People have always asked, what really does it mean for a man to be saved? How
do we understand what salvation truly is? How do we know when a man is
saved? This is because some times you can not differentiate the lifestyle of a
Christian from a non Christian. For we understand what salvation is We have to
know salvation is not.
(Please Read thoroughly with the Bible references)
What salvation is not:
• Salvation is not working or receiving of miracles. miracles can be worked
or received without being saved. For example when Jesus was on earth, the
disciples were working miracles but they were not saved. John 6:12-71. Luke
10:1-7. Luke 9 : 49-50. The name of Jesus has power, whosoever calls on him in
any situation is delivered. Gods nature is to give liberally without finding
fault But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives
to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him.
James 1:5, 17. God causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. Matthew 5:45.
Though being saved gives you an advantage in that you and God now work
miracles with the power of God at work in you. Ephesians 3:20.
• Salvation is not healing and financial prosperity. People have always been
healed and prosperous even before Jesus came. Even while Jesus was on earth
he healed many unsaved persons. As a saved person, you can resist sickness
and heal people through the life/power of God in you. You can also lay hold of
the blessing which is salvation in Christ Jesus to be prosperous, though that is
not the essence of salvation. Anything that Jesus died for doesn’t need you to
do anything to enjoy it. You only receive. That is the key in understanding
salvation. We have many rich people today that don’t believe in the sacrifice of
Jesus. So Christ death must be beyond to make people rich. If that is the essence
of salvation people will nit have to work again to be rich. This is because
salvation is free.
How Adam missed the blessing of salvation (the fall of man). Genesis 1, 2, and
3. Romans 5: 12-21, 2Corithians 11:3.
God stated before creating anything the essence of creation which is Christ.
When he said Light be, in Genesis 1:3. Jesus is the light. John 1:1-5, 2Corithians
4:3-6, John 8:12, 9:5, Colossians 1:14-18. In Genesis 1:26, God stated his
intention of making man, which is to be in His image and likeness. It is in this
image that man can have dominion. The epistles, the interpretation of the
scriptures shows us that Christ is the image and likeness of God. Hebrews 1:3,
Colossians 1:15. “Who is the image of the invisible God..” So God created
man to be IN CHRIST. Man was not made in Christ but he was made to be in
Christ. The dominion is in Christ. This was what Satan then an angel was
envying. The tree of life and the tree of Knowledge of good and evil are not
physical trees. In Matthew 15:10-11,16-18 Jesus said it is not what a man eats
that defiles him but what comes out his heart. What goes into the belly is cast
out into the drought (toilet) vs 17. If Adam has eaten a physical fruit he would
have used the toilet. Moses uses the pictures to show what he saw in a vison. In
John 6:33-58, Jesus calls Himself the bread of life and told them to eat of Him
that is to believe in Him. In Romans 5, Adam’s sin is called disobedience.
Disobedience of what God told him to eat of the tree of Life which is to believe
the Gospel and be in Christ. This is what Adam erred from. Adam sinned that is
miss the mark. Adam’s sin was unbelieve in the gospel. *
[[2Co 11:3]] KJV* But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve
through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity
that is in Christ.
Adam brought sin and death into the world because Adam was a pattern man.
Romans 5:12. But not all sinned after the similitude of Adam Romans 5:14. That
is why some believed the gospel after Adam, people like Abraham, Galatians 3:8,
but death was still reigning in them. Here lies the essence of Christ coming.
Christ came to pay for the wages of sin so that we can have life.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What then is salvation?
Salvation is from the Greek world “soteria” which means safety, deliverance and
preservation.
• Salvation is in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel is the
power of God unto salvation. Romans 1:16-17. Until the gospel is preached, no
man can be saved. What then is the gospel? The gospel is the preaching of the
remission of sin which is in the Christ Jesus.
Acts 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his
name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all
them which heard the word.
Luke 1:77, 2Corithians 5:17-21. Sin is the common denominator for all men,
not all men are poor, sick or has issues. But all has sinned and come short of
God’s glory. Here lies the need for justification (to be made not guilty) in Christ
Jesus.
Romans 3: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus.
• Salvation is only in Christ Jesus. Acts 4: 12 Neither is there salvation
in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given
among men, whereby we must be saved. Jesus is not
One of the ways to reach God, neither did He come to show us the way. HE
IS THE WAY. Salvation can only be in and through him. Either you believe in
Jesus and have life or you perish.
• Salvation is by grace through faith. Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3::4-7.
We are saved by grace, not by what we do. Salvation can never be by
merit. Salvation is void of man’s effort. We do not give our life to Christ
but we receive His life Only by believing in Him. You become a Christian
by who you believe. Morality does not make you a Christian. Though
Lifestyle is important, is not enough to get you saved. John 3:15-17. We
were dead in sin before he found us and gave us life. We did not have life
to give. Ephesians 2:1-10.
experience. The past experience deals with the spirit of man. 2Timothy 1:9,
Hebrews 7:25-28, Ephesians 2:8, Titus 2:5. The present deals with we being
saved in our mind, will, and emotions. This has to do with your lifestyle on earth.
It is God who helps you to live it. All you need do is to yield yourself to him.
Christianity is more of trusting than doing.
Philippians 2: 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed,
not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do
of his good pleasure.
You can only work out what is already in you . This has to do with renewing
your mind. Allow Gods word to fill your heart so who you really are can come
out. Romans 12:2, 2Corinthians 3:17. The future experience of salvation deals
with the salvation of our body at the rapture. It is the redemption of our body.
This is a surety for everyone who believes. That is why we are given the Holy
Spirit as a seal of ownership and a down payment, Ephesians 1:13-14.
1John 3:1-3, Philippians 3:20-21, Romans 8:18-25. All these past, present
and future experience of salvation has nothing to do with you but what Jesus
has done already. They are all predicated on the past experience.
John 6:7 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that
cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of
him that sent me.
39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he
hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last
day.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the
Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him
up at the last day.
No man can loose salvation. Salvation is sustained by him that saved us. If any
man is lost in Christ, it will show the incompetence of Christ to keep him, God
forbid that Christ is incompetent. He saves us to the uttermost, Hebrews 7:25 to
the end. Glory to God, He is the best saviour. Christ is the author, the cause of
eternal salvation. Hebrews 9:12.