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The-Ology: Soteriology – Salvation

Mar 9, 2025
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Soteriology: Salvation

Pastor Alex Kennedy

In the Old Testament, sin entered the human race through Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God (Gen 3). Sin brought with it a curse on creation, death, and a depraved nature in all of Adam’s offspring. A system of substitutionary sacrifices for sin was developed because God’s people were not able to keep God’s law perfectly. The promise of a Redeemer was given by the Old Testament prophets, and then the New Testament declares Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Savior and Redeemer of mankind.

God’s Calling

There is a call by the Holy One to you. (1 Cor 1:9; 1 Peter 2:9)

Conviction

wrestling with and understanding that the Gospel is true. When He convicts of sin, the Holy Spirit unmasks the true nature of man’s problem – unbelief. Failure to believe God is the basis of sin, and failure to believe in Christ is the ultimate sin (John 16:9). Conviction is a gracious work because unless we are convinced of our true standing before God we will not believe. Rom 6:23

Conversion

This involves our repentance and faith. Repentance is turning away from sin, and faith is turning towards Jesus.

When a person bows to Jesus in repentance and submission, He becomes Lord of that person’s life. Christ’s death removed the barrier keeping sinners from being reconciled to a Holy God, thus freeing God to save any and everyone who believes. We are still responsible to come to Christ in faith to be saved and in repentance to be in fellowship with Him, but Christ’s death makes that avenue open and available to all! (1 Thess 1:9; Matt 4:17; 1 John 1:9; Mark 1:15; Luke 13:1-5; 19:1-10; Rom 2:4; 2 Cor 7:10).

Eph 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

That gift was a substitutionary atonement. Christ’s death was a blood atonement as a sacrificial substitution, in our place, to satisfy the demands of the law in order to appease a Holy God for the payment of sin. God has always required the shedding of blood to atone for sin. This requirement of blood goes all the way back to Eden, when God killed an animal to cover Adam and Eve after they sinned. The animal’s death temporally satisfied God’s requirement and substituted for their deaths.

Jesus didn’t die just to leave us a good example or to show us how to endure suffering. Our guilt was transferred to Him; therefore, He took death that should have fallen on us for all eternity! (1 Peter 2:24; 2 Cor 5:21)

Regeneration

In John 3:1-21, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “You must be born again.” The purpose of the gospel is not merely to make bad men good or even make good men better but to bring dead men back to life! Regeneration is when the Holy Spirit imparts eternal life to the believer. (John 3:1-8; 2 Cor 5:17)

We received our old nature from from birth through the first man, Adam, and we receive a new nature from the second man, Christ, by the new birth. (Titus 3:3-7)

Justification

The Greek word translated “justify” means to announce a favorable verdict in a courtroom, or to declare righteous. Justification is a judicial act where God declares righteous those who believe in Jesus Christ. We can’t gain justification through a good life or through a process, but only by faith in Jesus Christ. (Rom 8:33-34; Rom 4:4-5; 2 Cor 5:21; Titus 3:5-7)

Sanctification

This is the journey we live from the moment we are born again until we breath our last breath. It is the process of the believer’s growth in Christ. (1 Cor 1:18)

Glorification

We will be saved from the presence of sin for eternity and we will be made perfect and whole in the presence of God. (Acts 15:11)

Realities:

We are Adopted

We have the real blessing of an eternal family (Gal 4:4-6)

We are Reconciled

The barrier of sin is removed and we are given peace (Rom 5:10-11)

We are Forgiven

God pardons our sin and our relationship to Him is restored (Eph 1:7)

We are Redeemed

Someone had to pay the price for your sin. It either had to be you or a perfect acceptable substitute. Thankfully, we have been freed from the slave market of sin. Jesus’ death was the price God demanded to redeem us from slavery to sin. (Eph 1:7-8)

Questions to Consider:

  1. Do you really believe that what you believe is really real? Did Jesus save you? How do you know?
  2. Have you “been saved”? What is your story of regeneration?
  3. Give thanks as a family for the saving work of Jesus, and commit this week to live with a thankful heart.
  4. Discuss and begin your media fast and enjoy time with the Lord, one another, and those around you this week!
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