It begins with a Sad Story…
There was a shipwreck and a man was
thrown overboard. He had tried to swim, but he could only swim for a while and
he was about to drown. So he called for help, and it happened to be that there
was a rescue boat in the proximity, and those on the boat heard his cry for
help. So those that were on the boat threw a life vest or a float, and started
hauling him to the boat. Then they got the man in the boat. The man was saved
from the wreck and from drowning.
The question that is to ask is; what saved the man? Let’s
try out some answer.
May be it’s the cry for help; could he have been saved with just a
cry and no one to hear him?
May be It’s the people on
the boat that saved him; What if a shark got to him, before those on the boat would have gotten a
chance to get to him?
May be it’s the float, the
life vest, and the rope used to haul him to the boat; A float by itself is just a float; a
rope is just a rope, a vest is just a vest.
The correct answer is all of these
elements. IT TOOK ALL TO
SAVE THE MAN.
According to the Bible, there are 7 different elements that can lead to
salvation, and that is according to scriptures; in other words, there is a
direct link between Salvation and any of these elements.
First ELEMENT: GRACE
Grace is defined as the unmerited
favor of God; salvation is out of God’s Love, not out of our self-worth. As
mentioned in scritupres that God laid down his life for us (1 John 3:16),
for we all sinned (Romans 5:12, Romans 3:23-24), but in needed to be saved
by Grace, which brings salvation (Titus 2:11), as scriptures says that
we are saved by Grace (Ephesians2:4-5)
Second ELEMENT: FAITH
Faith is defined as the
substance of the things hoped for (Hebrews 11:1), and that without
Faith, it's impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and the end of our
faith is salvation (1 Peter 1:9). Faith is expressed in what is believed
of, him that believed on him that is Jesus, should not perish (John 3:16),
so it is essential to believe into salvation. Even those who were
healed were told that their faith have saved them (Matthew 9:22, Luke
17:19,Luke 18:42)
Third ELEMENT: REPENTANCE
Repentance in the bible simply means
to turn around from wrongdoing, to turn around in the right direction in life.
Jesus said that he has come to call sinners to repentance (Matthew 9:13,
Luke 5:32). Even that there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God
when a sinner repents (Luke 15:10), because unless a person repents, he
shall perish (Luke 13:3).
Fourth ELEMENT: OBEDIENCE
Even from the beginning, God required
Adam to obey, and he still requires obedience today. Jesus said that those that
love him are those that keep his commandments (John 14:21). Obedience is
always connected to life, as children are told to obey the parents in order to
live long on earth (Ephesians 6:1-3); also because the wrath of God
comes on the children of disobedience (Ephesians 5:6). In this case,
it’s Obedience to the Word of God.
Fifth ELEMENT: BAPTISM
Baptism is first preached by John the
Baptist, as many came to him to get baptized and confessing their sins (Mark
1:4-5). Jesus’s disciples even baptized more than John the Baptist (John
4:1-3).
After the resurrection, on the day of
Pentecost, Simon Peter preached the first sermon, he spoke to the whole
gathering that every one of them must get baptized in the name of Jesus (Acts
2:38). For even Jesus said that those who believed and are baptized shall
be saved (Mark 16:16). Baptism, which is in Jesus name
Sixth ELEMENT: HOLY GHOST
The Holy Spirit, which is also referred to as the Holy Ghost in the New
Testament is the Promise of God to anyone (Acts 1:4-5).
It is the Comforter (John 14:16), the one that Teaches
all things (John 14:26), he’s the one that gives Power
to witness (Acts 1:8). Those that received the baptism of the
Holy Ghost, spoke in tongues (Acts 2:4, Acts 10:46). Those
who do not have his Spirit are none of his (Romans 8:9).
Seventh ELEMENT: ENDURANCE
It is
often said “once saved always saved”, but biblically it is said “that
to those who endure in faith until the end, shall be saved” (Mark
13:13). To endure simply means to be able to withstand hardship, as a good
soldier (2 Timothy 2:3), just like the apostle who endured in hope of
obtaining salvation (2 Timothy 2:10).
