Soteriology
Notes
Transcript
Handout
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 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, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.
(Ryrie: Basic Theology) “Soteriology, the doctrine of salvation, is one of the grandest themes in the Scriptures. It embraces all of time as well as eternity past and future. It relates in one way or another to all of mankind, without exception. It even has ramifications in the sphere of the angels. It is the theme of both the Old and New Testaments. It is personal, national, and cosmic. And it centers on the greatest Person, our Lord Jesus Christ. From God’s perspective, salvation includes the total work of God in bringing people from condemnation to justification, from death to eternal life, from alienation to filiation. From the human perspective, it incorporates all of the blessings that being in Christ brings both in this life and the life to come.
Theologically, salvation is a blanket term for all that takes place spiritually in a person at the time of and resulting from his receiving Jesus as his Savior.”
(Basic Theology) Faith was the necessary condition for salvation in the Old Testament as well as in the New. Abraham believed in the Lord, and the Lord counted it to him for righteousness
And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
Key Terms
Key Terms
Condemnation
Condemnation
Condemnation is part of legal terminology. When it is discovered that a crime has been committed, that the law has been broken, the process of investigation may lead to formal charges being levied against a defendant. The process of litigation leads to the outcome, a verdict of acquittal or guilt. The verdict indicates that the defendant is either free from or accountable to the law's penalty for that crime. Thus, the result is either vindication or condemnation. God is creator, redeemer, and lawgiver, is the judge of all humankind. Humankind has already been judged according to the law and found guilty of breaking that law. He is then held accountable to that verdict and faces eternal death.
Grace
Grace
We would say that it is the unmerited or undeserving favor of God to those who are under condemnation. It is receiving something we don’t deserve. However, after previous study we can say that grace is God’s love towards men who deserve the opposite of love. We experience grace in salvation, but we continue to continue God’s grace working in our lives daily.
Mercy
Mercy
Mercy is closely related to grace. While grace is God giving us unmerited favor, mercy is God pouring out His love by not giving the human race what they deserve for their sin.
The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Edwards said it most graphically: “God is pleased to show mercy to His enemies, according to His own sovereign pleasure. Though He is infinitely above all, and stands in no need of creatures; yet He is graciously pleased to take a merciful notice of poor worms in the dust.”
Repentance
Repentance
A genuine change of mind and heart that is followed by outward change.
Common grace
Common grace
Common grace is the grace of God given to every man regardless of their relationship with Him. God has always given his grace to all people in all parts of the world.
Election
Election
(Grudem's Systematic Theology) “An act of God before creation in which he chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any foreseen merit in them, but only because of his sovereign good pleasure.”
Justification
Justification
Showing something right. Giving a favorable verdict. To declare righteous.
Regeneration
Regeneration
The work of God giving new life to one who believes.
Born again
Born again
Referring to God’s work of regeneration that gives us new spiritual life.
Adoption
Adoption
Placing a believer in God’s family as a son.
Sanctification
Sanctification
The act of God setting the believer apart for Himself: positionally at salvation, progressively throughout life, and ultimately when the believer arrives in His presence in heaven.
Propitiation
Propitiation
The turning away of the wrath of God because of Christ. An appeasing sacrifice.
Atonement
Atonement
The work of Christ in his life, death, and resurrection to cover our sins and bring appeasement to God.
The aspects of salvation.
The aspects of salvation.
Past
Past
who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,
The moment we trusted Christ as savior we were immediately, completely, and forever delivered from the guild, punishment, and bondage of our sins.
Present
Present
Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
We can NOW experience from the deliverance of sin.
We can NOW express the realities of our new life.
We are NOW preserved and sealed for Christ.
Future
Future
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.
We anticipate deliverance from our body and the effects of sin.
The necessity for salvation.
The necessity for salvation.
Natural man is a sinner by nature and practice.
Natural man is a sinner by nature and practice.
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Sins of commission.
Doing something we shouldn’t do.
10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
Sins of omission.
Not doing something we should do.
17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Sins of imperfection.
Not having the capability to do anything good.
10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Natural man is a slave of sin.
Natural man is a slave of sin.
Their lives are fully dominated by sin.
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.
Their lives are fully dominated by Satan.
18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
Their lives are fully dominated by the world.
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Natural man is condemned by God.
Natural man is condemned by God.
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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 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.
The unsaved have already been condemned by God for their sin.
The unsaved are held accountable for their sin.
Natural man is spiritually dead toward God and the things of God.
Natural man is spiritually dead toward God and the things of God.
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
This means they are naturally unresponsive to the things of God.
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
Natural man is lost.
Natural man is lost.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
In spiritual ruin and wandering aimlessly.
Natural man is in debt to God because of his sins.
Natural man is in debt to God because of his sins.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
They are obligated to fulfill their punishment.
They can never pay the debt.
Natural man is helpless to correct his condition.
Natural man is helpless to correct his condition.
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
The benefits of salvation.
The benefits of salvation.
The saved person is no longer a unrighteous.
The saved person is no longer a unrighteous.
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
He still sins but is no longer in the category of sinner.
But is now in the category of saint.
He is set apart or sanctified for Christ.
The saved person is no longer a slave of sin.
The saved person is no longer a slave of sin.
16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
He has been rescued from the kingdom of darkness (Colossians 1)
However, he is still a slave - a slave of Christ.
The saved person is no longer condemned by God.
The saved person is no longer condemned by God.
He has been acquitted of condemnation.
“Acquit” - to free someone of a criminal charge by a verdict of not guilty.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
He is now justified and declared righteous before God.
Meaning: “to pronounce a favorable verdict.”
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
Justification is not only a great benefit of Salvation, but it is an important doctrine because is sets Christianity apart from other religions.
The idea justification creates a problem. If God is the judge without in justice (we see that all through scripture), how can He pronounce a sinner to be right or righteous?
Ryrie points out that God has three options when the sinner stands in His courtroom.
Condemn the sinner.
Compromise His own righteousness.
Change them into a righteous person.
Yet Job says this...
2 “Truly I know that it is so:
But how can a man be in the right before God?
As we study, we find the answers we need.
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 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. 26 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.
The plan to bring man righteousness. (vs 21)
Apart from the Law - Christ!
The imperative for man’s righteousness. (vs 22)
Through faith in Christ. Faith is the channel through which we receive salvation, but it must specifically be faith in the correct thing.
The cost of man’s righteousness. (vs 24-25)
Free to us (vs 24), but it cost Christ His life (vs 25).
The saved person is no longer spiritually dead.
The saved person is no longer spiritually dead.
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
The saved person is no longer lost or ruined.
The saved person is no longer lost or ruined.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Rather than spiritual ruin, his life is now profitable purposeful. Not just accomplishing something, but accomplishing something that has eternal value.
The saved person is no longer in debt for their sins.
The saved person is no longer in debt for their sins.
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
The saved person is no longer helpless.
The saved person is no longer helpless.
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”