No Other Way of Salvation
1.6 - Foundations of the Christian Faith
There is no other way of salvation except through Jesus Christ. The apostle Peter said of Jesus, “There is salvation in no one else” (Acts 4:12). Jesus is the only one who can save us and reconcile us to God.
Although the scriptures tell us that the “Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), Jesus also said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him...” (John 6:44). For this reason, we must understand repentance to be a call upon our lives from God, the Father. We are not just saying we’re sorry, which is probably motivated by our own emotions. Rather, we are responding to the work of the Holy Spirit as the Father draws us to himself. He’s calling; we’re responding!
So, how do we get to the Father once He begins to draw us? Jesus said that He alone was the door or gate to God. He plainly declared, “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). The truth of the scriptures is wonderfully evident. Salvation is found in Christ alone. The Gospel of John tells us that God wants to make His home in our hearts. Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him“ (John 14:23). Notice that He said, “We will come to him.” God the Father and God the Son will both come and make their home in the believer who loves the Lord and keeps His word. This is a glorious thought! And how do they do this? They live inside your human spirit through the presence of the Holy Spirit, who is the third person of the Trinity. Paul asks the Church at Corinth this question: “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Paul also declares, “For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are“ (1 Corinthians 3:17). This is a mind-blowing thought: the fullness of the Godhead dwells in our bodies. Paul wrote to the Ephesians saying as much: “I pray that you will know how great His power is for those who have put their trust in Him. 20 It is the same power that raised Christ from the dead“ (Ephesians 1:19-20). That’s right; the power that raised Jesus back to life resides in you.
There’s a progression here if you can see it.
God initiates a plan to save the world, which is lost in sin. This is all God’s idea, not ours.
When the time was right, God sent his Son into the world “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:9).
The Father is drawing all people unto Himself. Not everyone will respond.
To save them, the Father draws them to Christ Jesus, who is the door to the Father.
The Son introduces the repentant believer to the Father, who imparts to him the Holy Spirit.
In turn, the Father and the Son come and dwell inside the believer through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The believer is empowered to live the Christian life by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Wow! What a story! God seeks, finds, forgives, and then indwells the repentant heart.
Your assignment: Read the following scriptures to see what else God’s Word says about salvation.
John 14:5–6
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
1 Timothy 2:5–6
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.
Isaiah 42:1–4
1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”
Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break their chains
and throw off their shackles.”4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
5 He rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
6 “I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:
He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have become your father.
8 Ask me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You will break them with a rod of iron;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear
and celebrate his rule with trembling.
12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry
and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
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