What is meant by Christian salvation? A Bible based approach to understanding this topic.

1. Christian Salvation Jaison Abraham

2. Salvation WHY TALK OF IT?

3. Salvation: Human Created In the Image of God

4. Salvation: Human Free of Sin Rational nature

5. Salvation: Human Free moral Agent Responsible to God

6. Salvation: Human Created In the Image of God Free of Sin Rational nature Free moral Agent Responsible to God

7. Salvation: Human SIN Overstepping God’s Law (Romans4: 15) Falling short of God’s standards(Romans 3:23)

8. Salvation: Human SIN Rebellion against God or A frame of mind (Romans 1:18; Exodus 20:1-11) A principle within man(Romans 7:14, 17, 25; Galatians 3:22; Hebrews 3:13)

9. Salvation: Human SIN Human failure to live righteously towards one's fellows(Exodus 20:12-17)

10. Salvation: Human SIN Overstepping God’s Law (Romans4: 15) Falling short of God’s standards(Romans 3:23) Rebellion against God or A frame of mind (Romans 1:18; Exodus 20:1-11) A principle within man(Romans 7:14, 17, 25; Galatians 3:22; Hebrews 3:13) Human failure to live righteously towards one's fellows(Exodus 20:12-17)

11. Salvation: Human Results of Sin: Born in Sin (Psalm 51:5; Job 14:4; Romans 5:12). Alienation (Genesis 3:8, 23; Romans 8:7,8; Ephesians 4:18)

12. Salvation: Human Results of Sin: Bondage (John 8:34-36) Guilt, suffering and death (1Cor. 15:21,22,56a; Romans 6:23).

13. Salvation: Human Results of Sin: Spiritual (Genesis 2:15-17) Psychological (John 12:24; Mathew 16:24; Jeremiah 17:9)

14. Salvation: Human Results of Sin: Sociological (Genesis 4:1-16; Ephesians 2:14-16) Ecological (Genesis 3:17-18; Romans 8:19-21)

15. Salvation: Human Results of Sin: Born in Sin Alienation Bondage Guilt, suffering and death Spiritual Psychological Sociological Ecological

16. Salvation: Human Sin also resulted in judgment on: The serpent (Genesis 3:14) Satan (Genesis 3: 15)

17. Salvation: Human Sin also resulted in judgment on: Woman (Genesis 3:16) Man (Genesis 3:17-19)

18. Salvation: Human Sin also resulted in judgment on: Human race (Romans 5:12) Creation (Gen3:17-18; Romans 8:19-21).

19. Salvation: Human Sin also resulted in judgment on: The serpent (Genesis 3:14) Satan (Genesis 3: 15) Woman (Genesis 3:16) Man (Genesis 3:17-19) Human race (Romans 5:12) Creation (Gen3:17-18; Romans 8:19-21).

20. Salvation: Human Death, spiritual and physical is the penal consequence of sin (Genesis 2:17b; Romans 6:23).

21. Salvation What a wretched man I am! Who then can rescue me from this body of death?

22. Salvation Humans totally helpless Total depravity means that humans have an innate sin nature which effect every part of the: Human intellect (2Cor. 4:4) Conscience (1Timothy 4:2) Will (Romans 1:28) Heart (Ephesians 4:18) The total being (Romans 1:18-3:20).

23. Salvation Total depravity: Jeremiah 17:9; 13:23; Rom 7:18; 8:7-8; 1Cor 2:14; Jn 6:44; Eph. 2:1, 4 -5

24. Salvation The only One who is Able and Willing

25. Salvation DISTINCTIVENESS OF THE CHRISTIAN SALVATION

26. Salvation: Distinctiveness First: Rooted in the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

27. Salvation: Distinctiveness Second: It is shaped by Christ (Christ is the model for the redeemed life: we are being conformed to Christ)

28. Salvation: What is it? Christian salvation is rooted in Jesus Christ’s total obedience to the Father and by his suffering, death, and resurrection which saves one from sin and from all its results resulting in their restoration to God’s favour and to a life of fellowship with him in Christ.

29. Salvation: What is it? But this saving work of Christ will avail us nothing until it has been applied to our hearts and lives by the Holy Spirit, though it must be appropriated by faith.

30. Salvation: Its Nature Christian Salvation offers the chance to humans to become like God, often conceived in terms of ethical perfection; gain a right standing with God (a righteousness which would shield one from condemnation, and permit one to enter into the presence of God);

31. Salvation: Its Nature ... grants victory over forces which enslaves humanity – such as satanic oppression, evil spirits, fear of death or the power of sin; thus making possible an authentic or redeemed existence, characterized by faith in God.

32. Salvation: Foundation The foundation of Christian Salvation is the Cross of Christ.

33. Salvation: The Cross The Cross as sacrifice (Romans 3:25) (Propitiation – His holiness is vindicated and satisfied by the death of Christ - Godward)

34. Salvation: The Cross Cross as a victory... (Mk 10:45; 1Tim 2:6 cf. 1Pet 1:18; Titus 2:14) Redemption: humans was in bondage to sin and in need of release from bondage and slavery to sin.

35. Salvation: The Cross Forgiveness

36. Salvation: The Cross Forgiveness Through: Substitution (2Cor 5:21; 1Pet 2:24; Heb 9:28; Isa. 53: 4 – 6; cf. Gal 3:13; 1Tim2:6) Participation

37. Salvation:

38. Salvation: Process Sovereignty of God and Freewill of Human (Prov. 21:1; Eph. 1:11; Rom 9:21; Jn 3:36; Matt 16:27; Rev 22:12;). Christianity got over the difficulty of combining furious opposites by keeping them both, and keeping them both furious. - G. K. Chesterton

39. Salvation: Process Since humans are dead by nature in sin, God must make them alive; REGENERATION in the narrower sense must be exclusively the work of God.

40. Salvation: Process But in the aspects of the process of salvation which are distinct from regeneration both God and believers are involved – we could speak of salvation in this sense as being both God`s work and our task – God works and we work.

41. Salvation: Process For e.g. Our sanctification is at the same time one hundred percent God`s work and one hundred percent our work.

42. Salvation: Process Paul gives classic expression to this ``mysterious concurrence`` of God`s work and ours in Philippians 2: 12-13. Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed... continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

43. Salvation: Process Is there a certain order in the application of the blessing of Salvation to the people of God?

44. Salvation: Process Salvation is not to be thought as a series of successive steps, but as various simultaneous aspects of the process of salvation which, after they have begun, continues side by side.

45. Salvation: Process

46. Salvation

47. Salvation: Central Truth UNION WITH CHRIST Union with Christ is at once the center and circumference of authentic human existence – that is, authentic Christian existence. – Lewis Smedes.

48. Salvation: Central Truth As long as we remain outside of Christ, Christian salvation has no meaning for us. We are not saved until we have been made one with Christ, and we remain saved only as we remain in union with Christ.

49. Salvation: Central Truth This truth is described in two ways. ONE: We are in Christ (2Cor 5:17; cf. Jn 15:4; 1Cor15: 22; 2Cor 12:2; Gal 3: 28: Eph 1:4; 2:10; Philippians 3:9; 1Thes 4:16; Paul`s passion Phil. 3:8-9)

50. Salvation: Central Truth This truth is described in two ways. TWO: Christ in us (Gal2:20; Col1:27; cf. Rom8:10; 2 Cor13:5; Eph. 3:17) The two combined: John 15:4; 1Jn4:13

51. Salvation: Central Truth Union in Christ has its roots in divine redemption (Eph. 1: 3-4), Its basis in the redemptive work of Christ Its actual establishment with God’s people in time.

52. Salvation: Central Truth The roots of union with Christ Eph. 1: 3 – 4 cf. Jn. 17:24; 1Pet. 1: 20 Just as God loved and chose Jesus He chose and loved us in Christ before the world was created to be holy and blameless in His sight.

53. Salvation: Central Truth Chosen in Christ – the fact that we have been chosen in Christ from eternity is basic to the whole of salvation. It is only because of our preassigned union with Christ from before the creation of the world that all the blessings of salvation eventually come to us. All human merit is excluded.

54. Salvation: Central Truth The Basis for Union with Christ Christ’s redemptive work for His people (cf. Matt 1:21; Jn 10:11 & Eph. 1:4 for the sake of Jn 10: 26, 27, 28; 6:28; Eph. 5:25; Tit.2:14) The saving work of Christ is the ground of actual union between Christ and his people.

55. Salvation: Central Truth Actual Union with Christ Actual union of Christ and his people established in history – the how of it?

56. Salvation: Central Truth

57. Salvation: Central Truth Initially united with Christ in regeneration: Eph. 2:4 – 5, 10 created in Christ – calling something into existence that did not exist before This union is not only the beginning of our salvation; it sustains, fills, and perfects the entire process of salvation

58. Salvation: Central Truth We appropriate and continue to live out of this union through faith. Gal 2: 20 - Faith means living daily in the joyful awareness that Christ lives in us (cf. Eph. 3:16 – 17).

59. Salvation: Central Truth We are justified in union with Christ. Act of God by which he imputes (or credits to the account of) believers the perfect satisfaction and righteousness of Christ in such a way that all their sins are forgiven and they are considered perfectly righteous in the sight of God.

60. Salvation: Central Truth We are justified in union with Christ. One cannot see justification as separate from our union with Christ. The Bible teaches that we can appropriate the saving work of Christ for us, and thus be justified, only in a personal way, through living union with him (cf. 1Cor 1:30; 2Cor 5:21).

61. Salvation: Central Truth We are justified in union with Christ. We just don’t receive, or share, but we become identified with, God’s righteousness. This, however, happens only in him (Phil 3: 8 – 9 Paul wants to be found in Christ – thus gaining His righteousness).

62. Salvation: Central Truth We are sanctified through union with Christ. The work of God by which the Holy Spirit progressively renews the life of the believer and enable him or her to live to praise of God (cf. 1Cor1:30; Jn 14:4 – 5; Eph. 4:15; 2Cor 5:17;

63. Salvation: Central Truth We are sanctified through union with Christ. Christ communicates Himself in a way that changes us without diminishing us, transforms us without deifying us, Christianizes us without making us Christ’s – Lewis Smedes

64. Salvation: Central Truth We persevere in life of faith in union with Christ Jn 10: 27 – 28 If we are truly in Christ, in other word, we shall always be in Him (Rom 8: 38 – 39 cannot separate us ... which is in Christ).

65. Salvation: Central Truth We are even said to die in Christ Rom 14:8; 1Thes. 4:26; Rev 14:13 Even when we die, we die in Christ.

66. Salvation: Central Truth We shall be raised with Christ Col 3:1; 1Cor 15:22; The resurrection of the body, however, will also be a resurrection in Christ. We shall be resurrected in Christ – in fellowship, in union with him.

67. Salvation: Central Truth We shall be eternally glorified with Christ Christ in you... Col 3: 4, 1Thes 4: 16 – 17 One thing we can be sure: we shall be eternally in Christ and with Christ, sharing his glory.

68. Salvation: Central Truth Christianity is not just a speculative system but a new quality of life : a life in Christ! Paul describes that new quality in such words as these: I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Gal 2:20); and to me to live is Christ (Phil 1:21)

69. Salvation: Central Truth To conclude: Christ came to earth not just to pay the price for our salvation, as one might pay an overdue bill, but also to bring us into and keep us always in living union with himself...

70. Salvation: Central Truth To conclude: Through union with Christ we receive every spiritual blessing. Christ not only died for us on Calvary’s cross many years ago; he also lives in our hearts, now and forever.

71. Salvation

72. Salvation: The Gospel God thought of it, planned it, set it in motion, executed it and will complete it.

73. Salvation

74. Salvation: The Gospel The Gospel is centered in/on a Person (Rom1:9; 1:3; Gal1:16) Gospel is grounded in and emerges from events(or facts) involving a Person

75. The Gospel is the revelation and meaning and consequences of the events. A threshold has been crossed Dual in-breaking has begun: heaven has invaded earth; the future has spilled over into the present For our sins(1Cor15:3) Salvation : The Gospel

76. Salvation : The Gospel Finished, the issue of sin is dealt with. Propitiation Victory Rescue, redemption, release Justification or rectification Rom 3:21-26; %:1 Reconciliation – rejoining – into that for which we were created 2Cor %:18 – 21

77. Salvation : The Gospel Consequences: Adoption Access Coming of the Holy Spirit Jesus is Savoir Jesus is Lord Jesus is the second(new, last) Adam LIFE (Zoe vs Bios) Inclusion Participation in the Son’s status, vocation and intimacy

78. Salvation: Sharing To a relational society; Center of all things is a RELATIONSHIP A Relationship so alive that it too is a ‘breathing’, a spirit, a Person, whom the Bible calls the Holy Spirit This Relationship is marked by: Inter-dependence, mutual indwelling; servant love; Creativity; Joy. This Relationship can use the pronoun “WE”, “Us”, “Our”.

79. Salvation : Sharing To a Shame based Society Shame – Man dishonours God Created in honour Shame comes with offense; SIN is an offense to God. As Creator God had the right to honour himself by creating and reserving one tree for himself.

80. Salvation: Sharing Man in disobedience felt the shame of dishonouring God Offense so great that Adam’s shame was passed down to his descendants. Tried to cover their shame but they could not hide from the all seeing God. Punishment for dishonouring God – eternal separation.

81. Salvation: Sharing Honour of God needed to be avenged Jesus’ death removes our offense against God, thus our dishonouring Him Jesus is able to place us in the highest place of honour because he occupies the highest place of honour. The choice is yours.