Theological Term of the Week: Salvation

salvation
The act of God’s grace in delivering his people from bondage to sin and condemnation, transferring them to the kingdom of his beloved Son, and giving them eternal life—all on the basis of what Christ accomplished in his atoning sacrifice.1 

• From scripture:

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 2:3-7 ESV)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5 ESV)

• From The Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 52: 

Article 17: The Rescue of Fallen Man

We believe that, when he saw that man had thus plunged himself into physical and spiritual death and made himself completely miserable, our gracious God in his marvellous wisdom and goodness set out to seek man when he trembling fled from him. He comforted him with the promise that he would give him his Son, born of woman (Gal 4:4), to crush the head of the serpent and to make man blessed. 

ARTICLE 23: Our Righteousness Before God




We believe that our blessedness lies in the forgiveness of our sins for Jesus Christ’s sake and that therein our righteousness before God consists, as David and Paul teach us. They speak of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works (Rom 4:6; Ps 32:1). The apostle also says that we are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Rom 3:24).

Therefore we always hold to this firm foundation. We give all the glory to God, humble ourselves before him, and acknowledge ourselves to be what we are. We do not claim anything for ourselves or our merits, but rely and rest on the only obedience of Jesus Christ crucified; his obedience is ours when we believe in him.

This is sufficient to cover all our iniquities and to give us confidence in drawing near to God, freeing our conscience of fear, terror, and dread, so that we do not follow the example of our first father, Adam, who trembling tried to hide and covered himself with fig leaves. For indeed, if we had to appear before God, relying—be it ever so little—on ourselves or some other creature, (woe be to us!) we would be consumed. Therefore everyone must say with David, O Lord, enter not into judgement with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you (Ps 143:2).

• From Salvation - I Can Write No Other Theme by Wylie Fulton:

The resurrection of Christ formed the core of the first apostolic sermons… because it represented the vindication of all that had gone before in the earthly course of our Lord. His teaching and claims, and His ‘obedience unto death’, as well as His disciples’ faith and hopes, were all vindicated by this act of the Father in which Christ was shown victorious over every hostile power, whether man or demons or death itself. 

1. First of all, then the resurrection is the vindication of God’s faithful Servant, the crucified One. as ‘Lord and Christ’, the promised Messiah of God. As such it provided attestation of His deity, and also confirmed His designation as the final Judge of all men.

2. As the mark of divine approval of the suffering Servant, the resurrection also stamped God’s imprimatur upon the service of His obedience and death, as a complete atonement for sin and as the fulfillment of the promises made to the fathers. As a result, salvation and forgiveness of sins are now proclaimed in the name of Jesus. The resurrection was thus the motive centre in the evangelization of the ancient world.

3. The resurrection confirmed believers in their faith in God and His power, and gave assurance of their ultimate full salvation. Not only does it certify the saving value of Christ’s death, it also persuades us that ‘if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life’. Christ’s risen life continues to save us, as the life of the eternal High Priest who has entered into heaven for us, ever to intercede for us and to perfect the work of redemption in us. 

4. Christ’s resurrection is the sign and pledge of the resurrection of the body for all who are in Christ, and so determines the Christian’s new attitude to death and transforms his hope.

5. Together with the ascension and exaltation, the resurrection completes the pattern of death-resurrection-exaltation which constitutes the spiritual initiation of believers in their identification with Christ. Like and with Christ, the convert becomes ‘dead to sin’ and ‘alive to God’, a passage from death to life the is sacramentally set forth in baptism. Consequently the appeal for sanctification becomes a summons to those who ‘have been raise with Christ’ to ‘set their minds on things that are above’, and dying to self and living to God form the daily experience of the Christian.

Learn more:

1. Tim Challies: The Essential: Salvation
2. Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology: Salvation
3. Got Questions: What is the Christian doctrine of salvation?
4. Guy M. Richard: Salvation
5. Wyatt Graham: What is Salvation?
6. Nick Batzig: What Does “Salvation Mean?
7. R. C. Sproul: A Great Salvation

Related terms:

• adoption
• conversion
• election
• glorification
• gospel, the
• order of salvation
• regeneration
• repentance
• sanctification
• saving faith
• soteriology
• union with Christ

1 From Salvation at Theopedia. 

Filed under Salvation

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Sunday Hymn: Christ Our Hope in Life and Death

What is our hope in life and death?
Christ alone, Christ alone.
What is our only confidence?
That our souls to Him belong.

Who holds our days within His hand?
What comes, apart from His command?
And what will keep us to the end?
The love of Christ, in which we stand.

Chorus
O sing hallelujah!
Our hope springs eternal;
O sing hallelujah!
Now and ever we confess
Christ our hope in life and death!

What truth can calm the troubled soul?
God is good, God is good.
Where is His grace and goodness known?
In our great Redeemer’s blood.

Who holds our faith when fears arise?
Who stands above the stormy trial?
Who sends the waves that bring us nigh
Unto the shore, the rock of Christ?

Chorus
O sing hallelujah!
Our hope springs eternal;
O sing hallelujah!
Now and ever we confess
Christ our hope in life and death!

Unto the grave, what shall we sing?
“Christ, He lives; Christ, He lives!”
And what reward will heaven bring?
Everlasting life with Him.

There we will rise to meet the Lord,
Then sin and death will be destroyed,
And we will feast in endless joy,
When Christ is ours forevermore.

Chorus
O sing hallelujah!
Our hope springs eternal;
O sing hallelujah!
Now and ever we confess
Christ our hope in life and death!

O sing hallelujah!
Our hope springs eternal;
O sing hallelujah!
Now and ever we confess
Christ our hope in life and death!

—Keith Getty, Matt Boswell, Jordan Kauflin, Matt Merker, Matt Papa

©2020 Getty Music Publishing (BMI) / Messenger Hymns (BMI) / Jordan Kauflin Music (BMI) / Matthew Merker Music (BMI) / Getty Music Hymns and Songs (ASCAP) / Love Your Enemies Publishing (ASCAP) / adm at MusicServices.org

Theological Term of the Week: Resurrection of Jesus

resurrection of Jesus
The triune act by which Jesus Christ was raised to physical life and his humanity was transformed after his death on the cross. The historical certainty of Christ’s resurrection is fundamental to Christianity as a demonstration of who Jesus is, as proof of the truth of his message, as vindication of the effectiveness of his work, and as the basis for the present and future new life of the believer.

• From scripture:

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

…Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 12-23 ESV)

• From The Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 52: 

Question 52:How was Christ exalted in his resurrection? 

Answer 52: Christ was exalted in his resurrection, in that, not having seen corruption in death (of which it was not possible for him to be held), and having the very same body in which he suffered, with the essential properties thereof (but without mortality, and other common infirmities belonging to this life), really united to his soul, he rose again from the dead the third day by his own power; whereby he declared himself to be the Son of God, to have satisfied divine justice, to have vanquished death, and him that had the power of it, and to be Lord of quick and dead: all which he did as a public person, the head of his church, for their justification, quickening in grace, support against enemies, and to assure them of their resurrection from the dead at the last day.

• From In Understanding Be Men by T. C. Hammond, page 108-109:1

The resurrection of Christ formed the core of the first apostolic sermons… because it represented the vindication of all that had gone before in the earthly course of our Lord. His teaching and claims, and His ‘obedience unto death’, as well as His disciples’ faith and hopes, were all vindicated by this act of the Father in which Christ was shown victorious over every hostile power, whether man or demons or death itself. 

1. First of all, then the resurrection is the vindication of God’s faithful Servant, the crucified One. as ‘Lord and Christ’, the promised Messiah of God. As such it provided attestation of His deity, and also confirmed His designation as the final Judge of all men.

2. As the mark of divine approval of the suffering Servant, the resurrection also stamped God’s imprimatur upon the service of His obedience and death, as a complete atonement for sin and as the fulfillment of the promises made to the fathers. As a result, salvation and forgiveness of sins are now proclaimed in the name of Jesus. The resurrection was thus the motive centre in the evangelization of the ancient world.

3. The resurrection confirmed believers in their faith in God and His power, and gave assurance of their ultimate full salvation. Not only does it certify the saving value of Christ’s death, it also persuades us that ‘if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life’. Christ’s risen life continues to save us, as the life of the eternal High Priest who has entered into heaven for us, ever to intercede for us and to perfect the work of redemption in us. 

4. Christ’s resurrection is the sign and pledge of the resurrection of the body for all who are in Christ, and so determines the Christian’s new attitude to death and transforms his hope.

5. Together with the ascension and exaltation, the resurrection completes the pattern of death-resurrection-exaltation which constitutes the spiritual initiation of believers in their identification with Christ. Like and with Christ, the convert becomes ‘dead to sin’ and ‘alive to God’, a passage from death to life the is sacramentally set forth in baptism. Consequently the appeal for sanctification becomes a summons to those who ‘have been raise with Christ’ to ‘set their minds on things that are above’, and dying to self and living to God form the daily experience of the Christian.

Learn more:

1. Got Questions: Why Should I believe in Christ’s resurrection? and Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important?
2. Simply Put: The Resurrection
3. J. I. Packer: Resurrection
4. Gabe Fluhrer:  Why the Resurrection of Christ Matters
5. R. C. Sproul: The Certainty of the Resurrection
6. Matthew Barrett: The Neglected Resurrection

Related terms:

• ascension of Jesus
• resurrection (or spiritual) body
• regeneration

1 Scripture referrences removed from this list to save my sanity. 

Filed under Person, Work, and Teaching of Christ, and Salvation

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Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured as a Theological Term of the Week? Email your suggestion using the contact button in the navigation bar above. 

Clicking on the Theological Terms button above the header will take you to an alphabetical list of all the theological terms.