The Doctrine of Salvation

The Doctrine of Salvation
Kevin Shrum

There is a God who is God all by Himself and is unique as the One true God in Three persons. Out of the perogatives of His own will and eternal counsel, He created all things for His glory, is in control of all things and is not suprised by anything because all things occur within the mystery of the counsel of His own will.

Every human is wonderfully made (Jer. 1:5) , yet fatally flawed by sin (Rom. 3:23). We are dead in our sin (Eph. 2:1), unable and unwilling to help or redeem ourselves in God-honoring, God-glorifying ways.

God, in His infinite wisdom, justice, love and mercy, has decided to save a people for Himself out of the masses of sinful, hell-bound humanity, a people upon which He can pour out His great grace and mercy and through whom He can bear witness to all people from every nation, tribe and tongue (Deut. 7:6; Isa. 45:4; John 6:44; Acts 14:48; Romans 8:29; 9:11) .

God, then, is able to save and redeem His people through the vicarious and substitutionary atoning death of Jesus Christ and His subsequent resurrection (1 Cor. 15:1-11). Through Jesus Christ, God the Father imputs and grants His righteousness to sinners by faith through grace (Romans 3:21-31; 2 Cor. 5:16-21).

Through the means of preaching, teaching, praying, ministering and witnessing, God draws sinners to Himself through the power of the Holy Spirit, awakening them, convicting them, overcoming their resistance, convincing them of the truth of the gospel, re-birthing them into the kingdom of God (John 14: 15-21; John 6:44).

God is able, then, to preserve and keep His people through His enabling grace and sealing Spirit (Jude 24-25). God works in and through His people so that they might bear witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ as on mission people as God continues to call out His people from every nation, tribe and tongue (Rev. 7:9-10).