Hey folks - getting saved is a bit more than you choosing Christ then believing a message and then seeking to obey to then hang on to what you think you have. Your powerful faith and belief doesn't make Calvary come alive and then it is applied to you.
Below is what I believe regarding justification - I'd be interested in seeing your take on what you believe the scriptures teach regarding salvation.
I.What is Justification?
A.The Problem
I was born a sinner -Rom. 3:23, dead in trespasses in sin - Eph. 2:1, at enmity with God -Rom. 8, blinded - II Cor. 4:4), dead to spiritual things - I Cor. 2:14), not seeking God - Rom. 3:8 and on my way to a lake of fire because of the sin that dwelt in me - Rom. 5:12; Rev. 20:15. There was nothing I could do to get out of this mess - Rom. 4:5; Eph. 2:8,9; Tit. 3:5
B.The Provision
Because of sin God has to judge sin and the penalty for sin. Something or someone has to be the sin payment in order for man to be redeemed from death in hell for eternity. In the OT God provided the sacrifices so their sins could be overlooked for a time. But God is gracious in that He desires to display His love and mercy. Man cannot meet the requirements that God demands -Tit. 3:5; Rom. 3:10-12; Isa. 64:6; Psa. 39:5. The law cannot redeem man - Rom. 8:3; Gal. 2:21; 3:11, 12. God has to provide a blood substitute and it has to be perfect blood to redeem imperfect man - Acts 20:28. The only way to redeem man is to have a perfect man redeem imperfect man and that man is the man Christ Jesus who became our sin substitute on Cavalry - Rom. 5:8; II Cor. 5:21. When Christ hung on the cross he became sin for us. The wrath of God that poured out on Christ should have been for us but Christ took our place - II Cor. 5:21. Andrias Tobias in the 1600’s said, “All God’s wrath was poured out on Christ so there is none left for the believerâ€Â.
C. The Deliverance
Then one day I was given the gospel - I Cor. 15:1-5; God took the blinders off - Rom. 10:17; II Cor. 4:5,6; God gave me the faith of Jesus Christ - Eph. 2:8,9; Rom. 3:22; Gal. 2:16; enabled me to believe - Eph. 1:13; regenerated me - Tit. 3:5; reconciled me -Rom. 5:10; spiritually circumcised me - Col. 2:10-12; sealed me - Eph. 1:13; put me into the body of Christ - Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:10-12; glorified me - Rom. 8:30; redeemed me - Col. 1:14; Gal. 3:13; made me an adopted son - Rom. 8:15; made me accepted in the beloved - Eph. 1:6; blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ - Eph. 1:3; forgave me - Eph. 1:7; raised me up - Eph. 2:6; made me bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh - Eph. 5:30; gave me an inheritance - Eph. 1:11, came in to me - Col. 1:27, and completed me - Col. 2:10 and a few more that we don’t have to go into now.
II. My Duty After Justification
Real clear – walk worthy - Eph. 4:1; live godly - Tit. 2:12, be not conformed to this world - Rom. 12:2; study - II Tim. 2:15; pray - Phil. 4:6; forgive others - Eph. 4:32; love my wife (Eph. 5); witness - II Cor. 5:20; be thankful - I Thess. 5:18, and the list goes on and on. So I don’t just stop at believing for after believing and being saved the real work begins - Phil. 2:12.
III. Closing Remarks
As you can see salvation is not dependent upon anything man can do. Man is justified by what Christ did at Calvary alone. Because he did nothing to earn salvation he can do nothing to lose what is not his. The work was not the sinners but Christ’s, the faith the sinner exercised was not his but Christ’s Rom. 3:22, Eph. 2:8,9, the sealing was not the sinners but Christ’s so what was left for man to do? All the sinner could do was to take God at His word that Christ did it all.
God bless
Below is what I believe regarding justification - I'd be interested in seeing your take on what you believe the scriptures teach regarding salvation.
I.What is Justification?
A.The Problem
I was born a sinner -Rom. 3:23, dead in trespasses in sin - Eph. 2:1, at enmity with God -Rom. 8, blinded - II Cor. 4:4), dead to spiritual things - I Cor. 2:14), not seeking God - Rom. 3:8 and on my way to a lake of fire because of the sin that dwelt in me - Rom. 5:12; Rev. 20:15. There was nothing I could do to get out of this mess - Rom. 4:5; Eph. 2:8,9; Tit. 3:5
B.The Provision
Because of sin God has to judge sin and the penalty for sin. Something or someone has to be the sin payment in order for man to be redeemed from death in hell for eternity. In the OT God provided the sacrifices so their sins could be overlooked for a time. But God is gracious in that He desires to display His love and mercy. Man cannot meet the requirements that God demands -Tit. 3:5; Rom. 3:10-12; Isa. 64:6; Psa. 39:5. The law cannot redeem man - Rom. 8:3; Gal. 2:21; 3:11, 12. God has to provide a blood substitute and it has to be perfect blood to redeem imperfect man - Acts 20:28. The only way to redeem man is to have a perfect man redeem imperfect man and that man is the man Christ Jesus who became our sin substitute on Cavalry - Rom. 5:8; II Cor. 5:21. When Christ hung on the cross he became sin for us. The wrath of God that poured out on Christ should have been for us but Christ took our place - II Cor. 5:21. Andrias Tobias in the 1600’s said, “All God’s wrath was poured out on Christ so there is none left for the believerâ€Â.
C. The Deliverance
Then one day I was given the gospel - I Cor. 15:1-5; God took the blinders off - Rom. 10:17; II Cor. 4:5,6; God gave me the faith of Jesus Christ - Eph. 2:8,9; Rom. 3:22; Gal. 2:16; enabled me to believe - Eph. 1:13; regenerated me - Tit. 3:5; reconciled me -Rom. 5:10; spiritually circumcised me - Col. 2:10-12; sealed me - Eph. 1:13; put me into the body of Christ - Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:10-12; glorified me - Rom. 8:30; redeemed me - Col. 1:14; Gal. 3:13; made me an adopted son - Rom. 8:15; made me accepted in the beloved - Eph. 1:6; blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ - Eph. 1:3; forgave me - Eph. 1:7; raised me up - Eph. 2:6; made me bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh - Eph. 5:30; gave me an inheritance - Eph. 1:11, came in to me - Col. 1:27, and completed me - Col. 2:10 and a few more that we don’t have to go into now.
II. My Duty After Justification
Real clear – walk worthy - Eph. 4:1; live godly - Tit. 2:12, be not conformed to this world - Rom. 12:2; study - II Tim. 2:15; pray - Phil. 4:6; forgive others - Eph. 4:32; love my wife (Eph. 5); witness - II Cor. 5:20; be thankful - I Thess. 5:18, and the list goes on and on. So I don’t just stop at believing for after believing and being saved the real work begins - Phil. 2:12.
III. Closing Remarks
As you can see salvation is not dependent upon anything man can do. Man is justified by what Christ did at Calvary alone. Because he did nothing to earn salvation he can do nothing to lose what is not his. The work was not the sinners but Christ’s, the faith the sinner exercised was not his but Christ’s Rom. 3:22, Eph. 2:8,9, the sealing was not the sinners but Christ’s so what was left for man to do? All the sinner could do was to take God at His word that Christ did it all.
God bless