Salvation Is a Gift.
“Salvation is a gift of God to man. It is by grace through faith and not from ourselves.” Eph. 2: 8
“A horn of Salvation He has raised for us in the house of His servant David. Just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets in ancient times.
Salvation from our enemies and from the clutches of those who hate us. He has dealt mercifully with our fathers and remembered His holy covenant. The oath that He swore to our Father Abraham.
He has given us the privilege of rescuing us from our enemies’ clutches.
To serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness in His presence all our days”. Luke 1:69-75.
Meaning Of Salvation.
Oxford Dictionary defines “Salvation” as the gift of God to man as the act of delivering from sin or saving from evil. And as a means of preserving from harm or unpleasantness; save or preserved.
Bible Dictionary ( Easton’s Bible Dictionary) “Salvation refers to the deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians (Ex. 14:13). And also of deliverance generally from evil or danger. In the New Testament, “Salvation” refers to the greater deliverance from guilt. And the pollution of sin wrought out by Jesus Christ our Lord (The Great Salvation Heb. 2:3).
While Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines “Salvation” as the act of saving, preservation from destruction, danger or great calamity. And the redemption of man from the bondage of sin and liability to eternal death. And the conferring on him everlasting happiness. (The Great Salvation).
According to Strongs Concordance, “Salvation” or “Soteria” (so-tay-ree-ah) means rescue or safety (physically or morally), deliver, health, save, saving, saved.
And according to Vines Dictionary, “Salvation” or “Soteria” denotes deliverance and preservation. And is used in the NT for material and temporal things as well as spiritual and eternal things.
In summary, Salvation is God’s plan to bring man out of bondage into freedom and out of curse into blessing.
It is deliverance from this world’s system into the kingdom of God and is only found in Jesus Christ.
Thus by Salvation, man enjoys wholeness of spirit, soul and body.
Meaning Of Salvation Is a Gift Of God To Man.
A “Gift” is simply something given freely, and Salvation is one such gift. Man did not and cannot work to get Salvation. Christ acquired Salvation for man. And the Holy Spirit makes Salvation real to man individually.
This is what “work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God working in you to will and to act according to His good purpose” means.
There is “fear and trembling” when you realize God lives and works in you as the Holy Spirit.
4 Reasons Why Man Cannot Save Himself.
God gave Salvation freely to man because God loves man. And also because man cannot save himself.
Man cannot save himself because Salvation begins with being declared not guilty.
We know Salvation when our sins are forgiven.
So a person must first be justified and thus righteous before he is brought to Salvation.
But man is not righteous. For by the first man Adam, the head of the human race. Man became a sinner by nature and under bondage to sin. Man became guilty and thus came under condemnation and deserving of death. And this is the very reason why man needs a saviour.
Now since man is under bondage to sin and cannot save himself, Salvation becomes a gift from God to him.
Secondly, man cannot save himself because only in Christ is Salvation.
A third reason for man’s inability to save himself is that Salvation is by God’s Power only.
And fourthly, because man’s Will is either dead or bound in sin, therefore, cannot participate in God’s plan and purpose; for which the Salvation of man is the starting point.
Thus it is “God who works in man to Will and to Act according to His good purpose.” Philippians 2:13.
The Purpose For Salvation The Gift Of God To Man.
The reason for Salvation is for man to serve God’s purpose. “God works in ‘saved’ man to Will and to Act according to His good Purpose.” God cannot use a spiritually bound man.
Salvation is not an end but a means to an end.
God’s plan to establish His kingdom and righteousness on earth is the end. And Salvation is the first step towards its fulfilment.
How To Receive Salvation The Gift Of God To Man.
Salvation begins with the regeneration of man and completes with the adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
So to receive Salvation, the gift of God, you must hear the Word of God. The Word of God you hear produces a measure of faith (faith is the power to believe) in you. And you are enabled to believe the Word that you hear.
Believe then leads to repentance. You repent of your previous ways in which “you walked according to the ways of this world. And according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit, now working in the disobedient.”
Then receive Jesus Christ as your new Lord and personal Saviour.
And then submit yourself to water baptism.
As it is written, “He that believes and is baptized will be saved.” Mark 16:16.
And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion.
There is a present reality of Salvation, the Gift of God to man. However, we do not enter into its fullness instantaneously. This is because the forces opposing our Salvation (wholeness of spirit, soul and body) are not overcome by an instant work of grace in the present time. But by a systematic reclaiming of our Salvation. Until its fullness at the coming of Jesus Christ our Lord. The fullness of our Salvation will be our adoption and the redemption of our bodies.