Salvation of the Entire Person

Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

I Thessalonians 5:23 - And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Man is a triune being, therefore all three parts need to be saved.

• There is a salvation of the spirit, the soul, and the body.

• Salvation of the spirit – initial salvation – the beginning of a relationship with Christ – justification by faith – sanctification of the spirit.

• Salvation of the soul – progressive salvation – the salvation of the life – justification by works – progressive sanctification.

• Salvation of the body – glorification – redemption of the body – resurrection.

1. Salvation

   1. Rom. 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

      1. Rom. 5:12 - Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

      2. John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

      3. Rom. 10:10 - For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

2. Security

   1. John 10:27 - My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

   2. Define eternal life – God always gives what he has. Jesus has eternal life as he never had a beginning and will never have an ending – therefore he gives us what he has – eternal, everlasting life.

      1. John 3:15 – eternal life.

      2. John 3:16 – everlasting life.

      3. John 3:36 – everlasting life.

      4. John 6:39-40 – lost nothing – everlasting life.

      5. John 6:47 – everlasting life.

      6. John 6:54 – eternal life.

3. Baptism.

   1. Acts 2:41 - Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls.

   2. Romans 6:1-9 - This passage gives the basic and beautiful recapitulation of our being baptized.

      1. Verse 1 - We are not to continue in sin. Baptism shows to all the world that we are not going to continue to live in sin.

      2. Verse 3 - We are baptized “into” Christ’s death. We were baptized because or concerning the death of Christ.

      3. Verse 4 - We are baptized to remember the resurrection of Christ. We said we were dying to self and committed ourselves to walk in newness of life. We are saying our lives will not the same from now on.

      4. Salvation implies faithfulness to Christ, baptism implies faithfulness to the Lord’s Church.

      5. Verse 5 - Baptism doesn’t remit sins, but if we have been planted in the likeness of His death, we should also be planted in the likeness of His resurrection.

      6. Verse 6 - Our old man (fleshly nature) is dead, and our new nature (spiritual nature) is alive. When we are baptized, we are saying we will follow the spiritual nature, not the fleshly nature.

   3. Gal. 3:26 - For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Baptism does not save anybody. We are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

4. Service

   1. John 14:15 - If ye love me, keep my commandments. It is wrong to keep the ten commandments? That is not wrong, but keeping those commandments will not save.

      1. John 12:26 - If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will [my] Father honour.

      2. Heb. 10:25 - Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

      3. Ps. 96:8 - Give unto the LORD the glory [due unto] his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.

      4. 1 Peter 4:7 - But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

   2. Matthew 22:34-40 – Jesus is asked what is the greatest commandment in the law. He replies that love for God is the greatest commandments, and love for neighbors is the second greatest command.