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THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH PART 2 - THE ROAD TO SALVATION
By William R. Cunningham For Sunday May 11, 2003
INTRODUCTION
In part 1 we saw how man (humans) became separated from God. The human race was doomed to destruction with no way to rescue itself. We were lost. However, God did not abandon the human race. God provided a way for us to be reconciled to him. God provided a way for us to obtain righteousness and be together with him. This righteousness does not come from rituals but through Jesus Christ. Now let us discuss the process that leads to salvation. Understanding this process is helpful in understanding the salvation that you really have and to protect you from false teachings that would pull you away from the righteousness that you have in Christ if you indeed believe in Jesus Christ. We will present the process to salvation as follows. First, keep in mind that this process is made up for presentation purposes and should not be construed as something that the Holy Spirit does sequentially.
1. The Word of God: The Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached 2. Illumination: We see that we are sinners and doomed and that we need a savior since we can't save ourselves 3. Conviction 4. Repentance 5. Regeneration: Born again
PHILOSOPHIES OF SALVATION
Let me discuss with you some different thoughts about the process or road to salvation. Have you ever heard of the statement, "Once saved, always saved?" I'm sure you have heard the debates of those who argue that salvation is permanent and those that argue that it is not. Which is the correct view? This will lead into an area of doctrine that deals with different philosophies about justification. I would like to present to you very briefly a few philosophies regarding salvation before we move on to this process. These philosophies about salvation are all related by the concept of predestination. The question is, "Does God choose who will be saved and who will be condemned?" The following are the major philosophies regarding salvation.
1. Calvinism 2. Arminianism 3. Lutherism
The most prominent of these three is probably the first two. For the most part Calvinists believe that salvation is totally a result of God's grace and that humans have no part in the process. In other words, human free will is not an issue in this respect because the free will in the sinful state would not choose God. Therefore, anyone that has been saved was saved totally because of God's intervention. This means that Calvinists, for the most part, believe that God chooses whom will be saved and the rest are doomed to destruction. However, the Calvinists only believe in the positive predestination in which God only chooses who will be saved but does not choose certain people for destruction.
The Arminian view is that humans do have a part to play in the salvation process. Human free will is necessary for justification to take place. We will discuss justification later. Here the Holy Spirit operates to such an extent where a person is justified to the point where they can make a free will decision regarding salvation. Remember, that unregenerate man cannot choose God. That is the basic Orthodox Protestant view. At this point the person can either reject or accept justification because of his or her free will.
The Lutheran view is somewhat more complex and I must admit that it is difficult for me to grasp. The Lutherans hold that salvation is totally dependant on God's will and predestination. Humans cannot make a choice for God without God's intervention. God therefore chooses whom He will save but does not choose who will be condemned. However, those who reject the Gospel are responsible for their own choice.
What does all of this mean? These are different views that attempt to describe the process of justification. We have to remember that God reveals himself to finite human beings. I believe that much is still unknown to us and perhaps cannot be known in our present state because we don't have the mind to understand or perhaps God just didn't reveal it to us. Just keep in mind that the Bible tells us how to be saved. We have that and we can use and perpetuate that. Anything else besides that is speculation at best because we simply do not know. One thing is for sure though. We will all know or eternal fate.
Don't get too concerned about these since they are our attempts to explain what God is doing spiritual in the heart and spirit of humans when justified. These are topics that you could investigate in study for the benefit of talking about this with others.
I should point out that there are some that believe in yet another road to salvation, which is not supported by Scripture I should add. Some believe that righteousness or justification can be obtained by doing the right things. That is, some believe that doing good deeds and following the rules (typically of a particular church) is how one can be accepted by God and therefore saved. This is not consistent with Scripture and as a matter of fact, the Scriptures teach against such righteousness by works. The Bible teaches us that righteousness comes by faith in Christ.
MY VIEW
I only share my view here to help establish the context of the remainder of this study. I believe that humans are incapable of choosing God in our unregenerate state. However, I do believe that the mechanism is present so that we would be able to choose when the truth is revealed to us. Paul said that God has given all of us a measure of faith. Jesus said, "Whosoever believes." I believe that a person comes to the realization that he or she is dead and need to be saved. I believe that at some point a person realizes that he or she is lost and that he or she is unrighteous. This is similar to the response Isaiah had when he was before the LORD. We realize how dirty we are when the truth is made plain.
I believe that God calls all people to salvation and that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ can be saved. I do not believe that God calls some to salvation and calls others to damnation. I do tend to believe (this is not definite) that there are those that will never receive Christ because they are children of the Devil. Jesus told some of the Pharisees that they were of their father, the Devil (See John 8:42-47). Also, perhaps there are really the lost. Perhaps there are people that belong to God but are lost because of sin. These are saved by belief in Jesus Christ. The others do not belong to God and are of the Devil. Note that this is only speculation and should not be construed as my doctrine or theology. Just take it as something to think about and research. However, I should say that I don't put too much effort into this since I simply believe that anyone that believes in Jesus Christ is saved. You can argue all day long about predestination and election. The fact of the matter is if you believe in Jesus Christ and that is enough for me.
I believe that salvation is totally a matter of God's grace and it is up to us to receive that salvation. A person can reject salvation by clinging to his or her own sinful ways. I don't believe that a person is first justified just enough to accept or reject salvation. I believe that the Holy Spirit shines the light on our sin-darkened state so that we are face to face with the truth. At that point we either cling to sin or move towards the light.
THE WORD OF GOD
Regeneration is possible because of the work of the Holy Spirit and occurs by the implanting of the word of God in the receptive heart (1 Peter 1:23,25). Jesus illustrates the importance of the word of God in general in Mark 4:3-9 and James 1:18. We hear the Gospel and either reject or accept it. This means that we either reject the Holy Spirit or we accept the Holy Spirit. Consider what Paul said.
Romans 10:14 (NKJV) How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
God sends the preacher (not necessary associated with a church) to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the people. A preacher is simply one who proclaims the Gospel and should not be confused with the religious title. People respond to the Gospel preached and are saved.
THE GOSPEL
First of all, the word gospel originates from the Hebrew word Bisar (basar). Bisar means to proclaim victory in battle and it comes from the Hebrew belief that it was because of God's divine interaction that they were victorious in battle (See 2 Samuel 4:10). From about 300 B.C. until after the time of Christ many Greek-speaking Jews translated their Hebrew Bible into Greek. The word that was used to translate Bisar was euangelizesthai that had a meaning very similar to basar. However about the time the New Testament was written euangelizesthai had evolved into a different meaning. It simply meant, "to proclaim." A noun form of the verb euangelizesthai was formed: euaggelion. The noun euaggelion was used by Christians to describe the good news of Jesus.
The earliest English translations of the Bible used the Anglo-Saxon word godspell to translate the noun euaggelion. Godspell meant "the story about a god" and was used because the story about Jesus Christ was Good News (a good message). Later as English developed the word Godspell was shortened to Gospel and the original Anglo-Saxon meaning was lost with this change.
Now since euaggelion was specific to the good news of Jesus Christ, some translators used other words to translate the word basar in the Old Testament to avoid the confusion that may occur by references to Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Therefore, they used other words to distinguish the good news of Jesus Christ and the good news promised by the prophets. These translators often use glad tidings or an equivalent for the Hebrew basar. The word gospel is therefore more than just good news. The word gospel refers to the deliverance that God has already affected by his power and will. God has already delivered us and we proclaim this deliverance, which is through Jesus Christ. The story (good news) about Jesus Christ describes the deliverance that God has provided for us. The gospel reveals the power of God in action through Jesus' birth (born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit), death, resurrection (raised from the dead by the power of God), and his ascension (back to the Father).
A scripture definition of the gospel is given in 1 Corinthians 15:1-3.
(1 Corinthians 15:1-8 KJV) Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; {2} By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. {3} For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; {4} And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: {5} And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: {6} After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. {7} After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. {8} And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
Paul also said:
(Romans 1:16 KJV) "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
The Gospel, according to Paul, is the power of God. Recalling our previous discussion of the word gospel, we see that the gospel is really the story about Jesus Christ. This includes how he was born of a virgin, died on the cross for us, raised from the dead, and ascended into heaven to the Father.
ILLUMINATION
Regeneration relates to the total person: heart, mind, body (effectively). See Mark 12:30. Regeneration first involves illumination of the inner man (mind) so that he can see his sinful plight and know that he needs salvation (2 Corinthians 4:4,6, Acts 2:23,36, Acts 26:17-18. Illumination opens the eyes of a person and they realize their sinful state and that they need to be saved.
Satan has the entire world in darkness and thus deceived. We think we can be righteous by "being a good person" by following rules. Some are so deceived that they don't realize their degenerate state. No one is righteous on his or her own (Romans 3:9-18). The world is enslaved by a realm of darkness (Colossians 1:13, John 3:19). Illumination allows us to see, showing us that we are lost and need to be saved. Note that our ability to see our sinful state is due to the Holy Spirit and should not be confused with a type of mental enlightenment. The Holy Spirit basically takes the covers off of the lie that we live in that we think all is well but in actuality we are doomed. The Holy Spirit comes into a room filled with people doing sinful deeds and turns the lights on so that all would see. This is illumination.
CONVICTION
Conviction of sin must occur in order for regeneration to take place. Conviction is an acute awareness that you are a sinner and guilty as such before God. It is a sense of guilt or shame that leads to repentance. Conviction brings about a sorrow that surpasses simple remorse. Conviction brings on extreme grief on the inside as you are aware that you are effectively against God and that your sinful nature keeps you separated from Him.
The Holy Spirit brings about this conviction (Acts 2:37, John 16:8). This type of conviction involves the very core of an individual. See 2 Corinthians 7:10, Matthew 27:4. I think of this as the affects of the awareness of the truth. We grow up thinking that all is well and yet one day we are face to face with the truth and realize that our life was a lie. All is not well. Instead, all is very bad. We find we are dead and that we are sinful mess. Things brings on great sorrow, which leads to a desire to make things right.
REPENTANCE
Repentance is the process of turning from the old to the new. Repentance sets the stage for regeneration. After a person is convicted of sin, the next step is to decide to turn over a new leaf on life. It is the process of deciding to leave the old ways behind and to head towards the new way of life. An Old Testament illustration of repentance can be found in 2 Chronicles 6:36-39. We can also see God's response to repentance in 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Repentance involves the will of a person. It is the movement of self away from the sinful way to God's way. Thought the will of the person is involved here, I should point out that this process is continuing because of the work of the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit didn't show you the truth and convict you of your sins then you would not repent. You would have no need to repent in such a case since you would think that your current path is OK.
The precursor to true repentance can be found in the Old Testament. Israel was constantly called to repent (Example: Ezekiel 33:11). Another example of conviction that leads to repentance can be found in the book of Acts (Acts 2:38). The people repented after being convicted of their sin of killing Jesus Christ.
John the Baptist preached repentance (Matthew 3:8). Jesus preached repentance too (See Matthew 4:17). Repentance leads the way for newness and thus, conversion.
REGENERATION (BORN AGAIN)
Jesus told Nicodemus that "...no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." - John 3:3b. He also said that we couldn't enter the kingdom unless we are born of water and the spirit - a new birth (John 3:5). Therefore, in order to be saved from the kingdom of darkness and saved to the kingdom of God, you must be born again. In the same way we are citizens of a particular country by birth, we become citizens of the kingdom of God by birth. If you are not born again then you are not part of the kingdom of God and therefore will remain dead until you are completely and forever separated from the presence of God (What Revelations calls the second death). See also Galatians 4:4-7.
Why didn't God just forget about man after he sinned and just start over on another planet or something? Why did He bother to provide redemption for man? The Bible says
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" - John 3:16 (NIV) God loved us though we were in sin and separated from Him. The Bible says that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (See Romans 5:8). Christ died because God the father loved us. God sent Jesus Christ into the world to save the world and not to condemn the world (See John 3:17). When we receive this salvation we become children of God and joint heirs with Christ (See John 1:12,13, Galatians 4:7).
Realize that salvation is totally available because of what God did. God initiated a way for us to be saved since we could never turn to him in our sinful state.