Understanding Salvation: It’s About Restoring Our Relationship, Not Religion
Our relationship with God isn’t about appearances, achievements, or worldly accomplishments. It’s a profound spiritual reality that hinges on a vital truth: a vast chasm separates us from Him, and it’s essential to understand why. We will explore the biblical framework of salvation, emphasizing that it’s a gift—a free, undeserved grace—offered through Christ.
Salvation is not something to earn, not something you can maintain through works of good, nor able to involuntarily lose. Salvation is instead about creating a restored relationship with God. Pharisaic religiosity will not save you, only a genuine relationship through Christ Jesus.
Matthew 7: 20-22, “20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.”
1 Peter 1:7-10, “7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. 10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you”
John 3:16-17, “16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Showing salvation is through Jesus’ Ephesians 1:10 power and work, not our own.
1 John 5:13, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” This is written in the Ancient Greek absolute guarantee wording that you can 100% know you are saved and going to Heaven.
I. The Human Condition: A Deep Divide
Alienated from God: Romans 1:25 clearly articulates our fundamental separation from God: “who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Our inherent inclination—our deepest desires, our rituals, our very quest for meaning—all reflect this innate longing for our Creator. The very fact that we have a sense of religious need separates us from the rest of the creation.
II. The Reality of Sin
Sin’s All-Encompassing Grip: Romans 3:10 boldly declares, “As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one.” This universal truth underscores the pervasive nature of sin. We’re all fallen, all in need of redemption.
The Law as a Revealer of Sin: Romans 7:7 highlights the role of the Law: “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law…” The Law shines a light on the darkness within, revealing our shortcomings and imperfections. Romans 3:23 further reinforces this idea: “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
The Consequences of Sin: The cumulative effect of sin is profound, as detailed in Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Sin’s legacy is death—not just physical but spiritual—and separation from God.
III. God’s Merciful Provision
God’s Plan of Redemption: Genesis 3:15 foreshadows the crucial role of Jesus: “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head (fatal wound), And you shall bruise His heel (superficial wound).” This prophecy highlights God’s plan to defeat the power of sin and death through a Savior.
NOTE: “Christ” is Greek for Hebrew “Messiah”, both meaning “the anointed One”. This is the One of the Genesis 3:15 promise to restore our relationship to God.
John 1:40-42, “40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Christ’s Sacrifice, Unmerited Love: Romans 5:8 powerfully proclaims God’s love: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This emphasizes the complete undeserved nature of God’s grace. He loved us while we were undeserving.
The Gift of Eternal Life: Romans 6:23 emphasizes the ultimate consequence of Christ’s sacrifice: “…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God’s offer of salvation is a gift, not a reward for good works.
IV. The Necessity of Faith
Confession and Belief: Romans 10:9 lays out the path to salvation: “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Salvation is not a passive experience; it requires active belief and a commitment to follow.
The Power of Grace: Romans 10:13, “For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved,” underscores the simple, yet profound, necessity of faith. Salvation is a free gift that we receive by opening our hearts to Christ.
Receiving the Gift: John 1:12, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name,” confirms our acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice.
V. Knowing and Confessing
Assurance of Salvation: Again, 1 John 5:13 reassures us: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life…”, emphasizing that salvation is a real and tangible experience.
VI. The Imperative of Examining Our Hearts
The Reality of Our Sinfulness (The Good Test): Romans 3:12 and the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) provide clear standards by which to examine our hearts. James 2:10 emphasizes that keeping the law in its entirety, as impossible for humans, showcases our need for divine grace.
Acknowledging our shortcomings: The image of our righteousness as “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) powerfully illustrates the inadequacy of our own efforts. This understanding leads to humility and a desire for God’s mercy and grace. We need a Savior because we cannot save ourselves. Likewise, Matthew 5:27-28; 1 John 3:15; and James 4:17, all expose the depths of sin and the need of a Savior for a true relationship with God.
Receiving God’s Grace: Galatians 2:21 reminds us that salvation is by grace alone, not by our works. It is a free gift to be joyfully received. The Good News of the Gospel is not about earning our way into Heaven; rather, it’s about accepting God’s gift by acknowledging our own need for redemption and Christ’s provision. Jesus’ death was the ultimate act of grace—our salvation is a gift and gift alone.
Understanding salvation is not about attaining an ideal spiritual state that we strive for. It’s about recognizing our desperate need for a Savior and accepting the free gift of grace offered through Jesus Christ. It’s not an option; it’s an imperative and necessary act of faith for a relationship with God, through the Genesis 3:15 promised Christ. This person being Jesus in which all things are through, again Ephesians 1:10. So you see Jesus is reaching out his hand now to not only save, but to found and empower you.
