Salvation
(handout)
Why
we Believe what we Believe
(The
Baptist Faith and Message)
(Message
6)
Ephesians
2:8
Introduction: For students of language, one of the
most interesting things to study is the change or development of language.
Think about how words and their meanings have changed over the years. A hundred
years ago gay meant to be happy or light hearted, cool meant to have a slight
chill or to be cold and hip was a part of the body above which the belt was
fastened. And you don’t have to go that far back to see the effects of changing
language, if you have a teenager at home you know exactly what I’m talking
about. When I was growing up if something was extraordinary or exceeded the
normal standards of expectation, we said that it was “far out,” or “cool.”
Today if something exceeds the normal standards it is said to be “sick,” or to
be, “the bomb.” I mention this to highlight the fact that as language changes
and precise communication becomes more complicated, words have a tendency to
lose their impact and meaning.
Nowhere has this been more pronounced
than in the church. When I was growing up terms like, “Giving your heart to
Jesus,” or “being born again,” were often used to speak about salvation but
over time, like a lot of other language, in the minds of many these terms have
lost some of their impact and as a result we have searched for words or phrases
that help us communicate the need of salvation to a younger generation. It is
to that end that we as Christians need to be clear and unambiguous as we
present the gospel of Jesus Christ to others.
Part of my reasoning for teaching this
series on doctrine is to help us, as a body of believers, to become more
theologically precise; to once again reassign meaning to terms like, “being
born again,” so that when we use these terms there is a common understanding as
to what we are talking about.
We come today to the doctrine of
salvation, which, in theological jargon it is called, “Soteriology,” coming
from the two Greek words, “Soter,” meaning to save or deliver, and “logos,”
which means word. Thus, Soteriology is simply a word about salvation.
Of all the doctrines of the Bible, the
doctrine of salvation is one with which every Christian should be familiar. Not
only because our salvation depends upon it, but because it is the one message
which we as God’s people have been commissioned to share with the world around
us and it is the only message whereby lost people can come into a personal and
saving relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son.
Over the last several weeks we have been
following the general outline of our confessional statement, the Baptist Faith
and Message. Here’s what it says in article 4, in reference to the doctrine of
Salvation.
“Salvation involves the redemption of the
whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In
its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification,
sanctification and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal
faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
A. Regeneration, or the new
birth, is a work of God’s grace, whereby believers become new creatures in
Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through
conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable
experiences of grace. Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God.
Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire
personality to Him as Lord and Savior.
B. Justification is God’s
gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners
who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a
relationship of peace and favor with God.
C. Sanctification is the
experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to
God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity
through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in
grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life.
D. Glorification is the
culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the
redeemed.
For the purpose of our study, we are
going to keep it simple and discuss salvation within the context of three
simple points. We will begin with our need, then move to God’s provision and
then conclude with our response.
I.
Our
Need
As we studied last, the doctrine of man, in
the
II.
God’s
Provision
Remember that God created us for His glory
and for fellowship. As long as we remain in our sin we can neither be in
fellowship with Him, nor can our lives give Him glory. In order for us to live
for our created purpose we must somehow be reconciled to God. This is the great
story of salvation. The Bible states this very clearly in 2 Corinthians 5:19
when it says, To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto
himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us
the word of reconciliation.
III.
Our
Response
Perhaps you’ve heard preachers talk about
giving your heart to Jesus, or being born again, and you’ve wondered what
exactly they were talking about. When it comes to our response the Bible gives
us some clear instruction.
- Repentance
- Faith
- Regeneration
- Sanctification
Conclusion:So there you have it, it’s really rather
simple. We are sinners, and sin separates us from God and condemns us to
eternity in hell. God loves us and sent His only Son Jesus to die on the cross
to pay the penalty for our sins. Through His death, burial and resurrection He
defeated sin and death and Hell and made it possible for all who will place
their trust in Him to have their sins washed away and receive eternal life. All
you have to do is believe; to place your trust in Him.