This article discusses why we need salvation, what the cost will be to ourselves, and the outcome.



INTRODUCTION

The first couple, Adam and Eve, lived in a virtual paradise and wanted for nothing. They were at peace with themselves, with each other and with God. But they threw it all away. Yielding to temptation, they partook of the forbidden fruit of the tree of good and evil, in spite of God's warning that this would result in the loss of their immortality (Genesis 2:16, 17, 3:1-3).

The introduction of sin into their lives changed everything. The first casualty was their relationship with God. He was no longer central in their lives. Instead, their focus became firmly fixed on themselves and their own wills. Like a malignant disease, this affected every part of their beings, including the way they reasoned. Instead of looking at life from God's perspective, they found themselves relating to everything according to their own sin-tainted and biased points of view. And rather than serving God's purposes, they became preoccupied in serving their own interests.

Independence from God, self will, self satisfaction, pride and prejudice became the order of the day. This opened the door to distrust, enmity, fear, jealousy, hatred, depression, and all those other negative traits that plague us today.

There are always consequences to sin, and the moment that Adam and Eve sinned they became spiritually separated from their Creator, the source of all life. Their physical bodies began the process of decay, and physical death became inevitable.

The Bible tells us that as a consequence of their deliberate and wilful disobedience, God cast them out of the Garden of Eden. He also cursed the earth so that Adam would have to work long and hard to make a living. Eve was told that childbirth would be agonizing, and that although her desire would be to "rule the roost," she would be subservient to her husband (Genesis 3:14-19).

Adam and Eve had originally been created in the image of a morally righteous God (Genesis 1:27), but we note that after the fall their progeny were born in their own sinful likeness (Genesis 5:3). The effects of the fall were so invasive and deep-seated that they were passed on to their children.

The fall of Adam and Eve spelled the ruination of mankind.



WE HAVE A PROBLEM

Because of the fall of Adam and Eve, every member of the human race is born with a fallen nature and has within himself the inclination to self-bias and sin. And although it is true that man still bears a likeness to God in that he has traits of goodness in him, these traits have been marred by sin.

God would never declare us unrighteous or sinful merely because our forebears, Adam and Eve, had sinned. The sad truth is that each and every one of us is personally guilty of sin.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23, KJV)

For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth [only] good, and sinneth not. (Ecclesiastes 7:20, KJV)

If we say that we have not sinned, we make him [God] a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:10, KJV)

Involvement in sin implies either a distrust of God, or a rebellion against His person and His standards of righteousness. In either case it is a declaration of independence, where we put our "self" in that central place that belongs by right to God alone.

"The sinfulness of sin lies in the fact that it is against God, even when the wrong we do is to others or ourselves [Gen 39:9; Ps 51:4]." (The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright 1988.)

SALVATION CANNOT BE EARNED

"The idea of attaining salvation through self-effort and good works is a fundamental characteristic of human nature. But try as hard as one will, he cannot remove the guilt and penalty of his own sins." (Lehman Strauss, 'Doctrine of Salvation')

Because of fallen man's bias towards "self" and his love of independence, once he realizes the predicament he is in, he naturally wants to earn the right to be forgiven by "getting himself right." He thinks that if he tries hard enough, he will be able to lift himself up from his sinful state through his own efforts and self-will.

But God has shown us over and over again in the pages of the Bible, that we do not have the wherewithal to do this. No matter how hard we try to live righteously through our own efforts, sooner or later we find ourselves slipping up and sinning in word, thought and deed. So in His wisdom and mercy, He has devised a foolproof way of salvation that caters for the fallenness of man.



GOD'S WAY OF SALVATION

"Even God could not pay a vaster, costlier, more awful or glorious price for our redemption than that of His own incarnation in human nature and His own sin-bearing, substitutionary self-sacrifice on Calvary." (J. Sidlow Baxter, Awake My Heart, page 202.)

Salvation is the story of a holy God's undeserved love for fallen man.

Forsaking the glories of heaven, God came down to earth in Christ on a rescue mission, to make a way for fallen mankind to be saved from the eternal consequences of his sins. But in order to be able to represent us He had to limit Himself by becoming one of us. So He emptied Himself, took on a human body, and lived for a while in this suffering, hurting world in the same way that we do; seeing life through our eyes and sharing in our problems, hardships, temptations, sufferings, sorrows and joys.

..... who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:6-7, NASB)

However, unlike us, Christ didn't allow Himself the luxury of giving in to the weakness of His flesh. His life was one of complete obedience and self-denial. He wouldn't have qualified to bear the consequences of our sin if He'd been guilty of any sin himself, He would have been in the same predicament as ourselves. But that never happened. He went to the cross without a single blemish of sin, as our perfect substitute.

And even though Jesus was God's Son, he had to learn from experience what it was like to obey when obeying meant suffering. It was after he had proved himself perfect in this experience that Jesus became the Giver of eternal salvation to all those who obey him. (Hebrews 5:8-9, The Living Bible).

When the Lord Jesus asked the religious leaders, "Can any of you prove Me guilty of sin?" they remained silent (John 8:46). Pilate tried Him in a Roman court of law and declared "I find no guilt in this man" (Luke 23:4). His disciple Peter, who'd been His constant companion for three years, testified that "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth" (1 Peter 2:22).

Offering Himself as our substitute, He graciously and heroically took the judgment that we deserve. And bearing the consequences of our sins in our place on the cross, He paid the terrible price of our redemption from sin — the pure and sinless Creator serving His fallen, sinful creation to His own cost, so that we could be set free from guilt and eternal condemnation. What an amazing declaration of love, selflessness, humility, goodness and mercy! We can only bow in shame, awe and reverence before such a God.

God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them (2 Corinthians 5:19, KJV).

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8, KJV)

For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21, KJV).

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24, NASB)

CHRIST'S RESURRECTION

Christ had declared Himself to be the Son of God, the Saviour of Mankind and the Light of the World. To those who'd watched Him die like a common criminal on a bloody Roman cross, it must have seemed as though His mission had ended in failure. Yet His resurrection revealed the opposite to be the truth. Because of His sinlessness, death couldn't hold Him in its grip. His bodily resurrection was the glorious proof of His triumph over Satan, sin and death, on our behalf. It also fulfilled His prophecy that He would arise from the grave after three days (Matthew 12:38-40).

And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power (Acts 2:24, NASB).

..... who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness (Romans 1:4, NASB).

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:3-7, NASB).

THE COST OF FORGIVENESS

If we want to restore a broken relationship, we have to be willing to bear the consequences of the other person's wrong against us. This is exactly what God did.

God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against Him ..... (2 Corinthians 5:19, NASB).

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24, NASB)

THE TERMS OF SALVATION

In biblical times, when a debtor was unable to pay his debt, the law demanded that he be enslaved to his creditor until he had worked off the entire amount of the debt. The situation is that Christ took over the debt of our sins and paid it in full, on our behalf. So the reality is that those who are saved no longer own themselves. They were bought by Christ. People in those days understood salvation in a far deeper and more meaningful way than we do now.

Paul, a bond-servant [slave] of Christ Jesus ..... (Romans 1:1, NASB)

James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ (James 1:1, NASB)

Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1, NASB)

Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ (Jude 1, NASB)

..... the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (Acts 20:28, KJV)

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:20, KJV)

THE COST OF SALVATION

What the above says to us, is that when we come to Christ for salvation it is a two-way transaction. First of all we repent of our sins and of our independence from God. Then we surrender all that we have and all that we are, including our very lives, to Christ. In return He saves us from condemnation, permanent separation from God and everlasting hell.

Christ gave His all for us, and now it is our turn to give our all to Him.



WHAT SALVATION ACHIEVES

Salvation's effects are in the past, the present and the future. The very moment we first believed in Christ for salvation, we were saved from the guilt and the penalty of our sins. From that time on, we are in an ongoing process of being saved from the power that sin has over us. And finally, we will be saved from the very presence of sin in our lives.

And they [Paul and Silas] said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31, KJV)

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12, 13 KJV) (Italics inserted by editor.)

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, KJV) (Italics inserted by editor.)

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18, KJV) (Italics inserted by editor.)

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:2-3, KJV)

And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23, KJV)

To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect ..... (Hebrews 12:23, KJV) (Italics inserted by Editor.)

Full salvation reverses the effects of the fall and restores us to our original state.

And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4, NASB)

THE REQUIREMENTS FOR SALVATION

The Bible teaches that salvation is by God's grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. It cannot be earned and it has nothing whatever to do with church membership, religious rituals or obedience to religious laws and ordinances. It is purely a personal transaction between the Saviour and the sinner. The repentant sinner puts his faith in Christ for salvation, and Christ saves him. In other words, Christ is the sole vehicle of his salvation: He alone paid the price and He alone has the authority and the power to save us:

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6, KJV)

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12, KJV)

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24, KJV)

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us ..... (Titus 3:5, KJV)

To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43, KJV)

THE EFFECTS OF SALVATION

Amongst other benefits, the person who puts his faith in Christ for salvation is regenerated, justified, and reconciled to God.

REGENERATION is sometimes called being born again, born of the Spirit, or the new birth. The moment we come to faith in Christ, through a gracious act of God, His Holy Spirit indwells us, creating a new, spiritual dimension in our lives.

JUSTIFICATION: Because of Christ's atonement on our behalf, God pardons and accepts believing and repentant sinners, declaring them to be righteous "in Christ." In other words, the debt of our sin has been paid in full, and God no longer sees us as being guilty.

RECONCILIATION: This literally means that enmity has come to an end, and unity is restored. Prior to our coming to faith in Christ our "self" was occupying the central position in our lives that by rights belongs to God alone, and our sins had created a barrier between us. Reconciliation with God means that He no longer holds our sins against us, and we in turn have a right relationship with Him, submitting ourselves to His rulership in our lives.

GOD'S WRATH

Because God's universe is governed by righteous laws, the effects of sin are always negative, never positive. Sin hurts, damages, degrades, ruins, kills and destroys. It is the cause of all the injustice and heartrending suffering in the world today. And because He is righteous, good and just, God will ultimately bring about the destruction of all that is sinful. However, His love compelled Him to provide a way for us to be set free from our sinful condition. But those who scorn His infinite sacrifice will experience His wrath.

He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (John 3:36, NASB)

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18, NASB)

GOD'S JUDGMENT OF HELL

In order for the kingdom of heaven to survive as such, sin cannot be permitted there in any form. Only those who have accepted God's offer of salvation from sin and who submit to His ways, will be allowed entry. Those who are in enmity with God, or who prefer their independence, or who would rather follow a different way of their own choice, will be barred from heaven.

Some people think that because God is loving, merciful and compassionate, He couldn't possibly send anyone to hell. But He made a colossal sacrifice to provide a way for us to escape this terrible fate. So if we choose to spurn His sacrifice, we'll be bringing the judgment of hell upon ourselves.

Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power (2 Thessalonians 1:9 KJV)

In the Bible death symbolizes separation, and there are three stages of death. The first stage is that which befell Adam and Eve when they partook of the fruit of the tree of good and evil. As already mentioned, this first stage of death came about because of their spiritual separation from their Creator, who is the sustainer of life. Consequently their bodies immediately started the process of decay, and physical death became inevitable. Physical death is the second stage of death. After that comes judgment. Then those under judgment will face the third and final stage of death, which will involve not only separation from God, but also separation from His influence, for all eternity. This is known as eternal death, or eternal destruction.

Because of Christ's story about the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:20-28, we can only assume that being assigned to this third and final stage of death (eternal separation from God) will result in ongoing anguish.

[Lazarus pleaded:] ..... I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. (Luke 16:28, KJV)

THE DAY OF JUDGMENT

On the day of judgment those who have trusted in Christ for salvation from sin will not be judged for their sins, as Christ has already borne their judgment for them.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1, KJV)

He that believeth 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. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light ..... (John 3:18-19, KJV)

If you have not already done so, the writer would encourage you to take the step of faith; repent of your sins, and put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation. He will not fail you, and your only regret will be that you waited so long.



The following link leads to an article that illustrates a different aspect of salvation:

Biblical Salvation and the Way of Christ

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