Subj:        Salvation --- Part I
Date:	97-06-20 23:43:02 EDT
From:	heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Reply-to:	heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
To:	heb_roots_chr@geocities.com (Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup)


From:  drleves@ibm.net
To:       heb_roots_chr@geocities.com

Subject: Chapter 1 part 1


                           The Inheritance
                                      by
                    Dr. Donald R. Levesque

Chapter One

What is Salvation ?

        Have you ever wondered about your salvation, mabye you have
given up on the idea of being saved, because you seemly cannot live up to what the
law or the commandments of men dictates to you.   You may even believe
that you have committed that awful unpardonable sin  or you may fit in
another group that believe that you are eternaly saved, regardless of
what you do.

        During the Church Age Poor interpretation of the scriptures has
divided the Church into many factions and different theology. One group,
Calvinism claims you can't lose your salvation, the other group,
Arminianism  insists that you can lose it or even throw it away.

        Both groups without question, love God, and want to teach the
truth. Which one is right? I believe that both are wrong and yet correct to
some degree. The truth which speaks of God's mind is free from error.
Without the truth of God, no one can be set free. In order to solve the
question of salvation, we must approach the Scriptures with an open
mind, and willful heart.  Once God's truth is revealed it will set us
free, if we are willing to sacrifice the sacred cow of man's religion,
and humble ourselves to good, sound hermeneutics, and the spirit of
correction.

         Many people, sadly enough, have a misunderstanding of the
concept of religion. They can not conceive of "religion" as separate
from God's ways, but think them as one and the same. The root of the
word "religion," (Threskos in greek,) means "superstitious." 

        Religion is nothing else other than carnal man's superstitious
understanding of God's word, carnality eyes itself on rituals basis not
on God's truth, that is why the Lord told this religious lady in John
"you worship what you do not know, we know what we worship for salvation
is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is when the true
worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; for the Father
is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:22-24) Salvation is not on
the Mountain of religion, nor in Jerusalem the center of Jewish rituals,
but in the center of faith within our hearts, where the Spirit of the
Lord lives.


                                          CALVINISM

        Historically, the doctrine of  "once saved always saved"
arose out of the teaching of the reformer John Calvin, this teaching evolved
in what is often called Reformed theology, today it is espoused by
most Baptist,Presbyterian, and Reformed churches.


                                          ARMINIANISM

        Jacobus (James) Arminius was a Dutch theologian who lived from
1560. Arminius taught that man is not guilty for Adam' s sin, but only
when he chooses to sin voluntarily. Arminius started out as a strict
Calvinist, but later modified his views, views which were expressed in
a document called The Remonstrance in 1610. Arminianism is the
theological basis for the Methodist, Wesleyan, Nazarene, Pentecostal,
Free Will Baptist, Holiness, and many charismatic churches.

 The problem with the doctrine of Arminianism is conditional
salvation, the concept that one can never know if he is saved or lost, 
it depends of the will of man and not of God.  It rejects the finish work of
Christ on the cross.  Even its originator was quite unsure of this
point of doctrine. This doctrine also faults in the understanding of
mans total depraved nature as  a result of Adam's sin.  The fruit of
this doctine is the basis that all those who are saved is based on the
knowledge that God chose those who responded to the Good News of 
Jesus Christ, and the concept that no one was elected to go to hell.  


As  Philip Schaff said in his History of the Christian Church. Calvinism 
emphasizes divine sovereignty and free grace; Arminianism
emphasizes human responsibility.  The one limits the saving grace to
the elect; the other extends it to all men on the condition of faith. 
Both are right in what they assert; both are wrong in what they deny. 
If one important truth is pressed to the exclusion of another truth of
equal importance, it becomes an error, and loses its hold upon the
conscience.  The Bible gives us a theology which is more truthful than
Calvinism and more divine than Arminianism, and more Christian than
either of them    (Foot note   New York, Charles Scribner=92s &
Son, 1910, VIII 815 f).

Certainly the Word of God, teaches that God is sovereign (Psalm
135:6); Daniel 4:35; Ephesians 1:11), and that believers are
predestined and elected by God (Romans 8) to spend eternity with Him. 
Nowhere, however, does the Bible associate election with damnation. 
However, the Bible teaches that God elects for salvation, but
unbelievers go to eternal damnation by their failure to accept the
Gospel.  The Bible also teaches that salvation doesn't depend on our
ability to keep ourselves, but only on God's ability to keep us.
(I John 5:11-13; John 10:28; Romans 5:1-81).  The only condition is
faith in Christ.

The prophet Jonah made quite a statement about salvation, "Salvation
is of the Lord" (Jonah 2:9). Notice salvation is of the Lord, not of
man, or anyone, but of the Lord.  Paul tells us in Ephesians that "For
by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should
boast" (Eph. 2:6). This is the area where Satan loves to trick the
believer. His suggestion is that although it's given to us we must do
something to keep it, or we will lose it.

Solomon, inspired by the Lord, wrote "I know that whatever God does,
it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken
from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him." (Eccl. 3:14). 
Notice it shall be done forever, you can't add to it or take away from
it.

The Word tells us that the gifts and calling of God are given without
repentance. You can't add to the gift of salvation and neither can you
take away from it.  Solomon also writes one of the great truths of
salvation.  It's found in Ecclesiastes Chapter 3: 15. It speaks of the
"eternal is" of God. It say's "That which is, has already been, And
what is to be, has already been, and God requires an account of what
is past." The reference to salvation in the life of the believer is
this: once the believer goes to the cross and receives the substitute
for his sins (Christ), his past life is brought back to the now, and
his future, with all its sins already known to God, is brought to the
cross. Everything in that moment, at the "now," is forgiven; past,
present and yes; the future. Glory to our God who did not leave us
hanging on the branch after we were saved, but forgave us all our
sins, not just; the past but also for the future. One reason for
the confusion concerning the issue of salvation, is because there is
five different types of significance in the Bible touching  the issue
salvation. FIVE significances OF SALVATION

The Bible mentions at least five significance of salvation.

             (1) Saved for eternity.   (sozo-Greek)

The Greek word for eternal salvation is the Greek word  (sozo).  This
is the Salvation that we receive the moment we believe in Jesus
Christ. We are delivered from the judgment of God toward our sins and
the punishment of eternal damnation. We are, under this salvation
reconciled to God, as well as our sins being forgiven. We are new
creatures, being born again of an incorruptible seed by the Word of
God, having nothing to do with our works. "For by grace have ye been
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of
God; not of works, that no man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). "Not by
works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to
his mercy he saved us" (Titus 3:5).  Such kind of salvation is
eternal. Once saved, forever saved. "Having been made perfect, He
became unto all them that obey Him the author of eternal salvation"
(Heb 5:9). The salvation which the Lord Jesus has done for us on the
cross is eternal, therefore our salvation is also eternal.

(2) Saved daily. (Soteria)

 This next Greek word (soteria) which speaks of rescue or safety,
(physically or morally):  Paul mentions "Work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling" (Phil 2:12). It is said here that we must
work out our own salvation; how can this be? If we are saved not by
what we ourselves have accomplished but by the Grace of God, which is
freely given to us, we are already saved; therefore, in our lives we
must live out the salvation we already have received. When we believe
in the Lord, we receive God's life, and the Holy Spirit indwells in
us.  "For it is God who works in us both to will and to do His good
pleasure" (Phil 2:13) In this type of salvation, the believer does to
the work of salvation through the operation of the Holy Spirit.
"with fear and trembling" The Greek word for fear is  (phobos)
which in this case means reverence and respect, the Greek word
"tromos" trembling, is used to describe the anxiety of one who
distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements, but
spiritually does his utmost to fulfil his duty.

 So by having this reverence (fear) and this concern (trembling), to
obey the Holy Spirit who is working in us. Such kind of attitude of
life will not come instantaneously but will require living daily with
"fear and trembling." "He is able to save to the uttermost them that
draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make
intercession for them" (Heb 7:25).

Here we are told how the Lord will save us day by day. Notice that
today He is interceding for us before God that we might be preserved
and delivered from the evil one until the day of His return. This
salvation speaks of being preserved to put into practice the essence
of God's Word. David said "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I
might not sin against thee." (Psa. 119:11) This deliverance speaks of
being able to be free to serve the Lord. Bondages to sin will hinder
the race that the believer is set upon, therefore we need to work out
(put in practice what we hear from the Lord) our salvation (the
freedom from sin) with fear and trembling (with reverence, and
personal concern to overcome). Such works of salvation are meant to
perfect the saint, and it has nothing to do with eternal salvation
which speaks of being reconciled to God and the forgiveness of our
sins. For example we are told to put on the new garments (Eph. 4:24;
Gal. 3:27;Rom.13:14; Col. 3:9) this all speaks of the Works of the
Holy Spirit. The word REGENERATION is often used in reference to this
type of salvation, which can only be accomplished by working out that
salvation in order not to hinder the works of the Holy Spirit, in
order that we might be saved from the works of the flesh to serve God.

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