Salvation
PART 1: THE FOUNDATION
Every man’s condition prior to salvation is the same. We are all in the same state; and without the intervention of God, we are thoroughly blinded to the truth of our condition.
Man’s Problem
Man is a created being and as such has no innate powers of creation himself. He can only give and pass-on that which already exists and that which he already possesses. He cannot give something which he does not have. He cannot create something out of nothing in order to give or pass it on. That power is limited exclusively to our Creator, God.
So, since Adam, each child of a man has only been able to inherit that which the parents possessed to pass on. And, since Adam, every child’s spiritual inheritance has been limited to a “fallen nature” as a direct result of the rebellion of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The result of the sin of Adam and Eve was that they were condemned to death; both spiritual and physical. Their rebellion alienated them from God forever, and that is their legacy to each and every person born since. That is our inheritance.
In ourselves, our condition is incurable. We are powerless to effect any change. That would take a creative work of which we are incapable. Apart from outside intervention, we stand hopelessly destined for death – eternity in hell.
Our problem is compounded in that we have inherited the pride and rebellion that produced the original “fall”. Through this, we (the created) have an astounding arrogance towards God (the Creator). We insist that we are in fact pretty wonderful and not really deserving of eternal punishment. We fabricate a world of deception that denies any need for deliverance. We have various ways of covering up and feigning humility and goodness, but the fact remains there is no goodness in us.
The truth is, our entire lives are in rejection of and rebellion against God. We each are firmly seated on the throne of our lives. SELF is the center of our existence. This is what we have inherited; it is all we are capable of. There is no true selflessness possible. We are truly reprobate in our hearts regardless of the appearances we maintain.
It is impossible, by definition, to have any goodness and at the same time be in rebellion against God Who is the source of all that is good.
Our rebellion extends to worshipping any and every thing of our choosing other than our Creator. And in so doing we foolishly and arrogantly devise our own plans for affirming our eternal security. We ignore our inability to save ourselves and futilely fabricate false plans of salvation through false religions – anything to keep from having to deal with the true God and the truth of our own condition.
In our alienation from God, we have no understanding of the Standard from which Adam fell. Our minds are darkened so that we have no comprehension of the perfect purity and holiness of the God before Whom we all must appear and give account. We have no idea of the perfection of the Standard against which we will be measured in “that day”.
Instead, we ordain our own standards based on measuring ourselves against a multitude of other things, anything but God. We can each find some person or group against whom we compare favorably. And, if not, we will simply reshape reality and the truth. These measurements have no foundation in truth, but they do preclude our having to deal with the reality of our condition; the reality that, in fact, our hearts are wicked, selfish, and deceitful. In our hearts we grasp at the same lie that the serpent told Eve, “You will not surely die.” How pitiful we are.
The Beginning Of Hope
When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: (John 16:8)
The “He” in this verse refers to the Holy Spirit. He is the “outside intervention” Who is our hope. He is the One Who can effect a cure in us, and the beginning is with the Truth.
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. (John 16:13a)
He begins to speak to us the truth of our corrupt condition. While we are still rejecting and hating Him, He begins giving us the medicine we need. He is the One Who can break through our pride and testify as to the truth of our need.
As He speaks to us, we have a choice. We can either receive or reject Him and His message. We are so perverse that we do not even have the capability of receiving His truth, that ability He will give to us also. We cannot even make the right choice without His enabling. But He is faithful to meet our need.
His message at this point is the message of the prophet, John the Baptist.
1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’ ” (Matthew 3:1-3)
We must prepare the way; lay the foundation for the coming of the Lord in our lives. That preparation and foundation is repentance.
Repentance
The Holy Spirit must do this initial work in our hearts. We cannot come to God while still in our pride and rebellion. We cannot begin to walk in the Truth while still holding onto lies. The seed of God cannot be planted in a stone-hard corrupt heart.
The Spirit of the Lord convicts us in our hearts of our true condition. Without Him, we are helpless to know this truth, but through
the Spirit breaks through our deceptions with the truth that we are in rebellion and helplessly deserving of hell. (note: God is not limited to the means above. He deals with each of us uniquely, personally and sovereignly.)
Instead of the false standards which we have fabricated, the Spirit confronts us with the smallest revelation of the perfect purity, holiness, glory and majesty of the true God. The disparity between Him and us is our undoing. We know that we can never stand in His presence on our own merit. If we will exercise any honesty and integrity at this point, our whole lives begin to unravel.
At this, each of us has a choice.
Accept or reject. Life or death. Repent or rebel.
The repentance of John the Baptist which makes straight the path for the coming of the Lord and His Kingdom in our lives, is the repentance that says,
“Lord, I have lived my life in rebellion and sin against You. I have been the Lord of my life in arrogant rejection of You. As I have denied You, my life has been a lie, and I am deserving of eternal punishment.
I now repent of that, ask Your forgiveness, and declare that You are the Lord, not I. You are the Lord of all creation, and from this day forward You are the Lord of me.”
To clarify; This true repentance does not mean an attempt to enumerate our infractions of God's Law (although He may bring something(s) specific to mind), but to confess our whole lives of rebellion against Him.
A claimed “salvation experience” which excludes the basics of this foundation is a sham and just another deception. We cannot come into the salvation of God without first stepping down and then enthroning the King of Glory. Our pride, arrogance, and rebellion cannot remain intact. These are our sins against God – our whole lives. Our sin is not just certain behavioral infractions, but rather our entire existence from birth.
Our pride must be broken. Our Self must be crucified. We must die to living our own lives, and submit to the Lordship of the true God. This is the repentance which prepares for the coming ministry of Jesus Christ. It is not the message of salvation, but the preparation. Repentance makes the heart fertile ground for the planting of God’s seed. Repentance brings us in line with the truth of our condition so that God can redeem and restore us by His merciful grace.
PART 2: THE DYNAMIC EVENT
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Corinthians 7:10)
To realize that our whole lives are an offense against God, and to be truly sorry and brokenhearted over our sin is a gift from God. Our prideful nature rebels mightily against it. Our own Self is only capable of regret at having been caught in our sin, and anger at having to suffer the consequences. Our evil hearts condemn us to death. Only by the Holy Spirit’s work in us can we have any sorrow at having offended God. And this is the repentance which leads us to salvation!
But before we get to the actual event of salvation, we need to discuss the roll of faith.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Biblical Faith
As we must have prepared the way for the coming of the Lord in our lives through repentance, so must we also have faith. We are not saved by either repentance or faith, but both are prerequisite for the working of God’s saving grace. Also, both are gifts from God, so there still is no credit to ourselves in this process.
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)
The basis for Biblical faith for salvation is the Gospel (Good News) message that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross; He was the perfect sinless sacrifice in payment for the sin of mankind. After three days He arose from the dead proving that He had overcome sin and death.
And yet, Satan has correct mental understanding of this doctrine but certainly does not have Biblical faith. The faith necessary for salvation goes beyond mere mental assent of this truth. True faith springs up and becomes alive when the Spirit of Christ speaks to my heart that it is not just doctrinal theory; and Christ, the Son of God, says to me personally,
“I suffered and died for you! I paid the price for your sins”
Having laid the foundation of repentance, I already know my dire condition and need. I grasp the message and ask the Lord to save me.
I not only understand the message, I appropriate it personally. When God speaks it to me, He moves the message from my head to my heart where I treasure it with all my life, literally. This is Biblical faith.
The Event Of A Lifetime
"For it is by grace you have been saved . ." (Ephesians 2:8)
This “Grace” by which we are saved is:
God’s powerful presence at work in me to save me whereas I am otherwise powerless to do so.
Even as repentance and faith both are possible only through an enabling of God, so is salvation.
The Spirit has led us in true repentance, He has given us faith in our hearts, and we cry out to God to save us. At this, the God of all the universe reaches into our innermost being and in an instant He creates His life in us!!
In that moment, God unleashes an incredible creative power in us and our lives are totally changed for all eternity. God, Himself, invades our natural condition and by His supernatural power plants His very own life in us. He regenerates us. He forgives us and cleanses us of all our sin. He redeems us from eternal torment and restores us to eternal fellowship with Him. He reverses the death sentences we inherited from Adam. He gives us new birth and adopts us as His very own children. He makes us new creatures and gives us new hearts. He changes us from children of darkness to children of light. He releases us from the mastery and tyranny of sin and death. He sets us free to truly love Him and our fellow man. He takes us from depravity to hungering and thirsting for righteousness. He dwells in us and lives His life in us.
Even after a lifetime of walking in the light we still do not fully comprehend the power and the extent of the work of God in that flash of a moment. In fact, the more we grow in our faith and relationship with Him, the more we stand in awe and wonder of His miraculous salvation.
This is all a sovereign work of God. He and He alone accomplishes our repentance, faith, and salvation. Our only part in it all is to simply agree to what He is doing, and mysteriously He deserves the credit for that also. What a wonderful Lord!!
CLOSING REMARKS
Jesus stood in the synagogue and read from the scroll of Isaiah 61:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)
Then He said,
“Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21)
Thus His ministry began, and it continues today. We all are poor, blind, oppressed prisoners in desperate need of His anointed ministry.
He has a zealous love for each of us that drove Him to the cross to suffer a terrible death in our place. He is the Lord Of All and yet He became a loving servant to each of us, even unto death. He has shown us that the way to life is through death.
23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” (Luke 9:23-25)
His call is clear, total, and absolute.
Will you say, “Yes, Lord.”?
Will you repent of your pride and arrogance in living your own life as God?
Will you forsake your sin and rebellion and declare that Jesus Christ is your Lord?
Will you allow yourself to be humbled and acknowledge that you cannot save yourself? Will you believe in, and place all your hope and trust in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for the payment for your sin?
Will you say yes to the love of God?
Will you call out to God, “Have mercy on me Lord, and save me!”?
If you will, if you have, Jesus has said;
37 “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:37-40)
Salvation is a “yes” or “no” thing. It demands a decision and a response. It is not a “maybe” or an “almost” kind of thing. Either God has planted His seed of new life in you, or he has not. If He has, it is a remarkable thing, and you know it.
Your beginning understanding is dim, but you know if you have had an encounter with the Living God! If nothing else, over a short period of time your changed life and heart will be unmistakable.
As the Holy Spirit brings us through repentance, faith, and salvation we begin with minds that are spiritually darkened. We may not be cognizant of much that is happening. We may not recognize the step-by-step progression of events as laid out in this document, but the essence of these principles must occur.
Personal Observations
In my own case, as a result of a darkened mind and poor teaching, I had a wrong concept of all three: repentance, faith, and salvation. And yet, the Spirit still succeeded in bringing me to a place of surrender, repentance, and faith sufficient for a most radical conversion. That was over thirty-five years ago.
The Christian experience varies greatly from person to person as to depth of relationship with Jesus and level of commitment to walking in faith. Many deficiencies result from shortcomings in the beginning foundation. If one were to deal decisively with the repentance and Lordship issues up front, then they would surely enjoy a deeper and more precious walk with the Lord from the start.
The sacrifices of God are a
broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise. (Psalm 51:17)
“Has not my hand made all these things,
and so they came into being?”
declares the LORD.
“This is the one I esteem:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit,
and trembles at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2)
Additional Comments On Faith
People place their faith in many different things, systems, and philosophies. Remember, we are not saved by faith, we are saved by grace through faith (Biblical faith).
Faith in itself, no matter how earnest, sincere, devoted, committed, and even zealous cannot save. And if that faith is not Biblical faith it is just earnestly, sincerely, devotedly, zealously committed to being dead wrong.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only faith in the universe which deals successfully with man’s problem – his sin. All other religion, philosophy, and belief falls short. All other is the fabrication of men or demons and, accordingly, is destined to failure. No man or demon can cleanse our sin and make us righteous. Only God can deliver us, and only in the Gospel has God Himself provided the solution. He Himself has become the Way of our salvation.
Man likes to control his own salvation and resentfully accuses the Gospel of exclusivism. The Gospel is not a belief system developed by men by which they can pridefully exclude others who do not join with them. Rather, the Gospel is the loving and merciful provision of God as the ONLY hope of salvation to an otherwise totally hopeless, lost, and condemned world.
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” (John 14:6)
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
Published 09/20/2016
Every man’s condition prior to salvation is the same. We are all in the same state; and without the intervention of God, we are thoroughly blinded to the truth of our condition.
Man’s Problem
Man is a created being and as such has no innate powers of creation himself. He can only give and pass-on that which already exists and that which he already possesses. He cannot give something which he does not have. He cannot create something out of nothing in order to give or pass it on. That power is limited exclusively to our Creator, God.
So, since Adam, each child of a man has only been able to inherit that which the parents possessed to pass on. And, since Adam, every child’s spiritual inheritance has been limited to a “fallen nature” as a direct result of the rebellion of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The result of the sin of Adam and Eve was that they were condemned to death; both spiritual and physical. Their rebellion alienated them from God forever, and that is their legacy to each and every person born since. That is our inheritance.
In ourselves, our condition is incurable. We are powerless to effect any change. That would take a creative work of which we are incapable. Apart from outside intervention, we stand hopelessly destined for death – eternity in hell.
Our problem is compounded in that we have inherited the pride and rebellion that produced the original “fall”. Through this, we (the created) have an astounding arrogance towards God (the Creator). We insist that we are in fact pretty wonderful and not really deserving of eternal punishment. We fabricate a world of deception that denies any need for deliverance. We have various ways of covering up and feigning humility and goodness, but the fact remains there is no goodness in us.
The truth is, our entire lives are in rejection of and rebellion against God. We each are firmly seated on the throne of our lives. SELF is the center of our existence. This is what we have inherited; it is all we are capable of. There is no true selflessness possible. We are truly reprobate in our hearts regardless of the appearances we maintain.
It is impossible, by definition, to have any goodness and at the same time be in rebellion against God Who is the source of all that is good.
Our rebellion extends to worshipping any and every thing of our choosing other than our Creator. And in so doing we foolishly and arrogantly devise our own plans for affirming our eternal security. We ignore our inability to save ourselves and futilely fabricate false plans of salvation through false religions – anything to keep from having to deal with the true God and the truth of our own condition.
In our alienation from God, we have no understanding of the Standard from which Adam fell. Our minds are darkened so that we have no comprehension of the perfect purity and holiness of the God before Whom we all must appear and give account. We have no idea of the perfection of the Standard against which we will be measured in “that day”.
Instead, we ordain our own standards based on measuring ourselves against a multitude of other things, anything but God. We can each find some person or group against whom we compare favorably. And, if not, we will simply reshape reality and the truth. These measurements have no foundation in truth, but they do preclude our having to deal with the reality of our condition; the reality that, in fact, our hearts are wicked, selfish, and deceitful. In our hearts we grasp at the same lie that the serpent told Eve, “You will not surely die.” How pitiful we are.
The Beginning Of Hope
When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: (John 16:8)
The “He” in this verse refers to the Holy Spirit. He is the “outside intervention” Who is our hope. He is the One Who can effect a cure in us, and the beginning is with the Truth.
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. (John 16:13a)
He begins to speak to us the truth of our corrupt condition. While we are still rejecting and hating Him, He begins giving us the medicine we need. He is the One Who can break through our pride and testify as to the truth of our need.
As He speaks to us, we have a choice. We can either receive or reject Him and His message. We are so perverse that we do not even have the capability of receiving His truth, that ability He will give to us also. We cannot even make the right choice without His enabling. But He is faithful to meet our need.
His message at this point is the message of the prophet, John the Baptist.
1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’ ” (Matthew 3:1-3)
We must prepare the way; lay the foundation for the coming of the Lord in our lives. That preparation and foundation is repentance.
Repentance
The Holy Spirit must do this initial work in our hearts. We cannot come to God while still in our pride and rebellion. We cannot begin to walk in the Truth while still holding onto lies. The seed of God cannot be planted in a stone-hard corrupt heart.
The Spirit of the Lord convicts us in our hearts of our true condition. Without Him, we are helpless to know this truth, but through
- exposure to the Word of God (the Bible),
- anointed teaching and preaching,
- the anointed prayers of Believers, and
- the loving and sovereign will and call of God on our lives
the Spirit breaks through our deceptions with the truth that we are in rebellion and helplessly deserving of hell. (note: God is not limited to the means above. He deals with each of us uniquely, personally and sovereignly.)
Instead of the false standards which we have fabricated, the Spirit confronts us with the smallest revelation of the perfect purity, holiness, glory and majesty of the true God. The disparity between Him and us is our undoing. We know that we can never stand in His presence on our own merit. If we will exercise any honesty and integrity at this point, our whole lives begin to unravel.
At this, each of us has a choice.
Accept or reject. Life or death. Repent or rebel.
The repentance of John the Baptist which makes straight the path for the coming of the Lord and His Kingdom in our lives, is the repentance that says,
“Lord, I have lived my life in rebellion and sin against You. I have been the Lord of my life in arrogant rejection of You. As I have denied You, my life has been a lie, and I am deserving of eternal punishment.
I now repent of that, ask Your forgiveness, and declare that You are the Lord, not I. You are the Lord of all creation, and from this day forward You are the Lord of me.”
To clarify; This true repentance does not mean an attempt to enumerate our infractions of God's Law (although He may bring something(s) specific to mind), but to confess our whole lives of rebellion against Him.
A claimed “salvation experience” which excludes the basics of this foundation is a sham and just another deception. We cannot come into the salvation of God without first stepping down and then enthroning the King of Glory. Our pride, arrogance, and rebellion cannot remain intact. These are our sins against God – our whole lives. Our sin is not just certain behavioral infractions, but rather our entire existence from birth.
Our pride must be broken. Our Self must be crucified. We must die to living our own lives, and submit to the Lordship of the true God. This is the repentance which prepares for the coming ministry of Jesus Christ. It is not the message of salvation, but the preparation. Repentance makes the heart fertile ground for the planting of God’s seed. Repentance brings us in line with the truth of our condition so that God can redeem and restore us by His merciful grace.
PART 2: THE DYNAMIC EVENT
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Corinthians 7:10)
To realize that our whole lives are an offense against God, and to be truly sorry and brokenhearted over our sin is a gift from God. Our prideful nature rebels mightily against it. Our own Self is only capable of regret at having been caught in our sin, and anger at having to suffer the consequences. Our evil hearts condemn us to death. Only by the Holy Spirit’s work in us can we have any sorrow at having offended God. And this is the repentance which leads us to salvation!
But before we get to the actual event of salvation, we need to discuss the roll of faith.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Biblical Faith
As we must have prepared the way for the coming of the Lord in our lives through repentance, so must we also have faith. We are not saved by either repentance or faith, but both are prerequisite for the working of God’s saving grace. Also, both are gifts from God, so there still is no credit to ourselves in this process.
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)
The basis for Biblical faith for salvation is the Gospel (Good News) message that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross; He was the perfect sinless sacrifice in payment for the sin of mankind. After three days He arose from the dead proving that He had overcome sin and death.
And yet, Satan has correct mental understanding of this doctrine but certainly does not have Biblical faith. The faith necessary for salvation goes beyond mere mental assent of this truth. True faith springs up and becomes alive when the Spirit of Christ speaks to my heart that it is not just doctrinal theory; and Christ, the Son of God, says to me personally,
“I suffered and died for you! I paid the price for your sins”
Having laid the foundation of repentance, I already know my dire condition and need. I grasp the message and ask the Lord to save me.
I not only understand the message, I appropriate it personally. When God speaks it to me, He moves the message from my head to my heart where I treasure it with all my life, literally. This is Biblical faith.
The Event Of A Lifetime
"For it is by grace you have been saved . ." (Ephesians 2:8)
This “Grace” by which we are saved is:
God’s powerful presence at work in me to save me whereas I am otherwise powerless to do so.
Even as repentance and faith both are possible only through an enabling of God, so is salvation.
The Spirit has led us in true repentance, He has given us faith in our hearts, and we cry out to God to save us. At this, the God of all the universe reaches into our innermost being and in an instant He creates His life in us!!
In that moment, God unleashes an incredible creative power in us and our lives are totally changed for all eternity. God, Himself, invades our natural condition and by His supernatural power plants His very own life in us. He regenerates us. He forgives us and cleanses us of all our sin. He redeems us from eternal torment and restores us to eternal fellowship with Him. He reverses the death sentences we inherited from Adam. He gives us new birth and adopts us as His very own children. He makes us new creatures and gives us new hearts. He changes us from children of darkness to children of light. He releases us from the mastery and tyranny of sin and death. He sets us free to truly love Him and our fellow man. He takes us from depravity to hungering and thirsting for righteousness. He dwells in us and lives His life in us.
Even after a lifetime of walking in the light we still do not fully comprehend the power and the extent of the work of God in that flash of a moment. In fact, the more we grow in our faith and relationship with Him, the more we stand in awe and wonder of His miraculous salvation.
This is all a sovereign work of God. He and He alone accomplishes our repentance, faith, and salvation. Our only part in it all is to simply agree to what He is doing, and mysteriously He deserves the credit for that also. What a wonderful Lord!!
CLOSING REMARKS
Jesus stood in the synagogue and read from the scroll of Isaiah 61:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)
Then He said,
“Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21)
Thus His ministry began, and it continues today. We all are poor, blind, oppressed prisoners in desperate need of His anointed ministry.
He has a zealous love for each of us that drove Him to the cross to suffer a terrible death in our place. He is the Lord Of All and yet He became a loving servant to each of us, even unto death. He has shown us that the way to life is through death.
23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” (Luke 9:23-25)
His call is clear, total, and absolute.
Will you say, “Yes, Lord.”?
Will you repent of your pride and arrogance in living your own life as God?
Will you forsake your sin and rebellion and declare that Jesus Christ is your Lord?
Will you allow yourself to be humbled and acknowledge that you cannot save yourself? Will you believe in, and place all your hope and trust in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for the payment for your sin?
Will you say yes to the love of God?
Will you call out to God, “Have mercy on me Lord, and save me!”?
If you will, if you have, Jesus has said;
37 “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:37-40)
Salvation is a “yes” or “no” thing. It demands a decision and a response. It is not a “maybe” or an “almost” kind of thing. Either God has planted His seed of new life in you, or he has not. If He has, it is a remarkable thing, and you know it.
Your beginning understanding is dim, but you know if you have had an encounter with the Living God! If nothing else, over a short period of time your changed life and heart will be unmistakable.
As the Holy Spirit brings us through repentance, faith, and salvation we begin with minds that are spiritually darkened. We may not be cognizant of much that is happening. We may not recognize the step-by-step progression of events as laid out in this document, but the essence of these principles must occur.
Personal Observations
In my own case, as a result of a darkened mind and poor teaching, I had a wrong concept of all three: repentance, faith, and salvation. And yet, the Spirit still succeeded in bringing me to a place of surrender, repentance, and faith sufficient for a most radical conversion. That was over thirty-five years ago.
The Christian experience varies greatly from person to person as to depth of relationship with Jesus and level of commitment to walking in faith. Many deficiencies result from shortcomings in the beginning foundation. If one were to deal decisively with the repentance and Lordship issues up front, then they would surely enjoy a deeper and more precious walk with the Lord from the start.
The sacrifices of God are a
broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise. (Psalm 51:17)
“Has not my hand made all these things,
and so they came into being?”
declares the LORD.
“This is the one I esteem:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit,
and trembles at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2)
Additional Comments On Faith
People place their faith in many different things, systems, and philosophies. Remember, we are not saved by faith, we are saved by grace through faith (Biblical faith).
Faith in itself, no matter how earnest, sincere, devoted, committed, and even zealous cannot save. And if that faith is not Biblical faith it is just earnestly, sincerely, devotedly, zealously committed to being dead wrong.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only faith in the universe which deals successfully with man’s problem – his sin. All other religion, philosophy, and belief falls short. All other is the fabrication of men or demons and, accordingly, is destined to failure. No man or demon can cleanse our sin and make us righteous. Only God can deliver us, and only in the Gospel has God Himself provided the solution. He Himself has become the Way of our salvation.
Man likes to control his own salvation and resentfully accuses the Gospel of exclusivism. The Gospel is not a belief system developed by men by which they can pridefully exclude others who do not join with them. Rather, the Gospel is the loving and merciful provision of God as the ONLY hope of salvation to an otherwise totally hopeless, lost, and condemned world.
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” (John 14:6)
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
Published 09/20/2016