King James Version

Born-Again
Perspective

J. GRESHAM MACHEN (1923)

“According to Christian belief, Jesus is our Savior, not by virtue of what He said, not even by virtue of what He was, but by what He did. He is our Savior, not because He has inspired us to live the same kind of life that He lived, but because He took upon Himself the dreadful guilt of our sins and bore it instead of us on the cross. Such is the Christian conception of the Cross of Christ.”

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ASKED…

Are you saved?

JESUS SAVES!

Saved from what?
That’s silly, we’ll all be resurrected!
When? Now or later?
I’ve asked Jesus to save me lots of times.
What about obedience? You can’t just live however you want?

LDS Church resources try to help their members with the question, “Have you ever been saved?”

Latter-day Saints can be confused or even offended.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. True to The Faith, Salvation. Retrieved December 7, 2018 from https://www.lds.org/manual/true-to-the-faith/salvation?lang=eng

WHAT ARE THOSE “VARIOUS MEANINGS”?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. True to The Faith, Salvation. Retrieved December 7, 2018 from https://www.lds.org/manual/true-to-the-faith/salvation?lang=eng

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. True to The Faith, Salvation. Retrieved December 7, 2018 from https://www.lds.org/manual/true-to-the-faith/salvation?lang=eng

1. Universal Salvation

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. True to The Faith, Salvation. Retrieved December 7, 2018 from https://www.lds.org/manual/true-to-the-faith/salvation?lang=eng

2. FUTURE SALVATION FOR THE FAITHFUL

THE PLAN OF SALVATION

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. True to The Faith, Salvation. Retrieved December 7, 2018 from https://www.lds.org/manual/true-to-the-faith/salvation?lang=eng

3. A PROCESS OF COVENANTS & SACRAMENTS

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. True to The Faith, Salvation. Retrieved December 7, 2018 from https://www.lds.org/manual/true-to-the-faith/salvation?lang=eng

4. CONDITIONED UPON OBEDIENCE

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Book of Mormon. 2 Nephi 25. Retrieved December 7, 2018 from https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/25?lang=eng

5. SAVED BY GRACE “AFTER” WORKS

2 NEPHI 25:23

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Pearl of Great Price, Articles of Faith. Retrieved December 7, 2018 from https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/a-of-f/1?lang=eng

5. SAVED BY GRACE “AFTER” WORKS

Article 3

Stop: Let’s REVIEW

Let’s REVIEW

Attainment to the Celestial Kingdom is achieved by:

An act of faith.
Taking the sacraments.
Submitting to the ordinances.
God’s grace after all we can do.

Salvation in LDS teaching refers to two different parts of Heavenly Father’s plan:

Universal resurrection from the dead
Individual attainment to the celestial kingdom

Born-Again
Perspective

CHARLES SPURGEON (1834–1892)

“The sinner is the gospel’s reason for existence. You, my friend, to whom this word now comes, if you are undeserving, ill-deserving, hell-deserving, you are the sort of man for whom the gospel is ordained, and arranged, and proclaimed.”

WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL
VIEW OF SALVATION?

WHAT IS THE BIBLICAL VIEW OF SALVATION?

Biblical salvation is about one thing, and that one thing is the central theme of the entire Bible.

When born-again Christians speak of salvation, they mean this: Through the perfect life, substitutionary death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, God saves individuals from the wrath their sin deserves.

Let’s unpack that statement.

Romans 1:18

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

John 3:36

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death…

Biblical Salvation IS…

1. NECESSARY—MAN IS SUBJECT TO GOD’S WRATH.

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Acts 2:47

Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

1 John 5:12

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Biblical Salvation IS…

2. INDIVIDUAL—SOME ARE SAVED; SOME ARE NOT.

Biblical Salvation IS…

Romans 6:10

For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

3. COMPLETE—JESUS IS ENOUGH.

Hebrews 9:12

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Hebrews 10:12

But this man [Jesus], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

See also John 19:30; Matthew 27:51; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22.

Biblical Salvation IS…

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

4. GRACIOUS—SALVATION IS GOD’S FREE GIFT.

Titus 3:4-5

But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Biblical Salvation IS…

1 Peter 2:24

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

5. SUBSTITUTIONARY—GOD IS BOTH JUST AND THE JUSTIFIER.

1 John 4:10

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Biblical Salvation IS…

Luke 23:42-43

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

6. IMMEDIATE—GOD GRANTS SALVATION IMMEDIATELY UPON FAITH.

Romans 10:9-10

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Luke 7:50

And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

See also Acts 10:34-48; 16:14-15; and 16:25-33.

Biblical Salvation IS…

Hebrews 10:23-24

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

7. TRANSFORMATIONAL—BIBLICAL SALVATION PRODUCES GODLINESS.

Ephesians 5:8

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Romans 6:1-2

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

UNSAVED AND SAVED: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather. than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

LUKE 18:9–14

Conclusion

Do you now understand the question—“Are you saved”?
Do you understand how to make this salvation your own?
Have you ever made the Bible’s salvation your own?