Gospel Series: Salvation Free, but not Unconditional

[bcbsr]

Salvation Free, but not Unconditional

God has made salvation free, but not unconditional. As noted previously God has made salvation not conditioned upon religious rituals or compliance to regulations, and as such it is not contingent upon one's behavior. That would sound like God justifies the wicked. YES, GOD JUSTIFIES THE WICKED.

"To the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness." Rom 4:5

This concept is inconceivable to the salvation by works Christian, and as such God has so constructed the gospel as to make it contemptible to such people, as God has also orchestrated the gospel to make it contemptible to the proud in order to prevent them from being saved, while at the same time making salvation free. The gospel is not for those who try to be justified by their works.

This righteousness from God is apart from meeting any legal obligations. I tell you that, "No one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Rom 3:20-24 And thus "we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law." Rom 3:28

The Gospel Series

 

[fhansen]

Salvation Free, but not Unconditional

God has made salvation free, but not unconditional. As noted previously God has made salvation not conditioned upon religious rituals or compliance to regulations, and as such it is not contingent upon one's behavior. That would sound like God justifies the wicked. YES, GOD JUSTIFIES THE WICKED.

"To the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness." Rom 4:5

Yes He justifies the wicked, by making them just, something He, alone, can accomplish. That's a major part of the New Covenant, that He will place a new heart in us and cause us to obey His laws by the Spirit. It's a partnership, a communion, that we were made for, but one that we can reject at any step along the way. We can be weak, bad, unfaithful partners, and so slip back into sin and away from God. But, "Apart from Me you can do nothing", John 15:5.

And so once fallen man's relationship with God is reconciled and restored he's expected to live like it, to walk justly, in God's ways; he's no longer fallen but a new creation now! Unless and until the Spirit of God indwells and lives through man, we cannot be expected to possess any kind of authentic righteousness, and the Law made that clear because it cannot justify us. But once true justice or righteousness is restored, defined one way as Christ living in me, then I must live that way. And I'm not forced to do so; I can reject the heavenly gift that I've tasted; I can refuse to cooperate and remain obedient. I can still be unjust, not taking advantage of the new power to overcome sin that resides in me; I can sin. And the wages for that sin remain as before. Man's obligation to be righteous has never changed with the New Covenant. Instead, man was finally given the authentic means, when the time was ripe, to fulfill that obligation, the right way, with God. Salvation is free, but not unconditional.