SALVATION.  That's an easy one. That's the whole reason Christ died, to save you and I, but from what?  What exactly does SALVATION save us from and when do we receive this SALVATION? Let's take a moment to see what the Bible has to say about SALVATION!

 

Christ in Our Place

Romans 5:6- For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of SALVATION. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

 

It seems here that Salvation is the act of Christ dying on the cross for our sins. Through that act, we have become reconciled to God.  Reconciliation basically means to change sides from enemy to friend.  When we were sinners, we were enemies of God, but through SALVATION we have become His children whom He loves.  The verses above also explains that it is God's wrath we are being SAVED from.  What exactly is God's wrath and who is it for?

 

GOD'S WRATH

 

Romans 1:18- For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

 

GOD'S WRATH ON HIS ENEMIES

Nahum 1:2-15 God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; The Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies; The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way In the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, And dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, And the flower of Lebanon wilts. The mountains quake before Him, The hills melt, And the earth heaves at His presence, Yes, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, And the rocks are thrown down by Him.

The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, And darkness will pursue His enemies. What do you conspire against the Lord? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time. For while tangled like thorns, And while drunken like drunkards, They shall be devoured like stubble fully dried. From you comes forth one Who plots evil against the Lord, A wicked counselor. Thus says the Lord: “Though they are safe, and likewise many, Yet in this manner they will be cut down When he passes through.  Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more; For now I will break off his yoke from you, And burst your bonds apart.” The Lord has given a command concerning you: “Your name shall be perpetuated no longer. Out of the house of your gods I will cut off the carved image and the molded image. I will dig your grave, For you are vile.”

Behold, on the mountains The feet of him who brings good tidings, Who proclaims peace! O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, Perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off.

 

God's wrath is reserved for His enemies.  His enemies are those who are not SAVED and therefore considered unrighteous and ungodly. SALVATION is not only a thing promised to us now, but something Christ will come to do again in a physical way.  At the end of the tribulation that is to come, Christ will come down from heaven and SAVE us from our enemies. Then wrath will will be executed by our Lord and SAVIOR on all the unrighteous.  This is the time that we will be SAVED from.  This is the wrath of God that is mentioned above.  Not only are we SAVED from the wages of sin that is death, but we are SAVED from the day of wrath reserved for the wicked.

 

SALVATION TO ALL

 

So does SALVATION only come to those that are good enough to be SAVED?

 

Titus 2 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing SALVATION for all people,12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

 

Romans 5:6- For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be SAVED through him.

 

Luke 19:10- For the Son of Man came to seek and to SAVE the lost.”

 

God sent His Son to die for the sinners, the lost, the ungodly, the world and all people.  He didn't just come to bring salvation to the just, but the unjust.  He came to save sinners and horrible people... He had love for us even when we were His enemies that He sent His ONLY Son to be sin in place of our sin.  What an amazing kind of love is that? Do you have that kind of love for those that are against you?  Does this help you to understand the kind of love God tells us to have for one another?

 

SALVATION COMES TO THOSE THAT BELIEVE

 

So how do we receive this SALVATION?

 

Acts 16:29- And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be SAVED?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be SAVED, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

 

Romans 1:16- For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to SALVATION for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

 

Romans 10:8-10 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 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. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is SAVED.

 

Mark 16:15-16 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be SAVED, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

 

This last verse above is speaking of baptisim of the Holy Spirit which happens when you have faith and are SAVED.  Many people wonder if we need to be baptized by water to be truly SAVED, check out this article and this one for further clarification.

 

SALVATION comes purely from having faith in Jesus Christ who rose form the dead. That's it. Do you believe what Christ did on the cross?  Do you believe He rose again? If so, then you are able to receive SALVATION. 

 

SALVATION IS A GIFT FROM GOD

 

So is SALVATION something we can do on our own?

 

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been SAVED through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

 

Nope.  It is purely a gift from God.  There is nothing you can do to earn a gift or else it would be considered wages.  

 

Romans 4:1- What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?  2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

 

JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY

 

Can we receive SALVATION through anyone else or any other way?

 

Acts 4:11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 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.”

 

Hosea 13:4- But I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no SAVIOR.

 

Once again, no.  There is no other god, no other way, no other person who can SAVE us, only JESUS CHRIST.  You can't save yourself through works, just being spiritual won't save you, loving everyone won't save you, being good won't save you, beliving that there is a god won't save you.  It is by the name of JESUS CHRIST and believing He has come to redeem us from our sins and rose again after His death that saves us.  Why is believing He rose again so important?  Because this acknowledges that Jesus wasn't just a person, it confesses that He supernaturally lived again by the power of God.  

 

HELMET OF SALVATION

 

Our HELMET of SALVATION comes in when we know how we are SAVED and who SAVES us. By this SALVATION we can stay protected, knowing that our SAVIOR is within us and it is He who guards our minds from evil. The enemy may try to do everything he can to cause us to doubt, fear, and fall into temptaion, but when we have our HELMET securely guarding our mind, we can be assured that his attacks will be unsuccessful and we will come out alive.

 

1 Peter 1:3- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

 

This HELMET becomes especially useful during the end when times are more and more increasingly evil.  So many things will try to come against you and destroy your faith, but God just asks you to keep your HELMET secured tight and endure and you will be SAVED.  When we are facing tribulation and persecution, it is our HELMET that protects our mind. Knowing it refines us and that He is coming soon helps us to hold on and stay focused on Jesus. 

 

Matthew 10:21-22 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be SAVED.

 

Matthew 24:12-13 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be SAVED.