Salvation
In this article I’m going to explore in basic and simple terms, what “salvation” is and how does a person arrive there. Like many other biblical subjects I believe that this most essential subject has also been confused at times for various reasons. Various Christian denominations have added to the salvation requirements likely because the biblical version was much too simple and didn’t require a lot of work or action. In this article were not going to explore the denominational views but only the information given by Jesus and the Apostles. Below, there are four quotes from various biblical scholars that I have written down over the years. These quotes are the drivers for this article.
Quotes
“Incantation does not equal salvation”.
“What you could not gain through moral perfection you cannot lose through moral imperfection”.
“Salvation depends on a believing loyalty”.
“Salvation by allegiance”
Let’s first address the quote “incantation does not equal salvation”. Most who read this article have likely heard of what is referred to as the “sinner’s prayer”. The traveling evangelist says to the crowd “repeat these words after me and live forever”. The crowd repeats a few sentences and the evangelist then says “if you repeated those words raise your hand”. Fifty people raise their hands that are then counted and bang. Fifty people saved under my ministry tonight, that makes 35,000 for the year. Who wouldn’t repeat a few words if you can have that? So what is an incantation?
Definition of incantation – a series of words said as a magic spell or charm.
So is it possible that the Most High God will accept our spirit and soul at death based on having repeated a few sentences at some point in your life?
In the following verses we should ask if this is an incantation or something else? We see words being spoken but that is only a part of it. Romans 10:10 below tells us that speaking words is a part of it but you must also “believe”.
Mat 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Rom 10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim:
Rom 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Rom 10:10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Rom 10:11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
So from the above verses we have established that the Apostle Matthew and the Apostle Paul have both stated that “Salvation” is based on “Belief” and “Confession”. We are going to address the “belief” part next but what about the “confess” part of these verses? This word is used many times within the New Testament and generally means to speak about something based on a firm understanding or belief. A reading of the New Testament will clearly establish that Jesus and the Apostles never said “repeat these words after me and live forever”. Now let’s address the belief side of salvation.
First let’s look at the Biblical Greek word that has been translated into English as “believeth” in the King James version of the bible or “believes” in other versions. The word definition implies that a person must have an understanding of a subject in order to “believe”.
Strong’s word G4100 (pisteúō)
1. to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in
of the thing believed
2. to credit, have confidence
in a moral or religious reference
3. used in the NT of the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul
4. to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: saving faith
5. mere acknowledgment of some fact or event: intellectual faith
to entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity
6. to be intrusted with a thing
In the next few verses the Apostle John is quoting Jesus on the subject of salvation. In regards to this Jesus made simple statements, that is, believe or have loyalty and have everlasting life. Jesus attached no other conditions.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth (g4100) in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth (g4100) on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Joh 3:36 He that believeth (g4100) on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth (g4100) on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Joh 8:23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
Joh 8:24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe (g4100) that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
Joh 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth (g4100) in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Joh 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth (g4100) in me shall never die. Believest (g4100) thou this?
So Jesus made it pretty simple, believe in him as your Savior and you will receive eternal life. We could stop there but let’s look at what the writer of the book of Acts had to say.
Act 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.“
Act 16:28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
Act 16:29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
Act 16:30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Act 16:31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.”
Act 16:32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.
Act 16:33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.
That was pretty simple. No baptism, no sinner’s prayer, no speech before the congregation, just believe.
The Apostle Paul wrote on salvation in many books. His message was summed up in the next verse…… Gospel + God + Believe = Salvation.
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe (g4100): for there is no difference:
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Rom 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Eph 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed (G4100), you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
Eph 1:14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory
Here the Apostle Paul sums up salvation….He preached the gospel……they heard the gospel….they took a stand for the gospel….they were saved by taking the stand.
1Co 15:1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
1Co 15:2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
1Co 15:4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
1Co 15:5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.
I could continue to examine this topic by including such things as faith, loyalty, works and even Old Testament salvation but I believe that the objectives of this article have been met in that Jesus and the Apostles established that salvation is primarily the result of your belief system. That is that Jesus is the son of God and the savior of the world.