Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Salvation - 1st entry on the basics of Christianity.





Hey all!

I pray this blog entry finds you all well! =D
I've been going through some teaching and was led to think more about the core values and doctrines related to Christianity and decided to share it with you all. It will consist of fourteen entries that will describe the basics of Christianity and how to share our faith with others.
I pray this blesses your heart!
Much love in Him,
Helen :-)

Salvation

1. the act of saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, destruction, etc.

2. the state of being saved or protected from harm, risk, etc.

3. a source, cause, or means of being saved or protected from harm, risk, etc.

4.Theology. deliverance from the power and penalty of sin; redemption.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:3, 7

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

1. Why do we need to be saved?

2. How does God provide salvation for us?

3. How can we receive this salvation individually?

Sin is the disobedience to any commandment or law from God.

1. How does the Bible describe sin?

1 John 3:4

"Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness."

2. What is the result of sin?

Romans 6:23

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

James 1:15

"Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."

A way of understanding sin in a better way the consequences of sin, think about the word death as separation.

A. Spiritual death: our sins separate us from God.

B. Physical death: our spirits and our souls are separated from our body.

C. Eternal death: if we choose to remain lost in our sins, they will separate us from God's mercy forever - and that's the biggest punishment... eternal life spent in hell.

Being just means doing what is right, or in other words, being completely innocent before God when it comes to the obedience of his commandments.

3. How many of us can be called or described as just people?

Romans 3:10

"as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;"

4. How many of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory?

Romans 3:23

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"

5. How was justification found for us?

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

6. Does God love us as sinners or do we have to become good somehow so then He can actually love us?

Romans 5:8

"but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

7. Can we reach salvation just through Jesus or is there any other way through which we can obtain salvation?

1 Timothy 2:5

"For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,"

Acts 4:12

"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

John 14:6

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

The Word of God states that sin causes death. Jesus died to bring us salvation.

8. How did Jesus pay the penalty of our sins?

1 Corinthians 15:3

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,"

9. What should we do to have Jesus as our Savior?

Romans 10:9

"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

Acts 16:30-31

"Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Believing means union and trust.

Confessing means admitting our guilty and acknowledging that we are sinners.

10. The Word describes the difference between works and faith. So how are we saved when it comes to those two concepts?

Ephesians 2:8

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,"

Titus 3:5

"He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,"

11. Why aren't we saved through our own efforts?

Ephesians 2:9

"not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Justice is receiving what we actually deserve.

If God was only just, we would die.

Mercy is not receiving what we truly deserve.

It's by God's mercy that we are forgiven.

Grace is receiving something without actually deserving it.

By God's grace - and not through our own efforts - He sent His Son to die for our sins.

Faith is accepting as real things that are not seen. It's fully trusting God.

12. What's the result of God's goodness/kindness and God's love?

Romans 2:4

"Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?"

Repentance means change of thought. It's through the change of heart that men walks away from sin and comes closer to God. Repentance includes:

A. True, genuine repentance from our sins.

B. Constant purification, santification from our sins.

C. The desire of submiting ourselves to God's will.

13. What does happen in heaven when a sinner comes to repentance?

Luke 15:10

"Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”