Churchy Words: Salvation
We are continuing our look at some familiar words we use in church that may not be familiar to everyone—or perhaps just have meanings we haven’t thought about in awhile. Today’s word is ‘salvation’.
What does it mean to be saved?
Is it mere belief in Jesus? What are we saved from? What changes when we’re saved?
These are all great questions to ponder. Perhaps an even better one is “How are we saved?”
Today, I would like us to look at what the Bible has to say about being saved, and the big theme we’ll see is this:
Salvation is the process by which we move from death to life.
Paul says it this way:
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.
Ephesians 2:4-5
John describes it this way:
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
1 John 3:1-2
We were once dead in our sins. Then, we are made alive with Christ. Even more so, we are currently God’s children (if we are in Christ), but we will become like Jesus more fully in heaven. And in between our new birth and entering heaven is our life of maturing—learning to imitate Christ.
Every generation of Christians has had to contend with some false teaching that emerged. Interestingly, they tend to center on a few central issues—the identity of Christ, the nature of God, and the nature of salvation. Because of these false teachings, Christians have developed a sort of shorthand lingo to describe salvation (and the other two). Unfortunately, with the 2000 years of discussion, this shorthand has also developed its own baggage. Thus, when I say phrases like “work of the Holy Spirit, faith in Christ, good works,” and even “glorification,” many people will have some ideas already. And that is the point of this sermon series. So, as we walk through the verses and terms today, I would invite you to open your mind a bit. Let’s take a look at these verses through fresh eyes. Perhaps you will be encouraged and refreshed in your knowledge, perhaps you also may find something new, and perhaps you might even find your knowledge corrected a bit.
To that end, I would like to come back to a couple of false beliefs that circulate today. The first one is that salvation is an automatic thing. This comes out as either the idea that everyone is saved—called universalism.
Justification | Doesn’t everyone get to go to heaven?
When the Bible describes salvation, it describes three stages of salvation which is why we talk about salvation as a process. The first part of the salvation process is called “justification.” It is the point when our sins are forgiven. Now, because Jesus died about 2000 years ago, and He died for everyone (past, present, and future), then does that mean that we are all automatically saved? After all, Jesus can’t die again for people that won’t live until centuries after He died.
Let’s return to a passage that might be familiar to you.
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for fall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:21-26
First, Paul notes the righteousness of God has manifested apart from the Law. It is a righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. The Jews were convinced they could achieve righteousness through the Law (that is the Torah), but they missed that true righteousness is not in religious ritual. It is through faith. The Law, the Prophets, and even the Writings all point to faith as the transformative factor for humanity. If we desire to be righteous—as in “right-standing before God”—then we must come on the grounds of faith. There is no distinction between Jew or Gentile, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
No one is automatically saved because we have all sinned and fallen short.
That said, we “are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” Though we have all sinned, we are all also offered a gift—a gift that has nothing to do with our good deeds. Jesus paid the price for our sin by going to the cross and resurrecting. We receive this gift by putting our faith in Him. Paul uses the word “propitiation.” It is a fancy theological word that simply means “substitution.” Where we deserved the penalty of sin, Jesus took the penalty for us.
Sometimes I hear people ask something to the effect of “If God loves us so much, why do people go to hell?” He loves us so much that He made it possible for us not to go to hell. We had already sinned and already rebelled against Him. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” People do not go to hell because God sends them there. People go to hell because they choose rebellion against God.
C.S. Lewis said it this way in The Great Divorce:
“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’”
C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce
God has shown tremendous patience with us, Pauls says “divine forbearance,” in His dealing with our sins. He allows humanity to fall further and further into their own self-destruction because He knows that there are (and will be) some who come to faith in Christ. And through that faith, they will be saved. He is both just and the justifier of our salvation by sending Jesus to us to pay the price for our sin.
We can be only justified before God because Jesus took the penalty for our sin on the cross.
And so, only those who receive the gift of salvation—who receive the grace of God through the sacrificial death of Jesus—are justified and made alive. Justification is the first step of salvation in which we become “right-standing before God.” Our sins are forgiven. Our new life begins.
Sanctification | Once I’m saved, what does it matter how I live?
When we become a Christian, we become a new creation. Jesus said if we wish to see the kingdom of heaven, we must be born again—born of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-8). Paul says in 2 Corinthians:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new haws come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
The second stage of salvation is called ‘sanctification’ and is simply the stage in which we learn to walk in this new life. We are set free from the chains of sin, but that freedom is not a license to continue in the old way of life.
Humans have a tendency to continue old self-destructive habits even when they recognize the damage that is being done to them. This reality is a condition of sin and its effects. We are called to remove these old habits because we cannot grow in maturity and the likeness of Christ if we still cling to old, dead ways.
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
…
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:13-17 & 24
The reality is sin and Spirit are against each other. We cannot serve two masters, nor can we serve two natures. We will either be governed by sin or the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is the process of learning to listen and obey the Holy Spirit who resides in the Christian heart. When we surrender to Jesus as Lord, that includes crucifying our old sinful nature so that we can walk by the Spirit of God.
We learn and experience walking with the Holy Spirit when we crucify sinful desires.
As we walk with the Spirit, the Spirit transforms us. We become more and more like Jesus. The Bible calls this “bearing fruit.” Typically, when Christians think of spiritual fruit they think of the verse I skipped a minute ago. Let’s read it now.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
Take a look at this list. What do you notice about this fruit? These are all character traits. Salvation is not just about our soul. It is also about our minds and bodies. We learn to love because the Holy Spirit makes us loving people. We learn peace, because the Holy Spirit makes us peaceful people. You may have heard it said, “Praying for patience is a dangerous prayer.” The reason it is ‘dangerous’ is because God will grant you opportunities to practice patience. Patience requires endurance. Endurance comes through trials. In fact, when you look at this list, you will notice all of these traits come through patient endurance. Loving the unlovable, being joyous in hard times, peaceful in turbulent times, and so on are all character traits that can only happen through the work of the Holy Spirit and our willingness to let Him take lead in our minds and hearts.
So, yes, please pray for these types of fruit in your life. Just understand that Jesus warned if anyone wishes to follow Him, they must take up their cross first. They must crucify the desires of their flesh.
There is another type of fruit, though.
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him; bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Colossians 1:9-10
As our character transforms, so do our actions. We grow in knowledge of God’s will because our desire is to know His will. We grow in wisdom and understanding because our desire is to know more about Him and His will—not just for us, but for all of humanity. And in that same process, we learn to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. And how does Paul summarize this? He calls it “bearing fruit in every good work.”
Doing good works has nothing to do with justification. We cannot earn our justification. But doing good is a result of our sanctification. The more we let the Holy Spirit transform, the more we will inevitably do good for those around us. And so, if you find yourself lacking the desire to do good for people around you, I would not say, “You should do more good.” I would actually say, “You should listen to the Holy Spirit more.”
Works apart from salvation is just bad religion or legalism. The problem isn’t your hands; it’s your heart.
Last, there is a third type of fruit. Christians bear fruit by making more Christians. Just like rabbits make more rabbits, dogs make more dogs, and apples make more apples, so too, Christians make more Christians.
Let’s take a look at the Parable of the Sower in Luke.
And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable,“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Luke 8:4-8
Jesus tells the parable of seed falling on different types of soil. This particular parable is wonderful because Jesus gives us the meaning in the following verses. The seed represents the Word of God. The seed that fell on the path are those who hear the Word, but the devil snatches it away before they can be saved. The seed on the rock receive the Word, but fall away from trials and trouble. The seed in the thorns are those who hear, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches prevent them from maturity. But, look at verse 15.
As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
Luke 8:15
The good soil are those who hear the Word, hold it fast, and are able to bear fruit. Now, in verse 11, Jesus says the seed is the Word of God. So, who is the sower?
Jesus doesn’t say exactly, but if the seed is the Word of God, then we can ask who spreads the Word of God?
Of course, we could say God sends forth His Word.
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:11
But who else sends out the Word? Who else is called to preach? To teach? To evangelize? Matthew 28:18-20 records Jesus commissioning his disciples who are called to make disciples.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Being a disciple includes learning to obey all that Jesus commanded. He commanded the disciples to go and make disciples. So, when we look at the sower, yes, we can see God at work, and we can see Him at work through us—His disciples!
In sanctification, the Holy Spirit works with us to bear fruit which includes character, good works, and other Christians.
Glorification | Isn’t being a Christian about just being a good person?
We come to the last stage of salvation, and in this stage we come to the place where our faith is made sight. When we lay this life down, or when Jesus returns, we will be transformed fully. Our spiritual reality will become a physical reality. The reality of salvation and being a Christian is far deeper, far more glorious than merely “being nice” to people. When we reduce Christianity to a set of morals, we remove all its power and its purpose. Jesus did not come to help us be nice. He came to give new life—an eternal life.
Let’s take a look at one more passage. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 15.
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44
The body we have now is perishable. It grows old, gets sick, and eventually stops working. It is put in the ground as a dishonorable carcass. It is buried weak and lifeless. But, it is raised in glory, power, and a spiritual body. The body we have will become something else. Look further down.
I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:50-57
Through Jesus Christ, we will become something greater than we are now. I call it Human 2.0. There is a new creation that begins the moment we are justified, it grows through sanctification, and then it becomes fully grown in glorification.
Glorification is the culmination of the salvation process that begins with our new creation.
When we lay this temporal body down, we will take on a new body that is imperishable. We enter Heaven as our Promised Land, and we enter with a new self. The pattern of death to life is fully realized. Consider this pattern for a moment.
First, we are born in this world bent towards sin. It is inevitable that we find ourselves tainted and dead in our sins. The Lord calls us to “take up our cross,” or in other words die to ourselves. Repenting of our sins means turning away from sin, and it also means crucifying the flesh, as Paul says. We put our old nature to death before it kills us.
From this death, the Holy Spirit breathes new life into us. We have second birth—born again by the Spirit who gives birth to spirit. But the old nature still infects the physical body and mind. Our souls are regenerated, but it takes time for our minds to catch up. We begin the daily task of putting to death old habits and old ways of thinking. Each day is learning to walk in this new life, bringing life to the parts of our thinking that were dead.
This process of crucifying the old to make room for new life continues until the day we lay this physical body down. Then, when we finally put down the last remnants of our old nature in the grave, Jesus raises us to new physical life. We experience life in heaven the moment we leave the body, but we also know at some point in the future, Jesus returns bringing new life to the whole Creation.
In that day, we experience physical resurrection, but the body that is raised is not the same as the one that was put down. Just as the butterfly emerges from the cocoon, so do our bodies become something greater. What does this body look like? We don’t know for sure, but we know, as John says, it will be like Jesus because we see Jesus face to face.