By Dr. Roger W. Maslin
The Bible is the only dependable source of information that tells us how to get to heaven. In Proverbs 14:12 we are told: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” It is a tragic and terrible thing to be on the wrong road and have the wrong directions when seeking the way to heaven. The Bible is the only book that gives information about the world to come. It is the only book that gives safe directions about how to get to the land of happiness and eternal bliss. You may have heard different words used to describe some aspect of the salvation experience or “being saved.” I want to dwell on those words to make the way plain.
Conversion: When you hear someone say “he was converted.” what does it mean? Conversion is a word that describes the spiritual journey from no faith, or faulty faith, to a position of full trust and acceptance of Jesus Christ as the only saviour from sin. It describes coming out of darkness into light, out of spiritual death into eternal life. When this happens the whole person is involved. The intellect or mind is involved in that there must be a knowledge of the facts on the Gospel; that Jesus is the only Saviour from sin and condemnation; that He died, was buried, and rose again for our justification. The will is involved in that it makes a positive response to the invitation of Christ to come to him. In effect the will says “I come.” “I accept the gift of eternal life.” The emotions are involved in different ways with different people. Some weep for joy because the burden of guilt has been removed and forgiveness is so great and free. Some may shout. Others may just quietly make the decision to turn to Christ in faith for salvation. The only emotion that is required is that of sincerity. When you say “yes” to Christ, you have to mean it.
Grace: “For by grace are ye saved.” (Eph.2:8) Grace is simply the unmerited and undeserved favor of God. In Grace he withholds the deserved penalty of eternal death for our sins and graciously bestows the gift of eternal life. Grace is contrasted with works which are of man’s doing but are ineffectual in acquiring eternal life. “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph.2:9) Until a person understands God’s way of salvation, it is the natural inclination to trust in his own doings. That may include “doing the best you can,” “keeping the golden rule,” baptism, church membership, and a host of other things. The Bible is clear on this subject: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.”(Titus 3:5) “And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” (Is. 64.6)
Faith: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”(Eph.2:8) The Bible defines faith: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”(Heb. 11:1) It is taking God at His word. He said that He would save you if you forsake all other ways to be saved and trusted His Son, and His work on the cross, to be saved. “God said it; that settles it; I believe it.” Faith is not presumption. To presume is to take for granted without authority. The ground of faith is the Word of God.. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) True faith has to have a promise of God to rest upon. Faith is not feeling. It is taking God at His word. It is looking away from self and looking to another and relying upon another. Notice also that faith is contrasted to works. Faith is essential and effectual while works, no matter how many, cannot merit salvation. Works are the manifestation of faith. There a million ways of pleasing God, but not one without faith. Faith does not end with trust in Christ for salvation. It continues and grows. It may be weak at first but it gets stronger as you continue to depend upon Him and the promises of His word. Saving faith is to believe, to trust, in the finished work of Christ for salvation.
Repentance: Repentance is often associated with the thought of remorse for some action which may be involved. But the basic thought of repentance is to change or make a change. Repentance in the salvation experience is always associated with faith. You can’t have one without the other. They are operative simultaneously with regeneration. Repentance, or a change, is exercised in several ways when you decide to trust Christ. You change your opinion of Christ, not just as a good man or an example, but the one and only saviour from sin. You change your mind concerning sin, as not something to be ignored or treated lightly, but as something that has to be dealt with. You change your mind about good works and the way to be saved and turn to place your trust in Christ and His finished work. It was the message of John the Baptist: “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt.3:2;4:17) It was the message of Paul: “but now God commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30)
Born Again: This is the customary expression to describe the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration. It is taken from John 3 as Jesus explained to Nicodemus the necessity of being regenerated, passing from spiritual death to eternal life, in order to enter the kingdom of God. The phrase is also used today to distinguish believing Christians, those who are trusting in God’s grace and their faith for salvation, from nominal professors within the Christian community who do not claim to be regenerated or have any special relationship with Jesus Christ.(John 3:3-8) The new birth was dependent upon a positive response to the Gospel. (John 3:15-18)
Justification: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”(Romans 3:24) “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”(Romans 3:28) Justification is the act by which God declares a sinner just, and righteous, as if he had never sinned. It frees from all the guilt and blame that the law imposes. It is more than a pardon which just frees one from the penalty but not the guilt. Everyone needs this because “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”(Romans 3:23) In justification the sinner becomes absolutely spotless before God. His sins have been washed away through the shed blood of Christ, and he stands clothed in Christ’s righteousness. Notice again that we are not justified by works of any kind, nor by living a good moral life, or by keeping the law and the golden rule. We are justified freely by His grace.
Redemption: Redemption makes it possible for God to act in freely justifying the sinner who puts his faith in that redemptive act. Redemption presupposes a state of bondage to Satan. “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”(Col.1:13,14) “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (I Pet.1:18,19) Redemption is simply the price paid for sin to deliver us from Satan’s bondage. He did that by dying in our place on the cross. He was the only one that could do that because he was without sin.
Sanctification: Sanctification is both an initial act and a continuous or progressive act that ends with our glorification together with Christ in the eternal ages. A simple definition of sanctification is “being set apart for God.” That begins when we turn in faith to Christ and receive him as our Saviour. Sanctification is a supernatural work. When we are regenerated, born again, we are given a new nature that grows. Paul wrote to the Thessalonian Christians: “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification.” (I Thesss.4:3) By faith we receive the indwelling of the Spirit and he makes Christ real to us. Because he is real by faith we may walk with him and turn away from sinful things.
Assurance: Yes, it is gloriously possible to know that you are going to heaven. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the Son of God.” (I John 5:13) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” (John 6:47) “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36) When you meet God’s conditions you can claim God’s promise. If you have pinned all of your hopes to Christ and what he did on the cross, this promise is to you- “hath everlasting life”- now, and you can say with Paul: “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”(I Tim.1:12)
Confession: Confessing Christ as Saviour and Lord is the natural response accompanying faith. “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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9,10) The confession is not just an answer when someone asks: “Are you a Christian?” It is the joyful sharing of your faith in Him on a continuing basis. Baptism also affords an opportunity to confess Him as you are saying by symbol that you are depending upon his death, burial, and resurrection for your salvation.
Eternal Security: This is a term that defines the nature of salvation. It is not something you lose. The gift of everlasting life is not something God takes back. He is not an “Indian giver.” The promise is clear: “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” (John 11:26) We have already passed from spiritual death into eternal life. Hear Jesus again: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:27-29) Every true believer can say with Paul: “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, or principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38,39)
Have you had this salvation experience? You can, by simply turning to Jesus Christ, accepting him as your Saviour, and transferring your trust to His finished work on the cross. Make sure that you are not trusting in “a way that seemeth right unto a man,” good works, and any substitute for the cross, which only leads to eternal separation from God. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
No comments:
Post a Comment