What is God’s Plan of Salvation?

The Lingo

It seems like every group in America has their own unique phrases, code words, terms; a language which only they can understand. You go to the doctor’s office one Friday morning for your annual check-up. After reviewing various test results the doctor walks into your examination room and says, “Your CBC is negative. However, you do need to watch your diet since your BMI is thirty and your LDL is slightly elevated.” What did the doctor just say to you? 

That afternoon you meet briefly with your accountant regarding your business books and records. She says, “I’ve reviewed your record-keeping to ensure it complies with GAAP. One area we will need to pay close attention to are some low-interest company loans you have made so you don’t place yourself in a position to have to recognize imputed interest as income. Furthermore, we may want to consider changing the inventory accounting from LIFO to FIFO.” Huh? I’m glad the weekend is here.

On Sunday morning, as you sit listening to the preacher, you hear terms like redemption, reconciliation, justification and sanctification. Once again you are confused. You can’t seem to get away from those code words. But if you go to any Bible-preaching church (not all of them do by the way) or listen to any Bible-preaching minister for long, you will realize several things in short order. The Bible teaches all humans need salvation; to be “saved”; and God has offered humanity a plan of salvation to bring sinful man back into right relationship with Him through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.

God’s Plan of Salvation – the Short Version

So, what is God’s plan of salvation? What is being saved? Why do I need it? From what am I being saved? These are all important questions because they have eternal implications. Let’s see if we can answer these questions, using God’s words, in simple English; starting with the short answers. We will use God’s Word, the Holy Bible, as the basis for our answers because the history of humanity is His Story. Let’s look at the short answer to these questions first. A more detailed (longer) answer will come later. God’s plan of salvation consists of:

God’s Purpose for Creating Humans

So, how did humanity get to the place where they needed God’s plan of salvation? Good question. In order to fully understand, let’s look at the relationship that God desired between himself and humans. We will use God’s Word as the basis for our answers because the history of humanity is his story. Our Creator, God the Father (Matthew 6:9) (Romans 1:7; 8:15) (1 Corinthians 8:6), desires what every father wants; to be loved and obeyed as a result of that love (Exodus 20:6) (Deuteronomy 6:5 & 10:12) (Deuteronomy 11:13 & 30:6) (Joshua 22:5) (Mark 12:30) (John 16:27). When we love and obey our Father in heaven in this manner, He receives the glory and honor that are due Him (Matthew 5:16) (John 15:8) (Philippians 2:11).

The Creation of Humanity

• In the beginning God created the heavens, the earth and everything that is in them (Genesis 1) (Colossians 1:15-16) (John 1:3) (Romans 11:36).
• God the Creator is a holy God (Leviticus 11:45) (1 Peter 1:16) who hates sin (Leviticus 20:22-23) (Proverbs 6:16-19) but loves the sinner (John 3:16) (Romans 5:8) (1 John 4:9-10).
• God created Adam (Genesis 1:27; 2:7) and Eve (Genesis 1:27) (Genesis 2:21-24) and placed them in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15).

The Fall of Humans

• Adam and Eve were allowed to each of every tree and plant in the garden of Eden bearing fruit, except one.  God told Adam he must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil or he would die (Genesis 2:16-17).
• But Eve and Adam ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6-7).
• As a result of the sin of Eve and Adam, sin entered the world (Romans 5:12).
• Because of sin, physical death entered the world (Genesis 3:19 & 22-24) (Romans 5:12; 6:23) (1 Corinthians 15:21) and humans were separated from God because all have sinned (Genesis 3:24) (Isaiah 59:2) (Ephesians 2:12) (Ephesians 4:18) (Romans 5:12 & 18).
• Because Eve and Adam sinned, all humans are born into sin (Romans 3:9-10 & 23).
• Unless humans were brought back to God, they would spend eternity separated from God in torment (Matthew 25:31-46).

So, why would God place the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden when He knew He was going to choose to deny Adam and Eve the right to eat from that tree? Why didn’t God simply remove the one tree from the garden so Adam and Eve couldn’t eat that particular fruit? Because God’s love for humanity also requires obedience. God wanted Adam and Eve to willingly choose to obey Him out of love for Him.

God’s Chosen People Reject Him

• God chose the Israelites to be His people and He would be their God  (Exodus 6:6-7) (Leviticus 26:12) (Ezekiel 36:28).
• God chose the Israelites to set them apart from all the other nations (Leviticus 20:24-26); to be the model for other nations (Exodus 33:15-16) (Deuteronomy 4:7).
• God gave his law to Moses for the Israelites to obey (Exodus 19:5) Exodus 20) (Exodus 24:1-8, 12) (Leviticus 26:3-5; 26:14-16) (Deuteronomy 5:1-5).
• But the Israelites repeatedly broke their covenant with God (Exodus 32:7-8) (Joshua 7:10-12) (Judges 2:18-20) (1 Kings 19:10) (2 Kings 18:9-12) (Jeremiah 11:1-10).

God’s Judgment

• Because humans are is sinful, all of humanity faces God’s judgment.
• All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment (Isaiah 64:5-7)
• There is no one righteous, not even one (Romans 3:9-18)
• . . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
• For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
• Not one of you keeps the law (John 7:19).
• He who breaks one part of the law breaks the entire law (James 2:10).

Humanity is Without Excuse

• Because of the testimony of creation, humans have no excuse (Romans 1:18-20).
• Nature proclaims the righteousness of God to everyone in the world (Psalm 19:1-4) (Romans 10:18, 20) (Isaiah 65:1)
• The heavens proclaim God’s righteousness to all people (Psalm 97:6)
• Jesus’ appearance removes the excuses of humanity (John 15:22).
• The law silences every mouth and makes the whole world accountable to God (Romans 3:19-20)
• The rain and crops testify to God’s kindness (Acts 14:17).

God’s Desire for Humans

It is God’s desire that everyone come to repentance; that no one should suffer eternal separation from Him.

• The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
• Jesus said, “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all those He has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:39–40).
• For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people (Titus 2:11).
• This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:3–4).
• In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish (Matthew 18:14).
• Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord.  Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? (Ezekiel 18:23).

God’s Mercy

God is merciful, forgiving many sins so people don’t have to suffer eternal torment.

• For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the Lord Almighty, though their land is full of guilt before the Holy One of Israel (Jeremiah 51:5).
• For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them.  They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees.  Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am the Lord their God (Leviticus 26:43–44).
• I am with you and will save you,’ declares the Lord.  ‘Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you.  I will discipline you but only in due measure; I will not let you go entirely unpunished’ (Jeremiah 30:11).
• Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.  Turn!  Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’ (Ezekiel 33:11).

The Question of Eternity

Given the aforementioned passages of Scripture, it seems the most important eternal question should be, “What must I do to be saved?”  There are four occasions recorded in the Bible when this question was posed; twice to Jesus, once to Peter and once to Paul and Silas.

• Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16) (Mark 10:17) (Luke 18:18).
• On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25).
• “Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”  When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:36–37).
• The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.  He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:29–30).

Scripture’s Answer to “What Must I Do to be Saved?”

Scripture also records four separate responses when people asked what they needed to do to gain eternal life or be saved.

• When the rich man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus said, “ … If you want to enter life, keep the commandments” and “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Matthew 19:17–21) (Mark 10:18-21) (Luke 18:18).
• When an expert in the law asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” “Do this and you will live” (Luke 10:26–28).
• When the people heard Peter’s words on the Day of Pentecost and asked what they should do, Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
• When the jailer asked Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved, they replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”  Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.  At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized (Acts 16:31–33).

Other Bible Passages on Belief and Salvation

There are many other passages in Scripture which also address the salvation of people; them being “saved”.  A few of these include:

• Since we have now been justified by his (Jesus’) blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him (Romans 5:9).
• Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16).
• To the woman who poured perfume on Jesus and washed His feet with her hair, Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven” and “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:48-50).
• And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:21) (Romans 10:13)
• If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved (Romans 10:9-10).
• For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Some Bible Passages on Repentance, Forgiveness, and Baptism

• Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
• They (Paul and Silas) replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”  Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.  At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized (Acts 16:31–33).
• If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
• Jesus told His followers, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20).

Several Bible Verses are Required to Describe God’s Plan of Salvation

We see a number of verses which provide a variety of responses to this all-important question.  If each verse contains God’s plan of salvation in its entirety, then it appears there is contradiction within Scripture.  For example, look at the following pairs of verses.  Is there a difference in the stated requirements in each pair of verses?

• Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
• Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31–33).

• Your faith saves you (Luke 7:48-50).
• Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16).

• Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:21) (Romans 10:13).
• Whoever confesses their sins is forgiven (1 John 1:9).

God’s Plan of Salvation – the Longer Version

Since all Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16); truth (John 17:17); flawless (Psalm 18:30) (Proverbs 30:5); never failing (Luke 1:37); it cannot contradict itself.  So how do we reconcile these supposed “differences”?  I believe God’s plan of salvation is not contained in a single verse in Scripture, but in multiple verses.  As stated earlier, the common denominators in all the aforementioned verses are:

• Belief (or faith)
• Repentance
• Confession
• Baptism
• Which should result in living a life obedient to God

Belief (or Faith)

• Believe there is one true God (John 17:3) (1 Timothy 2:5) (Ephesians 4:6) (1 Corinthians 8:6) (Deuteronomy 4:35, 39) (Psalm 86:10) (Isaiah 65:16);
• Who is the creator of everything (Revelation 4:11) (Revelation 10:6) (Ephesians 3:9) (Colossians 1:16) (Genesis 1) (Isaiah 45:12);
• Who devised a plan (Acts 2:23) (Acts 3:18) (Isaiah 53:10) for sinful man to be brought back into right relationship with Him (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) (Colossians 1:19-20) (Romans 5:10) (Ephesians 2:4-5, 8-9) (Romans 6:23).

• Believe in Jesus Christ (John 20:31) (Acts 16:31) (John 1:12, 14:6) (Galatians 3:26) (Romans 5:1) (Acts 4:12) (John 10:9);
• The Son of God (John 3:16) (1 John 4:15) (Mark 14:61-62) (John 17:1) (1 John 5:5) (Matthew 27:54) (Mark 5:7) (1 John 3:23);
• Who came to earth in the flesh (John 1:1, 14) (Luke 24:39) (Hebrews 2:14);
• Lived a sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21) (1 Peter 2:22) (1 John 3:5);
• Died on a cross in our place for our sins (1 Peter 2:24) (John 19:17-18) (Romans 6:10) (1 Peter 1:18-19) (Hebrews 9:15) (Romans 3:25) (Romans 5:8-9) (Romans 8:3) (1 Corinthians 15:3) (Hebrews 9:28) (1 Peter 3:18) (1 John 1:7, 2:2); and
• Was raised to life on the third day by God (Matthew 16:21) (Acts 10:40) (1 Corinthians 15:4) (Acts 2:24 & 32) (Acts 3:15) (Acts 4:10) (Romans 4:25 (Romans 6:9) (Romans 10:9-10) (Romans 14:9) (1 Peter 3:21);
• So we may have eternal life with Him (John 3:15-16 & 36) (Romans 6:23) (John 17:2-3) (1 John 5:11, 13, 20) (Matthew 25:46) (2 Peter 1:11) (Titus 3:7) (John 10:28) (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). 

Repentance

• Repent of your sins and turn away from sin to live your life as Jesus Christ would have you live.
• We must realize we have sinned against God (Romans 3:10, 20, 23) (Psalm 51:1-5) (1 John 1:8, 10).
• We must regret sinning against God, repent of our sins (Luke 24:46-47) (Luke 5:32) (Luke 13:3 & 5) (Mark 1:4 & 15) (1 John 1:9) (2 Corinthians 7:10) (Acts 10:43 (Acts 13:38) (Psalm 32:5); and
• Turn away from willful sin (Acts 3:19, 20:21) (1 Thessalonians 1:9) (Mark 4:12) (Acts 14:15) (1 Timothy 6:20),
• To live as Jesus Christ would have us live (1 John 2:5-6), 4:17) (Ephesians 5:8) (1 Peter 2:16) (Acts 26:20) (Proverbs 28:13).

Confession

Confess faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior (1 John 4:14) (Acts 4:11-12) (Luke 2:11) (John 3:17) (2 Timothy 1:10) (Philippians 3:20) and Lord of our lives (Romans 10:9-10) (Acts 2:21) (Romans 10:13)

Baptism

Be baptized (immersed or submerged in water) for the forgiveness of our sins and to received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38) (Mark 16:16) (Matthew 3:6) (Matthew 28:19) (Acts 22:16).

Immersion in water does not save us. It is faith in the resurrected Jesus Christ which saves us (1 Peter 3:20-22). Baptism is an outward sign, a public testimony of an inner change; a sinful human being buried with Jesus Christ and raised to new life in Christ (1 Peter 3:20–22) (Romans 6:3-4) (Matthew 3:13-17) (Mark 1:4) (Galatians 3:27) (Acts 2:41) (Acts 8:12-13 & 34–38) (Acts 9:17-19) (Acts 10:44–48) (Acts 16:14–15 & 31–34), Acts 18:8) (Acts 19:4–7) (Acts 22:12–16).

Baptism represents:

• The burial of our old person with Christ and being resurrected with Christ to a new life (Romans 6:3-4) (Colossians 2:9-12).
• It is not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God (1 Peter 3:20-22).
• This is an elementary teaching (Hebrews 6:1-2).
• It was commanded by Jesus in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19)
• It follows the example given to us by Jesus Christ, who was baptized to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:13-17)

Live an Obedient Life

The result of belief, repentance, confession and baptism is a desire to live our lives for Jesus Christ; a desire motivated by love, not by duty (Matthew 7:21-24) (Romans 12:1-2) (1 Corinthians 10:31) (Galatians 2:20) (1 John 2:3-5, & 17) (1 John 3:16-18).

The Origin of God’s Plan of Salvation was Before the Creation

• God chose us to be holy and blameless in Him before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).
• The kingdom which we will inherit was prepared for us since the creation of the world (Matthew 25:34).
• God’s works, including His rest, have been finished since the creation of the world (Hebrews 4:3).
• The Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world (Revelation 13:8). The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast (Revelation 17:8).

The Implementation of God’s Plan of Salvation was in His Perfect Timing

• You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6).
• But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship (Galatians 4:4–5).
• He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ (Ephesians 1:9–10).

How Many People Will be Saved?

How many humans will be saved to spend eternity with God?  “Few” according to Jesus.

• One day someone asked Jesus, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” (Luke 13:23).  Jesus responded, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to (Luke 13:23–24).
• Jesus also said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it (Matthew 7:13–14).
• The pathway to eternal life is described as “the narrow door,” “small gate,” and “narrow road.”

If many will try and fail, then few will succeed. But what is a “few”? Scripture tells us the multitude in heaven was so great that no one could count them.  People from every nation, tribe, people and language were standing before the throne and the Lamb (Revelation 7:9).

Of course, “few” must be taken in context. The smallest estimate I have found regarding the number of persons conceived during the entire history of humanity is one hundred thirteen billion. If we round this number to one hundred billion, and only one percent of those (which is certainly a “few” of the total) would be saved; then there would be one billion people in heaven. No person could stand in a crowd and accurately count one million people, let alone one billion.

Notes

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™  Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.