Soteriology - The Doctrine of Salvation

The following is a paper I wrote on soteriology for my Systematic Theology class at Moody Theological Seminary. I was limited to 8 pages so I couldn't elaborate on some points (ie. wrath of God). In fact, this is way too brief. It's also very academic in nature so might be a bit bland to some. It does make for very concise doctrine though.

In case anyone's wondering, I took out the citations; there weren't many anyway and nothing that wasn't really "common knowledge." I also didn't get to choose the headings... In any case, let me know what you think and if you find anything you disagree with. I would be happy to talk with you. Lastly, know that I'm praying for YOUR salvation.

Introduction

Soteriology is derived from the Greek word “sōtērion” (salvation), which is in turn derived from “sōtēr” (savior, preserver). Soteriology is then the study of salvation. Christianity in particular has a soteriology that is vastly different from any other religion in the world. This paper will give a brief overview of the major points of interest in Christian soteriology in order to demonstrate the uniqueness of God’s redemptive design and how one can be saved.

Substitutionary Atonement

Wayne Grudem defines atonement as “the work Christ did in his life and death to earn our salvation.” James says that “whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it” (James 2:10), proving that “none is righteous, no, not one” (Rom 3:10). And if perfection is the standard (Matt 5:48), Christ had to do something because left to our own, mankind has no hope of salvation (Eph 2:12). In other words, we are sinful and totally depraved.

Since “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23), someone or something has to die. This need for death was what drove the Old Testament’s sacrificial laws (Heb 9:22). And this is what drove Jesus Christ to die on the cross. If one were to enter Heaven, one had to first pay for their sin in its entirety. But “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son” (John 3:16) so that we do not have the pay the eternal punishment for our sins. Though some people may find the idea of a God demanding blood and punishment repulsive, it lies at the heart of the gospel. God could not have just forgiven our sins unless Jesus had died because a just God (2 Thess 1:6) has to punish sin. That is why it was only through His dying on the cross (as a propitiation for sin) that we can avoid the punishment we deserve and be saved (Rom 3:25).

Also important is that Christ’s identity as God Himself led to His having lived a perfect, obedient, sinless life (Heb 4:15). Without this perfection, the atonement would not be sufficient; in fact, a lamb without any blemish has always been the Biblical standard (Lev 23:12). But Christ was perfect (1 Pet 1:19), and His death then served as the only possible penal substitution because only God could appease God. God didn’t and couldn’t just arbitrarily punish someone, substitutionary atonement could only have happened through Christ, the Son of God.

Justification by Faith

If atonement is that which Christ did to earn us salvation, faith is that which we do to effectuate this atonement in our individual lives. Even though Christ died for our sins, the work does not apply to us unless we receive it by faith, as with all promises of God (Rom 4:1). Faith is then the channel through which we experience personally the effects of the saving work of Christ, giving us peace with God (Rom 5:1) as well as becoming children of God (John 1:12).

Furthermore, it is through faith alone that we are saved, without the need for any extra work whatsoever (Eph 2:8-9), nor can it be (Gal 2:16). This is the main reason Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation. This issue is the primary difference between Roman Catholicism and evangelical Christianity. This doctrine of justification by faith alone (sola fide) is an essential of the Christian faith that is affirmed by almost all evangelical schools of thought, including John Calvin, the Westminister Confession of Faith, and also Moody Bible Institute, stating clearly that Christians are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone.

True saving faith however, is always accompanied by deeds (James 2:17) that naturally overflow out of us. Jesus Himself said that we will recognize true followers “by their fruits” (Matt 7:16). Furthermore, having a saving faith indicates having confessed Jesus as Lord (Rom 10:9), meaning that He has authority over our lives. Though some propose a free grace view of conversion that speaks contrary to this, it is not the true gospel, which says that though grace is freely dispensed through faith, this grace is not cheap and in fact costs everything (Luke 14:33).

The cost may seem great, but the reward is more than worth it. What happens during justification is that we are justified (dikaioō), declared righteous in God’s sight and does not have to bear the penalty of sin. It is not just a legal declaration though, our sin is actually taken away and replaced by the imputed righteousness of Christ (Rom 5:17). Unlike the Roman Catholic view, which holds that justification keeps happening throughout one’s life, the Christian view holds that justification happens only once in the life of a true believer (Heb 9:28a).

Limited or Unlimited Atonement

A particular point of interest lies with the extent of the atonement. The question is often phrased thus: on the cross, did Christ die for the sins of the entire human race or only for those who would be saved? This is one of the finer points in soteriology that is rarely addressed in official doctrinal statements and should not be a point of separation among Christians. Nevertheless, it is still one of the five points of Calvinism and worthy of proper discussion.

The reformed view is limited atonement (particular redemption). The primary thrust of the argument is that if Christ paid the penalty for all people in His death, there’d be nothing left to pay for in Hell. Logically, all people would be saved. All people are not saved. Therefore, Christ did not die for all people but rather only for the elect (Rom 8:33). Furthermore, Christ is known for praying for only the elect (John 17:9) and caring for just those given to Him (John 6:39). Lastly, the Bible speaks of a particular group of sheep (John 10:11), the church (Acts 20:28), and His people (Matt 1:21), all pointing to particular redemption.

Unlimited atonement (general redemption) holds that Christ came to take away the sins of the whole world (John 1:29), and not just some people. It continues in saying that since the gospel offer is universal (especially in light of God’s goodness), so must be the extent of atonement. It’s true that Jesus was a ransom for all (1 Tim 2:6), but in verses like this that speaks of the whole world, a better understanding is that it is speaking of availability or that it is to all the elect. But whatever one may believe, both sides agree that the gospel offer must be made to all people since we do not know who the elect is.

Relationship between Regeneration and Faith

If faith is the channel through which we effectuates Christ’s salvific work, then regeneration is the reason that we can have this faith. If we are indeed total depraved, that means we do not seek God (Rom 3:11). If we do not even seek God, then trusting in God becomes impossible unless God effectuates a transformation in us first. Just as calling a physically dead person will produce no response, calling a spiritual dead person will yield the same result. Regeneration is what must be done so that we can respond. It is the act of taking we who were spiritually dead (Eph 2:1) and making us spiritually alive in Christ (Eph 2:5).

We are born again into God’s kingdom not even by our own wills (John 1:13). This act of regeneration is done solely by God and is an instantaneous event. In fact, though it technically precedes faith in the logical order of things, it is more accurate to say that it happens concurrent with saving faith (Titus 3:4-5). God gives us new birth through His word (James 1:18) through the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44) as He showers us with His irresistible grace. So while Christians do have to voluntarily place saving faith in Christ, it is always inevitably done with God’s help.

Eternal Security

After placing saving faith in Christ, the person becomes a Christian and can never lose their salvation. This perseverance of the saints is a great assurance that makes the Christian gospel unique. We can have complete confidence of what we have (2 Cor 3:4), knowing that there is nothing the world can throw at us that will ever separate us from God’s love (Rom 8:38-39) and the state of grace. Furthermore, if our salvation was based on unconditional election, based on His grace and mercy instead of our merit or desire (Rom 9:15-16), then our remaining in this election is also something that is outside of our control.

Once we are in the hands of our Great Shepherd, no one can snatch us away (John 10:28). God’s calling is irrevocable (Rom 11:29), and He will carry through our salvation to completion once He starts it (Phil 1:6), being the one who both begins and perfects even our faith (Heb 12:2). His plans will always come to pass (Isa 14:24) and we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit for eternity (Eph 1:13), the Spirit Himself assuring us that this is true (Rom 8:16). What’s at stake here is no longer our eternal security, but God’s sovereignty and faithfulness. So if anyone claims to have stopped being a Christian, it only proves that they were never really one in the first place (1 John 2:19), showing themselves to be goats and not His sheep (Matt 25:32).

Process of Salvation: God’s Side and Our Side

Finally, note that everything mentioned thus far puts salvation in the hands of God. He is the author of salvation (Heb 5:9) and had predestined our lives according to His will (Eph 1:11). Those whom He predestined, He molded and justified, continuing to conform them to Jesus Christ (Rom 8:29). All of redemptive history, from the birth of Adam to the death of Christ, happened exactly how God envisioned, willing all things to work for His good (Rom 8:28). This includes the actions of every human being (Psalm 139:16), including their coming to faith (Prov 16:33). The entire process of salvation, both the grace and the faith, is a gift of God (Eph 2:8).

Nevertheless, from a human perspective, we must still do something. God may have ordained all things, but we are still responsible (Rom 2:6). Our responsibility is simple though: in order to receive this salvation and be a Christian, a person must simply believe (Acts 16:31). This simple act of believing is not just mental acknowledgement of the truth of Christ’s salvific work, for even demons believe that (James 2:19). It involves genuine repentance, which is a true anguish over sin and a sincere decision to turn away from it and run to Christ. It does not mean that we will never sin again or attain perfection in this life, but rather that we have started our first step in our lifelong process of wholesale sanctification (1 Thess 5:23).

With this repentant faith, one can utter any prayer that admits their sin, confesses their need for Christ for salvation, and gives their life to God, trusting Him to save them. At this point, if their heart was true, they are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17), a saint (Psalm 30:4), and a Christian who will one day experience the final phase of our redemption, the glorification of our bodies (Phil 3:21) and to be like our beautiful savior (1 John 3:2).

Conclusion

This paper has briefly overviewed the range of topics in Christian soteriology. As mentioned in the previous section, salvation is not merely an intellectual exercise nor is it just an emotional experience. It is a combination of both, leading to “knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim 2:25) and to us walking in a manner worthy of our God-given calling (Eph 4:1). It is the true gospel (Gal 1:8) for which Jesus Christ died and of which we should spend our whole lives understanding more and proclaiming to the nations (Matt 28:19).