Salvation by faith in Christ (1)
2Timothy 3:15-16;
15 And from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
The scriptures are centered on Christ. Scriptures here refers to the Old Testament. Interestingly, if you look through the scriptures, you will not find any mention of ‘Christ’, yet Paul lets us know that the entire scriptures speaks of salvation by faith in Christ. They make us wise, knowledgeable in the facts and chatters of the work of salvation. Thus, a proper student of the bible must be willing to search through scriptures to find this out.
Paul goes on to let us know that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God. By saying “inspiration of God”, this means God inspired it but didn’t write. The writers of scriptures used their words to express the mind of God. So, all scripture is profitable for ‘doctrine’ – doctrine means teaching. This means the scriptures are given to be taught, not just quoted. They are profitable when they are taught. The teaching of scriptures produces conviction, that’s reproof – evidence for our faith; it also corrects. The scriptures are not meant to stroke your ego, no! They rebuke and correct, all to the end that the believer grows spiritually.
Let’s examine salvation through faith in Christ:
Romans 5:12-13;
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.
13 For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
The statement of the law was that all have sinned. Every man was guilty before the law. Thus, it’s amusing that some people seek to be saved by observing the works of the Law. The law was not meant to make you righteous, its purpose it to bring you to Christ.
Gal. 3:24-26;
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 2:16
Knowing that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Jesus Christ and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
No man is justified by the works of the law. Keeping a set of rules is not what accounts for salvation. The scriptures make that clear. Salvation is by faith in Christ. Not faith in Christ plus something.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
A gift is different from reward or wage, a gift is freely given. God’s gift to us is eternal life and he tells us that the gift is through Jesus Christ our Lord, not through ourselves but through Christ.
God has never asked any man to stop anything before saving him.
In salvation it is not your script, God looks at what Jesus has scored, he doesn’t look at your work, it is called works of the law and this law has qualified everyone as sinners, no one is justified by it. A man is justified by faith in Christ. God doesn’t look at our works but what Jesus did – his death, burial and resurrection.
Ephesians 2:8 For by Grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God.
Salvation is of Faith and this faith is in Christ not in ourselves, it is a gift of God, not wages, this gift is through Jesus Christ.
Daily Bible Reading Plan:
Bible Reading – 1 Kings 12-13
TEACHING OF THE DAY
How the power flows – Track 1 (1)