The Doctrine of Salvation

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Lesson #02

• The Doctrine of Salvation
  • The complex subject of salvation is the theme of the entire Bible from beginning to end. Salvation is a multi-dimensional concept woven throughout the Bible and revealed gradually to man.
    • The concepts are a little different from those in the Old Testament as those in the New Testament.
    • However, the believer must incorporate all the concepts from the Old Testament with all the concepts from the New Testament to understand and experience the doctrine of salvation that God intends for us. Why must the believer incorporate all the concepts?
      • All scripture is inspired by God.
      • All scripture is intended for doctrine. (2Tim 3:16)
  • The definition of the word, “salvation”:
    • =1= Preservation from destruction, danger, or calamity; to obtain help in distress.
    • =2= To be set free from physical illness, emotional pain, or poverty, and in turn, to obtain well being.
    • =3= Deliverance or escape from enemies and resulting in victory; to set free, to be rescued, to receive liberty.
    • =4= The redemption of man from the bondage of sin and its eternal consequences of spiritual death.
      • This is salvation from the presence of sin.
      • This is salvation from the power of sin.
      • This is salvation from the consequences of sin.
  • Salvation in the Old Testament:
    • Through the Old Testament, the Israelites were mostly concerned with their physical status in relationship to the dangers that existed around them as a nation.
    • It is partially because of their concentration on the physical aspect of life, that they failed to understand Jesus’ offer of a spiritual relationship with God.
      • They looked for Messiah that would “save” them from the power of Rome.
      • They felt that their greatest enemies from which they needed salvation were the Gentile nations around them.
    • Therefore we find in the Old Testament a wide variety of examples of salvation that fall primarily into the first three categories of the above definition. The fourth category in the definition is less developed in the Old Testament.
    • =1=Preservation from destruction, danger, or calamity; to obtain help in distress.
      • Always in the Old Testament, the salvation of an individual had in view a broader significance. The individual was important in relationship to his place in the larger community.
      • For example, the salvation of Joseph in the book of Genesis is important in regards to the salvation of his whole family and subsequently the future nation of Israel.
        • Joseph was almost killed by his brothers but was saved by one brother that suggested they sell him.
        • Joseph, sold as a slave in Egypt, was saved by a wealthy man that gave him power and authority in his home.
        • Joseph, betrayed and cast in prison, cried for salvation or deliverance from prison.
        • Joseph was saved from life in prison and raised to a high position of authority.
        • The benefits of Joseph’s personal salvation are seen only in their importance to the ultimate salvation of his whole family starving at home, as well as the salvation of all the people in Egypt delivered from 7 years of hunger.
        • Because of Joseph’s salvation, the Jews as a people survived to bring a savior into the world to save all people.
      • The salvation of Abraham was for the purpose of blessing all people with salvation.
        • Read Gen 12:1-3
    • =2= To be set free from physical illness or emotional pain and in turn, obtaining well being.
      • The book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible, and it is here that we find Job seeking God for salvation from illness.
        • Read Job 13:16
      • Salvation from illness is prophesied in Isa 53 to refer to the punishment and crucifixion of the Messiah.
        • Read Isa 53:5
        • Notice that in this passage salvation from sickness is mixed with salvation from sin.

Salvation from sickness is by the physical beating of Jesus Christ before he went to the cross and by his physical suffering on the cross.

Salvation from sin is by the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.

• • • • Read Psa 69:29
      • Read Jer 17:14
    • =3= Deliverance or escape from enemies and resulting in victory; to set free, to be rescued.
      • For the Old Testament believer and the New Testament believer there are two kinds of enemies from which man needs the salvation of deliverance.
        • Man needs salvation of deliverance from spiritual enemies, of which Satan is the ultimate enemy.

God delivered the Israelites from the spiritual enemies.

The example is the many gods of Egypt.

• • • • • Man needs salvation from physical enemies

God delivered the Israelites from their physical enemies, the Egyptians, and Pharaoh’s army in the book of Exodus.

Read Exo 14:13

Read Exo 15:1-2

• • • • This deliverance from enemies includes protection from evil in the Old Testament.
        • Read Psa 121:7-8

Notice that protection from an evil enemy is not only physical but also spiritual because it refers not only to the body but also to the soul.

• • • =4= The redemption of man from the bondage of sin and its eternal consequences of spiritual death.
      • This category of salvation from sin is less developed in the Old Testament though we do find it, but usually it is in the form of prophecy that waits for Christ’s fulfillment.
      • Read Eze 36:22-32
        • This prophecy of redemption from sin in the Old Testament waits for a future fulfillment in the Millennial Reign of Christ on earth for 1000 years.
        • Notice that salvation is not for Israel’s sake but for God’s sake.

Why?

Because salvation is a free gift, God deserves the glory for it. His prophetic promises and His name are at risk. For His own reputation, He will fulfill His word and vindicate His name.

• • • Another aspect of salvation that we see in the Old Testament includes the inheritance of land, descendants, and long life.
      • The person of Joshua exemplifies this aspect of salvation as he brought the Israelites into the Promised Land.
      • The name Joshua means = Jehovah saves.
      • Read Jer 3:23 Jehovah is the source of salvation for Israel.
  • Salvation in the New Testament:
    • Only God through Jesus Christ is the author of salvation.
      • Read Act 4:10-12
      • Read Heb 2:10
      • Read Heb 7:25
    • Salvation is embodied in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
      • The name “Jesus” means = Jehovah saves. This name is prefigured in the Old Testament by the name Joshua which also means = Jehovah saves.
      • Read Mat 1:21-23
        • Notice that in verse 21, Matthew tells us his purpose for coming with the name “Jehovah saves”.
        • “He shall save his people from their sins.”
      • Read Luk 19 :10
    • Salvation is one of the New Testament mysteries.
      • A New Testament mystery is a spiritual truth that is not revealed in the Old Testament, though may be prophesied or hinted, but waits for the first coming of Christ to be fulfilled.
        • Read Col 1:26-27
        • Read Eph 6:19
    • Only in the New Testament is salvation more specifically and more precisely defined in relation to spiritual salvation from sin. For example:
      • Read Rom 5:8-11
      • Salvation is atonement in the Past:
        • Election (chosen) (2Th 2:13 Eph 1:4)
        • Justification (Rom 4:22-25)
        • Redemption (Rom 8:23-24)
        • Reconciliation (Rom 5:1, 10)
      • Salvation is in the Present:
        • Sealed (Eph 1:13)
        • Death to sin and freedom from sin (Rom 5:18)
        • Sanctification (2Th 2:13)
      • Salvation is inheritance in the Future:
        • Glorification (1Cor 15:54-57)
        • Eternal inheritance (Eph 1:11-13)
        • Eternal life (Joh 3:15,17))
        • Saved from wrath (Rom 5:9)
      • Salvation is a gift of grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9)
        • Atonement (Rom 5:11)
        • Peace with God (Rom 5:1)
        • Salvation includes election (Eph 1:4)
    • The New Testament describes salvation as a process that has a beginning point and an end realization.
      • Salvation begins at the point in time when a person believes in Jesus Christ and receives Him into the heart resulting in what the Bible calls a “new birth” experience. (Joh 3:1-18)
      • Salvation is completely fulfilled when the believer receives a new glorified spiritual body to live with God for eternity.
      • The process between this beginning point and this fulfillment of a new body is equally called salvation. It includes:
        • Salvation from the power of sin.

This is deliverance from the power of Satan and his demons that attempt to defeat the believer.

The believer in Jesus Christ is free from the power that Satan has over the sinful flesh nature that persuades man to sin.

• • • • • Salvation from the presence of sin.

In the millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ, Satan will be bound for 1000 years and man will be delivered from the physical presence of this enemy.

Raptured believers in the millennial kingdom will experience salvation from the presence of sin. The believer in a new body will not experience sin or temptation any more.

• • • • • Salvation from the wages of sin.

The wages of sin is death. (Rom 6:23)

Through Jesus Christ, the believer will never experience spiritual death and eternal separation from God. Instead he will be given eternal life with God. This is the ultimate salvation.

• • The concept of salvation was conceived by God before the foundation of the world.
    • Read Eph 1:3-14
  • Various scriptures give us a picturesque concept of salvation:
    • Psa 51:12 joy of salvation
    • Isa 12:3 joy from the wells of salvation
    • Psa 18:2 the horn of salvation
    • Isa 62:1 salvation is a lamp that burns
    • Psa 116:13 a cup of salvation
    • 2Sam 22:36 a shield of salvation
  • Salvation is double effort between God and man.
    • God’s part establishes salvation by grace.
    • God’s part establishes the means by the blood of Jesus Christ.
    • God’s part is the working of the Holy Spirit inside the believer.
    • Man’s part is faith in Jesus Christ.
    • Man’s part is cooperation with the Holy Spirit that changes man’s perspective and character.
• Conclusion:
  • We have come to the conclusion that salvation has many facets, some described in the Old Testament and some described in the New Testament. Some Christians restrict their belief only in the concepts of salvation expressed in the New Testament.
    • They believe that physical healing, miraculous protection, and supernatural deliverance ended with the death of the first apostles.
    • However, if we consider Jesus’ explanation of what He came to do for all mankind, we see that it covered all the concepts of salvation in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
      • Read Luk 4:18, 21.
  • Therefore, we can conclude that salvation in Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, (Heb 13:8) and that salvation covers the past, the present, and the future.
  • We can also conclude that salvation covers all man’s needs physical, financial, emotional, and spiritual to meet all of man’s possible needs no matter what they may be.
  • We can conclude that eternal salvation meets mans needs body, soul, and spirit.
• In order to incorporate the reality of salvation in life, man must first come to realize:
  • =1= That he cannot manage all the challenges and dangers of life and death without supernatural help.
  • =2=That he is a sinner and cannot save himself. (Rom 3:23)
  • =3= That only Jesus Christ can save man to the uttermost. (Heb 7:25)