Genuine Salvation versus Abstract Salvation

Many people hold to a view that salvation is a position that one holds APART from the actual CONDITION of the heart. Thus they see themselves "identified with Christ" whilst they are still in bondage to their sins.


The Bible very clearly states that...

Mat 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his nameJESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.


The Bible also states this...

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Dominion means to "rule over." The reason sin is to not have dominion is due to not being "under law" but rather "under grace." We need to examine what "not being under law" and "being under grace actually means."

If we look in the next chapter it says this...

Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to
him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto
death.
Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Read those scriptures several time and carefully put them all together. What do they teach?

1. Sin shall not have dominion over a Christian.
2. Sin has dominion due to the law (transgression is a violation of the law 1Joh 3:4).
3. Being in the flesh works fruit unto death by the motions of sins.
4. One is delivered from the law to serve in newness of Spirit.

Let's add a few more scriptures. First let's demonstrate how the "motions of sins produce death."

Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

The above passage clearly has "death" being the result of "yielding to temptation" which is wrought by the "lusts of the flesh." Yet it is
important to establish that this death is ONLY produced when there is LAW. Paul describes the death as follows...

Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
Rom 7:8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
Rom 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
Rom 7:10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
Rom 7:11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

Carefully read the above passage again. Notice it teaches that it is "the law" or "the commandment" which GIVES KNOWLEDGE and it is "the knowledge of sin" which gives "sin the power to kill." Hence Paul was alive without the law but when the commandment came sin revived and he died.

This is exactly what happened to Adam and Eve in the garden. They were both alive and innocent, walking with God. God then gave them a commandment to not do something and warned them if they violated the commandment they would die that very day. Instead of choosing to obey God Eve yielded to the lusts of her flesh (Gen 3:6) and sinned unto death. The spiritual connection between her and God was broken (spiritual death) and thus she died to God having her conscience defiled. Adam followed her example and died also.

When one sins in this way not only does one spiritually die but they also fall under condemnation whereby sin has dominion over them.

Now it is very important that we examine how the scriptures define sin. Sin is actually defined in the New Testament three different times.

Disobedience.
1Jn 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is
the transgression of the law.

Disobedience.
Jas 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to
him it is sin.

Disobedience.
Rom 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth
not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

All the verses above have sin defined as either a violation of a command or a violation of conscience. The sin that kills is disobedience.

Paul explained how this death came upon all men...

Rom 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Rom 5:13  (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Rom 5:14  Nevertheless  who is the figure of him that was to come.death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression,

Adam sinned and died and and his descendants have followed in like manner and have also all sinned and thus died either by violating a direct command of God or by violating the light of conscience (Joh 1:9, Tit 2:11-12).


John describes TWO KINDS of sin.

1Jn 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that
sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
1Jn 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
1Jn 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him
not.

Briefly go back and reread Rom 7:7-11 about how sin kills. What Paul is describing there is "sin unto death" which is ALWAYS presumptuous sin. Presumptuous sin is simply CHOOSING to do wrong when YOU KNOW to do what is right.

Now go back and reread Rom 7:4-6. It states that we are dead to the law THROUGH the body of Christ so we can be MARRIED TO ANOTHER which WE SERVE in the NEWNESS OF SPIRIT.

The "serving in newness of Spirit" is KEY. Why is it key? Paul writes this...


Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

It is the Spirit of life IN Christ which sets us free free from the law of sin and death. In other words we no longer serve sin and die. It is by walking after the Spirit that the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us.

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Rom 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Rom 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Being under grace means YOU SERVE RIGHTEOUSNESS instead of serving sin. Read the passage above for it clearly teaches that "being made free from sin" is connected to "obeying from the heart." If a person is still "sinning unto death" (disobedience) then THEY ARE STILL A SLAVE OF SIN (Rom 6:16). Obeying from the heart is yielding ourselves to the leading of the Spirit instead of yielding ourselves to the lusts of the flesh.

Who we yield to reveals whose slave we actually are. Thus being under grace means we are to yield to what grace teaches.


Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;


The Spirit of life in Jesus Christ (Rom 8:2) is connected to being under grace (Rom 6:15) which is connected to the teaching of grace (Tit 2:11-12) all of which is made effectual to the saving of the soul by obedient faith.


Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;




At the beginning of this article I quoted...

Mat 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.


Jesus stated the following...

Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
Joh 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Therefore I ask, what actually is salvation?

Salvation is being SET FREE FROM SIN. Both the dominion of sin as well as the bondage of sin. It is through dying with Christ and being raised up with Him that we are cleansed by the blood wherefore we then walk in the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ.

Many today believe in an abstract positional salvation, a salvation which is not taught anywhere in the Bible. So many people hold to a myth which is only founded in the doctrines and teachings of men.

Jesus taught the following...

Mar 7:6  He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Mar 7:7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mar 7:8  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
Mar 7:9  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Mar 7:10  For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
Mar 7:11  But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
Mar 7:12  And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
Mar 7:13  Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
Mar 7:14  And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:
Mar 7:15  There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
Mar 7:16  If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

The Pharisees held to a theology which completely negated the aspect of having a pure heart.

Mat 23:25  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Mat 23:26  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Mat 23:27  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.


They were blinded as to their true state before God. They sought their righteousness in outward observance of rituals and washings instead of yielding to God in spirit and in truth. Jesus corrected them in regards to their error by pointing it out and teaching them the way they ought to go.


In the present age the error of the theologians is not much different to that of the Pharisees. While the Pharisees erred by attributing justification to those who were blood descendants of Abraham and kept the rituals and washings of the law, it is the theologians of the modern era who err in attributing justification to "trusting in the Finished Work of Christ" a work which is actually a theological fiction due to them redefining what the Bible plainly teaches. The doctrine of both the Pharisees and the modern theologians negate true heart purity without which no one will see God (Mat 5:8).

The Bible says...

Act 15:9  And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

1Pe 1:22  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

Obedience to the truth has always been the route by which one is set free from sin and made pure. We need the blood of Christ to cleanse our consciences (Heb 9:14, 10:22) but this is only possible if we walk in the light (1Joh 1:7). Therefore it is through the dynamic of obeying from the heart that one becomes a slave to righteousness (Rom 6:17-18) and experiences a true cleansing of the heart. It is through obeying from the heart that we abide in the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ (Joh 15:4-5, Rom 8:1-3) through which we manifest the fruit of righteousness (Rom 8:4, 1Joh 3:9-10) whereby we are set free from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2).

Those born of God DO NOT "sin unto death.". Instead they "keep themselves."

1Jn 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

How is it they keep themselves?

The walk after the Spirit.

Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.



When a sinner lays aside their rebellion through a broken repentance (2Cor 7:10-11, Pro 28:13, Isa 55:7) and receives meekly the implanted word (Jam 1:21) and thus becomes a doer of the word (Jam 1:22) God empowers that "former sinner" to walk in victory as a slave to righteousness.

Joh 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.



Thus we don't do it by our own power apart from God. We do it through the working of God's power in us.



It is by walking in the light as a child of God that we continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2Pet 3:18) as we diligently add to our faith (2Pet 1:5) having escaped the corruption in the world through lust (2Pet 1:4) that we may be partakers in the divine nature (2Pet 1:4) by which we make our calling and election sure (2Pet 1:10) through which we may be granted abundant entrance into the kingdom (2Pet 1:11).

God won't be mocked for his word is true (Rom 3:4) and we will all reap what we sow.

Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Therefore let us not be weary for we will reap life everlasting if we faint not.

Gal 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.



Salvation is something to be experienced and thus is manifested in our lives. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.


God bless.