Are the Sins of All Mankind Forgiven?
Are the Sins of All Mankind Forgiven? Yes!
We see people in churches being encouraged to have their sins forgiven by many different methods. Some are asked to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. Others are asked to walk the aisle and pray for Jesus to forgive them of their sins. Many are told to have their sins forgiven by asking Jesus into their hearts. Some other religions believe a prayer to God confessing their sins results in God's forgiveness of them.
Scripture does not teach that salvation is accomplished by having one's sins forgiven. Most Christian churches teach the false doctrine of effectual forgiveness. They teach that sins are not forgiven until one believes Jesus died for their sins. They falsely believe that having one's sins forgiven equates to being saved. The effectual forgiveness doctrine is not in the Bible. Actually, the Bible teaches just the opposite. While we were enemies of God (meaning unsaved) we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son. It does not require faith to be reconciled to God as many churches falsely teach. Reconciliation does not mean one is saved as these churches teach. It means the enmity between God and mankind as a result of Adam's transgression has been reversed by Jesus' death on the cross. This is clearly shown in 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 2 Corinthians 5:14 - 6:2 and Colossians 1:20 below. Universal reconciliation is a sound Biblical doctrine, but universal salvation is not in the Bible.
Many pastors and Bible scholars teach reconciliation and salvation as if they are one in the same. They are certainly not the same. The Bible gives definitions that are completely different for each one. Reconciliation reverses the enmity between God and mankind that resulted from Adam's transgression. Reconciliation was a universal act accomplished by Jesus' death on the cross nearly 2000 years ago. Salvation is accomplished by being filled with the Holy Spirit to receive eternal life. Salvation is an act of God upon a specific individual one person at a time. God saves a person when he confesses faith in the resurrection of Jesus. We are saved by His resurrected life. The difference between being reconciled and being saved can be found in Romans 4:25 and 5:10, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 2 Corinthians 5:14 - 6:2, Ephesians 2:11-18 and Colossians 1:19-23 below.
The Bible says that Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the whole world on the cross. Thus, everyone's sins since the crucifixion of Jesus have been forgiven whether they believe it or not. This is confirmed by the Scriptures:
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John 6:51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."
John 4:42 Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard [Him] and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."
Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."
1 John 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son [as] Savior of the world.
1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
Romans 4:24 It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
Romans 5:6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (resurrection).
1 Corinthians 15:21 For since by man [came] death, by Man also [came] the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know [Him] [thus] no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone [is] in Christ, [he] [is] a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all things [are] of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore [you] on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin [to] [be] sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 6:1 We then, [as] workers together [with] [Him] also plead with [you] not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now [is] the accepted time; behold, now [is] the day of salvation.
Ephesians 2:11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, [that] [is], the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man [from] the two, [thus] making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Colossians 1:19 For it pleased [the] [Father] [that] in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight-- 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.
1 Timothy 1:15 This [is] a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
1 Timothy 2:3 For this [is] good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For [there] [is] one God and one Mediator between God and men, [the] Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle--I am speaking the truth in Christ [and] not lying--a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
1 Peter 2:22 'Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth'; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed [Himself] to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.
2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, [and] bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
"The world" as used in John 1:29; 4:42 and 1 John 4:14 means sinners who are God-hating, Christ-rejecting and Satan-dominated, yet that is the world for which Christ died. In Luke 23:34 Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who were about to crucify him. These people were not believers nor were they followers of Jesus. Certainly Jesus' prayer was in the will of the Father and answered as Jesus requested.
Notice 1 John 2:1 does not say that if anyone repents, he has an Advocate nor if anyone confesses his sins, he has an Advocate, Jesus Christ. Neither does he say that if anyone goes through a ceremony or baptism to get rid of his sins, he has an Advocate. John says that if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father and we know from other scripture that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
Many interpret 1 John 2:2 to mean not the whole world but the whole of saved mankind. This interpretation is difficult in light of Romans 5:10 which states that when we were enemies we were reconciled to God. The meaning of enemies is that of a lost person and reconciled means the forgiveness of sins.
Christ died for the ungodly and everyone is ungodly; therefore, Christ died for everyone as stated in Romans 5:6. The Bible teaches that Christ died for sinners (1 Timothy 1:15; Romans 5:8). The word "sinners" nowhere means "church" or "the elect," but simply all of lost mankind. Christ Jesus gave Himself a ransom for all (1 Timothy 2:6). The Bible clearly teaches that Christ died for all mankind, and the gospel is clearly offered and equally available to all. Scripture states that God desires all to be saved. These scriptures easily refute the false doctrine of John Calvin that Jesus died only for some and all the rest are predestined to eternal torment. Calvin's theology of Limited Atonement is clearly shown to be false.
The New King James Bible does not contain the words "atonement", "atoned" or "atone" in the New Testament. It simply is not there. The Israelites "atoned" for their sins in the sacrifice of animals. Each person had to offer his own animal as an atonement. Atonement is the appeasement of past sins, not the removal of all sins. Atonement is an Old Testament doctrine that is not in the New Testament.
Romans 5:10 clearly states that Jesus died for the sins of everyone. This was accomplished through the death of His Son, Jesus, on the cross. It says, "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son." When we were enemies is past tense. Enemies means lost, unbelieving and unsaved persons. This means everyone was reconciled to God through the death of Jesus on the cross, but reconciliation is not salvation or eternal life. The second part describes those who are saved. It says, "much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (resurrection)." This means those who are saved believe that Jesus was resurrected bodily. Salvation life is by faith in the resurrection.
Likewise, Ephesians 2:13 says, "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." Notice that the ones far off mean all Gentiles were without hope but were "brought near" by Jesus' shed blood. The Gentiles were forced to remain in a separate section in the Temple far off to the side because the promises and covenants given to Israel were not meant for them. The meaning of "brought near" most certainly does not mean final salvation. It means that the way was prepared for the next step in the road to salvation. Romans 4:24 above is another verse stating the same doctrine which is the complete gospel.
The false teachers in 2 Peter 2:1 are clearly unsaved and have brought upon themselves swift destruction because of their blaspheming the truth and denying the Lord, yet they are said to be denying the "Lord who bought them." The verse indicates that Jesus paid for their sins upon the cross even though they are not saved.
Ephesians 2:15-16 tells us that the Mosaic Law has also been abolished by Christ's death, and both Jew and Gentile have been reconciled to God the same way. Ephesians 2:15-16 "having abolished in His flesh the enmity, [that] [is], the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man [from] the two, [thus] making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity."
In 1 Timothy 2:4 we see that God "desires all men to be saved", and in 1 Timothy 2:6 we see that Jesus "gave Himself a ransom for all." Therefore, we must conclude that the sins of ALL mankind were removed and placed upon Jesus on the cross. Because God desires all men to be saved and Jesus gave Himself a ransom for the sins of all mankind, we must conclude that having one's sins forgiven does not insure salvation. Jesus gave Himself a ransom for all but all are not saved.
Hebrews 2:9 says that "Jesus tasted death for everyone."
Many Bible scholars may recall verses spoken by John The Baptist, Jesus Himself or others which suggest that one must be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. Those verses were true for those who heard them in that day, but they are not true for us today in this Dispensation of Grace or Church Age. The forgiveness of sins provided to mankind by Jesus' death on the cross occurred at His death and did not apply before His death.
The universal forgiveness of sins does not mean that all mankind has been saved from the torment of an eternal hell as believed by many cults and universalists. Having one's sins forgiven does not equal salvation as taught by most Christian denominations. Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the whole world, but that does not equate to universal salvation. The doctrine of universal salvation is false teaching.
Those who teach John Calvin's doctrine of Limited Atonement are teaching an incomplete and inaccurate gospel. They believe that Christ's death on the cross alone provides salvation and therefore applies only to some. The Scripture teaches salvation is by His entire redemptive work, especially faith in His resurrection which gives us eternal life with God in Heaven.
Is Everyone Saved Because Their Sins Have Been Forgiven? No!
Jesus told Nicodemus the Pharisee that he must be "born again", or born of the Spirit in order to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus meant that the man must receive the Spirit of God in order to be saved. Jesus did not tell Nicodemus that he had to be baptized. Jesus said he had to be born of water, meaning birth water of the womb. He must be human, not an evil spirit or demon. Jesus did not tell Nicodemus that he had to have his sins forgiven.
John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Scripture does not teach that salvation is accomplished by having one's sins forgiven. Most Christian churches teach the false doctrine of effectual forgiveness. They teach that sins are not forgiven until one believes Jesus died for their sins. They falsely believe that having one's sins forgiven equates to being saved. The effectual forgiveness doctrine is not in the Bible. Actually, the Bible teaches just the opposite. While we were enemies of God (meaning unsaved) we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son. It does not require faith to be reconciled to God as many churches falsely teach. Reconciliation does not mean one is saved as these churches teach. It means the enmity between God and mankind as a result of Adam's transgressions has been reversed. One is saved by faith in the resurrection of Jesus. We are saved by receiving His resurrected life in us, being filled with the Holy Spirit. You must have Christ in you to be saved.
Colossians 1:27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (KJV)
Romans 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (resurrection).
Romans 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in [His] kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it] [is] the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth [as] a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
1 Corinthians 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching [is] empty and your faith [is] also empty.
1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, [and] has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man [came] death, by Man also [came] the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may [continue] [to] believe in the name of the Son of God.
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.
Luke 23:42 Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." 43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
Revelation 20:15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
In Romans 4:25 we see the separation between forgiveness of sin and salvation. Jesus was delivered up and crucified for the forgiveness of our sin, and He was raised from the dead to provide the way of salvation. The only sin which has not been forgiven is the sin of unbelief in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection as our Savior. This has been called by some as the "unpardonable sin."
In Christ all shall be made alive because of His resurrection from the dead as stated in 1 Corinthians 15:20-22. Salvation is described as receiving life (1 Corinthians 15:22) when one's name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
One of the two thieves crucified on his cross next to Jesus Christ was saved by his faith in the soon to come resurrection of Christ when he said in Luke 23:42-43, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom. 43 And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." Nothing was said about the thief's sins or about the forgiveness of his sins. The thief was not baptized. The thief did not invite Jesus into his heart. The thief expressed faith in the soon to come resurrection of Jesus to His Kingdom. The thief was saved because of his faith in Jesus' resurrection. This is another clear example showing that faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the basic requirement for salvation.
We are given a very clear description of salvation in Romans 10:9-10. It does not mention having one's sins forgiven, asking Jesus into one's heart or being baptized. Salvation is obtained by believing in one's heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead. The heart is symbolic for having true faith as the basis for salvation and not just empty verbal expression. We must confess our sin in the admission that we need a Savior, but the confession of sins does not fulfill the requirement for salvation. We must confess faith in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. Likewise, Romans 5:10 says that we are saved by His life. This means that salvation is obtained by faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 gives a detailed description of the gospel.
Many people believe and teach there is "life in the blood," meaning eternal life comes through the shed blood of Jesus. A phrase with this meaning is not found in Scripture. Romans 5:10 says, " we shall be saved by His life." Scripture does not say we are saved by His blood or by His death. Many pastors give a plea for the unbeliever to "ask Jesus into your heart." Here again this phrase is not the gospel and is not found in the Bible.
Some like to quote Bible verses about salvation that were written prior to Jesus' death and resurrection. People were saved before the cross by believing that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. These verses were applicable at that time for those people but are not applicable to us today in this Dispensation of Grace or Church Age. They are applicable only if one interprets faith in Jesus as including His death, burial and resurrection for his complete justification.
We believe that salvation is by grace through faith based upon the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus took upon Himself the sins of all mankind in His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead provides salvation for each person who believes. All who receive the Lord Jesus Christ through faith are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become the children of God.
We must also conclude that salvation is only possible by faith in the true Jesus of the Bible. Jesus is fully God and became a man in order to fulfill God's plan of salvation for us. Jesus is God who was manifested in the flesh. Faith in Jesus by some other definition does not result in salvation.
We believe in one God who is a personal and eternal Spirit, perfect and unchangeable in all His attributes. This one God eternally exists in three persons, impossible of division but capable of distinction as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All have precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections and are worthy of precisely the same homage, faith and obedience.
God The Father: We believe in God the Father as Creator of heaven and earth, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, and measureless in power. We marvel and rejoice that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from sin, its power over our life, and from spiritual death. He also takes the fear out of physical death for all who come to Him through faith in the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ upon the Cross (Genesis 1:1; 1:11; 1:24-28; Deuteronomy 4:35; Psalms 5:4-6; 14:1; 23:1-4; 47:2-3; 47:8-9; 96:11-13; 145:18; 147:5; Isaiah 40:28; 43-10-13, 44:6; John 1:1-3, 3:36; 5:18; 6:27; Romans 1:20; 6:1-13; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Colossians 1:15-17; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 1:5, 2:1-2; Revelation 3:20, 19:6).
Jesus Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh (John 1:1-3, 14; 1 Timothy 3:16), conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35), born of the Virgin Mary (Matthew 1:23), led a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross and is very God and very Man. We believe that His death on the cross was substitutionary and representative and sufficient to make amends for the guilt of all men. We believe that He was raised from the dead bodily and ascended to the right hand of the Father where He now carries on a ministry as Advocate and Intercessor for the saints (Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:1-14; 5:17-18; 8:58; 10:30-33; 11:25; 14:6-7; 20:27-29; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:15-16; 2:8-9; Philippians 2:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:15-17; 3:16).
We believe in the personal, bodily, and pretribulational return of our Lord Jesus Christ for His Church (the Rapture); and that after the Tribulation He will return with His saints to the earth to establish His Kingdom of righteousness, thus bringing to fruition all the unconditional promises made to the nation Israel (Luke 1:30-35; 1 Timothy 2:6; Romans 3:25-26, 2 Corinthians 5:14; Hebrews 10:5-14; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; 1 John 2:2; 1 Corinthians 15:1-58; Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 John 2:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:9-10; Revelation 19:1-21; 20:1-15).
The Holy Spirit: We believe in the deity and the personality of the Holy Spirit and that He is said to be eternally "proceeding" from the Father and the Son. We believe that the Holy Spirit was God's agent in the revelation and the inspiration of His Word. We believe that it is the Holy Spirit who performs the work of salvation in the heart of the individual believer, and He then indwells believers and bestows spiritual gifts upon them (1 Corinthians 2:11; 3:16; 6:19-20;12:1-13; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:30; 5:18; John 15:26; 16:7-8; 16:13-14; Genesis 1:2; 2 Peter 1:21; Acts 5:3-4, 13:2; Hebrews 3:7-9, 9:14; Matthew 28:19; Titus 3:5; Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:22).
The purpose of salvation is that the believer might glorify God in his body through a life of fellowship and service for the Lord.
The consummation of salvation will occur at the Rapture when the believer shall be delivered from the presence of sin, at which time he will also be glorified and conformed to the image of Christ.
We believe that because of the eternal purpose of God toward the objects of His love; His freedom to exercise grace toward unworthy mankind on the grounds of the propitiatory blood of Christ; the very nature of the divine gift of eternal life; the present and unending intercession and advocacy of Christ in heaven; the immutability of the unchangeable covenants of God; the regenerating, abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all who are saved, once salvation has transpired it is eternal and unchangeable. (John 3:3; 3:8; 5:24; 10:28; 13:1; 14:16-17; 17:11; 17:15; Romans 8:29-39; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2; 5:3; Jude 24; 2 Timothy 1:12).
SUMMARY: Every person will someday stand before the judgment seat of God (Hebrews 9:27). He will stand either condemned or pardoned having believed God's plan of salvation that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised again according to the scriptures, and confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
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