A systematic look at the doctrine of salvation

1. The Doctrine of
Salvation

2. What salvation isn’t
• Salvation is not casual.
• Salvation cannot be reduced to three ABC’s on a page or
four spiritual laws.
• Salvation is not asking Jesus into your heart (Rev. 3:20) or
saying a Sinner’s prayer.
• Salvation is not walking an aisle and shaking the preacher’s
hand.
• Salvation is not going to church or doing any other religious
activity.
• Salvation is not getting dipped in water, a feeling, or
speaking in any tongue.
• Salvation is not about YOU!

3. What Salvation is
• Webster’s dictionary says ‘The redemption of man from
the bondage of sin and liability to eternal death, and
the conferring on him everlasting life.’
• Salvation is the application of the work of Christ to the
life of the individual. The goal of salvation is God’s
supreme and ultimate glory which He rightly deserves.
Salvation is about God. Lastly, salvation is found solely
in the man and work of Jesus the Christ.
• The most important question is not the meaning of life.
It is Acts 16:30.

4. The process of Salvation
1. Election-God’s choice of people to be saved
2. Gospel call-the proclamation that God uses to open the
ears of sinners
3. Regeneration-being ‘born again’ or being ‘born of above’
4. Conversion-repentance and faith
5. Justification-being made legally right in God’s sight
6. Adoption-the Father brings us into His family
7. Sanctification-right conduct of living
8. Perseverance-God keeps you
9. Death-we go to be with the Lord
10. Glorification-we are given resurrection bodies at His
return

5. Election
• Election is the most debated topic amongst
Evangelicals today. The debate centers around
God’s sovereignty and man’s response.
• Election is somewhat mysterious because we
don’t have all the answers.
• Election is an act of God before the creation of
the world in which He chooses some people to be
saved; not on account of any foreseen merit in
them, but only because His sovereign good
pleasure. It is also called predestination.

6. Election in the Bible
• In the Old Testament- Election can be seen when
God chose the nation of Israel (Deu. 7:6),
Abraham (Neh. 9:7), Isaac (Gen. 21:12), and a
host of other people and nations (Hag. 2:23;Isa.
45:5).
• In the New Testament- Election is taught in
various books (Acts 13:48;Rom. 8:28-30;9:11-
13;Eph. 1:4-6;book of life). Election is always to
the salvation of an individual and is a cause for
praising God.

7. How the N.T. views election
• Election is a comfort (Rom. 8:28-35).
• Election is a reason to praise God
(Eph. 1:5-6,11-12;1st Thess. 1:4-5;2nd
Thess. 2:13).
• Election should give us
encouragement for evangelism (2nd
Tim. 2:10;Acts 18:9-10).

8. Misunderstanding/objections
• Election is not based on God’s foreknowledge, but
rather our faith. God looked into the future and
saw that people would have faith so He
predestined them to do so. ~This process of
thought leads to a works or merits-based
salvation. God’s work in election is to give
confirmation to the decision He knows people
will make (Rom. 8:29). It is by GRACE.
• Our faith is not the reason God chose us. God
simply chose us for His glory stemming out of His
great love for us (Rom. 9:10-13;Tit. 5:4-5).

9. Misunderstanding/objections
• Election does not give people free choice to trust Christ.
~The doctrine of election is fully able to
accommodate the idea that we have voluntary
choice and we make willing decisions in accepting or
rejecting Christ. Our choices are voluntary because
they are what we want to do and what we decide to
do. This doesn’t mean our choices are absolutely free
though because God can work sovereignly through
our desires so that he guarantees that our choices
come about as he ordained them, but this can still be
understood as a real choice because God has created
us and he ordains that such a choice is real.

10. Misunderstanding/objections
• The doctrine of election means that unbelievers
never had a chance to believe. ~The Bible never
explicitly says unbelievers did not have a chance
to believe (John 8:42-44; Matt. 23:37;John
5:40;Rom. 1:20,3:9-18). In the end, who are we
to question God (Rom. 9:18-24)?
• Election is unfair. ~It would be perfectly fair for
God to send everyone to Hell (Psa. 8:3-5). Is our
fairness higher than His? Who are you (Rom.
9:20-24)?

11. Misunderstanding/objections
• But-the Bible says that God wills to save
everyone (1 Tim. 2:4;2 Pet. 3:9). ~These verses
speak of God’s revealed will (telling us what
we should do), not his hidden will (his eternal
plans for what will happen). The verses simply
tell us that God invites and commands every
person to repent and come to Christ for
salvation, but they do not tell us anything
about God’s secret decrees regarding who will
be saved. Why isn’t everyone saved?

12. Reprobation
• Reprobation is the sovereign decision of God before
creation to pass over some people in sorrow (Eze
33:11); deciding not to save them, but to punish theirs
sins and thereby, manifest His justice (Prov.16:4Jud.
4;Rom. 9:17-22;11:7;1 Pet. 2:8;Rev.13:7-8;17:8).
Reprobation brings God great sorrow. However, the
blame for condemnation is always on the sinner. Never
on God. John Calvin sums it up saying “Man therefore
falls, God's Providence so ordaining, but he falls by his
own fault.” Judas and Pharaoh are two specific
examples of reprobated people in Scripture.

13. Reprobation
• In spite of the fact that we recoil against this
doctrine, we must be careful about how we
approach God and these passages. We must
never begin to wish that the Bible was written
in a different way, or that it did not contain
these verses. Trust in God’s sovereignty and
His decisions. God’s righteous justice is meant
for His glory (Rom. 9:22-23). Though it makes
us sorrowful, we are obliged to believe in it
(Paul;Rom.9:1-4).

14. Gospel Call
• The gospel call is the call to obedience. It is a
call out of the realm of sin and death to the
realm of life in Christ (Rom. 8:30;1 Cor. 1:2,9;1
Tim. 6:12).
• In the umbrella called the gospel call, there
are two categories of calling: Effectual calling
and the general gospel call. Both are
extremely important.

15. effectual calling
• effectual calling is an act of God the Father, speaking
through the human proclamation, in which, He
summons people to Himself in such a way that they
respond in saving faith (1 Pet.5:10;2 Pet. 1:3). It is
basically God opening your heart to who He is through
a preacher or presenter of the gospel.
• Without God’s effectual calling, no one would be saved
(John 6:44;Acts 16:14;). The desire or drive to seek God
is of God and not of yourself. effectual calling is
internal. It is commonly conviction. God is opening
your heart and mind revealing who Jesus really is (Luke
24:45;Matt. 11:27).

16. effectual calling
• When God effectually calls people in this powerful
way, he calls them “out of darkness into his
marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9); he calls them “into
fellowship with his Son” (1 Cor. 1:9); and “into his
own kingdom and glory” (1 Thes. 2:12). People who
have been called by God belong to Jesus Christ (Rom.
1:6). They are called ‘saints’ (Rom. 1:7), and have
come into the realm of peace (1 Cor. 7:15), freedom
(Gal. 5:13), hope (Eph. 1:18), holiness (1 Thes. 4:7),
patient endurance of suffering (1 Pet. 2:20-21), and
eternal life (1 Tim. 6:12). No powerless human calling
is in view with these verses.

17. General Gospel call
• The general Gospel call is the basic
Gospel we are called to carry out (Matt.
28:18-20;Rom. 10:14;2 Cor. 5:20; 1 Cor.
15:1-4). These are where the basic
ABC’s come in. We are called to preach
the Gospel (Not manipulate people into
conversion to mark off a notch on our
spiritual belts).

18. Element 1
• Anyone who comes to Christ for salvation
must have at least a basic understanding of
who Christ is and how he meets our needs for
salvation.
1) All people have sinned (Rom. 3:23).
2)The penalty for our sin is death (Rom. 6:23).
3) Jesus Christ has paid our penalty (Rom. 5:8).

19. Elements 2 & 3
• People need to respond to Christ with faith
and repentance (John 1:11-12; Acts 2:37-
38;3:19;5:31;20:21;Rom. 2:4; 2 Cor. 7:10;Matt.
11:28-30;Rev. 22:17) .
• Communicate to them the promise of
forgiveness and eternal life (John 3:16; 6:37;
Acts 2:38;3:19).

20. Importance of the Gospel
• The Gospel will penetrate every aspect of
people: their intellect, their life, their will,
their Everything (1 Cor. 1:21-24, 2:14).
• The Gospel is ‘the power of God for salvation
to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and
also to the Greek’ (Rom. 1:16). We are not to
be ashamed of the Gospel.

21. Regeneration
• Regeneration is the secret act of
God, in which, He imparts new
spiritual life to us. It is called being
’born again’ or being ’born from
above’ in the Bible (John 3:3,5-8).
• There are four areas of regeneration
we need to address.

22. Areas 1-3
• Regeneration is totally a work of God (John 1:12-
13;1 Pet. 1:13;). Regeneration and the effectual
calling are Ezek.36:26-27simultaneous (1 Pet.
1:23;Jas 1:18;Acts 10:44).
• The exact nature of regeneration is mysterious to
us (John 3:8;Eph. 2:4-5;Col. 2:14). You are
completely a new person (2 Cor. 5:17) after living
a life as an enemy of God.
• Regeneration comes before saving faith. We
cannot respond to God in faith until He changes
us from the inside out (1 Cor. 2:14; Rom. 3:11).

23. Regeneration before?
• The reason evangelicals often think that
regeneration comes after saving faith is that
they see the results after people come to
faith, and they think that regeneration must
therefore have come after saving faith.
Christians focus of the results (love for people
and God; turning away from sin) of
regeneration instead of the hidden spiritual
act of God itself.

24. Area 4
• Genuine regeneration must bring results in life.
1) Regenerated believers will believe Jesus is the
Christ and He is both Lord and Savior (Rom. 10:9-
11).
2) Regenerated believers will refrain from a pattern
of sin (1 John 1:7,2:29).
3) Regenerated believers will love God and the body
of Christ (1 John 3:10,4:7).
4)Regenerated believers will find great joy in
obeying God’s commands (1 John 4:6, 5:2).

25. WARNING!
• The Bible never points to activity in the church
or doing miracles as evidence for
regeneration. Rather, Jesus, Paul, James,
John, and others teach that the fruits of one's
life will be the measuring rod for who truly
belongs to God(John 15;Gal. 5:22-23;1st John
3:9,4:7,5:3-4). The fruit of the Spirit is your
proof for Regeneration. LOVE (1 Cor. 13) is the
litmus test. Beware of mere appearances of
spirituality (Matt. 7:22-23).

26. Conversion
• Conversion is our willing response to the
gospel call in which we sincerely repent of our
sins and place our trust in the Lord Jesus
Christ for salvation. Conversion involves both
repentance and faith. One cannot be
genuinely converted without both acts. Jesus
cannot be your Savior without being the LORD
of your life.
• There are three important areas to Conversion

27. Area 1
• True saving faith must involve knowledge, approval, and
trust. Saving faith is trust in Jesus Christ as a living person
for forgiveness of sins and for eternal life with God.
1) Knowledge of God is not enough to save anyone (Jas.
2:19;Rom. 1:32). “I believe there is a God.”
2)Knowledge and approval are not enough (Acts 26:27;John
3:2). “Jesus was right in what he taught.”
3)There must be a decision to personally trust Christ (John
3:16). “I trust Christ as my EVERYTHING.” (John
1:12;6:37;7:37;Matt. 11:28-30;Heb. 7:25)
4) Faith should increase more as our knowledge increases
(Rom. 10:17)

28. Areas 2
• Faith and repentance must come together (Heb. 6:1;Acts
20:21;2 Cor. 7:9-10). They aren’t steps! They happen
simultaneously. They are different sides of the same coin.
1) Repentance-a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, a
sincere commitment to forsake it, and to walk in obedience
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
2) Repentance
A. intellectually (you understand sin is wrong)
B. emotionally (you have sincere sorrow and hatred over
your sin)
C. personal decisions (you make decisions to say no to sin)
3) True repentance is word and action

29. Area 3
Faith mentioned by itself: John 3:16;Acts
16:31;Rom. 10:9;Eph. 2:8-9
Repentance mentioned by itself: Luke 24:46-47;Acts
2:37-39:Acts 3:19;Acts 17:30;Rom. 2:4;2 Cor. 7:10
No one in Scripture came to Christ without
repenting of their sins (Luke 18:18-30; 19:1-
10;John 4:16;John 3:1-21).
• Both faith and repentance continue throughout
your Christian life (Rev. 3:19;Matt. 6:12;Gal.
2:20).

30. Justification
• First, justification is the instantaneous legal act of
God in which He thinks of our sins as forgiven and
the Lord Jesus Christ’s righteousness as belonging
to us. Second, justification means that God
declares us to be righteous in His holy sight. We
are justified, declared righteous, at the moment
of our salvation. The books of Romans and
Galatians deal extensively with justification (Rom.
5:1,8:30;Gal. 2:16,3:24). There are 5 areas of
justification.

31. Areas 1-2
• Justification includes a legal declaration be
God (Rom. 3:20,26,28, 5:1, 8:30, 10:4; Gal.
2:16, 3:24).
• God declares us just in His sight (Rom. 3:26).
– We no longer pay the penalty for our sins past,
present, and future
– It cannot be lost.

32. Area 3
• God can declare us righteous because He imputes
Christ’s righteousness to us (Rom. 4:3,6,5:17).
–How Scripture teaches imputation
A. Adam’s sin and guilt were imputed to all
humanity (Rom. 5:12-14).
B. Our sins were imputed to Christ (2 Cor.
5:21).
C. Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us
(Rom. 5:17-19)

33. Areas 4-5
• Justification comes entirely by God’s grace and
not on account of any merit in ourselves (Rom.
3:20-24).
• God justifies us through our faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ.
– Faith is an instrument to obtain justification, but has
no merit in itself (Eph 2:8-10).
– Practical implications of justification by FAITH
• It should give us great hope
• It should give us great comfort

34. Adoption
• Adoption is an act of God's grace by which he
brings people into the number of his
redeemed family, and makes them partakers
of all the blessings he has provided for them.
Just as God adopted Israel as His own from the
nations of idolaters, Christians are adopted
into His own family through faith in Jesus
Christ.
• There are six areas concerning adoption.

35. Areas 1-6
• We are called children of God (John 1:12). Not children
of wrath (Eph. 2:3) or the devil (John 8:42-47).
• Adoption stems from His love for us (Eph. 1:4-
5;Jer.31:3).
• Adoption is through faith in Christ (Rom. 8:14-16;Gal.
3:26,4:4-5).
• Adoption is a privilege of a Father to His children
(1John 3:1;Eph. 5:1).
• Because we are His children, we can suffer discipline
(Heb. 12).
• As part of God’s family, we are all related (Psa.
103:13;Isa. 43:6-7;Mal. 1:16).

36. Sanctification
• Sanctification is the progressive work of God and
man that makes us more free from sin and makes
us more like Christ in our actual lives.
Sanctification involves more than a mere moral
reformation of character, brought about by the
power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy
Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more
under the influences of the new gracious
principles implanted in the soul in regeneration.
It is basically becoming more Christ-like.
• There are five areas concerning sanctification.

37. Area 1
• There are differences between justification
and sanctification.
– Legal standing (J) versus internal condition (S)
– Once for all time (J) versus continuous (S)
– All done by God (J) versus we cooperate with God
(S)
– Perfect (J) versus imperfect (S)
– Same for all Christians (J) versus varies from
Christian to Christian (S)

38. Area 2
• Sanctification is a four stage process.
1)Sanctification has a definite beginning at regeneration
(Tit. 3:5;1 Cor. 6:11;Rom. 6:11-14,17-18).
2)Sanctification continues throughout your whole life (2
Cor. 3:18;Phil. 3:13-14;Heb. 12:1,14:Jas. 1:22;1 Pet.
1:15).
3)Sanctification is completed at death for our souls and
when the Lord returns for our bodies (Heb. 12:23;Rev.
21:27).
4)Sanctification is never completed in this life (Jas. 3:2;1
John 1:8;1 Kings 8:46;Ecc. 7:20;Matt. 6:11-12). NO
ONE is completely sinless!

39. Area 3
• God and man cooperate in sanctification.
1) God’s role- initiates, brings about the desire,
for His glory (1 Thess. 5:23;Phil.2:13;1 Cor.
6:11)
2) Our roles- obedience, desire for the Word of
God, pray in the Spirit, corporate and
individual worship, evangelism, ect (Phil.
2:12;Rom. 6:4;Heb.12:1).

40. Area 4
• Sanctification effects our whole being
1) In our knowledge (we desire to know more about Him
and His Word: Col. 1:10,3:10;Phil. 1:9;Rom. 12:2;2 Cor.
10:5)
2) In our emotions (We are no longer in it for ourselves:
Gal. 5:22;1 Pet.2:11;Rom. 6:17)
3) In our will (the decisions we make are taken to God: Phil.
2:13;)
4) In our spirits (We will come closer to God through
obedience: 2 Cor. 7:1,34)
5) In our bodies (We no longer want to do drugs, drink, or
take part in pornography;1 Thess. 5:23;1 Cor. 6:19-20)

41. Area 5
• Sanctification gives motivation for obedience
to God.
1) We love Him and want to do everything to
please Him.
2) We have a desire to advance His kingdom.
3) We get to receive blessings from Him.
4) We desire to grow more intimate with God.

42. Perseverance
• Perseverance of the saints means that all
those who are truly regenerated will be kept
by God’s power and will persevere as
Christians until the end of their lives. Those
who persevere until the end have been truly
regenerated. This is also called ‘eternal
security’ and mistakenly called ‘once saved,
always saved.’
• There are four areas concerning perseverance

43. Area 1-2
• We should have great assurance that we are His
forever (Rom. 8:29-30; John 6:38-40;10:27-29;1
John 5:13;Rom. 8:1;Eph. 1:13-14;Phil. 1:6;1 Pet.
1:5;Jud. 1:24).
– The very fact that salvation is called ‘eternal’ life
should indicate it is without end(John 3:36,5:24,6:4-
7,10:28:1 John 5:13)
• All who are truly regenerated will persevere to
the end (John 8:31-32;10:22;Col. 1:22-23;Heb.
3:14;1 John 2:19;Matt. 24:12-13,10:22;Gal.
6:9;Jas. 5:19-20)).

44. Backslider
• Arminian- The backslider has lost his/her
salvation and he/she should strive to earn it
back with God’s help.
• Cheap Grace- It doesn’t matter whatsoever
that he/she is a backslider. Once saved, always
saved.
• Reformed- The backslider is showing
him/herself to be unregenerate and should
see if they’re truly in the faith.

45. Areas 3-4
• Those who finally fall away may have shown
many signs of conversion (Matt. 26:22;Gal. 2:4;2
Cor. 11:15,26;Matt. 7:21-23;Mark 4:5-6,16-
17;John 15:1-7;Heb. 6:1-4;10:26-31).
• What can give a believer genuine assurance (2
Cor. 13:5)?
– Do I have a present trust in Christ for salvation ?
– Is there evidence of a regenerating work of the Holy
Spirit in my heart?
– Do I see a long-term pattern of growth in my Christian
walk? 1 John!

46. Death
• Hebrews 9:27 says “…it is appointed for man
to die once, and after that comes judgment.”
Death is a reality and an undeniable fact for all
of humanity unless the Lord blesses us with
His return. However, death is desirable for
believers, for it will bring them into the
presence of their Lord.
• There are three implications concerning
death.

47. Area 1
• Death is not a punishment for Christians (Rom. 8:1).
• Why do we die? Death is the final outcome of living in
a fallen world (1 Cor. 15:26;54-55).
• God uses the experience of death to complete our
sanctification (Rom. 8:28;Heb. 12:6,10-11;Heb.
2:10,5:8;Rev. 2:10;Phil. 3:10,1:20).
• Our experience of death completes our union with
Christ (Rom. 8:17;1 Pet. 4:13,2:21).
• Our obedience to God is more important that
preserving our own lives (Acts 5:29,21:13;2 Cor. 11:23-
28;2 Tim. 4:6-7;Rev. 12:11).

48. Area 2
• Our own death-our death should be seen as an
encouragement (2 Cor.5:8;Phil. 1:21-23;Rev.
14:13;Rom. 8:38-40).
• Death of believers-as a reason to praise God and
yet be sorrowful at the same time (Acts
8:2,20:37-38;Phil. 2:27;2 Sam. 1:11-27;John
11:35;Psa. 116:15;1 Thess. 4:13;Rev. 14:13).
• Death of unbelievers-we should have deep
sympathy and anguish in our hearts (Rom. 9:1-3;2
Sam.1:19-25).

49. Area 3
• What happens when we die before the resurrection?
1) The souls of believers go immediately to God’s
presence (Luke 23:43;2 Cor. 5:8;Phil. 1:19-26;Heb.
12:23).
2) The souls of unbelievers go immediately to eternal
punishment (Luke 16:24-26;Matt. 25:41,46;John 5:28-
29;Acts 24:15;Rev. 20:12-15)
• The believer’s relationship to God is and will forever be
based on grace. There is no post-death purging
planned for believers (purgatory) or an unconscious
state of reality (soul sleep).

50. Glorification
• Glorification is the final step in salvation. It will
happen when Christ returns and raises from
the dead the bodies of all believers for all time
who have died and reunites them with their
souls and changes the bodies of all believers
who remain alive, thereby giving all believers
at the same time perfect resurrection bodies
like His own.
• There are 5 areas concerning Glorification

51. Areas 1-2
• Glorification is the goal/end of God’s salvation
(Rom. 8:23-25,30;Heb. 11:13-16;Job 19:25-27;1
Cor. 15:12-14).
• Our bodies will be glorified at the Second Coming
of Christ (Phil. 3:20-21;1 Cor. 15:20-24) at the first
resurrection (1 Cor. 15:52-55;Rev. 20:4-6)).
Nonbelievers will experience the same thing
except will be given a body ready for eternal
punishment at the second resurrection(Rev.
20:11-15;John 5:28-29).

52. Area 3-5
• If we are still living on the earth when Jesus returns, we
will be glorified without experiencing death.(1Thess.
4:13-18).
• We will receive spiritual bodies completely in tune with
the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 15:42-49;1st John 3:2-3).
– Our bodies will be:
1)imperishable
2)raised in glory
3) raised in power
• All creation will be glorified as well (Rom. 8:19-22).

53. END
• What have you learned?
• What can you glean from this study on
salvation?
• Do you have a deeper understanding of
salvation or your possible need for it?
• Will this study provoke you to share the
gospel?
• Will you continue your study?

54. Conclusion
• “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and
enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in
malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But
when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he
saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but
because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of
rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out
on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that,
having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs
having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying.
And I want you to stress these things, so that those who
have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to
doing what is good. These things are excellent and
profitable for everyone. (Titus 3:3-8)”