The first thing that likely comes to the mind of most Christians is: salvation is about eternal life, making heaven our home, rather than going to a place of torment called hell, where we would be eternally separated from God.
That is the end result, but the path that leads to eternal life includes many opportunities to exercise our faith. God’s plan of salvation includes many trials and tests that will make us ready to spend eternity with Him.
Salvation can be viewed as both a finished work of Christ and an ongoing process that we walk out during our entire lives here on this earth. The two are interconnected, in that, we must respond to what Jesus Christ completed through His death on the cross before we will benefit from it. God is not willing that any should perish or be banished from His presence. (See John 3:16 & 2 Peter 3:9). God’s part in our salvation has been completed long ago; now His church must spread the message and those who hear must respond to be saved. Though God is not willing that any should perish, He will not override the individual will of man. Salvation is available to whoever is willing to believe and receive. (See Acts 16:31 & Revelation 22:17)
Salvation is truly a work of God: there is nothing we can do to earn or deserve it, yet we must respond in obedience to His will. In this age of grace, our salvation is a matter of entering into Christ, as partakers of the New Covenant. We must respond to His warning of judgment and promise of blessing. God made a covenant with Noah and he responded in obedience, built an ark and became a preacher of righteousness, warning the people of the judgment that was to come. Entering into the ark was a type of entering into salvation in Christ.
Because of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants, Lot and his family were declared righteous and escaped the judgment that came upon the wicked city of Sodom.
2 Peter 2:4-7 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked NKJV
2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment. NKJV
Salvation, for the Israelite slaves in Egypt, was also a matter of responding with obedience. They were saved from the judgment that God released upon the first born of the land, including their livestock. Israel was instructed to kill a lamb and put its blood above and on the sides of the doorway to each of their houses. They were to stay in their houses, eating roast lamb. When the Lord saw the blood, He passed over their homes and did not smite them with the plague that came on all Egypt. Salvation, for them, was remaining in their houses under the covering of the blood, partaking of roast lamb. As they prepared to head out of Egypt, the scripture says that there was not one feeble person among them: their bodies were also healed.
Our salvation, today, parallels their experience of coming out of Egypt. We must remain in Christ, trusting His blood to cleanse us and keep us from the judgment that will come on the wicked. Our salvation includes saving the soul, deliverance from slavery to sin, judgment on our enemies, and the healing of our bodies.
As God led Moses and the children of Israel out of Egypt, they came upon the Red Sea and noticed that Pharaoh had sent his armies in pursuit of them. They had no apparent way of escape so they began to cry out in fear and complained to Moses. God was not taken by surprise, as if He had to quickly come up with a plan, but He led them that way to show His might on their behalf.
Ex 14:13-14 And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." NKJV
God told Moses to stretch forth his rod over the sea and the waters parted before them. After the Israelites had passed through the sea on dry ground, the armies of Pharaoh continued, following them into the parted water. Then the Lord commanded Moses to, again, stretch forth his rod and the water returned to normal, covering over every last one of them. (See Exodus 14) In this we see that salvation includes deliverance from our enemies and all those who desire to enslave God’s people. He has buried our sins in the deepest sea. (See Micah 7:19)
Ex 14:30-31 So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses. NKJV
The people then responded to their salvation with joy and singing. Exodus 15 records the song of Moses and the song of Miriam.
Water baptism is an important element in our salvation. The children of Israel were, in a sense, baptized in the sea and left behind those who had kept them in slavery. Baptism for us is, figuratively, burying, or we could say drowning, the part of us that yields to the slavery of sin. Without that experience, our flesh is more likely to be hounded by the appeal of sin. Water baptism is typical of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. If we truly want to be raised with Him, and walk in the newness of life, we must first be buried with Him. Though water baptism does not literally save us, doing so is an important response to His command. It is a testimony and a declaration to all, including our enemies.
Rom 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. NKJV
Our salvation in Christ is to be experienced now in this life and forever.
Acts 17:28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' NKJV
Romans 12:5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. NKJV
Salvation is a continuing work and requires that we remain yielded to the leadership of Christ. Our salvation is best preserved through joy and a thankful heart.
Rom 1:21-22
21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.NKJV
Heb 3:14-15 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:" Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." NKJV
This rebellion spoken of refers to the unbelief and continual complaining against God and Moses concerning the conditions they had to face in the wilderness. They so quickly forgot about their mighty deliverance from slavery in Egypt and continually focused on their present conditions, disregarding all the promises of God. After watching Pharaoh’s army drown in the sea, they began to sing for joy, but no sooner than they ran into another challenge, they began to moan and complain. God was leading them to a land that flowed with milk and honey, to a place where they would have rest from slavery and all their enemies. Because of their complaints and unbelief, God became angry with that generation.
Heb 3:7-11 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. 10 Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, 'They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.' 11 So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'" NKJV
These scriptures apply to us today in a spiritual sense. Our promised land of rest and peace is in Christ and His Kingdom. Everything God has promised us is realized in His Son. We are partakers of His Spirit and we are joint-heirs with Him. (See Romans 8)
1 John 5:10-12 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. NKJV
We are admonished in the scripture, not to loose heart and complain when we come into challenging circumstances but to remain thankful for what God has brought us through: to stand fast and see the salvation of the Lord.
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