Salvation: A Study in the Scriptures

SALVATION

"What must I do to be saved?" Acts 16:30

I. Adam's disobedience to God in the garden brought upon all mankind the curse of sin,
sickness, and sorrow. Genesis chapter 3

A. By the first man's sin, death spread to all mankind; and to this day man from birth
possesses the sin nature of Adam, for we are born in the image of the first man.

Genesis 5:3 with 1:24, 25 "And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind ... And Adam ... begat a son in his own likeness, after his image ..."
Psalms 51:5 "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."
Romans 5:12, 14 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."

B. So it is that "all have sinned;" no man is born without the mark of sin upon his soul.

2 Chronicles 6:36
Isaiah 53:6 "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Romans 3:10, 12, 23 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one ... They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.... For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
Romans 5:12, 14 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned ... death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression ..."
Romans 11:32 "For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all."
Ephesians 2:3 "... Among (the children of disobedience) also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."
1 John 1:10 "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

II. Despite man's failure to achieve God's highest plan and purpose in his creation,
God did not forsake him. His plan from the beginning was to send His Son to be "the
propitiation for our sins" by dying in our place.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
1 John 2:2 "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
Luke 19:10 "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

A. Jesus undid at Calvary the penalties due man for his disobedience.

Romans 5:18, 19 "Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."
1 Corinthians 15:22 "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."
Colossians 1:12-14

B. He nailed our sins to the cross "by the sacrifice of Himself."

Leviticus 16:22
Isaiah 53:6, 11 "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
John 1:29, 36 "... Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world ..."
Hebrews 7:27 "Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself."
Hebrews 9:11, 12 "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands ... neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."
Hebrews 9:26, 28 "Nor yet that he should offer himself often ... but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself ... So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many ..."
Hebrews 10:10-14, 17, 18 "... we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God ... For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.... Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin."
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 ..."
Revelation 13:8

III. Therefore, salvation can come only through Jesus Christ. "Neither is there
salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among
men, whereby we must be saved."

Isaiah 43:11 "... beside me there is no saviour."
Hosea 13:4 "... there is no saviour besides me."
John 8:24 "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins."
John 14:6 "... I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
John 10:1, 2, 9 "... He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.... I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall 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."
1 John 2:22, 23 ... Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father ..."
1 Timothy 2:5, 6 "For there is ... one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all ..."
Revelation 5:1-9

IV. What is necessary for salvation?

A. Repentance.

Luke 13:3, 5
Acts 17:30; 20:21
2 Peter 3:9
Revelation 2:5, 22; 9:20, 21

1. To "repent" means to "turn around, to change one's direction."

2 Chronicles 7:14; Isaiah 53:6; 55:7, 8; Jeremiah 26:3;
Ezekiel 18:30-32; 33:14; Matthew 21:29

2. A lthough repentance may be manifested in an outward expression
of deep sorrow and severe self-humiliation (Job 42:5, 6; Joel 2:12, 13;
Luke 10:13), sincerity and emotion are not enough (2 Corinthians 7:8-11;
Hebrews 12:17). We must turn from sin, forsake our own way.

3. It is God's desire that all men repent and be saved. 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9

4. Repentance is the gift of God. (It cannot be worked up, or achieved through
striving, but is purely a gift, unearned.) John 6:44; Acts 11:18; Romans 2:4;
2 Timothy 2:25 ; Revelation 2:21

B. Faith in Jesus.

Mark 16:16; John 1:12; 5:24; 6:28, 29, 40; 11:25; Acts 16:31; Romans 1:16; 3:22, 30; 4:5, 16; 5:1; 9:11, 16, 31-33; 10:9, 3, 4; 11:6; Galatians 2:16, 21; 3:24, 25; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Philippians 3:9; 1 John 3:23

1. We are justified by faith alone, not by "good works."

Acts 13:38, 39; Romans 4:2-6
Romans 9:11 " ... not of works, but of him that calleth"
Romans 11:6 "And if by grace, then it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."
Galatians 3:1-25
Galatians 2:16 "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
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."
Philippians 3:9 "... not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."
2 Timothy 1:9 "... not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace..."
Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us ..."
Hebrews 7:19 "For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did ..."

a. The doctrine of salvation by works is based on apocryphal writings
(i.e., Tobit 12:8) rejected from the canon of scripture. It is not scriptural.

b. Keeping the commandments of the Law never made anyone perfect.
Romans 3:20; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 7:19, 22; 9:9, 10; 10:1

c. Paul scolded the Galatian church for having fallen from grace and set ting
about to establish their own righteousness. Galatians 3:1-25

2. Salvation is purely by grace (the "unmerited kindness and favor of God").

Psalms 106:6-8
Isaiah 52:3 "For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money."
Romans 3:20, 24, 27, 28 "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight... being justified freely by his grace ... Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay; but by the law of faith.. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
Romans 4:4, 6, 16 "Now to him that worketh is the reward nor reckoned of grace, but of debt.... Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.... Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace ..."
Romans 9:11, 16 "... that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth"
Romans 10:3, 4 "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
Romans 11:6 "And if by grace, then is it no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace..."
Galatians 2:21 "I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
Galatians 5:3, 4 "For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."
Ephesians 2:5, 8, 9; Titus 2:11; 3:5

3. It is the free gift of God.

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 9:15
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."

4. Although "faith without works is dead" (James 2:26), good works are
not the means of our salvation. Scripture says that our works will follow us.

Romans 9:11, 16, 31-33; 11:6; Galatians 2:16, 21; Ephesians 2:9; James 2:22; Revelation 14:13

5. The Greek word translated "believer" in the New Testament is not a noun,
but a present participle: "one who is believing" (which implies continual action,
true commitment; not mere head-knowledge). See Acts 5:14. Even the demons
know who Jesus is (Matthew 8:29; Mark 1:23, 24, 34; 5:7-8; Luke 8:28; 4:41;
James 2:19).

C. Confession of His Lordship.

Romans 10:9, 13; 1 John 1:9

V. We can know that we are "going to heaven."

A. The Bible says that "ye may know that ye have (that is, now possess) eternal life."

1 John 5:13

B. By the witness of the Spirit within us, we know that we belong to Him.

Romans 8:16; Galatians 4:16; 1 John 3:24; 4:13; 5:10

C. Scripture speaks of believers as presently possessing eternal life, having
already "passed from death to life."

John 3:36; 5:24; 6:47 "He that believeth ... hath everlasting life ... is passed from death unto life."
Acts 26:18
Romans 5:11 "by whom we have now received the atonement"
1 Corinthians 1:18 "... us which are saved"
Philippians 4:1-3 "... whose names are in the Book of Life"
Colossians 1:12-14 "which hath made us ... partakers ... hath delivered us ... we have redemption ..."
2 Timothy 1:9 "hath saved us ... which was given us .... before the world began."
1 Peter 1:4 "an inheritance ... reserved in heaven for you"
1 John 3:14 "we have passed from death unto life ..."

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