By Kary Oberbrunner

How have so many of us gotten it so wrong? How have we reduced salvation to only mean escaping an eternity in Hell?

I'll admit it. Throughout my years in the ministry I've been guilty of it. Now, when I hear other Christian leaders propagate it, I squirm uncomfortably in my chair. The sad truth is that Webster defines salvation better than some preachers. Maybe it's our attempt for brevity? Maybe it's because our culture has so many competing messages, we feel the need to get to the bottom line as quickly as possible? Maybe it's that we try to fit the extent of our message on our church marquees. Regardless, the gospel many of us preach and embody has evolved into reductionism, something Jesus never intended

Is salvation freedom from the penalty of sin? You bet. But that's justification and it's only one piece of the pie. Salvation is also freedom from the power of sin (sanctification) and freedom from the presence of sin (glorification).

Just semantics? I don't think so. One of the main reasons the people that fill (or used to fill) our churches have a watered-down faith is because of the gospel they've been presented. If they've embraced an impoverished gospel, then most likely they're embracing an impoverished faith.

Don't hear me wrong. Salvation is by grace. I don't believe in a "works" gospel. Justification is achieved by grace (see Eph. 2:8-9) and so is sanctification (see Col. 2:6). My concern is that many of us are guilty of reducing salvation to only mean justification. The New Testament doesn't teach this. I am not wondering if I am saved or not, but I have not only been saved (justification). I am also being saved (sanctification). And I will be saved (glorification). I need Jesus just as much today as I did the day I was justified.

Sadly, often the Western church presents salvation exclusively as justification. Receive Jesus, and then go on your merry way until the day you die. Like a State Farm Insurance policy, we place the security of our future in the hands of our agent (Jesus) and are happy that He also paid our premium in full. This is a rather depressing view of salvation. Scripture presents salvation much differently. The Bible refers to all three aspects as salvation. It doesn't separate them. It refers to justification as salvation. It refers to sanctification as salvation. And it refers to glorification as salvation.

Justification = "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise" (Eph. 1:13).

Sanctification = "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12-13).

Glorification = "And this do, 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" (Rom. 13:11).

Each of these passages uses the English word "salvation." Yet each passage refers to a different aspect of salvation. Justification is freedom from the penalty of sin. Sanctification is freedom from the power of sin. Glorification is freedom from the presence of sin. Salvation is immediate life (justification). Salvation is abundant life (sanctification). And salvation is eternal life (glorification). This complete process is salvation.

This is part of the reason why there is so much confusion regarding salvation and discipleship. People figure they got Jesus one time by walking down the aisle, and now they're good to go. In reality, this is only the first step. We don't accept Jesus. We follow Him. God is the one who accepts us, because of Jesus. Justification isn't the end of the process; it's only the beginning.

Salvation is like a bride on her wedding day. Scripture refers to all followers of Jesus as His bride. The bride does not wring her hands on the way out of the church and claim, "I am glad I got that taken care of." Instead, the wedding day is only the beginning of the adventure. The bride has tremendous excitement about their new life together.

Salvation is quite similar. Justification is the first step that begins the relationship. We enter into a sacred covenant with our groom, Jesus Christ. However, salvation is also life together. It's the process of becoming. And thank God that it's eternal life together as well. We cheapen salvation, and I'd argue that we even distort salvation, when we present it merely as a fire insurance policy to escape the flames of Hell.

When we propagate an impoverished gospel, those people we lead no longer see the need for Jesus, beyond a savior for their sin. They reflect upon their "salvation" experience as something in the past. They've been there, done that. But for true followers of Jesus salvation is a past (justification), present (sanctification), and future (glorification) experience.

If people have an impoverished gospel, thus an impoverished faith, it will drastically affect the way they perceive life and the church. There is no need for growth. There is no need to join God in His ultimate vision of holistically redeeming all of creation. There is no need for the here and now. Instead, such people become laws unto themselves. They're independent contractors doing their own thing and calling their own shots in this life. This life becomes unimportant. Such people often drift towards one of two extremes. One group separates from the world, hiding out until Jesus comes back. The other group spends their time frivolously, consuming the sin of this world, since this life doesn't matter anyway.

The Jesus I see in Scripture places a value upon this life as well as the next. The gospel I'm trying to embrace recognizes the temporary nature of this life, but also the immediacy and significance of it as well. It requires me to live up to my calling and become who I was born to be.

Kary Oberbrunner "Recovering Pharisee," is a speaker, author, and pastor. His new book Called: Becoming Who You Were Born to Be, explores what it means to authentically follow Jesus. You can find him and his book at KaryOberbrunner.com.

# posted by Matt Green : 4:00 PM  4 comments links to this post