Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Theology of Salvation
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him” (Colossians 1:15-16). Salvation is not something that is to be taken lightly. Salvation is the greatest gift that mankind can receive. It is exactly that, it is a gift not something that can be earned or taken. It must be received. It is the immortal and invisible God who is over all of creation that gives it to us. We are created by him and for him. Our understanding of salvation must be scriptural. So what is salvation and what impact does it have on people? Let’s take time to look at those questions and answer them thoroughly.
So what is salvation? It is the free gift that God gives each one of us who accepts His Son Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. It is not something that is given to all people because not all people come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Simply put it is not universal. Jesus death was for the sins of the world but that does not mean that all have been forgiven because most people have not placed their faith in Him. Universalism is a dangerous and unbiblical view of salvation. Jesus is clear in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It is only through Christ that one can come to salvation. Buddha, Allah, or any other god can not save. They are all dead or never existed. What about the ones who never heard the gospel? Well that is a hard question to answer but God makes it clear that no man or women can come to faith without calling upon the name of Jesus and having faith in Him and in Him alone. That means that those who have never heard the gospel can not be saved. That is sad but a Holy God demands a Holy Sacrifice. That is why the great commission is so important. It is our responsibility to take the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. It is our fault that we do not reach the lost. God has commanded his followers to reach out to the lost world.
Salvation is also much more than just a prayer. It is a complete commitment to Jesus Christ. That means that it is mental. Your life has to change, you can no longer life a worldly life. You have to be different. If you are the same today as you were when you expected Christ then maybe you are not a Christian. There has to be difference in your life. This does not mean that you will not fall or slip into sin, it means that you when you do slip into sin that the Holy Spirit is their to pick you up and restore you. It a great thing to be restored by the Holy Spirit.
So what kind of impact should salvation have on people? It should have an eternal impact. You should be willing to share what Christ has done in your life with other people. We should be willing to share Christ love with our friends and family. It should drive us daily to walk with God. It is an eternal impact.
I have to admit that I fall way to often and struggle to share my faith with others. It comes from a fear of rejection. I am scared that people will reject me when I tell them of Christ love but it is not me that they are rejecting, it is Christ. I must be strong in my commitment to Christ. I must be willing to share the gospel with my friends and family. We must all be willing to share the love of God. It is our calling and commandment. We are command by Christ to go and share His love. It is more important than any football game, basketball game, cheerleading competition, band competition, movie, job, tv show, or any other activity or event. It is the most important thing that we can do. Take time to share Christ with others today because you never know when it is to late.
So what is salvation? It is the free gift that God gives each one of us who accepts His Son Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. It is not something that is given to all people because not all people come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Simply put it is not universal. Jesus death was for the sins of the world but that does not mean that all have been forgiven because most people have not placed their faith in Him. Universalism is a dangerous and unbiblical view of salvation. Jesus is clear in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It is only through Christ that one can come to salvation. Buddha, Allah, or any other god can not save. They are all dead or never existed. What about the ones who never heard the gospel? Well that is a hard question to answer but God makes it clear that no man or women can come to faith without calling upon the name of Jesus and having faith in Him and in Him alone. That means that those who have never heard the gospel can not be saved. That is sad but a Holy God demands a Holy Sacrifice. That is why the great commission is so important. It is our responsibility to take the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. It is our fault that we do not reach the lost. God has commanded his followers to reach out to the lost world.
Salvation is also much more than just a prayer. It is a complete commitment to Jesus Christ. That means that it is mental. Your life has to change, you can no longer life a worldly life. You have to be different. If you are the same today as you were when you expected Christ then maybe you are not a Christian. There has to be difference in your life. This does not mean that you will not fall or slip into sin, it means that you when you do slip into sin that the Holy Spirit is their to pick you up and restore you. It a great thing to be restored by the Holy Spirit.
So what kind of impact should salvation have on people? It should have an eternal impact. You should be willing to share what Christ has done in your life with other people. We should be willing to share Christ love with our friends and family. It should drive us daily to walk with God. It is an eternal impact.
I have to admit that I fall way to often and struggle to share my faith with others. It comes from a fear of rejection. I am scared that people will reject me when I tell them of Christ love but it is not me that they are rejecting, it is Christ. I must be strong in my commitment to Christ. I must be willing to share the gospel with my friends and family. We must all be willing to share the love of God. It is our calling and commandment. We are command by Christ to go and share His love. It is more important than any football game, basketball game, cheerleading competition, band competition, movie, job, tv show, or any other activity or event. It is the most important thing that we can do. Take time to share Christ with others today because you never know when it is to late.
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About Me
- jstrewh2
- I am the Youth and Associate Pastor at FBC Church Hill. I am married to a wonderful woman. In May of 2008, I received my Master of Divinity Degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
3 comments:
Hello! :)
Hello Thankful Paul
It was late in December, 1996. A large family gathered in Los Angeles for the joyous occasion of wrapping Christmas presents. It was a big family because it was the product of two marriages. There were so many gathered that night, five of the children slept in the garage. It was a converted structure, kept warm during the cold night by an electric heater which sat by the door.
During the early hours of the morning, the heater suddenly burst into flames, blocking the doorway. In seconds the room became a blazing inferno. The frantic 911 call revealed the unspeakable terror of the moment. One of the children could be heard screaming, "I'm on fire!" The distraught father vainly rushed into the flames to try and save his beloved children. He received burns to 50% of his body. Tragically, all five of the children burned to death. They died because steel bars on the windows of the garage thwarted their escape. There was only one door, and that was stopped by the flames.
You are back in time. It's minutes before the heater burst into flames. You peer through the darkness at the peaceful sight of five sleeping youngsters. You know that at any moment the room is going to erupt into an inferno and burn the flesh of horrified children. Can you in good conscience walk away? No! You must awaken them, and warn them to run from that death trap!
The world sleeps peacefully in the darkness of ignorance. There is only one Door by which they may escape death. The steel bars of sin prevent their salvation, and at the same time call for the flames of Eternal Justice. What a fearful thing Judgment Day will be! The fires of the wrath of Almighty God will burn for eternity. The Church has been entrusted with the task of awakening them before it's too late. We cannot turn our backs and walk away in complacency. Think of how the father ran into the flames. His love knew no bounds, and our devotion to the sober task that God has given us will be in direct proportion to our love for the lost. There are only a few who run headlong into the flames to warn them to flee (Luke 10:2). Please be one of them. We really have no choice. The Apostle Paul said, "Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16).
It was the "Prince of Preachers," Charles Spurgeon, who said the words, "Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that." A Christian cannot be apathetic about the salvation of the world. The love of God in him will motivate him to seek and save that which is lost.
You probably have a limited amount of time after your conversion to impact your unsaved friends and family with the Gospel. After the initial shock of your conversion, they will put you in a neat little ribbon-tied box, and keep you at arm's length. So it's important that you take advantage of the short time you have while you still have their ears.
Here's some advice that will save you a great deal of grief. As a new Christian, a friend of mine did almost irreparable damage by acting like a wild bull in a crystal showroom. He bullied his mom, his dad, and many of his friends into making a "decision for Christ". He was sincere, zealous, loving, kind, and stupid. He didn't understand that salvation doesn't come through making a "decision," but through repentance, and repentance is God-given (see 2 Timothy 2:25). The Bible teaches that no one can come to the Son unless God "draws" him. If you are able to get a decision but they have no conviction of sin, you will almost certainly end up with a still-born on your hands.
In his"zeal without knowledge" he actually inoculated the very ones he was so desperately trying to reach. There is nothing more important to you than the salvation of your loved ones, and you don't want to blow it. If you do, you may find that you don't have a second chance. Fervently pray for them, thanking God for their salvation. Let them see your faith. Let them feel your kindness, your genuine love, and your gentleness. Buy gifts for no reason. Do chores when you are not asked to. Go the extra mile. Put yourself in their position. You know that you have found everlasting life. Death has lost its sting! Your joy is unspeakable -- but as far as they are concerned, you have been brain-washed. You have become part of a weird sect. So your loving actions will speak more loudly than ten thousand eloquent sermons.
It is because of these thoughts that you should hold back from verbal confrontation until you have knowledge that will guide your zeal. Pray for wisdom and for a sensitivity to God's timing. You may have only one shot, so make it count. Keep your cool. If you don't, you may end up with a lifetime of regret. Believe me. It is better to hear a loved one or a close friend say, "Tell me about your faith in Jesus Christ," rather than you saying, "Sit down. I want to talk to you."
It is important to realize that we should share our faith with others whenever we can. The Bible says that there are only two times we should do this -- "in season and out of season" (2 Timothy 4:2). The Apostle Paul pleaded for prayer for his own personal witness. He said, ". . . that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak," (Ephesians 6:19-20).
Remember that you have the sobering responsibility of speaking to other peoples' loved ones. Many times when you open your mouth for the Gospel, you may be the answer to the earnest prayer of another Christian. Perhaps he has cried out to God that He would use a faithful witness to speak to his beloved mom or dad, and you are that answer to prayer. You are that true and faithful witness that God wants to use.
Never lose sight of the world and all its pains. Keep the fate of the ungodly before your eyes. Too many of us settle down on a padded pew and become introverted. Our world becomes a monastery without walls. Our friends are confined solely to those within the Church, when Jesus was the "friend of sinners." So take the time to deliberately befriend them for the sake of their salvation. Remember that each and every person who dies in their sins has an appointment with the Judge of the Universe. Hell opens wide its terrible jaws. There is no more sobering task than to be entrusted with the Gospel of Salvation -- working with God for the eternal well-being of dying humanity. - (The Evidence Bible)
Also check out The Way of The Master website.
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