Christians Equipping Christians
First we must start by defining salvation itself. The bible speaks of salvation in three tenses: 'I have been saved', 'I am being saved' and 'I will be saved.' To sort these three tenses out we will use more specific terms:
Justification: declared/imputed holy in substance (past)
Sanctification: made increasingly holy in action and heart (present)
Glorification: finally and fully redeemed into total holiness (future)
Lets look at Paul's letter to the Romans to answer some questions concerning salvation. Some major points we see repeated are:
1. Justification is by grace alone, a free gift of God.
(Romans 3:24) and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
(Romans 4:16) Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
(Romans 5:2) through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
(Romans 5:15) But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!
(Romans 5:16) Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.
(Romans 5:17) For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
(Romans 5:20) The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
(Romans 5:21) so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Romans 6:23) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2. Justification comes only by way of reliant faith/belief on Jesus Christ,
(Romans 1:16) I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God
for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
(Romans 1:17) For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
(Romans 3:22) This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
(Romans 3:26) he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
(Romans 3:28) For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.
(Romans 3:30) since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
(Romans 4:3) What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
(Romans 4:5) However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
(Romans 4:7) "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
(Romans 4:8) Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
(Romans 4:9) Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.
(Romans 4:11) And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, heirs the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
(Romans 4:13) It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
(Romans 4:16) Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
(Romans 4:22) This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."
(Romans 5:1) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
(Romans 9:33) As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
(Romans 10:4) Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
(Romans 10:6) But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' " (that is, to bring Christ down)
(Romans 10:9) That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
(Romans 10:10) For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
(Romans 10:11) As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
(Romans 10:13) for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
(Romans 11:22) Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
a. not personal good works
(Romans 4:5) However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
(Romans 10:20) And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me."
(Romans 11:6) And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
b. nor following the law(s)
(Romans 3:20) Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by
observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
(Romans 3:21) But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
(Romans 3:28) For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.
c. nor personal righteousness
(Romans 5:6) You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
(Romans 5:8) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(Romans 5:10) For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
(Romans 9:11) Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in election might stand:
(Romans 9:16) It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.
(Romans 10:3) Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.
3. True Godly Righteousness comes only from reliant faith in Him
(Romans 9:30) What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
(Romans 9:32) Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone."
4. All fall short of obtaining sufficient righteousness for self-justification
(Romans 5:6) You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
(Romans 11:32) For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
5. There is no place for pride, boasting, or thinking better of ourselves.
(Romans 2:1) You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
(Romans 2:2) Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.
(Romans 2:5) But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
(Romans 3:9) What shall we conclude then? Are we any better ? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.
(Romans 3:10) As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;
(Romans 3:11) there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
(Romans 3:12) All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
(Romans 3:13) "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips."
(Romans 3:14) "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
(Romans 3:15) "Their feet are swift to shed blood;
(Romans 3:16) ruin and misery mark their ways,
(Romans 3:17) and the way of peace they do not know."
(Romans 3:18) "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
(Romans 3:19) Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
(Romans 3:23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
** Those who are able to rely totally on Him for righteousness / justification would appear to have 'saving faith.' (which is a gift not a work) **
(Ephesians 2:8) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--
the only mention of the possibility of losing justification was for those who become too puffed up in their pride that they leave behind their reliance on God for justification.
(Romans 8:1) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
(Romans 8:35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
(Romans 8:39) neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Other verses seem to indicate that even this would be impossible
(Romans 11:29) for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
Now as far as ongoing SANCTIFICATION (growing in Godliness, manifestation of eternal life) is concerned, Paul comments on the ongoing war between the flesh (unredeemed part of our inner nature) and our spirit (redeemed part of our inner nature,) between the inner desire to do evil and good, to live for self alone or God and others.
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This warfare obviously continues even though a person is justified and failure here does not make one lose their past justification (which was not obtained by personal righteousness anyways) but does effect the amount of God's life that is being manifest in your life.
(Romans 2:7) To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.
(Romans 6:22) But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
(Romans 8:29) For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
The admonishment is
1) to devote our whole selves to God & doing good, out of a pure heart of love
(Romans 6:13) Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
(Romans 6:19) I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
(Romans 12:1) Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
(Romans 14:8) If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the
Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
(Romans 14:15) If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.
(Romans 15:2) Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
2) to give no room whatsoever to the desire to be selfishly selfish
(Romans 8:13) For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,
(Romans 12:14) Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
3) to resist all forms of pride and high-mindedness
(Romans 12:3) For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
(Romans 12:16) Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be
willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
(Romans 14:3) The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.
(Romans 14:10) You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
4) instead to rely on God to make you holy and give Him all the credit
(Romans 9:29) It is just as Isaiah said previously: "Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah."
(Romans 10:6) But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' " (that is, to bring Christ down)
(Romans 10:7) "or 'Who will descend into the deep?' " (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
(Romans 11:5) So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
(Romans 11:18) do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
5) focus your mind on the things of the Spirit & be led by Him
(Romans 8:4) in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
(Romans 8:5) Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
(Romans 8:14) because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Paul also speaks of a future salvation in which even our dying body will be redeemed and our inner tendency towards evil completely erased.
(Romans 8:18) I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
(Romans 8:19) The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.
(Romans 8:20) For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
(Romans 8:23) Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the
redemption of our bodies.
(Romans 9:23) What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory--
obviously many of these verses can be used for more than one point.
other letters in the bible contain even more proof verses.
Christians Equipping Christians