What is at the Center of Your Salvation?

 NOTE: This is an old article I came across today in one of my flashdrives. I have written it a few years ago. It is dated  Saturday June 28, 2008. I have kept everything original in this article, mistakes and all. I post and share it with you here now. Comments are welcome.      

Soteriology, or the study of the doctrine of salvation is a subject that is dear to the hearts of God's people. In this devotional before us, we are going to consider some false assumptions that people hold on to in hopes to earn their way to Heaven. Then, we will look at how Christ and the Cross should apply to the believer's life. Of course the Holy Scriptures are clear on what God says about the subject of Salvation and how it should affect our life. We will consider three specific points on this most vital topic, and hopefully make clear what should be at the center of our Salvation.

 

1. A CONDITION CENTERED SALVATION!

            SALVATION: A WORK DONE! The first thing we need to realize is that we are in no “condition” to save ourselves. (See Rom. 3:23; Heb. 9:27). However, God's eternal Salvation is a free Gift that is  unconditional,  given to the sinner who repents of his or her sin and comes to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. (See Rom. 10:9-10). This means that God's Salvation has no conditions attached to it. In other words, It is not a Salvation given to a sinner who has to meet certain conditions before he or she can be acceptable for God's Salvation. “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.” (Eph. 2:8-9, KJV). However, men place needless conditions on themselves like what is in the list below:

1. I don't have enough faith.
2. I help people all the time.
3. My good deeds will outweigh my bad deeds.
4. I go to church.
5. I donate to charities.

These are but a mere few conditions mentioned in the list above of what people place on themselves in order to find acceptability with God. However, none of us are in any condition to earn favour with God, let alone earn His Salvation. For “..all are under sin;...There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Rom. 3:9, 10-12). None of us can ever reach God's righteous standard. Therefore, we needed someone who was absolutely Holy and Sinless to redeem us back to God. Hence, our need for the Lord Jesus Christ and His work of redemption accomplished on our behalf on the Cross of Calvary. This work of Salvation that Christ  did on the Cross is a completed work; it is not something we work for or add to. Again, the Apostle Paul reminds us of this truth in his Epistle to Titus: “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.” (Titus 3:5). We are never told in the Scriptures that we have to “work for” our salvation, however, we are told to “work out” our salvation. (See Phil. 2:12). Now there are some who will point to the passage in James that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). Therefore, we are lead to believe this proves that we have to work for our salvation. Is this what James is teaching here? No! Not at all! The 19^th century Bible scholar, J. N. Darby gives this insightful comment on what James was teaching in relation to faith and works, and how this fits in with our Salvation.

 

            “James, remark, never says that works justify us before God; for God can see

                the faith without its works. He knows that life is there. It is in exercise with

                regard to Him, towards Him, by trusting in His Word, in Himself, by receiving

                His testimony in spite of everything within and without. This God sees and knows.

                But when our fellow-creatures are in question, when it must be said “show me,”

                then faith, life, shows itself in works.”[1]

 

            So we can see by Darby's quote above that salvation is not by our works, but by faith in a Work that has already been done! It is important to know that Salvation is a “grace centered” work of God; it is never “work centered” on our part! Once we come to accept this fact, we then can rest confident in the work of redemption that Christ had completed for us on the Cross. Hence, we stop basing God's eternal Salvation on conditions we think we have to meet.

 

2. A CROSS CENTERED SALVATION!

            SALVATION: YOU WORK OUT! Once we have trusted in Christ for salvation, we come to realize that not only is the Cross of Christ central to our eternal redemption, it is also central to our walk with Christ! In ancient times, especially during the time of Christ, the Cross was a terrible instrument of prolonged torture and eventual death. So when I think of the Cross, it reminds me about the horrible death my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ endured on the Cross for my sins. The truth of the Cross is twofold: (1.) It is Salvation to my Soul, and (2.) Death to my Self. It is the second point I want to focus on. The Holy Scriptures makes it clear that we need to apply the Cross to our daily lives. This means in every area of our life that is not in conformity to God's will. This will require discipline. It is learning to say no to our self, and saying yes to what God wants us to do. We are to reckon our self baptized into His death (see Rom. 6:3-4). The Apostle Paul knew this truth well, when he said to the Church at Corinth, “I die daily” (1 Cor. 15:31b). Again, we see this truth being taught, when Paul wrote to the Church at Rome, and instructed them to present their “bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” (Rom. 12:1). He was telling them to apply the Cross to their daily lives. Later, Paul makes this profound statement about making the Cross central to one's life in his letter to the Galatian Church. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20). Paul makes it evident here that God's Salvation not only saves us from the consequences of our sins, it also should put to death our old former life and its sinful ways. If the Cross is not at the Center of your salvation, then it is not truly God's Salvation. A salvation that does not put an end to the flesh, is a salvation not worth having. If our salvation only informs without transforming us completely, then how can it truly be God's Salvation? “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil. 2:12).

 

When I survey the wondrous cross

on which the Prince of Glory Died,

My richest gain, I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride. 

--Isaac Watts

 

3. A CHRIST CENTERED SALVATION!

            SALVATION: HE WORKS IN! A Christ Centered Salvation is always a Confident Centered Salvation. Why? Because the Lord Jesus Christ is at the Center of our Salvation. The Cross may put us to death, but it is Christ who gives us life! New life in Him! Now this new life we have in Christ is what we received the moment we came to trust in Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17). Now this new life we have in God, He “works in” us. God knows that it is not in us to have the strength to live a godly life that is well pleasing to Him. However, if we keep our focus on Christ, He gives us the strength to do what we can never do. Let our confidence be like that of the Apostle Paul's, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13). Also, let our focus be Christ centered like Paul's was, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:21). What does God do in relation to His work in us? Well, there are a few things that the Lord does in his work in us. They are as follows. 

(1.) God has sealed us with the promised Holy Spirit at the moment of our conversion to Christ. (Eph. 1:13; 4:30).

(2.) God works in us so we can work out our salvation in accordance to His good will. (Phil.2:12-13). 

(3.) God has given us a spiritual gift to develop and use for His honour and glory (1 Cor. 12:4-11).

(4.) God has promised to continue His divine work of redemption in us until He brings it to completion at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with his saints (Phil.1:6; Zech. 14:5). 

            What needs to be central in our thinking is the Cross of Christ –which signifies death to the Self life; whereas, the Christ of the Cross –signifies our life in Him! This is what needs to be central to our thinking.  Another truth we need to consider is that we need to do much more than just merely acquaint ourselves with the Cross of Christ, we need to intimately identify ourselves with the Cross of Christ! For only in dying to ourselves, (which is being baptised into Christ's death, Rom. 6: 3), can we truly come to both (arise in newness of life in Christ, Rom. 6: 4) and make Him the Center of our Salvation. Hmmm, I wonder, are we daily identifying ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, or are we identifying ourselves with something else? In relation to our identification with our wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. This thought provoking quote comes to mind:

           

“A band of faithful women gathered under the shadow of the cross. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was prominent  among them. The strong had fled. The weak, emboldened by love, were drawn to Calvary. At incredible emotional  cost, they bravely identified themselves with the condemned Nazarene...Only one man stood with these courageous women, John the beloved desciple. With  the rest of the eleven, he had forsaken his Master. He had run away in Gethsemane. Now on Golgotha, he takes his stand beneath the cross of Jesus.”[2]

 

O Christ of the Cross--

What a blessed Sacrifice!

O how precious the thought--

Christ paid Redemption's Price!

 

O Christ of the Cross--

Thou art risen indeed!

O the precious thought of Thy Love--

Has met my greatest need!

 

O Christ of the Cross--

In Thy death I have found true life,

When all I deserved was Thy judgement,

Thou didst bring me eternal life! 

 

O Christ of the Cross--

Thy Love has overwhelmed me!

Though a stranger, now made a son,

Thou didst from sin make me free!

 

O Christ of the Cross--

At Thy feet I humbly fall!

Baptized into Christ's death, risen with new life;

Holding nothing back, I give Thee all!

 

O Christ of the Cross--

Thou alone, art enough for me!

None else can satisfy my heart--

None else, except for Thee! 

--JDS

 

            We have learned that there is no conditions attached to the gift of God's Salvation. It is unconditional. There is no conditions we have to meet at the Center of God's Salvation. (See Isa. 64: 6; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3: 5). Next, we learned the importance of having the Cross at the Center of our Salvation. The truth here is daily dying to ourselves and living in the newness of life we have in Christ. (See Rom. 6: 3-4; 12: 1; Gal. 2: 20). Lastly, we learned what it means to have Christ at the Center of our Salvation. Since the Cross of Christ speaks of death to ourselves, then we know that the Christ of the Cross speaks of life in Him. This life in Christ is seen in our focus on Him and in our manner of walk with Him. (See 2 Cor. 5: 17; Phil. 1: 6, 21; 2:13). As Believers in Christ, we need to daily make the Lord Jesus Christ the Center of our Salvation. So tell me, what is at the Center of your Salvation?

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[1]    John Nelson Darby,  Synopsis of the Books of the Bible: Vol. 5: Col. To Rev., (Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., New York; Jan. 1950), pg. 413.

[2]    Alan Gamble,  Day by Day: Bible Commands: Vol. 10, (Precious Seed Publications, Sept. 2006), pg. 193.