“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:3-4).
God, the Savior of mankind, desires for all to be saved. Clearly, the Bible is given for the very purpose of revealing God’s salvation for man. James wrote, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21). Paul stated of the gospel of Christ, “for it is the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). Consider three fundamentals concerning this salvation.
1. Christ-centered. Apart from the Messiah (Christ), one cannot be saved. Peter stated as recorded by Luke in the book of Acts, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The name, Jesus, means Savior, as Matthew wrote, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Any attempt to gain salvation apart from Christ is certain to fail. John wrote to the brethren concerning eternal life in Christ, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:11-13). While some may live a kind, moral life before his fellow man or even contribute great sums to benevolent causes, such does not save if Christ is not applied to life (cf. John 14:6).
2. Conditional. While God desires for all to be saved (cf. 1 Tim. 2:4), it is clear from the Bible that not all will be saved (cf. Matt. 7:13-14). Salvation in Christ is appropriated through the conditions set by the Lord to apply the blood of Christ and the grace of God. Meeting these conditions by no means earns one his salvation (cf. Eph. 2:9). However, faith must be joined to obedience to be saving faith (cf. James 2:14-26). This is why Paul wrote in the book of Romans concerning “the obedience of faith” (cf. Rom. 1:5; 16:26). One must have the truth of God’s word in order to have acceptable faith (cf. Rom. 10:17). That faith is expressed in repentance (cf. Rom. 2:4; 6:6), confession (cf. Rom. 10:9-10) and then baptism (cf. Rom. 6:3-5; 17-18). Thus being saved, one lives life not conforming to the world (cf. Rom. 12:2) but living unto God (cf. Rom. 6:10). Faithfulness is then the mainstay concept of life for the saved (cf. Rev. 2:10; 1 Cor. 4:2).
3. Conversion producing. The basic product of being saved is to be converted from a life of sin unto the Lord. Peter stated to certain Jews in Jerusalem, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). While the blotting out of sins is essential to being saved, that salvation would not come without being converted. The “new birth” of John 3:3, 5 is essential to entrance into heaven and such demands a change in the inner man. A study of those who obeyed the gospel would clearly show the conversion from a sinful lifestyle to a righteous one (cf. Saul of Tarsus; Acts 26:9; Gal. 2:20). Gratitude would exemplify it (cf. 1 Tim. 1:12).
Jimmy Clark