Join us today as Michael teaches part one on the Doctrine of Salvation–or, the big word, Soteriology.
This series was originally given to the faculty and students at Moody Bible Institute.
Show Notes:
The word “Saved” is a funny word. I have a daughter who played soccer for 14 seasons and I remember when they would “save” a goal. It’s just an odd word and becomes cliche when we add religious overtones. We aren’t real clear on what it means to be “saved.”
In the First Century, the word “saved” had two meanings:
- Saved from literal death
- Saved to eternal life
When we talk about being saved in the New Testament, we’re not only speaking about salvation from literal death, but about eternal life: that man does, in fact, have an opportunity to be saved from eternal death and separation.
Hence: The Doctrine of Salvation.
It seems to me that the Doctrine of Soteriology is the most important, greatest theme in all the Bible.
Soteriology comes from the Greek “Soteria”: “Soter” – the Savior; “Soteriology” – the study of salvation.
At the most basic definition we would think of salvation from something, but we need to elaborate: salvation to something.
We are being saved from and saved toward.
Where would you start if you had a blank sheet of paper and your Bible, where would you begin studying Salvation?
Depending on your background, there are a lot of terms involved – lots of synonyms for what it means to be saved:
- Adoption
- Assurance
- Atonement
- Baptism (in many traditions, baptism is sown into what it means to be saved)
- Election
- Eternal Security
- Justification
- Perseverance
- Redemption
- Reconciliation
- Repentance
- Regeneration
- Sanctification
These terms all fold into the idea of salvation.
The crucial piece is how, precisely, is a person saved?
“Man was created in the image of God but fell into sin, and, in that sense, is lost; this is true of all men, and except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God; salvation is by grace through faith in Christ who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree; the retribution of the wicked and unbelieving and the rewards of the righteous are everlasting, and as the reward is conscious, so is the retribution.” – Moody Bible Institute statement of beliefs, article IV
That phrase is full of many nuances of soteriology. It addresses man’s lost estate and need of salvation by faith through grace, and it also branches into an idea of retribution–Not only salvation, but what happens to those who are not saved.
There are a lot of pieces to this doctrine, and as we study, we must determine which are the crucial pieces that we are to hold onto and understand.
Why we believe what we believe about the Doctrine of Salvation is perhaps the most crucial piece we will ever own: to know how to explain why we believe what we believe about this Doctrine of Salvation.
Terminology in the Old Testament:
Exodus 14:13–ideas of deliverance and salvation folded into the end of Exodus.
The word “Salvation” here is “Yeshua” – the root of Yahshua which occurs 350 times in the OT
The Israelites were at a crossroads. The sea before them was death, the Egyptian army behind them was death, and unless God stepped in and saved–delivered–them, they were dead.
This kind of salvation is temporal. They’re only saved from context: fear, danger: “God, save me from this thing,” and God saves them, but they have to yet wait again for the next issue.
These are all shadows of salvation, postponement, until a greater salvation is needed.
This concept of the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt is found often in the Prophets and Psalms: Psalm 106, Hosea 13, Isaiah 43 and many others all point back to the Exodus: God delivered us.
The concept carries all through the Old Testament: God saved His people from their sin, parallel: bondage in Egypt to a new land of rest, both literal and spiritual–which they did not enter.
The haunt of that remembrance–the aroma of that first roasted lamb–would transfer all the way through Jewish generations of believers looking forward to salvation, men and women who loved God.
Terminology in the New Testament:
There are a number of fields of meaning to the Greek term Sozo (Salvation) prior to the time the New Testament is penned.
Sozo – to be saved from a peril.
If a physician cures you, outside the Greek New Testament, you are saved (sozo).
Keeping – as in keeping alive by being pardoned by the law. If you are in trouble legally, you have to be pardoned or somehow justice must be paid or you are going to be killed, if it’s a capital offense. In that sense, “saving” means to be kept alive by the law. Interesting use of this terminology outside of the Bible.
Uses
- Stories of healing – Jesus uses the term Salvation no less than sixteen times regarding healing. Both Soteria and Sozo: Luke 7:3
- Salvation from sin – Matthew 1:21 (Yeshua, Salvation) – beings saved from our sinful condition
- Salvation for the lost. Romans 10:1. We are to pray for the lost.
- Salvation from wrath. Romans 5:9 – back to the angel of wrath in the passover, those not under the blood will suffer. Salvation is not just from sin, it’s from wrath that’s going to accompany those who are still in their sinful state.
- We’re saved to something, and this is fun to study. We’re saved to a glorious future. Philippians 3:20-21.
Are you eagerly waiting for a Savior? God the Father through Christ has the power to take this thing and resurrect it, and by the exertion in His power, glorify it to a new state. - Salvation is of God. Revelation 12:10, Revelation 19:1
What are the issues, then and now, if why we believe what we believe about our salvation is crucial?
What issues are we going to face?
The corruption, attack, watering down of, and addition to the gospel. It has always been and always will be. It was in the first century in Paul’s writing. There is no surprise that the adulterating of the gospel exists today in our culture.
Two issues often arise: what role does works play in salvation, and how does a person know that he or she is eternally secure?
The assurance of salvation and understanding the eternal security in Christ positionally and literally–this is the wedge that has hammered the split of the church over and over. What role does works play? How does repentance work? Is repentance a work? How do you *know* if you’re saved?
Ephesians 2:8-9 are well known. Likely we can all quote it. Often verse 10 is forgotten: Ephesians 2:10.
It is a gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Grace is not simply undeserved favor. Grace is undeserved favor in the face of deserved wrath.
How do we embrace this?
“For by grace you have been saved through faith”
Faith is the means by which–the way we embrace–salvation.
In faith we say, “I trust You to do for me what I cannot do for myself.”
Grace through faith. It’s a gift of God, and the word is so profound – it’s something God gives! We can’t fix it, we can’t appropriate, we can’t earn it. It’s a gift.
I don’t know about you, but the last time someone gave me a birthday present, I didn’t pull out my wallet and say, “Can I reimburse you?” How silly.
Perhaps we make this too difficult sometimes: to be saved.
To have a relationship with Christ is to trust Christ to do for me what I cannot do for myself.
If someone gives you a gift, you accept it. You receive it. You trust that the person giving you that gift intended you to say, “thank you.” I mean at best send a thank-you note. You’re not going to send them a reimbursement check.
When Christ died in your place and mine, He provided us a gift. He provides that gift by means of grace, meaning we cannot find our way to God – God was good enough to come to us.
I often picture a set of scales in my mind. On one side would be the things I do right; on the other side, the things I do wrong. I think that’s human nature, for most of us at least–we do bad things and the scale tips to one angle, so we do some good things thinking we can compensate for the bad.
We try to balance so the good side is better than the bad. But it’s a false system. It’s a lie.
Christ died for you and offered you the gift of salvation. You and I respond in faith. We trust, we believe in Him that He’s granting us this free gift of eternal life.
How do we get it? Scripture says by faith.
We trust. We believe in what He’s done.
Back to that birthday gift you received. Likely, you said thank you, and then you enjoyed that gift.
Living the Christian life is just like that. It’s trusting in Christ to do for you what you cannot do for yourself.
You and I, by faith, appropriate that gift; and once you believe in Him, He gives you the gift of eternal life.
Have a Biblical or Theological Question? Ask Dr. E! Call us at 615-281-9694 and leave a voicemail with your question or email us at question@michaelincontext.com. Michael will answer it on an upcoming Ask Dr. E episode!