Salvation–you needed it and God took care of it.
Salvation or redemption is God’s plan to rescue (save) us, and reconcile us back into right relationship with Him and to do this he sent Jesus
Nothing you did personally caused this, and more importantly, nothing you can do will fix this dilemma. You have to recognize and acknowledge by faith that God, through Jesus did it for you. He wants you to understand that you are completely dependent on Him for your salvation, which is your inheritance; and accept this truth by faith. For a more detailed explanation of what happened at the Fall and how God took care of mankind’s dilemma, see my article Basics of Salvation. Let’s do a short recap here.
You didn’t cause it but you were affected.
Romans 5:12 wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned
There is nothing you can personally do to fix this problem either, but God had a plan to.
Romans 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
God’s gift of forgiveness and dealing with SIN was more powerful than the sentence of death; there is now nothing more that needs to be done even 2000 years later to cause us to be made righteous (in right standing, accepted by God).
Romans 5:16-19 and not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
We know that by God’s grace through our faith in Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection we receive salvation. But what does it really mean? Most people would answer quickly to say our sins are forgiven and we get to go to Heaven and not hell. Yes, that’s true! God’s redemptive plan however, is so much bigger than that! Do we even comprehend the magnitude of what just those two things mean for us!! I can’t share everything here that results from our redemption in Christ, but I will try to illustrate the reality of how abundant and totally complete God’s grace restored us and has provided everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
To understand what God has done through salvation, we have to know what we have been saved from. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to understand the bible, but it is important to recognize that how we sometimes assume or interpret the meaning of something, isn’t always correct or the complete meaning in the original language. Let’s break this down so we can get a clear picture of what we have been delivered from and why the forgiveness of our sins is so important.
Salvation, in the original Greek word used, means to deliver and preserve. It is also used in terms of saved, and to save. These definitions allow us to see how much is included in God’s plan to save us!
| Saved: (gk) sozo Definition: To rescue us, save Strong’s #4982: sozo: to save, i.e. deliver or protect (literally or figuratively):–heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon: 1. to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction 2. one (from injury or peril) 3. to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health 4. to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue |
Now that we have a definition of what it means to be saved or receive salvation, I want to highlight God’s heart toward us, in that He not only rescued us out of everything wrong, but has given us everything good in its place; by His grace. So what does grace mean?
| Grace: (gk) charis Definition: graciousness, favour, benefits Strongs #5485: grace, favor, kindness Thayer’s Greek Lexicon: good will, loving-kindness, favour |
Ephesians 2: 4-9 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Romans 8:31-32 ….If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Luke 12:31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
Luke 12:32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
John 15:7-8 if you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit.
Romans 5:17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
John 5:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Finally, this scripture in Colossians says it all!
Colossians 1:13-14 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
God, by grace has already provided everything we will ever need through Jesus. The Bible is clear that it is our Father’s heart and purpose that we live a new life that comes from His gift of salvation. As a result, we can live in the blessing! It is God’s redemptive plan that causes us to be more than conquers in this life and live in the presence of God for eternity. For more about the blessing of God, see my article, “Living in the Blessing.”