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Tag: Theology of Salvation

Jesus pay ransom

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in What’s new?.

How and to whom did Jesus pay our ransom?

A ransom is something that is paid to provide for the release of someone who is held captive. Jesus paid our ransom to free us from sin, death, and hell. Throughout the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are found God’s requirements for sacrifices. In Old Testament times, God commanded the Israelites to make animal sacrifices for substitutionary atonement; that is, an animal’s death took the place of a person’s death, death being the penalty for sin (Romans 6:23). Exodus 29:36a states, “Each day you must sacrifice a young bull as an offering for the atonement of sin.”

God demands holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16). God’s Law demands holiness. We cannot give God full holiness because of the sins we commit (Romans 3:23); therefore, God demands satisfaction of His Law. Sacrifices to Him satisfied the requirements. This is where Jesus comes in. Hebrews 9:12-15 tells us: “Once for all time he took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took his own blood, and with it he secured our salvation forever. Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ritual defilement. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our hearts from deeds that lead to death so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, so that all who are invited can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.”

Also, read Romans 8:3-4, “The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.”

Clearly, Jesus paid the ransom for our lives to God. That ransom was His own life, the shedding of His own blood, a sacrifice. Due to His sacrificial death, each person on earth has the opportunity to accept that gift of atonement and be forgiven by God. For without His death, God’s Law would still need to be satisfied—by our own death.

Plan of redemption

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in What’s new?.

What is God’s plan of redemption?

ue to Adam and Eve’s disobedience (Genesis 3:6-7), humanity was plunged into a state of total depravity (Jeremiah 17:9; Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12–21). Our entire being—mind, body, will, and spirit—has been corrupted by the power of sin. Amidst our sinfulness, however, God promised a plan of redemption. He would send a Savior who would redeem humanity from the curse of sin (Genesis 3:15; Galatians 3:13). From the protoevangelium in Genesis 3:15 to the messianic prophecies in Isaiah 53, the expectation of a coming Messiah was a source of hope for countless generations.

When the time was right, God’s plan of redemption led to the incarnation of the pre-incarnate and eternal Logos: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14, ESV). In the incarnation, the Son of God entered human history as the ultimate expression of God’s glory, grace, and truth to redeem sinners from the penalty, power, and presence of sin. To this end, the Son voluntarily sacrificed His life on the cross and took it up again on the third day (John 2:19; 10:18).

The doctrine of election takes center stage within God’s redemptive plan. The elect are those who were sovereignly and graciously chosen by the Father before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4–5). This doctrine does not negate human responsibility; rather, it magnifies the depth of God’s grace to undeserving sinners.

Central to God’s plan of redemption is the call to repentance and faith. Repentance involves an acknowledgement of our sinfulness and turning away from it (Acts 3:19; cf. Psalm 51:17). This is a crucial step in salvation because it places sinners into the hands of a merciful, gracious, and loving God who would never reject anyone who earnestly seeks Him (John 6:37; Hebrews 11:6).

Saving faith is confident reliance and trust in Christ alone to obtain salvation: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV). Both repentance and faith are part of God’s plan of redemption and are necessary for humanity to be rescued from the bondage of sin.

As the pages of redemptive history unfold, the ultimate purpose for creation is revealed—total restoration of all things. This is not merely a return to a pre-fall state; it is a cosmic renewal whereby all things are reconciled to God through Christ: “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:19–20, ESV). This renewal encompasses the physical and spiritual realms, culminating in a new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21:1). The elect are not only recipients of eternal salvation but also co-heirs and participants in the restoration process.

In the consummation of redemptive history, God’s love, sovereignty, and righteousness will be on full display (Revelation 22:3–4). And the redeemed, now perfected, will stand in His presence with fulness of joy (Psalm 16:11; cf. 1 Corinthians 13:12).

Jesus saves

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in What’s new?.

What does it mean that Jesus saves?

Jesus saves is a popular slogan on bumper stickers, signs at athletic events, and even banners being pulled across the sky by small airplanes or even placed anywhere. Sadly, few who see the phrase Jesus saves truly understand what it means. Those two words pack a tremendous amount of power and truth.

Jesus saves, but who is Jesus?
Most people understand that Jesus was a man who lived in Israel about 2,000 years ago. Virtually every religion in the world views Jesus as a good teacher and/or a prophet. And while Jesus was truly a good teacher and a prophet, those job descriptions do not capture who Jesus truly is, nor do they explain how or why Jesus saves. Jesus is God in human form (John 1:1, 14). He came to Earth as a true human being (1 John 4:2) in the person of Jesus Christ in order to save us. That brings up the next question: why do we need to be saved?

Jesus saves, but why do we need to be saved?
The Bible declares that every human being who has ever lived has sinned (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23). To sin is to do anything in thought, word, or deed that contradicts God’s perfect and holy character. Because of our sin, we are separated from God and deserve judgment from God (John 3:18, 36). God is perfectly just, so He cannot allow sin to go unpunished. Since God is the infinite and eternal Creator, all sin is ultimately against Him (Psalm 51:4), and only an infinite and eternal punishment is sufficient. Eternal death—separation from God—is the only just punishment for sin. That is why we need to be saved.

Jesus saves, but how does He save?
Because we have sinned against an infinite God, either a finite person (each one of us) must pay for our sins for an infinite amount of time, or an infinite Person (Jesus) must pay for our sins one time. There is no other option. Jesus saves us by dying in our place. Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself on our behalf, paying the infinite and eternal penalty only He could pay (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 2:2). Jesus took the punishment that we deserve in order to save us from an eternal destiny separated from God. Because of His great love for us, Jesus laid down His life (John 15:13), paying the penalty that we had earned, but could not pay. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead, demonstrating that His death was indeed sufficient to pay for our sins and that His life conquers death on our behalf (1 Corinthians 15).

Jesus saves, but whom does He save?
Jesus saves all who will receive His gift of salvation by faith. Jesus saves all those who cease trying to save themselves and fully trust in His sacrifice alone as the payment for sin (John 3:16; Acts 16:31). Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient to pay for the sins of all humanity, but His gift of salvation is only received through faith (John 1:12). We must trust Him.

If you now understand what it means that Jesus saves, and you want to trust in Him as your personal Savior, you can, as an act of faith, communicate the following to God: “God, I know that I am a sinner, and I know that because of my sin I deserve to be eternally separated from you. Even though I do not deserve it, thank you for loving me and providing the sacrifice for my sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus died for my sins, and I trust in Him alone to save me. From this point forward, help me to live my life for you instead of for sin. Help me to live the rest of my life in gratitude for the wonderful salvation you have provided. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me!”

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