by Dale Rumble
What does the word "salvation" mean? Salvation is a result of believing and obeying the gospel, so that answers to the question will vary because various gospels are preached today. The gospel preached by many ministers is an invitation to "just believe," without regard to repentance or what it will cost to follow Jesus; to other ministers, salvation is gained by subscribing to the doctrine of their denomination; to still others, water baptism is not part of the gospel; it is simply an option that converts can choose to enter into when it is convenient. Unfortunately, most gospel invitations do not call the people to submit to Jesus Christ as Lord when they receive Him as their Savior.
As a result, some believers view salvation only as an escape from God’s judgment and eternity in hell. To others, it simply means going to heaven when they die. Therefore it is important that we know what God means by salvation.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. (Rm. 8:29-30)
God’s purpose in salvation is to conform believers into the image of His only begotten Son (Heb. 2:10). The process of salvation is threefold: to be called, to be justified and to be glorified. Clearly, this is not a single experience. It is a supernatural work that, while it requires true faith in those being saved, is based on the will, grace and power of God.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. (Eph. 2:8)
Let us understand salvation by considering what it means to be called, justified and glorified, and recognize the important role of faith, grace and work of the Holy Spirit in each step.
The only way in which God calls lost mankind back to Himself is by the gospel of His kingdom. A kingdom implies a King and a government. Thus the gospel deals with both reconciliation and government.
The gospel is based on three historical facts. These three facts are the heart of the gospel message.
. . . That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Cor. 15:3-4)
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus provides all truth necessary to bring sinners into full salvation under the Lordship of Christ. The key therefore is to preach the gospel so that this truth is embraced by converts.
The gospel first confronts the unsaved with the knowledge of their lost state before God and of the judgment awaiting them, along with the good news that there is hope for them in the mercy and love of God. Their response to the gospel is vitally important, for it involves the first step in salvation. They must believe that they are indeed lost because of their sin, and in faith, repent (Acts 26:20). Repentance is more than being sorry; it is a decision. The word means "to change one’s mind or purpose." It is a change that cannot take place apart from faith in the gospel message. True faith will produce a true repentance that leads to life (Acts 11:18)! Being convinced of their sin by the Holy Spirit, they respond in faith, determined to change, trusting in the mercy of God (Jn. 16:8-11).
Implicit in true repentance is the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. No man can come to the Lord unless the Spirit draws him (Jn. 6:44). An example of gospel preaching that produced true repentance is found in Acts 2:22-37.
Repentance alone is not enough for those who have been engaged in the occult. They must also renounce Satan and such practices; and deliverance may be required at this time to free them from his control.
Faith and the Holy Spirit are both necessary for Biblical repentance. True repentance becomes the basis for faith to appropriate the good news that God Himself came to earth and died in our place on the cross, bearing full judgment for our sins.
The most important word that candidates can hear at this time is how much the Lord loves them! Their eyes are to be directed to the Lamb of God, the One upon whom all of salvation is based (Is. 53:3-11).
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the father, but through Me." (Jn. 14:6)
As the word of justification is proclaimed, the way and the truth leading to life is made clear.
The word "justify" is translated from the Greek word "DIKAIOO," which means "to declare righteous." To be justified in God’s eyes is to become as one who has never sinned. It is a state of being in which God imputes His righteousness to our account. Since we were spiritually dead because of our sin, to be justified and without sin, is to become spiritually alive. Justification brings us from death into life; we are born of the Spirit. How does this take place?
It is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that requires true faith in the gospel message that Christ shed His blood in death on the cross, was buried and rose again on the third day for our justification (Rm. 4:23-25).
The following scriptures that establish the truth of justification clearly show the role of God’s grace, the requirement for true faith and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe . . . being justified as a gift of His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus . . . that He (God) might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Rm. 3:22, 24, 26)
That being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Tit. 3:7)
One might ask, "what is required on our part to have saving faith for justification?" The following scripture provide the answer to this question.
That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Rm. 10:9-10)
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God . . . (1 Jn. 5:1)
It is most important in preaching the gospel to emphasize the blood of Christ in salvation (Col. 1:20). God was the first person in the Bible to shed blood; after He did so to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve, there has developed a scarlet thread of blood running throughout all scripture. In the Old Testament,God required blood sacrifices to make atonement for sin(Lev. 17:11). Blood was required for it contained the life of the animals being sacrificed. On the cross, the blood of God containing His life, was shed when the Lamb of God was sacrificed for our sins. That is why His blood is so precious; it is the means of maintaining a clean conscience so that we can confidently draw near to God (Heb. 10:19-22).
In Him we have redemption through His blood,the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace. (Eph. 1:7)
Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. . . Much more then, having been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. (Rm. 5:1, 9)
Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things . . . but with the precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. (1 Pet. 1:18-19)
. . . To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood. (Rev. 1:5)
To be declared righteous, is to have passed from death into life through spiritual rebirth. The Holy Spirit places us as a member into the body of Christ and of the family of God (Jn. 3:14-16; Rm. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:27).
But to as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (Jn. 1:12-13)
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body . . . and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Cor. 12:13)
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. (Tit. 3:5)
Once we have passed from death into life, the gospel immediately confronts us with God’s provision to deal with our old self (nature) that has always caused us to sin. We are commanded to identify with Christ in His death by being buried with Him in water baptism.
Abraham is the father of all who are of faith since he was the first man to have righteousness imputed to him on the basis of his faith.
Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Therefore be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. (Gal. 3:6-7)
However, God required Abraham to take upon himself a seal of his new righteousness. This seal was physical circumcision. God’s word is very clear that righteousness was imputed to Abraham before he was circumcised, and that this order is the pattern for all who would believe God in the future (Rm. 4:3, 9-11).
Just as God required Abraham to be circumcised, the gospel also commands those born of the Spirit to be baptized in water. Baptism is not an option, it is part of the gospel (Acts 2:38, 41; 8:12, 35-37; 10:48; 16:30-33). Obedience in water baptism is an act that proves the validity of one’s faith (Ja. 2:21-26). As with Abraham, righteousness must have already been imputed by faith before baptism, for baptism does not regenerate the unsaved. The work of the Holy Spirit in water baptism is to circumcise the hearts of believers.
In Him you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but in a spiritual circumcision performed by Christ in stripping off the body of the flesh the whole corrupt carnal nature with its passions and lusts. Thus you were circumcised when you were buried with Him in your baptism . . . (Col. 2:11-12, AMPLIFIED)
It is one thing to have our sins forgiven; it is quite another to then progressively begin to walk in righteousness. The grace and power to do so comes from believing what was accomplished in the death and burial of Jesus, and in the power of the Spirit. He took our old self (nature) to the cross where it was nailed with Him in death. By faith, we identify with His death in water baptism.
Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life . . . knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. (Rm. 6:4, 6)
After baptism it is a walk of faith, daily reckoning ourselves to be dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Rm. 6:11).
During the process of justification, fullness of the Holy Spirit is promised to those who repent and obey the gospel. Baptism of the Holy Spirit gives us power to live righteously and to preach the gospel in the power of signs and wonders. He gives us victory over all the power of Satan, over his schemes, deceptions and demons (Acts 1:8; 2:38-39).
During His life, Jesus kept every commandment of the Law. Thus, the righteousness He imputes to His people is perfect. In His death, He paid the supreme penalty for every instance where any law was ever broken over all time by every person. Thus, Jesus fulfilled the Law completely (Mt. 5:17)! Therefore, should we fail and sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us, for He already has paid the penalty for that sin (1 Jn. 1:7-9).
Because we are mortal and live in a linear time dimension, we tend to view events by the sequence in which they take place. However, God is eternal and is unconstrained by time. He sees those things that are to be as having already taken place. He declares that we (who are saved) have been raised up with Christ and have been seated with Him in heavenly places. The gospel is another example, for God speaks of those, who He knows will be saved, as having been called, justified and glorified. While we view repentance, justification, water and Spirit baptism and glorification as taking place over time, God sees them as one supernatural work of salvation without any mention of time in between steps. Consider the following scripture:
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (Gal. 3:26-27)
The phrase "have clothed yourselves with Christ" includes all of salvation: repentance, justification, baptisms and glorification. It expresses the completeness of becoming a son of God. For this reason, it is important that the gospel we proclaim is the whole message of salvation, and that we emphasize the necessity and immediacy of each step. We must not minimize the importance of any step, nor delay it so that full benefit of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is appropriated by faith in those who believe.
When Jesus died on the cross, He gave up His spirit, while blood and water came out of His side. His death provides the basis for a victorious life in Christ, one that overcomes the world.
And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with water only, but with water and with blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three are in agreement. (1 Jn. 5:5-9)
The pattern of this threefold witness is pictured for us in the exodus of Israel from the land of Egypt (Ex. 12, 13, 14). The three witnesses are evident in what took place. .
This aspect of salvation will require much faith on our part if it is to bear fruit in our life. First, we must view things from His perspective, for by faith we are seated with Him in heavenly places. In particular, our emphasis must be on His purpose rather than on our needs.
The place to begin is having faith in God’s promises to give us His glory, and in how this takes place. The following two scriptures provide direction for us.
The only life that can glorify God and manifest His power is an exchanged life, where Christ, as our Lord, is allowed to live His life in us (1 Cor. 6:17).
God will never violate our will, so an exchanged life is only possible if we present our bodies fully to Him (Rm. 12:1-2). This means that, in humility, we lay aside doing our own will and walk under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Rm. 8:2). Such a walk is what it takes to enter into the rest of God (Heb. 4:10-12). The Beatitudes describe the path before us.
We will require the grace of God for this walk, just as we did for justification, since a great work remains to be done in shaping our hearts and character in holiness.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age. (Titus 2:11-12)
Because the goal is to conform us into His image, we can expect to be brought through many difficult and unpleasant circumstances (Rm. 8:28; 2 Cor. 4:17).
. . . and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. (Rm. 8:17)
Humility and brokenness are sign posts along the path we will walk; at all times our eyes are to be focused on Him and the future.
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life, is revealed, then you will be revealed with Him in glory. (Col. 3:3-4)
We are born again as individuals, but we only mature in salvation within the context of fellowship with other believers. Salvation that doesn’t produce a love for all of God’s children, or which confines fellowship to within one denomination, is superficial.
We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brethren . . . (1 Jn. 3:14)
The glory of salvation is that Jesus Himself, not doctrine, unites His disciples as one body in the Spirit. The Lord seeks one corporate expression of His body to be His witness in the earth (Jn. 17:21 - 23). This can only take place as Christ becomes Lord in our personal lives and relationships.
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling. (Eph. 4:1-4)
Maturity requires a deep personal commitment to be bonded together with other believers in a local expression of His body, ideally one with an environment of home churches (i.e., cell groups). Here each member can learn to serve by the grace of God in that unique place prepared for them by the Lord (Rm. 12:5-8; 1 Pet. 4:10).
. . . speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (Eph. 4:15-16)
The purpose of God for the end of this age is being worked out in the earth today. He is shaking everything that can be shaken (Heb. 12:25-29). Floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters, the AIDS plague, terrorism, wars, riots and turmoil among nations are instruments of God’s judgment to cause men to see the hopelessness of life without Him. These events are intended to bring the church to repentance from going her own way, to turn back from the ways of the world and prepare herself to gather in a great end-time harvest that will bring this age to a close. This is destined to take place during the greatest ever outpouring of the Holy Spirit; it will be the final demonstration of God’s love for lost mankind in a world-wide salvation to be revealed in the last days.
The world needs salvation, and an entertaining "user-friendly" gospel is not the answer! The Holy Spirit is calling the church out of the religious structures and programs of man into the purpose of God and the gospel of His kingdom (Mt. 24:14). This purpose is centered in His Son!
There is a sense in which salvation is a Person for there is only one name given under heaven whereby we can be saved: the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 4:10-12)! He is the One who died for us, and who was raised for our justification. In His name the gospel is proclaimed; in His name we repent, believe and are baptized. His Spirit and life within us is our hope of glory. By His power and grace we are being conformed into His image. He is our Lord and Savior.
This is what salvation is all about. God calls men through the gospel of His kingdom to be saved. It is a gospel that confronts and exposes sin; it brings repentant believers into the fullness of God’s salvation and under His government in local expressions of His body. It is both a declaration and a demonstration of the power and glory of God. It changes sinners into vessels of holiness and into a glorious church without spot or wrinkle.
How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation . . . (Heb. 2:3)
