From Death to Eternal Life: Essence of Salvation and Relationship with God

Those who respond to this invitation and remain loyal to Christ as overcomers will be God's children, and he will be their Father. This is the essence of salvation… an unending, eternal, intimate relationship with God.

1) A single Commandment of God: And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:16 & 17 NIV).

As God is sovereign, he has a right to give to his creatures what commands he thinks proper. An intelligent creature, without a law to regulate his conduct, is an absurdity; this would destroy at once the idea of his dependency and accountability. Man must ever feel God as his sovereign, and act under his authority, which he cannot do unless he has a rule of conduct. This rule God gives: and it is no matter what kind it is, as long as obedience to it is not beyond the powers of the creature who is to obey. Reading Genesis 2:16 and 17, did God not have an absolute right to say so? And was not man bound to obey?

2) The Fall of Man

God warned, “When you eat of it, you will surely die.” Literally, a death you will die; or, dying you will die. You will not only die spiritually, by losing the life of God, but from that moment you will become mortal, and will continue in a dying state till you die. This we find literally accomplished. Every moment of man’s life may be considered as an act of dying, till soul and body are separated. Other meanings have been given to this passage, but they are, in general, either fanciful or incorrect.

God’s commandment in Genesis 2:16 and 17 contained a warning and a challenge to man’s self-control. The commandment and warning are ever with us. There are limits beyond which we are not to go. If we choose to defy God, we must expect to reap the consequences. Adam disobeyed God. The sin of Adam brought death upon all mankind. The nature of death was twofold. First, it was physical death; Adam was cast out from the garden, and in the end, he returned to dust from which he was formed. Then it was spiritual death, Adam was cut off from communion with God which he enjoyed.

3) Forgiveness through the blood of Christ

Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Hebrews 9:26 NIV)

In the counsel of God, Christ was considered the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). When Jesus died, he did away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. In other words, his death and the blood that he shed make it possible for us to be forgiven of our sins. Through his death, Jesus opened up the door that at one time separated man from God. Jesus, through his death, made it possible for us to spend eternity in heaven.

4. How are we justified?

“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:22-24 NIV)

There is no difference between Jew and Gentile insofar as all have sinned. Faith in Jesus Christ is necessary to receive the righteousness which comes from God. Salvation is by the grace of God, and faith plays the main role in the justification of our sins.

Since all have sinned, all must be justified if they are to be saved by God's free grace.

The Greek verb used here, "are justified," is a forensic term. God not only acquits believers, but he also declares them to be righteous in his sight. To be justified, in other words, includes the truth that God sees sinners in terms of their relation to his perfect Son.

A Christian is nothing but a sinful man who has put himself in the "School for Christ" for the honest purpose of becoming better. Jesus loves us so much and that is why, as Chris Lyons puts it, he doesn't want us to stay in our present sinful condition. Jesus is calling us to come to him. He wants to transform us radically. He wants to cleanse all our sins and turn us into new creations so that we can be reconciled with the Heavenly Father.

Jesus says, “I love you just the way you are. And I love you too much to let you stay the way you are.” --- Chris Lyons

5) The cleansing power of the blood

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (Isaiah 1:18 NIV)

The prophet Isaiah ministered during a turbulent time in Israel’s history. The nation had abandoned the way of the Lord and was living in open sin and idolatry. The people were in open rebellion against the Lord. They had forsaken the Lord and were sick spiritually. Violence filled the whole land. Even their religious services were an abomination to the Lord.

But the loving God is reaching out to wayward, sinful people. He still loves them and reaches out to them in love, to extend grace and mercy to them. If they will just come to him, and heed his invitation, he will cleanse them completely of all their sins.

“I used to think it strange that the Bible keeps talking about the cleansing power of the blood. It seemed to me that blood was messy stuff. I needed to wash my white lab coats if they became stained with blood. Today, I love the analogy; it is so true of the body. The blood is constantly cleansing every cell, and washing away all the debris that accumulates all the time. I like Paul's phrase in Hebrews 9:14: How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!" -- Dr. Paul Brand

6. God's invitation still stands

The blessing in Isaiah 1:18 is the fact that this invitation still stands! God knows all about the sins in your life and mine. He knows how far down into the cesspool of sin we have sunk. He knows that we are wicked, evil, and utterly depraved. Yet, he loves us, despite our sinful condition and he calls us to come to him in repentance. If we listen to his call and come to him by faith, he will cleanse away forever the stain of our sins!

7. The Spring of the Water of Life

He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son." (Revelation 21:6 & 7 NIV)

The rabbins consider the fountain of the world to come as one of the particular blessings of a future state. All is determined, and shall be fulfilled in due time. Referring to the period alluded to by the angel, with the death, the resurrection, and the ascension of Christ, the great drama is finished. What was intended is now completed.

The names of God, "the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," emphasise his absolute control over the world as well as his creator-ship of everything.

Water is frequently associated with the salvation of God and the life-imparting and cleansing ministry of the Holy Spirit. God invites those who sense their need and are drawn toward him to come. Nothing is required except to come and drink. Those who respond to this invitation and remain loyal to Christ as overcomers will be God's children, and he will be their Father. This is the essence of salvation… an unending, eternal, intimate relationship with God. Here we have no inheritance; there we shall inherit the kingdom of heaven, and be with God and Christ, and have every possible degree of blessedness.

Selie Visa