Foundation Study
Salvation
What do the following verses say about Salvation?
1. Colossians 1:13
NOTES
Salvation means to be saved or rescued. Other words that describe salvation are: cure, remedy, recovery, and redemption. Salvation not only includes the idea of being rescued from something, but delivered to something. (Acts 26:18) Believers are saved from being under the authority of Satan to being under the authority of Christ. Ryrie states, "The full Christian usage means, saving a person from eternal death and endowing a person with everlasting life."1 Salvation is being saved from the penalty of sin (Romans 5:9), the power of sin (Romans 6:7), and eventually the presence of sin (Revelation 21:4). As well as being given the gift of eternal life. (Romans 6:23)
- Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth, (Chicago: Moody, 1999) 322
2. 2 Timothy 3:15
notes
Salvation is understood through the Scriptures. Only the Bible provides the information necessary to learn about salvation. Creation tells us that God exists, and that He is glorious, powerful, eternal, and good. (Romans 1:18-20, Psalm 19:1-6, Acts 14:17) But only the words of Scripture declare what we must know to be saved. (Luke 24:27; Romans 1:16; Acts 10:43)
Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ. It comes from trusting in the substitutional death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins. (Romans 3:22; I Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 13:38)
Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ. It comes from trusting in the substitutional death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins. (Romans 3:22; I Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 13:38)
3. Romans 3:28
notes
Salvation is by faith. (Romans 4:3,5; Acts 13:39) It is only by belief that a person experiences salvation. Charles Ryrie defines faith as, "Confidence, trust, to hold something as true...to have faith in Jesus Christ means to have confidence that He can remove the guilt of sin and grant eternal life."1 Saving faith is not just intellectual agreement but active trust. It is not the kind of belief one has by looking at an airplane and saying it will fly but by actually boarding the plane. Saving faith consists of ongoing, active participation. The question of saving faith is, "Are you trusting in the substitutionary death, of the risen Lord Jesus Christ alone, for forgiveness, and eternal life?" (John 11:26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Matthew 28:6; Romans 5:15; John 3:16)
- Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth, (Chicago: Moody, 1999) 377
4. 1 Thessalonians 5:9
notes
Salvation is only through Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:12; John 1:12, 3:16, 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5) God the Father and God the Spirit are involved in salvation (John 6:44; Titus 3:5) but it is only through the God the Son that a person is saved. (John 3:36, 1 John 5:12-13) Salvation is exclusive to the person of Christ, however, it is available to anyone, anywhere at any time. (Matthew 7:13-14; Romans 10:13)
Salvation saves us from the wrath of God. (John 1:18) Everyone is entitled to God's judgment. We have earned it, and rightfully expect it. The wrath of God is eternal punishment. (Romans 6:23; John 1:18) Salvation rescues us from that wrath.
Salvation saves us from the wrath of God. (John 1:18) Everyone is entitled to God's judgment. We have earned it, and rightfully expect it. The wrath of God is eternal punishment. (Romans 6:23; John 1:18) Salvation rescues us from that wrath.
5. Acts 13:38
notes
Salvation centers on forgiveness. (Luke 1:77; Romans 5:15) Forgiveness means giving up the right to exercise judgment or deliver punishment. The core of our salvation is not receiving the judgement required by our guilt.
Forgiveness is only made possible because God is merciful and gracious. As mentioned previously, God cannot overlook our guilt and remain just. It must be addressed. God extended forgiveness to us by placing our judgment upon Christ. Jesus received the punishment created by our guilt. The humbling element of salvation is our inescapable guilt, and undeserved forgiveness.
This promise of forgiveness was first made in Jeremiah 31:33-34, then accomplished by Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:24–26; Hebrews 12:24), and announced by the Apostles. (Acts 2:38, 5:31, 26:18)
Charles Ryrie says, "A gospel presentation can focus on lack of joy or peace, or the need to have help in solving problems; but those are symptoms of the sin that alienates us from God... One does not need to be saved in order to have joy or peace or the solution to problems. He needs to be saved in order to have sins forgiven. Lack of joy is not what bars people from heaven. Sin is. The Gospel believed solves the sin problem.1
Forgiveness is only made possible because God is merciful and gracious. As mentioned previously, God cannot overlook our guilt and remain just. It must be addressed. God extended forgiveness to us by placing our judgment upon Christ. Jesus received the punishment created by our guilt. The humbling element of salvation is our inescapable guilt, and undeserved forgiveness.
This promise of forgiveness was first made in Jeremiah 31:33-34, then accomplished by Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:24–26; Hebrews 12:24), and announced by the Apostles. (Acts 2:38, 5:31, 26:18)
Charles Ryrie says, "A gospel presentation can focus on lack of joy or peace, or the need to have help in solving problems; but those are symptoms of the sin that alienates us from God... One does not need to be saved in order to have joy or peace or the solution to problems. He needs to be saved in order to have sins forgiven. Lack of joy is not what bars people from heaven. Sin is. The Gospel believed solves the sin problem.1
- Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth, (Chicago: Moody, 1999) 387
6. Ephesians 2:4-5
notes
Salvation is the result of God's mercy and grace. Grace is undeserved, unconditional favor. Mercy is compassion for the helpless (Romans 5:6), and hopeless (Ephesians 2:12). Salvation can't be obtained through works or effort. It is a gift that only be received. God's mercy and grace, combined with our faith, are the only means by which one can experience salvation. (Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24, 5:15; John 3:16)
7. John 10:28-29
notes
Salvation is secure. Genuine salvation cannot be lost. (John 6:39–40; Isaiah 43:13) Charles Ryrie says, “Scripture gives no hint that a Christian can lose new birth, that he can be 'disindwelt', that he can be removed from the body of Christ, or be unsealed. Salvation is eternal, and entirely secure for all who believe."1
Support for the security of the believer comes from the following:
Support for the security of the believer comes from the following:
- The Holy Spirit seals us until the day of redemption, not until a day of sin. In other words, personal sin does not unseal the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 4:30)
- The future event of glorification is so certain that it's spoken in the past tense. (Romans 8:30)
- The term eternal speaks of a secure salvation. (John 3:16)
- There is no successful accusation against the believer’s eternal standing. (Romans 8:33)
- There is repeated use of the phrase, once and for all, support eternal security. (Hebrews 7:25)
- The Spirit's baptism is not stated as something that can be reversed. It's in a tense (aorist) that communicates a one time act with lasting results. (1 Corinthians 12:13)
- God’s unending love, not the believer’s actions, is the basis for the security. (Romans 8:38–39; 2 Timothy 2:13)
- Hebrews 6:4–12 speaks of those who are exposed to the gospel, but then turn away from God. It does not speak of Christians who lose their salvation.
- Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth, (Chicago: Moody, 1999) 384 Kindle
8. Hebrews 2:3
notes
Salvation is Great. It is immeasurably wonderful and amazingly magnificent. The following terms describe why salvation is so fantastic.
Substitution. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus died in the place of sinners. He died on our behalf. He atoned for our sins. He paid the price for our rebellion. Our sin is placed upon Him, and His righteousness is placed upon us. This process is called imputation. Christ's righteousness is imputed to us and our sin is imputed to Him. (1 Peter 2:24, 3:18; Hebrews 9:28; Isaiah 53:4–6)
Redemption. (Mark 10:45) To be redeemed means to be delivered or freed from captivity through the payment of a ransom. It's described by the terms freed, rescued, ransomed, bought. (Romans 3:24; Galatians 3:13; Revelation 5:9; 1 Peter 1:18; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 Corinthians 6:20) Believers are freed from the captivity of sin by the ransom payment of the blood of Christ.
Ryrie states, "Redemption may is summarized around three basic ideas. First, people are redeemed from something, namely the marketplace of sin. Second, people are redeemed by something, namely by the payment of a price, the blood of Christ. Third, people are redeemed to something, namely, to a state of freedom; and then they are called to renounce that freedom for slavery to the Lord who redeemed them."1
Atonement. (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2 NASB, 1 John 4:10; Hebrews 2:17) Other translations use the word propitiation. The idea is to satisfy deserved judgment; to appease just wrath. Atonement means to placate the offended. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ satisfied God's holy wrath upon our sin. Charles Ryrie says, “This is the message we bring to a lost world. Receive the Savior who, through His death, satisfied the wrath of God.”2
Pastor David Höng says, "Our problem with sin is not just that we feel broken and lost, but that we are eternally separated from God, whether we feel like it or not. The reality is, the wages of sin is death, eternal separation from God. Standing under God's holy judgment, we desperately need a Savior. It is because of this need that God sent His Son into our world to live a sinless life, and to become the sacrifice to bear the weight of our sin, taking the wrath of God's judgment in our place."3
Ryrie adds, "Man could only atone for his sins personally if he could suffer eternally."4 Since we can't bring about our own salvation through eternal suffering, the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ is our only hope.
Regeneration. (Titus 3:5 NASB) Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit, whereby a person is made new. It occurs at the moment of salvation and consists of giving new life to the believer. Evidence of regeneration include doing right, leaving sinful ways, loving one another, love for God, and overcoming the world. (1 John 2:29, 3:9, 4:7, 5:1,4)
Reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:19; Romans 5:1,10) Reconciliation means a change in the state of a relationship from enemy to friend. It includes the restoration from a former state of hostility to one of peace. God takes the initiative and reconciles us to Himself through Christ.
Justification. (Romans 3:28 NASB) Justification is a term that describes the outcome of a legal process; it's a verdict. It's not the actual process itself, but the announcement of the result. Biblically speaking, to be justified means to be declared righteous; in right standing with God. Author Dane Ortlund puts it this way, "To be justified is to be...fully legally exonerated in the divine court, based entirely on what another (Jesus) has done in our place."5 (Romans 8:30; 1 Corinthians 6:11)
We face an impossible dilemma. We stand guilty before a righteous Judge who must punish sin in order to remain just; yet we are unable to endure the punishment because it requires death. The only way for us to escape punishment is for our guilt to be placed upon an innocent (sinless) person, who then pays our penalty through death. That is exactly what happened at the cross. Jesus bore the penalty for our guilt, thereby allowing us to be declared justified. (2 Corinthians 5:21) "It is the most counterintuitive aspect of Christianity, that we are declared right with God not once we begin to get our act together but once we collapse into honest acknowledgment that we never will."6
Besides justice, another key element of justification is grace. Justification is a gift. It is undeserved, and only occurs because God is kind and loving. (Romans 3:24) Ryrie states, "Justification is not only one of the great benefits of the death of Jesus Christ but is also a cardinal doctrine of Christianity because it distinguishes it as a religion of grace and faith. And grace and faith are the cornerstones of the doctrine of justification."7
Adoption. (Ephesians 1:5; Galatians 4:5; Romans 8:15) Adoption is the act whereby God places believers in His family. It occurs at the moment of belief. Through adoption, believers enjoy the blessings of being part of a royal family, namely the promises from the King of protection and provision. (Psalm 121:7; Matthew 6:33)
Summarizing salvation.
The motive of salvation is the love of God, the process is the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, the activator is faith, the verdict is justification, the result is being saved from eternal judgment, and the blessing is peace with God. (Romans 5:1, 9)
J.D. Payne states, "The gospel is a message about how God’s enemies become God’s friends (reconciliation), prisoners bound by sin are set free (redemption), spiritually dead people are made alive (regeneration), people under God’s wrath receive His mercy (propitiation), people in the kingdom of darkness move into the kingdom of light (sanctification), the guilty become acquitted (justification), and people in the family of the evil one become members of the family of God (adoption). It is the message that the Creator is renewing and will renew his broken creation. It is a message about life after death and life here and now."8
MacArthur adds, "The word reconcile is one of the most significant and descriptive terms in all of Scripture. It is one of five key words used in the New Testament to describe the richness of salvation in Christ, along with justification, redemption, forgiveness, and adoption. In justification, the sinner stands before God guilty and condemned, but is declared righteous (Rom. 8:33). In redemption, the sinner stands before God as a slave, but is granted his freedom (Rom. 6:18-22). In forgiveness, the sinner stands before God as a debtor, but the debt is paid and forgotten (Eph. 1:7). In reconciliation, the sinner stands before God as an enemy, but becomes His friend (2 Cor. 5:18-20). In adoption, the sinner stands before God as a stranger, but is made a son (Eph. 1:5). A complete understanding of the doctrine of salvation would involve a detailed study of each of those terms."9
Substitution. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus died in the place of sinners. He died on our behalf. He atoned for our sins. He paid the price for our rebellion. Our sin is placed upon Him, and His righteousness is placed upon us. This process is called imputation. Christ's righteousness is imputed to us and our sin is imputed to Him. (1 Peter 2:24, 3:18; Hebrews 9:28; Isaiah 53:4–6)
Redemption. (Mark 10:45) To be redeemed means to be delivered or freed from captivity through the payment of a ransom. It's described by the terms freed, rescued, ransomed, bought. (Romans 3:24; Galatians 3:13; Revelation 5:9; 1 Peter 1:18; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 Corinthians 6:20) Believers are freed from the captivity of sin by the ransom payment of the blood of Christ.
Ryrie states, "Redemption may is summarized around three basic ideas. First, people are redeemed from something, namely the marketplace of sin. Second, people are redeemed by something, namely by the payment of a price, the blood of Christ. Third, people are redeemed to something, namely, to a state of freedom; and then they are called to renounce that freedom for slavery to the Lord who redeemed them."1
Atonement. (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2 NASB, 1 John 4:10; Hebrews 2:17) Other translations use the word propitiation. The idea is to satisfy deserved judgment; to appease just wrath. Atonement means to placate the offended. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ satisfied God's holy wrath upon our sin. Charles Ryrie says, “This is the message we bring to a lost world. Receive the Savior who, through His death, satisfied the wrath of God.”2
Pastor David Höng says, "Our problem with sin is not just that we feel broken and lost, but that we are eternally separated from God, whether we feel like it or not. The reality is, the wages of sin is death, eternal separation from God. Standing under God's holy judgment, we desperately need a Savior. It is because of this need that God sent His Son into our world to live a sinless life, and to become the sacrifice to bear the weight of our sin, taking the wrath of God's judgment in our place."3
Ryrie adds, "Man could only atone for his sins personally if he could suffer eternally."4 Since we can't bring about our own salvation through eternal suffering, the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ is our only hope.
Regeneration. (Titus 3:5 NASB) Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit, whereby a person is made new. It occurs at the moment of salvation and consists of giving new life to the believer. Evidence of regeneration include doing right, leaving sinful ways, loving one another, love for God, and overcoming the world. (1 John 2:29, 3:9, 4:7, 5:1,4)
Reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:19; Romans 5:1,10) Reconciliation means a change in the state of a relationship from enemy to friend. It includes the restoration from a former state of hostility to one of peace. God takes the initiative and reconciles us to Himself through Christ.
Justification. (Romans 3:28 NASB) Justification is a term that describes the outcome of a legal process; it's a verdict. It's not the actual process itself, but the announcement of the result. Biblically speaking, to be justified means to be declared righteous; in right standing with God. Author Dane Ortlund puts it this way, "To be justified is to be...fully legally exonerated in the divine court, based entirely on what another (Jesus) has done in our place."5 (Romans 8:30; 1 Corinthians 6:11)
We face an impossible dilemma. We stand guilty before a righteous Judge who must punish sin in order to remain just; yet we are unable to endure the punishment because it requires death. The only way for us to escape punishment is for our guilt to be placed upon an innocent (sinless) person, who then pays our penalty through death. That is exactly what happened at the cross. Jesus bore the penalty for our guilt, thereby allowing us to be declared justified. (2 Corinthians 5:21) "It is the most counterintuitive aspect of Christianity, that we are declared right with God not once we begin to get our act together but once we collapse into honest acknowledgment that we never will."6
Besides justice, another key element of justification is grace. Justification is a gift. It is undeserved, and only occurs because God is kind and loving. (Romans 3:24) Ryrie states, "Justification is not only one of the great benefits of the death of Jesus Christ but is also a cardinal doctrine of Christianity because it distinguishes it as a religion of grace and faith. And grace and faith are the cornerstones of the doctrine of justification."7
Adoption. (Ephesians 1:5; Galatians 4:5; Romans 8:15) Adoption is the act whereby God places believers in His family. It occurs at the moment of belief. Through adoption, believers enjoy the blessings of being part of a royal family, namely the promises from the King of protection and provision. (Psalm 121:7; Matthew 6:33)
Summarizing salvation.
The motive of salvation is the love of God, the process is the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, the activator is faith, the verdict is justification, the result is being saved from eternal judgment, and the blessing is peace with God. (Romans 5:1, 9)
J.D. Payne states, "The gospel is a message about how God’s enemies become God’s friends (reconciliation), prisoners bound by sin are set free (redemption), spiritually dead people are made alive (regeneration), people under God’s wrath receive His mercy (propitiation), people in the kingdom of darkness move into the kingdom of light (sanctification), the guilty become acquitted (justification), and people in the family of the evil one become members of the family of God (adoption). It is the message that the Creator is renewing and will renew his broken creation. It is a message about life after death and life here and now."8
MacArthur adds, "The word reconcile is one of the most significant and descriptive terms in all of Scripture. It is one of five key words used in the New Testament to describe the richness of salvation in Christ, along with justification, redemption, forgiveness, and adoption. In justification, the sinner stands before God guilty and condemned, but is declared righteous (Rom. 8:33). In redemption, the sinner stands before God as a slave, but is granted his freedom (Rom. 6:18-22). In forgiveness, the sinner stands before God as a debtor, but the debt is paid and forgotten (Eph. 1:7). In reconciliation, the sinner stands before God as an enemy, but becomes His friend (2 Cor. 5:18-20). In adoption, the sinner stands before God as a stranger, but is made a son (Eph. 1:5). A complete understanding of the doctrine of salvation would involve a detailed study of each of those terms."9
- Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago: Moody, 1999) 336, Kindle
- Ryrie, 342
- David Höng, email, March 23, 2017
- Ryrie, 329
- Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers (Wheaton: Crossway, 2020) 78
- Ortlund, 77
- Ryrie, 343
- J. D. Payne, Evangelism: A Biblical Response to Today’s Questions (Downers Grove: Intervarsity, 2012) 9, Kindle
- John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody, 1992) Notes on Colossians 1:20-23, Olive Tree App Ver. 6.9.3.
9. 1 Peter 2:2
notes
Salvation is both an initial experience and ongoing process. Pastor Scott Grimm states, "It is like being given a piece of essential clothing (a winter jacket) that is at first too large, but is used out of necessity, and over time, with growth, comes to fit." Faith is the basis of initial reception and ongoing growth of salvation. The initial experience of salvation is called justification and occurs the moment a person believes. The ongoing process of growing into salvation (spiritual maturity) is called sanctification. It occurs throughout the life of a believer. The tools for spiritual maturity are the Holy Spirit, Scripture, and the people of God (the church). Ultimately, how far we progress is up to us. As Rick Warrens states, "We are as spiritually mature as we choose to be."
10. Ephesians 1:4-5
notes
Salvation confirms election. (Acts 13:48; Galatians 1:15) Election is God's sovereign selection for people to become believers. It is divinely predetermined in eternity past. God chose us to choose Him. Yet, He did so while keeping our free will intact. Imagine approaching a large door with the phrase, "Your salvation, your choice" written on the front. You choose to open the door, walk through, and close the door. You then look back at the other side of the door and see the phrase, "Your salvation, God's choice." Election is best understood from a post salvation perspective. Ultimately, there is a mystery to this that is unsolvable this side of heaven. It is impossible to know if a person is elect, until they take their last breath in unbelief. Therefore, as George Walker states, "You can never tell the wrong person the gospel."
11. Salvation is...
A. 2 Corinthians 6:2
notes
Urgent. The urgency of salvation is due to the uncertainty of each person's life (James 4:14) and the nearness of the completion of this age. The culmination of all things is spoke of as soon, near, in the last days, and in the last hour. (Revelation 1:1; Luke 21:28; Hebrews 1:2; 1 John 2:18)
B. Acts 4:12
notes
Necessary. The human soul must be saved. (1 Peter 1:9) It is saturated with sin and therefore, incapable of self-salvation. It exists forever. (Daniel 12:2) The only question is, where? Heaven or hell?
C. Romans 10:13
notes
Available. Salvation is obtainable by anyone, anywhere at any-time. God is close by, not far off. (Acts 17:27, Deuteronomy 4:7, Psalm 145:18) God wants everyone to experience salvation. (1 Timothy 2:4)
D. Acts 26:20
notes
Accompanied by repentance. Saving repentance has several elements. First, it consists of changing what a person believes about their sin. The key attitude is godly sorrow. (2 Corinthians 7:10) Second, it results in salvation; faith in the substitutional death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Third, it is confirmed by a godly life. (Matthew 3:8; Galatians 5: 22-23) Pastor Tone Benedict says, "Repentance is letting go of something that will ultimately destroy you, and embracing someone who can completely save you."
Resource:
- Watch The Story of the Bible in a nutshell, (4:23) David Platt
What was the most important verse in this study to you? Explain.