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DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
Salvation is the means by which God, through Christ,
saves man from the penalty of sin and gives him eternal life. This
process includes one's calling, repentance, baptism, justification,
receiving of the Holy Spirit, a life of faith and obedience and final
birth into God's kingdom as a spirit being. Salvation is a freely given
gift from God through grace, with our ultimate reward being according to
our works.
DOCTRINAL OVERVIEW
The goal of every Christian is to be saved from the
death penalty of sin through the sacrifice of Christ and to receive the
gift of eternal life in God's family and kingdom. This goal and the
process by which it is attained is called salvation. It is the ultimate
purpose of life and the explicit reason why mankind was created.
God created man in His image and after His likeness.
But the creation process will not be complete until mankind is perfected
spiritually-has perfect godly character created in him-and actually
enters the God family. God initiates this process by "calling" a
person-opening his mind to understand, grasp and be convicted by the
truth of the Bible. It is impossible for anyone to come to Christ unless
the Father calls him (John. 6:44), and God's calling "depends not upon
man's will or exertion, but upon God's mercy" (Rom. 9:16).
If one responds to the realization of God's truth by
believing it, committing oneself to it and by acting upon it, God will
then grant him the miracle of true repentance (Rom. 2:4). Repentance is
the state of mind which an individual attains through seeing and
acknowledging his past sinful way of life, and by recognizing that he
has broken God's laws (Rom. 3:23; I John. 3:4) and resolving to do so no
longer. Repentance, Includes both a deep ("godly") sorrow over past
wrongs (2 Cor. 7:10) and a steadfast determination to change the whole
direction of one's life from disobedience to obedience of God. It is
accompanied by a profound realization of the need for forgiveness and
the help and strength of God to change.
Once a person has repented and professed a sincere
faith in the person, message and sacrifice of Christ, he may be baptized
by immersion for the forgiveness of sins. This baptism is a type of
Christ's death, burial and resurrection, which is our means of
reconciliation to God (Rom. 5:10) since He paid the death penalty for
our sins. Baptism symbolizes the death and burial of one's old sinful
way of life and the beginning of a totally new spirit-led life of
obedience and submission to God. After baptism the new convert receives
the Holy Spirit through the laying-on-of-hands ceremony performed in
accordance with the commands and examples of the apostles (Acts 8:12-17;
19:5-6).
God's Spirit is an absolute necessity for the
spiritual creation process of salvation as it serves many functions. It
begets one as the son of God; it strengthens him to face trials and
tests, to overcome problems and to build godly character, and it
converts and changes the person's whole direction of mind from being
carnal to being spiritual (Rom. 8). As such, the Holy Spirit is the seed
of eternal life within us which at the resurrection will overtake our
mortality with immortality and clothe us with eternal life (Rom. 8:11;
2 Cor. 5:1-5). It is the guarantee to a Christian of eternal life which
can only be negated by willful neglect or deliberate rejection.
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is clearly the focal
point of the salvation process. He was "put to death for our trespasses
and raised for our justification" (Rom. 4:25). We "were reconciled to
God by the death of His Son" (Rom. 5:10) and are thereby
justified through faith in that reality (Rom. 5:1). Yet salvation must
go beyond justifying the past, it must continue into the future
throughout one's life. The true Christian is admonished to "Let this
mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5). Indeed, the
active participation of Jesus Christ in one's life through His Holy
Spirit is absolutely essential for ultimate salvation. As Romans 5:10
concludes "much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His
life."
This whole salvation process is by "grace" (Greek
"favor"-Eph. 2:8)-It is unmerited and freely given by God and cannot in
any way be earned. The Christian totally depends upon God's grace,
initially for the forgiveness of sins he may commit subsequent to
baptism. Nevertheless, the individual must meet certain criteria in
order to be given this free gift.
First, the person must live by and grow in faith-a
total and real conviction. One must have faith that God exists; faith
that He will perform all of His biblical promises including that of
granting him salvation (Rom. 4); faith that the death of Jesus Christ
will pay the penalty for one's sins and reconcile him to God; and faith
that the resurrection of the living Jesus Christ will enable him to
attain eternal life.
Furthermore, a Christian must not be disobedient,
since continual sin that is not repented of disqualifies one from God's
kingdom. (I Cor. 6:9-11). Salvation is surely not earned by obedience,
because salvation can in no way be earned (cf Rom. 4:4). Nevertheless,
Christ's response to one who asked Him what must be done in order to be
saved was that the commandments must be kept (Mt. 19:17). Furthermore,
Christ told His disciples that at the resurrection He shall "reward
every man according to his works" (Mt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12).
The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 also
illustrates why obedience and good works are necessary. Although
salvation itself is a totally freely given gift (and hence is "by
grace"), our individual responsibilities within God's family and kingdom
shall vary according to the way we have lived our lives since baptism.
The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 shows plainly that we will
receive responsibilities in direct proportion to the way we have
conducted our lives.
Today, God is calling a relative few, but now is not
the only day of salvation. Every human being who has ever lived shall
have an opportunity for the greatest free gift that could ever be
imagined. God wants all mankind to receive the opportunity for salvation
(I Tim. 2:4) and is "not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9). To this end God is infinitely
patient and has apportioned a time for all human beings from all times
to be called to Him and to the ultimate gift of eternal life in the
family of God.
In summary, salvation is by grace, through faith, not
earned by obedience but dependent upon obedience, with the degree of our
ultimate reward being according to our works. This salvation process is
thus one which entails our continuance in God's way and necessitates our
endurance to the end (Mt. 10:22; 24:13). Only when that process is
complete and we have been born as spirit beings into the family of God
shall salvation have been completely and totally achieved.
Summary:
READ THESE SCRIPTURES FROM YOUR OWN BIBLE:
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John 6:44-God, the Father must call the
individual to the Salvation Process
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Romans 9:16-God's calling depends
not on man's will or exertion but by God's mercy.
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Romans 2:4-God's goodness (calling)
leads the person to repentance.
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Romans 3:23- We
have all sinned (See 1 John 3:4).
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2 Corinthians 7:10-Godly sorrow
worketh repentance to salvation.
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Romans 5:10-Read of our
reconciliation to God.
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Acts 8:12-17; 19:5-6-The Laying on
of Hands to receive the Holy Spirit.
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Romans 8:10-The Holy Spirit in a
person changes one from carnal to spiritual.
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Philippians 2:5-Let this mind be in
you which was also in Christ Jesus.
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Ephesians 2:8-Salvation is by grace
- a gift from God.
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Romans 4-God's promise of Salvation.
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Romans 4:4-Salvation cannot be
earned.
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Matthew 19:17-The commandments must
be kept (this is part of the Salvation Process).
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Matthew 16:27
and Revelation
22:12-God will reward everyone according to works.
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Matthew 25-Read the parable of the
talents.
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1 Timothy 2:4-God wants all mankind
to receive the opportunity at Salvation.
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2 Peter 3:9-God does not want any
one to perish, but to come to repentance.
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Matthew 10:22, 24:13-He who endures
to the end, in the Salvation Process shall be saved.
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Questions:
1) Which of the following best
completes this sentence: "Salvation is the means by which God, through
Christ..."
a) frees mankind from the Law.
b) confirms individuals to His Kingdom from the moment the process
begins.
c) saves man from the penalty of sin and gives him eternal life.
d) saves man unconditionally.
e) all of the above.
f) none of the above.
2) The Salvation Process includes
which of the following:
a) one's calling.
b) repentance.
c) baptism
d) justification.
e) receiving of the Holy Spirit.
f) a life of faith and obedience.
g) final birth as a spirit being into the Kingdom of God.
h) All of the above.
i) None of the above.
j) All, except f.
k) All, except d and f.
3) Which of the following are false:
a) There is no difference between Salvation and Reward.
b) Works are not required in the Salvation Process.
c) I must earn my way into the Salvation Process by being good before
my calling by God.
d) The Salvation Process is free, but I must do works for my ultimate
reward.
e) All are false.
f) None are false.
g) a, b and c are false.
h) a, c and d are false.
4) Which
of the following best completes this sentence: "The goal of every
Christian is to be saved from..."
a) the death penalty of sin.
b) the Law.
c) works
d) the ways of this world.
5) Which of the following best
completes this sentence, "The other goal of every Christian is to
receive..."
a) freedom
b) riches or prosperity and good health
c) the gift of eternal life.
6) The ultimate purpose of life and
the reason mankind was created was______________ [what?]
a) love
b) to go to heaven
c) to become as the angels
d) salvation
7) In whose image was man created?
8) The ultimate destiny of mankind
is to become spirit beings...where?
a) a little lower than angels.
b) equal to the angels.
c) in the very Family of God.
9) The Salvation Process is
initiated by...
a) repentance
b) calling
c) baptism
d) receiving the Holy Spirit
e) all of the above
10) Godly calling begins or is
accomplished when...
a) I open my mind to receive Christ.
b) when I accept the sacrifice of Christ.
c) when God opens my mind to His truth.
11) One responds to the realization
of God's truth by...
a) believing it.
b) committing oneself to it.
c) by acting upon it.
d) All of the above.
e) a and b only.
12) When we respond to God's calling
the next step (a miracle of God) is ________ [what?]
13) In repentance we come to see
that we have sinned and broken God's Law. True or False?
14) Using 2 Corinthians 7:10 as your
guide, complete the following:
a) Godly sorrow worketh repentance to __________ [what?]
b) Worldly sorrow worketh _________ [what?]
15) With
God's forgiveness and my determination and will, I can change from sin
to obedience.
True or False?
16) _______________ is a type of
Christ's death, burial and resurrection. It symbolizes the death and
burial of one's old sinful way of life. It symbolizes the beginning of
a totally new spirit-led life.
17) Which of the following is true
of baptism:
a) it can be performed on infants.
b) it can be performed by sprinkling or pouring of water on one's head.
c) it must be by full immersion into water.
18) In the Salvation Process, the
absolute necessity and key element is the ____ ______ [what?]
19) What is true of the Holy Spirit
as it relates to the Salvation Process:
a) it begets one as the son of God.
b) it strengthens them to face trials and tests.
c) it converts the mind.
d) changes one's direction in life.
e) it allows one to overcome problems and develop godly character.
f) it turns one from carnal to spiritual.
g) All the above.
20) The true Christian, in the
Salvation Process has the seed of eternal life in them. True or False?
21)
As long as the Holy Spirit remains in a true Christian he or she is
guaranteed eternal life. True or False?
22) Once you have the Holy Spirit,
you can never lose it. True or False?
23) Once I am in the Salvation
Process, it is impossible to fall from it. True or False?
24) Picking from these 4 words, fill
in the blanks below [faith - justification -
grace - sins]
a) Jesus was put to death for our ____ [which word?]
b) Jesus was raised for our __________ [which word?]
25) The
whole salvation Process is a gift or favor from God. Ephesians 2:8
refers to this as what five-letter word?
26) The Salvation Process requires
that we meet certain criteria...a certain standard. True or False?
27) In the Salvation Process, which
of the following is required:
a) have faith that God exists.
b) faith that God will perform all biblical promises.
c) faith that the death of Jesus Christ pays for the penalty for one's
sins and reconciles us to God.
d) faith that the resurrection of Jesus will enable us to attain eternal
life.
e) All of the above.
28) Salvation is of grace and it can
in no way be earned therefore I do not need to keep the Law.
True or False?
29) Must we keep the commandments as
part of the Salvation Process? Yes or No?
30) Right now God is calling:
a) just a few.
b) many.
c) millions
d) everyone
31) Today, now...in this lifetime is
the only day of salvation. True or False?
32) Everyone who has ever lived will
have an opportunity at eternal life. True or False?
33) Salvation is by grace, through
faith, not earned by obedience, but dependant upon obedience. True or
False?
34) The degree of our ultimate
reward will be according to our works. True or False?
35) The Salvation Process is
complete when...
a) we are called by God.
b) when we receive the Holy Spirit.
c) only after much testing and overcoming of sin.
d) when we are changed to spirit.
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