THAT I MAY KNOW HIM (Phil. 3:10) The Doctrine of Salvation (Soteriology) What must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:31). Those were the words of a man in great distress and danger for he knew he was facing certain death. He was the keeper of a prison whose doors had been opened, and a mass breakout loomed. His death was inevitable for his masters would hold him personally responsible. It was night time and he had been sleeping on duty And the moment he awoke and realised what was happening, Acts 16:27 he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. At that point though, the apostle Paul shouted to him, 28 Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29 Then he [the jailor] called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Everyone needs to be saved. They might argue against you and deny they need to be saved. They would tell you they have nothing to be saved from. They dismiss the Gospel and see none of the danger of rejecting Christ. But it does not take away from the fact, everyone needs to be saved. Everyone needs to be saved because the world is in the grip of sin. Sin determines the laws which contradict the laws of God. Sin is the platform on which enjoyment is sought The sin with which they have been born blinds them of their need to be saved. God has no place in their life and in their plans. And yet, it does not take away from the fact that everyone needs to be saved... for if they are not saved, they are facing the direct consequences of their sin and rebellion against God. They are in danger, - not simply mortal danger, but eternal danger. The punishment for sin is everlasting. And unless the sinner receives the salvation from God, they face God s retribution throughout eternity. And so, everyone needs to be saved. The Greek word for salvation is swthri,a, and its basic meaning is deliverance,. For example, when the Hebrews had departed from Egypt, and were being pursued by the armies of Pharaoh, Ex. 14:13 Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD. The Lord will deliver you. During his conflicts with Saul, David sang, II Sam. 22:3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation [yesha], my high tower,
2 and my refuge, my saviour [yasha]; thou savest [yasha] me from violence. David was very able in his skills as a combatant, and yet his strength and future were not in himself but in God Who he knew would deliver him. And Jonah, - prone to wander and wayward Jonah, - confessed from the belly of the great fish, Jonah 2:9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation [yeshuwah] is of the LORD. But what does it mean that God is our Salvation, our Saviour and our Deliverer? What is He our Saviour and Deliverer from? Why did God go to such a great length for our salvation? His motivation began first and foremost from out of His glory, - our salvation is primarily for His glory. He then put into place a plan for a people very special unto Himself and He went to such great lengths so that His glory would be demonstrated through His people. But, even before His people were formed, He already loved them. These were a people made out of every race, - Jews and Gentiles, - to be His own peculiar, particular, and privileged people, the Church. Even before they were created He already loved them, and He knew sin would enter His creation but He determined to love them nonetheless. And, in the fullness of time, when the dreadfulness of His judgment would be hanging over them because of their sin... He already loved them. He loved them before they were born. There has never been a time when He did not love them. He loved them before anything was, for He even loved them even in eternity. And it was in eternity, - before anything in this world came to be, - it was in eternity God planned your salvation and He planned it, according to the good pleasure of his will (Eph. 1:5). When He put in place the plan to save you, there was none to contradict His decision there was none to interfere in His order, or to offer Him their advice. He planned your salvation because Salvation is of the LORD salvation is all of God.. Even before the sin, there was already the Saviour. How did He decide upon how to carry out the plan? How did He decide, for example, to love Jacob and to hate Esau (Mal. 1:3; Rom. 9:13)? Why was He willing to receive Abel s offering, but not the offering from Cain? Why did He choose to save the nation of Israel, and not any other nation? The only answer we are given is that He is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased (Ps. 115:3) and Dt. 7:7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
3 8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn That is why He saved you. He saved you for His own purpose, for His own pleasure, and for His own glory. Yes, He knew the full extent of sin and He also knew the full requirements as to how He would deal with it. To deal with it God the Father provided His Son as the perfect and complete solution, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). Each part of His plan was intricately formed personally meeting the needs of every individual sinner He would save. It is impossible to quantify the suffering of Christ for His people. It is impossible to enter the deep recesses of the mind of God in the glorious process of salvation, but He simply explained to Moses, Rom. 9:15 I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy CJB, it doesn t depend on human desires or efforts, but on God, Who has mercy. In other words, salvation is completely all of God. He decided upon its purpose and how it would be achieved. He decided upon its beneficiaries. And He decided upon its results. If God had not been in charge of the plan of salvation, none would have believed for none would want to believe. If He had not intervened, there would not have been anyone who would have called upon Him for Paul made it absolutely clear Rom. 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.... 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. And that is how the world would have continued if God had not intervened with His plan for our salvation. The plan for our salvation He compiled in eternity, - He did not wait until the first sin in the Garden of Eden. His plan for the salvation of His people required a Saviour from sin, and already He had affirmed, Is. 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me 18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. 21 there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. 22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. Other than Him, there is no answer for our sin There is no other remedy save Christ. Therefore, on the authority of Scripture, He is the only Saviour and Deliverer And for anyone to be saved, salvation must come from Him, Jn. 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him
4 might be saved 16 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Salvation is due to God s eternal plan and is granted because the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross to all who believe and receive Him as their Saviour for outside of Him, there is no salvation. Our sin previously separated us from God, and the consequence of that separation is death, Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death Eternal separation and eternal death When the soul leaves the body and enters eternity without God s salvation, the sinner has no further opportunity to be saved. Rejection of the Gospel is the most serious condition and can only be changed through the removal of that sin and its penalty during the earthly lifetime of the sinner, Rom. 5:9 being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him I Thess. 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Saved by grace, through faith in Christ alone Peter told the people in Jerusalem, 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. And Peter had already said, Acts 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other Salvation from God s wrath is possible only through believing and trusting in God s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ for only God has the power to remove the offence of our sin which grieves Him, and the penalty our sin demands and He achieved His eternal purpose concerning our salvation once and for all through the sacrifice of His onlybegotten and dearly-beloved Son, II Tim. 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. He alone knew how much had to be done, and He alone was able to do it. And when all the Redeemed shall be gathered before Him, as Robert Murray McCheyne wrote When I stand before the throne, Dressed in beauty not my own, When I see Thee as Thou art, Love Thee with unsinning heart, Then Lord, shall I fully know Not till then how much I owe.
That is how we have been saved, and that is Who we have been saved through, because Jn. 14:6 no man cometh unto the Father, but by [the Lord Jesus]. He is the only means of our redemption. He purchased us for His Father, through His own precious blood and besides Him, there is no other way of salvation, He said, Mt. 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. If a person will not believe in Christ, they are refusing Jesus as the only Saviour, Eph. 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. They are refusing the only means of entrance into Heaven for Jesus very simply said, Jn. 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved. If they refuse His offer, they refuse the only opportunity to enter Glory. And salvation is accomplished through grace, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ through His goodness which we do not deserve and cannot work to achieve. Sovereign grace is the only sure foundation for our salvation. If God had not shown His grace, none would be saved. The grace required for salvation all comes from Him for it is all His alone to give. Anything less is unworthy. His saving power is His gracious and undeserved gift to unseeking, uninterested, unworthy sinners, Eph. 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. It is not ours by right. Neither can it become ours by achievement for God is the sole Giver of His grace. How is that grace received? That grace is so unique and special it is only to be received by faith as we first of all hear the Gospel. Paul emphasised the importance of Gospel preaching when he quoted Isaiah, Rom. 10:17 faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The Gospel is not entertainment. It is not to be approached lightly for it is a matter of spiritual life and death. It cannot be changed or altered. And not only must the Gospel be heard, it must also be received for Christ to become Saviour. It is the mind and heart opened to understand and accept the pure Gospel truth that Jesus is Saviour and Lord and He took upon Himself all my sins and He paid the full price God required for Him to redeem me. 5
6 And as the Gospel is received it is accompanied with repentance and conviction of sin the sad realisation we have offended God, and the deep remorse that convinces us we can do nothing to remove His righteous offence and we become convinced of our need of the Saviour, - that all takes place through the work of the Holy Spirit. And out of repentance comes the leading of the Holy Spirit through which we turn away from our sin, and turn to the Lord Jesus and trust in Him to lead us on with Himself, Rom. 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. It is the Biblical doctrine of sanctification which is God s will for His people (I Thess. 4:3) whereby God sets us apart for Himself, that we might become as He is, Lev. 11:44 For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy 45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. He repeated it, Lev. 19:2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy and He repeated it again, Lev. 20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God and again, Lev. 20:26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine. and again, I Peter 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. In conclusion, this means the Biblical doctrine of salvation is particular and peculiar to the revelation God sets forth in His Word. And Godly salvation is the continuous work in process which will reach its fulfilment when the Lord calls us into His eternal presence That is God s only salvation for His people and every part of it is for His own eternal glory. Amen.