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Biblical Salvation Made Clear

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The first thing we need to do when approaching this topic is to clearly determine the meaning and usage of the words 'saved' and 'salvation'. I’m often amazed at the notions people have about the definition of these words as used in the Bible.

When used in the scriptures these words are used in the context of "rescued from" or "delivered from". Examples of this kind of usage would be:

The most important aspect of the example above is that John's being "saved" was an act performed by someone else -- not himself. In the scenario above there is one person who is the "giver of salvation" while the other person was the "receiver of salvation." If you want to understand the the Biblical concept of the words “saved” and “salvation” then it’s MOST IMPORTANT to understand that John's “salvation” in the instance above was NOT related in any way to anything HE DID. In the situation he faced above he needed someone else to do for him what he could not do for himself. There was nothing John could do -- no actions, no words, no feelings, no positive thinking, no sincerity, or any other thing -- that would have allowed him to save himself from the drowning situation he was in. The Biblical usage of “save”, “saved”, and “salvation” is exactly the same. There is nothing mankind (you) can do -- no lifestyle or religious rules keeping, no actions, no words, no feelings, no thoughts, no ceremonies or rituals, no sincerity, no mental or spiritual attitude, no joining of a particular group or church, or any other thing -- that can enable us to save ourselves from the judgment we all stand in jeopardy of. It was the atoning work of Christ Jesus on the cross and his resurrection alone that provides the only rescue (salvation) from that which everyone (no exceptions) deserve because of their sins - namely - the eternal Lake of Fire.

We are to receive what Christ provided. Until you are willing to come to the point where you can acknowledge that you need God to do for you what you can't do for yourself you'll never be able to receive the salvation He offers.

It's sad that so many in the non-religious world, and sadder yet that so many in the religious world, think that salvation from the well deserved penalty for our sins isn't something Christ alone provided for on the cross. They've swallowed Satan's lie that salvation is the result of something they are, or are not, doing. Most people believe in the false notion of salvation by their own "religious rules keeping" (i.e.: a religious lifestyle, or membership in a particular religious organization or church, or certain religious ceremonies and rituals, or being a so-called “spiritual person”, etc.) The Bible refers to this as the false belief of "salvation by works." Note the following:

Notice how the verse above defines the phrase "fallen from grace." According to the Bible you "fall from grace" at the moment you choose to believe in your heart that salvation is not "grace through faith plus nothing else" but that it is instead "grace through faith plus religious rules keeping" (i.e.: a religious lifestyle, or membership in a particular religious organization or church, or certain religious ceremonies and rituals, or being a so-called “spiritual person”, etc.) Christ's work on the cross on your behalf is what did the saving. He is the giver of salvation, you are to be the receiver of this gift He offers. To believe otherwise is to Fall From Grace! Note the following:

I’ve also met people who have been deceived into thinking they had had what ‘they thought’ was a ‘spiritual experience’ (“saw a light”, “passed out”, “fell into a trance”, etc, etc), or done something that ‘they thought’ constituted “signs and wonders”. Because they either don’t know the scriptures (or because they choose to ignore them) they fail to “test the spirits” against Biblical teachings and end up falling into the trap of lying and seducing demonic spirits. They, to their own hurt, “jump to the false conclusion“ that ALL “spiritual experiences” are from God, so, in their minds, having these experiences means they have become “spiritual persons” -- and that means, in their minds, they are saved. However, none of this ‘spiritual stuff’ means anything in terms of salvation from the Eternal Lake of Fire. Note the following:

At the last judgment day many will stand before God having believed the lie that God will use a scale to weigh how much of their bad (non-religious rule keeping) they did as compared to the good (religious rule keeping) they did. They’ll be confused when they discover no such balancing will take place. It won't be until then that they'll find out that none of the religious rules keeping they did (good works), or any of the bad they had stopped doing (reformation) has “covered up”, “undid”, “made up for”, “canceled out”, or “out weighed” any of the sins they've done in their life. None of what you called “righteous” in your life will have any effect at all on how you will be judged. Note the following: 

The term translated "filthy rags" above was a technical term in the original Hebrew language. This term referred to the rags left hanging on tree limbs near a leper colony so that the lepers would have something to wipe the puss out of their sores with. The result was a rather smelly and disgusting set of rags. Once the rags were used they were disposed of by burning the tree they were hanging on. It's interesting, is it not, that God chose this imagery to explain how much value He will place on our "good works" (i.e.: a religious lifestyle, membership in a particular religious organization or church, certain religious ceremonies, etc.) come judgment day. It's clear that, Biblically speaking, your "good works" will play no part whatsoever in helping you on judgment day. There will be no scales where your good is weighed against your bad! There. The only thing you'll see on that day is:

NO! At the last judgment day there will be no scales weighing your good against your bad. God will examine the entire contents of the books of your life against His law in order to answer just one question. That's right, this final day of judgment is all about answering just one single question. That one question is, "did you ever violate just one commandment during you life?" Just one sin, that's all it will take to condemn you for eternity. Note the following:

Those who end up standing before a Holy God on that day will then realize that none of the religious stuff they did will be used to “erase”, “make up for”, “pay for”, “covered up”, “balance out”, or “outweigh” any of the sins they committed. There will be a look of terror on their faces as they realize that God is not weighing their works against each other but that He is instead examining their works of their entire life against His commandments to see if you’ve ever broken just one of them. Only then, when it’s too late, will they finally realize that there was nothing they could ever have done of themselves during their life on earth to make their sins go away or lessen the penalty they are about to receive because of them. Note the following:

The scenario above will yield only one result for anyone born of Adam and Eve's race who face the final judgment day -- the Eternal Lake of Fire. The only one who can “make it through” the final Judgment is one who lived from birth to death in complete and total sinless perfection. So, as you can see, no one standing before God on that day will escape the fiery lake, the second death. The only hope of “salvation” from that fate is to not be a partaker of that last judgment. But just how can that be done?! The answer is in the Bible. The answer is based on something you and I don't deserve - the grace of God flowing from love of God.

Just what is this that God has done that can save us from the well deserved penalty of our sins and just how does it work? Note the following:

According to the scriptures, God delivered both 'justice' and 'justification' to mankind all at the same time at the cross where Jesus suffered and died. Because He is "just" God must punish sin (and He will - via the Eternal Lake Of Fire.) This is the reason why there will be a last judgment day. However, God is also our "justifier" in that He has provided an escape (salvation) from the awful penalty of our sins by taking upon Himself the very judgment He must pour out upon us! Thus, at the cross, He was 'Just' while at the same time being the 'Justifier'. In this way God could not be accused of being unrighteous (unjust) by overlooking sin and not judging it. The plan He created to save sinners from their deserving punishment; by being both judge and savior; proves God’s integrity and His righteousness, while at the same time providing a way to save us from the penalty for our sins. Note the following:

The verses above reveal what was happening between God the Father and God the son (Jesus) as He was suffering and dying on the cross for you and me. It was on that day that God the Father was being just in that he was judging the innocent Christ Jesus as though He was judging you, and He was, at the same time, being your justifier because the guiltless Son of God was freely receiving the judgment for your sins as though He were you. Why did God do this? The Bible explains it this way:

Salvation is wholly of God alone through the work that Jesus Christ did on the cross for you. He is the giver of salvation, you are to be the receiver. The message of what God has done to save us is called the "gospel" and it's this gospel that God uses to save people. I'm trusting that at this point you're starting to understanding the Bible definition of "saved" - it's something done for you by someone else, not by you. Note the following:

Earlier I stated the following principle;

"Until you are willing to come to the point where you can acknowledge that you need God to do for you what you can't do for yourself you'll never be able to receive the salvation He offers."

As Christ, God the Son, was hanging on the cross God the Father was applying the penalty for every sin I ever have or ever will commit; all my past sins; all my today sins; all my tomorrow sins. God is not limited by time as we are. After all, He invented it. The scriptures say the God is literally standing at the end of time looking down to the beginning. He already sees and is aware of every sin that will be recorded in the books of everyone’s life. He already knows where I’ll be and what I’ll be doing on the day that I die. The past, present, and future sins in the books of my life are already known to Him. Those books are already complete before His eyes and at the cross the penalty for every sin I ever have or ever will commit was poured out on Christ. Jesus paid the penalty for ALL my sins in a once for all - never having to be done again - sacrifice for ALL sins - past present and future. Note the following:

The phrase "it is finished" in the original language is a bookkeeping term meaning "paid in full." Jesus didn't say "here's the down payment" or "this is a partial payment." He said "paid in full." God the Father - to whom time has no meaning - literally carried out my "entire" future last judgement day upon Christ as though Jesus was me. This is why Jesus said at the conclusion of that judgment; "It is finished" Note the following:

The above verses reveal that the animal sacrifices offered by the ancient Jewish Priest at the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem symbolically paid for sins committed up to the day of that sacrifice, but not for any future sins committed after that sacrifice. Therefore they had to continually offer symbolic sacrifices every year. However, Christ only had to die once for all of my (past-present-future) sins, otherwise He would have to come back and be continually crucified over and over again to pay for my tomorrow sins. The verses above make this very clear. Those who teach that the Lord’s Supper (or “communion”) is an actual, literal, necessary “re-crucifying” of Christ because His dying on the cross was not “once, for all, forever, never having to be done again” are denying the teaching of the Apostle as recorded in the verses above.

So what was happening between God the Father and God the Son at the cross? Again, it was "just as if" Christ was experiencing my "entire" final judgment day. Every sin that will ever be written (past-present-future) in the books of my life was judged and the penalty applied at the cross where my savior suffered and died for me. Therefore, I won't have go through the last judgment day because He (Christ) has already gone there in my place. This is why I can claim Him as both my Judge and My Justifier. This is how He saved me from that which I deserve - the Lake of Fire. He did it, not me, and it's a done deal. He proved His love for you and me with His own blood. Then, after being in a tomb for three days, He rose from the dead proving not only His Deity (Godhood) but also that He was innocent of the sins that He'd suffered the penalty for; because justice cannot hold those accountable who are guiltless of any crime.

Up till now you've heard some pretty good news, but as with all good things there is a catch. The catch here is also easy to understand. It's simply this; None of what God has done is 'automatically applied' to anyone. None of what Christ has done on the cross is 'automatically placed into your account' or has any “automatic” force or effect with regard to you. God requires a one time act on your part before what Christ did will be 'applied' to you. Note the following:

What is repentance? Repentance embodies the idea of "turning from one thing" while, at the same time "turning to another." Note the following:

Now that you know what “Biblical repentance” is we can examine the final thing you'll need to understand -- the relationship between repentance and faith in the salvation of God. Note the following:

The salvation provided for you through the propitiation [a guiltless one who takes the guilt of others upon himself] of Christ Jesus will be permanently and irrevocably placed into your account by your one-time act of...

“[Biblical] repentance toward God, and faith toward [what] our Lord Jesus Christ [accomplished on the cross]”

If all you offer to God is repentance you'll not receive salvation. If all you offer to God is faith you'll not receive salvation. To receive God's salvation requires that you -- privately in prayer, sincerely from your heart to the heart of God -- repent and have faith (all your confidence and trust) in what Christ did on the cross as your only hope of escape from the judgment that you deserve. Note the following:

The word 'confess' in the above scripture is a legal term in the original language meaning "to agree with one's accuser." You may have seen it acted out in a stage play or a movie. A police detective arrests the suspect, seats him in a chair in a dark room and - after putting a bright light in his face - says...

            "We know all about you bugsy, you robbed that bank, now fess up!" 

Of course you know that the word 'fess' is short for 'confess'. In this scenario the crook is being asked to 'agree with his accuser' - the detective. He is being asked to agree with the accusation of being a bank robber - that's the meaning of 'confess' in this legal setting. This is the same usage of the term 'confess' in the scripture above. God accuses you of being a sinner who needs His savior; now 'fess up' to God. Bow your head in private prayer, repent before God, and agree with Him who accuses you of being a sinner who needs His savior. Repent -- Yield to God today and take Christ as personal savior.

Earlier I said, 'Until you are willing to come to the point where you can acknowledge that you need God to do for you what you can't do for yourself you'll never be able to receive the salvation He offers.' You've now read enough to understand what that means.

If today you have repented and trusted Christ Jesus as savior please let us know that we may rejoice with you.

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There are some who will take issue with our advocating the bible message of Christ’s once-for all, once-forever, salvation; secured for us by Christ and resulting in an eternal salvation that cannot be lost; for those who repent and put their faith in Christ’s having taken all their sins upon himself.

Some will accuse us off advocating a license (a permission) to sin among saved people. They reason that if you tell people they can’t loose salvation once they have it then they’ll have no reason not to sin because now they can get away with it without punishment. We can easily answer this accusation using the same words that our savior said to the Pharisee’s of his day...

 “Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God”
(Matthew 22:29.)

 To read our defense of the Eternal Security of the believer click HERE

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