1.Introduction: Dictionary meaning of “Salvation” is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation.In Christian faith, “salvation”means deliverance from sin and its consequences and to be united with God(Romans 6:14,23; Titus 3:4-6). Without salvation each human being will be condemned and will end up in fiery Hell for everlasting punishment. Salvation means to be made right with God, and to live in Heaven with Him forever.
The salvation process starts with born again experience. After receiving born again experience a person need to walk in God’s righteousness (faithfulness) till the last day of his life (Mathew 24:13, Hebrews 3:14). Final salvation we will receive when God will finally reconcile us with Him (1 Peter 1:5, Rev 12:10, Romans 13:11).
2.Man is Separation from God:
Man is separated from God and His love because of man’s sin and disobedience
I Timothy 2:5 That God is on one side and all the people on the other side, and Christ Jesus, himself man, is between them to bring them together (TBL).
Isaiah 59:2 It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore. (NLT)
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Scripture declares that all men are sinful. In other words, our sin separates us from God who is perfect holiness (righteousness and justice) and God must therefore judge sinful man. This separation leads only to death and judgments.
Heb. 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
II Thess. 1:8-9 In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.
3. Man tries to WORK to get right with God
People try to bridge this gap by doing good works. For example – donating money to charity, doing penance, visiting sacred places, attending churches or temples, keeping vows, etc. They think that that will be acceptable to God. But however much we try, we cannot overcome the root problem of our own sinfulness.
Scripture teaches that no amount of human goodness, human works, human morality, or religious activity can gain acceptance with God( His righteousness and justice) or get anyone into heaven. The moral man, the religious man, and the immoral and non-religious are all in the same boat. They all fall short of God’s perfect righteousness.
No amount of human goodness is as good as God’s. God is perfect righteousness. Because of this, God cannot have fellowship with anyone who does not have perfect righteousness. In order to be accepted by God, we must be as good as God is. Before God, we all stand naked, helpless, and hopeless in ourselves. No amount of good work will wash our sins or make us righteous with God. What then is the solution?
Romans 3:20 (NKJV) Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
No one can ever be made right in God’s sight by doing what the law commands. For the more we know of God’s laws, the clearer it becomes that we aren’t obeying them; his laws serve only to make us see that we are sinners.
Isaiah 64:6(NKJV) But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
4. GOD’s Solution
God is not only perfect holiness (whose holy character we can never attain to on our own or by our works of righteousness) but He is also perfect love and full of grace and mercy. Because of His love and grace, He has not left us without hope and a solution.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
This is the good news of the Bible, the message of the gospel. It’s the message of the gift of God’s own Son who became man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sin, and was raised from the grave proving both the fact He is God’s Son and the value of His death for us as our substitute.
(Romans 4:25 ,2 Corinthians 5:21 , 1 Peter 3:18)
God’s solution is a Substitution:
i) The problem was with mankind (sin and rebellion): Jesus took birth as a man.
ii) Mankind had to be punished: Jesus as a man took the punishment.
iii) Penalty had to be paid in full: Jesus died one of the most gruesome deaths ever invented – To be hung on a cross through nails piercing His body.
iv) Sin separates me from God: that’s why Jesus cried out on the cross “ my God my God why have you forsaken me”
Jesus was separated from God because he took our sins on himself.
v) Punishment had to be death: Jesus died and was even buried.
vi) Result was man’s sins were dealt with and now there is no longer a gap between God and man. God’s holy requirement was fulfilled. The love and sacrificial death of Jesus fulfilled God’s justice.
(1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 3:24 )
5. How can one receive salvation?
The first step is to receive born again experience. As a born again if the person continue in faith till the last he can be saved(Mathew 24:13, Hebrews 3:14,1 Peter 1:5, Rev 12:10, Romans 13:11).
So, how one can receive born-again response? A person needs to hear the Gospel first. If the Holy Spirit convicts the person of his sins and he wants get right with God then the person can take the step of faith to repent, get baptized in water and Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
6.What is the result?
a) New Relationship: Our sins are forgiven. We re-establish our new relationship with God. We have access to God Himself (Eph.2:18; I John 5:14-15).
b) New Start: We get a brand new start. So it is called born again experience (Spiritually reborn not physically) (John 3:3)
c) New Family: we are now in God’s family – we have spiritual brothers and sisters. (Eph. 2;19-22)
d) New Life: We have abundant life here and now. We have life eternal and everlasting (John 10:10; John 5:24; I John 5:11-13).
e) New Victory: We have victory over the devil and the worldly temptations. (Heb.2:14; I John 5:4)
f) New Journey: We are now on a new journey to discover and explore all the treasures that God has kept for us.
g) New Power: We are justified (Just-as-if-we have-never-sinned), because our God comes as the Holy Spirit and dwells inside us to empower us to lead straight lives.
h) New Destination: If the person continues in faith his destination is heaven not hell. He can live in the presence of God forever.
i) New Choices: We do not have to live in sin anymore. We have poer of God to overcome sin. If we do sin it is because of a choice we have made rather than because of inner compulsive pressure.
(There are many more results of this new birth)
Conclusion
God gives this gift of salvation to us. It was a very, very costly gift, because it cost God the Life of His only Son. But He gives this gift freely to anyone who would believe in Him and receive Him.