APPROVED UNTO GOD

DOCTRINE OF SALVATION

God the Father is God the SON is God the Holy Spirit is

• Unchangeable • Incarnate: God • Personal

• Creator becoming man • Advocate sent to
• Sustainer • Substituted for us help us
• Provider on the cross • Gives fruit of the
• Giver of His Son • Came to serve and Spirit
as a sacrifice for to save • Convicts us of sin
us • Both God and man • Gives spiritual gifts
• the most important when we become a
person who ever Christian
lived • Comforter
• Great High Priest • Calls people to
• He is our mediator salvation

IV. Everyone is in need of salvation, but what is it?

1. According to the dictionary salvation is: Deliverance, rescue from something

2. The cross is a historical event that changed history.

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3. The entire world accepts that Jesus died on the cross. For Christians the cross
changes everything because we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and
rose from the dead.

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did
not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world
through him.

V. The following terms and concepts are important to our understanding of

the complicated and multifaceted doctrine of salvation.

1. Election: Chosen by God

This choice is based on His sovereign pleasure and not on the value, goodness,
or character of those chosen.
Eph 1:3-5 why you are a Christian
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
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the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in
him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance
with his pleasure and will—

Rom 8:28-30 how/why God loves you

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also
predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also
called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

There are two main opinions that have arisen over the ages in regard to
this doctrine.

According to Arminianism:

Salvation is accomplished through the combined efforts of God (who takes the
initiative) and man (who must respond) - man's response being the determining
factor. God has provided salvation for everyone, but His provision becomes
effective only for those who, of their own free will, "choose" to cooperate with Him
and accept His offer of grace. At the crucial point, man's will plays a decisive role;
thus man, not God, determines who will be recipients of the gift of salvation.

According to Calvinism:

Salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of the Triune God. The Father
chose a people; the Son died for them, the Holy Spirit makes Christ's death
effective by bringing the elect to faith and repentance, thereby causing them to
willingly obey the gospel. The entire process (election, redemption, regeneration)
is the work of God and is by grace alone. Thus God, not man, determines who
will be the recipients of the gift of salvation.

Where these two view come together is that every person, apart from God’s
intervening grace in sending Jesus, is hopelessly lost, and the only way to
salvation is through His grace and mercy.

Furthermore, each understanding of the doctrine, when rightly applied, results in

the glory of God alone rather than human pride.

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2. Effectual Calling: Holy Spirit working in you enabling you to respond in
repentance and faith

Rom 11:28-32 GOD’S GIFT & CALL ARE IRREVOCABLE

As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as
election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts
and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to
God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too
have now become disobedient in order that they too may now[a] receive mercy
as a result of God’s mercy to you. For God has bound everyone over to
disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

John 6:44 GOD DRAWS US TO HIMSELF

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will
raise them up at the last day.

3. Regeneration: From death to life: Rebirth; the new birth or being born
again.

Regeneration is the divine act of making the repentant believer a “new” man or
woman in Christ by the imparting of new divine life through the gift of the Holy
Spirit.

This rebirth is a change of our human nature back to what God had originally
intended it to be prior to the entry of sin into the world.

This new life is really a return to the old life.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NEW CREATION

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has
gone, the new is here!

Romans 6:4 LIVE A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just
as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may
live a new life.

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4. Atonement: Satisfaction of God’s wrath against Sin

1 John 4:10 Jesus is our atonement

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an
atoning sacrifice for our sins.

5. Justification: To be freed from guilt or blame, the action of declaring or

making righteous in the sight of God

It is something God does for us. It happens one time. God sees us just as if
we never sinned. God is the ultimate judge. Justification is a legal term taken
from the courtrooms of the first century. Very simply, it means to be declared not
guilty by the judge, whose word is final. Justification is the judicial action of God.
Justification is not based on our human goodness or worthiness. God as judge
pardons(forgives) us (the guilty) and then reinstated us as His children and as
fellow heirs with Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:13-14 JESUS makes us alive and free from sin and death
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God
made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the
charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he
has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

Righteousness: God’s standard of purity

Romams 1:17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a

righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous
will live by faith.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him
we might become the righteousness of God.

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6. Redemption: From slavery to freedom: to be bought back; to be rescued
from bondage

Redemption is the need for salvation created by man’s enslavement to sin. It

speaks the language of purchase and ransom.
Ransom is the securing of a release by the payment of a price.
From what has the sinner been released? From law, from sin, and from
death.

John 8:34 sinners are slaves to sin

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

Romans 6:6 Jesus sets us free from sin

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin
might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—7 because
anyone who has died has been set free from sin.8 Now if we died with Christ, we
believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised
from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10
The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to
God.11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ
Jesus.

Example: Just as a man could be released from jail by payment of money,

canceling out the certificate of debt against him (Colossians 2:13), and could be
set free from the darkness of prison into the light and freedom of day, and just as
a slave in ancient times might be legally purchased by a generous man and set
free, so God has paid the purchase price of the blood of Christ to release sinners
held captive by spiritual oppressors (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18).

Colossians 2:13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of
your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

1 Peter 1:18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or
gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you
from your ancestors,

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1 Cor. 6:19-20 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit,
who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you
were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Hebrews 2:14-15 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their
humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the
power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held
in slavery by their fear of death.

7. Reconciliation: healing of a broken relationship

Rom 5:10 we were God’s enemies

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the
death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved
through his life!

2 Corinthians 5:18 -21 Jesus reconciles us

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the
ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the
message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though
God were making his appeal through us.We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be
reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin[b] for us, so that in
him we might become the righteousness of God.

8. Adoption chosen by God to join His family, God’s children

We are all made in the image of God but only believers are children of God.
As children of God we get to enjoy the benefits of being genuine members of
God’s family.

Ephesians 1:4-6 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be
holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship
through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of
his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Romans 8:14-17 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of
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God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear
again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.
And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that
we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God
and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may
also share in his glory.

9. Sanctification: transformation, forming: To be set apart; made holy;

cleansed from sin.

Sanctification is not something God does for us, but what He does in us. It’s the
process of being made more and more like Christ.

It begins when we are born again and continues until our earthly life is
completed.

Christians aren’t sinless but we try to sin less.

1 Corinthians 1:2 “…to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be His
holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours…”

10. Glorification: The climax of salvation: The perfecting of both the spiritual
nature and the bodies of all believers.

John 13:31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified
and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him,[c] God will glorify the Son
in himself,and will glorify him at once.
The glorification of the body involves receiving a future, perfect body. Paul
draws a comparison between the body which we are to have and our present
body in 1 Corinthians 15:38-50.

1. The present body is perishable, subject to disease and death; the

resurrection body is incorruptible, immune to disease and decay.

2. The present body is sown in dishonor the resurrection body will be

glorious.

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3. The present body is weak; the resurrection body is powerful.

4. The present body is physical; the resurrection body will be spiritual.

The glorification of the body will occur at the time of the resurrection in
connection with the second coming of Christ.

John 17:1-5 Jesus Prays to Be Glorified After Jesus said this, he looked
toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that
your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he
might give eternal life to all those you have given him.3 Now this is eternal life:
that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I
have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And
now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the
world began.

Romans 3:23-28 is a great summary of salvation. Underline the salvation

related terms you see in these verses

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by
his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented
Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of his blood—to be
received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his
forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to
demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one
who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that
requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain
that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

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VI. Process of Salvation:

Conversion through Faith→ Sanctification → Glorification

● Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through

faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not
Conversion through Faith

by works, so that no one can boast.

● 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
● Jesus reconciles us because our sin separates us from God and
makes us enemies to him.
● The Holy Spirit regenerates us and gives us new life.
● Justification is God’s ultimate answer to sin that condemns us.
● Jesus redeems us through his atoning sacrifice on the cross.

● Happens all the time, our whole Christian life

● We are supposed to be different
● God does in us.
● Process of being made more like God
● The Holy Spirit accomplishing God’s purpose in our life.
Sanctification

John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and
I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Colossians 3:7-10 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once
lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these:
anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not
lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices
10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in
the image of its Creator.
Glorification

The climax of salvation: The perfecting of both the spiritual nature and
the bodies of all believers.

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Apply It: But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”-Luke 9:20

Our world tends to believe God accepts all of the different beliefs as long as they
are sincere. But just like we can’t get in our car and get to China it is also
impossible for all religions to lead to the same place. Jesus Christ said He is the
only way to life with God.

John 11:25-26 Jesus says “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who
believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in
me will never die. Do you believe this?” Remember, you salvation and life with
the Lord does not depend on your faithfulness and loyalty to Him.

Romans 10:9-10 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in
your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with
your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you
profess your faith and are saved.) Jesus knows you, understands your struggles
and joys, and wants you to know and walk with Him.

1. If you already know Jesus as your Savior write a prayer to Him thanking
Him for your salvation, for how He is working in your life, and to help you
walk with Him and know him more?

2. If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior write a prayer to him asking Him to
speak to you and change your heart to know Him so you can answer the
questions; Who do you say I am?

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