Gospel of Salvation

(REUPLOADED) This article is the second part of The Doctrine of the Gospel Series.

Subject: Gospel of Salvation (Rom. 10:13-17)

Note: The single, most crucial teaching of the Gospel is the Way of Salvation — There is no other way for man’s Salvation except through our Lord Jesus Christ, not by works or good deeds. To accept Him is to reject and deny the world.

All religions claiming to be the true religion have their own versions of the Doctrine of Salvation. All of them teach that humankind needs saving.

If you plan to look into different presentations with different representations of heaven, one by one, you will end up being confused.

For sure, religions teach Salvation because they believe, and we too, that it is necessary for all of us.

Accept it or not, by nature, we know that we are all creations of a Creator. It is the reason why humans gravitate towards the act of worship. It is also the reason why most so-called religious people go to church regularly.

Problem: most people don’t know whom they should be worshipping. Some would turn to worship the elements, the cosmos, and even themselves. Couple the confusion with over four thousand recognized religions globally as of 2021; it will be pure chaos in anyone’s mind, especially to those whom the Gospel does not call.

Let us now narrow those numbers down to all religions that claim they are Christians that believe there is Salvation.

Question: What is the accurate presentation of Salvation?

First, let’s check how a true church presents the Gospel.

• Check what is the meaning of Gospel for them
• Check what are the elements of the Gospel are for them
• Check what is the power of the Gospel on their sights

You have to know that Salvation has elements. And a simple analogy is like having the parts of a burger or sandwich.

Salvation has its source or origin (Top Bun) and an end of the process (Bottom Bun).

But never forget what’s within the Top and Bottom Bun (stuffing).

Another Problem: People today, especially and unfortunately, modern Christians and their modern preachers, the only thing in their minds as they present the Gospel is how would the listeners accept Christ.

They actually hold the doctrine called Easy Believism (which, in the broader scope of theology, known as Decisionism), making the process of Salvation sound easy. But, in actuality, it is a modern threat to the Biblical Gospel.

Easy Believism promotes more of the how-to formula and the benefits of being saved than promoting the person who does the saving—the Lord Jesus Christ.

Again, to reiterate, its doctrine’s focus is the How to achieve salvation rather than Who offers it, which is the direct source.

So, for the question of who saves, the answer is the Biblical Gospel. (By now, you should know what it meant when we say the Biblical Gospel. If not, please go back and study the first part of the four of The Doctrine of the Gospel Series.)

An example of Easy Believism/Decisionism practice that has been a staple of modern churches, and unfortunately, has invaded some Baptist churches is the altar call. And their favorite verse is II Cor. 6:2.

Charles Finney was one of the first to popularize the practice, a revivalist of the 19th century.

Probably, in their minds, Salvation is like magic.

Familiar with the Sinner’s Prayer?

Most of the prayer’s content in itself is not bad. But the misguided way of using it to assure that a person is saved after reuttering the prayer is misleading!

Without a heart that believes, the mere reutterance of a preacher’s prayer will not save. (Rom. 10:9-10)

The job of converting and convicting is not ours but of the Spirit. (John 16:8)

Understanding the facts of Easy Believism/Decisionism and its modern altar call practice will give you the realization that they are deceptive and dangerous. Moreover, its doctrine lightens the Gospel’s actual teachings.

Again, please do not overlook the danger of Easy Believism’s doctrine of focusing on the benefit of Salvation bypassing the source and its process.

REMEMBER: The Bible warns against people who distorts and twists the true Gospel. (Gal. 1:6-8)

Have some self-checking, even for those already baptized, because Salvation is only in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Principle: the true Gospel possesses three things.

1. Repentance from sin
2. Faith in Jesus Christ
3. The Gift of the Holy Spirit

You cannot have profound knowledge about Christ when you skip the basics.

Why?

Knowing Christ is not just about what you are experiencing and the assumptions that He is working in your life.

Knowledge of Christ is revealed Word! (John 17:17)

Question: What do we need to believe about the Gospel?

1. Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. Every believer must not miss this significant fact when we are talking about the Bible. (Jn. 1:1-3 then 12-14)
   • Why do we need to understand that Jesus Christ came in the flesh? —It is crucial that we believe that Jesus is God who took on human form when He appeared on earth over two thousand years ago. The Apostle John points out in his letters, anyone who doesn’t believe doesn’t have the Spirit of God but the spirit of the antichrist. (I John 4:2-3)
   • If Christ’s coming into flesh is insignificant to you, at least ask yourself: Why does He have to come down to earth if the flesh is not important? —Remember, when God created you, you have the flesh. And that flesh is attached with your soul. That is how God designs us.

Now, the sinner’s flesh and spirit will always be eligible for punishment because of the sin we inherited from Adam and Eve. We can’t talk our way out of that. We can’t keep ourselves from punishment. But if there is someone who will save us, He should be just like us. Right?

If you have a body, the one who will save you should also have a body because He will filter you out from your sins and catch all of it for you.

Jesus cannot be qualified to be our Lord and Savior if He will remain in His God Status.

If He didn’t come into flesh and remain to be God as He has since the beginning, the only feeling He will have for us sinners is to roll us all down to hell!

Take Note: Even though Jesus came into the flesh, He never sinned. But on the day He was on His way to the cross and became the substitute for us all (sinners of the world), God’s wrath was all over Him.

Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man at the same time.

2. Jesus died for our sins. (Heb. 9:22)
   • Like how the Apostle Paul asked the Hebrews, he might also ask you, haven’t you wondered why all offerings since the Old Testament involves the shedding of the blood? —Remember what happened to the firstborns of the Egyptians in Exodus? The Lord didn’t check if their nationality was of Egypt or Israel. Instead, if there is the blood of the lamb painted on doorposts, as God has commanded, He will not let the destroyer harm them.

Do you see the point? Do you know what God is looking for in every one of us? When it comes to your Salvation, God looks for the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, not you.

Every time God the Father looks, He will not look at us but through us. So now that we are forgiven, He will see in our hearts, your heart, of every drop of Christ’s blood.

What does it mean?—Ever since the fall of man, animal sacrifice has been a practice in the Old Testament as a temporary cover and forgiveness of the sins of the Israelites.

But when Jesus died on the cross (Heb.10:1-18), all sacrifice offerings practiced in the Old Testament are not required anymore.

Christ’s death is sufficient, once and for all!

If it is still unclear to you, understand that we need to have faith that Jesus died.

For what?

To pity Him?—No!

To see that He’s a great teacher?—No!

Jesus died for all of our sins!

And if someone confesses he is a believer, yet he rejects the fact that Jesus died for our sins, he is not a true believer. He is not worshipping Christ according to the Scriptures.

3. Jesus was buried.
   • How about you, would you believe that Jesus was buried? Do you know the Message behind His burying? (I Cor. 15:4) —Obviously, fulfilling what Jesus said about being like Jonas is essential; being in the whale for three days, so the Son of man be in the heart of the earth for three days too. (Matt. 12:40)

Burial brings closure.

See, while mourning for a loved one, it allows us to realize and give us time to accept that they are already gone. And on the day of the burial of the deceased, we usually put headstones to let people know that this person has already passed away.

Likewise, at the time of Christ’s burial, when He was placed in a tomb and was closed, He indeed died without a shadow of a doubt.

It was clear that Christ’s body was in the tomb for three days, but it was also clear that His Spirit was extremely busy.

Why? Read Eph. 4:7-10.

Note: We do not believe in purgatory and its doctrine. We do not believe that Christ went there. But instead, we believe that He went to meet the Old Testament believers.

Remember what we’ve discussed about the practice of sacrifice for the atonement of Israelites’ sins in the Old Testament?

Again, the animal sacrifices that they were practicing are a profoundly symbolic ritual. If blood represents life, draining it from a blemish-free animal reminds the worshippers of death. As man’s nature is sinful and rebellious, God’s punishment is death.

To gain forgiveness from God, something innocent must die. By that, it will cover their sins, yet, in the Old Testament, it is just a temporary solution.

The old practice, in essence, is a reminder for them that there will be an Ultimate Sacrifice that will come from their future.

So who’s the Ultimate Sacrifice, and what’s the permanent solution? A passage in Isaiah points out this. (Isa. 53:5)

“…With his stripes, we are healed.”—Jesus Christ offers Salvation to all of humanity, including those of the Old Testament believers.

4. Jesus resurrected on the third day.
   • It is the supreme validation of His deity. Not only that, but it also validates the Old Testament prophesies that foretold Jesus’ sufferings and Resurrection.
   • The Resurrection of Christ also authenticated His claims that He will rise on the third day.

Why?—If His resurrection didn’t happen, then we’ve lost hope of the fact that He will come again and save us from our sins (sin = death).

Apart from Christ’s Resurrection, we have no Savior, no salvation, no hope of eternal life, no hope of second coming.

The Resurrection of Christ is much, much more important than Christmas.

And for true believers, the single, most important occasion is Lord’s Day. It is the day that Christ rose again from the dead; that is Sunday.

He lives! And we are worshipping the eternally living Christ!

We, who believe and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that was genuinely resurrected, have also overcome death. (I Cor.15:55)

As a testimony to the resurrection of the human being, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is crucial, the Christian faith’s basic tenet.

As Christians, we know that God became Man, he died for our sins, He was resurrected the third day, and He is not a slave to His grave.

He lives, and He sits today at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

Note: Because He came in the flesh, He can sympathize with our griefs and burdens. (Heb. 4:15)

The Word of God guarantees us the Resurrection of Christ and His coming. They are assured, and they are inevitable.

Now, what are you waiting for in life?

Let me rephrase that, as a Christian, what are you waiting for in life?

Wait for His promise and His second coming!

The Resurrection is the triumphant and glorious victory for every believer! (I Thess. 4:16-17)

Again, why is the Resurrection important?—It demonstrates that God accepted the sacrifices of Jesus on our behalf. The Resurrection is an attestation that Jesus Christ is God, and with His power, He can rise again from the dead.

It also shows that He has the power to raise us from our deaths. Finally, it guarantees that the bodies of those who believe in Christ will not remain dead, but they will be resurrected unto eternal life.

According to the progressive revelation of God throughout the ages, the content of the Gospel is that Salvation can ONLY be achieved by having faith in Christ and what He did on the cross.

Opposite to the modern churches of today, they shortcut the true revelation of this Message like magic. As if having the formula of salvation=faith+works is enough to save a person from death. There is no deeper understanding, no emotion, no explanation for the questions that, thankfully, we’ve already addressed in this article.

God requires no one in this day to repent, be baptized, offer a blood sacrifice, join a church, or do anything else that might have been necessary for Salvation in the past.

But, you should know, Salvation is believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Simple.

And when we say believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, it means all of what He has and what He is:

• He being God
• What He did here on earth
• His present condition
• His reign over all believers
• His authority over the Church

And if you do all of that, the moment you believe the Gospel and trust Christ, you will have the assurance that you are a child of God and that He has given you eternal life!

There is only one message, and it’s all but the same—that Christ died on the cross.

So, you are a churchgoer. So, then what are you looking for in the Church?

Are you still observing?

Are we just called to observe and gain more knowledge before arriving at a decision?—No! But after the call, knowing more about the Gospel is a follow-up; it’s a natural response of a true believer.

Jesus said, “have faith in Him!”—Aren’t you solved with that?

You don’t need to be noblemen, prestigious, or bible scholars to understand this truth.

The message is simple—“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (Acts 16:30-31)

And that is what’s important!

Want to know the TRUTH about the Biblical Gospel and the urgency of its preaching? Let’s come together, and learn more with us.