Salvation in the Gospels

[Dondi]

Salvation in the Gospels

It has occurred to me how diversely salvation is presented in the Gospels. And so I took to the task of listed most of those occurrences the subject comes up in the teachings of Jesus. And what I found is quite remarkable.

Passage Method of Salvation

Matt. 5:3-10 Poor in spirit, meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, persecuted.

Matt. 10:39-42 Lose your life, receive a prophet, give drink to the little ones.

Matt. 19:16-26 Keep the commandments, sell all you have, and follow Jesus.

Matt. 25:31-46 (nations) Feed the hungry, Give drink to the thirsty, Take in strangers, clothe the naked, visit the sick and in prison, do to the least of your brethren.

Mark 10:28-31 Leave all for the gospel’s sake, for eternal life in the world to come.

Mark 12:28-34 Love the Lord you God with all the heart, all the understanding, all the soul, all the strength, and love you neighbor as yourself.

Mark 16:15 Believe and be baptized.

Luke 7:44-47 Wash Jesus’ feet with your tears and dry them with your hair.

Luke 10:8-9 (cities) Receive the disciples and heal the sick.

Luke 10:25-28 Love God and neighbor (answered rightly)

Luke 16:19-31 Be a sick, homeless, and destitute beggar at the door of a rich man.

Luke 18:29-30 Forsake house, parents, wife, children for the kingdom of God’s sake.

Luke 19:8-9 Sell ½ of your possessions and give to the poor. Restore four-fold those you’ve cheated.

Luke 23:42 Ask Jesus to remember you in His kingdom.

John 1:12-13 Believe and receive Jesus.

John 1:49-51 Believe Jesus is the Son of God and King of Israel.

John 3:3 Be born again.

John 3:36 Believe on the Son.

John 4:14 Drink living water.

John 5:24 Hear Jesus’ words and believe on the Father who sent Him.

John 5:39-40 Search the scriptures and come to Jesus.

John 6:54 Eat Jesus’ body and blood.

John 8:11 Be alone with Jesus after your accusers leave.

John 11:25 Believe on Christ and you will be resurrected.

John 12:25 Hate your life in this world.

John 14:6 Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but by Him.

John 17:3 Know God the Father and Jesus Christ.

So in which manner of salvation did you come in?

[SLJ]

Hi Dondi,

I guess I came by believing. From the midst of a time of doubt, God gave me the faith to believe. It was very like a switch being flipped. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great Light.” When the light shines those who have eyes to see will see. When the blind have their eyes opened, they will see too.

I enjoyed reading your post. I have a very similar document in progress that I have saved as: “The Gospel According to Jesus” – copying the title of a book by John MacArthur. I read it once, but can’t remember a thing about it. I’m sure it’s nothing like what I (or you) have written.

Sonia

[Dondi]

I knew I’d forget one:

Luke 5:17-26 Have four friends lower you down the roof of a house, and then have Jesus, who observed their faith, proclaim your sins forgiven. And oh, get heal of the palsy as a bonus!

Hi Dondi,

I guess I came by believing. From the midst of a time of doubt, God gave me the faith to believe. It was very like a switch being flipped. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great Light.” When the light shines those who have eyes to see will see. When the blind have their eyes opened, they will see too.

You’ve nearly described me on my second time around (I had gotten ‘saved’ at an invitation in church at 13, but mostly out of fear of hell). The second time was when I was at a low point in my life at 22, but when turned to God, He made it real in a way I never would have thought. He still is! Praise God!

I enjoyed reading your post. I have a very similar document in progress that I have saved as: “The Gospel According to Jesus” – copying the title of a book by John MacArthur. I read it once, but can’t remember a thing about it. I’m sure it’s nothing like what I (or you) have written.

Sonia

I would look forward to reading it should you ever finish. Great minds think alike, no?

[SLJ]

Now that you’ve reminded me of it, I’ll try to get it finished up and post it. I’m tempted to work on it now, but other duties are calling…
Sonia

[Dondi]

My feeling on what I’m finding is that God can work a myriad of ways to bring salvation. When Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by me” I don’t think that necessarily limits salvation to a profession of faith in Christ to enact saving faith. Rather I would break down the statement as thus:

1. The Way - Jesus, by example, demonstrate by His life how we ought to follow Him, in compassion for others.

2. The Truth - Jesus’ words bringing the knowledge of God to the hearts of people.

3. The Life - Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross, opening up access to the throne.

When people have enacted by faith in any one of these, they are partaking of nature of Christ and that faith realizes the saving grace needed. It’s why Abraham’s faith was accounted for righteousness when he believed, and those who have faith are the same as believing Abraham, as the writer of Galatians puts it. Paul, of course, is referring to when God promised Abram that his seed would be as the stars of heaven and the sands of the sea, and that all the nations of the world will be blessed and Abram believed God. When James uses that same quotation, he uses it in reference to the sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22. Why? Because James speaks of the realization of Abraham’s belief unto righteousness when he puts that belief to the test. The promise to produce the stars of heaven and sands of the sea were wrapped up in the loins of Isaac. Had Abraham not had this promise, it would be difficult to believe that he could have gone through with slaying His son (though he was ultimately spared from that at the last moment). But this work (Isaac’s sacrifice)enacted upon *that *faith (believing God for his multiplied seed) was such that Abraham knew it was God’s problem should Isaac become deceased. Somehow God would have to restore Isaac.

It is in the intent of the act of faith that gives salvation power. When we see it in action, like the women with the alabaster box, or with Zacchaues giving to the poor, or with the four friends lowering the crippled man down to Jesus, it is with the intention that what they are doing is based on the promises God. And with the intent of heart, they show their faith with the demonstration of an act of love. They see the better gain. To turn their hearts outward, to something beyond themselves.

Yes, Jesus is the way. He shows us compassion that we ourselves need to demonstrate toward God and our neighbor. Jesus is the truth, as He stirs our hearts with conviction. And Jesus is the life, such that his greatest act of love is laying His life down for us, that when we do not perfectly, His perfection provides the washing of our sins and guilt and shame so that we can renew our strength to pick up and try again.

[SLJ]

Dondi,
That’s an interesting way of thinking of the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I like it.

What I’ve been thinking is maybe similar. It is Christ Himself who saves us, in whatever individual way we need saving. There is no magical ‘mechanical’ means–no buttons to push, or steps anyone can follow that results in salvation. Salvation is a relationship thing. We are out of fellowship with God, and He brings us back. He meets each individual uniquely.

I don’t think I’m expressing my thought clearly, but that’s the best I can do right now.
Sonia

[Dondi]

Yeah, Sonia.

If the Good Shepherd is out to seek and save the lost, I’d figure He’d have every means of doing it at His disposal. He met people where they are. And I sometimes wonder if the prepackaged presentations that passes for the Gospel (ie Romans Road, 4 spiritual laws, etc) is sometimes a hinderance rather than helping people find the way. Not that we should shirk away from sharing the gospel to people, but it just seems that how Jesus ministered hit right at the heart of people. I guess it has to do with being sensitive to the Holy Spirit in each situation, to find that ‘one thing that is needful’.

And Jesus didn’t always want the message to be voiced openly, often telling the person not totell anyone what happened, for whatever reason (probably in certain cases it would reveal too much of His mission at the wrong time. “Mine time is not yet come” is the refrain).

[JasonPratt]

Enjoying this thread, and don’t want to interrupt too much.

But I did want to point out that in GosJohn, while our personal responsibility is certainly often mentioned, the calling and empowerment comes first from God (Father Son and Holy Spirit–I recall all three Persons being mentioned as instigators of ‘saving faith’).

That’s a Synoptic theme, too: e.g. the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin.

Still, it’s interesting that the kinds of personal responsibility concern belief/trust in Jesus more in GosJohn and concern the ‘social gospel’ more in the Synoptics (though they have things to say about belief/trust in Jesus, too.)

Back to the sidelines.

[Dondi]

Well, I agree God is the instigator of salvation. The calling and empowerment you speak of is the drawing of the Father (John 6:44) in coming to the Son through the Holy Spirit. So anything we do is in the same vein as what Paul mentions in I Cor 15:10: “…yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” It is a reciprocal response to His grace, a grace that He has shed widely abroad. God has given every man a measure of faith. It is our responsibility in how we respond to it.