Our Great Salvation

A few weeks ago our Sunday morning Bible Doctrines class studied the doctrine of salvation. Here is a summary - read it and rejoice!

Election: Before the creation of the world (Eph 1:4-5; 2 Thess 2:13; Rev 13:8), God freely chose (1 Thess 1:4; 1 Pet 1:1) certain individuals (Rom 11:7) to be saved (Acts 13:48; Rom 8:28-30).
• This choosing was unconditional, not based on any foreseen merit in those individuals, but only because of God’s loving will (Rom 9:11, 15; 11:5-6; 2 Tim 1:9; Eph 1:5).
• The truth of election is intended to be a comfort (Rom 8:28-30), a reason to praise God (Eph 1:4-6; 2 Thess 2:13), and a motivation for evangelism (2 Tim 2:10; Acts 18:10-11).
• The truth of election is in no way intended to negate man’s responsibility (Mt 11:28; Jn 3:18; 5:40; Rev 22:17; Rom 10:14) or to deny God’s love for all (Ezek 33:11; Mt 23:37; 1 Tim 2:4).

The Atonement: Christ lived a perfect life (Rom 5:19; Mt 3:15), earning righteousness for men (Phil 3:9). Christ died as a substitute for sinners (Is 53:6; 2 Cor 5:21), bearing their sins (Is 53:12; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 2:24) and completely satisfying God’s wrath (Rom 3:25; Heb 2:17; 1 Jn 2:2) as a perfect sacrifice (Heb 9:26). Christ rose bodily from the grave after three days (1 Cor 15:5-8).

Calling: The proclamation of the gospel of Christ (2 Thess 2:14; Rom 10:14; Acts 3:19; 16:14).
• General calling: God invites all men without distinction to salvation (Mt 22:14; Acts 17:30; Rev 3:20; 22:17).
• Effectual calling: God summons the elect to salvation (Jn 6:37; Rom 8:30; 1 Pet 2:9; 1 Cor 1:9; 1 Thess 2:12).

Regeneration is an instantaneous act of God (Jn 1:13; Jms 1:18) whereby he imparts spiritual life to spiritually dead individuals (Jn 3:3-8; Eph 2:1, 5; Col 2:13).
• Regeneration affects one’s entire being (2 Cor 5:17). It results in immediate saving faith (Acts 16:14; 1 Jn 5:1; Jn 3:5) and a changed life (1 Jn 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:4).

Conversion is a simultaneous turning from sin in repentance and turning to Christ in faith (Acts 20:21; 26:18; Heb 6:1; 1 Thess 1:9).
• Saving repentance includes a genuine sorrow for sin and a sincere renouncing of it (2 Cor 7:9-10; Lk 24:47; Acts 2:38; 3:19).
• Saving faith includes knowledge of Christ and his gospel (Rom 10:14) and a willing trust in the person of Christ for forgiveness and eternal life (Jn 1:12; 3:16; 6:37; Eph 2:8; Rom 3:22).
A regenerated individual will continue in an attitude of repentance (Mt 6:12; Rev 3:19) and faith (Gal 2:20; Col 1:23) throughout his life.

Justification is God legally declaring (Rom 8:1, 33-34) undeserving sinners (Rom 3:23-24) as righteous, solely on the basis of Christ’s life and death (Rom 5:19; 1 Cor 1:30; Phil 3:9).
• Justification is by grace alone, not by works (Rom 3:24; 4:4-6, 16; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9).

Adoption is an act of God whereby he makes believers members of his family.
• Believers are God’s children (Rom 8:14; Gal 4:5; 1 Jn 3:1-2), with all the corresponding benefits (Rom 8:15-17; Gal 4:6-7; Mt 6:9, 32; 7:11; Heb 12:6, 10) and responsibilities (Eph 5:1; 1 Pet 1:14-16; Mt 5:16; Phil 2:15; 1 Jn 3:10).
• Believers are members of God’s family, the church (1 Tim 5:1-2).

Sanctification is the process by which believers become more like Christ throughout life.
• It is a progressive (2 Cor 3:18; Phil 3:12-14) work of both God (Phil 2:13; 1 Thess 5:23; Heb 13:20-21) & the believer (Rom 6:11-13; 8:13; Phil 2:12; 3:12-14; Heb 12:1, 14; 2 Cor 7:1).
• Helps in sanctification: Scripture (Jn 17:17), prayer (Eph 6:18), worship (Eph 5:18-20), fellowship with believers (10:24-25), self control (Titus 2:12), and hope (Col 1:4-5; 1 Pet 1:13).
• Believers are positionally sanctified at the moment of regeneration (1 Cor 1:30; 6:11; Rom 6:14, 18), but the process of sanctification is not fully completed until death (1 Jn 1:8; Prov 20:9; Mt 6:12; Jms 3:2; Heb 12:23).

Perseverance: All those who are truly regenerated will be kept by God (Jn 3:36; 6:39-40; 10:27-29; Rom 8:30; Eph 1:13-14; Phil 1:6) and will persevere in faith (1 Pet 1:5; Col 1:23) and growth (Jms 2:14-26; 1 Jn 4:6; 2 Pet 1:5-10; Eph 2:10) until the end of life (Mt 10:22; Heb 3:14).
• Professing believers who show external signs of conversion but finally fall away demonstrate that they were never truly regenerated (1 Jn 2:19; Mt 7:21-23; Jn 15:2, 6; 17:12; Heb 6:4-6).

Glorification: God fully and finally eliminates the power and presence of sin from the believer, completing his transformation into the image of Christ (Rom 8:29-30; Phil 3:20-21).

Union with Christ overarches every aspect of salvation (Eph 1:3). We were elected in Christ (Eph 1:4; 2 Tim 1:9). We are called into fellowship with Christ (1 Cor 1:9; 1 Jn 1:3; Phil 3:8, 10). We are regenerated in Christ (1 Jn 5:11; Eph 2:10). We believe in Christ (Jn 3:16). We are justified through our union with Christ (Rom 8:1; 2 Cor 5:21) in his life (Rom 5:19), death (1 Pet 2:24; Rom 6:5a), burial (Col 2:12), resurrection (Eph 2:5; Rom 6:5b), and ascension (Eph 2:6). In Christ we are redeemed (Rom 3:24; 1 Cor 1:30; Gal 3:13; Eph 1:7) and we have peace with God (Rom 5:1, 10-11; 2 Cor 5:18-20; Col 1:21-22). We are united with other believers as one body in Christ (1 Cor 12:13; Rom 12:5; Jn 17:21; Gal 3:28). We are sanctified in the reality of our union with Christ (Rom 6:4, 11; Gal 2:20), becoming more like Christ (Rom 8:29; Eph 4:13). Our actions should be in Christ (Phil 4:13; 1 Cor 15:58; Jn 15:5) and in imitation of Christ (1 Jn 2:6; 1 Pet 2:21), even to the point of suffering (Phil 3:10; Heb 13:13). Christ never leaves us (Mt 28:20). We will die in Christ (Rev 14:13), our bodies will be raised in Christ (1 Cor 15:22), and we will be glorified in Christ (Rom 8:17).