The Baptist Faith And Message Article IV. Salvation
There is a conversation that I still remember with a good amount of clarity, and it concerned the doctrine of salvation.
I was leading music with a guy at a DNow. We had come from out of town to play for a youth ministry. We had already led the music for the students and listened to most of the sermon. And we could tell that there was about to be an invitation. So we were waiting to hear from the guy speaking that it was time for us to come up there, and my friend leaned over and said. “You know, we don’t even know how this whole thing works…how someone is saved.”
I was a bit taken aback. This guy had led music with me at quite a few events. We had conversations about it later, but I have since lost most contact with him. I hope that it all got straightened out for him.
But there is something that has to be admitted at this point. A lot of people that are sitting in pews today do not understand the Doctrine of Salvation. And even many who have a decent understanding of it, lack the depth that they should have. In fact, I know that this is the case. And for years I have made it a point to place the good news of the gospel within the messages that I preach so as to help people be able to learn many of the simple truths that are within the Doctrine of Salvation.
Let’s look at and think through the Doctrine of Salvation as laid out in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. Here it is.
Salvation
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
- Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.
Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.
- Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God.
- Sanctification is 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 him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life.
- Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.
Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8,14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5.
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man,
Right out of the gate there is a statement that is almost incomprehensible to people in our day. We have spent so much time and energy thinking about what happens to a person after death, or how glorious life will be in Heaven that we don’t consider that salvation is of the “whole man” or the entire person. Another way of saying this is that it is not just your soul that is saved, but your whole body is as well. The entirety of the human personality is what is involved in this discussion.
It is true that Paul says it is better to be in Heaven, separated soul from body, than it is to be here on Earth. So, it is very good to look forward to our time in Heaven and to live this life without the fear of death because we know that we will be in the presence of the Lord.
“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened–not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.” (2 Corinthians 5:1-4 ESV)
Notice the tension found in Paul’s writing. It is better to be in Heaven, for as it stands there is much pain and sorrow in this tent. And if it is destroyed we get to be with the Lord in Heaven. But there is a tension because the culling of our physical body is a very unnatural thing. We are humans and were created with bodies. So our great hope is that day when we are both embodied and with the Lord. We oftentimes call that day the New Heavens and Earth.
We noted that man was created in the Image of God and created good in the Doctrine of Man. But we also saw that this image was marred. The salvation of the whole man means that the Image of God is restored in our salvation.
“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.” (Romans 8:29-30 ESV)
What is it that believers have been predestined to? They have been predestined “to be conformed to the image of His Son”, that is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is Himself, throughout the New Testament, described as being the perfect image of God (Colossians 1:15-17, Hebrews 1:3, John 15:19, 2 Corinthians 4:4, John 1:18, John 14:9).
We are being conformed to the image of God’s Son throughout this life. That is part of what is happening in our salvation. If we are thinking of our salvation as only fire insurance than we are thinking in a rather incomplete manner. God is at work, even now in His people, restoring the Image of God in them. This will not be finished until we enter the New Heavens and Earth in our glorified bodies (1 Corinthians 15:49, Philippians 3:21, 1 John 3:2) but we are in process right now.
We see this in 2 Corinthians as well.
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV)
A proper understanding of the Doctrine of Salvation involves the whole person.
and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer.
The offer of the gospel is given freely to anyone and everyone. There is not a single person in this world that is exempted from the offer of the gospel. We, as the people of God, are obligated to get the message of the gospel out to people of every tribe, nation, and tongue. And anyone who accepts Christ receives the salvation of their whole person.
The word “by” lets us know that it is only through the finished work of Christ that the one who accepts Jesus can “obtain eternal redemption”. God the Son took on human flesh and dwelt here on Earth. He lived and accomplished the Law perfectly. He died on the cross and bore God’s wrath and justice in place of sinful people. And it is only by the blood of Christ that the Christian can have “eternal redemption”.
Now, what is “eternal redemption”?
Redemption, ἀπολύτρωσις, it is a release through payment of a ransom. A great illustration of this is when a slave would be purchased and handed a certificate that meant they were free. The payment made was a ransom. We live under the penalty of death, enslaved to sin. And Jesus Christ paid the ransom of all who would believe on the cross long ago. The punishment we owed was paid for by Jesus Christ. He paid our ransom. And this redemption is not temporary, it is eternal.
In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification.
This is not as complicated as it sounds. And its already something that has been stated in a more general manner. Salvation is not just a ticket to Heaven. The salvation that we are given in Christ is all encompassing. It is Regeneration (new birth), justification (God declaring us righteous), sanctification (growth in holiness, growth in Christlikeness, restoration of the image of God in us), and glorification (our glorified state in the New Heavens and New Earth).
Much mischief has been brought about by ignoring any of these aspects of salvation. In a lot of ways the Roman Catholic Church ignores justification and makes salvation almost all about sanctification. And so we want to discuss all of these different aspects of salvation and understand them so as not to fall into error.
There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
What is faith?
Traditionally we have spoke of faith having three aspects. And because this dates back to the days when theology was done in Latin, it was done in Latin terms.
The first element of faith is “notitia” and it simply means “knowledge”. Knowledge is not the only aspect of faith, but there is no faith where there is no knowledge.
R.C. Sproul is helpful here in his discussion of the Latin terms from that period “notitia”, “assensus”, and “fiducia”. “Notitia then refers to the content of faith. To be saved one must believe certain basic information. It may be a bare minimum, but it is something.”[1] The second element of faith is “assensus”. As you might have picked up from the word, this is an intellectual assent. It is belief that the facts that lay before us is true. This is not a statement as to whether we trust in those facts or adhere to them in any way, it is only a statement of saying that they are true. The third element of faith is “fiducia”. This is when the person sees the value and goodness of the truths that they have before them and choose, in this instance, Christ. There is a change of heart to see the loveliness and value of Christ and then He is embraced as Lord and Savior. [2]
Though we don’t break down these different elements of faith often, it is helpful to see that all three exist within a person who has faith in Christ. You will see knowledge of the facts of who God is, who they are, who Jesus is, and what He accomplished. You will see and understanding that these facts are true. And you will also see a person change from simply knowing they are true to seeing the loveliness of the message, the value, and embrace Christ as Lord and Savior. There are times when this happens all at once. And other times it happens over a period of time. But faith is the response of the believer to the gospel.
A. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.
Regeneration is a topic that has come up on a few occasions throughout our discussions already. Therefore, we have already spent some time on it. But this is the fullest description of regeneration found in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.
Regeneration is a theological term that encompasses a variety of phrases used throughout the Scriptures. Jesus called it being “born again” (John 3:3, 7), and “born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). Paul calls the person who has undergone regeneration a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul also repeatedly discusses this in terms of being death to life (Colossians 2:13, Ephesians 2:4-5). Paul also discusses calls this a “renewal” (Titus 3:5). The word literally means, “rebirth”.
When our statement says that it is a work of God’s grace, we are simply stating that it is not something that we bring about in our own lives. It is something that God does outside of us, to us. I can’t make myself be born again any more than I can make myself be born the first time. It is an act of God, a work of God’s grace.
This work of God causes us to be “new creatures in Christ Jesus”. As Paul put it,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)
But what does it mean to be a “new creation”? This sort of language is difficult to understand, but if we dig into what the Scriptures say it is quite helpful.
The most illustrative passage on this topic is found in the Old Testament, in the Book of Ezekiel.
“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36:22-27 ESV)
The “heart” is not the bloody thing that’s beating within your chest. It is the very essence of who you are. The heart of stone is replaced with a “heart of flesh”. The person now loves God and desires to follow Him. This is a supernatural event that changes a person at the core of who they are. And it is God who brings this about.
Further clarification is given in the next statement, “It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin”. As was illustrated in the passage from Ezekiel, this is a change at the very essence of who we are. And it is something that is brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus stated,
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5-8 ESV)
The work of regeneration is a work of God the Holy Spirit. It is interesting to note that God the Son stated that God the Holy Spirit does this work in the life of those who believe. What an authoritative look at regeneration!
God the Holy Spirit works “through conviction of sin” to bring about regeneration. Again, we find Jesus teaching us with great clarity concerning the work of God the Holy Spirit in regeneration.
And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. (John 16:8-11 ESV)
When God the Holy Spirit comes, Jesus said, He will be at work convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. And this conviction of sin is what the Holy Spirit uses to regenerate people and bring them to faith in Christ.
I will grant that we are talking about a lot of things right here that happen, oftentimes, in a very short amount of time. For me it was quick. A man shared the gospel with me, I felt my own sin and shame, and it was immediate. I had been going to church for a few months at that point, and at this time it all happened quickly. And so, there are possibly a lot of questions and I know there is a lot of confusion out there about this topic. But this is a work that God does in a person through conviction of sin. The believer responds to this with “repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
When the gospel is declared to a person they are commanded to repent and believe. They are commanded to turn from ruling their own life and turn toward God, and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And you can’t have one without the other. By saying that “repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace”, we are stating that both of these things happen. They are two sides of the same coin.
Notice what the BFM says about repentance and faith.
“Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.”
Since we have already discussed in some detail what faith is, we will say no more than is already said here. It is accepting Christ and committing our “entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.” But I want to ask, how would you make that commitment of faith without turning away from sin? Simply put, you can’t. That’s why we say that they are inseparable.
B. Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God.
Justification is a legal declaration. Simply put, this is where God bangs the gavel and says not guilty. And, as our statement of faith says, gives “full acquittal”. Acquittal is being used in the very same sense that a judge uses it today. When the judge bangs the gavel and says, “not guilty”, he has rendered his judgment and the person is found “not guilty”.
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died–more than that, who was raised–who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31-39 ESV)
Justification is God’s declaration upon your life. It is God’s declaration of “not guilty” over you. Now, you know very well that you are a sinful creature and that this declaration cannot be made concerning you. So, how does this take place?
The basis of this verdict over your life is the finished work of Christ, not your own work. James Petigru Boyce, the principle founder of the first Southern Baptist Theological Seminary put it this way,
“This meritorious work of Christ, called in the Scriptures “the righteousness of God,” is imputed by God to those whom he justifies, as the ground or cause of their justification. It is reckoned to their account. They are treated as though they had themselves done that which Christ has done for them.
This imputation is in accordance with the action of God throughout the economy of human affairs. Adam as the representative of man sinned, and his sin has been imputed to all of his descendants, and they are treated as though personally sinners. Christ stood also as the representative of His people and their sins were imputed to Him and He was treated as though personally a sinner. Likewise His righteousness is imputed to them, and they are treated as though personally righteous.” [3](James Petigru Boyce)
Boyce is stating in summary fashion what we see throughout the New Testament. Imputation is a term that was once used in accounting. Sin was credited to Christ, and He paid for it on the cross. Righteousness was credited to you from Christ’s account.
Consider the exchange discussed here in 2 Corinthians.
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2Co 5:21 ESV)
Jesus Christ, though He was without sin was made to be sin. But that’s not in the sense that He became an actual sinner, but He bore our sins so that we could become, “the righteousness of God”. That is the righteousness of Christ.
And notice the example of Abraham that Paul discusses concerning faith.
“For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,” (Romans 4:3-5 ESV)
As believers we are credited with righteousness. Righteousness is credited to our account.
Or notice what Peter says,
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1Peter 2:24 ESV)
Christ bore our sins on the cross. They were credited to His account, and He paid the price.
The point is rather clear, I believe. When we survey what the texts say about our justification, we understand that it is all because of Christ. The ground of our justification is the finished work of Christ. And this justification is given to all who repent and believe.
The result of this justification is that the sinner is brought to a relationship of peace with God. But why is it described as peace with God?
We don’t understand how bad sin is. Therefore, we don’t understand what our standing with God is before we are one of His people.
The Bible doesn’t describe people as being in some sort of middle position before they come to faith in Christ. Without Christ we are enemies of God, at war with Him whether we realize it or not. Notice how Paul describes people apart from Christ.
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:10 ESV)
To be reconciled is to be brought together or restore. What does this text say about our relationship with God before our being reconciled through the work of Christ? It says that “we were enemies”.
A similar statement is made to the church at Colossae.
“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.” (Colossians 1:21-23 ESV)
We were sinners in rebellion against God, but praise be to God that His Son would accomplish for us peace and favor with God.
C. Sanctification is 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 him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life.
This is a fairly clear statement, therefore it needs little comment. But I do hope to say a few helpful words here.
In Scripture “sanctification” is used in two different ways. The first sense is instantaneous and the act of being set apart for God’s usage. The word itself is related to the world “holy”. We see this clearly in 1 Corinthians.
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV)
The church, though still filled with sinners, is set apart for God’s service.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1Peter 2:9 ESV)
It’s a beautiful picture of God having pulled us out of the darkness and made us His people, set apart for Him.
But our statement on “sanctification” is not just about this sense of the word. The other is in view as well. The other usage of the word is concerning our growth in holiness throughout our lives. Sanctification in this other sense is a process. This process begins at regeneration, or the new birth. And this process continues throughout the rest of our lives.
We were set apart for God and are being conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). That being conformed to His image is growth in holiness. It is restoration of the distorted image of God in us. It is growth in grace that will take place throughout the rest of our lives. It is growth in grace that conforms us more and more to the image of Christ.
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18 ESV)
Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.
At the end of Romans 8 Paul has this outline of what happens in our salvation. And it ends with our being “glorfied”.
“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.” (Romans 8:29-30 ESV)
That is what we are discussing in the statement on “glorification”. It is the “culmination of salvation”. Everything has led us to this point.
Our whole self will one day be with the Lord in the New Heavens and Earth. But we will be “glorified” or “changed”.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1John 3:1-3 ESV)
As I’ve heard it said, “We are saved, being saved, and will be saved. We are presently counted righteous in Christ. We are in the process of growing in holiness. And we are going to be with the Lord in the New Heavens and Earth in our glorified bodies.
In our glorified state we will not suffer from sickness or death. Hunger and thirst will not be problematic for us. Our bodies will be perfect and pure. And at this culmination we will get to enjoy the blessed hope for which we have longed for.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”” (Revelation 21:1-4 ESV)
Concluding Thoughts
This is a long statement. There is a lot of material covered in this post. But it is information about the grace and mercy of God toward us in our salvation. It is grace and mercy that has the finished work of Christ as its foundation and grace and mercy that encompasses our whole lives.
R. Dwain Minor
[1] R.C. Sproul, Faith Alone: The Evangelical Doctrine of Justification, Baker Books, 2006, p. 77.
[2] For more information on what faith is, I highly recommend reading R.C. Sproul’s “Faith Alone: The Evangelical Doctrine of Justification”.
[3] James Petigru Boyce, Abstract of Systematic Theology