How God Saves
One of the endless cascading joys God intends for His redeemed people is to gaze with ever increasing clarity at God’s amazing work of saving them and others out of a sin-corrupted, death-infested, hell-bound existence so that they might enjoy Him forever.
When did God get involved in saving us?
God tells us that He chose the ones He was intent on saving before they were ever born or did anything good or bad to warrant His favor (Rom 9:11). In fact He chose them before the created universe was even born! (Eph 1:4-6). Why? So that the Mt. Everest of God’s saving grace founded upon His sovereign decree might be their unsurpassed treasure and delight (Eph 1:6).
What does God really do to save us?
- All of God’s saving work is anchored in His pleasure to send the eternal Son into the world to absorb the full fury of God’s punishment of sin on the cross in the place of sinners who put their faith (trust) in God (Rom 3:25; 4:5).
- With Christ’s atoning work in view, even while we were dead in sin and entrenched in rebellion against Him, in mercy God caused us to be born again by His Spirit (1 Pet 1:3) and made us alive in Christ (Eph 2:6).
- In this rebirth, God gives a new heart with a repentant disposition (2 Tim 2:25) and a receptivity to the good news about Christ (Acts 16:14).
- God removes blindness and enables us to see “the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 4:4), so that we are fully persuaded to trust in Jesus as the one true Savior and Lord (Eph 2:8).
- Amazingly, on the basis of that trust, God justifies us (declares us righteous) on the merits of Jesus’ righteous life and atoning death (Rom 3:24-26).
- Ultimately God will bring about our total transformation (glorification) at the return of Christ when our whole being will be freed from the corruption of sin and death as we receive new bodies fit for an eternity in God’s presence (1 Cor 15:52).
If God performs all that is needed for us to be saved, is there anything we must do?
Yes! The Bible says that God grants repentance, but also requires that people repent (Acts 2:28). God enables people to believe the message of salvation through faith in Christ alone, but also requires they remain steadfast in faith in order to be saved (Col 1:22-23). So, repent and believe that you may be saved, and rejoice in God who enables you to do so!