The basic idea of the plan of salvation is substitution. Like what we said in part 1, the idea of the substitution was already there when Adam fell and God made coats of skins [1]. Abraham offering Isaac as a sacrifice also talks about the substitution [2]. In the era of the New Testament, Jesus was crucified and became the sacrificial lamb to substitute our death penalty, as the price of sin is death.
First, we see that God created Adam and Eve in His own image [3]. Because Adam disobeyed God, he fell [4]. Therefore, Adam was contaminated by sin and sin entered the world [5]. Adam was made in the image of God but was contaminated by sin.
Jesus was begotten by Holy Spirit [7] and is sinless. Thus, He has the image of a human before sin contaminated the world. He emptied Himself when He was here on earth [7]. That is, He emptied the portion of His nature as God. When He was on earth, He totally obeyed the leading of the Holy Spirit, and didn’t sin [8]. He was united with God [9], and thus seeing Him is the same as seeing God [10].
All humans are contaminated by sin, and only Jesus coming to earth can give us a chance to go back to that time when sin has not contaminated the world. The wages of sin are death [11]. The plan of salvation is to have Jesus be substituted for us to pay the death penalty. In this way, we can be declared to be righteous due to faith [12], which let’s have a chance to be conformed to the image of Jesus [13]. God loves us. Jesus coming to the earth is the only way that God can save us by giving us an opportunity [14].
Man consists of three portions – spirit, soul, and body [15]. Even when we are declared to be righteous because of faith, it is only a beginning. At that time, we will have a new soul [16], and Holy Spirit will abide in us [17]. Therefore, we already have the salvation of spirit. Regarding the salvation of body, we have to wait until Jesus comes again [18]. In terms of the salvation of soul we are already sanctified and are declared as righteous [19] although our experience tells us that the road to be fully sanctified takes a lifetime. It is because we can’t be conformed to the image of Jesus right away. Even Apostle Paul made an effort to reach the goal [20]. Notice that the passive tense is used when being conformed in the image of Jesus, since only God can give the increase of life [21].
In the process of sanctification, we have to be very careful. Be sober [22], and not fall into the hand of the servant of the devil who pretends to be an angel of light [23]. But remember that Jesus has overcome the world [24]. Furthermore, we have the promise in Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” We have to keep on abiding in Christ Jesus. In Jesus Christ, we are able to have the power in every trial to obey the will of God. It is clearly said in John 8:36, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
Some related verses
[1] Genesis 3:21, Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
[2] Genesis 22:13, And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
[3] Genesis 1:27, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
[4] Genesis 2:16-17, 『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 3:6, 『And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.』
[5] Romans 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:
[6] Matthew 1:20, But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
[7] Philippians 2:7-8, But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
[8] Hebrews 4:15, For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
[9] John 17:22, And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
[10] John 14:9, Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
[11] Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[12] Romans 5:1, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
[13] Romans 8:29, For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
[14] John 3:16-18, 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.
[15] 1 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.
[16] Ezekiel 36:26-27, A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
[17] 1 Corinthians 6:19, What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
[18] 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
[19] Hebrews 10:10, By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
[20] Philippians 3:13-14, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
[21] 1 Corinthians 3:6, I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
[22] 1 Peter 5:8, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
[23] 2 Corinthians 11:13-14, For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
[24] John 16:33, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
(Verses refer to those in King James Version – KJV unless otherwise specified.)
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