The Story of Salvation

Can be seen to happen in the following steps, and by the acknowledgement of them from the complete Word of God, the Holy Bible!

We are inspired by the Holy Spirit to believe that God is real and trustworthy. Romans 10:17 Faith is given by God to reinforce that belief, and HE, God, takes away our stony hearts Ezekiel 36:26,27, so that we can discern the work of the Holy Spirit upon us. This action is very close to the following step, being convicted of sin.
The Holy Spirit convicts the seeker for God of his/her sins, and they are led to confess their sins to God. John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove [convict] the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
The gift of Repentance is given by God to the sinner seeking Grace, so that he/she can change their mind and turn from their sins and turn to God. Luke 13:3 & 5. Acts 17:30
The gift of Faith Ephesians 2:8 to 10, is increased so that the repentant sinner can believe in the effective work of Jesus Christ as Saviour by Him shedding His blood on the cross. Hebrews 12:22 to 25.
The repentant sinner asks that the Blood of Christ will cleanse his/her heart of sin, and by Faith receives that deliverance.
The truly repentant, believing, and cleansed person is baptized in water for salvation as a sign of their faith in, and obedience to, Christ.
God gives the seeker a cleansed spiritual heart, which he/she then gives to God. Only then can Jesus accept the newly Born-Again believer into His Kingdom.

Romans 10:17 So then FAITH cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Our FAITH comes because we spiritually hear something, and that spiritual hearing proceeds from the Word of God (John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God).

The principal “work” of the Holy Spirit is to convict the peoples of the world of their sins, then to teach them righteousness, and finally godly and sound judgment (and discernment). (see John 16:7-11)

This is not something that we can do ourselves, for it is not a work of the flesh or the human intellect. Only the Holy Spirit is capable of convicting people of their sins, and if we respond in kind, it is not a human work but rather an act of FAITH! The same applies to the teaching of righteousness, and godly and sound judgement and discernment.

After confession there should be a desire to repent of our sins. This means that we seek to stop doing what is wrong, and start doing what is right.

Repentance is a gift of God [Acts 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel [a symbol of Christ’s Church], and forgiveness of sins.]

And our acts of repentance toward God are not “works” but acts of FAITH. We are faithfully waiting for God to remove our sins in response to our acts of repentance, whereby we turn away from our sins and turn to God!

Conviction of sin followed by confession of sin should be our first response to the work of the Holy Spirit bringing awareness of God to our hearts and minds.

Conviction of sin is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit, while Confession of sin is our response to conviction of sin, and unless there is accompanying FAITH there can be no true repentance.

Whoever truly believes in Jesus, i.e., has absolute TRUST in Him as the Son of God, will be filled with His Spirit as if He were living water unto life, and these changes in our attitudes and thoughts will result in our obeying the will of God as revealed to us through the Holy Bible, the Word of God, and by His Holy Spirit.

Commitment to Christ is our response to Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit in us to Jesus’ acceptance of us.

Following Jesus is a natural and supernatural result of being accepted by Jesus! (John 10:4; 10:27; 12:26).

ALL THE FOREGOING RESULTS IN THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVING THE AFOREMENTIONED WORKS OF FAITH, WHICH THEMSELVES RESULT IN THE FOLLOWING.

What is the peace of God?

According to the Bible, the peace of God, “which transcends all understanding,” is the harmony and calmness of body, mind, and spirit trusting in the power and grace of God.

How does God justify us?

All have sinned and are justified freely, without their own works and merits, by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood (Romans 3:23-25). This is necessary to believe. This cannot be otherwise acquired or grasped by any work, law or merit.

JUSTIFICATION, in Christian theology, either

(1) the act by which God moves a willing person from the state of sin (injustice) to the state of grace (justice),

(2) the change in a person’s condition moving from a state of sin to a state of righteousness, or

(3) especially in Protestantism, the act of acquittal whereby God gives contrite sinners the status of the righteous.

What is the purpose of justification?

Theologically understood, justification is the moment—the event—that God declares a sinner righteous in His sight. They are perfectly righteous as far as their status goes, legally acquitted and in good standing before him.

What is God's act of justification?

Justification is that gracious and judicial act of God whereby a soul is granted complete absolution from all guilt and a full release from the penalty of sin (Romans 3:23-25). This act of divine grace is wrought by faith in the merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).

What does reconcile mean in the Bible?

Reconciliation, in Christian theology, is an element of salvation that refers to the results of atonement. Reconciliation is the end of the estrangement, caused by original sin, between God and humanity.

How are people reconciled to God?

Reconciliation Through Redemption

This Scripture says that God was reconciling to himself all things through Jesus. By restoring our right relationship to God, Jesus also opened the door for us to live in right relationships with each other, Creation, and ourselves. We are reconciled to God by the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Does God call us to reconcile?

The Lord Jesus explicitly commands us in Scripture that we are to forgive those who have committed offenses against us. And he makes no exception even when those offenses may be egregious [atrocious, deplorable, extreme, flagrant, glaring, grievous, heinous, intolerable.]

Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Is faith the gift of God, or grace?

When Paul says, “and... is a gift of God,” he is referring to grace as a gift from God, salvation as a gift from God, and faith as a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8).

1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

1Co 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, [please note God’s order of importance in the following!] first apostles,
secondarily prophets,
thirdly teachers,
after that miracles,
then gifts of healings,
helps,
governments,
diversities of tongues.

1Co 12:29 Are all apostles? [no.] are all prophets? [no.] are all teachers? [no.] are all workers of miracles? [no.]

1Co 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? [no.] do all speak with tongues? [contrary to modern teaching; no.] do all interpret? [no.] Please note that ALL these gifts are by, through, and from the Holy Spirit, Who fulfils the Will of God to perfection, and, divides to every man severally as HE will.

1Co 12:31But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit

An image that is often used with the Gifts and Fruit of the Holy Spirit is that of the tree. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are the roots of the tree, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit are, the fruit of the tree. If we are led by the Spirit and open to God’s gifts, the fruit of the Holy Spirit will be evident in our lives and in this way people will see that the Holy Spirit is active in our lives, in our work, in the way we treat others and in the way we serve the community of the Church as the practical living out of the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is mentioned by St Paul in his letter to the Galatians 5:22 as the virtues of "love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23 Meekness (strength under control), temperance (forgiveness, humility, prudence and self-regulation)". Paul sees the fruit of the Holy Spirit as the counterbalance for the various vices. The gifts and fruit of the Spirit are also alluded to in the second letter to the Corinthians 6:6, in the letter to the Colossians 3: 12-15 and in the letter to the Ephesians 4:2, 5:9.

Here are some of the many scripture references that can be linked to the Fruit of the Holy Spirit:

Love:
[Godly Benevolence: wanting and expressing the very best for all others regardless of the situation or circumstances prevailing.] ‘Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes. Love does not come to an end.’1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

Joy:
‘With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns and inspired songs to God; and never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.’ Colossians 3: 16-17

Peace: ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.’ John 14:27

Patience: ‘There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus.’ Philippians 4:6

Kindness:
‘You are God’s chosen race, his saints; he loves you and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience.’ Colossians 3:12

Goodness: ‘Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives. Then my favour will shine on you like the morning sun.’ Isaiah 58:7-8

Faithfulness: ‘I pray not only for these, but for those also who through their words will believe in me. May they all be one Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you, so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.’ John 17:20-21

Gentleness:
‘I, the prisoner in the Lord, implore you to lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together.’ Ephesians 4:1-2

Self-control: ‘Finally, fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise.’ Philippians 4:8

All the above gifts are additional to those Natural Abilities given to us at our natural birth. Activities such as sight, strength, speech, the ability to know things, natural intellect and natural wisdom, all these come to us by the hand of our Mighty God. And all the gifts selectively given to us, large and small, are given for the benefit of ourselves:

that we may learn to prosper according to the Will of God both naturally, intelligently, and spiritually,
that we will grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ,
that we be good witnesses to all we meet, and a help to all who Almighty God brings into our path,
that all who meet us may be drawn to worship and glorify God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost; in thought, word and deed; and with the natural and supernatural gifts they are given by the God-head.

Great humility is needed here, for who of us would rather tell of our exploits and ‘great’ deeds, instead of giving God all the glory that is due to Him?

Much more than all the above, remember that JESUS SAVES, by using the Bible. Unless the Holy Spirit leads and guides us into all Truth, the Bible is “just a Book”.

Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Joh 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.