Man and Salvation
NOTES FROM PASTOR DAN - MAN AND SALVATION
In the previous essays I have written, I attempted to shine some light on two foundational issues pertaining to salvation. First, God alone saves. He established the way of salvation from the beginning of time and He continues to extend salvation to mankind long before man acknowledges a need or desire for salvation. Second, God’s goodness, holiness, righteousness, and wrath are the framework for man’s need for salvation. God is so good, holy, and righteous, that man is destined to experience God’s wrath in hell. Man is utterly incapable of saving himself so his need is overwhelming and inescapable. With man’s need and God’s gracious provision of salvation in mind, it is now time to consider how man ought to respond to God’s gracious offer of salvation and eternal life.
In the simplest of terms, Jesus calls all people to “repent and believe the Gospel” (Mark 1:15). These are the only actions or attitudes that man brings to the table of salvation. When a person becomes aware of his sinfulness he is at a crucial crossroads. The path of repentance is marked by a genuine remorse for sin and a commitment to walk the new path of faith in Christ. When the path of faith is taken, brazen sinfulness is left behind. Willful disobedience characterized by a “heart of stone” is rejected, and the Holy Spirit births new life and gives a willing supple heart to the new believer. All future sin now has a remedy, confession and repentance, because God is “faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Each step along the path reveals the lingering effects of the old life of sin and the cleansing that comes through repentance. Step by step the old life is sloughed off and the new life in Christ is embraced (Colossians 3:1-18). Day by day and mile by mile the path of repentance strengthens faith and encourages a lifestyle of faithful obedience. Repentance… Faith… Repentance… Faith… Repentance… Faith–step by step walking a new path of life.
So, man’s faith response to God’s salvation is, in my mind, a cycle of sorts: belief leading to obedience culminating in evangelism. So, I will begin from the end and move forward. Our final response to the wonderful salvation that is offered by God is to become a “preacher” or “evangelist.” Paul makes this point clear in Romans 10:14. Man can only believe a message he has heard, and he can only hear if someone preaches the message of the gospel. A believer’s continual faith response is to share the clear, unapologetic, unambiguous truth of the gospel. God the Son was born and lived as every other man has lived yet was without sin. The sinless Son of God was sacrificed on the cross to atone for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). His death satisfied the wrath of God and His resurrection grants eternal life to everyone who believes in Him for salvation (Romans 10:9-11). Ultimately, God will save all who call upon Him by transferring them into His eternal, heavenly kingdom. This is the basic message of the gospel that believers must preach with a heart of gratitude.
The only acceptable response to the gospel is to believe in Christ and to confess Him as Lord. God foreordained that man must believe; this is a pivotal element of His sovereign plan of salvation. God created man to bear His image, to carry His name so to speak, and we are not to bear His name in vain. So, there is no greater offense, no more monumental rebellion, no more seismic cursing of His name than to refuse to submit to Him as Lord and believe in His gracious plan of salvation. So, faith in Christ is absolutely essential in order to be saved.
Faith, however, is much more than merely agreeing to the truth of Jesus’s existence. Faith is more than an intellectual understanding of the facts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Faith recognizes man’s deep need for salvation and God’s graciousness and ability to save. Faith agrees with God that all have sinned and have fallen short of His glory. Faith agrees that transformation from a state of darkness needs to take place. Faith agrees that God is right and just to punish sin, but He is also right and just to forgive those who trust in Him. So, faith is a basic agreement with God, but it is also submission to God.
A man or woman who has faith will undoubtedly be deeply changed as he submits to God. The transformation that is wrought by faith will be apparent in his love for God–mind, heart, and strength. It is quite wonderful to witness believers thinking deeply and longingly about their Savior; to hear the expression of their love through fervent worship and praise. Faith-filled people sing differently, pray differently, serve differently, and love differently. Different from what? Men and women who have responded in faith to Christ are elementally different from all other people. This is precisely how a nominal (in name only) Christian is identified.
Nominal Christians have little to no faith. The cares of this world choke out their love for Christ. The scorching heat of the trials of this world quickly dry up their short-lived enthusiasm for Christ. Only the faith-filled believer who has the word deeply rooted in his heart is fruitful in the kingdom of God, for the Holy Spirit will always produce His fruit in such a life.
And finally we come full circle in this cycle of faith. Faith produces obedience for “those who love me will keep my commandments.” This is what Paul is describing when he charges the Ephesians to “walk in a manner worthy of your calling;” of the Collosians to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord;” of the Philippians to “only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ;” of the Thessalonians to “walk in a manner worthy of God.” Faith-filled men and women walk in loving obedience to their Savior, not out of obligation but willingly, as grateful recipients of His grace and love. And such believers take joy in sharing this gospel message with all who will listen.
In the previous essays I have written, I attempted to shine some light on two foundational issues pertaining to salvation. First, God alone saves. He established the way of salvation from the beginning of time and He continues to extend salvation to mankind long before man acknowledges a need or desire for salvation. Second, God’s goodness, holiness, righteousness, and wrath are the framework for man’s need for salvation. God is so good, holy, and righteous, that man is destined to experience God’s wrath in hell. Man is utterly incapable of saving himself so his need is overwhelming and inescapable. With man’s need and God’s gracious provision of salvation in mind, it is now time to consider how man ought to respond to God’s gracious offer of salvation and eternal life.
In the simplest of terms, Jesus calls all people to “repent and believe the Gospel” (Mark 1:15). These are the only actions or attitudes that man brings to the table of salvation. When a person becomes aware of his sinfulness he is at a crucial crossroads. The path of repentance is marked by a genuine remorse for sin and a commitment to walk the new path of faith in Christ. When the path of faith is taken, brazen sinfulness is left behind. Willful disobedience characterized by a “heart of stone” is rejected, and the Holy Spirit births new life and gives a willing supple heart to the new believer. All future sin now has a remedy, confession and repentance, because God is “faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Each step along the path reveals the lingering effects of the old life of sin and the cleansing that comes through repentance. Step by step the old life is sloughed off and the new life in Christ is embraced (Colossians 3:1-18). Day by day and mile by mile the path of repentance strengthens faith and encourages a lifestyle of faithful obedience. Repentance… Faith… Repentance… Faith… Repentance… Faith–step by step walking a new path of life.
So, man’s faith response to God’s salvation is, in my mind, a cycle of sorts: belief leading to obedience culminating in evangelism. So, I will begin from the end and move forward. Our final response to the wonderful salvation that is offered by God is to become a “preacher” or “evangelist.” Paul makes this point clear in Romans 10:14. Man can only believe a message he has heard, and he can only hear if someone preaches the message of the gospel. A believer’s continual faith response is to share the clear, unapologetic, unambiguous truth of the gospel. God the Son was born and lived as every other man has lived yet was without sin. The sinless Son of God was sacrificed on the cross to atone for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). His death satisfied the wrath of God and His resurrection grants eternal life to everyone who believes in Him for salvation (Romans 10:9-11). Ultimately, God will save all who call upon Him by transferring them into His eternal, heavenly kingdom. This is the basic message of the gospel that believers must preach with a heart of gratitude.
The only acceptable response to the gospel is to believe in Christ and to confess Him as Lord. God foreordained that man must believe; this is a pivotal element of His sovereign plan of salvation. God created man to bear His image, to carry His name so to speak, and we are not to bear His name in vain. So, there is no greater offense, no more monumental rebellion, no more seismic cursing of His name than to refuse to submit to Him as Lord and believe in His gracious plan of salvation. So, faith in Christ is absolutely essential in order to be saved.
Faith, however, is much more than merely agreeing to the truth of Jesus’s existence. Faith is more than an intellectual understanding of the facts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Faith recognizes man’s deep need for salvation and God’s graciousness and ability to save. Faith agrees with God that all have sinned and have fallen short of His glory. Faith agrees that transformation from a state of darkness needs to take place. Faith agrees that God is right and just to punish sin, but He is also right and just to forgive those who trust in Him. So, faith is a basic agreement with God, but it is also submission to God.
A man or woman who has faith will undoubtedly be deeply changed as he submits to God. The transformation that is wrought by faith will be apparent in his love for God–mind, heart, and strength. It is quite wonderful to witness believers thinking deeply and longingly about their Savior; to hear the expression of their love through fervent worship and praise. Faith-filled people sing differently, pray differently, serve differently, and love differently. Different from what? Men and women who have responded in faith to Christ are elementally different from all other people. This is precisely how a nominal (in name only) Christian is identified.
Nominal Christians have little to no faith. The cares of this world choke out their love for Christ. The scorching heat of the trials of this world quickly dry up their short-lived enthusiasm for Christ. Only the faith-filled believer who has the word deeply rooted in his heart is fruitful in the kingdom of God, for the Holy Spirit will always produce His fruit in such a life.
And finally we come full circle in this cycle of faith. Faith produces obedience for “those who love me will keep my commandments.” This is what Paul is describing when he charges the Ephesians to “walk in a manner worthy of your calling;” of the Collosians to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord;” of the Philippians to “only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ;” of the Thessalonians to “walk in a manner worthy of God.” Faith-filled men and women walk in loving obedience to their Savior, not out of obligation but willingly, as grateful recipients of His grace and love. And such believers take joy in sharing this gospel message with all who will listen.