
from the position of already being glorified
in Christ Jesus.
“The
concept of glorification in believers
expresses a future hope as well as a present
reality. To be glorified in Christ means
that the life of a believer is progressively
transformed to reflect the glory of God. At
the second coming of Christ, believers will
share fully in divine glory (2 Thess. 1:10; 2:14).
This future glorification provides
hope and encouragement amidst present
suffering, as noted in 1 Peter 4:14.”
[3]
“The
concept of glorification in the Bible is
multi-faceted, encompassing both the
acknowledgment of God’s glory and the
transformation of believers. Scriptures
consistently highlight that true glory is
found in the Lord, where human
accomplishments pale in contrast to divine
majesty. Through the life, death, and
resurrection of Christ, and the indwelling
of the Holy Spirit, believers participate in
a profound journey toward glorification.
This journey is marked by suffering, hope,
and the eternal promise of sharing in divine
glory. Ultimately, glorification serves as a
reminder of God’s sovereign grace and the
transformative power of faith.”
[4]
Our glorification
includes receiving imperishable, resurrected
bodies at Christ’s return. 1 Corinthians 15:42-43
says, “So is it with the
resurrection of the dead. What is sown is
perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in
glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised
in power.”
Our final glorification is still
future. At that time, all God’s faithful
will be presented to the Lord without any
spot or blemish. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says,
“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect
the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into
his likeness with ever-increasing glory,
which comes from the Lord, who is the
Spirit.” (NIV) And 1 John 3:2 says,
“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and
what we will be has not yet appeared; but we
know that when he appears we shall be like
him, because we shall see him as he is.”
When we are finally glorified at the
Second coming, we will be with Christ
forever. Philippians 3:20-21 says, “But our
citizenship is in heaven, and from it we
await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who
will transform our lowly body to be like his
glorious body, by the power that enables him
even to subject all things to himself.”
We will be freed from both physical, and spiritual
defect, and we will never again have to experience
bodily decay, illness, or death
(1 Cor. 15:42-44; 15:51-56; Rev. 21:4). Our
struggle with sin will be over and we will
be with Christ for all eternity.
Our
salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ
alone. No matter
how hard we try, we cannot earn our salvation!
Salvation is given to us as a free gift from
God. No
one can stand before God and boast about
their good deeds. God is the only one who is
righteous, and He alone is worthy of our
praise. Every step in the process of our
salvation is a gift from God. In
Justification, God declares us righteous. In
sanctification, God changes us from within
by His Spirit indwelling us. And in
glorification, God brings us
home to live with Him eternally. Our role in
this process is to believe in
Jesus Christ alone for our eternal redemption.
When we are saved, we enter into a
lifelong process of becoming more and more like Jesus
Christ Himself. Our salvation is sure and we
can know with certainty that we are saved
and will be with Christ for eternity. There
is nothing that is able to take this great
salvation away from us.
The Apostle Paul
said, “What then shall we say to these
things? If God is for us, who can be against
us?... For I am sure that neither death nor
life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things
present nor things to come, nor powers, nor
height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from
the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Rom. 8:31, 38, 39)
No matter what
anyone has told you, and no matter what your
church teaches, the scriptures assure us
that when we put our faith in Jesus Christ,
all of our sins are forgiven us, past,
present, and future, and we can be
absolutely certain that we have eternal life
as a present possession, and can know for
certain that we will be with Jesus when He
comes back again.
When we accept Jesus Christ into
our hearts we have God’s guarantee that we
will be with Him forever!
Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “In him you also,
when you heard the word of truth, the gospel
of your salvation, and believed in him, were
sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is
the guarantee of our inheritance until we
acquire possession of it, to the praise of
his glory.”
Remember, nothing can snatch
us out of God’s hands (John 10:28; Heb. 7:25).
Do you know for certain that
you have eternal life?
(Further reading: John 3:15-16, 36; 4:36; John 5:24, 39; 6:37-47;
John 6:54, 68; 10:27-29; 12:25; 17:2-3; Acts 16:31;
Rom. 6:23; 8:1-11, 38-39; 10:13; 11:6, 29; Eph. 4:30;
1 Cor. 1:4-9; 2 Cor. 1:22; Phil. 1:6; 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 1:11-12; 4:18;
Heb. 10:14; 1 Jn. 1:9; 2:25; 1 Jn. 5:1; Jude 1:24-25.).
References:
1. See: The
Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words:
“Salvation.”
2. See: The Bible Knowledge
Commentary: 2 Corinthians 5:17.
3. See: “Glorification
in the Context of the Bible.”
4.
ibid.
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