Gnosticsm & the Proclamation of Christianity with special reference to John's Gospel (Cont)

Christian Salvation and Redemption
John 10: 9 (RSV); Luke 19: 10 (AV)

Christian Salvation [26]: God's way of delivering us from sin by Redemption and Salvation through Jesus Christ.

Christian Redemption: Deliverance from the power of Sin through the sufferings and death of Christ the Redeemer.

"God saves men by His sovereign grace through the Atonement [27] of Jesus. We have to work out that salvation in practical living." [28] It is not as if you can 'work your own salvation' by doing good, but you work it out, i.e. work out the salvation that you have been given by Christ's death for you. So Salvation is not dependent in any way upon our good works. It is a wondrous gift of God to everyone who believes in Him. It is all of God and none of us; a gift of free unmerited grace: "Salvation is God's thought, not man's".

When we preach salvation, we are not proclaiming how man can be saved from Hell and be made moral and pure; we are conveying the Good News about God [29] and what He has done for us in Jesus Christ.

26. Salvation in the Christian spiritual sense is a New Testament word. "What must I do to be saved?" asked the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:30), and the concept of salvation is found frequently in the Epistles, with the answer: "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ." To 'believe' in this context of Salvation, is not just to accept the truth and existence of Jesus, but to trust in Him, follow and obey him. Forgiveness of sin by Jesus is spiritual healing and Salvation. Salvation from sin with forgiveness through Christ's death on the cross, is found throughout the New Testament. Salvation is linked with Atonement, Redemption and Reconciliation with God (discussed separately in this article). In the Old Testament, on the other hand, Salvation is usually associated with physical victory and rescue from danger. This is supported by the derivatives of the Hebrew root 'ys'. (Coogan M.D. in "Oxford Companion to the Bible", pp.669,670. Book ref. in [6].) However if you read Isaiah (especially chapters 40-66) you will find that the writer clearly foresees and describes God's work of Salvation in Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53 is a good starting point. (Handel's 'Messiah' is another.)
27. Atonement: Reconciliation of man with God through the sacrificial death of Christ. See [96].
28. Oswald Chambers in "My Utmost for His Highest", July 7th. Book ref. in [20].
29. Oswald Chambers in "My Utmost for His highest", May 5th. Book ref. in [20].