SALVATION
INTERACTIVE BIBLE STUDY

Study what the Scriptures teach about grace, sin, faith, forgiveness and how to obtain eternal life.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." Romans 1:16

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Salvation - Is it Possible?

There are many popular views of what salvation means today. People are asking serious questions, including:
  • Would God save someone as horrible as me?
  • Is it too hard to be as good as God requires?
  • Everyone will eventually be saved, no matter what they do, so why worry about it?
  • Does God really offer salvation as a free gift to all who believe?
Finding the answers to these questions in the Bible during this study, will provide the clarity needed to not only understand salvation, but experience it.




What is salvation?

The Hebrew words translated to "Salvation" are (derived from "Yasha"):
  • Yeshuwah = Saved, deliverance, aid, victory, health
  • Yesha = Liberty, deliverance, prosperity, safety
  • Teshuwah = Rescue, deliverance, help, safety, victory
The Greek words translated to "Salvation" are:
  • Soteria = Rescue, deliver, health, save
  • Soterion = Defender, defence
Jesus = Salvation
The name "Jesus" is translated from the Greek word "Iesous", which is of Hebrew origin from the word "Yehowshuwa" which is derived from "Yasha".
Salvation means to be delivered, rescued or saved. But saved from what?




What is salvation saving me from?

1
Matthew 1:21 - "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins."

Ezekiel 37:23 - "But I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God."
1
God saves us from sin by cleansing us. Sin is defined in the Bible as the transgression of the law (I John 3:4). Since all humans are sinners (Romans 3:20,23), then all humans are in need of a savior.
2
Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
2
Sin results in death. So, salvation also saves you from death. The death here referred is not the temporary death all humans experience (referred to as "a sleep" in the Bible - John 11:11-13, Acts 13:36, I Cor. 15:51, I Thes. 5:6), but to the second death (the eternal death or nonexistance - Ob. 1:16, Rev. 2:11 and Rev. 20).
Salvation saves you from sin and death




Will God Forgive Me?

1
Psalm 86:5 - "For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee."
1
God is ready to forgive you, no matter what horrible things you have done.
2
Jeremiah 31:34 - "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
2
God not only forgives you, but in the end even the remembrance of your sin will be gone.
3
I John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
3
You can count on God. If you confess, he will forgive you.
God will forgive anyone who is truly repentant.




Key to Salvation:
#1 - God's grace

1
Titus 2:11 - "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men."

Ephes. 2:8 - "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."
1
The Bible is clear that Salvation is available only through the grace of God (see also Acts 15:11). It is a gift. As such, you must accept it in order to receive it.
2
2 Cor. 9:15 - "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."
2
The gift of God's grace to us is described as unspeakable (indescribable)!
3
I Tim. 1:14 - "And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus."
3
...and God gives His grace abundantly.
The first key to salvation is to understand that it is possible only because God gives it to us, free of charge. There is nothing we can do to earn it. The entire process of saving us is God's work, enacted when we freely choose Him.




Key to Salvation:
#2 - Believe that Jesus is your savior

1
John 1:12 - "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."

Acts 16:31 - "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
1
Believing on His name means to believe in His authority and character. Jesus was proclaimed to be the Son of God, both divine and human, and it was shown that He did not sin. These things make Him, and only Him, able to save us.
2
Acts 4:10-12 - "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
2
It is important to believe the Jesus is your savior, because it is only because of Jesus that salvation is possible. Searching for it through any other means is futile.
To be saved, believe that Jesus is who He says He is and that He can save you!




Key to salvation:
#3 - Exercise faith in Christ's promises

1
Romans 3:28,31 - "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law...Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."

Romans 5:1 - "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
1
The Greek word translated into "Justified" means to render innocent. This is what Jesus does for a person when they accept Him. You are innocent because your sins are transferred to Christ, making you totally free and clean.
2
Romans 10:17 - "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

2 Tim. 3:15 - "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."
2
Faith comes through studying God's word. The keys to faith and salvation are contained in the Scriptures.




Key to Salvation:
#4 - Repent

1
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38
1
The word translated to "repent" means to think differently or to feel compunction (anxiety of conscience caused by doing wrong). Repenting means that you have recognized sin, are sorry about it and desire to abandon it.
2
"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Galatians 3:24).
2
Before sins can be repented, a person must recognize sin. We studied previously that sin is the transgression of the law. The law of God is like a mirror, enabling us to see our true condition. We can try as hard as possible, but by ourselves, we cannot overcome sin. This is what enables us to realize that we need a savior.
Accepting Christ includes a desire to leave sin behind and walk in a new life.




Key to salvation:
#5 - Be baptized with water and the Spirit

1
"I tell you the truth, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).
1
The scriptures teach that baptism by water should be experienced by all Christians (see also Mark 16:15-16, Acts 2:38-41). Once the foundational beliefs of Christ are understood and accepted, there should be no delay in a commitment to follow all of Christ's teachings and getting baptized (Acts 22:16, Acts 16:33, Acts 10:47-48).
2
"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Matt 6:4
2
Going down into the water during baptism, symbolizes being buried, or our old selves dying. The old self is the selfish and sinful creature. The new creature has its sins covered by Christ and is being transformed more and more into a loving, Christlike person. This is all accomplished in us by God.

Being under the water, symbolizes the washing away of sins in the life. Since Christ lived a perfect life, He is able to remove our sins from us and take them upon Himself.

Raising up out of the water, symbolizes a new life, where Christ transforms the character into His likeness. This is the work of the Holy Spirit within us, molding and influencing us as we submit wholly to Him.
3
"And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized" (John 3:23).
3
Baptizing in the new testament was done by total immersion under the water. This is abundantly clear from many texts that mention "much water" or "going down into the water" or "coming up out of the water". In addition, the Greek word translated to baptized, means to make whelmed or fully wet.

This symbolism of being fully immersed is important, because the whole self is given to God. No part may be withheld. This is also true when being baptized by the Spirit...the individual is FULLY submitted to the influence of the Holy spirit.
4
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers...Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Acts 2:41,42,47
4
Those who were baptized by the apostles were added to the group of believers. They were united in doctrine and regularly gathered together. Throughout the New Testament, believers are called the church. As part of baptism, it is important to become part of group of believers who believe as the apostles did. Being with fellow believers can also help a person grow and remain stedfast.
Baptism by water is the outward showing of your inward beliefs. Baptism by the Spirit is a full submission to the influence of the Holy Spirit.
See related Bible Study: Baptism (opens in a new window)




Key to Salvation:
#6 - Acknowledge Jesus to others

1
Romans 10:9 - "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

Matthew 10:32 - "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
1
The Greek word for "Confess" means to assent, acknowledge, profess, give thanks.
2
Romans 1:16 - "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth."
2
If you believe in Christ, you won't be ashamed to tell that fact to others.
3
Romans 14:11 - "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."
3
At the end of time, everyone will acknowledge Jesus (although not everyone will accept Him as their savior), so why not just do it now?
Being unashamed and willing to tell others about your belief in Jesus is something that occurs naturally, as a result of exercising faith. So, this is a good point on which to examine yourself to see if you have whole-heartedly submitted your life to Christ.




Key to salvation:
Step #7 - Continue growing

1
"...to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven" (Col. 1:22-23).
1
Salvation is a gift that you must continue to accept. It cannot be accepted and then discarded (see also John 15:6, Rev. 3:5, Rom. 11:22, I Cor. 9:27). God always gives free choice...Christians can choose to be lost just like sinners can choose to be saved.
2
(1 Corinthians 15:2 NIV) "By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain."
2
Accepting Christ means accepting His teachings. Venturing away from the teachings of the Bible, even if you still believe in Christ, is venturing away from salvation.
3
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephes. 4:13-15).
3
Improving your knowledge of Bible-based doctrines will help keep you from error and deception. Christ wants you to become spiritually mature (I Peter 2:2), perfected in character, and able to do His will on earth (Heb. 13:21, James 1:2-4).
4
"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ...for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-11
4
The Bible teaches that when Christ justifies you (cleanses you from committed sin), He also sanctifies you (transforms your character so that you don't want to sin). The ongoing process of character transformation is done by Christ in you, as you submit to it. If you continue exercising faith, your character will become more and more like Christ's, showing love to others (I John 3:23, 4:7-12, 5:2) and producing fruit (John 15:4, Gal. 5:22, Ephes. 5:9).
Growing spiritually, transforming your character, and manifesting the fruits of the Spirit, are results that follow true acceptance of Christ.




Benefit of salvation:
Knowing God

1
John 17:3 - "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent."
1
Through salvation, you receive the ultimate privilege of knowing God.
2
Isaiah 52:6 - "Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I."
2
You can be sure that you know God, if you recognize His voice (see also John 10:27).
3
I John 2:3-5 - "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."
3
You can be sure that you know God, by whether or not you keep His commandments (see also I John 3:24, I John 5:18-20).




Benefit of salvation: Being forever with God

1
Rev. 21:3 - "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."
1
Through salvation, you receive the incredible privilege of dwelling with God.
2
John 3:15 - "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."
2
You will live forever.
3
Romans 2:6-7 - "Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life."
3
The Greek word for "Honour" means to be valuable, esteemed highly, precious.
There are endles benefits of salvation.




What should I do if I have not yet accepted Christ's salvation?

We've learned many aspects of salvation during this study. To summarize, Jesus simply asks you to become friends with Him. Here are the steps that Christ asks each of us to take:
  1. Study His word (the Bible)
  2. Believe His word (exercise faith in His promises)
  3. Accept His word (apply His teachings to your own life)
  4. Be baptized (make a public statement)
Christ is already providing blessings and showing His love to you in countless ways. Now He asks you to acknowledge Him in return. The things He asks you to do are for your happiness, health and life itself.
Act now to take whatever steps are necessary to make this important decision.




What should I do if I have already accepted Christ's salvation?

Psalm 20:5 - "We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners."
Be happy! A new Christian will experience inner peace and joy, that they've never experienced before.
Lamentations 3:26 - "It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord."
Trust and wait carefully and patiently. Do not grow weary of doing good and following the Lord's will. Do not grow tired of growing up in Christ and continuing the transformation of your character. Do not give up because of afflictions and trial.
Romans 13:11 - "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."
Take action! This may include sharing the gospel, renewing your personal Bible study, helping others, or many other things that Christ might bring to your attention.
Hebrews 9:28 - "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."
Look for Him to appear again. Study the prophecies and know that the time is near. Learn from the Bible how to recognize false Christs and deceptions. A special blessing is pronounced on those who read and keep the words of prophecy (Rev. 1:3).
Rejoice and continue to grow. Continued growth shows that you continue to exercise faith in Christ.




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