Salvation.
Salvation may be the most important word used in Christian Theology.
Humanity’s salvation is the reason Christ came. And, salvation is the reason for the existence of His church in the world today. So, this week, we’re beginning an exploration into this most consequential aspect of Jesus’s and the church’s mission and ministry.
Definition.
It may be hard to imagine, but there are a number of definitions for salvation. My favorite (and therefore, the one we will reference in this article) comes from the Google online Dictionary. There, salvation is described as “…preservation from harm, ruin, or loss.” And, “…deliverance from sin and its consequences….” These two descriptions are mutually supportive and provide an excellent summary of salvation and its purpose.
One Objective.
Why do I say that salvation is the primary reason for Jesus’s life and the church’s existence? We’ve already discussed (see Posts 6, 17, & 18)“…He is not here, for He is risen…” Matthew 28:6 The Resurrection of Christ that He had several reasons for His manifestation on earth. All of His purposes were important.
But, they were all aimed at one primary objective. That was to mend the rift between God and Man that our sin caused (and causes). Only when that rift was healed could God’s original purpose for man be fulfilled. Only then could God and man exist in eternal communion together.
The Obstacle and Its Removal.
As we discussed in last week’s Post 60, man is an irretrievably sinful creature. We simply are not capable of not sinning. In Romans 7:19, the Apostle Paul says about himself, “I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” So it is with all of us.
Our penchant for sinning separates us from God and prevents our communion with Him.
So, if we are innately sinful, and sin is incompatible with God’s perfection, our sin had to be eradicated before we were ever going to fulfill God’s intention for us.
In last week’s post, we discussed sanctification or the act by which our sin is removed, and we are made perfect for our existence with God. We also learned that our sanctification was made possible by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. By His righteous act, Christ took all of the sins of the world to Himself and opened the way for man’s perfect communion with God. His sacrifice made our eternal life with God possible.
Sanctification as Prelude.
Christ’s act of sanctifying mankind made our salvation possible. His death on the cross sanctified every one of us, whether we asked for it or not. Neither those before Him, those alive at the time of His death, nor any born since had the opportunity to ask for it. God simply saw the need and sent Jesus to remedy it. Some of us may not recognize His Gift, it or even want it, but He gave it anyway. Thank You, Jesus!
Salvation as the Result.
We may not have had a voice in whether Jesus came or what He did, but we do have a choice whether to accept the result of Jesus’ sanctifying act or not. We have free will, and it is by that free will that we either accept or reject Jesus’ gift to us. And by that decision, we either accept or reject our salvation.
Just as a drowning man who’s been thrown a lifebuoy must take hold of it to be saved, so must we each decide to accept Jesus’ gift for our spiritual salvation to become a reality. God respects our choice, either way.
Parents frequently allow their children to make decisions that they know will not turn to the child’s benefit because they realize that the child has to make their own mistakes, and suffer the consequences if they are to develop into mature adults.
So it is with God and humanity. He has offered to spend eternity with us. He has prepared a place for us (“My father’s house has many rooms…” John 14:2). And He has provided the means by which we might assume that place. All we must to do is accept His offer and His gift.
When we do, we are “saved.” We are “delivered from our sin and its consequences.” We have chosen to receive salvation and have been “Born Again” (Posts 21 & 22).
Salvation is a Process.
However, because our free will is warped by our sinful nature, we will inevitably continue to sin. That is why accepting salvation is not a “one-time” thing. We must continually recommit ourselves to God and His salvation.
It is not enough to know about Christ and what he did (“Even the demons believe.” James 2:19).
If we are to accept our salvation truly, we must commit to it, live by it, and allow it to shine from us each day. If others cannot tell that we are Christians by observing us, we are “talking the talk, but not walking the walk.”
Our job as Christians.
When we not only accept Christ and the salvation that He offers but also make every attempt to live our faith into the world, we become a formidable force (“…we are more than conquerors…” Romans 8:37).
Our primary “job” as Christians is to help the Holy Spirit bring others to Christ. Big churches and charities can aid that process (more about this next week), but bringing converts to Christ is primarily a person-to-person process. There is nothing more compelling to a non-Christian than a Christian who “lives their faith” for all to see.
Challenge.
Of course, Christians are still “human,” and each of us will continue to sin regardless of how hard we try not to. Some days we’ll do better than others. But that’s not the point.
The point is that we’ve all been sanctified by Christ’s sacrifice, and when we accept His sacrifice, we will have also accepted salvation.
And that when we allow the Holy Spirit to shine through us into the world, we can be the agents for others’ salvation. THAT’s our job. And isn’t that wonderful?
God’s Blessings on You All.
Richard
August 9, 2019
