Every Sunday across America, countless people are led through what is often called the sinner's prayer (a prayer of salvation). For some, this moment signifies the start of their journey with God. For many, it’s seen as the culmination of their faith, a confirmation that the work of the cross has been realized, and that heaven is their final destination from that point on. As comforting as these ideas may be, there’s a critical question we need to ask: Can this view of salvation be fully backed by scripture? When we dive deeper into the Bible, we find that these widely accepted beliefs may rest more on traditions of man and inference than on clear biblical teaching. So, how does grace, works and the two-fold nature of salvation pan at the end?
This article seeks to uncover what scripture truly says about salvation.
- How does our faith save us?
- What does it mean to be saved?
- What are we saved from?
- And, perhaps most importantly, how does salvation unfold in the life of a believer?
Salvation: Grace vs. Works
For centuries, salvation has been a subject of debate. Some see it as a matter of grace alone, while others stress the importance of works. When reading the word, it can seem that Paul and James are at odds on the issue, leading to divisions among denominations and believers worldwide. For example, many Protestant evangelicals usually align with sola fide (faith alone) doctrine, often downplaying or even denying the need for deeds. On the other hand, denominations like Catholicism or the Church of Christ emphasize sacraments and good works as part of salvation.
Both perspectives contain some truths, but without the whole truth, they become misleading. In this article, we’ll explore a largely overlooked perspective on salvation, bringing together key insights from each side of the discussion. This approach will help center our grasp, drawing us toward a balanced view that recognizes two forms of salvation discussed in scripture: one that is present and one that is yet to come. This may seem surprising at first, but I am confident that this two-fold perspective will help address many of the questions that have long divided believers. It will shed light on the debate over whether salvation is by grace or works, and whether your salvation is something that can be “lost”, or forfeited. This article is packed with information and will contain a lot of scripture, so I encourage you to grab your bible and study along.
The Salvation by Grace That We Access To Have Now
As we begin, it's important to start with the right question.
Rather than asking the common question, “Am I saved?” The correct approach is to ask, “What am I saved from?”
We will first uncover what Jesus came to save us from during His first coming. Then, later we’ll turn our attention to how we can practically apply this salvation in our lives, so that we may walk in true freedom.
Jesus Came To Save Us From Sin: Freedom
She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.
Matthew 1:21
Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. [5] You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.
1 John 3:4-5
The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.
Galatians 1:3-5
While His sacrifice was meant to free us from the bondage of sin, it’s important to note what the scriptures do not say. They don’t yet mention salvation from hell or the wrath of God. Why? Because these were not the primary purposes of Christ’s first coming. Instead, these are the opening acts of His mission, that point to a work that will be accomplished at His second coming, when He returns to crush Satan and establish His eternal kingdom.
This future salvation should fill us with hope, as we know that the fullness of our redemption is drawing near. Paul reminds us: “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.” (Romans 13:11)
Jesus To Appear a Second Time
You’ll notice how these next passages point to the future salvation, one that is yet to be fulfilled.
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
Hebrews 9:27-28
For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, .…… Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:3-10,13
Pay close attention to the wording here...He's coming for those who eagerly await Him and whose faith has been proven, resulting in glory and praise at His appearance.
Faith and Works United in Purpose
The next few scriptures will help clarify what it means to prove your faith:
But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
James 2:20-21
For some, this may seem heretical, but only if the context is misunderstood. James speaks of works of faith, or faith in action, not the works of the law that Paul addresses. This distinction is crucial to grasp, as even Martin Luther, a German theologian pivotal to the Protestant Reformation, wrestled with this apparent contradiction, calling James an “epistle of straw.1 ”
Yet Scripture is without error, meaning James and Paul address different facets of faith. Paul writes:
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
Romans 4:2-3
This distinction becomes evident in light of Jesus’ promise to return with rewards for our works: “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.” (Revelation 22:12).
Jesus is rewarding not works of the law but works of faith, which are actions that demonstrate our trust in God. It involves taking risks, living holy and set apart, denying oneself, and obeying Christ.
This second salvation is distinct from the first, which was a gift of grace. Titus 3:5, (which also mentions how this salvation is applied) reminds us:
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,
Titus 3:5
It's important to note that grace also remains present in the second salvation, but it now calls for action. Peter and James emphasize this:
Prepare your minds for action… fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:13
You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
James 2:24
We must let go of the idea that works are legalistic or unnecessary; rather, we were created in Christ for this, and these righteous deeds will be the wedding garments we receive at our Lord’s return: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” (Revelation 19:7-8)
If you claim to have faith but lack works, you will be like the man from the parable of the wedding feast (symbolizing the Day of the Lord) who lacked the proper attire, and was cast out into a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.
To prepare us for good works, His plan is to restore you now in the present age, to a state similar to Adam before the fall, free to choose sin but no longer enslaved to it. This restoration process cleanses our minds to align us with God’s ways. As Hebrews explains:
How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Hebrews 9:14
Can we truly serve the living God with a defiled mind? Imagine trying to love and serve your spouse while harboring unresolved sin or hidden secrets. It would eventually lead to disaster unless it is dealt with and forgiven. In the same way, serving God requires a pure heart and mind, ready to be found spotless and blameless at His return.
How To Obtain The First Salvation
We will explore some scriptures to understand more about this first salvation, our salvation from sin, and read how we can cleanse our conscience to serve God. But first, to grasp why we need to be saved, let’s look at what Jesus says about all who have sinned: “Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.’” (John 8:34).
A slave does what the master tells him to, and we know that sin ultimately leads to death as described here: “Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death." (James 1:15)
This means that everyone who has sinned is deserving of death, and will die, revealing our need to be freed from sin’s control, so that we may have the ability to inherit eternal life in the age to come.
The following passages will show us how we can obtain this freedom.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.
Romans 6:1-7
...and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
Colossians 2:11-13
For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.'
Acts 22:15-16
Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you - not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience - through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
1 Peter 3:21
let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:22
These scriptures share similar language because they refer to the same thing. We all carry a defiled nature inherited from the fall of man where also our conscience had been corrupted. Jesus came precisely for this reason, to offer salvation from this nature. However, this salvation is only applied when we enter the waters of baptism in faith. In baptism, God works by the Spirit to remove the body of sin from all who come into Christ. Yes, baptism saves you, not because the water is powerful, but because God Himself works with your faith in the water to save you. This is the practical way God has granted us access to forgiveness through His son Jesus.
The Call To Action
Now, concerning the next salvation, the salvation from the wrath of God. We will examine some scriptures that use language which raises important questions about how we should be living our lives as believers. This has often been ignored or overlooked, as salvation is commonly viewed as something that is automatically applied and cannot be lost or forfeited. This perspective can lead to complacency in our faith, where believers oftentimes take God's grace for granted rather than seeing it as a call to faithful action. Remember, our full salvation from wrath is already secure, but only if we remain in the Lord. I understand this might sound like works-based salvation, and in truth it is, for the second salvation. You have been saved by grace from sin, so that you can have the ability to produce fruit and live a holy life. If you do not produce fruit, you will be cut off.
These are words from Jesus Himself. But don’t misunderstand, the fact that we are even able to work in faith is because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. It is all by God’s grace, and He alone gets the credit. Without Jesus' sacrifice, our works would be hollow and in vain, and there would be no reward because we would still be in our sin, broken and without hope in the world. Our salvation from sin is not based on works but is a free gift from God, as shown in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” However, it is also essential to understand that we were saved from sin for good works, as the next verse explains: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10).
To truly anticipate hearing, “Well done” from the Lord when He appears, we must live a life that bears righteous fruit. To bring that idea down to earth, you don’t reward your child simply because they promised to get good grades. You reward them once you see it come to fruition. God works the same way.
You Are Saved If
These next passages will shed light on the need for works and a continual faith, as they unequivocally say that your salvation not only can be forfeited, but has not been fully realized. As mentioned earlier, some people don't see the need for deeds, and this stems from a misunderstanding of the distinct salvations promised to us. We frequently confuse scriptures that speak of the first salvation from sin, with those that refer to the future salvation from wrath.
...by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:2
For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,
Hebrews 3:14
But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
Matthew 24:13
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18
And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach- if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
Colossians 1:21-23
Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. [23] And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
Romans 11:22-23
Pay attention to the language; almost every verse expresses the conditional aspect by the word “if”. Also, note that none say "if you accept Jesus."
Instead, they reveal both the grace that frees us from sin and the call to a steadfast faith that sustains that salvation which then leads to eternal life at Christs return. Simply put, if you turn away, salvation from wrath will not be yours at the end of the race.
In Summary
My hope is that as you read this, you’ll sense the sincerity of my heart and the message I long to convey. I pray it sparks a fire within you to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling." Not like a Pharisee striving to earn glory or recognition from others in this present age, but as a true disciple of Christ who looks onto the hope of our resurrection with joy and anticipation.
In closing, let’s heed Paul’s words to Timothy, which instruct the saints to act in a way that would secure eternal life: “Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.” (1 Timothy 6:18-19).
Let us be diligent in pursuing these things in sincere faith, so that we may lay hold of the eternal life Christ has set before us. For starters, go and tell someone about the hope you have in Jesus and what He did for you.
Maranatha!
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