The Hebrew and Greek words for salvation imply the ideas of deliverance, safety, preservation, healing, and soundness. Salvation is the great inclusive word of the Gospel gathering into itself all the redemptive acts and processes:
1. Justification - Declaration of righteousness.
2. Redemption - To buy back by paying a price.
3. Grace - God's favor to mankind without merit.
4. Propitiation - To actually care for sin and appease God's wrath
against sin.
5. Imputation - To reckon or put to the account of. Given or
imparted to.
6. Forgiveness - To absolve from sin and forget.
7. Sanctification - To set apart positionally and progressively in
behaviors.
8. Glorification - To perfectly conform the believer to God's moral
attributes in the future.
Salvation is in three tenses:
1. The believer has been saved from the guilt and the penalty of sin. Luke 7:50; I Cor. 1:18; II Cor. 2:15; Eph. 2:5,8; II Tim. 1:9.
2. The believer is being saved from the habit and domination of sin. Rom. 6:14; Phil. 1:19; 2:12,13; II Thess. 2:13; Rom. 8:2;
Gal. 2:19,20; II Cor. 3:18.
3. The believer will be saved in the sense of entire conformity to
Christ. Rom. 13:11; Heb. 10:36; I Peter 1:5; I John 3:2.
Salvation is by grace through faith, a free gift, and wholly without works. Rom. 3:27,28; 4:1-8; 6:23; Eph. 2:8. The divine order is first salvation then works. Eph. 2:8-10; Titus 3:5-8.
This is what the scriptures teach. Those who remain in sin, like Paul once said, were never part of us anyway. THEY WERE NEVER REALLY SAVED. If you aren't bearing at least some fruit you probably didn't really put your faith in Christ. Some people simply have an emotional high, whereby they make no real decision!
An illustration by Billy Graham has been adapted on the most important thing we need this new millennium. We have been saved by grace through faith. The apostle Paul emphatically states, "a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified." (Galatians 2:16).
Justification is a legal standing with God based upon Christ's death and resurrection and our faith in Him. The Greek word Paul uses, Daikyo, comes from Roman legal courts meaning to declare to be righteous or to pronounce righteous. Therefore, justification is the legal and formal acquittal from guilt by God who is the judge. It is the pronouncement of the sinner, who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, as righteous.
For example, let's imagine for a moment that a person, called “Mr. Goner” died tonight and stood before the Lord God, who is the Supreme Judge of the Universe. No doubt God would ask Mr. Goner, why should I let you into my heaven? You are a guilty sinner. How do you plead?"
Mr. Goner’s response would be, "I plead guilty, Your Honor." Then his advocate, Jesus Christ, who is standing there besides him, speaks up for him. He says, "Your Honor, it is true that Mr. Goner is a grievous sinner. He is guilty. However, Father, I died for him on the cross and rose from the dead. Mr. Goner has put his faith and trust in Me and all that I have done for Him on the Cross. He is a believer. I died for him, and he has accepted me as his substitute."
The Lord God turns to Mr. Goner and says, "Is that true?" Mr. Goner
will respond "Yes sir! That’s the truth. I am claiming the shed blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse me of all my sins. I have put my faith in Jesus to save me for all eternity. This is what you have promised in your Word. Jesus said, 'For God so loved the world (and this includes Mr. Goner), that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'” The Lord God
responds, "Acquitted! By order of this court I demand that you, Mr. Goner, be set free. The price has been paid by My Son." Conclusively, Mr. Goner gets to go home and live with the Judge!
Justification means that at the moment of salvation God sovereignly declares the believing sinner righteous in His sight. The believing sinner is declared to be righteous in His standing before God. From that moment on throughout life and through death, that sinner who has believed is now and forever right before God. God accepts him and the sinner stands acquitted of his sins.
A man is not justified by the works of the Law, but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified (Galatians 2:16)
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