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Our Christian Beliefs: Salvation
 "...do you not know that as
many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as
Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life." Romans 6:3-4
Man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). He has a spirit, soul
(mind and emotions) and body. Adam and Eve sinned, and through them sin entered
humanity (Genesis 3). All have sinned and fallen short of God's standard
(Romans 3:23). Man is incapable of redeeming himself. The Bible teaches that
the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
To overcome this dilemma, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for the sins of
humankind (John 3:16). Through His perfect sacrifice on the cross (Hebrews
10:14), He paid the penalty of sin (Mark 10:45), and we now have access to God
through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 10:19). Jesus is the only way to
God (John 14:6).
To enter the Kingdom of God, one must be born again by the Holy Spirit (John
3:3-8), by repenting of our sins (Luke 5:32) and receiving Jesus into our lives
as Savior, Lord and God (Romans 10:9; 1 Timothy 4:10). We are to live our new
life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), in faith and obedience (Romans 1:5), by
offering ourselves as a living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1) and being more than
conquerors (Romans 8:37).
Salvation Comes Only Through Christ
- For what purpose did Christ come into the world?
"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." I Timothy 1:15
- Why was He to be named "Jesus"?
"Thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins." St. Matthew 1:21
- Is there salvation through any other?
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12
- Through whom are we reconciled to God?
"All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." II Corinthians 5:18,19
- Why has Christ been made for us, and for what purpose?
"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who
knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him." II Corinthians 5:21
- How dependent are we upon Christ for salvation?
"I am the vine, ye are the branches ... without Me ye can do nothing." St. John 15:5
- What three essentials for a Savior are found in Christ?
Deity. "But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever." Hebrews 1:8
Humanity. "When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law." Galatians 4:4
Sinlessness. "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth." I Peter 2:22
- How did Christ show from the Scriptures that the promised Savior of the world must be both human and divine?
"While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ? Whose son is He? They say unto Him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call Him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is He his son?" St. Matthew 22:41-45
NOTE -- Another has aptly put this important truth concerning the union of the human and divine in Christ thus: "Divinity needed humanity that humanity might
afford a channel of communication between God and man. Man needs a power out of and above himself to restore him to the likeness of God. There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ."
- What two facts testify to the union of divinity and humanity in Christ?
"Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." Romans 1:3,4
- How complete was Christ's victory over death?
"I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead, and, behold, I am
alive forevermore, Amen, and have the keys of hell and of death." Revelation 1:17,18. See Acts 2:24
- How complete is the salvation obtained in Christ?
"Wherefore, He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." Hebrews 7:25
- What should we say for such a Savior?
"Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift." II Corinthians 9:15
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