Understanding Salvation and Discipleship

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A quick review of “Bible-ese”

Salvation – the act of being saved or spared from the punishment we all earn by sinning, we are saved or spared from this punishment because Jesus paid it for us through His death on the cross. The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 6:23. 

It’s not that God just winks, looks the other way, and says, “I forgive you.” – Justice requires that the debt be paid.  Jesus, as the Son of God, took our place (yours and mine) on that cross.

Death in the Bible is an eternal separation from God and all that is good. To be separated (absent) from all that is good is to be present in all that is evil (the opposite). It is described as “the Lake of Fire.” You can do some research on that if you like but believe me NO ONE should want to be there. 

Do you want to be spared an eternity in the Lake of Fire? Are you considering this right now? That’s great news! That means that regardless of what you may think or feel, the reality is that the Holy Spirit of God is, right now, speaking to your heart and mind encouraging you to consider this incredible gift of love. Otherwise, you would not even consider it. That’s a fact that you can “take to the bank.”

Don’t believe me? Ask 12 people if they want to hear about what Jesus did on the cross and why He did it. Most will tell you, in one way or another, NO! If one or two say yes, you can be sure the Holy Spirit is wooing them (and you) right now!

So, what do you do now? Believe it, accept it, by faith. The Bible says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”  John 1:12

Salvation is by grace (an unearned favor or gift) through faith, that is the only condition or requirement.

Faith – the confidence or trust in someone or something. This is a conscience choice. We display acts of “faith” in our everyday lives, I’m sure you can think of some examples for yourself. If you can see it or prove it, it's not faith.

In the original Greek, four words are used to describe “faith” – their definitions are: to believe; to be persuaded of; to place confidence in; to trust in the sense of relying upon. The important issue here is the object of this “faith” – that “object” must be Jesus (Yeshua is His Hebrew name, which means to save or to deliver). 

What does believe on His name (from the verse above) mean? It means to choose to believe that Jesus really is the Son of God and the Savior who paid the penalty for your sin, that He acted as your substitute by satisfying the requirement of receiving your due punishment (remember, the wages of sin is spiritual death). Of course, this pre-supposes that you know you have committed many sins in your lifetime. Otherwise, you would have no need of Him at all. 

You may have heard this discussed in the context of repentance. Let’s take a quick look at that word. The actual Biblical meaning of repentance is simply “to change one’s mind.” It doesn’t not include a requirement of sorrow (although you may feel sorrow, it is not a requirement). So, how does it apply here? We have to go back to the concept of the object of one’s faith. We must “change our mind/repent” about who the Savior is in order to be saved. Make sense? Think about what you thought about Jesus “before” and what you are considering right now? Are you “repenting” – changing your mind? Have recent events caused you to think differently? 

Consider the list below:

Requirements of Salvation  Vs. Expectation of Discipleship

Acknowledgement of and belief in Jesus as the only one who can save you from the punishment of sin:

Salvation: Yes, you must accept that this is true, not only in your mind (intellectual assent) but also “in your heart”  

Discipleship: Yes, without this you are not “saved” – without salvation you cannot be a disciple.

Public Confession

Salvation: No, you don’t have to make a public “confession” of what you have done in your life or of your new thinking and faith. You don’t have to go to the front of a church or anything like that. Salvation is by faith in the heart of a person by the work of the Holy Spirit. 

Discipleship:  There is an expectation that after you have been saved you will WANT to tell others what the Lord, Jesus did for YOU on the cross that horrible day nearly 2000 years ago. Your public confession of faith may help others come to the same conclusion. Many people are under the impression that they are “too bad” to be saved, that simply isn’t true.

Sorrow or Shame

Salvation:  No, you don’t have to feel deep sorrow or shame for your past. Again, although you may, you don’t have to and failure to do so doesn’t negate your salvation.   

Discipleship:  Once you are saved, it is likely that you will begin to feel deep shame and sorrow for the sins of your life. Use this as a starting point for rejoicing and thanksgiving, not as a place to remain “stuck” in the past. You are now free. 

Beg for Forgiveness

Salvation:  No, you don’t have to beg God to forgive and save you – He wants to! That’s why you are even thinking about it right now – He is wooing you out of His great love for you!    

Discipleship:  Jesus voluntarily died for you knowing your sins. He did it of His own free will. Now is the time for great joy, peace, and thanksgiving. Now is the day to thank Him. Use your time wisely to do just that! 

Surrender to His Lordship or Rulership

Salvation:  No, oddly enough, He doesn’t even require that you surrender to His Lordship, that is a requirement of discipleship, but not of salvation. Of course, He is the ruler of the universe, if you don't come to that conclusion rather quickly, I'd question your salvation.

Discipleship: More than likely, you will want Him to surrender your life to His power and control, especially during times when you feel you have no control over yourself or your circumstances.

Water Baptism

Salvation: No, you do not have to be water baptized to be saved. There are a few verses that seem to say this, but those verses must be taken in context, they were at a specific time when it was necessary so that others would know who was saved, it wasn’t a requirement OF salvation. 

Discipleship: Baptism is an outward or public statement of your faith and identification with Jesus as Lord. It is likely that you will want to be baptized and join with other believers in faith and fellowship. Do this as soon as it is practical if you   want to make it clear to others of your great joy in the Lord.

So, you see, it is quite simple. Do you want to be saved? Then place your faith and trust in the One Who can save you – Jesus Christ – the Son of the living God. (Remember: not Jesus + anything  --  just Jesus).

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

To hear important teaching about Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection consider watching these videos by Dr. Mark Hitchcock (Passion Week 2022): 

(link to videos)

*Session 1 - Arresting Jesus

*Session 2 - Good Friday

*Session 3 - The Four Words of Easter