Last week, we studied the basics of salvation. We saw that it is the free gift of God, made possible by Jesus’ death and resurrection, and available to everyone by faith. You don’t need to be a theologian or a highly religious person in order to be saved (see the example of the thief on the cross in Luke 23:39‐43). Even so it is worthwhile to dig deeper into the topic of salvation, both to guard ourselves from errors and to strengthen our hope of what is to come.
Misconceptions About Salvation
“He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does
not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the
name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
1 John 5:12‐13
The Bible describes salvation in very simple terms, yet there are still some common misconceptions.
Confusing the results with the cause. When a person comes to faith in Jesus, their life is bound to change. The Holy Spirit will begin making them more like Christ. They ought to obey the commands of Christ, such as being baptized as a sign of their faith. These things are the natural result of salvation, but they are not requirements in order to achieve salvation, which is “not as a result of works” (Ephesians 2:9).
Good deeds vs. bad deeds. Many people believe that you only get into Heaven if your good deeds outweigh your bad ones, despite the fact that this concept is nowhere in Scripture. This gives people the vague idea that they might be okay because they’ve lived a decent life. If you’re still holding on to this mentality, look up the Scripture references in Part 1 of this study. No one is good enough to make it on their own, and no one is bad enough that Jesus’ sacrifice cannot cover their sin.
The Old and New Testaments have conflicting versions of salvation. This myth stems from the idea that people in the Old Testament were saved by keeping the law. In truth, the law merely highlighted the need for salvation (Romans 3:19‐20); salvation has always come through faith (Hebrews 11). The only difference since the New Testament is that God has fully revealed His plan of redemption, which means that we are blessed with, and accountable for, a deeper knowledge of His grace.
Can I lose my salvation? People asking this question usually want to know if they can lose their salvation on accident by messing up really badly. The answer is no. God offered us forgiveness even though He knew about all our future sins, and those are also covered by the blood of Christ. Romans 8:38‐39 reassures us that nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus. (Also see John 10:28‐29.)
There are many roads to salvation. Scripture testifies that salvation is found in Christ alone (John 3:17‐18; Acts 4:12) and Jesus asserts that “no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). Even the Old Testament saints, though they didn’t have all the details, had faith in God’s mercy and grace for redemption. Now that God has revealed the full plan, we are all the more accountable.
The Redeemed Life
The most immediate facet of salvation is the part about being saved from judgement in Hell. That is certainly good news in and of itself, but that’s not where the Gospel ends. Salvation initiates a process of restoration to God’s original design. In that design, humans are meant to:
- Have a close, worshipful, and loving relationship with their Creator (Gen. 3:8 implies that God literally walked with man before the fall. See also Galatians 4:4‐7; 1 Cor. 1:9.)
- Interact with each other as members of a loving family (Mark 10:29‐30; John 13:34‐35)
- Always do what is right and pleasing to God (Matt. 5:48; Romans 12:1; Col. 1:9‐10)
- Undertake the challenging and rewarding work of managing the creation (Gen. 1:28; Eccl. 2:24)
- Live abundantly and eternally (John 3:16, 10:10)
In a Christian’s earthly lifespan, all of those points will be accomplished partially, but none of them fully. This process of spiritual maturing is known as sanctification, and it includes all of the learning, growing, struggling, suffering, and healing that makes us more like Christ. Chuck Swindoll writes, “the conversion of the soul is the miracle of a moment, but the making of a saint is the task of a lifetime.”
So why doesn’t God make His followers perfect the instant they believe? For one thing, we get to experience a unique perspective on God’s grace. When we stumble, His mercy is magnified. When we are victorious—even in our current imperfect state—the power of the Holy Spirit is shown in us. He leaves us weak so that we can experience His strength.
Another reason for our delayed perfection is that we get the chance to work, struggle, and fight for the right things, now that we know what those things are. Jesus promises to reward those who suffer for Him (Matt. 5:11‐12) and do good works in His name (Matt. 10:42). Our remaining earthly lives allow us time to store up treasure in Heaven (Matt. 6:19‐21). Such rewards are separate from and in addition to salvation (1 Cor. 3:12 -15).
For now, God has delivered us from the power of sin, but not from it’s influence. He has given us new spiritual life, but He has not yet removed physical death from the equation. Ultimately, it is God’s place to decide when and how we are finally made complete, and He has chosen the method that He knows will make us most like His Son.
Eternity: The Big Picture
The aspect of salvation that I find most exciting is the part that most Christians think and talk about the least: eternity. This is where it all comes together, where all the mysteries are revealed and where all the wrongs are righted (Rev. 21:4). The five components of God’s original design listed above are brought to fulfillment and the whole scope of God’s plan of redemption finally comes into view. God does not merely save random individuals for eternal preservation in a heavenly lounge room with fluffy cloud sofas; He is redeeming all of creation (Romans 8:19‐23), starting at the top with man and continuing until the very foundations of the earth have been remade in the last days (Rev. 21:1). This will not be a trivial remodel; the formation of the New Earth will be a scene to rival the original acts of creation, and every Christian will be there to see it. God’s people will likewise be new creations, given bodies like that of the risen Jesus, no longer subject to sickness or death or even temptation (1 Cor. 15:42‐55). Heaven and earth will be one in the same. Jesus Himself will be the king who rules the earth, not just in a spiritual sense, but in a literal, physical sense (Rev. 21:22‐22:5). The world will be perfect. Forever. That is the ultimate conclusion of the Gospel.
Digging Deeper
The concept of eternity in the new Heaven‐on‐Earth is far beyond the scope of this lesson. Fortunately, Randy Alcorn has written a book called Heaven which presents a powerful, insightful, and exhaustive look at our eternal home. It is highly recommended reading for anyone who wants to get a better grasp on the final result of salvation.
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