The Doctrine of Salvation and a Pastor’s Ministry

What is the biblical way of salvation? Is there just one way, or are there many ways? What about those who have never heard the gospel? Is it just for God to send people to hell? How do we square God’s wrath and eternal punishment with his love? These are just some of the questions that relate to our topic for today. We typically preach through a given book of the Bible and invite unbelievers to place their faith in Christ, but are we sufficiently conversant with the biblical theology of salvation?

7 Truths to Teach about the Doctrine of Salvation

The following seven truths to teach about salvation are fairly basic. At the same time, however, they are absolutely essential and foundational. People’s eternal destiny depends on these salvation truths. What is more, rather than relegate teaching about salvation to the invitation at the end of our sermon, we will do well to integrate teaching on salvation into our message to make sure our people have a thorough and accurate understanding of how a person is saved, what the basis of their salvation is, why repentance is necessary, and what the many benefits of salvation are. Here, then, are seven truths we will do well not to neglect regarding the biblical doctrine of salvation.

1. Salvation is by grace.

What is grace? In a nutshell, God grants His undeserved favor to us despite our unworthy condition. Not everyone believes that they’re unworthy. Many think they have things to offer to God. There is some truth to this. God created us good, and even as fallen sinners, we retain some of the characteristics with which God made us.

The biblical teaching on salvation doesn’t hold that we’re as bad as we could be but affirms that we’re not as good as we need to be to stand before God.

Worded more precisely, Scripture teaches that we can’t save ourselves; our salvation must come from another source. We have no right to be saved; for God to intervene and make a way for us to be saved is out of sheer grace.

2. Salvation is through faith.

We appropriate God’s grace in Christ by faith. As a matter of fact, “trust” may be an even better term to convey this truth in English, as “faith” is more abstract, while “trust” better conveys the relational nature of faith. Salvation requires not only that we believe that Christ died on the cross and rose again on the third day. Rather, we need to put our trust in Jesus’ cross-work, transferring our confidence from who we are and what we’re capable of doing to what we could never do but Jesus did for us as our sinless substitute. Believing is not merely a state of mind. It is an action! We must get in the car, jump in the water … you choose the metaphor!

3. Jesus is the only way of salvation.

The world tells us we should pursue “our” truth and do whatever makes us happy. Instead, The Bible calls on us to pursue God’s truth, embodied in the person of Jesus, “the way, the truth, and the life.” As Jesus asserted, “No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). The early Christians, likewise, affirmed that “there is salvation in no one else” (Acts 4:12). In this sense, Christianity is narrow and exclusive. As Paul affirmed, “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5).

We must proclaim the gospel of salvation in Jesus, and him alone so that people can trust him.

We confidently can leave cases for God to adjudicate where people die as infants, are mentally challenged, or have never heard the gospel. If you’re reading this, you’ve likely heard the gospel or have the opportunity to do so. How will you respond?

4. Salvation requires repentance.

One of the more puzzling and pernicious fallacies I keep encountering in the church and among students is that believers no longer need to confess their sins. Clearly, 1 John 1:9 states the very opposite! Moreover, I rarely hear preachers talk about repentance, whether for believers or unbelievers. Calling people to repentance is unpopular, and many, in their effort to be positive and encouraging, succumb to the temptation to keep preaching about repentance to a minimum, if talking about it at all. Preachers, please don’t neglect to preach about repentance! The first words in Jesus’ proclamation were, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17).

5. Salvation is contingent upon hearing the gospel.

Paul wrote, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” (Rom 10:14–15).

As pastors, we should focus on the gospel and preach it courageously, whether or not people are ready to hear.

(2 Tim 4:2)

What conviction fueled Paul’s incredible run in his ministry? It was this: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes …. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed” (Rom 1:16–17). That righteousness is God’s covenant faithfulness in Jesus Christ (cf. Rom 3:21–26).

6. Salvation has numerous benefits.

The benefits of salvation are many. To list but a few, they include justification (being declared righteous by God based on Jesus’ sacrifice as our sinless substitute), sanctification (being set apart for God positionally and being made like Christ progressively), regeneration (receiving/being baptized with/being initially filled with the Holy Spirit), propitiation (God’s wrath being averted), atonement (covering and forgiveness of our sins), redemption (being bought back by God), and ultimately glorification (receiving a resurrection body after we die). There’s so much more Jesus accomplished on the cross, but these are amazing benefits!

7. Salvation inexorably leads to good works.

While we’re not saved by good works, we’re saved for good works. God saved us so we can do specific good works he already prepared for us:

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

(Eph 2:10)

Also, Paul reminds us that Jesus “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14). And James asserts that “faith apart from works is useless” and even “dead” (Jas 2:17, 20, 26). So, “let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” (Heb 10:24)!

Conclusion

Salvation is by grace through faith. Jesus is the only way of salvation. Salvation requires repentance and is contingent upon hearing the gospel. It has numerous benefits and, if genuine, inexorably leads to good works. Whatever else we may do in our preaching ministry, let’s not neglect to teach the biblical doctrine of salvation!

©2023 Andreas Köstenberger. Used with permission.