Article VI: Salvation

Intro:

Last week was a dark lesson. If it hadn’t been for the last phrase, it could have left us hopeless!

Although man was created in the image of God (: 2:17) he fell through sin and that image was marred (; ). In his unregenerate state, he is void of spiritual life, is under the influence of the devil, and lacks any power to save himself (; ). The sin nature has been transmitted to every member of the human race, the man Jesus Christ alone being excepted (; ). Because of the sin nature, man possesses no divine life and is essentially and unchangeably depraved apart from divine grace (; ).

A. The Meaning of Salvation–

Salvation is the gracious work of God whereby He delivers undeserving sinners from sin and its results (; , ). In justification He declares righteous all who put faith in Christ as Savior (), giving them freedom from condemnation, peace with God, and full assurance of future glorification ().

A. Salvation is the gracious work of God whereby He delivers undeserving sinners from sin and its results (; ).

Matthew 1:21 ESV

21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus came to save

That was His purpose

Ephesians 2:8 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Ephesians 2:9 ESV

9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Matthew 1:21 ESV

21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Saved by grace

Saved through faith

NOT saved by works

eliminates boasting

A. The Meaning of Salvation–Salvation is the gracious work of God whereby He delivers undeserving sinners from sin and its results (; , ). In justification He declares righteous all who put faith in Christ as Savior (), giving them freedom from condemnation, peace with God, and full assurance of future glorification ().

B. In justification He declares righteous all who put faith in Christ as Savior (),

i. giving them freedom from condemnation,

ii. peace with God,

iii. full assurance of future glorification ().

C.The Provision of Salvation–Christ died for the sins of the whole world (; ; , ).Through His blood, atonement is made without respect of persons (). All sinners can be saved by this gracious provision (; ).

D. Divine Sovereignty and Human Freedom–God’s sovereignty and man’s freedom are two inseparable factors in the salvation experience (). The two Bible truths are in no way contradictory, but they are amazingly complementary in the great salvation so freely provided. God, in His sovereignty, purposed, planned and executed salvation in eternity; while man’s freedom enables him to make a personal choice in time, either to receive this salvation and be saved, or to reject it and be damned (; , ; , ).

B. The Way of Salvation–

Salvation is based wholly on the grace of God apart from works (; ). Anyone who will exercise repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved (; ; ).

A. Salvation is based wholly on the grace of God apart from works (; ).

Titus 3:5 ESV

5 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,

Ephesians 2:9 ESV

9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

There is no work within our capabilities we can do which will save us.

B. Anyone who will exercise repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved (; ; ).

Acts 16:30–32 ESV

30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

Luke 24:47 ESV

47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Romans 10:17 ESV

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

All who have faith in Jesus will be saved!

D. Divine Sovereignty and Human Freedom–God’s sovereignty and man’s freedom are two inseparable factors in the salvation experience (). The two Bible truths are in no way contradictory, but they are amazingly complementary in the great salvation so freely provided. God, in His sovereignty, purposed, planned and executed salvation in eternity; while man’s freedom enables him to make a personal choice in time, either to receive this salvation and be saved, or to reject it and be damned (; , ; , ).

C.The Provision of Salvation–

Christ died for the sins of the whole world (; ; , ).Through His blood, atonement is made without respect of persons (). All sinners can be saved by this gracious provision (; ).

A. Christ died for the sins of the whole world (; ; , ).

John 1:29 ESV

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

1 John 2:1–2 ESV

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

B. Through His blood, atonement is made without respect of persons ().

1 Timothy 2:4–6 ESV

4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

C. All sinners can be saved by this gracious provision (; ).

Hebrews 2:9 ESV

9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

John 3:18 ESV

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

D. Divine Sovereignty and Human Freedom–

God’s sovereignty and man’s freedom are two inseparable factors in the salvation experience (). The two Bible truths are in no way contradictory, but they are amazingly complementary in the great salvation so freely provided. God, in His sovereignty, purposed, planned and executed salvation in eternity; while man’s freedom enables him to make a personal choice in time, either to receive this salvation and be saved, or to reject it and be damned (; , ; , ).

A. God’s sovereignty and man’s freedom are two inseparable factors in the salvation experience ().

Ephesians 2:4–6 ESV

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

B. The two Bible truths are in no way contradictory, but they are amazingly complementary in the great salvation so freely provided.

God, in His sovereignty, purposed, planned and executed salvation in eternity;

Ephesians 1:9–12 ESV

9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

Our names and the name of all who will be saved were in the Lamb’s book of life before the world was ever created.

God knew all choices we could make and exactly what choices we would make

In His sovereignty, HE predestined and chose us to be saved.

while man’s freedom enables him to make a personal choice in time, either to receive this salvation and be saved, or to reject it and be damned (; , ; , ).

Ephesians 1:13–14 ESV

13 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, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:9–12 ESV

9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

John 1:12–13 ESV

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Both God’s sovereignty and humanity’s freedom played a part.

This is a hotly debated issue