Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Salvation Brief

The question of salvation is on the mind of every person once they become aware of the need of hope, of assurance, and of our ultimate purpose in life.  There should be little doubt that the sole purpose in life is to glorify God, but what is the result. As a person becomes aware of the innate sin nature that resides inside their heart-- the resulting desire is for a solution; this is only possible through the work of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus paid the price through birth, living sinless life, death and resurrection upon the cross. Man needs to confront the truth of the inner nature; man is sinful.  This is nowhere better told than in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short….” All mankind is in need of a Savior. 
     Dr. Willmington states that there are two requirements in order for someone to save another person-- the ability to save and the willingness to save.1 Jesus is the only one that could come and would meet the requirements for salvation of mankind.  The Bible tells us in John 6:37 that the Father (God) starts the process by giving the person to Jesus and that Jesus will never drive away the person that comes to Him.  The action verb “come” in this verse clarifies that the person must still exercise free will to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, and achieve the assurance of salvation.  The Trinity is fully involved in this process as God elects or draws the person; the Holy Spirit convicts and points to Jesus, and Jesus sacrificed and paid the price through propitiation. Dr. Willmington states, “Propitiation refers to satisfaction…Christ’s death satisfied the holiness and righteousness of God.”2  Man must confess and repent of sin; accept the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ in order to achieve salvation. Man must call on Jesus to be the Lord of their life. 
     The truth is that Jesus is the only way to achieve this salvation.  The Bible tells us in Romans 5:8, “God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  There is no way other than through Jesus to achieve this gift, for Ephesians 2:8 tells us that this grace is a gift and not available by works that no one could boast.   Romans 10:9 instructs us on the way to salvation and gives us the mandates for this promise, “ to confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that Jesus was raised from the dead you will be saved.” God’s Word is truth; His Word is inerrant and gives no other way or option for salvation but through Jesus Christ. 
      


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