The Christian Life - Foundations (What do you base your salvation upon?)
Pastor Walker
built upon it. Whether it is an augment or a building, the strength of
the foundation determines how well what is built upon it stands up to
criticism. The Christian life is no different in this aspect. The
foundation for your salvation is what determines the strength of your
salvation. What are you basing your salvation upon?
In 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4 Paul reminds the believers in Corinth how
they were saved. "For I delivered to you first that which I also
received, that Christ died on behalf of our sins according to the
scripture, and that he was buried, and that he rose on the third day
according to the scriptures."
In verse 2 Paul states that this is the gospel through which you are
saved. The word "through" has the idea of the agent by which something
is done. We are saved by directing the faith that the Holy Spirit
gives us, towards Christ, through this Gospel, Philippians 1:29; 1
Corinthians 3:5.
This is a solid foundation because your salvation depends upon what
Christ has already done, not upon what you are or will do. Also,
because we receive this salvation by faith through grace, it is not
based upon works, but rather grace.
Grace is God's attitude by which He provides a benefit without
consideration of merit. In other words, you cannot earn grace because
it is not given on the bases of your works. As a matter of fact, works
and grace do not mix in any way, Romans 11:6.
Jesus had to die because it was His blood that provided a means for
sin to be sent away. Hebrews 9:22... without the shedding of blood there
is no sending away (of sins). Hebrews 9:28 Christ was delivered once
for all concerning the sins of many. Without the shedding of Jesus'
blood for your sins, your sins would not be sent away. Because grace
does not overlook sin, or the penalty, Christ's death made it possible
for God to express grace towards us. Grace does not look at the work
or value of the one graced, however, that does not imply that grace
must be shown to everyone. It would not be a righteous act by God to
show you grace by ignoring your sins. The condemnation upon you had to
be dealt with before grace could be given. Christ's death showed that
God has been acting righteous towards sin, even when it appeared that
He was overlooking sin, Romans 3:25, "Whom God set before, a
propitiation (satisfaction) through faith in his blood, into the
demonstration of His righteousness because of the passing over of sin
previously committed."
The resurrection is also a very important part of salvation. If you
leave out the resurrection, you leave out the proof of our
justification. Romans 4:24- 5:1, "but also because of us, those it is
about to be imputed to, the one believing on the one having raised
Jesus our Lord out from among dead men, who was delivered because of
our trespasses and raised because of our justification. Therefore,
having been justified by faith we have peace with God... ." Christ was
raised because of our justification. The resurrection is proof that we
are righteous before God.
Now, as if this is not enough proof already, God provides even
stronger proof that our salvation is secure. Our salvation is
guaranteed by the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13, 14 "In who also, having
heard the word of true, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also you
believed having been sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the
earnest of your inheritance, until the full redemption of the
purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory."An earnest is a
guarantee that you will receive the entire purchased item. We were
purchased by the blood of Christ, Acts 20:28, and given the Holy
Spirit as a guarantee to receive our full redemption. The Godhead
cannot be divided. God cannot default on our salvation without losing
His down payment, which is one of the members of the Godhead. This is
the concept that God is expressing here. The foundation of your
salvation is so solid that one of the members of the Godhead is the
guarantee that you will receive full redemption.
"For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not out from
you, it (salvation by grace through faith) is a free gift from God,
not out from works, in order that no one should boast," Ephesians 2:8,
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