Our Common Salvation...

Jude wanted to write a treatise (cf. Jude 1:3) on "our common salvation," but was diverted to discuss heresy that had crept into the church.

This subject is known doctrinally as soteriology, from the Greek soter, or to save.

The common man does not comprehend what salvation means, and probably relates to a boxer being "saved by the bell." A renowned theologian (R. C. Sproul) was asked if he was saved: "Saved from what?" The man was taken aback and had no answer; he didn't know what our salvation was from! Actually, we are saved by God and from God (delivered from the wrath to come according to 1 Thess. 1:10). We are as bad off as can be, but not too bad to be saved!

Christianity is a religion of salvation and this is pivotal. "Salvation is of the Lord," says Jonah 2:9, and this means that God does all the work and gets all the credit and glory. The other two possibilities are to be saved by a combination of our efforts and God's, or to be saved by our efforts alone. Only in the scenario that has God doing everything, can we have the assurance of salvation? If we had to do anything, we'd blow it.

The Bible proclaims the saviorhood of God; this is His purpose in dying ("...and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."). The Scriptures speak of Christ as being the only way to be saved and that there is no other Savior (cf. Acts 4:12; John 14:6; Hos. 13:4; Isa.43:11).

All three offices of Christ take part in our salvation: as Prophet, we are saved from ignorance of sin; as Priest from the guilt of sin; as King from the dominion of sin (per D. James Kennedy).

There are many aspects to look at our salvation. At the point of salvation, we are saved from the penalty of sin or justified, then we are sanctified or saved from the power of sin, and in the state of glory, we will be saved from the presence of sin. Another way of looking at this is that of our position (in Christ), our condition (fellowship and sanctification), and our expectation (glorification). From the standpoint of the tenses, we are saved, we are being saved, and we shall be saved. Our outlook is given perspective so that we have a worldview: "Our past is forgiven, our present is given meaning, and our future is secured." This all began in eternity past, is realized in time, looked forward to, and is consummated in heaven.

Our salvation is a done deal, a fait accompli, a finished work--a divine accomplishment, not a human achievement. Religion is a do-it-yourself proposition and says, "Do," but God says, "Done!" The entire Trinity took part: the Father planned and authored it, the Son secured and accomplished it, and the Holy Spirit applied it.

Only in Christianity can we have the assurance of salvation and this is not meant to be permission to live in the flesh, but the power to live in the Spirit. Assurance enhances growth and is assuredly a boon to our spiritual well-being--otherwise, we are stunted and paralyzed in our walk. Note that assurance and security can be distinguished, but not separated. They go hand in hand and without one, you cannot have the other. Assurance is not to satisfy idle curiosity, but is meant to strengthen our faith, and is a sign of faith, not presumption.

Salvation is not by knowledge--that would be intellectualism--and not by emotion--that would be emotionalism--and not by works--that would be moralism. It is not by faith plus works, not by faith plus being good, nor by faith plus law-keeping. It is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Principle: Don't divorce faith and faithfulness! What kind of faith is saving faith is the issue: only obedient and repentant faith will do.

There are only four possibilities for salvation to note: by works alone; by faith plus works; by faith alone bringing about good works, and by faith alone equaling salvation minus good works. The first is religion, the second is legalism, the third is correct Reformed teaching, and the last is only antinomianism or easy-believism. [This labeling from R. C. Sproul] The formula during the Reformation was that we are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone.

Our faith is simple--so simple a child can do it-- but not simplistic; it is childlike, but not childish. It's not a matter of trying, but trusting--trust and obey! It is the work of God (John 6:28-29 answers this question: "What shall we do, to do the works of God? It is the work of God that you believe..."); because we are incurably addicted to doing something for our salvation, according to Chuck Swindoll. The reformer called this Soli Deo Gloria, or to God alone be the glory! 

The order of our salvation, known as the ordo salutis, is the following: regeneration, faith/repentance, justification, sanctification, and glorification. Note that since believing repentance or penitent faith is a gift, it follows regeneration (cf. 2 Thess. 2:13 and 1 John 5:1). The so-called golden chain of redemption is in Romans 8:29-30: Foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, glorification. Note that election or calling does not depend on anything we do and takes place after predestination; we do not become the elect upon believing but are elected unto salvation and election

Cf. Heb. 3:18-19; 5:9 ("...He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him."); John 3:36."They became obedient to the faith" (cf. Acts 6:7) Therefore, antinomianism, libertinism, and hedonism are not biblical. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it well, "Only he who is obedient believes, and only he believes who is obedient." The only true test of faith is obedience which leads to good works.

The Manifold Facets Of Our Salvation...

Note that salvation isn't a simple adjustment in the Divine Ledger above.  There are four aspects of our salvation that make it so wondrous.   Firstly, we are redeemed from the slave market of sin, for Jesus paid the price to set us free from the power of sin; secondly, we are justified in the heavenly court above and declared righteous in God's eyes because we are imputed with it; thirdly, we are reconciled to God's family and restored to fellowship with the Father and the Son, while this invites fellowship with our brethren in Christ; fourthly, we are propitiated or expiated in the temple of God whereby the blood of Christ was shed on our behalf to satisfy the Father.

Christianity is a religion of salvation, which doesn't sound so equitable or democratic, implying some are condemned or lost. Salvation, technically, is to be rescued from some threat; however, in our case, we are our own worst enemy!   Salvation is more than forgiveness!  Our whole-person needs salvation:  our hearts are depraved,  our minds are feeble, and our wills stubborn.  Our salvation is through God's grace as the source, with Christ as the means, and faith as the channel.  And Christianity is the only one proclaiming that there is only one Savior and depicts the "saviorhood" of Christ.  What are we saved from?  Ourselves, the devil, hell, the power of sin, the effect of sin, and from God, i.e., from the wrath of God.  Salvation is totally a work of God without our input and reflects our secure position in Christ, our growing condition in Christ, and our future expectation in glory--we achieve no pre-salvation work.

Our common salvation is as good as it gets and we cannot improve on it. We are saved from the penalty of sin, are being saved from its power, and shall be saved from its presence!  Jesus saved us--He did; He keeps us--He does; He's coming for us--He will!  Concerning the tenses, His salvation is our experience, hope, and expectation. Our past was forgiven, our present given meaning, and our future secured.  We are saved; we are being saved, and we shall be saved!  It began in eternity past, is realized in time, and looks forward to heaven. That's why it is written in Heb. 2:9, NIV, "How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?"  We have faith in Christ, we believe in Him and believe Him, we have our hope secured and anchored in Him, our expectation is in Him, and our security is in Him. If we had to trust in ourselves, we'd fail and could never know for sure of our status.

Our salvation was wrought by God and planned and purposed by God the Father as its Author, accomplished and secured as a finished work by God the Son, and applied by the Holy Spirit. The Father purposed it, the Son executed it, and the Spirit made it known!  The three work as a group effort in a team and union as one Being having no conflict of interest or will.

Christ is fully at work in our salvation through His three offices: we're saved from the penalty of sin by the crucified Christ, from the power of sin by the risen and living Christ, and from the presence of sin by the coming Christ. We are saved from the ignorance of sin by the prophet Jesus, from the power of sin by the king Jesus, and the guilt of sin by the priest Jesus.   

Finally, let me add the perks of our salvation with come with the whole package:  we are given peace with God and ourselves, we are given purpose and meaning in life following His will, and we're given the power to overcome sin, Satan, and the world as our threefold enemy, and don't forget:  God is now our Father and we can confidently look forward to our reward in glory!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Our Common Salvation

Jude wanted to write a treatise on "our common salvation," but was diverted to discuss heresy that had crept into the church.

This is a subject known doctrinally as soteriology, from the Greek soter, or to save.

The common man has no comprehension of what salvation means, and probably relates to a boxer being "saved by the bell."  A renowned theologian (R. C. Sproul) was asked if he was saved:  "Saved from what?"  The man was taken aback and had no answer; he didn't know what our salvation is from!   Actually, we are saved by God and from God (delivered from the wrath to come according to 1 Thess. 1:10).  We are as bad off as can be, but not too bad to be saved!

Christianity is a religion of salvation and this is pivotal.  "Salvation is of the Lord," says Jonah 2:9, and this means that God does all the work and gets all the credit and glory.  The other two possibilities are to be saved by a  combination of our efforts and God's, or to be saved by our efforts alone.  Only in the scenario that has God doing everything, can we have the assurance of salvation?

The Bible proclaims the saviorhood of God; this is His purpose in dying  ("...and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.").  The Scriptures speak of Christ as being the only way to be saved and that there is no other Savior (cf. Acts 4:12; John 14:6; Hos. 13:4;  Isa.43:11).

All three offices of Christ take part in our salvation:  as Prophet, we are saved from ignorance of sin; as Priest from the guilt of sin; as King from the dominion of sin (per D. James Kennedy).

There are many aspects to look at our salvation.   At the point of salvation we are saved from the penalty of sin or justified, then we are sanctified or saved from the power of sin, and in the state of glory, we will be saved from the presence of sin.  Another way of looking at this is that of our position (in Christ), our condition (fellowship and sanctification), and our expectation (glorification).  From the standpoint of the tenses, we are saved, we are being saved, and we shall be saved.  Our outlook is given perspective so that we have a worldview:  "Our past is forgiven, our present is given meaning, and our future is secured."  This all began in eternity past, is realized in time, and looks forward to, and is consummated in heaven.

Our salvation is a done deal, a fait accompli, a finished work--a divine accomplishment, not a human achievement.  Religion is a do-it-yourself proposition and says, "Do," but God says, "Done!"  The entire Trinity took part:  the Father planned and authored it, the Son secured and accomplished it, and the Holy Spirit applied it.

Only in Christianity can we have the assurance of salvation and this is not meant to be permission to live in the flesh, but the power to live in the Spirit.   Assurance enhances growth and is assuredly a boon to our spiritual well-being--otherwise, we are stunted and paralyzed in our walk.  Note that assurance and security can be distinguished, but not separated.  They go hand in hand and without one, you cannot have the other.  Assurance is not to satisfy idle curiosity, but meant to strengthen our faith, and is a sign of faith, not presumption.

Salvation is not by knowledge--that would be intellectualism--and not by emotion--that would be emotionalism--and not by works--that would be moralism.   It is not by faith plus works, not by faith plus being good, nor by faith plus law-keeping.  It is by grace alone, through faith alone,  in Christ alone.  Principle:  Don't divorce faith and faithfulness!  What kind of faith is saving faith is the issue:  only obedient and repentant faith will do.

There are only four possibilities for salvation to note:  by works alone; by faith plus works; by faith alone bringing about good works, and by faith alone equaling salvation minus good works.  The first is religion, the second is legalism, the third is correct Reformed teaching, and the last one is only antinomianism or easy-believism.  [This labeling from R. C. Sproul]  The formula during the Reformation was that we are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone.

Our faith is simple--so simple a child can do it-- but not simplistic; it is childlike, but not childish.  It's not a matter of trying, but trusting--trust and obey!  It is the work of God (John 6:28-29 answers this question:  "What shall we do, to do the works of God?  It is the work of God that you believe..."); because we are incurably addicted to doing something for our salvation, according to Chuck Swindoll.   The reformer called this Soli Deo Gloria, or to God alone be the glory!   Soli Deo Gloria!

Pre-salvation Mindset

Before we get saved we must first realize we are lost and depraved or heinous in God's eyes. We aren't good enough to be saved, but bad enough to need salvation. Our frame of reference should be the totality of our depraved or sinful nature in God's estimation (not man's estimation of man that is) of man. There is a consensus that to err is human and that nobody's perfect as we all acknowledge, but the question is whether man is basically (intrinsically, inherently) good or evil and the word to note is "basically." Many will assert and affirm the basic goodness of man, and there was a man that was held captive by Saddam Hussein and said he never lost confidence in the basic goodness of man. Where have they been living, the North Pole?

Sin is universal because of "original sin" that is inherited by being in solidarity with Adam as the head of our race. Some claim they are a "victim of circumstances" or that the environment or genes are to blame. I realize that a run-of-the-mill sinner looks like a saint compared to Hitler, but the model is Christ if you want to compare to a standard. If man were basically good you'd expect a certain percentage to be good, but the Bible says there are "none good, no not one." "In sin did my mother conceive me," said King David in Psalm 51:4. Sin is natural and that is why you don't have to teach a child to lie. As theologians say, "We are not sinners because we sin, rather we sin because we are sinners." It is the humanistic agenda that wants to elevate the goodness of man at the expense of belittling God.

The domain of sin is complete: it covers the intellect, affections, and volition. If sin were yellow, we'd be all yellow. You cannot likewise be a little pregnant as it were in an analogy. We are sinful through and through. The doctrine of the total depravity of man is often called the radical corruption of man because we are sinful and evil to the core. "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9). The crux of the problem is that sin is not peripheral or tangential but total and there is no island of righteousness or innate goodness mixed in.
How bad are we? We are not as bad as we can be (Hitler loved his mother as a redeeming quality you might say) but we are as bad "off" as we can be. This is God's estimation of man, not man's estimation of man.

You might add that we did not cease to be human at the fall but ceased to be good. The ironic thing is that you don't know how bad you are till you've tried to be good, and you can't be good till you realize how bad you are; kind of like a "catch-22." It doesn't matter if you drown in 10 feet or 100 feet of water the result is the same, and likewise, there is no sliding scale or grading on the curve to see who gets into heaven. One sin is enough to condemn because Jesus said that if you break one command it is like breaking them all.

We cannot escape our birthright: original sin and solidarity in Adam. We are all degenerates, as it were and Jesus sees through the veneer that we make and even sees through the dark side that we show to no one. We all have feet of clay and that means areas of weakness that aren't readily apparent. "Can a leopard change its stripes, or an Ethiopian his skin? Then he cannot do good who is accustomed to evil" (Jer.. 13:23). "All our righteousness is as filthy rags," according to Isa. 64:6. "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God," says Rom. 8:8. You must realize that your biggest enemy is you and that you are your biggest problem!

 Finally, you are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are! (Cf. Prov. 23:7 says, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he."   Soli Deo Gloria!