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THE CHURCH AND SALVATION

The church is the evangelistic center of the world, the nation, country, city, town, and community. Salvation is the process by which the Lord takes the sinner from depravity to ultimate destiny. It is the comprehensive word into which all other terms must fit. That is, salvation includes regeneration, redemption, sanctification, restoration, reconciliation, justification, and propitiation. Salvation is spiritual, psychological, and behavioral. Spiritual regeneration is the deliverance from the power of evil, the justification by faith, redemption through Christ Jesus, restoration to divine status, and reconciliation to divine purposes. It is psychological in the privilege given for transformation of ideas, thoughts, concepts, and beliefs. It is behavioral since a display of this spiritual regeneration and psychological reformation is seen in the lifestyle of the believer.

Salvation is individual and cosmic. The redemption of the individual may be the center of God’s will but it is not the circumference. He desires and wills that all things be brought under submission to His authority. There is no line drawn between the sacred and the civil with the individual being within the sacred and the world in the civil. Education, science, politics, commerce, entertainment, athletics, communication, and all institutions of human endeavors are subjected to His will.

Penal institutions can modify behavior and transform criminals but they cannot justify the criminal nor eliminate the existence of the crime. Only the church can offer remission of sins through Christ Jesus. The forgiveness of sins is the power of the Church. The forgiveness of sin and the restoration of the sinner and the believer are possible when the theology and doctrine of the Church is correct.

The depravity of sin and evil must be understood. It is incarnate in individual and the systems of human ingenuity. Regeneration is absolutely necessary for this power to be broken. This is not accomplished through any other strategies than the proclamation of the Gospel, the demonstration of its power, and the implementation of its benefits and privileges.