This was a great couple week discussion on some central concepts to Christianity. Thanks for letting me share.
- What is Salvation, Justification and Adoption into God’s Family
The call to come to faith in Jesus Christ
1 Peter 2:9
1 Corinthians 1:9
1 Thessalonians 2:12
1 Peter 5:10
Romans 1:6-7
Galatians 5:13
The simple elements of a gospel call
All people have sinned – Romans 3:23
The penalty for sin is death – Romans 6:23
Jesus died to pay the penalty for my sin Romans 5:8
Matthew 11:28-30
Salvation requires knowledge, approval and trust
Justification – the act of God declaring me righteous because of my faith in Him
It is an instantaneous act in which he thinks of my sins as forgiven and declares me to be “just” or morally righteous in his sight.
Romans 3:26
Galatians 2:16
2 Corinthians 5:21
Justification through faith alone – Ephesians 2:8-9
Romans 8:1
Adoption
Because we are justified – legal term – by God only because of the work of Jesus – NOW we can be counted as in His family
John 1:12
Ephesians 2:2-3
Romans 8:15
1 John 3:2 - What are sanctification and perseverance?
Sanctification is the progressive work of both God and man that makes Christians more and more free from sin and more and more like Christ in their actual lives.
Romans 6:18 – set free from sin
Romans 6:11, 14 – Dead to sin and alive to God – sin has no more dominion over us
While we are on this journey, we will continue to sin
1 John 1:8, Ecclesiastes 7:20
Jesus told the disciples to pray about forgiveness of their sins Luke 11:4
Once we die and are in God’s presence in heaven, we are freed from sinning – Hebrews 12:23
But we are moving forward the whole time here on earth – 2 Corinthians 3:18, Philippians 3:13-14
Sanctification is primarily the work of God – 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Hebrews 13:20-21
Our sanctification through the Holy Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23
Our part – Romans 8:13, Philippians 2:12-13, Hebrews 12:14
Becoming a Christian is something that requires our involvement – the same is true for sanctification.
Several areas of our “working out our faith” that God honors:
Bible Reading – Ps 1:2, Matt 4:4, John 17:17
Prayer – Eph 6:18, Phil 4:6
Worship – Eph 5:18-20
Witnessing – Matt 28:19-20
Acts of mercy – Matt 23:23, James 1:27
Christian Fellowship – Heb 10:24-25
Self Discipline or self-control – Gal 5:23, Titus 1:8
What if someone says they’re a Christian but seems to “fall away” from their faith or at least not actively practicing it?
The people who persevere to the end are truly Christians – John 6:38-40
Jesus says in this passage that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life, He will raise up that person at the last day, and it is God’s will that He loses nothing that God has given to Him.
John 10:27-29 – no one will snatch them out of my hand and they will never perish
Ephesians 1:13-14 – the Holy Spirit is our “seal”
An evidence of genuine faith is that we will continue to believe and obey what Jesus said and commanded to the end – persevere – John 8:31
Colossians 1:22-23
True Christians will fight against sin through faith and repentance their entire lives – not just give up and walk away from God and their faith in Jesus to live in sin all the time
Hebrews 3:14 – hold my original confidence firm to the end.
We not only have our salvation as a reference point for our true relationship with Christ – but we also have His ongoing work of sanctification in us as a mark we really belong to Him.
1 John 4:13, 1 John 2:4-6, 2 Peter 1:5-8
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