God's Supernatural Work in Salvation

God's Supernatural Work in Salvation

Intro:

The idea of how a person comes to have a relationship with God and ultimately enters heaven has been greatly confused by misunderstandings and false teaching. Throughout the centuries Satan has brought great confusion by introducing pagan ideas into the church's understanding of these important biblical doctrines. The Word of God is very successful in clearing up the confusion.

The myth of Purgatory arose from non-biblical understandings of the afterlife. Most notably, pagan teaching proposed the need for purification after death for impure souls. It is not supported by Scripture. The reason for inventing a place named Purgatory was that peole in the past believed that even though a person was a Christian, when he died he still sinned, and God cannot allow sin into heaven. Therefore, Christians must go to a holding-tank named Purgatory where they are purified (punished). Only after being purified in Purgatory can one then be transferred to heaven. This is unbiblical and entirely false. A true believer is chosen by God for salvation, declared righteous by God through Christ, matured spiritually by God, and made sinless (glorified) by God upon death or the rapture. True Christians receive Christ's righteousness at salvation. True Christians immediately enter Christ's presence when they die or are raptured. Nevertheless, let's study what the Word of god has to say about this important issue.

I) God's role in positional, progressive, and final sanctification (Rom. 8:28-30)

True Christians are given Christ's righteousness at salvation. Paul tells us in his letter to the Ephesians that God the Father chose/elected true believers before He created the world, and this results in true believers being holy and blameless before Him (Eph. 1:3-7). True believers are adopted as sons through Christ's redemptive work on the cross (v. 5). This is according to God's will (good pleasure).

Probably the greatest passage in Scripture dealing with the issue of sanctification is found in Romans 8. Sadly, its significance is often missed because it includes a verse that is so frequently used out-of-context to comfort others. Paul begins by asserting that he and the recipients of his letter know (oida – factual knowledge) that God superintends all events, using them for good in the lives of those who love Him (8:28). The people who truly love God are those whom He has called (kalew, elected) according to His purpose. It was God's will that they be called (in Greek culture the word was used to describe inviting someone to an event or place) (29). Paul uses a very rich word to describe what God did in eternity past. God foreknew true believers. Many people have thought that this meant that, since God knows all things, He looked ahead and chose those whom He knew would believe. This is incorrect since it is a misunderstanding of the context and it is unbiblical (Rom. 3:10-12, 18). The word proegnw (from proginoskw) means to know before, know in advance, to choose beforehand. It has the sense of God choosing to know us. God foreknowing means that He chose in eternity past to enter into a relationship with individuals through Christ. He chose to elect them. True believers are true believers because God chose/foreknew them. There are several biblical examples of God doing this (OT = Gen. 18:19; Jer. 1:5; Am. 3:2; NT = Rom. 11:2; Acts 2:23; 1 Pet. 1:2, 20).

Paul says that God predestines those whom He chose to have a relationship with to be conformed to the image of His Son (29). The purpose for which God foreknew individuals was to make them like Christ morally. A believer becoming like Christ is the good that God accomplishes (cf. v. 28). This helps us to define what good means. The good that God works for and accomplishes in the life of a true believer is that he becomes like Christ morally. This is the final outcome in the life of every true believer. It is complete when the true believer stands before God in heaven upon death or the rapture.

Next, Paul explains how predestination works. He outlines how God works out the process of conforming each true believer to the image of Christ (30). First, He called (kalew) them (Eph. 1:4-6; 2 Th. 2:13-14; 1 Pet. 1:1-5; 2 Pet. 1:1-4, 10-11; Col. 1:19-23; 2:13-14; 3:20-21; 1 Jn. 2:1-2). This is the deliberate act of God to choose individuals to be saved. This is the act of electing to salvation. Second, He justified them (Rom. 5:1-2, 6-11, 19; 2 Cor. 5:17-21). After God called them to be His own, He declared them righteous. This is a legal term which means to pardon from the guilt and penalty of sin. In the case of an individual who has been called by God, he also receives Christ's righteousness imputed to his account. Third, God glorified them (Eph. 1:4; 1 Th. 5:23-24; 1 Cor. 1:8-9). After God called them, and then justified them, He chose to glorify them. This refers to final sanctification when a true believer stands before God in heaven. At this time God will remove all sin from him and will conform him to the image of Christ. He will be blameless. God is the one who does this for the believer whom He has foreknown. There is no human effort involved in being: called, justified, or glorified. It is all the supernatural work of God.

Conclusion:

Since God works out the removing of sin (glorification) from every true believer when he dies or is raptured, there is no need for such a place as Purgatory (which doesn't exist anyway). The one phase of predestination that is yet future is glorification. In the Greek it is a past tense verb. The reason for this is that since God has predetermined that He will accomplish this, it is as though it has already happened, even though it is still a future event. When a true believer dies or is raptured, he immediately enters God's presence in heaven (Phil. 1:18d-24; 1 Th. 5:9-10; 2 Tim. 4:16-18; 2 Cor. 5:6-10; Col. 3:1-4). There is no intermediate place such as Purgatory. A true believer enters heaven.

1. 
   
   God foreknew individuals – chose to enter into a relationship with them through Christ's redemptive work
   
   
   
2. 
   
   God predestined them to be conformed to the image of Christ
   
   1. 
      
      He called them (Eph. 4:1-6; 2 Th. 2:13-14; 1 Pet. 1:1-5; 2 Pet. 1:1-4, 10-11; Col. 1:19-23; 2:13-14; 3:20-21; 1 Jn. 2:1-2)
      
      
      
   2. 
      
      He justified them (Rom. 5:1-2, 6-11, 19; 2 Cor. 5:17-21)
      
      
      
   3. 
      
      He glorified them (Eph. 1:4; 1 Th. 5:23-24; Rom. 8:28-30; 1 Cor. 1:8-9)
      
      
      
   
   

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

1 Corinthians

Introduction

1:1-9

Intro:

Paul wrote this letter around AD 55 from Ephesus (16:5-9; Acts 20:31). Paul founded the church on his second missionary journey (Acts 18:1-17). God had to reaffirm that it was His will for Paul to preach the gospel in Corinth (Acts 18:9-10). Apparently opposition had caused Paul to become afraid.

Corinth had a population of about 250,000 freemen and as many as 400,000 slaves. It was not a university town like Athens but its people were interested in Greek philosophy and valued wisdom. Corinth had at least 12 temples in its history. It is unsure whether all were in operation at the time of Paul's writing. There was a temple to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, whose worshipers practiced religious prostitution. A fourth of a mile north of the theater stood a temple to Asclepius, the god of healing. In the middle of the city was the 6^th Century BC temple of Apollo. The Jews also had a synagogue here; the inscribed lintel from the building is in the museum at old Corinth. Since Corinth was a large commercial city it was filled with immoral living. At one time 1,000 prostitutes served at Aphrodite's temple. The immorality that took place in Corinth became so well-known that the Greek verb “to Corinthanize” came to mean “to practice sexual immorality.” In such a place it is not surprising that this new church was plagued by numerous problems.

I) Greetings to the church at Corinth (1-3)

Paul greets the church by providing his credentials. He is an apostle of Jesus Christ (11). The Greek word apostoloV means sent one. Paul was given the office of apostle. He was one of the twelve. Apostles had to be chosen directly by Christ. Sosthenes is a co-sender with Paul. It is likely that this is the same man who was the synagogue ruler at Corinth (Acts 18:17-18). He had been assaulted by the Greeks and apparently converted to Christianity at a subsequent time.

Paul addresses the church in Corinth, the gathering of the body of Christ which lived in that city (2). Paul describes them as having been sanctified in Christ, saints by calling. Paul says that they were set apart by God in Christ. These true believers have become known as being in Christ. They are saved. This is driven home by the following statement that they are saints by calling. God chose them before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4) but from a human perspective it came to reality when the individual put his faith in the gospel (Rom. 10:9-11, 13). They were set apart by God in Christ, they were called to be saints, which means holy ones. We are going to learn that their conduct wasn't holy (progressive sanctification) but their standing was holy (positional sanctification) because of salvation through faith in Christ. Paul in his address to the church is pointing out the great standing that they have with God through Christ. Paul also points out that wherever people live, if they have accepted the gospel, they are saints also. Jesus is the Lord of the Corinthian Christians and of all other Christians.

Next, Paul wishes God's blessing upon the Christians in Corinth (3). In the Greek culture individuals would bid someone grace (xariV) in letters or greetings. In Hebrew culture, one would bid someone peace (shalom, or in this case eirenh). Paul combines the two here in his letter to the church in Corinth. He does this in the majority of his letters. Paul desires God's best in the lives of these Christians.

II) Paul's gratitude for God's grace in the Corinthians (4-9)

Paul expresses his gratitude for the Corinthian believers' spiritual giftedness (4). Paul says that the Corinthians were made rich in everything through Christ. Their speech and knowledge refers to spiritual gifts given by God when they were born again (1 Cor. 12:8; 2 Cor. 8:7). Paul thanks God for this grace that He extended to them in Christ. The apostle says that they received these spiritual gifts when they first believed the gospel (6). Salvation by is received by God's grace through faith in the gospel. Paul explains that their salvation was evidenced through the spiritual gifts they received when they believed the gospel (5). As Paul was preaching to them and they believed the gospel, God confirmed the authenticity of their salvation by giving them spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are given by God to each true believer to be used for the spiritual health of the church and for God's glory (Eph. 4:11-16; Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Pet. 4:10-11; 1 Cor. 12:4-11).

Paul states that the church in Corinth is not lacking in any way in regard to spiritual gifts (7). The Greek emphasizes that it is a gift of grace. The church has been abundantly blessed by God in this way, yet it has resulted in selfishness and pride. The apostle mentions that they are saved, possessing spiritual gifts, and awaiting Christ's return. This is speaking of the blessed hope of Church-age believers, the rapture (1 Th. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-58). The N.T. repeatedly urges Christians to wait expectantly for the return of Christ (Jn. 14:1-4; Phil. 3:17-21; 2 Th. 2:1-2; 1 Tim. 6:13-16; Heb. 9:27-28; 1 Pet. 1:13; 2 Pet. 3:11-13). Paul prays for the return of Christ (1 Cor. 16:22). Jesus encourages us to pray for His return (Matt. 6:10). It is unknown whether they truly were eagerly awaiting Christ's return. They were living very selfishly and Paul may have been reminding them of how a mature Christian would feel.

Paul tells them that God the Father will confirm them to the end, blameless when Christ returns (8). God is the one who brings spiritual growth (Rom. 8:28-30; 1 Th. 5:23-24). God is supernaturally at work in the life of true believers (Eph. 2:8-10; Phil. 2:12-13; Jn. 3:21; Tit. 2:11-14). God will present every true believer before Himself blameless in Christ (Eph. 1:4; Rom. 8:28-30; 1 Th. 5:23-24). Paul says that they can expect that they will be blameless when they stand before God (9). The reason for this is that God is faithful. A true believer can trust God and His Word. God the Father is the one who called (kalew; elect) all true believers into a relationship with Himself through Christ. God is the one who made the person a believer in Christ, choosing him before the foundation of the world, so a true believer can rely on God to complete what He began (Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:3-8; 2:4-10; Phil. 2:12-13; Col. 3:1-4; 1 Th. 5:23-24). Salvation (positional sanctification), spiritual growth (progressive sanctification), and being blameless before God (final sanctification) are all supernatural works of God (Phil. 3:20-21; Gal. 1:15-16; 1 Cor. 15:51-57; Rom. 5:1-2, 8-11).

Conclusion:

Paul begins by mentioning how he thanks God for giving the believers in Corinth spiritual gifts when they believed the gospel and were saved. They received these spiritual gifts as a result of God's grace. Paul concludes his greeting by teaching that God will present them blameless before Himself in Christ. They can expect that as true believers God will do this because He is the one who called them to be saved through faith in Christ. Salvation (positional sanctification), spiritual growth (progressive sanctification), and sinlessness (final sanctification) are all supernatural works of God (Rom. 8:28-30).

All true believers are saints because God has called them to be saved. All true believers receive spiritual gifts to be used to promote the spiritual health of the church and to glorify God. All true believers will stand blameless before God in heaven because God called them to be saved through faith in Christ.