The Life of Salvation

Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone of Faith

For many, the mere thought of Salvation connotes an endless myriad of thoughts that are defensive in nature. In fact, the concept seems so entirely foreign, it is most certainly something to escape from. However, no one is able to possibly escape God’s Word no matter the circumstance. Through the principles of election, the nature of the Salvation experience coupled with repentance and faith, the principles and stages of Salvation through Jesus Christ are worthy of exploration.

The Concept of Election

Grenz (1974) says, “The Christian church is a distinctive fellowship formed by God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus” (p. 482). What balance is there between God’s sovereign initiatives and one’s ability to choose to be part of those initiatives? The concept of election is directly linked to God’s divine plan that will be revealed in time through His grace and the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love, He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:4-6, 11, NIV). God in His infinite mercy has chosen us before the firmament of the world, not according to our own standards, but according to the purposes (a holy calling) which He has chosen for us through grace by granting us Jesus Christ as the ultimate sacrifice. (2 Timothy 1:9).

Our election in Christ is completely unconditional and there is nothing that humanity can do that would cause God to have conditions. Because God already decided before the firmament of the world, His favor was undeserved. Awad, (2011) says, “In his final prayer to His Father, Jesus says: ‘I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.

They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you” (p. 263). He already chose for Himself. Election is the sovereign act of God and we must make the choice to believe in Jesus Christ, being responsible for our decision. Salvation is the responsibility of God. However, man is also called to believe in Him and will be held accountable. Declaring the gospel (and one’s belief in the gospel) is how God will call an elect person to their faith.

Although we have chosen to follow Christ, the ultimate choice and God’s timing is His alone. Salvation being completely the work of God, we must believe in the work of Salvation and the good news of the gospel, the Salvation in Christ. Election will inevitably promote evangelism. For those that do not choose to believe in Christ, God will save those that do believe. There isn’t anyone who is able to come to know Christ unless they have been chosen.

The Nature of the Salvation Experience

It is helpful to think of the experience of Salvation as occurring in stages. “Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling; for God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:12-13, NIV). Having received our Salvation through faith means that we have been sanctified. Herein lies the need to work it out on a daily basis as we work with God and cooperate with Him. We must work with God every day so that we are saved from sin. Through justification, we have been declared not guilty. As a man has been charged with a crime and found guilty, he is then sentenced to die. Right at the hour of execution, a person comes up to the prison warden and hands him a letter. As luck would have it, the president of the country grants the convicted man his freedom, he has been pardoned. After his release, the man leaves the prison completely a free man. However, this man is not yet justified. He is still carrying the guilt of the crime with him. If, for some reason, this man was really innocent and found not to be guilty and before execution the real felon gives himself up and brings enough evidence to the judge that is proof, he is the real criminal. What should the judge do? Already the first man has been declared not guilty and therefore cannot hold him. The guilty man walks away as a justified man because he has been found innocent of the crime. He is therefore, justified. This is where the mystery of Salvation comes in.

McGrath (1994) says, “The Word thus takes on a body capable of death, in order that, by partaking in the Word that is above all, this body might be worthy to die instead for all humanity, and remain incorruptible through the indwelling Word, and thus put an end to corruption through the grace of his resurrection” (p. 289). It is the Lord Jesus Christ, who takes on the guilty sentence and therefore takes the punishment for humanity so that we are found completely innocent, as if there hadn’t been any crime. All of the past has been wiped clean and there are no traces of any transgressions. In the moment all sinners accept Jesus Christ, by faith as our personal Lord and Savior, we are therefore justified. As a result, we have the peace of God within us (Romans 5:1) and therefore, we have peace with God. Eventually, the new believer will have what is referred to as the peace of God, which transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7, NIV).

Through glorification, we understand that “our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our body so that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things unto Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21, NIV). Because Jesus Christ grants us eternal life when he was crucified on the cross, to save us eternally He will be returning so that we will exchange our body for a glorified body to live with Him forever. This is when our Salvation is complete.

Repentance and Faith

Repentance and faith are part of the same action, a twofold act. One cannot be real and effective without the other. To repent means that we must have another mind, which comes from the Holy Spirit. As part of the Salvation that is offered in Christ, repentance is a measure of our participation in that Salvation. Through the doctrine of election, it is God who makes decisions and choices to bring us to Salvation. Through the principal of repentance, and the doctrine of faith, we must also make choices.

In order to have the right relationship with God through Christ, the right heart to have toward God is that of repentance and faith synonymously. If it is possible to have deep remorse for transgressions with true sorrow, it is possible to have a Godly sorrow. So that the sinner can see circumstances as they really are, without blinders, the Holy Spirit will allow one to see things as they really are by bringing light to the sinners’ soul. Part of true repentance is learning to remove trust in self or humans and place trust in Christ. In order to do this, faith must be a component. To have faith in Christ means that one must have had a prior act of repentance. God calls His people to repentance and not the other way around. He is the one who maintains the development of faith and repentance amongst His people. De Dihn (2013) says, “Clearly, Salvation for the ordinary believer is the reward, not of true insight into reality, but of a certain way of life: a peaceful, just, and charitable way of living with one’s neighbors together with a deep trust in one’s God” (p. 557).

Through the election of God, it is He that ultimately brings forth the Salvation, which attracts humanity into a redeeming and rescuing relationship with Himself and His sovereign plan. For it is God who allows grace as man is looking for Salvation enabled by Christ and not by any human effort.

References

Awad, N.G. (2011). Theology of Religions, Universal Salvation, and the Holy Spirit. Journal of Pentecostal Theology. Volume 20, No. 2: (pp. 252-271).

De Dihn, H. (2013). Spinoza on truth, religion, and salvation. The Review of Metaphysics. Volume 66, No. 3: (pp. 545-564).

Grenz, S.J. (1994). Theology for the community of God. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

McGrath, A. (1994). The Christian Theology Reader. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

The Holy Bible (2002). New International Version. The Zondervan Corporation. Grand Rapids, MI.