SERMON: “Salvation Terminology Refresher” (Various Texts)

“Salvation Terminology Refresher”
(Various Texts)

Series:               “Important Words”                        Text:                 Various Texts

By:                    Shaun Marksbury                         Date:                August 4, 2024

Venue:              Living Water Baptist Church            Occasion:             AM Service

 

I.              Introduction

Sometimes, it’s embarrassing if you don’t know the meaning of a word that everyone else seems to know.  Worse than that, though, is assuming you know what a word means when you don’t.  Even if you do know the correct definition of keywords in sermons or in Scripture, sometimes, you just haven’t considered why a particular term is so important.

I’ve had conversations with a several of you over the past few months about words.  Some of you have even requested something that may be helpful for everybody.  Maybe you are someone who finds certain words unfamiliar, and that distracts you from the sermon time.  So, the idea arose that, every once in a while, we take a step back and consider essential terminology.

Today, we are looking at a list of terms some of you may find simple or basic, but it seems like the appropriate place to begin.  In fact, this particular list comes at an appropriate time.  As many of you know, I’m currently teaching the “Fundamentals of the Faith” course in Sunday School.  This is a course we opened for everyone in the church, and if you’re able, we’d love to have more of you there.  We just finished the lesson on salvation last week — a longer lesson that took a four weeks to complete.

The terminology we’re discussing today arises from that lesson.  You will likely know a few of these terms, but there may be a one or two with which you may struggle.  We come from different backgrounds, so you may have even heard incorrect definitions for these words.  However, because these are all Bible words, words you will encounter in the text of Scripture, its important that we review each of these. 

So, today, we have ten words related to the subject of salvation.  That is a lot of words, but I believe we can get through them just fine.   Again, though many of you will find most of these words to be familiar, I think we will be blessed to consider all of them together.

II.           The First Term: “Sin” (1 John 3:4)

The word “sin” comes from the Greek word hamartia, and it literally means "missing the mark."  It is the most comprehensive term used to describe deviation from the moral standard of God.  There are many words you’ll encounter in Scripture that have similar meanings, like transgressions and iniquities.  Yet, this is the most basic and encompassing term to know.

Again, sin means “missing the mark.”  Imagine an archer or a modern-day shooter in a competition aiming for a target, but he consistently misses.  He’s not a marksman and doesn’t score well.  Of course, sin is like this, where we fall short of God's perfect standard.  Similarly, a stain on a white garment represents how even a small sin mars our spiritual purity, separating us from God.

The word sin encompasses anything contrary to God's holy nature, and Scripture says that it can be in thought, word, or deed.  It can manifest in thought; for example, Jesus says in Matthew 5:28 that even looking at someone with lustful intent is sinful.  It can also be present in our words, so Colossians 3:8 tells us “put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.”  Of course, sin can also be present in our deeds, and 1 John 3:4 says “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.  Sin is the pervasive state in which we find ourselves.

God didn’t create us sinful; Adam and Eve sinned, and as a result, we are all born into sin.  Sin separates us from God, meaning that we have a divide we need to overcome.  This can only happen with faith, bringing us to the next term.

III.        The Second Term: “Faith” (Romans 10:9-10)

Transitioning from the problem of sin, we come to the solution of faith.  At its basic level, the term faith means trust.  Our faith or trust must have an object (it’s not an empty faith) — we must trust in Jesus Christ.

In 2013, Nikolas Wallenda became the first man to walk across a Grand Canyon gorge on a highwire.  He practiced ahead of time to be able to balance in the winds, but throughout the near 23-minute walk across the Little Colorado River gorge, he was trusting that the sometimes-bouncing, dusty wire would hold.  That wasn’t his only example of faith that day, as he was repeatedly heard saying, “Thank you, Jesus.”  He demonstrated faith twice-over.

Faith is a firm persuasion and trust in the Lord to keep us from plummeting into eternity under the weight of our sins.  Hopefully, you get the picture that true faith is more than intellectual assent; it’s actually stepping out on the wire and trusting it will hold.  Scripture says faith is validated by good works, as James 2:20-22 emphasizes: “faith without works is useless.”  When Jesus was asked how we may know we are working the works of God, He replied, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent” (John 6:29).   Faith is trusting in Christ. 

So, genuine faith involves a personal surrender to Christ.  This is articulated in Romans 10:9-10 — “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”  Faith is the means by which we receive God's grace.

Faith saves us.  Yet, as we saw in James 2, it isn’t alone.  It involves repentance.

IV.        The Third Term: “Repentance” (Romans 2:4)

Repentance, closely linked to faith, involves a change of mind or purpose.  There’s a viral video of a woman looking at her phone as she mindlessly walked out into traffic; thankfully, the worst she experienced was a bump on the head as she ran into the side of a passing moving van!  Repentance is recognizing that we’re on the wrong path, thinking about things other than we should, and changing course.

To put it more simply, it’s a turning from sin and toward God.  It is not merely feeling regret for sin, but a action of deciding to trust in the Lord for salvation.  He shows us kindness so we will repent (Rom. 2:4). 

This concept is vital for salvation.  It signifies a complete reorienting of life towards God, leaving behind the old ways of sin.  This comes by His mercy and grace, as we see next.

V.           The Fourth Term: “Mercy” (Luke 6:36)

From repentance, we move to the comforting concept of mercy.  Mercy is the opposite of justice, which demands a penalty or a payment.  Mercy is the outward manifestation of pity.

We see an example of this in Matthew 18:21–35 and the parable of the unmerciful servant.  The servant has a debt too great to pay, but the king surprisingly forgives it.  Unfortunately, that servant didn’t show the same mercy to others.

We have a great sin debt before God.  Thankfully, God’s mercy appears all throughout Scripture, most vividly in Jesus Christ.  He is willing to forgive us for our sins.

In fact, He’s willing to do more, as we see next.

VI.        The Fifth Term: “Grace” (Romans 5:15)

Imagine the king in the parable of the unmerciful servant doing something slightly different when he was first begged for mercy.  Suppose he descended from his throne, took the ring off his finger, put it on the poor servant, and adopted him as his son.  He not only forgave the debt, but he also gave the man a title with land and holding.  Those blessings beyond the initial mercy is called grace.

Grace, or charis in Greek, denotes lovingkindness that bestows favor without regard to merit.  Divine grace is free, despite our sin (Romans 5:15).  This isn’t a wage we can earn, but it comes by faith (Romans 4:4, 16).  We can’t call it “grace” if it is a reward for our works (Rom. 11:6) or the keeping of the law (6:14).  We aren’t saved by how well we keep the ten commandments, how well we repent, or how great our faith; we are saved from our sins by the mercy and grace of our God and Savior.

It is because of His work we can be delivered from the penalty of sin.  That brings us to the next term”

VII.      The Sixth Term: “Redemption” (Ephesians 1:7)

We might think of the term “redemption” when we use movie tickets.  We could also think of the purchase of a slave to grant freedom — that slave would be “redeemed.”  In salvation, redemption refers to Christ redeeming us from sin, paying the ransom through His sacrifice.

This deliverance from sin is a cornerstone of the gospel, highlighting the cost of our freedom.  Jesus died on the cross, shedding His blood as a sacrifice.  That purchased us from the domain of darkness, an act of God’s grace.

This redemption of blood brings us to the next term. 

VIII.   The Seventh Term: “Propitiation” (1 John 2:2)

This is probably the most unfamiliar of all the terms.  We might think of the word atonement, where a sacrifice pays a penalty, but that doesn’t quite define propitiation.  This involves appeasement or satisfaction.

In early modern Europe, a young prince would often have a peer, a fellow student educated alongside him who could also be a friend to him.  This peer would serve the function of being a whipping boy — when the prince would get in trouble, it would be the friend who received the corporal punishment.  The lad receiving his lashing would satisfy the offense while also (hopefully) teaching the prince that his actions has consequences on others.

That is an imperfect example of another receiving the punishment we are due.  Jesus is the propitiation for our sins, meaning His sacrifice satisfies the righteous demands of God’s justice.  More than that, the wrath of God that was once pointed toward you because of your sin has now been poured out on Christ.  Jesus’s propitiation means that God is not angry toward us any longer!

This propitiation allows us to be reconciled to Him.  And that brings us to the next term:

IX.        The Eighth Term: “Justification” (Romans 8:33–34)

Justification is God judicially declaring a sinner righteous.  We face judgment on our own.  Revelation 20:11–15 describes a scene where sinners will be judged according to their works; the books recording their sins will be opened, and they will be condemned to the second death.  However, there will be many who never face the great white throne judgment, for the Judge of all has justified them and already penned their names into the Lamb’s Book of Life.

How does He declare someone justified?  He does so based on the righteousness of Christ and His perfect sacrifice, not on the basis of human works.  He pronounces acquittal from guilt because of Christ.  He declares the believer just in His sight because the believer is hid in Christ. 

He applies this legal declaration to the believer at the moment of salvation, not at the end of life, meaning that it isn’t based on the believer’s works.  That He has justified us also means that no one can bring a case against us.  Though the devil and our consciences may accuse us, God is greater (1 John 3:19–20).  He’s the one who justifies, so we simply accept this declaration and trust in the Lord for salvation.

That means that God has done the act of bringing us together.  That brings me to the next term (which is almost our last one):

X.           The Ninth Term: “Reconciliation” (Romans 5:10)

We can understand this one.  Reconciliation involves changing a relationship from division to unity, from warfare to friendship.  We hope to see marriages with years of strife cease and surrendered, where husband and wife love one another again.  Estranged family members may hold onto long-forgotten hurts, but reconciliation would mean that peace and healing takes place.  When church discipline takes place, reconciliation follows repentance, meaning that the one removed from the fellowship returns as a long-lost brother.

Through Christ’s propitiation, we are reconciled to God (Romans 5:10).  Remember, we noted earlier that sin means that there is a wall of separation between us and God.  We also noted that God, being a holy judge, is angry at sin.  However, Christ has torn down that wall, meaning that we’re not alienated from God anymore and can now enjoy fellowship with Him!

We could almost end there.  We already see a conclusion to all the themes we’ve been discussing in these terms, a tying of the loose threads.  Yet, there’s still one more term to consider:

XI.        The Tenth Term: “Sanctification” (Romans 6:19)

This is a word that can have two meanings in the Christian life.  In essence, sanctification is the process of being set apart unto God for His holy purpose.  It is both a definitive act and a progressive journey, shaping us more into the likeness of Christ.

A painter might see a beautiful landscape one evening and decide to pull out his canvas and brush.  He begins with the hues of the sky leading to the horizon, and then he fills in the landscape of trees and mountains.  The painting exists the moment the artist begins, and we might already be tempted to buy it and put it on our walls shortly thereafter.  However, he will continue to add highlights, shadows, and variations of color in minute detail.  The painting must conform to his mental image and purpose.

At salvation, the Lord sets us free from sin.  Still, He continues to work on us, further separating us from sin to righteousness and honor.  We see that in places like Romans 6:19 and 1 Thessalonians 4:3–7.  We’re being set apart unto God and being conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

XII.     Conclusion

Salvation encompasses a rich tapestry of biblical terms that collectively describe God’s work in rescuing us from sin.  As we’ve considered this words, I hope you found it helpful in understanding it more.  Having a more comprehensive understanding deepens our appreciation of the gospel and motivates us to live in response to the incredible grace and mercy we have received.

I’ll do this from time to time, setting aside time for important words to know which are connected by a theme.  Maybe I’ll even select one of these words and show some biblical terms connected with it.  Perhaps I won’t shoot for ten next time, but however many it is, it’s with the aim of knowing Scripture and God’s ways better.

I also hope that, if you’ve misunderstood one of these words in the past, that this has been especially helpful.  You may have thought that salvation is about you working toward God, and now, you’ve seen that it’s about trusting in the finished work of Christ.  Repent from self-effort and allow Christ to reconcile you to the Father.