What is Salvation?

Why was the Law given? The main reason is to provide a standard of righteousness. How do you know right from wrong? By looking at God’s standard, not relativism—God makes the rules, which were given to expose and identify sin.” The Old Testament Law was given to Israel during the time of Moses (Deuteronomy 5:1). Under the Law, animal sacrifices were offered year after year as a reminder of sin and a symbol of the coming sacrifice of Christ. Hebrews 10:3–4 says, But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. When Christ offered Himself at Calvary, that symbol became a reality for all who would believe. Hebrews 10:11–18 says, Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant which I will make with them. After those days, declares the Lord: I will put My laws upon their hearts, And write them on their mind, ”He then says, “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will no longer remember.”

God created the world and man, placing man in the Garden of Eden with a command for perfect obedience. However, man disobeyed, allowing sin to enter the world and leading to a broken world filled with guilt before a Holy God. Due to the sinful nature inherited from Adam, man continued to sin, separating him from God. In His mercy, God sent His son, Jesus, who was born of a virgin to be sinless. Jesus, fully God and fully man, obeyed God's law perfectly on behalf of mankind. Through His active and passive obedience, Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for sin, dying on the cross to satisfy God's wrath and imputing His righteousness to believers. By accepting Jesus' sacrifice through faith, believers receive His righteousness and are able to stand before God in righteousness. The prophecy of Isaiah foretold Jesus's suffering and death, emphasizing the vicarious atonement provided by Jesus for the sins of all mankind. Jesus's obedience to the Law ensured His perfect righteousness, which is imputed to believers through faith. In His passive obedience, Jesus bore the sins of humanity, paying the penalty that mankind owed for their sinfulness. Therefore, through faith in Jesus, believers can receive the gift of salvation and be reconciled with God. This act of redemption not only required Jesus's sacrificial death but also His perfect fulfillment of the Law, providing believers with the righteousness they lack. Jesus's righteousness becomes the foundation for believers' standing before God, the key to their reconciliation and salvation. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2). “How does the God of the universe demonstrate infinite love? By allowing man to get in a predicament that only God’s death could solve. No greater love hath any man than he that lays down his life for his friends. (Voddie Baucham).

The work of atonement is finished now, and that’s good news. THE GOSPEL: Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). The verb to save in the New Testament, is the Greek word, the verb, Sozein (Sozo).

Salvation is Eternal. We can’t earn it, or maintain it. It’s an Unmerited Free Gift of Grace by God, not a conditional inheritance. We are forgiven and God’s Righteousness is imputed to us. Past, Present, Future Sins, paid in full. We are a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). How to be Saved? Hebrews 9:27 says, And just as it is appointed and destined for all men to die once and after this [comes certain] judgment.  John 3:16-18 says, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Romans 3:10 says, As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: Romans 3:23 says,  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, John 16:8 says, And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 1 John 4:9-10 says,  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

If I die today will I go to Heaven? Why would anyone put off the most important decision you can ever make in your life? Where will you spend eternity? Heaven or Hell? Smoking, Non-Smoking? For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that none can boast. (Ephesians. 2:8-9). Just Believe in Jesus Christ! God's one condition for justification. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (Romans 10:11-17). The new creation is described in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

What if a ‘Believer’ continues in Sins, after being saved and sealed? Like, prostitution, unbelief, addictions, masturbation, wickedness, etc? HE/SHE IS STILL SAVED. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 says: According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire.

"Gold, silver, and precious jewels" are the works done by Christ Jesus through us when we submitted to His will and direction in life, these works, which are Jesus's works, not only survive the fire of testing, but are made refined by that fire, and these are those which we are rewarded for. We are not rewarded for the works themselves, but for our level of submission, cooperation, patience, and action in His will. The tragedy here is there will be some, though saved, who have no reward. The loss is that of missed opportunities, and of spoiling an opportunity by having done things in your own strength. All of us here will suffer some loss (of rewards), but none of us will lose our Salvation. Ever. (Jack Nichols).

Even if one has Doubts in their Christian life? They are SAVED. What if they Believe, then later, Stop Believing? They are SAVED. 2 Tim 2:13 says, If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. Paradigm of Salvation: Justification. Sanctification. Glorification. So if someone asks you, are you saved, the correct answer is:  I have been saved (J) and I am being saved (S) and I will be saved. (G). Justification is automatic if you believe; Glorification is automatic, you just have to die or be raptured. Sanctification is non-automatic in your life, it’s a possibility. 

Again,
What if we sin horribly and continue to sin horribly as a Born Again Believer?

Here is an interesting and shocking passage:
A man in Corinth was having sex with his father's wife!

It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus..
1 Corinthians 5:1-5 (NASB1995)

"deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.."

Believers HAVE Eternal Security.

In Him also we have received an inheritance [a destiny—we were claimed by God as His own], having been predestined (chosen, appointed beforehand) according to the purpose of Him who works everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ [who first put our confidence in Him as our Lord and Savior] would exist to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and [as a result] believed in Him, were stamped with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit [the One promised by Christ] as owned and protected [by God]. The Spirit is the guarantee [the first installment, the pledge, a foretaste] of our inheritance until the redemption of God’s own [purchased] possession [His believers], to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1:11-14 AMP.

This passage is addressed to Believers only. Not to Non Believers:
And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
1 John 2:28 KJV.

At The Rapture, we will be very ashamed if we are not walking correctly. (as far as sin is concerned). BUT it does not say, the believer will lose salvation!

Can a Believer lose his Salvation? IMPOSSIBLE. John 5:24 says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. 1 John 5:13 says, These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. John 6:47 says, Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who believes has eternal life. Ephesians 1:13-14 says, In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. Romans 8:30 says, and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. Romans 11:29 says, for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 8:38-39 says, For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What if I don’t Believe and reject Paul’s Gospel? I am NOT Saved. Apostle Paul says in the Book of Galatians: I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, which is not just another account; but there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! (Galatians 1:6-8).

Once saved, Overcoming/Persevering, is by OUR faith in HIS finished work (Tetelestai). It’s all HIS work. We overcome by OUR Faith, because He overcomes through us by HIS finished work.  (1 John 5:4-5).

Are you Saved? Today is the day of Salvation. Place your Trust and Believe in Christ alone for the safekeeping of your soul.  ”believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).