|
What is Salvation?
Salvation is living
with God and enjoying his favor. It
is enjoying him for who he revealed himself to be. He is the great Creator who is revealed
in the wonders of nature, which science is opening up to us in ever greater
complexity. He is the great Savior
revealed through Jesus Christ, which is open to us through the Bible,
especially the New Testament.
Salvation is complete
when Jesus Christ returns at the Last Day to raise the dead (John 5:28-29),
judge all mankind
(Romans 2:16; 2
Corinthians 5:10),
cast the devil and his followers into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:15-16;
20:14), and usher in a New Creation (Revelation 21:1-4).
Long
passages of Scripture tell of these events.
Before his death Jesus spoke about the destruction of Jerusalem and his coming again
(Matthew 24). Then he tells us that
we should always be ready (Matthew 25:1-13), that our service to him will
handsomely rewarded while lack of dedication and love in his service will
send people to everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:14-46). The Apostle Paul
writes about Jesus coming again in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
and 2 Thessalonians 1:5-2:12. He
also writes about the body that we will receive in the resurrection in 1
Corinthians 15:35-58.
As
human beings, we are incapable of perfect obedience to God’s will, but salvation was earned for us by Jesus Christ. He perfectly obeyed the will of God the
Father. He gave himself as an
atonement sacrifice when he died on the cross. He rose from the dead with a new
spiritual body so that one day we too will rise from the dead and receive a
body like his (Philippians 3:20-21). Today Jesus is at the Father’s right hand
where he rules all things and where he intercedes (prays) for us (Romans 8:28-39). Jesus did all this so that we might
receive strength in our fight against sin, so that we might be encouraged
in time of trouble, and so that we might live with him in glory
forever.
How do we experience salvation today?
A. We need to repent
Jesus began his
ministry by preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew
4:17). Repent because judgment is coming. The Apostle Peter said the same thing on the day
that the Holy Spirit was given to the early church, “Repent and be
baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness
of your sins. And you will receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
Even though our
repentance is not perfect, God accepts and forgives us because Jesus earned salvation
for us. Jesus obeyed perfectly. He paid for
sin when he died on the cross, he earned eternal life by rising from the
dead, and he ascended to
heaven where he rules
over all things and where he prays for us.
What is repentance? Repentance simply put is turning
away from sin and turning to God. It is trusting
in Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness and cleansing from sin.
What are the parts of
repentance? Partial repentance will not free us from
sin. We must do the following things:
1.
Accept God’s authority and his law. In his word He
tells us what his will is, what is right and what is wrong. You can find it in the Ten Commandments in
Exodus 20, in Jesus’
summary of the law to
love God more than anything else and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew
22:37-40),
and Jesus’ interpretation
of the law found
in Matthew 5:17-7:27. He has the
right to tell us how we ought to live.
When God uses
his word and other people to point out our sin, we accept his will as being right.
This is the first step of repentance.
2.
Admit guilt and confess our sin. We don’t hide
our sin behind excuses, denials, lies, or shifting the blame on to
others. We take responsibility and
own up.
3.
Ask for forgiveness. We ask God and others, “Will
you please forgive me for what I’ve done?”
4.
Seek to make amends. We try to pay the debt, make
restitution, and help those who have been victimized by us.
5.
Conform our life to God’s standard. We start obeying
God’s will.
6.
Ask help to overcome. We submit to counseling,
further encouragement and accountability.
Repentance is not a one-time
thing, but a way of life. "So then, just
as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,
continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in
the faith as you were taught, and
overflowing with thankfulness" (Colossians 2:6-7)
B. We need to receive Jesus into our life through prayer.
All those who receive Jesus and who believe in him
become children of God (John 1:12).
Jesus said,
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat
with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). Pray, “Lord Jesus, I know that I’ve
done wrong. Please forgive me. I believe that you died on the cross to
pay for my sin. Come into my life. I accept you as Lord of my life. Help me become the person you want me to
be. Thank you. Amen.”
C. We need to join a worshiping, believing community of faith
(Acts 2:37-47). This pleases God, keeps us from falling
away, benefits others and is the means that God uses to bring other people
into his eternal kingdom.
|
