What Is Biblical Christian Salvation?

#Salvation
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What does the Bible teach about salvation? Must we be good persons and do good deeds to earn God’s acceptance and Heaven? How good do you have to be? Can we become morally perfect? What is the Christian life like or supposed to be? Is being a Christian keeping a set of rules? If I become a Christian, can I lose faith and go to Hell? What is Heaven like? These and other important questions I will answer in three biblical words--justification, santification, glorification.

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Justification—Counted Just, Accepted and Forgiven from All Our Guilt and the Penalty of Sin

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The only purgatory taught in the Bible is that the Lord Jesus purged all our sins on the cross. If Jesus is not a full and sufficient Savior, he’s no Savior at all. If we depend even 1% upon our good deeds, we deny Jesus alone is the Savior of sinners. We never become morally perfect, or sinless in this life, but God cleans us up inside the moment we put faith in the Savior. Peter the chief apostle, called the first pope, says so most clearly several times.

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“Redeemed . . . with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot . . . so that your faith and hope are in God (1 Pet. 1:18-21). Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we; having died to sins, might live for righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24). Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh (1 Pet. 1:18).” Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31).

Peter says it’s all about what Christ did, not what we try to do no matter how good..
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The apostle Paul agrees in many passages that we’re morally weak, enemies of God, under God’s wrath and cannot keep God’s moral laws—613 in O.T. and 650 in N.T. We can’t even know them, much less keep them. So it’s only through Jesus’ death of the just for the unjust that we’re counted right with God. It’s Christ’s righteousness, not ours that God counts us right as a legal transaction. See Romans 4:1-8; 5:6-9; 7:18-19; 8:1-8; 11:6; 2 Cor. 5:19.
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Humanity, before God, is corrupt in every part of our being—conscience, thought, feelings, will. But God is morally perfect so that apart from Christ we’re unacceptable to a perfect God and unfit for a perfect Heaven. Once saved by grace through faith in Christ, God enables us to do good works acceptable to him that will be rewarded in Heaven (Ephesians 2:8-10; Revelation 22:12).
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Sanctification—Progressive Deliverance from the Power of Sin
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The act of faith in Christ sets us apart for God’s service; no church makes us saints. Paul calls those in Christ saints, even those in the low moral Corinthian church (1 Cor. 1:2). But we then progress or grow in our love-trust relationship with Christ. We are to become more like Jesus our example--holy, mature, complete. Becoming a Christian makes us new creations (2 Cor. 5:17), and born of the Holy Spirit (John 3:7), but we still are human beings with human limitations, faults, failures and sins. This is why people sometimes think more highly of non-Christians of a better background. We never become perfect until glorified--those who think they do, need to check out what the Bible says about sin (Rom. 1) and forgiveness (1 John 1:8-10).

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The Christian will always struggle to achieve victory over the world (1 John 5:4), the flesh (Romans 7:24-25), the devil (James 4:7; Ephesians 6:10-12). Romans chapter 6 tells us how to have victory. We will be slaves either to sin or to God. So we are to consider ourselves in Christ as dead to sin and to yield ourselves to God as his slaves.We are to continually focus on Christ and his love.
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It is a super difficult unending struggle and we will have setbacks. But it is possible with our daily yielding to the Lord and with humble confession and cleansing. Christians can be free from gossip, pride, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, idolatry, gambling, ungodly sex (1 John 4:4; 5:4-5). God can forgive all sins, except rejection of God in Christ (Mark 3:28-29; John 16:8-10; 1 John 2:22-23).

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Is God a killjoy imposing numerous rules to spoil our fun? Children see much that parents forbid as their being mean and spoiling their fun. They don’t understand parents forbid things to protect their safety and instruct them in wise behavior. Teens think smoking, partying in drugs, alcohol, sex and the like shows they’re mature and makes them popular. It’s momentary pleasure that brings long-term pain and slavery. Our wise Creator and loving Savior wants to save us from unnecessary harm. We regard his rules burdensome when we fail to understand and to respond to him in a love-trust relationship. Jesus said our love for him is shown in our obedience. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Jesus summed all God’s laws as simply love for God and love for man (Matt. 22:37-39).   
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What are the aids to spiritual growth in our love-trust relationship with our Lord? Diligent study of God’s Word is vital. We must know God’s will in order to do it (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 1 Thess. 2:13). Prayer according to God’s will in all its aspects—confession, thanksgiving, praise, intercession, petition, (Eph. 6:18; James 5:16). Fellowship with other believers in the body of Christ helps and encourages us (Heb. 10:24-25). Boldly and lovingly sharing our faith in the Lord and Savior is the best thing we can do for others (Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:18).

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Can persons who trust in the Savior finally be lost? I graciously respect a person’s right to differ, but Scripture is definite and clear that God keeps true believers in faith. John 5:24 couldn’t be clearer that at the moment of faith one receives unending life and will never be condemned. Salvation is God’s gift we can’t earn and God can’t take back (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 11:29). Jesus is with us always (Jn. 28:20). We can never perish or anyone take us from God’s hand (Jn. 10: 28-29) and nothing can separate us from God’s love (Rom. 8:35-38).
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We’re born from above once--not repeatedly--and sealed with the Holy Spirit who guarantees our redemption (Jn. 3:7; Rom. 8:16; Eph. 1:13-14). From our calling to glorification is all one inseparable package (Rom. 8:28-30). Doesn’t wisdom dictate we accept clear definite passages over unclear and ambiguous ones that are better explained as applying to other situations? And those who fall away John says were never true believers in the first place (1 John 2:19). Some profess Christ who don’t possess him or have only a head-knowledge.

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But doesn’t security in Christ encourage immorality? Paul says no and that we’re slaves either to sin or to God depending on whom we present ourselves to obey (Rom. 6). Sinning causes us to lose heavenly rewards (1 Cor. 3:10-15). Sinning causes us to be disciplined of the Lord as his true children even to the point of physical death (Heb. 12:5-11; 1 Cor. 11:29-30). Sinning causes us to lose the peace, love, joy and fruit we show in relationship with the Lord (John 15; 1-11; Gal. 5:16-25).  All these statements seem definite and clear to me.

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Glorification—Given a New Body, Home and Saved from the Presence of Sin

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We naturally have many questions Scripture doesn’t answer and mentions details whose meaning is uncertain. But Christians are not as those who have no hope (soulless dirt, recycled energy, or demon worshipers). “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us . . . the sons of God (Romans 8:18-19).”

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Heaven is a real place, not just a state of mind. Jesus said he would go to prepare a place for believers in him (John 12:1-2; 1 John 2:22-23). Let’s look at a list of things no longer present in the new Heaven and earth and another list of things that will be present. See 1 Cor. 15; Rev. 21; 22; Luke 20:35-36; 1 John 3:2.

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In the new Heaven and earth there will be no sin, curse, sun, moon, night, oceans, tears, sorrow, pain, death, marriage, imperfection. Apparently the whole universe and earth will be renovated (2 Peter 3:12-13; Rev. 21-22).

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But in the new Heaven and earth there will be places Jesus prepared for believers, new bodies, everlasting service, a tree of life, river of life, overflowing joy, reunion with saved loved ones and friends, a place of indescribable beauty, rest from life’s struggles, love, rewards, angels, the Trinity, seeing God face-to-face, worship, and perfect knowledge. Certainly, a Creator who is all-loving, knowing, wise, powerful and desires that people be saved from sin and Hell can provide a Heaven for those who trust in him.

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Further Questions about Heaven
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Doesn’t Matthew 7:13-14 seem to say few persons will be in Heaven? Jesus may be referring to conditions of the world at that time. The gospel was then unknown. Many families have babies and young children who die but go to Heaven. If there will be a literal millennium, there could be billions of saved persons. See Rev. 7:9; 20:1-6. Certainly the dimensions given of the new Heaven and earth make plenty of room for billions of persons. And God is glorified in our loving trust in Him.

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Will everyone be equally blessed? Fully blessed but not equally blessed. Persons who loved and served the Lord more will enjoy him more. See 1Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10. Our cups will be full but apparently come in different sizes so to speak. John 10:10.

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Is the Christian Heaven like the Paradise of Islam? Serious contrasts exist between the two.  (1) The Christian God and Allah is not the same God so doesn’t provide the same Paradise. Christians believe God is one essence revealed in three Persons who can address each other as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That’s blasphemy with Allah. (2) The Bible’s God is morally perfect allowing no sin into Heaven. But Allah allows persons into his paradise who do more good deeds than evil deeds—imagine what his Paradise will become. (3) The Bible God has love for sinners even giving his human life to save them while Allah is a remote Lawgiver too good to mix with sinners and even hates them. (4) The Bible’s Heaven is mainly perfect relationships with God and man while Allah’s Paradise is sensual delight of drink, food, and sex of many women for each man. (5) The Bible's God assures us of Heaven, Allah assures no one of paradise unless perhaps Muslims die killing unbelievers.  

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Why Should We Believe Jesus Is the Only Way to Heaven? Unlike other religions, Jesus claimed to be God and fulfilled ancient detailed prophecies of the Jew’s Messiah predicted to be God (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; 53; Micah 5:2; Psalm16:10). Unlike other religions, also Jesus proved the claims true. He walked on water, immediately healed various diseases, and raised the dead. What greater proofs of God can there be? Bible miracles were recorded not by adoring disciples centuries later as in other religions but by martyrs within a few decades.

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Isn’t salvation in Christ the best thing that can happen to us, and telling others the best thing we can do for others? Now if you have not put trust in the Savior of us sinners, the God-man, humbly pray: Lord, I trust YOU now and forever as paying for all my sins on the cross to make me clean, forgiven, holy in your sight. Help me now Lord to live for you untill I go to be with you in Heaven. Thank you Lord. 
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Christian brother/sister now pray and trust God to use you as His GOOD NEWS MESSENGER over the WWW. Download these articles and send them worldwide and in other languages. Show the devil, and the evil world you are God's person with new life. God bless.

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For Christian growth I recommend for English speakers the outstanding Life Application Study Bible large print with itrs New Living Translation. And for pastors Warren W. Wiersbe’s The Bible Exposition Commentary.

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