What is salvation?
A better question is “Who is salvation?” Salvation is not a thing;
although it may feel like something and look like something in the affected
person’s life, it is really a person. Finding salvation should be the main
purpose in anyone’s life.
It is the promise that God has made saying: “And what agreement
hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living
God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will
be their God, and they shall be my people. (2 Cor 6:16 KJV)
This was a commentary on the scripture: “ And I will give
them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people,
and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.”
(Jer 24:7 KJV)
God also repeats this sentiment here:
“And they shall be my people, and I will be their
God:” And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may
fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn
away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts,
that they shall not depart from me.Yea, I will rejoice
over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with
my whole heart and with my whole soul.” (Jer 32:38-41KJV)
These verses bring much happiness to the true believer but
one must be mindful of some other verses such as:
“If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;
If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;
Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity
with stripes.” (Psa 89:30-32 KJV)
We must always remember that being a true follower of Christ
involves chastisement, suffering and testing.
“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth
every son whom he receiveth.”(Heb 12:6 KJV)
“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to
be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people
of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;” (Heb 11:24,25
KJV)
What a blessed assurance! To think, that God would do this
for us with all of His heart and soul. (Jer 32: 41) For even more assurance,
read Jeremiah Chapter 24.
So we see, salvation is God in You. We are
taught this in the Bible.
“And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom
of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh
not with observation:
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for,
behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”(Luke 17:20,21 KJV)
This “kingdom” spoken of here by Jesus is salvation.
We are told in Rom 14:17, “ For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink;
but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”
The Kingdom of God or salvation is also of tremendous power
because Christ Himself has all power.
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power
is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Mat 28:18 KJV)
“For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
” (1 Cor 4:20 KJV)
This salvation, this Person, this Peace is our Hope.
"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this
mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
" (Col 1:27 KJV)
When one becomes saved and God takes up residency inside of
their soul, that individual goes through a life changing, dramatic transformation.
They experience what the bible calls a resurrection. They actually become
spiritually buried with Christ and are raised with Him to newness of spiritual
life. This is all very mysterious to us and can never be fully comprehended
by our fleshly minds but it is so because the Bible says that is what happened.
(Rom 6:3 KJV) Know ye not,
that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into
his death?
(Rom 6:4 KJV) Therefore we are buried
with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from
the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness
of life.
(Col 2:12 KJV) Buried with him in
baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation
of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
(Col 2:13 KJV) And you, being dead
in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together
with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
This is why we were given the ceremonial rite and privilege
of baptism as one of the signs showing what Christ has done for us
when we become saved.
Once someone has become saved and has experienced true salvation
according to the elective grace of God, that person will experience two
very important promises of God in their lives.
The first is the awareness that all of their sins have been
forgiven.
(Col 1:13 KJV) Who hath
delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of his dear Son:
(Col 1:14 KJV) In whom
we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
(Acts 13:38 KJV) Be it known unto
you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto
you the forgiveness of sins:
(Acts 13:39 KJV) And by
him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not
be justified by the law of Moses.
(Luke 7:47 KJV) Wherefore
I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much:
but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
(Luke 7:48 KJV) And he
said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
So when we become saved we have a new and true love for Christ
and His word because we recognize in our hearts that our sins are forgiven.
Secondly, Another important realization that comes over the
soul of one who has been truly saved by God is that of God’s immense peace.
The peace of God that passes all understanding now begins to take over
the mind of the believer and gives them rest from their former fears and
doubts.
We have this record here:
(Isa 32:17 KJV) And the
work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness
and assurance for ever.
(Isa 32:18 KJV) And my
people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and
in quiet resting places;
Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto
you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27 KJV)
And how is this peace possible? He lives in us therefore He
is our peace.
(Eph 2:14 KJV) For he is our
peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of
partition between us;
(Eph 2:15 KJV) Having abolished
in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;
for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
(Eph 2:16 KJV) And that
he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the
enmity thereby:
(Eph 2:17 KJV) And came
and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
(Eph 2:18 KJV) For through
him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
So what do we do after that we have experienced Salvation?
We walk humbly before God. We reverence and obey His word
and we seek to do His will (The whole Bible) every day of our earthly existence.
This calls for fighting against sin in our lives and for denying of fleshly
cravings while desiring Godly desires.
(Micah 6:8 KJV) He hath
showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee,
but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
(2 Cor 6:17 KJV) Wherefore
come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch
not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
(2 Cor 6:18 KJV) And will
be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty.
(2 Cor 7:1 KJV) Having
therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from
all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear
of God.
This is why we as saved Christians cannot live anyway we want
to. We have God in us. We belong to Him. Without Him we are dead. The flip
side of this is that once we recognize that He lives in us and will be
with us forever, we have nothing more to fear but God himself. We now have
boldness to lay down our lives because we have all things in Christ and
he will never leave us or forsake us.
(1 Cor 3:21 KJV) Therefore
let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
(1 Cor 3:22 KJV) Whether
Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things
present, or things to come; all are yours;
(1 Cor 3:23 KJV) And ye
are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
(Phil 4:13 KJV) I can do
all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
(Heb 13:6 KJV) So that
we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall
do unto me.
Once you have been saved, that’s it. God does not lie. You
are His forever. You as an individual child of God cannot lose your salvation.
You have received ETERNAL LIFE.
(John 10:28 KJV) And I give unto them
eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck
them out of my hand.
(John 19:30 KJV) When Jesus therefore
had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head,
and gave up the ghost.
May the Lord. Bless you and grant you His Salvation Today.
This study has been brought to you by the scriptures:
(Exo 15:2 KJV) The LORD is my strength and song,
and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an
habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.
(Psa 118:14 KJV) The LORD is my strength and song, and is become
my salvation.
(Isa 12:2 KJV) Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not
be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become
my salvation.
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