What is SALVATION?
Rev. Bruce A. Shields
First Baptist Church
Tawas City Michigan USA
www.tawasbaptist.org
Eternal Life
Anyone can have Everlasting Life simply by believing in Christ (Acts 16:31). Faith in Jesus Christ alone brings the gift of Everlasting Life (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Lord Jesus Christ paid for the sins of the world on the cross (1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 2:2). The door is now open for all who want the gift of Eternal Life. Nothing stands in the way. The gift is available to all who want it (Ephesians 2:8-9). The scripture says, "For in this way God loved the world in that He gave His uniquely-born Son so that anyone who believes in Him will not perish but will have Eternal Life (John 3:16). Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31)."
Jesus Christ, the Savior
The Lord Jesus Christ was the uniquely-born Son of God. He was both perfect humanity and undiminished deity combined in one unique personality of the universe (Colossians 2:9). No person has ever been born like this. He was God in the flesh. After mankind sinned, a Savior was promised who would handle the sin problem.
Spiritual Life
The result of sin in the human race was condemnation, spiritual death. Spiritual death simply means the absence of a human spirit. Without the human spirit, there is absolutely no way for man to have fellowship with God, who is Spirit. Mankind has to be spiritual to have fellowship with the Spirit of God. Spiritually dead man is separated from God.
The Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross where God the Father poured out the sins of the world on Christ and judged them. As the sins were being imputed to Christ and judged, He screamed out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Jesus Christ alone, our unique Savior, suffered the judgment of God for our sins. He handled our sin problem on behalf of us. Our sins would have condemned us to eternal separation from God, since God is perfect Righteousness and can have no fellowship with sin. For us to die without a solution to the sin problem would mean separation from God forever.
However, the Lord Jesus as the perfect lamb of God, without spot or blemish, was uniquely qualified to bear our sins. He was impeccable, without sin, in His humanity; and therefore, He met God’s criteria for bearing the sins of the world (1 Peter 1:19). He was qualified to be the mediator of a new covenant between God and mankind.
When Jesus Christ finished bearing the sins of the world on the cross, He announced, "It is finished" (Matthew 19:30). That is, the work of salvation was completed. He had finished bearing the judgment of God for all the sins of the world. He had provided unlimited atonement (1 John 2:2). Every sin ever committed in the history of the human race had been judged in Christ. The justice of God was satisfied: He was propitiated, i.e. He was satisfied with the work of Christ.
Because of the work of Christ on the cross, the door is now open for salvation to all who would believe. There is no sin, or anything else, to separate mankind from God except individual choice not to believe. We have a choice. We can choose Eternal Life or we can remain in spiritual death. The decision is up to us. If we don’t make the decision to accept the gift of Eternal Life, we remain in eternal condemnation (John 3:18). If we die without accepting Christ, we will be sentenced to the Lake of Fire, which was prepared for the devil and his demons. He was the promised Savior (Revelation 20:10, 15).
