Soteriology, the doctrine of salvation, is the heart of Christian theology, revealing God’s redemptive plan for humanity through Jesus Christ. Salvation is the means by which sinners are reconciled to a holy God, delivered from sin’s penalty, power, and ultimately its presence. It encompasses the entirety of God’s work from eternity past to eternity future, including election, calling, regeneration, justification, sanctification, adoption, glorification, and the atonement.
A biblical understanding of salvation provides clarity on God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, highlighting His grace and mercy while calling sinners to faith and repentance. Dispensational theology recognizes salvation as God’s unchanging purpose across all dispensations, yet with distinct administrative differences in how He reveals and applies it throughout human history. In the current dispensation of grace, salvation is offered through faith in Christ alone, apart from works, and is eternally secure for the believer.
This essay will explore the major aspects of soteriology, providing a comprehensive view of God’s saving work and its implications for believers today.
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Election
Election refers to God’s sovereign choice in salvation, whereby He selects individuals for salvation according to His divine purpose and foreknowledge. Scripture presents election as an act of God’s grace, entirely independent of human merit.
Biblical Basis for Election
- Ephesians 1:4-5 – “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.”
- Romans 8:29-30 – “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.”
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13 – “God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.”
Election should not be viewed as a denial of human responsibility, but rather as an assurance that salvation is ultimately grounded in God’s sovereign plan. Dispensational theology distinguishes between God’s election of Israel for a national purpose and the individual election of believers in the Church Age.
Calling
Calling refers to God’s invitation to sinners to receive salvation. This calling is presented in two ways:
- General Call: The universal invitation to all people to repent and believe (Matthew 11:28; John 3:16).
- Effectual Call: The work of the Holy Spirit that brings conviction and leads to saving faith (Romans 8:30; John 6:44).
While the general call goes out to all, the effectual call ensures that those whom God has chosen will respond in faith.
Regeneration
Regeneration is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in which a sinner is spiritually reborn and given new life in Christ. This transformation is described in Scripture as being “born again.”
Key Aspects of Regeneration
- A New Creation: 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
- A Work of the Holy Spirit: John 3:5-6 – “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”
- A Transformation of the Heart: Ezekiel 36:26 – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.”
Regeneration is an instantaneous act that results in a transformed life, evidenced by a desire to follow Christ and obey His Word.
Justification
Justification is the act by which God declares a sinner righteous based on the finished work of Christ. It is a legal declaration of righteousness, not based on human merit but solely on faith in Christ.
Biblical Teaching on Justification
- By Grace Through Faith: Romans 3:24 – “All are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
- Imputation of Righteousness: 2 Corinthians 5:21 – “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
- Peace with God: Romans 5:1 – “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Justification secures the believer’s standing before God and ensures acceptance into His family.
Sanctification
Sanctification is the process by which believers are set apart for God’s purposes and progressively conformed to the image of Christ. It involves both positional and experiential aspects.
Three Stages of Sanctification
- Positional Sanctification: The believer is set apart at the moment of salvation (1 Corinthians 1:2).
- Progressive Sanctification: The believer grows in holiness throughout their life (2 Corinthians 3:18).
- Ultimate Sanctification: Complete holiness is realized in glorification (1 John 3:2).
Sanctification is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, requiring the believer’s cooperation through obedience and faithfulness.
Adoption
Adoption is the act by which God places believers into His family, granting them the rights and privileges of sonship. It speaks of the believer’s intimate relationship with God as His child.
Scriptural Basis for Adoption
- Romans 8:15-17 – “The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.'”
- Galatians 4:5-7 – “God sent His Son… that we might receive adoption to sonship.”
- Ephesians 1:5 – “He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ.”
Adoption assures believers of their inheritance in Christ and their eternal belonging in God’s family.
Glorification
Glorification is the final stage of salvation in which believers receive their perfected, resurrected bodies and are fully conformed to the image of Christ.
Key Passages on Glorification
- Philippians 3:20-21 – “The Lord Jesus Christ… will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 – “We will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.”
- Romans 8:30 – “Those He justified, He also glorified.”
Glorification occurs at the resurrection, when believers are made fit for eternity with Christ.
The Atonement
The atonement refers to Christ’s sacrificial work on the cross to pay the penalty for sin, satisfying God’s justice and reconciling sinners to Himself.
Key Aspects of the Atonement
- Substitution: Christ died in our place (Isaiah 53:5).
- Redemption: Christ purchased our freedom (Ephesians 1:7).
- Propitiation: Christ satisfied God’s wrath (1 John 2:2).
- Reconciliation: Christ restored our relationship with God (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
The atonement is the basis of salvation, providing forgiveness and eternal life.
Eternal Security
Eternal security is the belief that those who are truly saved will never lose their salvation. Salvation is wholly the work of God and is guaranteed by His power and promises.
Scriptural Support
- John 10:28-29 – “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand.”
- Romans 8:38-39 – “Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- Philippians 1:6 – “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.”
The doctrine of eternal security provides believers with assurance and confidence in God’s faithfulness.
Conclusion
The doctrine of salvation reveals the depths of God’s grace and the richness of His redemptive plan. From election in eternity past to glorification in eternity future, salvation is entirely God’s work, accomplished through Christ’s atoning sacrifice and applied by the Holy Spirit. Understanding soteriology leads to gratitude, assurance, and a desire to live in obedience to God’s calling.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” – Ephesians 2:8
All Scripture quoted from:
New International Version (NIV)
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