In Christian circles, everyone seems to have a formula for salvation that each person needs to follow. Some believe that you need to be baptized in order to be saved, some believe you need to follow a certain set of rules, some believe you need to complete certain sacraments, some believe you only need to believe in Jesus by choosing Him of your own volition, etc., etc., etc.
Christianity alone teaches many different routes to salvation. That’s not to mention the hundreds of other religions in the world that have their own views on the process of salvation. So, how can we possible know how we are saved? Well, the scriptural answer is that we are saved by grace!
The word “Grace” is revealing because this very word means that it is something that we do not deserve or have not earned. Strong’s concordance defines grace as divine influence on the heart. The Concordant Literal defines grace as a benefit bestowed on one who deserves the opposite. By these definitions, grace is given to humans from God undeservedly and with influence. As a result, it can be concluded that people are influenced by God through grace which eliminates the possibility of free-will and human determination. It is all of God.
We do not obtain grace from baptism, good works or any other human action. Otherwise, grace would cease to be grace. Okay, how do we receive grace one might ask? You receive the gift of grace through faith! Faith is the vehicle that God uses to distribute grace. However, and this is what the church does not understand, faith is a gift from God. People do not make a free will choice or get faith from any outside source. God simply distributes a measure of faith to each individual by which He imparts grace. Grace does not necessarily mean that we do nothing, but it means we do nothing apart from God. Titus 2:11 says that grace is used to train us to live in a Godly way. Ephesians 2:10 says that we, being created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God makes ready beforehand, that we should be walking in them. So, we are saved purely by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ but that does not mean that we are not trained to do good works or to walk in them. These good works are predestined for us to do through the grace freely given to us by God. We do not do them on our own or out of our supposed free-will.
I sometimes hear arguments that if everyone is saved then humans can do whatever they want. They can lie, steal, cheat and kill and still be saved. This is misguided thinking. Yes, all people will eventually be saved. But, the grace of God operating in you will teach people to become like Jesus Christ. Some will go through this process now and others later. However, no human will enter the kingdom as a liar, cheater and murderer.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). God saves people by His grace by giving them faith to believe in Jesus Christ. People don’t get faith from a tent revival, they get it from God. That’s not to say that God doesn’t use people to bring his message to others, but, it does mean that God chooses who will accept the message. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you (Romans 12:3). Other translations say: in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Bottom line, we need faith in order to get grace, but this faith comes directly from God.
Okay, so we will be saved by grace through faith. Saved from what? We will be saved from many different things, such as sin, weakness, the flesh, ourselves, Satan, etc. However, the deepest part of the cross has to do with bringing life from death. Please pay special attention to this verse in 1 Corinthians 15:22: For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. Adam’s sin has been passed down to all humans and all of creation. Do you want to know what has been affected by Adam’s sin? Everything that dies is affected by Adam’s sin. For as is Adam all die, means that we have death operating in us until we breathe our last breath. Sin, also, is closely related to death and is a part of us as well. It wasn’t our choice, through the actions of Adam; we were all touched by sin and death. For the creation was subject to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God (Romans 8:20-21).
The second part of the 1 Corinthians 15:22 contains some of the most fascinating and exciting words in scripture. So in Christ all will be made alive. This is parallel language. Everything that Adam has touched with death, will also be made alive in Christ. The scripture does not say that only those who are in Christ or those who believe in Christ will be made alive. No, it says that in Christ all will be made alive. All of what Adam touched with sin and death will be made alive by Christ. Remember, if you want to know what has been touched by Adam and sin then look at everything that dies. Dogs, ducks, deer and especially humans all die. All creation has been subjected to this decay and frustration, not by its choice, but by God (Romans 8: 20-21). Why? So that in Christ we will be made alive.
Do you want to know who Jesus will save? Do you want to know who eventually will be with God? Do you want to know if Jesus will save all mankind? The answer, from 1 Corinthians 15:22, is that anything that has been touched by death will be made alive by Christ. If it dies, it will be made alive.
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people (Romans 5:18). The trespass of Adam brought condemnation for every single one of us. No one could escape this condemnation; otherwise, they would not be subject to death. If someone you know lived a near perfect life, would they be free from death? No, death is imparted to us all. Remember, trees and dogs die as well. They are not even capable of sinning. And yet, death touches them as well. However, the one righteous act of Christ resulted in justification and life for all people that are subject to this condemnation. That means life for all people. Jesus will one day lift the curse off this earth.
Religious people who believe that sin and death will keep multitudes of people in some sort of hellish torment for all eternity; do not pay attention to these scriptures. Adam’s sin has spread to all humanity and the proof of this is that we all die. We cannot make a choice not to die, we will one day die. So Adam is very powerful in the fact that his act spread to all people. Now, Christ committed an act as well. The scripture says that this righteous act spread to all people as well. However, many Christians want to say that Adam’s sin spread to all humanity but Christ’s righteous act only spreads to a precious few. This is not true. Everything that has been touched by death will be made alive by Christ. Adam’s act resulted in condemnation for ALL PEOPLE! Jesus’ righteous act resulted in justification and life for ALL PEOPLE! Please ponder 1 Corinthians 15:22 and Romans 5:18. Please throw away tradition and any pre-conceived ideas and just see what these verses actually say.
If Adam’s sin has touched all people and Jesus’ death and resurrection is limited to only a few, then it would be safe to say that Adam’s sin is more powerful than the cross. It would say that Adam’s sin and death are so powerful that in touches all humans without choice. Whereas, Christ’s death and resurrection are so weak that they do not spread to all humanity. However, Romans 5:20 says …But where sin increased, grace increased all the more…How could this be unless the grace of Jesus Christ saved all those who have sinned.
Okay, my point is this: If because of Adam’s sin, sin spread to all creation, then in order for the cross of Christ to be greater than sin, the salvation of the cross would have to at least spread to all creation to be as powerful as sin. Therefore, we, without a choice, have been subjected to sin and death, and this has an impact on everyone. If the cross of Christ only saved a few that have managed to believe in this lifetime, then sin has taken more of creation than the cross was able to save. So we conclude that sin is greater and more powerful than the cross. But, our hearts, Romans 5:20 and countless other scriptures say that this is not true. So that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 5:21). Christians attempt to get God off the hook by free-will. That is simply not how God has set things up. He does not need people to get Him off the hook, His plan will save all.
Saved ignoble 
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