Salvation Is By Belief On Christ And The Only Atonement For Sin; Christ Crucified, Died And Risen
Jesus explains Salvation through Him in John 3 through conversation with Nicodemus, one of the Jewish leaders, that knew Jesus must be sent by God due to all the miracles Jesus performed.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3 KJV)
Jesus then goes on to explain that for a person to be born again means a new birth of a spirit from God. And how does Jesus tell us is the way we are reborn in the Spirit? Jesus then uses a series of repetitive statements to make it crystal clear:
“14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have ETERNAL LIFE .
16 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.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world THROUGH HIM might be saved.
18 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.” (John 3:14-18 KJV)
Salvation is by BELIEF IN Jesus, the Christ, the foretold Messiah without anything else added. Believing that Jesus is God in the flesh who came to pay the penalty for all the sins of the whole word on the cross.
Notice that Jesus did not mention our self righteous works nor penance nor ANYTHING; ONLY BELIEF ON CHRIST. Salvation is not something we work to achieve in our self righteousness. Nor do we keep our Salvation by doing good works nor by performing religious rituals. Salvation is God’s FREE GIFT to us. And as a gift we can accept it (by BELIEF ON CHRIST ALONE) or reject it (by UNBELIEF in Christ who provided the FINISHED atonement for the sins of the whole world on the cross.)
When Christ was on that cross He said, IT IS FINISHED just before His physical death. In the Greek this was penned, He literally said, DEBT PAID IN FULL. Christ had paid in full the penalty for the debt of the sins from all of time and for every person that ever lived. Not just for those who BELIEVE IN HIM but for everyone. Salvation is eternal. Once you believe you are saved eternally. Jesus did not make a oartial payment!
“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2 KJV)
It is God’s desire that everyone accept the free gift of eternal life. Yet, the choice is ours.
Service After Salvation
And then there is our service for God AFTER the moment of our Salvation.
Salvation is a FREE GRACE GIFT TO BE RECEIVED FROM GOD and is an undeserved and unmerited favor. Salvation is by BELIEVING in the only atonement for our sins which is Jesus The Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who is God, born of the Virgin Mary, who NEVER SINNED in mind nor deed and willingly died on the cross in torment as He took the punishment for the sins of the whole world upon Himself. All who believe this are from the moment of belief SEALED With the Holy Spirit and have become eternally saved (Ephesians 1:13-14) as sons or daughters in God’s family of redeemed.
This is not MY THOUGHTS ON SALVATION! This is what the Bible, Jesus and Apostle Paul clearly taught!
Now after Salvation we should start walking by the new creation of Spirit. We need our minds renewed to match up to the now righteous, sinless, perfect Spirit we now ARE IN CHRIST. This Spirit is now the REAL US. We cannot do this perfectly because we still have this fleshly body with a sin nature and bent toward sinning. Our flesh is at war with the new us; the Spirit. Apostle Paul struggled with the Two Natures if a Believer in Romans 7. Read it and pay close attention to verse 17 and 20.
Do We Sanctify Ourselves or Does The Holy Spirit Sanctify Us?
In John 17:17, Jesus answers this question.
“SANCTIFY THEM THROUGH THY TRUTH: THY WORD IS TRUTH.”
Before Jesus became human His name was ‘The Word’. (John 1) Jesus Christ is not only the truth, He is the way and the life!
“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)
Jesus Christ is the only way back to a proper relationship with God. Such a relationship requires a perfectly Holy Righteousness but we have sins committed standing in the way of this. That is why The Word (Christ) became human, never sinned, and shed His blood for the remission of our sins. From they very moment of Belief on Christ and the atonement for our sins through the Passion of Christ, God made us the Holy Righteousness of God, in Him.
“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)
What Is Our Part As Born Again Believers?
Again, what should we do as believers? First, thank God for such an amazing gift! Second, read the Bible because it is God’s Word and the absolute truth. The more you read the Bible and the words of Jesus the more the Holy Spirit renews your mind. You will see the truth and be set free from the guilt of your sins and set free from the punishment of your sins. You will look at things from God’s viewpoint and not the world’s viewpoint and that will empower you to accomplish the good works of God through you.
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall MAKE YOU free.” (John 8:31-32 KJV)
Notice the word “make”. The Bible does not ever say it is our efforts making us saved and righteous before God. And it is not our own efforts that sanctify us completely. Only the Holy Spirit renews our minds and changes us from the inner self outwardly. That said, by reading the truth from the word of God we are pressing toward the goal of the Holy Spirit. It says over and over again what Jesus said in John 8. It is God alone that MAKES US positionally righteous and justified. It is never our works accomplishing this. It is our belief in Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! (John 1:29)
Writing to even the the carnal believers in Corinthians Paul makes this statement,
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” ( 2 Corinthians 4:16 KJV)
And we see in Titus,
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” ( Titus 3:5-7 KJV)
Paul also makes it clear that we should do our part in this renewing of our mind. How a person thinks and believes about the world will determine their actions in the world. A person’s viewpoint is an important key factor in how a person lives. We all begin with the world’s viewpoint. And who is controlling the world’s viewpoint of truth? The Bible says it is our adversary, Satan.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12 KJV)
In Ephesians 6, Paul continues and is telling us to put on the whole armour of God and “stand in the power” of God’s might (Eph. 6:10) and it is all about knowing the truth in the Bible and allowing this to transform us. And that means we should be studying the word of God to know the truth. Knowing the truths in the Bible will also protect us from our adversary!
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”
(Ephesians 6:13-17 KJV )
We have our part to do in the Holy Spirit’s work of renewing our mind to God’s view point and truth.
You still have free choice after the moment of your Salvation to walk by the Spirit in truth (by God’s word) or to walk by the flesh in carnality as the Corinthians were doing. Are you still saved either way after Salvation? Yes. Paul called the Corinthians believers.
Does that mean there are no consequences for sin and we can just keep sinning and ignoring God’s word without consequences? No!
We have our part to do and why would we not want to know the truth from God’s word? Jesus redeemed us with His shed blood and has given us all things. Christ says in John 15 to abide in Him and His words and Christ will abide in us.
Do not just listen to Pastors or Priests. Do not just read my articles or e-books and believe. No.. start reading your Bible after your moment of Salvation, having received this most amazing GIFT from God. The Holy Spirit within a believer will Sanctify you and guide and teach you the truth.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2 KJV)
When that happens over time, you will be changed and conformed more and more into the image of Christ. God will place desires in you to accomplish good works He has prepared for you to perform.
Start reading the amazing truth in God’s word; The Bible.
