The Mechanics of Salvation

What is Salvation? Salvation means to be saved from something — to be rescued, liberated, or freed from something.

Why is Salvation important to us? We are currently separated from God due to our sin nature.

How did sin come about and make us guilty before God?

Romans 5:12 teaches, "Wherefore, as by one man sin (Adam) entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."

Romans 5:19 teaches, "As by one man's disobedience (Adam) many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (Jesus Christ) shall many be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as (Adam) sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

John 3:3 tells us, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

A born-again Christian is someone who has repented of their sins, turned to Christ for salvation, and, as a result, has become part of God's family.

God tells us it's His mercy that saves us and not our works, as Titus 3:5 teaches, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

Isaiah 64:6 teaches, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags."

How is salvation accomplished? First, acknowledge you are a sinner before God and need our Lord and Savior to rescue you and free you from sin.

What is sin? Being disobedient or rebellious against God and His word, or an offense against God.

Romans 3:10 teaches, "As it is written: 'There is no one righteous, not even one.'"

Romans 3:23 teaches, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

1 John 1:8 teaches, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

Romans 6:23 teaches, "For the wages of sin are death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Now the Gift: Now we need God's help to be saved.

John 3:15–17 teaches, "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

Jesus is perfect and has never sinned. God uses Jesus' perfect righteousness for salvation.

2 Corinthians 5:21 teaches, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

That's why Jesus can say in John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

If you put your faith and trust in the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, God will impute Christ's perfect righteousness to your account.

What is Faith? Basically, it's taking God at His word.

Hebrews 11:1 teaches, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Hebrews 11:6 teaches, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

Faith has three components:

1. You have to hear the gospel.
2. You have to believe the gospel.
3. You have to trust the gospel — trust what the Scriptures teach about Christ's crucifixion.

The moment you trust this scripture, you are saved:

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 — "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."

Not by what you have done, but by what Christ has done for you.

Ephesians 2:8–9 teaches, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."