How to be Right with God
Part 1 of 4
God is in the Salvation Business
Due to the extended length of this
Bible study on Justification by Faith, it has been divided
into sections, using four separate webpages. Since each part is essential
to understanding
the subject more completely, consider downloading all four pages to obtain
a comprehensive review.
Each page link follows below.
God is in the Salvation
Business, part 1 of 4
What is Needed for Salvation?,
part 2 of 4
The
Role of the Law in
Justification by Faith,
part 3 of 4
Promises and Security with God,
part 4 of 4
The Starting Point
In the beginning, the earth, and all
that was put upon it, was made
exceedingly beautiful, and became a place where people could live
and be truly happy.
And God saw every thing
that he had made,
and, behold, it was very good... Genesis
1:31
But a terrible curse entered the new
world one day when the first of God's
human creation took actions in their Eden home that were in direct opposition
to warnings of danger, and severe consequences God had given should they
fail
to watch carefully what they were doing, and go against what He had told
them.
The curse was sin; and the consequence of those actions resulted in guilt
and
death.
And the LORD God took the
man,
and put him into the garden of Eden
to dress it and to keep it.
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying,
Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
thou shalt not eat of it:
for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Genesis 2:15-17
The Bible teaches that since that eventful
day all have transgressed against
God's Holy Law...
For all have sinned,
and come short of the glory of God...
Romans 3:23
Sin is a transgression of that law.
Whosoever committeth sin
transgresseth also the law:
for sin is the transgression of the law.
1 John 3:4
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:
For until the law sin was in the world:
but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Romans 5:12, 13
The law brings forth an understanding
of what sin is:
...for by the law is the
knowledge of sin.
Romans 3:20
So, from this we come to understand
that the Law existed in the beginning,
and that mankind sinned by failing to obey it.
God's word states clearly the penalty
for sin:
... the wages of sin is
death...
Romans 6:23
It teaches that death has passed upon
all, for all have sinned.
This sorrowful condition remains upon the earth, even to this time.
... we know that the whole
creation groaneth
and travaileth in pain together until now.
Romans 8:22
Sin also separated mankind from the
Creator; and according to the Law the
sinner must pay for transgression with his own life... it first appeared
that
there was no possibility of escaping the fateful decision.
People facing such a serious problem
sincerely desire, and need to know,
if there is any hope of ever obtaining eternal life; and how they can again
come into harmony with God.
So, the question to answer
is:
How... can a man be justified with
God?
Job 25:4
It could happen only if the Lord personally
intervened in the crisis, and
offered a way for mankind to be saved. To satisfy the demands of the
broken Law, and justify the guilty, required a special sacrifice only He
could make. He would have to give His own life to set us free.
Jesus said:
The thief cometh not, but
for to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy:
I am come that they might have life,
and that they might have it more abundantly.
I am the good shepherd:
the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
John 10:10, 11
The Bible explains further
how this was accomplished.
God's Plan
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in
the wilderness,
even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have eternal life.
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.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;
but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned:
but he that believeth not is condemned already,
because he hath not believed in the name
of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:
14-18
The Lord is not slack concerning his
promise,
as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering
to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3: 9
The LORD hath appeared of old unto
me, saying,
Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:
therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Jeremiah 31:3
Concerning his own experience, the Apostle
Paul
wrote to Timothy, a young missionary:
And the grace of our Lord was exceeding
abundant
with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;
of whom I am chief.
Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy,
that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering,
for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe
on him to life everlasting. 1 Timothy 1:14-16
... the Son of man is come to seek
and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10
And I will cleanse them from all
their iniquity, whereby they have
sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby
they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.
Jeremiah 33:8
And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not
turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in
their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice
over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land
assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.
Jeremiah 32:40, 41
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your
flesh, hath [God] quickened together with [Christ], having
forgiven you all trespasses... Colossians
2:12. 13
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud,
thy transgressions,
and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me;
for I have redeemed thee. Isaiah 44:22
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth
iniquity,
and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?
he retaineth not his anger for ever,
because he delighteth in mercy.
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us;
he will subdue our iniquities;
and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
Micah 7:18, 19
For this is good and acceptable
in the sight of God our Saviour;
Who will have all men to be saved,
and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all,
to be testified in due time.1 Timothy 2:
3-6
... God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them ... 2
Corinthians 5:19
Look unto me, and be ye saved,
all the ends of the earth:
for I am God, and there is none else.
I have sworn by myself,
the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness,
and shall not return,
That unto me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear. Isaiah 45:22, 23
The eyes of your understanding being
enlightened; that ye
may know what is the hope of his [God's] calling, and
... the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints...
Ephesians 1:18
Incline your ear, and come unto
me:
hear, and your soul shall live;
and I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
even the sure mercies of David. Isaiah 55:3
*Unless otherwise noted, all verses
presented
are from the King James version of the Bible
To Continue to the Next part in this
study use these links:
What is Needed for Salvation?,
part 2 of 4
The
Role of the Law in
Justification by Faith,
part 3 of 4
Promises and Security with God,
part 4 of 4
Other Visda studies regarding
the plan of salvation include:
Good
News about Faith for People in Need
Good
News about Christian Sanctification
Grace in a
Barren Place
Additional World Light links can be
found
by visiting the Site
Menu
If you found this study inspiring and
helpful
Contact us with your comments and thoughts.
We look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes. | 
