The Light Wins
2 months ago
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
salvation
since this is my first blog, i decided to start with the basics. this blog will allow you to get a glimpse of my core beliefs. this is summarized, but i think i covered the most important points related to salvation according to the Bible.
Sin originated in heaven with Lucifer coveting the status of God (Isa. 14:13-14). However, sin did not affect the Earth until Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:5-6). From this point on Adam and Eve were doomed to die because God said if they ate the forbidden fruit they would die (Gen. 2:17).
We can see that sin is a legal problem, because its wages is death (Romans 6:23). However, sin is also a relational problem because it separates us from God, this is why Adam and Eve hid from God (Gen. 3:8), and now we can no longer face God for our sins hide His face from us (Isa. 59:2). Finally sin is also a governmental problem since sin is rebellion against God and His government, against His laws (1 John 3:4), therefore "he who sins is of the devil" (1 John 3:8), for the reason that the devil claimed that God was an unjust ruler, and that it was impossible to keep His laws.
Due to the first two humans sinning we are condemned to die for "in Adam all die" (1Cor.15:22), because that was the consequence of eating of the fruit from the forbidden tree. Because Adam plunged humanity into rebellion against God and His government, we are predisposed to disobey God's laws from birth (Ps. 51:5). This is why we face the struggle mentioned in Romans 7:21-25. Though we are not born guilty of sin, we are born with a tendency to sin, that is to disobey God rather then obey Him.
Thankfully, God has a solution for this problem, Jesus is the solution.
The same way that all of humanity was doomed to die in Adam, in Jesus we can all be saved (1Cor.21-22). Not meaning that we were physically or spiritually inside of Jesus, but rather that He paid the wages of sin, He died for us, that is, in our place.
God has to punish sin in order to save His government. Sending Jesus to die for us is how God chose to save us without encouraging more rebellion. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
In order to understand how salvation works, we must understand the Sanctuary. The sinner comes voluntarily to the sanctuary, confesses his sins while laying his hands on the head of the lamb transferring his sins to the innocent lamb (Lev 4:4,24). Thus the sinner is separated from the sin, an exchange is made, and the lamb is sacrificed fulfilling the penalty for sin. The sacrificial substitute must die in the sinner's place, then the sinner must depend on the priest who represents the sinner, to complete the process (Lev.4-5).
We are the sinners, and Christ is the Lamb, who died for our sins, and the Priest who makes the atonement (Heb.4:15; 7; 9:7,15), thus the law is fulfilled.
Even though the price was paid for sin and the legal part has been taken care of, we need have to have faith in order to be saved (Eph.2:8).
According to John 3:16, whosoever believes (has faith) in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. However, it is not just any faith, we must have faith in God (Mark 11:32), and a faith that works outwardly (James 2:14). We must have a practical faith that does what God wills despite our feelings or thoughts (Heb.11).
This is the subjective part, this is what affects our personal lives, we must practice righteousness (1 John 3:7, 1 Tim 6:11-12), salvation is a real experience. Nevertheless, there is a future part to salvation, when we are taken heaven, where God has prepared new homes for us (John 14:1-3, Rev. 1:6; 21:4; 22:12).
Sin originated in heaven with Lucifer coveting the status of God (Isa. 14:13-14). However, sin did not affect the Earth until Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:5-6). From this point on Adam and Eve were doomed to die because God said if they ate the forbidden fruit they would die (Gen. 2:17).
We can see that sin is a legal problem, because its wages is death (Romans 6:23). However, sin is also a relational problem because it separates us from God, this is why Adam and Eve hid from God (Gen. 3:8), and now we can no longer face God for our sins hide His face from us (Isa. 59:2). Finally sin is also a governmental problem since sin is rebellion against God and His government, against His laws (1 John 3:4), therefore "he who sins is of the devil" (1 John 3:8), for the reason that the devil claimed that God was an unjust ruler, and that it was impossible to keep His laws.
Due to the first two humans sinning we are condemned to die for "in Adam all die" (1Cor.15:22), because that was the consequence of eating of the fruit from the forbidden tree. Because Adam plunged humanity into rebellion against God and His government, we are predisposed to disobey God's laws from birth (Ps. 51:5). This is why we face the struggle mentioned in Romans 7:21-25. Though we are not born guilty of sin, we are born with a tendency to sin, that is to disobey God rather then obey Him.
Thankfully, God has a solution for this problem, Jesus is the solution.
The same way that all of humanity was doomed to die in Adam, in Jesus we can all be saved (1Cor.21-22). Not meaning that we were physically or spiritually inside of Jesus, but rather that He paid the wages of sin, He died for us, that is, in our place.
God has to punish sin in order to save His government. Sending Jesus to die for us is how God chose to save us without encouraging more rebellion. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
In order to understand how salvation works, we must understand the Sanctuary. The sinner comes voluntarily to the sanctuary, confesses his sins while laying his hands on the head of the lamb transferring his sins to the innocent lamb (Lev 4:4,24). Thus the sinner is separated from the sin, an exchange is made, and the lamb is sacrificed fulfilling the penalty for sin. The sacrificial substitute must die in the sinner's place, then the sinner must depend on the priest who represents the sinner, to complete the process (Lev.4-5).
We are the sinners, and Christ is the Lamb, who died for our sins, and the Priest who makes the atonement (Heb.4:15; 7; 9:7,15), thus the law is fulfilled.
Even though the price was paid for sin and the legal part has been taken care of, we need have to have faith in order to be saved (Eph.2:8).
According to John 3:16, whosoever believes (has faith) in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. However, it is not just any faith, we must have faith in God (Mark 11:32), and a faith that works outwardly (James 2:14). We must have a practical faith that does what God wills despite our feelings or thoughts (Heb.11).
This is the subjective part, this is what affects our personal lives, we must practice righteousness (1 John 3:7, 1 Tim 6:11-12), salvation is a real experience. Nevertheless, there is a future part to salvation, when we are taken heaven, where God has prepared new homes for us (John 14:1-3, Rev. 1:6; 21:4; 22:12).
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