Apologeet.nl

Whenever I talk about certain teachings within the Church, I often say that this or that teaching isn’t causing you to be lost when believed wrongly. Many teachings are not on the same level as the doctrine of Salvation. In this article we will see what this doctrine entails.

Whenever I talk about certain teachings within the Church I often say that this or that teaching isn’t causing you to be lost when believed wrongly. Last time I talked about the rapture and the returning of Christ. Understanding such an teaching differently than other Christians doesn’t make you a false teacher, and you’ll not lose your salvation over it. I also said that the teaching of the rapture is not a doctrine of salvation.

I do this frequently, and mostly I say that this or that is either primary or a secondary doctrine—meaning that I make a distinction in the more and less important ideas within Christianity.

A Canadian brother (secretly assuming he is a he) asked me whether I could expound a bit more on the doctrine of salvation. Great question and I believe this is a very important topic for Christians to study.

So, without further ado, let’s talk about the doctrine of Salvation.

Getting Away from Danger

Salvation is an interesting word. In the language on Madagascar they say mamonjy or manavotra in dialect. It can be used in several ways. In biblical terms they use it for the work of Jesus who is the Mpamonjy, Saviour. But often people also thanked me for mamonjy them. This then means that I helped them with a sickness or other serious problem and thus basically saving them.

Occasionally, the Bible talks about being saved or salvation in the context of immediate, physical rescue, like when Paul was freed from prison (Philippians 1:19). Salvation means getting away from danger or pain—and to save someone is to help them out or keep them safe. Like I did in the vilage on Madagascar—I kept someone safe from dying of a decease. The term salvation carries the idea of winning, being healthy, or staying safe.

Eternally

In Acts 16 we can read the story of Paul and Silas who were locked away in jail. Let’s read that together.

Acts 16:25-31

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, while the other prisoners listened. Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the jail to its foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from all the prisoners. When the jailer woke up and saw that the doors were open, he thought that the prisoners had escaped. He pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! No one has escaped.” the jailer asked for a torch and went into the jail. He was shaking all over as he knelt down in front of Paul and Silas. After he had led them out of the jail, he asked, “What must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved! This is also true for everyone who lives in your home.”

I am sure that the jailer was first and foremost thinking about his physical life. Letting prisoners escape wasn’t easily excused by the authorities. Paul didn’t tell the jailer to get the heck out of there and book the first plane ticket to another country. No, instead he explains how the jailer could be saved eternally, through believing in Jesus. He preached a spiritual deliverance.

In the same sense we see Jesus preaching salvation which He compared with going into the Kingdom of God in Matthew 19:24 for example.

Saved from What?

It seems that the jailer was lucky concerning the authorities. We read that the jailer and his household became believers and got baptised. Okay, what was it the jailer needed to be saved from?

In the Christian doctrine of salvation we teach that humans need to be saved from Gods wrath. In other words, we need to be saved from God’s judgement of sin.

Romans 5:9

But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life’s blood, we will also be kept safe from God’s anger.

It is sin that separates us from God. Sins are all our transgressions of God’s moral laws. None of us can fully live without ever making a mishap towards God, Who is perfect. The consequence of this is death. Not physical death per se, but eternal death. Yes, physical death came into this world when mankind fell into sin, but the eternal separation from God is what we call eternal death.

I often explain people that God is like a king who wants to give a great party. For this he cleans his palace from top to bottom. Everything is perfectly clean. Then He invites the people to come and celebrate with him. However, he doesn’t allow them to come in to his presence nor his palace without being clean themselves. The tricky part however, is that they are not equipped to clean themselves—they need someone to do it for them. The king sends his son who is the only one who can do this cleaning job. What happens when people refuse the son to clean them? They will not be allowed to come to the party. Their dirty hands, feet, clothes, their foul talk, anger, bad ideas and what not, will only ruin the cleanness of the party. They either allow the son the clean them, for free, or they will have to stay outside.

Biblical salvation concerns our deliverance from the outcome of sin and therefore involves the removal of sin. The Bible teaches that we are saved from both the power and punishment of sin.

Romans 6:14

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

1 Peter 2:24

who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Who does the Saving?

Only God can clean us from sin, and only He can save us from the punishment for our sin. Basically, God saves us from the judgement He Himself put on sin. For some this seems dumb. They say that God could have made it much easier by not putting this penalty of death on sin in the first place. However, this would contradict with who God is. Yes, God is perfectly loving, but He is also perfectly righteous. This means that He cannot let evil go unpunished, that would make Him unrighteous. But His love dictates Him to come up with a solution because He doesn’t want anybody to be lost.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Then also, it must be God who saves us because no human can account for the sin of others. We all have sinned and fall under the condemnation. How than will I be able to carry that burden for someone else if I myself cannot even carry my own? God is without sin and came to earth to be born as a human being. Jesus is God who became like us, flesh. He, as perfect man without sin Himself, was the only one who could carry the burden of our sin.

1 Peter 2:22

who [Jesus] did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

How did God Save?

Well, I already mentioned that God became human, and we know that human as Jesus of Nazareth. In the Christian doctrine of salvation, we teach that God has saved us through Jesus Christ.

John 3:17

or God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

This salvation was accomplished by Jesus’ death on the cross and His following resurrection from the grave.

Romans 5:10

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

It is important to understand that we, humans, receive this salvation without deserving it. It is not for sale, nor can we earn it ourselves. It is a precious gift of which we can only be thankful.

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.

It is also very important to understand that Jesus is the absolute only way to be saved.

Acts 4:12

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Many will try to convince you that there are many ways to God! Let this not fool you. Even though it doesn’t sound nice, it is only through Jesus that we can receive eternal salvation.

How do we get Salvation?

Back to that jailer who said “What must I do to be saved?” To which Paul and Silas answered “Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved!”

The first thing is to hear the good news of salvation, aka the Gospel. Someone who has never heard the Gospel will have a hard time acting on it.

Ephesians 1:13

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed […]

In this verse we also see the second step, namely us accepting and believing the Gospel. When we believe it, we need to repent from our sin and we need to set our mind on Jesus and His ways.

Acts 3:19

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out […]

We do that by calling out to God for our salvation.

Romans 10:9-10, 13

that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
[…]
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved

The wonderful thing is that God wants everyone to be saved. We have already read this in 2 Peter 3:9. God also knows that we, humans, are stubborn, hard of hearing even. That’s why He sent His Holy Spirit to convince us.

John 16:8

And when he [the Holy Spirit] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment

Short Definition of the Christian Doctrine of Salvation

In short we can define the Christian doctrine of salvation as “the salvation, through God’s grace, from everlasting punishment for sin which is bestowed upon those who embrace God’s requirements of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus.”

Here we need to emphasise that this salvation can only come through Jesus; and it was God Who brought it about; Who is also the provider of this gift; and Who also assured us the validity and sureness of this gift.

A Nice Extra

who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body

Related Articles:

Argument from the Origin of the Idea of God Made simple Thomas Aquinas’ first Mover Argument Christ, not Caesar, Is Head of the Church Critical About the Idea of ‘Once Saved, Always Saved’