Salvation Through Christ – Part 4 – What We Get

Salvation Through Christ – Part 4 – What We Get

This is the last post in the series Salvation Through Christ.

I started studying this on my own a few months ago, wanting to have a solid understanding on what salvation is and what it means to be saved.

It’s one thing to know for yourself, but when you try to explain it so someone else, you really need that solid understanding within yourself.  That was my reason for studying this.

It proved to be a valuable study, as I recently had the opportunity to pour into a dear family member who  received God’s gift of salvation.

If you need a refresher on what was previously discussed, I definitely recommend you take the opportunity to do so.  Here are the links for you:  Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.  

I realize that for some, this is not new to you, and it wasn’t to me either, but I’ve enjoyed diving deeper into God’s Word.  Here is a quick recap:

Part 1 – Salvation means deliverance, preservation and safety.  The root of the word ‘salvation’ means Savior, and so the root of salvation is the Savior.

Part 2 – Basically, why do we need salvation?  It’s because of the civil war between God and Satan that we were born into.

In Part 3 we looked at what we give up to be saved.

There are 5 requirements for salvation.

Confess. Believe. Repent. Regeneration. Holy Scriptures.

In each one of those requirements, we give up something.   Some part of our old, sinful, worldly life and lifestyle. For each of us, there may be areas that are easier to give up than others.

Some have more to do with an internal ‘giving up’ than an outward one (like pride or independence), but nevertheless, there is a giving up that takes place.

But where the world (and the enemy) wants us to think that to have salvation through Christ, we have to live this sterile, boring, uninteresting life,  I want to show you through scripture what life with Christ is really like.

Salvation Through Christ – What We Get

It may seem like we give up a lot.  When it’s all we’ve known, it may seem like we are giving up our old life.  But really, we’re getting a whole new life.  Let’s take a look at what we get.

1. The Gift of Eternal Life 

Romans 6:23

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

Ephesians 2:8

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God… 

2. Forgiven of Our Sins

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 32:5

I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Acts 13:38

 Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man (Christ) is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;

Did you catch that? Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death.  Blood has to be shed, and in the Old Testament sacrificial system that God set up, it was an animal sacrifice annually. Christ’s death for us was only once, and our sins are forgiven.

3. The Gift of the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:38-39

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Luke 11:13

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”  

4. The Seal of God

Ephesians 1:13

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 4:30

 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

2 Corinthians 1:22

Who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Sealed with the seal of promise, for the day of redemption, and as a guarantee…this is a pretty powerful seal.  Let’s look up the word ‘seal’ and see what it means.

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It comes from Strong’s (4972) Greek word sphragizó: properly, to seal (affix) with a signet ring or other instrument to stamp (a roller or seal), i.e. to attest ownership, authorizing (validating) what is sealed.

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Bible Hub goes on to explain that ““to seal” signifies ownership and the full security carried by the backing (full authority) of the owner. ”Sealing” in the ancient world served as a “legal signature” which guaranteed the promise (contents) of what was sealed.”

By the gift of the Holy Spirit we have been sealed as belonging to God and are guaranteed for eternal salvation. 

5. A New Heart

Ezekiel 11:19

Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,

Ezekiel 36:26

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

2 Corinthians 3:3

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Ezekiel 18:31

Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel?

There a lot of verses about ‘the heart’. Our hearts are often times compared to stone or flesh, meaning hardened or stubborn, or soft and tender. Only God truly knows our hearts.

Jeremiah 17:10

I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his doings.

Romans 8:27

Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

6. Counted as a Child of God

John 1:12 -13

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Galatians 3:26

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Romans 8:16

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

Some verses, and some translations say ‘sons of God’.  Men and women are children of God. In 1 Peter 3:7, the apostle Peter reminds husbands that wives are heirs together with husbands.

Galatians 3:26-29 also explains that we “are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,” (v26) and that there is “neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (v28)

I started out this series by mentioning a military metaphor – we are born into a civil war between God and Satan.  But God didn’t leave us on this earth to fend for ourselves while we are here.  We give up somethings in our life and God gives us a new life in exchange.  And we are preserved for an eternal life with Jesus.

Like I said before, following God is not a passive-participation decision. And we need to actively make decisions on a daily basis.

The Bible is our field manual for surviving and thriving in this war.  God has given us all the weapons and tells us how to use them in His Word. That is for another post.

Please let me know your thoughts!

 

 

This is Part 4 in the series Salvation Through Christ – What We Get.  If you missed the first three  posts, you can find them at the links below.

Salvation Through Christ Part 1 – The Savior is the Root

Salvation Through Christ Part 2 -The Civil War Between God and Satan

Salvation Through Christ Part 3 – What We Give Up

 

 

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