Salvation
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Salvation[1] refers to the act of God’s grace in delivering his people from bondage to sin and condemnation, transferring them to the kingdom of his beloved Son (Col. 1:13), and giving them eternal life (Romans 6:23)—all on the basis of what Christ accomplished in his atoning sacrifice. The Bible says we are saved by grace through faith; and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).
Man's condition
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). Apart from Christ, we are “weak” and “ungodly” (Rom 5:6), “sinners” (Rom 5:8), under the coming “wrath of God” (Rom 5:9), “enemies” of God in need of “reconciliation” and salvation (Rom 5:10), under the “judgment” and reigning “death” that followed Adam’s “one trespass” (Rom 5:16-17), “enslaved to sin” (Rom 6:6, 16-17, 20), presenting our “members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness” (Rom 6:19), “of the flesh, sold under sin” (Rom 7:14), having “nothing good” dwelling in our flesh (Rom 7:18), having bodies “of death” in need of deliverance (Rom 7:24), “hostile to God” (Rom 8:7), the fruit and wages of which are death and condemnation (Rom 6:21, 23; 8:1).
- See also: Sin, Total depravity, Original sin, Imputation of Adam’s sin
Coming judgment
“It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) Apart from Christ, we are “by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:3) Those with “hard and impenitent heart[s]… are storing up wrath for [themselves] on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” (Romans 2:5) “[F]or those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
Initial salvation
Initial salvation refers to the event of a person’s conversion. If you repent of your sin and turn in faith to Christ as Lord and Savior, your sins are immediately forgiven, your fight of faith has begun, and your future in Christ is secured forever.
Progressive salvation
Progressive salvation refers to the journey of a believer between conversion and death. It is the only path that leads to eternal life (Romans 6:20-23), and is walked by faith alone, in the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8, Galatians 3:2-5). It contains bumps and struggles and setbacks, but is marked by growth in love for others and for God.
Final salvation
Final salvation refers to the event of God saving his people at the final judgment, the great divide between sheep and goats, wherein sheep are identified by their work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, and accepted on the ground of their union with Christ, the righteous substitute.
- See also: Final judgment, Justification
Results of salvation
See also: Adoption, Sanctification, Resurrection, Heaven, Beatific vision, and Glorification
Other areas
Another aspect of salvation is the biblical doctrine of election. Election to salvation may be defined as God’s eternal purpose to save some of the human race in and by Jesus Christ. The Bible discusses election in 3 ways:
Lordship salvation
- “By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:10, ESV)
Lordship salvation is the position that receiving Christ involves a turning in the heart from sin and, as a part of faith, a submissive commitment to obey Jesus Christ as Lord. It also maintains that progressive sanctification and perseverance must necessarily follow conversion. Those who hold to the doctrine of perseverance of the saints see this not only as a requirement, but an assured certainty according to the sustaining grace of Christ.
Receiving Jesus Christ in repentance and faith
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There is a close relationship between that of receiving Christ and having faith in Christ. In fact, the two are indistinguishable. There cannot be an individual who has truly received Christ who lacks faith in Christ, or an individual who has faith in Christ but has yet to receive him.
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