I believe in Yahweh, the Lord God of Israel, as the only true and living God who can bring salvation. This salvation was shown in the Old Testament through the nation Of Israel, who was set apart as a peculiar people to bring God’s salvation to the world. He showed His salvation in the Old Testament through Israel by the Exodus out of Egypt and the keeping power in the desert and also through the covenant with Israel. God’s salvation is shown in the sacrificial system and the blood which was sprinkled on the mercy seat. I believe this system and this mercy seat is typical of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who came in the flesh to be the sacrifice for sin. This salvation through Christ’s death upon the Cross is offered to all, but only appropriated by those who choose to accept this offer of salvation through faith. (John 3:1618). Those then, who accept this offer can be saved, but those who reject it are lost.
Jesus died on the cross for our sins and was raised again the third day by the power of God, so that through His death and resurrection we could be saved. This salvation means we are saved from the wrath of God which will come upon all unrepentant sinners in the form of judgement of sin and death, which is the wages of sin. This salvation involves faith’ repentance, regeneration, justification, and sanctification.
It involves faith since Hebrews 11: 6 says, “without faith it is impossible to please Him ; for he that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” This faith is a faith that is given to all men to come to know God (Eph. 2:8). This faith, then, is not initiated by us, but rather by God. But it is then appropriated by us to come to God (Heb. 11:6 ), since just hearing the Word is of no effect unless it is coupled with faith (Heb.
Salvation also involves repentance, a conscious turning away from sin, which is acknowledged in the sinner’s heart and life. It is the feeling of that guilt and condemnation of sin and having a broken and contrite heart before the Lord, and man, and turning to God. Repentance also involves reformation or the changing of the outward lifestyle of the individual.
Regeneration is also involved in salvation. It is that inward change of heart from carnality to spirituality (Rom 8:6-9). We become new creatures in Christ. Old things pass away and new things come. Our old nature dis and is replaced with a new nature in Christ.
Justification as an act of salvation is first of all forensic in which God declares those who are now regenerated “not guilty”. This act of justification is also an impartation of righteousness to the believer.
As the believer is made righteous, he is now ready to be set apart to God, from the world which is the act of sanc— tification. To sactify anything is to declare that it belongs to God. The word “saint” means “a sanctified one” . Sanctification is also a progressive conformation of the believer into the image of Christ, where he is made morally holy.
this process follows proportionately as the believer yields or surrenders each and every area of his life to God. It is a life-long process, completed when we see Christ face to face.
Salvation includes death to the old sinful nature and lifestyle, healing and deliverance from spiritual death. In salvation we are delivered from eternal punishment through the atonement. Christ became sin for us on the cross to set us free from the power of sin and death and also for the healing of our infirmities. We now have this salvaüon in that we are saved from condemnation and have power over sin in this life. We realize a partial application of the atonement in this life in physical healing, although we are still in mortal, imperfect bodies which are subject to disease and death. Total healing for the body will not be realized until we are in our glorified bodies when we shall meet Him face to face. Of course, then and only then will our total salvation be realized, when we have been delivered from these mortal bodies and take on immortality and we are taken from this corrupt world and brought into the world incorruptible.