The Doctrine of Salvation (Part 1 of 2)

The Doctrine of Salvation:

What We Believe About God's Redemption

This is a sermon preached during a series entitled "Doctrine Matters: What We Believe as Baptist" and is based on the Baptist Faith and Message.

Romans 8:29-30 reads:

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

    Why are we not in hell right now? Why are we saved? Why do we as Christians do what we do? How do we do what we do? Only by the grace of God. We are not in hell at this present moment because God, in his grace, has not put us there. God chose to save us, to pardon us, and bring us near.

Why do we need saving? What are we saved from? Are we saved from hell? From sin? Or from God? We are delivered from all three, but ultimately God saves us from his just wrath against our sins which deserve hell.

    Is it really that bad? Is sin that big of a deal? Yes! We cannot begin to fathom the holiness of God and the depths of our depravity. Oh, we are sinful. So, so, full of sin.

    Let's go back to the beginning where it all happened, Genesis 3. We find that God made man upright. He walked with man, taught him, revealed himself to him, and gave him commands. Man was without sin. Do you ever wonder what that was like, to be without sin? To exist in a perfect paradise? To walk and enjoy such sweet and close fellowship with God?

    But, man fell. And it was a great fall. How far did man fall and plunge humanity into the dark abyss of sin and wretchedness? At that moment, man died spiritually. His nature was transformed, he now desired sin, was filled with shame, ran from God, tried to hide and cover his sin, invented man-made religion, avoided responsibility, is now unable to stop sinning, and is corrupt, polluted, depraved, rebellious, separated from God, a hater of God, an enemy of God, and, well you get the picture. And this is the nature that we inherit. This is us. This is bad.

    But God. Aren't those great words? God intervened. He came looking for Adam (and Eve). He sacrificed animals and covered their nakedness, forgave them, gave them promises, and proclaimed salvation. God poured grace upon grace onto his sinful creatures. Salvation was initiated by God, and still is. God saves sinners. That is great news. William Bates, a puritan pastor, said, “the wretchedness of our captivity illustrates the glory of our redemption.”¹

    Please notice that in saying that God initiated salvation, this means that man could not save himself. In fact, it appears that man could not figure out how to save himself, although he tried. God revealed his salvation. It is often asked if people need to hear the gospel in order to be saved? Is Scripture necessary for the salvation of sinners? Yes. Adam needed God to reveal it to him. He had no hope of ever coming up with a plan to save himself, as if that is possible in the first place. God made it known. Salvation belongs to the Lord. God intervened then and he still does today.

    Due to the Fall, man is unholy, unlike God, and needs to be sanctified. He is dead spiritually and needs to be called and regenerated. Man is unrighteous and guilty before a holy and just God and in need of justification. Also, man is headed for hell and damnation and stands in needs to be perfected and kept for glory. These are needs. Great needs. Every person born stands in need of this.

    Man cannot meet these needs. He is powerless and unable to make himself holy, raise himself from the dead, acquit himself of sin, and transform his nature or remove the remnant of sin. But God can. And this is the very thing that God does. So, what is this salvation? Quite simply, sinners are saved by God, from God, for God.

    In Romans 8:29-30, we have salvation from God's point-of-view. You will notice that Paul does not mention anything about repentance and faith. We know that they are part of the gospel, man's response to the good news of Christ's salvation, but Paul is focusing on salvation from God's perspective in order to fill the saints with confidence and hope in the midst of trials, suffering, and affliction.

Goal of Salvation (vs. 29)

    Our text reveals, first, the goal of salvation in relation to the saint. Paul states that God foreknew a people; “For those whom he foreknew...” Keep in mind that it is God who initiates salvation. What does it mean that God foreknew a person? Remember the context of the entire letter. Paul goes to great lengths to describe the wrath of God abiding on sinners, the depraved nature of man, the inability of man to save himself or even to seek after God. All of mankind is sinful, lost, and in need of saving.

    To know means that God set his affections on a sinful people. It implies a distinguishing love, intimacy, and a delight in a person. It is a relational term often used to describe the love between a husband and wife. Foreknow means all of this and then conveys the idea of marking out beforehand, selecting, and suggests ownership. It would appear that God loved a people before they were created and desired to set them apart for salvation. He elected those whom he loved.

    The Word foreknew does not merely mean that God had a knowledge of a person. Of course God knows everything about everyone. It goes beyond this. Also, it does not mean that God looked through time and saw who would choose Christ, and on this basis elected them unto salvation. No, the word has intimate connotations. It reveals his electing love.

    Paul goes on to say that the people God foreknew, “he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” Those that God loved intimately he predestined. Predestined means to determine a destination beforehand. The doctrines of election and predestination are difficult to understand. They are also controversial and interpreted in contrasting ways. However, both doctrines are found in Scripture so they must be dealt with. This is God's word, not our own, and these teachings have everything to do with God's salvation.

    The word of God is true no matter how it makes us feel. We cannot, we must not interpret Scripture according to our feelings. Feelings are not a proper hermeneutic. God's word is still true even if we don't like it, it offends us, or hurts our feelings. John Calvin, in his exposition of Ephesians 1:6, proclaimed, “All who would do away with God's predestination or are loth to hear it spoken of, thereby show themselves to be mortal enemies of God's praise.”²

    We must also keep in mind that salvation is all of grace. This means that we do not deserve it. It means that we love our sin, hate God, would hate heaven if we were there, and are headed for hell and damnation. In other words, if God did not foreknow and choose us, we would have never decided to follow him. Not only is it impossible, but it goes against everything in our nature as fallen man. Our sin and the holiness of God do not make a good match.

    Notice what the people foreknown by God are destined for- conformity to Christ. This is the purpose, the goal of salvation. God does not just save people to be saving them. His love and choosing of sinners results in believers becoming like Christ. This is the doctrine of sanctification. That is, those whom God foreknew he predestined to be set apart and made holy. God's salvation is so remarkable! He thought of everything.

    This comes at a cost, however. Being predestined to be conformed or made into the image of Christ is not easy or pain free. On the contrary, sanctification involves being humbled, dying to self, killing sin, bearing the cross with all its shame, enduring ridicule from the world, and possibly even dying for the sake of Christ and his gospel. All of this to be made like our Savior. Is it worth it? Yes! Christ is worthy. Our present suffering and affliction are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us. This is how God perfects his saints. The path to glory must go through the valley. There is no other way to reach the promised land.

    The Baptist Faith and Message (Article IV Salvation) defines sanctification as, “the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God's purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person's life.”

    Christian, are you suffering? Are you wrestling with sin? Does your heart ache and cry out against the evils in the world, but even more over the evil in your own heart? Are you tired and downtrodden? Take heart, you are being perfected! This is good. It is all part of the plan of God to humble you and make you more like Christ. I know it hurts, but God has promised that these momentary afflictions are for your good and his glory. Keep fighting!

    Christian, do not complain. Do not bemoan your present sufferings. It does no good and this is not the proper attitude. Instead of asking, “why God?” you should ask, “what are you teaching me God?” Stop complaining, unless of course, you are not willing to be transformed into the image of Christ or disprove of God's plan. To be made like Christ, we must suffer as Christ suffered. So, be ready. Trust the Lord. There is a purpose in all of the pain.

    God's plan for his people is to be holy, to be like Christ, to be fitted for heaven, but ultimately, it is so that they glorify Christ.

     Our text reveals, second, the goal of salvation in relation to the Son. God predestined his chosen people to be image bearers of Christ, “in order that he [Christ] might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Firstborn, in this sense, speaks to priority and the supremacy of Christ. In other words, Christ will be preeminent. Christ is exalted among many brothers, his brothers.

     This pictures an intimate relationship between Christ and believers. We are united to Christ, we are sons of God and brothers of Christ. Wow! Sinners are set apart and made like Christ so that he is glorified by being exalted over them. We are privileged beyond words to be chosen by God in the first place. But, to then be viewed as brothers of Christ (and heirs with him to his kingdom) is too much to take in.

    God set his affections on sinners, predestined them to be conformed to the image of his Son, all for the glory of the Son. All of this brings glory to the Son. Everything. That includes all of our sin, suffering, shame, affliction, trials, stumbles, etc. This will ultimately glorify Christ because these are the means that God uses to shape and mold us more like Christ. Sinners are turned to saints and sons. How marvelous! How wonderful! Salvation is for our good but also for Christ's glory. A beautiful example of this is found in Revelation 5:9-14.

And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.' Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thou- sands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!' And I every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!' And the four living creatures said, 'Amen!' and the elders fell down and worshiped.”

1William Bates, The Complete Works of William Bates (Sprinkle Public- ations, 1990), 1:182.

2John Calvin, Sermons on Ephesians (Banner of Truth, 1998), 42-43.