What do you base your salvation upon?
A proper and strong foundation is necessary to support what is built upon it. Whether it is an augment or a building, the strength of the foundation determines how well what is built upon it stands up to criticism. The Christian life is no different in this aspect. The foundation for your salvation is what determines the strength of your salvation. What are you basing your salvation upon?
In 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4 Paul reminds the believers in Corinth how they were saved. “For I delivered to you first that which I also received, that Christ died on behalf of our sins according to the scripture, and that he was buried, and that he raised on the third day according to the scripture.”
In verse 2 Paul states that this is the gospel through which you are saved. The word “through” has the idea of the agent by which something is done. We are saved by directing the faith that the Holy Spirit gives us, towards Christ, through this Gospel, Philippians 1:29; 1 Corinthians 3:5.
This is a solid foundation because your salvation depends upon what Christ has already done, not upon what you are or will do. Also, because we receive this salvation by faith through grace, it is not based upon works, but rather grace.
I am not using the word forgive here because I want you to understand the distinction between what happened in the Old Testament and what happens in the New Testament with sin. The blood of goats and bulls covered sin, in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, our sins are not covered up, they are sent away.
Grace is God’s attitude by which He provides a benefit without consideration of merit. In other words, you cannot earn grace because it is not given on the bases of your works. As a matter of fact, works and grace do not mix in any way, Romans 11:6.
Jesus had to die because it was His blood that provided a means for sin to be sent away. Hebrews 9:22… without the shedding of blood there is no sending away (of sins). Hebrews 9:28 Christ was delivered once for all concerning the sins of many. Without the shedding of Jesus’ blood for your sins, your sins would not be sent away. Because grace does not overlook sin, or the penalty, Christ’s death made it possible for God to express grace towards us. Grace does not look at the work or value of the one graced, however, that does not imply that grace must be shown to everyone. It would not be a righteous act by God to show you grace by ignoring your sins. The condemnation upon you had to be dealt with before grace could be given.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of accomplished deeds not seen, Hebrews 11:1
Faith gives hope substance; hope is based upon a promise, Romans 8:23, 24. Faith is therefore an expression of our trust in a promise that God has given us. Faith is not blind, it gives substance to our hope in a promise from God.
Faith in the blood of Christ is taking God at His word concerning Christ’s blood – that through the sacrifice of Christ, our sins are sent away.
Faith gives hope substance; hope is based upon a promise, Romans 8:23, 24. Faith is therefore an expression of our trust in a promise that God has given us. Faith is not blind, it gives substance to our hope in a promise from God.
Faith in the blood of Christ is taking God at His word concerning Christ’s blood – that through the sacrifice of Christ, our sins are sent away.
Christ’s death showed that God has been acting righteous towards sin, even when it appeared that He was overlooking sin, Romans 3:25, “Whom God set before, a propitiation (satisfaction) through faith in his blood, into the demonstration of His righteousness because of the passing over of sin previously committed.”
The resurrection is also a very important part of salvation. If you leave out the resurrection, you leave out the proof of our justification. Romans 4:24- 5:1, “but also because of us, those it is about to be imputed to, the one believing on the one having raised Jesus our Lord out from among dead men, who was delivered because of our trespasses and raised because of our justification. Therefore, having been justified by faith we have peace with God… .” Christ was raised because of our justification. The resurrection is proof that we are righteous before God.
Now, as if this is not enough proof already, God provides even stronger proof that our salvation is secure. Our salvation is guaranteed by the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13, 14 “In who also, having heard the word of true, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also you believed having been sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the earnest of your inheritance, until the full redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.”An earnest is a guarantee that you will receive the entire purchased item. We were purchased by the blood of Christ, Acts 20:28, and given the Holy Spirit as a guarantee to receive our full redemption. The Godhead cannot be divided. God cannot default on our salvation without losing His down payment, which is one of the members of the Godhead. This is the concept that God is expressing here. The foundation of your salvation is so solid that one of the members of the Godhead is the guarantee that you will receive full redemption.
“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not out from you, it (salvation by grace through faith) is a free gift from God, not out from works, in order that no one should boast,” Ephesians 2:8, 9
“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not out from you, it (salvation by grace through faith) is a free gift from God, not out from works, in order that no one should boast,” Ephesians 2:8, 9
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