Salvation by Faith Scriptural Bases 3

3.  Salvation by Faith Scriptural Bases:  What is the Salvation we are talking about?


3. Salvation by Faith Scriptural Bases: What is the Salvation we are talking about?

In this series on Salvation by Faith I mentioned two weeks ago that salvation is by faith. It is totally undeserved. We have no entitlement to it. It is a holy gift pure and simple.  This means that all of creation awaits the blessed Good News (God-news) that the gift of salvation awaits their acceptance.  It means that all of humanity is offered this gift.  It is the responsibility of Christians to remind creation and more specifically humanity of the gift.

Last week I stated that it is not the faith of non-believers, demons, or even the pre-resurrection apostles.  This is the source of all wrangling that will escalate into destruction.  The faith that Wesleyan Methodist talk about is a disposition of the heart that fully reliant on Jesus and all that he did to make his salvation possible for us. It is a trust in the blood of Jesus, the merits of his life, death, and resurrection. It is a full trust in Jesus’ atonement, our life, given for us and living in us. Our confidence is in God. Through Jesus we are in God’s favor.  By faith we are part of this favor.

So what is this “salvation” which we are talking about, which is through faith?

First:  It is a salvation that is a “present salvation.” It is something attainable by the people of faith. Paul does not say “you shall be saved,” but “you are saved.”  A United Methodist focuses on what we can do by faith to overcome the sin and obstacles that prevents salvation from being present.

Ephesians 2:8-9: For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved. You received it through faith. It was not our plan or our effort. It is God’s gift, pure and simple. You didn’t earn it, not one of us did, so don’t go around bragging that you must have done something amazing.

You are saved now by faith from sin! It was foretold that this was the purpose of the Messiah coming.

Matthew 1: 20b-23: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to wed Mary and bring her into your home and family as your wife. She did not sneak off and sleep with someone else—rather, she conceived the baby she now carries through the miraculous wonderworking of the Holy Spirit. She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus, which means “the Lord saves,” because this Jesus is the person who will save all of his people from sin.

There are no limitations here, no restrictions. All of his people, those that believe in him, will be saved from their sins—original and actual, past and present sins of the flesh and of the spirit. Believers are saved from the guilt and the power of sin.  Our slate is clean.

Acts 10:43—All the prophets tell us about Him and assert that every person who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through His name.

We are saved from past sins.

Romans 3:19—We want to be clear that whatever the law says, it says to everyone who is under its authority. Its purpose is to muzzle every mouth, to silence idle talk, and to bring the whole world under the standards of God’ justice.

Psalm 130:3—If you, Eternal One, recorded each offence, Lord, who on earth could stand innocent? But with You forgiveness exists; that’s why true respect of You might flow.

The law explains the violation of God’s will and way. It convicts people of wrongs and silences them before the holy and just God. Nothing more can be said. The law ends there. We cry out in despair for help. We are convicted. 

Romans 3:20-25—Therefore, doing what the law prescribes will not make anyone right in the eyes of God—that’s not its purpose—but the law is capable of exposing the true nature of sin. But now for the good news: God’s restorative justice has entered the world, independent of the law. Both the law and the prophets told us this day would come. This redeeming justice come through the faithfulness of Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King, who makes salvation a reality for all who believe—without the slightest partiality. You see, all have sinned and all their futile attempts to reach God in His glory fail. Yet they are now saved and set right by His free gift of grace through the redemption available only in Jesus the Anointed. When God set Him up to be the sacrifice—the seat of mercy where sins are atoned through faith—His blood became the demonstration of God’s own restorative justice. All of this confirms His faithfulness to the promise, for over the course of human history God patiently held back as He dealt with the sins being committed.

Christ takes away for believers the curse of the law.

Galatians 3:13--…the Anointed One, the Liberating King, has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. It was stated in the Scriptures, “Everyone who hangs on a tree is cursed by God.”

Colossians 2:14--…eliminated the massive debt we incurred by the law that stood against us. He took it all away; He nailed it on the cross. But that’s not all. He disarmed those who once ruled over us—those who had overpowered us. Like captives of war, He put them on display to the world to show His victory over them by means of the cross.

Romans 8:1—Therefore, now no condemnation awaits those who are living in Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King, because when you live in the Anointed One, Jesus, a new law takes effect.

Second:  Being saved from the guilt of sin we are also saved from filial (Fatherly) and servile (obedience to the law) fears. By faith we are not on the outs with God, by faith we are not obligated to the law, by faith we don’t have to worry about Hell.

1 John 4:16-19—God is love. Anyone who lives faithfully in love also lives faithfully in God, and God lives in him. This love is fulfilled with us, so that on the day of judgment we have confidence based on our identification with Jesus in this world. Love will never invoke fear. Perfect love expels fear, particularly with fear of punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been completed through love. We love because He has first loved us.

God is an indulgent Father-God. By faith we are not in the spirit of bondage, but in the Spirit of Adoption. The Spirit will tell us we are a child of God.

Romans 8:15-16—You see, you have not received a spirit that returns you to slavery, so you have nothing to fear. The Spirit you have received adopts you and welcomes you into God’s own family. That’s why we call out to Him, “Abba! Father!” as we would address a loving daddy. Through that prayer, God’s Spirit confirms in our spirit that we are His children.

Therefore there is peace with God through our Lord Jesus and we rejoice in the hope that is before us. We are confident that neither life nor death will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Again, through this faith we are saved from the power of sin and the guilt of it.

1 John 3:5-9—You realize that He came to eradicate sins, that there is not the slightest bit of sin in Him. The ones who live in an intimate relationship with Him do not persist in sin, but anyone who persists in sin has not seen and does not know the real Jesus. Children, don’t let anyone pull one over on you. The one doing the right thing is just imitating Jesus, the Righteousness One. The one persisting in sin belongs to the diabolical one, who has been all about sin from the beginning. That is why the Son of God came into our world: to destroy the plague of destruction inflicted on the world by the diabolical one. Everyone who has been born into God’s family avoids sin as a lifestyle because the genes of God’s children come from God himself.

1 John 5:1—Everyone who trust Jesus as the long awaited Anointed One is a child of God, and everyone who loves the Father cannot help but love the child fathered by Him.

1 John 5:18—We all know that everyone fathered by God will not make sin a way of life because God protects His children from the evil one, and the evil one can’t touch them.

Believers do not sin intentionally and nor deliberately. They break the habit of sin. They organize their life against sinning and therefore enslavement. Believers want to love Love.  It is in living Love that Love and love is experienced.

Romans 12:2—Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by the renewing of your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, please and complete.

So, this is the “salvation” I am talking about:

(1) Salvation from sin and the consequence of sin (Justification).

(2) Deliverance from the power of sin through the new disposition of the heart (Sanctification).

He who is saved by faith is born again.

Colossians 3:2-3—Stay focused on what’s above, not on earthly things, because you old life is dead and gone. Your new life is now hidden, enmeshed with the Anointed who is in God.

Galatians 4:19—My dear children, I feel the pains of birth upon me again, and I will continue in labor for you until the Anointed One is formed gradually and completely in you.

1 Peter 2:1ff—So get rid of hatefulness and deception, of insincerity and jealousy and slander. Be like newborns, crying out for spiritual milk that will help you grow into salvation if you have tasted and found the Lord to be good.

Ephesians 6:10—Finally brothers and sisters, draw your strength and might from God.

Romans 1:17—You see, in the good news, God’s restorative justice is revealed. And as we will see, it begins with and ends with faith. As the Scriptures declare, “By faith the just will obtain life.”

John 1:16—Through this man we all receive gifts of grace beyond our imagination.

The salvation I am talking about is the salvation that produces the fullness of Christ within us.

Ephesians 4:13—These ministries will continue until we are unified in faith and filled with the knowledge of the Son of God, until we stand mature in his teachings and fully formed in the likeness of the Anointed One, our Liberating King.

 

 In this series on Salvation by Faith I mentioned two weeks ago that salvation is by faith.  It is totally undeserved.  We have no entitlement to it.  It is a holy gift pure and simple.

Last week I stated that it is not the faith of non-believers, demons, or even the pre-resurrection apostles.  It is a disposition of the heart that fully reliant on Jesus and all that he did to make his salvation possible for us.  It is a trust in the blood of Jesus, the merits of his life, death, and resurrection.  It is a full trust in Jesus’ atonement, our life, given for us and living in us.  Our confidence is in God.  Through Jesus we are in God’s favor.

So what is this “salvation” we are talking about which is through faith?

The first things that this salvation is a “present salvation.”  It is something attainable by the people of faith.  Paul does not say “you shall be saved,” but “you are saved.”

 Ephesians 2:8-9:  For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved.  You received it through faith.  It was not our plan or our effort.  It is God’s gift, pure and simple.  You didn’t earn it, not one of us did, so don’t go around bragging that you must have done something amazing.

You are saved from sin!  It was foretold that this was the purpose of the Messiah coming. 

Matthew 1: 20b-23:  Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to wed Mary and bring her into your home and family as your wife.  She did not sneak off and sleep with someone else—rather, she conceived the baby she now carries through the miraculous wonderworking of the Holy Spirit.  She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus, which means “the Lord saves,” because this Jesus is the person who will save all of his people from sin.

There are no limitations here, no restrictions.  All of his people, those that believe in him, will be saved from their sins—original and actual, past and present sins of the flesh and of the spirit.  Believers are saved from the guilt and the power of sin.

Acts 10:43—All the prophets tell us about Him and assert that every person who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through His name.

We are saved from past sins. 

Romans 3:19—We want to be clear that whatever the law says, it says to everyone who is under its authority.  Its purpose is to muzzle every mouth, to silence idle talk, and to bring the whole world under the standards of God’ justice. 

Psalm 130:3—If you, Eternal One, recorded each offence, Lord, who on earth could stand innocent?  But with You forgiveness exists; that’s why true respect of You might flow.

The law explains the violation of God’s will and way.  It convicts people of wrongs and silences them before the holy and just God.  Nothing more can be said.  The law ends there.  We cry out in despair for help.  We are convicted.

Romans 3:20-25—Therefore, doing what the law prescribes will not make anyone right in the eyes of God—that’s not its purpose—but the law is capable of exposing the true nature of sin.  But now for the good news:  God’s restorative justice has entered the world, independent of the law.  Bot the law and the prophets told us this day would come.  This redeeming justice come through the faithfulness of Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King, who makes salvation a reality for all who believe—without the slightest partiality.  You see, all have sinned and all their futiale attempts to reach God in His glory fail.  Yet they are now saved and set right by His free gift of grace through the redemption available only in Jesus the Anointed.  When God set Him up to be the sacrifice—the seat of mercy where sins are atoned through faith—His blood became the demonstration of God’s own restorative justice.  All of this confirms His faithfulness to the promise, for over the course of human history God patiently held back as He dealt with the sins being committed.

Christ takes away for believers the curse of the law. 

Galatians 3:13--…the Anointed One, the Liberating King, has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.  It was stated in the Scriptures, “Everyone who hangs on a tree is cursed by God.” 

Colossians 2:14--…eliminated the massive debt we incurred by the law that stood against us.  He took it all away; He nailed it on the cross.  But that’s not all.  He disarmed those who once ruled over us—those who had overpowered us.  Like captives of war, He put them on display to the world to show His victory over them by means of the cross.

Romans 8:1—Therefore, now no condemnation awaits those who are living in Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King, because when you live in the Anointed One, Jesus, a new law takes effect.

Being saved from the guilt of sin we are also saved from filial (Fatherly) and servile (obedience to the law) fears.  By faith we are not on the outs with God, by faith we are not obligated to the law, by faith we don’t have to worry about Hell. 

1 John 4:16-19—God is love.  Anyone who lives faithfully in love also lives faithfully in God, and God lives in him.  This love is fulfilled with us, so that on the day of judgment we have confidence based on our identification with Jesus in this world.  Love will never invoke fear.  Perfect love expels fear, particularly with fear of punishment.  The one who fears punishment has not been completed through love.  We love because He has first loved us.

God is an indulgent Father-God.  By faith we are not in the spirit of bondage, but in the Spirit of Adoption.  The Spirit will tell us we are a child of God. 

Romans 8:15-16—You see, you have not received a spirit that returns ou to slavery, so you have nothing to fear.  The Spirit you have received adopts you and welcomes you into God’s own family.  That’s why we call out to Him, “Abba! Father!” as we would address a loving daddy.  Through that prayer, God’s Spirit confirms in our spirit that we are His children. 

Therefore there is peace with God through our Lord Jesus and we rejoice in the hope that is before us.  We are confident that neither life nor death will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Again, through this faith we are saved from the power of sin and the guilt of it. 

1 John 3:5-9—You realize that He came to eradicate sins, that there is not the slightest bit of sin in Him.  The ones who live in an intimate relationship with Him do not persist in sin, but anyone who persists in sin has not seen and does not know the real Jesus.  Children, don’t let anyone pull one over on you.  The one doing the right thing is just imitating Jesus, the Righteousness One.  The one persisting in sin belongs to the diabolical one, who has been all about sin from the beginning.  That is why the Son of God came into our world: to destroy the plague of destruction inflicted on the world by the diabolical one.  Everyone who has been born into God’s family avoids sin as a lifestyle because the genes of God’s children come from God himself.

1 John 5:1—Everyone who trust Jesus as the long awaited Anointed One is a child of God, and everyone who loves the Father cannot help but love the child fathered by Him. 

1 John 5:18—We all know that everyone fathered by God will not make sin a way of life because God protects His children from the evil one, and the evil one can’t touch them.

Believers do not sin intentionally and nor deliberately.  They break the habit of sin.  They organize their life against sinning.  Believers want to love Love. 

Romans 12:2—Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image.  Instead, be transformed from the inside out by the renewing of your mind.  As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, please and complete. 

So, this is the “salvation” I am talking about: 

(1)    Salvation from sin and the consequence of sin (Justification).

(2)    Deliverance from the power of sin through the new disposition of the heart (Sanctification). 

He who is saved by faith is born again.

Colossians 3:2-3—Stay focused on what’s above, not on earthly things, because you old life is dead and gone.  Your new life is now hidden, enmeshed with the Anointed who is in God.

Galatians 4:19—My dear children, I feel the pains of birth upon me again, and I will continue in labor for you until the Anointed One is formed gradually and completely in you. 

1 Peter 2:1ff—So get rid of hatefulness and deception, of insincerity and jealousy and slander.  Be like newborns, crying out for spiritual milk that will help you grow into salvation if you have tasted and found the Lord to be good.

Ephesians 6:10—Finally brothers and sisters, draw your strength and might from God.

Romans 1:17—You see, in the good news, God’s restorative justice is revealed.  And as we will see, it begins with and ends with faith.  As the Scriptures declare, “By faith the just will obtain life.”

John 1:16—Through this man we all receive gifts of grace beyond our imagination.

The salvation I am talking about is the salvation that produces the fullness of Christ within us. 

Ephesians 4:13—These ministries will continue until we are unified in faith and filled with the knowledge of the Son of God, until we stand mature in his teachings and fully formed in the likeness of the Anointed One, our Liberating King.