What do Seventh Day Baptists believe?
Statement of Belief of 1987
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Seventh Day Baptist Statement of Belief
Introduction
2 Corinthians 3:17-18; 2 Timothy 2:15; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:3-6, 15; Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Seventh Day Baptists consider liberty of thought under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to be essential to Christian belief and practice. Therefore we encourage the unhindered study and open discussion of Scripture. We uphold the individual's freedom of conscience in seeking to determine and obey the will of God.
The following statement is not intended to be exhaustive, but is an expression of our common belief, which is derived from our understanding of Scripture.
I. God
1 Timothy 1:17; Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Kings 8:27; 1 John 1:5; Genesis 1:1-2; Acts 17:24-25, 28; Psalm 90:1-2; Matthew 28:19; John 3:16; Isaiah 57:15; 2 Peter 3:9.
We believe in one God, infinite and perfect, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe who exists eternally in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and desires to share His love in a personal relationship with everyone.
The Father
We believe in God the Father, who is sovereign over all, and is loving and just as He forgives the repentant and condemns the unrepentant.
1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6; Ezekiel 33:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8; John 5:24; John 3:16-18.
The Son
We believe in God the Son, who became incarnate in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. He gave Himself on the cross as the complete and final sacrifice for sin. As our Risen Lord, He is the mediator between God the Father and mankind.
John 1:34; Hebrews 1:3; John 1:14-18; Romans 1:3-4; 1 John 3:16; 1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 10:10-14; 1 Corinthians 15:20-21; 1 Timothy 2:5; John 14:6; 1 John 2:1-2.
The Holy Spirit
We believe in God the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who gives spiritual birth to believers lives within them, and empowers them for witnessing and service. We believe the Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures, convicts of sin and instructs in righteousness.
John 14:16; 3:5-8; 14:17; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 12:4-7; 2 Peter 1:20-21; John 16:7-11.
II. The Bible
2 Peter 1:20-21; Romans 3:2; 2 Peter 3:1-2, 15-16; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Matthew 5:17-19; Psalm 119:105; John 20:30-31; Hebrews 1:1-2.
We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and is our final authority in matters of faith and practice. We believe that Jesus Christ, in His life and teachings as recorded in the Bible, is the supreme interpreter of God's will for mankind.
III. Mankind
Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 8:3-9; Micah 6:8; Matthew 5:44-48; 1 John 1:3; John 1:12
We believe that mankind was created in the image of God and is therefore the noblest work of creation. We believe that human beings have moral responsibility and are created to enjoy both divine and human fellowship as children of God.
IV. Sin and Salvation
1 John 3:4-5; Romans 3:23-25; Isaiah 59:2; 1 John 1:8-10; Romans 5:6-8; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 10:10-14; 1 Peter 1:3; John 3:16-18, 36; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; Matthew 25:41-46; Romans 5:10
We believe that sin is disobedience to God and failure to live according to His will. Because of sin all people have separated themselves from God. We believe that because we are sinners, we are in need of a Savior.
We believe that salvation from sin and death is the gift of God by redeeming love accomplished by Christ's death and resurrection, and is received only by repentance and faith in Him. We believe that all who repent of their sin and receive Christ as Savior will not be punished at the final judgment but enjoy eternal life. (See more on Salvation below under Salvation expounded.)
V. Eternal Life
1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 20-23; John 14:1-3; Matthew 24:30; Titus 2:13; John 17:3; 1 John 5:11-13; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44; John 10:27-28; John 6:40
We believe that Jesus rose from the dead and lives eternally with the Father, and that He will come again with power and great glory. We believe that eternal life begins in knowing God through a commitment to Jesus Christ. We believe that because He died and lives again, resurrection with spiritual and imperishable bodies is the gift of God to believers.
VI. The Church
Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 12:13, 14, 27; Romans 12:4-5; Colossians 1:18; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 2:19-22; Romans 15:5-7; Ephesians 4:11-16; 2 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Matthew 18:20; Hebrews 10:24-25
We believe that the church of God is all believers gathered by the Holy Spirit and joined into one body, of which Christ is the Head. We believe that the local church is a community of believers organized in covenant relationship for worship, fellowship and service, practicing and proclaiming common convictions, while growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We believe in the priesthood of all believers and practice the autonomy of the local congregation, as we seek to work in association with others for more effective witness.
VII. Baptism
Romans 6:3-4; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:11; Galatians 3:26-27
We believe that baptism of believers in obedience to Christ's command is a witness to the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We believe in baptism by immersion as a symbol of death to sin, a pledge to a new life in Him.
VIII. The Lord's Supper
Mark 14:22-25; Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 11:23-30
We believe that the Lord's Supper commemorates the suffering and death of our Redeemer until He comes, and is a symbol of union in Christ and a pledge of renewed allegiance to our risen Lord.
IX. Sabbath
Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 16:23-30; Exodus 20:8-11; Matthew 5:17-19; Mark 2:27-28; Luke 4:16; Acts 13:14, 42-44; 16:11-13; 17:2-3; 18:4-11; Ezekiel 20:19-20; Hebrews 4:9-10; John 14:15; Isaiah 58:13-14; Luke 23:56
We believe that the Sabbath of the Bible, the seventh day of the week, is sacred time, a gift of God to all people, instituted at creation, affirmed in the Ten Commandments and reaffirmed in the teaching and example of Jesus and the apostles.
We believe that the gift of Sabbath rest is an experience of God's eternal presence with His people.
We believe that in obedience to God and in loving response to His grace in Christ, the Sabbath should be faithfully observed as a day of rest, worship, and celebration. (see more on the Sabbath below)
X. Evangelism
Matthew 24:14; Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 4:1-2, 5-6; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Ephesians 6:14-20
We believe that Jesus Christ commissions us to proclaim the Gospel, to make disciples, to baptize and to teach observance of all that He has commanded. We are called to be witnesses for Christ throughout the world and in all human relationships.
Sabbath - expounded
Seventh Day Baptists are Baptists who remember to keep the seventh day Sabbath holy. We are a Baptist church that is a little different.
The Sabbath and Creation
The essence of Christianity is people being brought into right relationship with
God. In fact, God created humans, as male and female, in order to enjoy a loving
relationship with Him. God created people (Genesis 1:27) and then created the
Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-4) as that period of time in which God could have our
undivided attention. The Sabbath is God's gift of time for the benefit of
humankind.
God created the heavens and the earth. Though the creation of the heavens and
earth was complete on the sixth day of creation, there was one thing yet to be
created, the Sabbath.
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their vast array. By the
seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day
he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy,
because in it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done (Genesis
2:1-3).
The story of God's creation of the Sabbath (Genesis 2:2,3) tells us three things
that God did with the seventh day, Sabbath. (Though the word "Sabbath" does not
appear in the creation story in Genesis, it is clear that the Sabbath was
established.
1. God rested on the seventh day, Sabbath.
2. God blessed the seventh day, Sabbath.
3. God sanctified or made holy the seventh day, Sabbath.
God did more than merely rest on that first Sabbath. "God blessed the seventh
day and sanctified it" (Genesis 2:3). This was God's final act in His creation
week. He took the last day (seventh day) of the creation week and set it apart
as a special day by blessing it. The Sabbath is a part of the creation order,
and it has its origins there. In the beginning, God created the heavens, the
earth, man, and the seventh day Sabbath.
Creation and the Law
God so desired that His people know Him that He revealed to them part of His
character, known as the Law or Ten Commandments. These ten words of law were
God's desire for the Children of Israel and for all humankind.
The fourth of these Commandments points back to creation as the origin of the
Sabbath. God commands people to keep the Sabbath because He, Himself kept the
Sabbath at creation. God blessed the Sabbath and made it holy by setting the
example for all mankind to rest on that day.
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do
all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you
shall not do any work, neither you nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant
or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six
days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them,
but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and
made it holy" (Exodus 20:8-11).
God's prescription regarding the Sabbath is rather specific. God said that we
should rest and remember - not one day a week - but a specific day of the week,
the seventh day. God specifically said that the "seventh day is a Sabbath to the
Lord thy God" (Exodus 20:10). The seventh day Sabbath belongs to God. People can
do what they wish on the first day of the week (Sunday) but it is the seventh
day Sabbath which is the Lord's day according to Exodus 20:10.
We see from Exodus 20:11 that the foundation of the fourth commandment is God's
act of creation, "in the beginning." The Sabbath is not based merely on God's
relationship to the Jews, but it is based on His relationship to all of
creation. There are five things to emphasize in the Fourth Commandment.
1. God tells us that the seventh day is the Sabbath. 2. God commands us to
remember the Sabbath day. 3. God commands us to keep the Sabbath holy. 4. God
commands us to rest on the Sabbath. 5. "Sabbath to the Lord" is a day dedicated
to Him.
Why are we to keep the Sabbath holy? The Fourth Commandment goes on to tell us
why.
"For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that
is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the
Sabbath day and made it holy." (Exodus 20:11)
We are to keep the Sabbath holy and rest, because God kept the Sabbath holy and
rested on that day. The Sabbath is holy because God "made it holy" at creation.
We are to rest on the Sabbath because God set the example for Sabbath rest at
creation.
Jesus and the Sabbath
The Ten Commandments are an expression of Godís very nature and will, which is
unchangeable. Jesus Christ did not come to change even the smallest portion of
the moral law (Matthew 5:17,18). Some say that Christ changed the Sabbath from
the seventh day of the week to the first day of the week. That would require a
change in the law. The moral law says that "the seventh day is the Sabbath" and
not the first day of the week. In no place does the Bible tell us of this change
in the law from the seventh to the first day of the week.
The Sabbath was the commandment most corrupted by the Pharisees. So, it is not
surprising that it was over Sabbath-keeping that Jesus would have most of his
conflict with the Pharisees. The Sabbath issue between Christ and the Pharisees
is never over which day to worship or over whether the Sabbath was still part of
God's desire for man. The issue for Christ was the way in which the Sabbath was
being kept and the Phariseesí attitude toward the Sabbath.
The most powerful statement regarding Christ's commitment to the Sabbath is
found in Mark 2:27 and 28. "And he was saying to them, The Sabbath was made for
man and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is Lord even of the
Sabbath.'" The climax of Jesus' statement comes when he says that he is Lord of
the Sabbath day. This means that Jesus has the authority over all the
circumstances regarding the Sabbath. Christians should be taught that Jesus
Christ can arrange circumstances in order to provide for people the opportunity
to keep the seventh day Sabbath holy. God wants our undivided attention on the
seventh day Sabbath, and He will use the resources of His kingdom to make this
possible.
The story of creation in Genesis gives the origin of the Sabbath but it does not
give the reason for God's creation of the Sabbath. However, a clue to the
purpose of the Sabbath is given in the fact that the Sabbath was created right
after man's creation. Perhaps the Sabbath was created by God with man in mind.
The fact that the Sabbath was made for man is stated clearly by Jesus Christ,
the Creator of the Sabbath. "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the
Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). Here Jesus is addressing the Pharisees who are condemning
Him for breaking the Pharisaic rules regarding the Sabbath. There are four
things which can be learned from this message from the mouth of our Lord, Jesus
Christ.
First, the Sabbath was made. This is a clear reference back to Genesis 2 showing
that the Sabbath was a part of the perfect creation order. The Sabbath existed
from the very beginning as the final part of God's creation. This reference
would also serve as a reminder to the Pharisees that the Sabbath was created by
God and not by them.
Second, the Sabbath was made for man. Right after the creation of man, God made
the Sabbath. (See Genesis 1 and 2.) Jesus, the Creator of the Sabbath, says that
the Sabbath was created with all mankind in mind. The Sabbath does not have its
origins in the Law. Its origins go back to creation. The Sabbath was not a
Jewish Sabbath alone, because "the Sabbath was made for man" and not for just
the Jews. When the Sabbath was created in the beginning there were no Jews. This
is the clear message of Jesus in this New Testament text.
Third, "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." At the time of
Jesus, the Pharisees had lost the meaning of the Sabbath. God had created the
Sabbath for man's benefit, but the Pharisees had reversed the meaning. For the
Pharisees, the Sabbath was more important than man, and they believed that God
had created man to keep the Sabbath.
Fourth, "the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath," means that Jesus Christ
was and is the one who is in authority over the Sabbath. There would be no need
for him to declare his Lordship if he planned to abolish it in the near future
with his death. But because he is Lord of the Sabbath, he can and will bring all
of his resourses to bear to empower us and to work our circumstances so that we
can keep his day holy.
The Sabbath was created for our benefit. Jesus' life, death, and ministry did
not change the original meaning and purpose of the Sabbath. But Jesus did attack
the Pharisees for the way they had changed the original meaning and purpose of
God's holy day.
Jesus Christ Kept the Sabbath
In every area of life, we look to Christ as our supreme example. We believe in
baptism because of the example of Christ and the apostles and the command of
God. And so it is with the Sabbath. We have the example of Christ and the
apostles and the Ten Commandments of God written on the tables of stone and on
our hearts. And yet, the majority of Christianity has chosen the tradition of
man.
"He (Jesus) went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath
day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read"
(Luke 4:16). The word of God tells that Jesus was a Sabbathkeeper. It was the
Son of God who blessed and sanctified the Sabbath at creation by resting. This
rest was the first example that Adam and Eve had in the Garden. When the Son of
God became flesh, he once again set the example for Sabbathkeeping.
Luke, Paul, and the Sabbath
Luke's gospel was written to a gentile (Theophilus) no earlier than 60 AD, which
is many years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Luke 23:56,
we read that the women "...prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the
Sabbath in obedience to the commandment."
Some would say that the women simply had not yet been told by Jesus that the
Sabbath was abolished. But remember, Luke is writing this several decades after
the death and resurrection of Christ. He in no way qualifies the fourth
commandment being kept by the women as something that was "done away with" or
something that is "Jewish" or "passed away." Luke simply describes their
Sabbathkeeping as something "in obedience to the commandment." Apparently Luke,
the writer of the gospel, felt that the Sabbath was still one of the
commandments of God at the time he wrote it.
The Book of Acts, also written by Luke, is a history of the early church right
after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is no mention of a change in the
Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day of the week. In fact, throughout
the Book of Acts the seventh day of the week is given the title of "Sabbath." If
the first day of the week was changed to the "Lord's Day," why is the title
"Lord's Day" not mentioned in this earliest history of the church?
When the Apostle Paul was in Corinth he went to the synagogue every Sabbath.
This was in spite of the fact that he was trying to reach both Jews and Greeks.
"Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks"
(Acts 18:4). We have set before us the clear example of Christ and the example
of Paul.
Salvation is by Grace Through Faith
Seventh Day Baptists believe that the Sabbath is important to God and to people.
However, we also believe that we are not saved by observing the Sabbath. In
fact, we are not saved by keeping any of the Ten Commandments. The Apostle Paul
says, "no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law"
(Romans 3:20).
Seventh Day Baptists believe that we are saved because "God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten son" (John 3:16). Jesus Christ came to earth to
die and shed His blood so that people could be saved. Only those who surrender
their lives to Jesus Christ will be saved.
Love is the Reason to Observe the Sabbath
Though we are not saved by observing the Sabbath, we keep the Sabbath because we
love the Lord. Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).
Love is the reason we keep the Sabbath holy and obey all of the Ten
Commandments. We also keep the Sabbath holy because we believe Jesus when He
tells us that "the Sabbath was made for man." We believe that the Sabbath was
given for man's benefit. The Sabbath truly is a gift of time for our benefit.
Our Freedom in Christ
"It is for freedom that Christ set us free" (Galatians 5:1). The Sabbath is
designed as a day of freedom. Jesus is in the business of setting people free
from anything that is a barrier to intimate fellowship with Him. If God
commanded us to keep the Sabbath day holy by resting, He would have to be in
charge of all the circumstances that could keep us from obeying His command.
That is why God has set his Son in charge of the Sabbath as "Lord of the
Sabbath." Now we can be set free from all the labor and work of the Sabbath and
be able to give God our undivided attention on His day.
It is on the Sabbath that we are set free from work and the guilt of spending
twenty-four hours in rest and service. Could this be possible on any other day?
Perhaps, but God has not committed Himself and all the resources of the Kingdom
to setting us free from work on any day but the seventh day Sabbath. It is only
by faith that we can accept these resources which set us free from Sabbath work.
This faith can only be built upon a relationship with the Son of Man, who is
Lord even of the Sabbath day. God provides all of these resources to set us free
to give Him our undivided attention for twenty-four hours a week. Of course, God
wants our attention every day of the week. But because God wants our undivided
attention on the seventh day Sabbath, He sets us free from the work of the
world. God does all this for us because He loves us and He knows that we need
it. And we keep His Sabbath holy by spending time with Him because we love Him.
Salvation - expounded
Since the garden of Eden, people have been separated from a personal re-lationship with God because of sin. The Bible is the history of how God took the initiative to restore that lost relationship. God brings people back into a relationship with Him because He loves them. God wants people to respond to His love by putting their faith and trust in Him. When they do, God makes an agreement or covenant with them so that they will know what is expected of them in this relationship. Our responsibility in this rela-tionship is given in covenants and laws.
Adam and the Broken Relationship
God's relationship with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden is a picture of
perfect man in relationship with perfect God. God created man in perfec-tion
because He wanted a person to love. God created man by grace (love) and,
therefore, the relationship between God and man was based on grace. But man's
relationship with God had the responsibilities of exercising domin-ion, being
fruitful, and not eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God's
creation of man was not simply to have someone to keep His laws but that God
would have someone to love.
Genesis 3 tells the sad story of how man lost his personal relationship with
God; it is a story of sin and its consequences. Satan, in the form of a serpent,
tempted Eve, and she and Adam ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
They disobeyed God and, therefore, they sinned.
God had told them that on "the day that you eat from it you shall surely die"
(Genesis 2:17). But after they ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil, they did not die a physical death. In fact the Bible goes on to
tell us how they continued to live and give birth to Cain, Abel, and Seth. God
had promised that they would die on the very day that they ate the forbidden
fruit and yet they continued to live. It is very important to examine what
happened to Adam and Eve on the day that they ate the fruit and sinned.
Separation and the Holiness of God
On the day that Adam and Eve sinned, they did not die a physical death but they
died a spiritual death. Spiritual life comes from having a rela-tionship with
God who is life and the source of spiritual life. When Adam and Eve sinned they
were driven out from the garden of Eden and separated from God. They could no
longer enjoy their walking, talking, personal rela-tionship with their creator.
It was sin that separated God and man in the garden, and it is sin that
continues to separate God and people today. Adam's disobedience brought sin into
the world so that all mankind comes under the curse of sin. This sin separates
mankind from God and the result is spiritual death.
Sin came into the world through one man, and his sin brought death with it. As a
result, death has spread to the whole human race because everyone has sinned
(Romans 5:12 NASB).
God is the source of spiritual life (John 1:4) and people can have this
spiritual life only if they have a relationship with Him. Separation from God
because of sin brings spiritual death.
Sin separates God and people because God is holy (Isaiah 6:3 and Revela-tion
4:8). The word "holy" simply means "pure." God is pure. However, sin is impure.
If God were to allow the impurity of sin into His intimate presence, then He
would no longer be pure. So God does not allow sin in His presence.
Man was created to enjoy a loving relationship with God. But man sinned and was
separated from God because God is holy. The Bible is a record of how God has
tried to bring mankind back into a loving relationship with Him.
The Covenants
The basis of all of these relationships between God and His people was the
covenant. A covenant is an agreement. In the Bible such an agreement was like a
contract which was entered into by two parties. These covenants are made between
God and His people. God made a covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:9), with Abraham
(Genesis 12:1-3), and with Moses (Exodus 20). God's final covenant with man was
sealed with the blood of Jesus. Jesus calls this final covenant the "new
covenant sealed with my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:20).
Jesus' death and shed blood on the cross brought a new covenant to mankind. At
the Last Supper, Jesus said, "This cup is God's new covenant (testament or
agreement) sealed with my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:20). But
there are things about the new covenant that are not so new. It is necessary to
examine the words of New Testament scripture to see what is new and what
elements continue from the old covenant. The word "testament" simply means
"covenant" or "agreement." So the New Testament is the word of God regarding the
new covenant.
Before Jesus was born, an angel appeared to Joseph telling of the birth of the
Christ. The angel tells Joseph that Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit. The angel
continues by saying, "She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus - because
he will save his people from their sin" (Matthew 1:21). Salvation from sin is a
part of the very name of Jesus.
At the age of 30 Jesus began His earthly ministry at His baptism. As Jesus was
coming to the Jordan River, John the Baptist saw Him and said, "There is the
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). John the Baptist
recognized that Jesus had come to earth to be the sacrificial Lamb whose shed
blood would bring forgiveness of sin.
At both the birth of Jesus and at His baptism, the focus is on saving people
from their sin. Sin is man's greatest problem because it is sin that separates
God from people. Sin separates God from people because God is holy or pure and
cannot have the impurity of sinful people in His intimate presence.
Adam's disobedience in the Garden of Eden brought sin into the world. This sin
was passed on to the whole world resulting in death. Paul says this in Romans
5:12, "sin came into the world through one man, and his sin brought death with
it. As a result, death has spread to the whole human race because everyone has
sinned." The "death" that Paul is referring to is the spiritual death of being
separated from God. Notice that this spiritual death is the result of sin.
The goal of Jesus Christ's mission to earth was to bring men and women into a
relationship with Him. Jesus is the source of life. John 1:4 says, "The word was
the source of life." When man is separated from Jesus because of sin, he is
separated from the "source of life." But when sin is dealt with in a person's
life, that person can have a relationship with Jesus and he will, therefore,
have life.
The testimony is this: God has given us eternal life, and this life has its
source in his Son. Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the
Son of God does not have life (1 John 5:11,12 NIV).
To have the Son of God is the same as having eternal life because the Son of God
is life itself and the source of life. The ultimate goal of every person who
wants eternal life is to have this life-giving relationship with the Son of God.
The only way in which sinful people can have this relationship with the Son of
God is to somehow take care of the problem of sin.
Christ's Death: God's Solution to the Problem of Sin
God solved the problem of sin by sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross. Jesus
began his earthly ministry with the announcement of John the Baptist, "There is
the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." The solution to the
problem of sin will be accomplished by Jesus Christ, the Lamb, and his sacrifice
on the cross.
In the Old Testament or Covenant, under the Ceremonial Law, there was no
forgiveness of sin without the shed blood of a sacrifice. The old sacri-fices
required killing and shedding the blood of bulls, goats and lambs at various
times of the year. The sacrificial animal had to be perfect, in that, it was to
be without spot or blemish.
As the Lamb of God, Christ would become the final sacrifice for people's sin.
Christ's death as the final sacrifice put an end to the need for fur-ther animal
sacrifices. This sacrifice of Christ on the cross was to be the sacrifice
offered once for the sins of the whole world.
Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God who was perfect in every way. He was like the
sacrificial animals of the Ceremonial Law of the Old Covenant, without a spot or
blemish of sin. Jesus was tempted by sin (Hebrews 4:15) and, therefore, He
understands sin. But He never gave in to sin. Because he was without sin, His
righteousness was perfect before God.
Jesus was not content to merely take upon Himself the limitations of humanity so
that He could be tempted and understand sin. He took upon Him-self the sins of
mankind, as well. The Apostle Peter states, "Christ himself carried our sins in
his body to the cross" (I Peter 2:24). He did not bear our sins by becoming a
sinner for us. Rather, He allowed God to put on Him the sins of the world so
that He could be the sacrifice for sin once and for all. This is stated in II
Corinthians 5:21, "Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share
our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of
God."
When Jesus took upon Himself man's sin, the holiness (purity) of God, the
Father, required that Jesus, the Son, be abandoned. God, who is "of purer eyes
than to behold evil," (Habakuk 1:13) turned His face from His Son. For a while
on the cross, people's sin separated the Father and Jesus.
The solution to the problem of sin was accomplished when Jesus cried out from
the cross, "It is finished" (John 19:30). With these words the problem of sin
and, therefore, man's restored relationship with God was solved. The way to
God's presence need no longer be blocked by sin.
For people to be saved, they must simply respond to what God has already done
when He sent Jesus to die on the cross. We cannot earn his salvation by what we
do. We must simply accept his salvation by faith, as a gift.
Faith: Man's Response to God's Solution
No doctrine of scripture is clearer than the doctrine of salvation by grace
through faith. Mankind can only be saved by God's grace (love) in sending Jesus
to die, followed by man's response of faith (trust) in Jesus and what He did on
the cross. This doctrine of salvation by grace through faith is concisely stated
by the Apostle Paul In Ephesians 2:8 and 9.
For it is by God's grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the
result of your own efforts, but God's gift, so that no one can boast about it (TEV).
In two sentences the Apostle Paul has given God's plan of salvation. Every
phrase is important, so each will be examined separately.
1. "For it is by God's grace that you have been saved."
God's grace is the basis and foundation for man's salvation. "Grace" is God's
love for man even though man does not deserve it. God loves man though he is a
wicked, sinful, enemy of God (Romans 5:6 and 7). This love for sinful man is
grace, the undeserved love of God. Paul describes grace as God's love being
demonstrated in Christ's death for sinful people.
2. "You have been saved through faith."
Faith is man's response to God's grace. Man's response of faith is di-rected
toward a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. "God puts people right through their
faith in Jesus Christ" (Romans 3:22). Man cannot be saved by putting his faith
in a doctrine, in the church, or in his ability to do good (the law). The only
way for man to be saved is by putting his faith in the person of Jesus Christ.
3. Salvation is "not the result of your own efforts."
A person cannot save himself by his own strength or effort. There is nothing in
people that deserves salvation from God. And "no one does what is right, not
even one (Romans 3:11). To believe that man can be saved through his own ef-forts
is to misunderstand the sinfulness of people and the holiness of God.
4. Salvation is "God's gift".
Salvation must be God's gift since it cannot be worked for or earned as a result
of people's efforts. Something that is earned can no longer be a gift, it is
wages.
God's grace caused Him to send Jesus to die on the cross for people's sin.
Jesus' death on the cross was the demonstration of God's grace. This death of
Christ on the cross was a free gift since there was no one who deserved being
died for. "But God has shown us how much he loves us - it was while we were
still sinners that Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)!
Salvation is offered to people as a gift. Those who try to earn the gift will
fall short because of their sin. Only those who are willing to reach out by
faith will take hold of the free gift of salvation.
5. "No one can boast" about their salvation.
There is no room for boasting in salvation because salvation is not earned or
deserved. A person could boast or brag about his salvation if sal-vation came as
a result of works or effort. But the Christian message is humbling, indeed. It
begins with the fact that all people are sinners and separated from God. The
only solution to the problem of sin rests in putting faith in Jesus and His
death on the cross. There is no room for pride in a Christian's heart because a
Christian is a person who has accepted a gift. The gift is the most important
thing in the world, salvation. And this gift is offered to people by his
Creator. The gift can be received only by faith. The Apostle Paul's summary of
the plan of salvation could not be clearer.
From Faith To Saving Faith
It is very clear in scripture that people are saved when they respond by faith
to God's gracious act of sending Jesus to die on the cross for their sin. Faith
is the only thing that people can "do" to be saved. It is, there-fore, very
important to understand this faith in order to know how to re-spond to God's
grace.
To be saved, a person must respond by putting his faith and trust in Christ
alone for salvation. A sinner who repents of his sin is then invited to put his
faith and trust in Christ alone for his salvation. In order for a person to come
to Christ, he must know who Christ is and what He has done for. Unfortunately,
many people who know about Christ do not personally receive Him and trust Him
alone for salvation. It is this personal trust that brings people into right
relationship with God.
What does it mean to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? First, it means that
we know and believe in our hearts that Jesus is the only way to be saved.
Second, agree with scripture about what Christ has done for us on the cross in
paying our penalty for sin, so that we might have forgiveness of sin. Third, we
must surrender and open our hearts to Him and receive Him into our hearts and
lives. He will come into our lives and make us the kind of people He wants us to
be. Faith means that we know that we can trust Him with our lives and that He
will watch over us and give us the power we need to lead the kind of lives that
He wants us to lead.
A person must surrender his sin and life to Jesus through confession,
repentance, and the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Confession is simply telling God that you know that you are a sinner in need of
forgiveness. In confession you are not telling God something that He does not
already know. God knows that you are a sinner and what all of your sins are.
When you confess, you are simply telling God that you finally realize that you
are a sinner in need of a cleansing. If you will confess your sin to God, He
will completely forgive you of all your sin.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).
Repentance is turning away from sin and turning toward God. When you repent you
are telling God that you want to stop the sin in your life and be the kind of
person that He wants you to be. Jesus said that repentance or turn-ing away from
sin is necessary for salvation. "I tell you, unless you repent you will all
likewise perish" (Luke 13:3,5 NASB).
The Holy Spirit coming into your life will give you the power that you need to
be the kind of person that God wants you to be. "But you will receive power when
the Holy Spirit has come upon you" (Acts 1:8).
A Typical Prayer Of Surrender
Lord, I confess to you that I am a sinner in need of your salvation. I be-lieve
that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. So I ask you to forgive me of my sin.
Lord, I want to repent by turning away from the sin in my life and turn to-ward
you as my Savior.
Lord, I want to surrender my life to you and ask you to make me the kind of
person that you want me to be. I want to live my life for you.
Lord, give me your Holy Spirit so that I can have the power I need to live a
life that will be pleasing to you.
I thank you that I am now your child. In Jesus' name I thank and praise you,
Amen.
