The Bible shows us how God has provided mankind with salvation from eternal death which was the penalty for sin. Salvation has always been bestowed by the Grace of God through Faith (Eph 2:8).Those of the OT times expressed their Faith by following the provisions of the OT law, which was ultimately obedience to God (Heb 11). Since the advent (1st coming) of Christ, those who trust in Him are saved at the moment of their confession of faith and are no longer slaves to sin. Through the presence of Christ and the Holy Spirit in their lives they can now have a personal relationship with God.Have you ever asked yourself one/more of the following questions?
Can salvation be earned?
1. Can one lose your salvation?
2. Is it a process or an immediate change in one’s life?
3. Is salvation obtainable through someone/something other than Christ?
4. Is salvation for all people?
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Salvation
Water Baptism
Let’s have a look at Baptism, mainly water Baptism:
What is Baptism? Someone is baptized when they are immersed (completely under water). The first baptism took place in the NT and was performed by John (the Lord is Gracious) the Baptist as a sign of repentance. Later on apostles baptized new converts in the name of Jesus (Christ, the Lord saves, Anointed One, Messiah).
Baptism is also viewed as a symbol of identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection according to Rom 6:1 “What then shall we say? Shall we persist in sin that grace may abound? Of course not! 2 How can we who died to sin yet live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. 5 For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.”
