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How
are we Saved from a Condemning Heart
In this essay we will
continue to look at our timely salvation. That there are
two types of salvation taught in the scriptures is plainly
set forth in II Tim. 2:10, "Therefore I endure all things
for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the
salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."
Thus "the elect" already have "eternal glory" and Paul
desired they would have another salvation, for which he
endured "all things" for their sake. We will now consider
how the elect are saved from a condemning heart and into the
service of God. When we are born again God writes his laws
in our heart and mind (Heb. 8:10; II Cor. 3:3; Heb. 10:16;
Rom. 2:15), sprinkles our heart from an evil conscience
(Heb. 10:22), and sets up a courtroom in our heart and mind
(Rom. 2:15; 1 John 3:21, 22). In this courtroom we are
convicted in our hearts as sinners under the wrathful
judgment of God as the following examples illustrate:
1. Isa. 6:5 ‑ "Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone;
because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst
of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the
King, the Lord of hosts."
2. Luke 18:13 ‑ "And the publican, standing afar off,
would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote
upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner."
3. Rom. 7:24 ‑ "O wretched man that I am! Who shall
deliver me from the body of this death?"
Thus, as the above
scriptures illustrate, when we see ourselves in light of
God's laws and the justice and holiness of God, that we then
begin to see ourselves as poor ruined sinners worthy of
God's wrath being executed upon us. The question before us
is "How are we delivered (saved) from our condemning
heart?" The answer is given to us in Mk. 16:15, 16, "And
he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the
gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
Thus, without doubt, there is a salvation in the preaching
of the gospel, believing the gospel, and being baptized." I
Pet. 3:21 describes this salvation to us as follows: "The
like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us
(not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the
answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ."
Peter points out to us that
the salvation in baptism is "not" the putting away of the
filth of the flesh. The filth of the flesh is sin. Sin is
not put away by water baptism. Sin is put away by the
death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism is
a figure of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus
Christ.
Peter also points out to us
that the salvation in water baptism is "the answer of a good
conscience toward God." I have always been taught that if
you have an answer then you must have first had a question.
The question is a two part question. First, do you as a
sinner, believe that Jesus died on the cross to deliver you
from your sins and that when he arose that proved you are
justified?
The second part of this
question is that since Jesus died to redeem you from your
sins are you going to serve him as his disciple and enter
into that service thru water baptism? Thus belief of the
gospel message and being "baptized in water serves to
deliver (save) you from a condemning heart. The gospel
message assures you that Jesus delivered you from the
wrathful judgment of God and thus assuages the condemning
heart. Likewise, water baptism assuages the heart that
would condemn us if/when we turn away from the service of
God.
The above principles are
illustrated for us in Isa. 6:6‑8. As you will recall from
above that Isaiah in v.5 had seen himself in a state of
condemnation and woe. Verses 6 and 7 tell us how that God
had taken care of the problem that plagued Isaiah's heart:
"Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live
coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from off the
altar: and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath
touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy
sin purged." In the typical language above, if in place
of the "seraphim" we inserted the gospel preacher and in
place of the "live coal" we inserted Jesus' suffering and
death on the cross, then we have the gospel message that
brings such comfort to a sin‑plagued heart.
Next, in v.8 we see the call
to service and response of Isaiah: "Also I heard the
voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will
go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." This is
typical of the call to service in the gospel and ones
response to that call by being baptized in water. Thus it
is the answer of a good conscience towards God.
Thus the salvation from a
condemning heart requires the preaching of the gospel;
belief of the gospel; repentance; i.e., turning from any
false belief system or evil works in our lives; and
baptism. This salvation requires us as born again children
of God to perform the above works if we are to experience
this salvation from a condemning conscience and salvation
into the service of God in his kingdom. Unlike our eternal
salvation which is by grace and without our works, this
timely salvation is brought about in part by the works God
has given us to maintain.
NEXT -
Salvation
from Death of Fellowship
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