Carol Swenson
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Summary of the Doctrine of Salvation
Definition of salvation . Salvation is the work of God whereby He delivers His people from bondage to all evil powers. Viewed negatively, God’s deliverance is rescue from such evil powers as sin, selfish and corrupt rulers, Satan, death, the grave, and hell. Viewed positively, His deliverance is into life, light, love, health, wholeness, safety, peace, joy, freedom, and heaven. Salvation is from the worship of idols to the worship of the one true and holy God, the covenant God of Israel who is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Divine provision of salvation . God saves, and He alone saves. Others whom the Bible calls “saviors,” such as judges or kings, saved God’s people only because God the Savior anointed them and gave them the power to deliver in His name. True provision for salvation came when God sent His only Son as the Savior of the world.
Divine preparation for our salvation began before God created the universe. The first gospel is His promise that the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent-tempter (Ge 3:15). We can behold the Lord’s preparation for the coming of Christ in the history of Israel, God’s part of which is salvation history. Messianic prophecies given to Israel through divinely inspired prophets have their ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The institutions and rites of Israel found true meaning in Christ.
The initiative in salvation is taken by God. He gave His covenant name to Moses at Sinai and revealed His plan to deliver the Hebrews from their Egyptian bondage. When Israel rejected and stood condemned under the old covenant, God initiated the new covenant (Jer 31:31-34). The gospel is essentially God’s good news wrapped up in Jesus Christ.
God’s grace is behind, before, beneath, and operating in salvation. Were it not for the freely given and unmerited favor of God, all hope of salvation would be lost. God lavishes the riches of His grace on us through Jesus Christ.
Multifaceted meaning of salvation . The salvation God provides is like a prism reflecting the light of His grace. Salvation is adoption into the family of God (Ro 8:12-25; Eph 1:5). We are made children of God through faith in Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. God becomes the Father of the saved in a real and intimate sense.
Atonement is one of the great biblical words used to describe the taking away of sin. God makes us at one with Him through Jesus Christ. The historical Jesus atoned for our sins on the cross as the loving Suffering Servant of God (Ro 3:25; Heb 2:17).
Being in Christ is another way the Bible describes salvation (Ro 8:1; 1 Co 1:30; 2 Co 5:17). Christ is the natural element of the believer, somewhat comparable to water being the natural element of fish. Those in Christ are in union with Him. He makes it possible for us to become godlike in our character and conduct.
God’s salvation is His blessing (Ge 12:1-3; Ps 1:1; Mt 5:3-11). Believers are beneficiaries of God’s promised blessing to Abraham and his seed. God blesses us with everything we need in Jesus Christ.
Cleansing , or purging, is another facet of salvation (Isa 35:8; Jn 13:10; 15:3; Heb 9:14; 10:22). When God saves us, He purges away our dross and impurities. He makes us holy. The death of Christ cleanses us from all sin.
Salvation is God’s deliverance of His people from their foes, fears, and troubles (Ps. 34:17; Mt 6:13). God frees us from every bondage, except voluntary bondage to Christ. The Bible describes salvation as eternal life (Mt 25:46; Jn 3:16). Eternal life is God’s free gift to those who forsake everything and follow Jesus. It is both a present possession and a future reality.
An important facet of salvation is forgiveness (Eph 4:32; Col 2:13). God blots our sins out through the sacrifice of Christ. We are to forgive others as God in Christ forgives us (Mt 6:12-15).
Glorification is the culmination of salvation (Eph 1:13-14; Tit 2:11-14). This refers to salvation as the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.
Healing is a biblical meaning of salvation (Jer 17:14; 1 Pe 2:24). There is no wound God cannot heal through the cross of His Son.
A great deal is said about salvation as joy in Scripture (Ps 4:7; Lk 2:10; Jn 15:11). Those who believe in Christ are filled with unutterable and exalted joy. Suffering does not cut off the joy the Spirit gives.
Justification is an indispensable meaning of salvation (Ge 15:6; Ro 4:25; Gal 2:16). The gospel declares that God puts persons in right relationship with Him when they repent and believe in Christ.
New birth, or regeneration , is one of the multifaceted meanings of salvation in God’s Word (Jn 3:1-16). Entrance into the kingdom of God is through the new birth. The new birth is possible through Christ’s sacrificial death on Calvary and faith in Him as God’s antidote for the poison of sin.
Reconciliation is another biblical meaning of salvation (Mt 5:24; Eph 2:16; 2 Co 5:18-20). This means the restoration of a broken relationship. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. That is the essence of the gospel of salvation.
Salvation involves redemption (Ex 6:6; Ps 31:5; Ro 3:24). Redemption means to deliver or set free by paying a price. Christ became our substitute on the cross. This means that God Himself bore the consequences of our sin in Christ.
Salvation provides refuge (Ps 34:8; 73:28; Joel 3:16). God is a safe refuge for all who trust in Him. Salvation as refuge in the Old Testament foreshadows salvation as rest and as eternal life in the New Testament.
Salvation includes remembrance (Ex 3:15; 6:5; Ps 78:35-39; Lk 24:8; 1 Co 11:2). God’s remembrance of His people and their remembrance of Him bring about their restoration.
Salvation is renewal or restoration (Ps 103:5; 119:25-40, 149—156; Isa 40:31; Tit 3:5). When God renews His people, it is as though they sprout wings like eagles. The restoration of Israel previews the new creation in Christ.
Salvation is rest from life’s labors and frustrations (Ex 33:14; Dt 3:20; 12:10; Jos 1:13; 21:44; 22:4; 23:1; Ps 116:7; Isa 28:12; 32:18; La 1:3; Mt 11:28; Heb 4:1-11). Christ offers rest to believers in this life and in the afterlife.
Believers are not born fully grown. They need to grow in grace and progress in holiness. This process by which the believer is separated from sin and set apart to God’s service through the Holy Spirit the Bible calls sanctification (Jn 17:17-19; Ac 26:18; Ro 15:16; 1 Pe 1:2).
Faithful students of Scripture should note the meaning of salvation as vindication (Pss 26:1; 135:14; Jer 51:10; 1 Ti 3:16). Vengeance belongs to God. Ultimately, God vindicates all persons who believe in Christ.
Salvation and human freedom. God’s sovereignty and human freedom exist side by side in the biblical teaching on salvation. God never violates human freedom in saving persons. We are truly free to choose between life and death. Choosing to serve God brings true freedom. If the Son sets us free, we shall be free indeed (Jn 8:36).
Human response to salvation . Acceptance is a proper human response to God’s salvation (Ac 2:41). We are free to accept or reject God’s acceptance of us. Those who accept Christ listen to Him and obey Him. We manifest our acceptance of God’s Son by our acceptance of His children (Ro 15:7).
Belief, or trust , is an appropriate human response to God’s salvation (Ps 4:5; Jn 2:11, 22-25; Ac 16:31; Ro 10:9). Trusting God is putting our confidence in Him and leaning on Him with our whole weight. We can stake our whole life on the trustworthiness of God in Christ.
Confession is a desirable human response to God’s salvation (Jer 3:13, 22-25; Ro 10:9-10; Php 2:11). Confession is taking responsibility for our sins and acknowledging our guilt. It is also public testimony about our relationship to God. Whoever confesses Jesus is Lord will be saved.
Fear or reverential awe and respect for God is a fitting human response to His salvation (Ge 22:12; Ex 20:20; Isa 33:5-6; Mt 9:8). The path to salvation begins with the proper fear of God.
Knowledge of God is an appropriate response to His salvation (Ex 6:7; Eze 6:7-14; Hos 4:1; Mic 6:5; Ro 1:28; 2 Pe 1:5). The covenant that Christ mediates makes possible a universal knowledge of God. Knowing Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior is worth losing everything.
Love of God is a proper human response to His salvation (Dt 6:5; Mt 22:37). God wants His people to love Him supremely and to love neighbor as self.
Our salvation should result in our obedience to God, come what may, woe or weal (Jer 15:17; Jn 14:15-24; Ac 5:29-32; Ro 12:1-2). Saved persons will seek to obey God’s Word and do His will. What God wants in our response is actual obedience, not lip service.
Last, but by no means least, repentance is a proper human response to God’s salvation (Dt 30:1-10; 2 Ch 30:6; Isa 30:15; Mk 1:15; Ac 17:30). Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God.
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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