The Plan of Salvation: Forgiveness and a New Life

Forgiveness and New life

Everybody has fallen short of God’s standards of what is right, and we are all guilty of wrongdoing (Romans 3:20). This is a matter both in scripture and in our personal experience. As a result human beings are separated from God, and under His judgment. When Jesus died He took the penalty of our failure, and enabled us to relate to God and to have eternal life (2 Cor. 5:21).

When we believe in Him all our wrongdoing is forgiven; we relate to God as our Father, and we receive new life in to our spirits. This life starts now and continuesforever. When we die we do go to be with the Lord and live forever (John 3:14-16).

Our Position in Christ

When we come to Christ we immediately enter into a position of peace with God, of righteousness, and of being a Son of God (son here does not imply gender, but rather position) (Romans 5:1-2).

We have the right when we pray to know that God hears us, that we are in His presence, and that He will speak to us and treat us as valid sons.

We have the privilege of working together with God in extending His kingdom. ( 2 Cor 6:1; 1 Corinthians 3:9)

Purpose and Destiny

This decision to have personal faith is not the end of our quest but rather the entry into living in the ‘ kingdom of God’ that is, learning and living by God’s principles and preferences. It is also the beginning of a journey of discovery, pursuing our personal destiny and the purpose of God for our lives.

Part of our relating to God is to find out what He wants us to do. We can be absolutely certain that God does have a purpose for us. Regardless of natural circumstances, we were not born by accident, neither have we come to Jesus by chance, but God has a foreordained plan and blueprint for our lives (2 Timothy 1:9).

This Age and The Age To Come

Our ultimate destiny is to rule with Christ forever (Rev 22:5). At this time, God is preparing a new human race (us) who will be fit to do this. What we do in this life, the extent to which we reflect Christ’s character and do what he wants, will affect our position and purpose in the age to come.

Therefore our preparation for the next age is not speculation, wondering when Christ will return or what the next age will be like, but rather seeking to know and do the will of God in this life (Luke 19:15-19).

The Community of Believers

We find from the Bible that this new life is both individual and corporate. There is a call from God who loves us, that we should know Him and follow Him individually, and there is also a building by God of communities of believers throughout the earth (Ephesians 2:19-22). To fully please God and to grow in the knowledge of Him and the ability to do what He wants then we need to be part of a valid community. This involves relating to other believers who want to obey God, and are following valid leadership.