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SUBJECT: Salvation Process
QUESTION: Can you explain how the Salvation Process
works?
ANSWER:
Jesus came, in part; to put the Law back to the way it was
designed. The design or purpose of the Law is to lead man
to the Principles of God and to invoke them by the power of
the Holy Spirit.
Mankind, by the time of Jesus, had codified the Law and made
it the end of religious worship. They could not understand
that the Law has a greater purpose.
Galatians 3:24
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto
Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Question is: Who is being brought to Christ? The answer is
that the firstfruits (those
being called prior to the return of Christ) are
being brought to Christ now. The rest of mankind will be
brought to Christ AFTER He returns.
Another question: What is this "faith" the scripture is
talking about? Whatever it is, it takes place AFTER one is
brought to Christ. The answer is that this faith is the
Salvation Process.
When one is called by God (John 6:44), they are called to
repentance of all past sin, to baptism to picture that death
and resurrection in Christ and into the lifelong Salvation
Process.
So, what is the definition of the Salvation Process?
It is a commitment to a way of Christian life in which one
is actively:
1) keeping the Law and commandments.
2) invoking the Principles of God which the Law points to
(Galatians 5:22-23).
3) overcoming sin....making progress... stopping the sin
process before it begins ....controlling the mind … being
repentant.
4) becoming more like Jesus Christ.
5) going on to perfection (Hebrews 6)
6) responding to your specific Godly Calling (God
calls each member to a specific place and to specific duties
and/or offices). This includes duties pertaining
to the first commission of spreading the gospel and the
second commission of feeding the flock.
7) maintaining this process at the return of Jesus Christ.
8) having absolute trust in God and Jesus Christ
(Ephesians 1:12-14; 1 Peter 1:21; John 14:1; 1 John 2:23-24)
When one is in the Salvation Process (only
possible when one has the Holy Spirit), he or she
is being led by the Spirit. They are invoking the power of
that Spirit in the form of Godly Principles (love,
joy, peace, honesty, longsuffering, against such there is
not law).
Now, how do we demonstrate the relationship between being
under the Law and being led by the Spirit? Let us take the
Godly principle of "Honesty". We have commandments that
state:
1) Thou shalt not lie
2) Thou shalt not steal
These are Laws and sin is the transgression of the Law. If
one with the Holy Spirit, in the Salvation Process slips and
sins, the law is there to let him or her know that a Law has
been transgressed.
Now, let us suppose that you, in the Salvation Process,
develop Godly character by constantly invoking the power of
the Holy Spirit in the form of "Honesty". That is, you
become known as an Honest person. You are honest in all
things. The laws against lying and stealing led you to this
Godly principle. Now, if you are an honest person and known
to be honest, what purpose would I have to say to you do not
lie and steal? You are above that. As long as you are
honest, you are no longer "under" the law.
Let us go back to that verse in Galatians above, but go
three verses further:
Galatians 3:24-27
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto
Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a
schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ
Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have
put on Christ.
We conclude a number of things:
1] Godly Calling leads one to repentance, baptism and
entrance into the Salvation Process.
2] The Law leads us to Godly principles, a chief element of
the Salvation Process.
3] The Law leads us to Christ, who is the embodiment of all
Godly principles.
4] Being "in the faith" means being in the Salvation
Process.
5] We are justified as long as we remain in the Salvation
Process.
6] In the Salvation Process we develop Godly principles into
habits and thus build character.
7] As long as we invoke Godly principles we are no longer
under the schoolmaster...the Law.
Now if one is Honest, do we do away with the Laws against
lying and stealing? Answer: OF COURSE NOT. As long as we are
human, EVEN IN THE SALVATION PROCESS, we are subject to sin.
When we slip and sin [lie or
steal], within that Salvation Process, the Law is
there to show us, once again, that sins have been
committed. The same Law leads us back to Honesty. This
leads us to immediate repentance and we move forward in the
Salvation Process. We always need the Law. Being "led by
the Spirit" is being led by Law to Godly principle which is
Christ.
Thus, the relationship between the Law and being led by the
Spirit is understood.
For more information, listen to Mr. Armstrong's sermons on
Galatians:
http://www.intercontinentalcog.org/sermonsgtaaudio.php
Scroll to bottom of page--3 part sermon.
Doctrinal Statement on the Law.
http://www.intercontinentalcog.org/churchdoctrines.php?stp=18 |