Salvation
In response to Nicodemus’s statement, salvation is said to be a spiritual birth, a birth from above without which one cannot enter the kingdom (John 3:1–11).
1 After dark one evening, a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus, a Pharisee, 2 came to speak with Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are proof enough that God is with you." 3 Jesus replied, "I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God." 4 "What do you mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother&s womb and be born again?" 5 Jesus replied, "The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. 7 So don&t be surprised at my statement that you must be born again. 8 Just as you can hear the wind but can&t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can&t explain how people are born of the Spirit." 9 "What do you mean?" Nicodemus asked. 10 Jesus replied, "You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don&t understand these things? 11 I assure you, I am telling you what we know and have seen, and yet you won&t believe us. NLT
Salvation means
death to and freedom from sin
Romans 6:2,7,11
2 Certainly not! How shall we who
died to sin live any longer in it? 7 For he who has died has been freed
from sin. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to
sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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a new perspective that transcends the human point of view and participation in a new creation
Romans 5:16-17
16 And the gift is not like that
which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from
one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from
many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man's offense
death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of
grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the
One, Jesus Christ.
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peace with God
Romans 5:1
Therefore, having been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
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life as adopted children of God’s
Galatians 4:4
But when the fullness of the time
had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
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baptism into Christ’s death
Romans 6:4
Therefore we were buried with Him through
baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the
glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
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and the reception of the Holy Spirit
Romans 5:5
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because
the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who
was given to us. NKJV
Romans 8:9
9 But you are not in the flesh but in
the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does
not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. NKJV
Salvation is the most common biblical expression used to identify the subjective changes in people’s lives, when by faith they have received the benefit of the Christ’s death and resurrection. The term implies deliverance, safety, preservation, healing, and soundness. It occurs in Scripture in three phases.
First, in “past salvation” the Christian has been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin
Acts 16:31
So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."
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Ephesians 2:5
even when we were dead in trespasses,
made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
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Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
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Second, the Christian is being saved from the habit and dominion of sin in this life. This is “present salvation”
Romans 8:13
For if you live according to the flesh
you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.
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Galatians 2:19-20
19 For I through the law died
to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ;
it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which
I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave Himself for me.
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Philippians 2:12
Therefore, my beloved, as you have
always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence,
work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
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Finally, "future salvation" will be when the Lord returns, the Christian will be saved from all the physical results of sin and of God’s curse on the world
Romans 8:18-23
18 For I consider that the sufferings
of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation
eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation
was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected
it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from
the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of
God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth
pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits
of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting
for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
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Romans 13:11
And do this, knowing the time, that
now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer
than when we first believed.
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Titus 2:12-13
12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness
and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the
present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of
our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
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Salvation releases into our lives the overcoming power of Christ’s newness of life
Romans 6:4
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death,
that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
even so we also should walk in newness of life.
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and allows us a foretaste of our future life as His children
2 Corinthians 1:22
who also has sealed us and given
us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
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Ephesians 1:14
who is the guarantee of our inheritance
until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His
glory.
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One day our experience of salvation will be complete when Christ returns
Hebrews 9:28
so Christ was offered once to bear
the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second
time, apart from sin, for salvation.
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and the kingdom of God is fully revealed
Matthew 13:41-43
41 The Son of Man will send out
His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend,
and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace
of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous
will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has
ears to hear, let him hear!
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