The Moment of Salvation (2)

Each Christian is saved at a particular time. "But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over, and having been set free from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness" ( CSB). There was a moment that the unsaved person went from a lost state to a saved state. says, “He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.”

That moment in time can be viewed form eternity and from our finite perspective. When viewed from eternity, the moment of salvation will be spoken of in eternal ways such as predestination. When viewed from mankind’s finite perspective, the moment of salvation will stress the decision made in space-time by the individual being saved. So there will be differences in the descriptions of the same event. Perhaps this will help to alleviate some of the confusion raised between those who emphasize God’s work and those who emphasize man’s responsibility God’s plan.

Salvation In Eternal Perspective

Perhaps this will help to alleviate some of the confusion raised between those who emphasize God’s work and those who emphasize man’s responsibility God’s plan.

Salvation viewed from God’s perspective emphasizes the certainty of the action and the work of God which makes salvation possible. Since God views time externally, he is not in time, he will have a different perspective on events in time that we experience. So when God views the saved, he views them (when he chooses to) in perspective of the ultimate judgement. This is different than our perspective from which we experience the struggle of “making our calling and election sure” ().

From this eternal perspective, God has a better view of the overall story and plan of redemption as it has been completed in Christ. God caused his plan of redemption to be worked out through Christ (). Those who are saved have been known by God since before the creation of the universe. He already knows who will be with him in Heaven. Because of this eternal perspective, salvation is described this way in , “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

The same concept is presented in Ephesians. says, “He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One” (CSB). tells us that we experience the blessings of God because of his foreknowledge. “In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will, so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory.”

Salvation From Our Perspective

From the perspective which we experience, there is a definite moment in space time in which we are brought from condemnation to salvation. says, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (ESV). makes special note of that specific time saying, “But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto you were delivered.” The first great example of salvation through Christ occuring is the response of the crows in . They heard the message of Jesus preached. Many believed the message and obeyed the Gospel.

Preaching: The Conductor of Belief

The salvation event began with preaching the Gospel of Jesus. God chose that preaching the Word would be integral to the salvation of the lost. “Peter rose up, and said unto them, Brethren, ye know that a good while ago God made the choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe” (). Paul preached because “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” ( ESV). Paul asked the Galatians, “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?” ().

Faith: Trust Resulting in Belief and Submission

Salvation is by faith.  This taught in : “A person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.” Or, as Paul teaches in , “God justifies the ungodly.” Both Abraham and David were justified by faith and not by works (; ). As has been well documented, belief is not equivalent to faith. Dr. Tom Schreiner wrote, “At first glance, it might seem James rejects justification by faith alone, but first glances aren’t enough when reading the Scriptures. We are called to read deeply and canonically. James doesn’t deny that faith saves; he rejects the notion that a particular kind of faith saves—a faith that doesn’t produce works. In short, faith that is merely intellectual assent is not saving faith (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/do-paul-james-disagree-on-justification-by-faith-alone/).

Some believe but do not have saving faith. Paul said his mission was to “ to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles” (). teaches us that the purpose of the Gospel is “to bring about the obedience of faith.” This “obedience to the faith” is true faith as opposed to belief without submission. records that “the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”

famously tells us that “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (2:24) and that “just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” (2:26). In other words, the faith which alone saves is never alone. Faith and obedience are born together. They grow together. They are so united as to be one. To neglect one is to destroy the other. When one comes faith, he also submits.

In his Antidote to the Council of Trent, John Calvin wrote, “I wish the reader to understand that as often as we mention Faith alone in this question, we are not thinking of a dead faith, which worketh not by love, but holding faith to be the only cause of justification. (; .) It is therefore faith alone which justifies, and yet the faith which justifies is not alone: just as it is the heat alone of the sun which warms the earth, and yet in the sun it is not alone, because it is constantly conjoined with light.” Luther, in his commentary on , wrote, “Faith must of course be sincere. It must be a faith that performs good works through love. If faith lacks love it is not true faith. Thus the Apostle bars the way of hypocrites to the kingdom of Christ on all sides. He declares on the one hand, "In Christ Jesus circumcision availeth nothing," i.e., works avail nothing, but faith alone, and that without any merit whatever, avails before God. On the other hand, the Apostle declares that without fruits faith serves no purpose. To think, "If faith justifies without works, let us work nothing," is to despise the grace of God. Idle faith is not justifying faith.”

We are not saved by meritorious works (). We are saved by the marriage of belief and obedience which is faith. This process is seen in the Great Commission “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”—teach them. Having taught them, “baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Having been saved by true faith, they are to grow in the faith--”teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

The Submission of Faith

True faith results in repentance. Those who believe are to “Bear fruits in keeping with repentance” (). Jesus said “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Faith is the root of repentance. The men of Nineveh believed and therefore repented (). Many who saw Jesus did not repent because they lacked true faith.

Repentance is such a central aspect of faith that those who are saved can be described as repentant. demonstrates this close relationship, “I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Likewise, repentance is a necessary prerequisite for forgiveness ().

Peter commanded those who believed to “repent and be baptized…for the forgiveness of sins” (). In the next chapter Peter said, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” (). In we see “repentance leads to life.”

Baptism is a necessary part of saving faith just as repentance and confession is (). When individuals believe, they are baptized (). Jesus himself said, “Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (). He commanded baptism as a part of the Great Commission. Peter commanded baptism for the forgiveness of sins (). Paul deemed a proper understanding of baptism as a proper understanding of the work of Christ ().

The theological significance of baptism is seen in the rest of the New Testament. It is analogous to the redemption of Israel in the Red Sea (). It is the point at which one is joined with Christ (; ). It is the point at which one is added to the church (; ). It is a part of the faith delivered unto the saints (). It is the point at which one is saved (). It is the point at which one is adopted into the family of God ().

When Is the Moment of Salvation?

Salvation must be said to occur when one is baptized because salvation cannot be pointed to the moment of belief since faith requires active submission and because the Bible teaches that baptism is the moment in time in which one becomes a member of God’s family--the church, placed into Christ, forgiven of sins, and blessed with every spiritual blessing.