What Does Salvation Mean? - Part 1
· This series is a three step process of what salvation means. Hopefully, once the readers finish with these steps, they will understand fully what this new life is about. Today, I will start with the first step.
We have been “Delivered from the Penalty of sin”
· This means what Christ did on the cross for us. It is all achieved by the grace of God. How are we delivered from the penalty of sin? a) Let’s start with Adam, a representative of the human race. And so, it is written, The first man Adam became a living being (1 Corinthians 15:45). b) Adam was created without sin- when he disobeyed God, sin entered the world.
c) Adam had perfect fellowship with God. But God saw that it was not good for Adam to be alone, so He gave him Eve, his wife and helpmate. Why do you think gave Adam a mate (wife)? Don’t you think Adam would have become lonely when he saw that all the animals had mates?
· Adam and Eve were given free reign over all that God had created. But they were instructed not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As long as they obeyed God, they had perfect fellowship with Him, and the joy of all that God had given them.
· But! Something happened! Another created being who was God’s most beautiful creation had rebelled against God because of his beauty and had fallen from God’s grace (the grace of God is on everything). His name was Lucifer (meaning light bearer), also influenced one-third of the angels who also fell with him, became God’s enemy (adversary).
· Then his name became Satan and he also wanted to get Adam and Eve to sin and fall out of the grace of God like he did; by doing this he would have authority over God’s creation. And that’s exactly what happened. Satan tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit; she ate and gave it to her husband to eat as well (Genesis 3:6).
· That sinful act caused them to be separated from fellowship with God. Why is this act significant? Because Adam’s sin of rebellion against God fell upon the entire human race (Romans 5:12), which caused everyone to be born into sin and rebellion against God. We became enemies of God. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Romans 5:10).
· All would seem lost and hopeless if it were not for God’s loving grace sending His Son, the last Adam (1 Corinthians 15), our Lord and Savior, was also tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:4-11), through the lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and the pride of eye. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world (1 John 2:16).
· Satan tempted Eve the same way and she caused Adam to sin, and sin fell upon all people (Romans 5:12). Adam’s sin caused the earth to be cursed. It was Adam’s sin that caused people to go to hell. The degree of an individual’s sin determines how much suffering there will be in hell.
Many people think unsaved people go to hell because they sinned, but people go to hell because of Adam’s sin - Because of one man, sin came upon all men (Romans 5:12). Even generational curses came through Adam. Jesus Christ, the last Adam; Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (Galatians 3:13). This is for the the redeemed (those who are born-again).
Footnote - Satan has several names; all of them mean that he is God’s enemy and our enemy also.
Part one and Part two will continue tomorrow, Lord willing.
~ Betty A. Burnett ~
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