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God’s Salvation Symphony

Bible Doctrine Series

www.bibleone.net

 

(Editor’s Note:  This article was completed in 2003, prior to the author becoming fully aware of the tripartite [past (spirit), present (soul), and future (body)] nature of God’s redemption plan for mankind.  Nevertheless, the article contains a great deal of biblical truth, even if the topics of “sanctification” and “glorification” should be altered to reflect the truth of “soul salvation.”  The author strongly recommends that any reader should take the time to read the book, Salvation of the Soul, by Arlen L. Chitwood, which may be accessed at the home page of this website.)

 

The word “symphony,” as defined by Webster’s New World College Dictionary (Fourth Edition), is “anything . . . characterized by harmonious composition.”  This definition certainly applies to the components of the finished product once a person is saved in accordance with the Bible—God’s Holy Word.  Another way it may be stated is that the definition applies to those “things” (applications) that happen to a person upon salvation.  These “things” (applications or components) create the most marvelous and most mysterious, yet once considered, the most logical and harmonious work of art ever from the mind and hand of God.

 

THE WHY OF SALVATION

 

But before the components of this grand composition are considered, the doctrine of salvation begs the question, “Why must a person be saved in the first place?”  The answer is found in the early stage of man’s creation, in the Garden of Eden, in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible—Genesis.  At the very beginning man, represented by the first created human (Adam), chose to disobey God’s explicit instructions, which led to man’s spiritual death, that is, his separation from a most holy God.  Not only did Adam’s disobedience lead to his immediate spiritual death and eventual physical death, but it resulted in the origin of the “sin nature”—an inward tendency or bent to avoid holiness and embrace evil, which has been passed on genetically to all humankind ever since.  The end result for every human being is spiritual and eventual physical death, which without salvation results in alienation and separation from God for all eternity.  The Genesis’ historical and literal account of this event, along with supporting scriptural documentation follows.

 

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16, 17—NKJV)

 

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:6—NKJV)

 

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. (Romans 5:12—NKJV)

 

Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.  For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:18, 19—NKJV)

 

For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21, 22—NKJV)

 

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;              (2 Corinthians 5:14—NKJV)

 

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, (Ephesians 2:1—NKJV)

 

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23—NKJV)

 

For the wages of sin is death . . . (Romans 6:23—NKJV)

 

Man was created to enjoy a personal relationship with God.  But as the result of the introduction of sin and the “sin nature” through the deliberate (man is allowed freedom of will to choose) disobedience of Adam and Eve, a barrier immediately separated man from God.  Man’s fellowship with God was severed, and man by himself can in no possible way overcome this barrier.  It (the barrier) is impassable and insurmountable.  Man can never go over or circumvent it, no matter how much he tries—unless, of course, he becomes the recipient of God’s grace-gift of salvation.

 

THE HOW OF SALVATION

 

The biblical doctrine of salvation, otherwise known as “soteriology,” may be defined as the total work of God that brings man from the state of sin and spiritual death to the state of glory and restored fellowship with God.  Although certain aspects of salvation may be a process, it is instantaneously and irrevocably achieved by a definite and genuine (or truthful) decision of will in the exercise of faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

 

Salvation is most definitely not a result of any good intentions, works or deeds associated with or performed by the person needing salvation.  A person cannot by means of his own good efforts achieve the quality of righteousness required by God’s standard for the restoration of fellowship with Him.  One doesn’t get to heaven because he is “religious,” or is kind to his neighbors or gives to the poor.  In fact, “religion,” may only hinder a person from God’s salvation.  Since salvation is a “union” or “relationship” with a living Christ and “religion” is primarily a tool of Satan to influence man toward “good works” in order to achieve the approbation (approval) of God, man’s best bet is to avoid religion and flee to God’s Word for the path of salvation.

 

The source of salvation is the “grace” (unmerited favor) of God and not the “merits” of man.  It is grounded in what God has done for man, not what man can do for God.  It is activated through the principle of faith—and faith alone—in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and in nothing else.  The reason is simply this—because man cannot achieve the righteousness required by God, someone had to achieve it for him.  The “someone” was Jesus Christ, and therefore salvation is a grace-gift from God to man.  Furthermore, it applies to everyone, those who will accept it by faith and those who will reject it.

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8, 9—NKJV)

 

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (1 John 2:2—NKJV)

 

Jesus Christ, the third person of the Trinity and who is truly God, humbled Himself and came from His throne in glory to be born of a virgin in the form of man.  As man, He was tempted in every way, but He remained sinless.  At the appointed time He was crucified on a Roman rugged cross as a substitution-sacrifice for mankind.  While on the cross He took upon Himself every sin of every person who has ever lived.  He in fact, in some mysterious way, “became that sin” and paid the price for all of it (suffered spiritual death) in the place of man, so that man would not have to pay the price.  Upon finishing the payment, He of His own volition, allowed His physical body to die.  He was buried, but in three days He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to the right hand of God.

 

who Himself [Christ] bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24—NKJV)

 

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.   All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:4-6—NKJV)

 

so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. (Hebrews 9:28—NKJV)

 

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8—NKJV)

 

The only way to appropriate this wondrous and extraordinary grace-gift of salvation is through the “principle of faith,” which is a function of the will.  God has allowed every person “freedom of choice,” to either accept or reject God during his lifetime.  A person may turn his back on God and go off into eternity ever to be separated from God; or, he may (1) recognize his need of God and His salvation, (2) realize that he can do nothing, such as good works, to save himself, (3) understand that Jesus Christ did absolutely everything necessary on the cross for his personal salvation and (4) by faith alone receive (trust in) Christ alone for his personal salvation.  At the very instant the person makes this (genuine) decision of personal faith in Christ, he is permanently (irrevocably) saved for all eternity.

 

But as many as received Him [Jesus Christ], to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12, 13—NKJV)

 

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:14-18—NKJV)

 

"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36—NKJV)

 

Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.  And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"  So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved . . . . (Acts 16:29-31—NKJV)

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8, 9—NKJV)

 

THE RESULTS OF SALVATION

 

So what does it mean to be “saved?”  What happens to the individual once he has made the honest decision to trust in Jesus Christ and all that Christ did on the cross in place of any self-effort or self-merit for his personal and eternal salvation?  The Bible says quite a number of things happen (some instantly and some progressively), all of which makeup the components of God’s Salvation Symphony, which happen by instrument of the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.  These harmonious elements are as follows.

 

  1. Redemption
  2. Imputation
  3. Expiation
  4. Reconciliation
  5. Regeneration
  6. Propitiation
  7. Justification
  8. Sanctification
  9. Glorification

 

These will be considered separately, along with appropriate documentation of scriptural texts.

 

Redemption

 

The word, “redeem” means “to buy or to purchase.”  Because of Adam’s sin, which resulted in the origin of the “sin nature” that has been passed on genetically to all mankind and results in every person’s spiritual death, everyone is under “bondage” from sin and is subject to pay the price for sin in order to be released from this bondage.  The payment price is “eternal damnation and separation from God.”  The holiness and justice of God demands this full payment.  But due to the grace of God, Christ paid the price in man’s place.  Man’s release from the debt was transacted on the cross of Calvary with the blood of Jesus Christ—the payment or ransom price “paid-in-full” so that man by faith alone in Christ alone would never again be responsible for it.

 

"just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28—NKJV)

 

In Him [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. (Ephesians 1:7—NKJV)

 

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), (Galatians 3:13—NKJV)

 

knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (1 Peter 1:18, 19—NKJV)

 

who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. (Titus 2:14—NKJV)

 

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. (Hebrews 9:12—NKJV)

 

Imputation

 

This term means “to reckon, to attribute, to ascribe, or to charge to one’s account.”  It explains how Christ was able to pay once-and-for-all the price for sin for every person of the human race.  While on the cross of Calvary, God the Father imputed to Christ all the sins of the human race.  Because of this and the fact that Christ suffered spiritual death as a result of this imputation, God the Father is free to impute His perfect righteousness to the believer at the moment he places his faith in Christ and His substitution-sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.

 

For He [God the Father] made Him [God the Son] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21—NKJV)

 

even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; (Romans 3:22—NKJV)

 

Expiation

 

The term “expiation” is a sister-term to “redemption.”  It means the “canceling of a debt,” or “to atone for or to make amends for an offense.”  A criminal makes such expiation for his offence by serving a prescribed sentence; upon completion of such is full payment for his “debt to society.”  But it is impossible for mankind to meet God’s standard of perfect righteousness and thereby repay the debt to God.  Only God’s grace can provide this payment.  When Christ paid with His substitution-sacrifice the price “in full” for the sins of mankind on the cross of Calvary, God automatically made available to everyone, on a personal basis and on the appropriation of Jesus Christ by faith, the “cancellation” of sin’s debt.

 

having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (Colossians 2:14—NKJV)

 

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24—NKJV)

 

Reconciliation

 

From an etymological standpoint the word “reconciliation” strictly means “change.”  But the usage within the Bible always includes the “bringing together of two or more parties by the removal of the grounds or causes of disharmony.”  Its focus is on what man has done to separate himself from God, which is the sin-barrier.  Jesus Christ removed this barrier once and for all by His substitution-sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.  When a person by faith alone accepts Christ alone for his personal salvation, the sin-barrier is permanently removed and his fellowship with God is restored.

 

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (Romans 5:10—NKJV)

 

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, (2 Corinthians 5:18—NKJV)

 

and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. (Ephesians 2:16—NKJV)

 

and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.  And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled. (Colossians 1:20, 21—NKJV)

 

Regeneration

 

The Greek word for “regeneration,” palingenesia, connotes “spiritual renovation or rebirth.”  The word is used only in two places in the New Testament, (1) by Christ in Matthew 19:28 when he refers to the “renewal” of “all things,” e.g., the new heaven and the new earth, upon the launch of His eternal kingdom; and, (2) by the Apostle Paul in Titus 3:5 in referring to spiritual salvation.  The doctrine of spiritual regeneration is mentioned throughout the Bible.  Whereas “justification” removes the verdict of guilt from the individual at salvation, “regeneration” removes the spiritual atrophy (state of death) from the individual by means of spiritual rebirth.

 

Since in Adam “all men died,” the spiritual state of all individuals prior to salvation is death.  This is why Jesus Christ in John 3 made it clear to one of the most religious leaders of the time, Pharisee Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council, that unless a person is “born again” (born from above)—in other words, reborn spiritually—he cannot enter or see the “kingdom of God.”  By this Christ meant that a renewal of the “spiritual life” within man is necessary for eternal salvation.  Put in other words, regeneration is a fundamental change in the spiritual nature of man.  Later in the chapter, Jesus made it clear that rebirth occurs by faith alone in Christ alone.

 

not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, (Titus 3:5—NKJV)

 

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3—NKJV)

 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17—NKJV)

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead . . . having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, (1 Peter 1:3, 23—NKJV)

 

even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (Ephesians 2:5—NKJV)

 

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, (Colossians 2:13—NKJV)

 

But as many as received Him [Jesus Christ], to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12, 13—NKJV)

 

Propitiation

 

This doctrine refers to the God-side of salvation, whereby God’s offended holiness, His justice and righteousness, is satisfied by Jesus Christ’s payment for the sins of mankind on the cross.  The Greek word, hilasterion, means “satisfaction,” resulting in the “turning away of God’s wrath.”  The holiness of God, His justice and righteousness, results in His wrath toward sin.  Without salvation, this is all that man will eternally experience.  But once a person accepts by faith alone Christ alone, i.e., His person and substitution work, God’s offended holiness is satisfied and His wrath is forever turned aside.  It should also be noted that the atoning work of Christ on the cross applies to all mankind, i.e., those who will believe and those who will not believe.

 

whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,          (Romans 3:25—NKJV)

 

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.           (1 John 2:2—NKJV)

 

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10—NKJV)

 

Justification

 

The Greek word, dikaiosis, translated “justification” is a legal term used in the courts of the day.  It did not mean to make upright or holy, but referred to a verdict of vindication and/or acquittal.  Based on several of the “harmonious elements” of salvation previously addressed, e.g., redemption, expiation and propitiation, which are all centered on the substitution-sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, God has pronounced a “verdict of righteousness” for anyone who will appropriate it by faith alone in Christ alone.  Once a person accepts by faith the person and work of Jesus Christ for his personal salvation, his sentence of condemnation is forever changed to a sentence of justification (righteousness).

 

"and by Him [Jesus Christ] everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39—NKJV)

 

being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,                      (Romans 3:24—NKJV)

 

For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)  Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.  For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:17-19—NKJV)

 

For He made Him [Jesus Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21—NKJV)

 

Sanctification

 

Whereas all that has been previously covered happens in an instance of time, upon the genuine willful decision to place one’s faith in Jesus Christ and His substitution work upon the cross of Calvary, this element of salvation begins at the time of salvation and is an on-going process throughout the Christian life.  The Greek word, qadash, translated “sanctify” essentially means to “to be set apart” and implies “purification.”  It is a “work in progress,” whereby God continues to influence the believer toward a life of practical (inward and outward) holiness.  It is progressive transformation of the believer, which has three phrases, as follows.

 

1.      Positional

 

All who are saved are seen as totally sanctified in Christ, because of their “position” in Him.  This is why the Apostle Paul still considered the Corinthian believers, whom he called “carnal” as “sanctified in Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:2; 5:1; 6:1-8; cf. Acts 20:32; Hebrews 10:10; 1 Peter 1:2; Jude 1).  The book of Hebrews bridges positional sanctification with experiential sanctification (Hebrews 2:17; 9:13; 12:14).  Positional sanctification, like all previous aspects of salvation covered in this study, is obtained instantaneously and permanently by faith alone in Christ alone.

 

2.      Experiential

 

While awaiting the Rapture or the doorway of physical death, the believer is exhorted to be holy (1 Peter 1:15).  In the believer’s progression toward a holy life, he counts on his positional sanctification in Christ as evident in Romans 6:2-10 and Colossians 2:9-13 (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2).  But since the believer still has a “sin nature,” the process of experiential sanctification depends upon his daily acknowledgment (confession) of “known sin” (1 John 1:9) and his exercise of the “principle of faith” (Colossians 2:6) to live in accordance with his new “regenerated” nature (Ephesians 4:22-24) by surrendering to the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:3, 4; Ephesians 5:18; Philippians 2:12, 13), which is daily achieved and strengthened proportionate to his assimilation of Bible doctrine (John 17:17; Romans 12:2; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; Proverbs 23:7).

 

3.      Final

Final sanctification for the believer happens when he goes to be with Christ or upon Christ coming for His bride (the Church) at the Rapture.  The “sin nature” will be removed and the believer will receive his resurrected body, which will also be his “glorification” (Romans 8:29, 30; 1 John 3:1-3; Jude 24; 1 Corinthians 15:35-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

 

Glorification

 

This will be the ultimate and permanent state of the believer, which is the final harmonious element of his salvation experience.  Depending upon the believer’s faithfulness in this life, which will be surfaced at the Judgment Seat of Christ, such glorification may take place during the Millennial Kingdom, or, subsequent to it.

 

A Final Note

 

The above harmonious elements of God’s Salvation Symphony are affected by the Holy Spirit (born of the Spirit, John 3:36—baptized with the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:13—indwelt by the Spirit; John 7:39; Romans 5:5; 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Galatians 4:6; 1 John 3:24—sealed by the Spirit, 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 4:30) and appropriated in an instantaneous moment of time upon a person’s personal acceptance by faith of Jesus Christ and His substitution-sacrifice on the cross of Calvary (John 1:12, 13). 

 

Once the symphony begins, it will never end.