Have you been saved?
Have you come to a saving knowledge of Jesus
Christ? It is a question that is
almost exclusive to Christianity.
The word saved in the Bible had
three tenses. We were saved from the penalty of sin
the very moment we put our trust in Christ Jesus as
our savior. We are now being saved from the power of
sin by the process of progressive sanctification.
Moreover, we shall be saved from the presence of sin
at the coming of our Lord in His glory.
We were justified by faith in
Christ, we are being sanctified by the Holy Spirit
and we shall be glorified when Christ returns for
us.
The word salvation is related
to the good news of the atoning death of Jesus
Christ. The apostle Paul wrote,
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the
power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,
to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans
1:16).
God has delivered us from the
penalty and power of sin and has preserved us with
His gift of eternal life. It is
the sum of all blessings bestowed by God through
Jesus Christ.
It is only by the name of Jesus
Christ that we can ever be saved.
Acts 4:12 says, "And there is salvation in no one
else; for there is no other name under heaven that
has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
“For whoever will call upon the name of the
Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).
In salvation God deals with the
whole person: spirit, mind and body. The gospel of
salvation includes justification, sanctification and
glorification.
In the context of this great
verse, the apostle Paul reminds his readers, "For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress
the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is
known about God is evident within them; for God made
it evident to them" (Romans 1:18-19).
Therefore, we are all without
excuse. "And we know that the
judgment of God rightly falls upon those who
practice such things" (Romans 2:2).
What “things”? Paul tells
us in vivid detail in 1:18-3:20.
The Jews were guilty of
breaking God’s revealed law. "For
it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before
God, but the doers of the Law will be justified"
(Romans 2:13). The only problem is no one, but Jesus
Christ ever lived up to the Law.
All stand guilty before God. “There is none
righteous, not even one” (3:10).
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God” (v. 23).
In vivid contrast Jesus Christ
revealed the perfect righteousness of God.
However, not only have the
Jewish people broken the written Law of God, but
“When Gentiles who do not have the Law do
instinctively the things of the Law, these, not
having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that
they show the work of the Law written in their
hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their
thoughts alternately accusing or else defending
them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God
will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus"
(Romans 2:14-16).
What was the problem?
Again all stand guilty before God.
“For there is no partiality with God. For all
who have sinned without the Law will also perish
without the Law, and all who have sinned under the
Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the
hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the
doers of the Law will be justified. For when
Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively
the things of the Law, these, not having the Law,
are a law to themselves” (Romans 2:11-14).
What is the solution since we
are all depraved sinners? Jesus
Christ is our only hope.
Salvation is a gift of God by His grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:22-25;
Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 5:6-8, 10:9-10, 13:8-11).
"For in it the righteousness of
God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is
written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith”
(Romans 1:17, NASB 1995).
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
Anyone is free to use this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold under any circumstances whatsoever without the author's written consent.
Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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