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The Work of Salvation
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The work of salvation begins with the death of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross. With His
sacrifice, Christ bore our sins and died for us so that we may live an everlasting life with Him in His glorious Kingdom. " Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28). His death delivered us from the slavery of our sin and set us free, redeeming us in the eyes of our Almighty God. " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"(Galatians 3:13). Because of our sin man created a barrier between humanity and God. "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight: (Colossians 1:21-22). However, Christ, through His atonement, reconciled believers to God. Man must contribute one thing to take advantage of this great sacrifice; we must have faith and believe. " Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).
God is holy, He can not engage in fellowship with sin and so His wrath must be directed towards man because
we commit this sin. The death of Christ satisfied God thus averting the wrath against sin and humanity.
" Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for
the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God."(Romans 3:25). The legal act by which God removes our sin is forgiveness. " And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses." (Colossians 2:13). In His grace God forgives us of our sin through the act of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. " If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9). We are justified in our salvation because Jesus shed His blood for us and by this act God declares us righteous. This does not make us righteous, we are simply declared righteous by God. " Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" (Romans 5:1).
There are two sides involving the realization of salvation, God's side and man's side. Man's side deals totally
with faith. This faith involves intellect, emotion, and will. To have faith we must first possess the basic knowledge of the Gospel. " So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17). To have faith we must admit that we are sinners and that Christ died for us on the cross. " And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement. Of sin, because they believe not in me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgement, because the prince of this world is judged." (John 16:8-11). But most of all we must respond to what we have learned in the gospel and have the will to believe what we have learned. " That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9).
To study God's side of salvation we must first understand that the Almighty knows everything. With this
understanding we can come to a quick conclusion that God already knows who is and will be saved and enter into the gates of Heaven. God has already elected believers for salvation. " According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: " (Ephesians 1:4). He has already chosen who the believers are " In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:" (Ephesians 1:11), and this knowledge has assured our glorification. " For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called them he also justified: and whom he justified them he also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30). The conclusion is that God has already adopted us into His family. " For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." (Romans 8:15).
With our salvation, God has promised us eternal security. " And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall
never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10:28). He also teaches that no one can be separated from His love. Unbelievers claim that this just gives the Christian the right to live in sin. However, this claim denies the very nature of salvation which involves becoming one with Christ. Becoming one with Christ means living in His light and the continuation of sin pulls us away from this light. With this failure, Christians would lose the reward that waits, however we would be spared everlasting wrath.
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his
glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." (Jude 24-25). If Christian's maintain the strength, the knowledge, the humility, and the will to walk with Christ in His Holy Light, Jesus, through our salvation, will present us sinless to God.
Thank you for the most precious gift I have ever received or will ever receive SALVATION!
If you have longed to fill the void in your life then it is time to open a line of communication with the Almighty.
You do not need to be in a church. You do not need to be baptized. Simply find a nice comfortable and quiet place wherever you are right now, clear the confusing worldly thoughts that pollute your mind, open your heart so that the Holy Spirit may enter, and ask the Lord Jesus Christ for His merciful salvation. Admit to Christ that you have been and currently are a sinner and that you desire and in fact need Him to be in your life. Admit to the Lord that you believe in His virgin birth. Confess your belief that He died on the cross so that the sins of the world would be forgiven. Believe in your heart and mind that He defeated Satan with the resurrection of His body and that He ascended into Heaven to be with the Holy Father once again. But most of all you must profess with every ounce of your very being that Christ is the Messiah, the Savior, and the Redeemer. |
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