The Supremacy at the Cross Part 2 – Acquiring Salvation
Salvation is an essential part of the Christian faith. It is the deliverance from the penalty and power of sin, and the provision of safety through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Romans 10:8, the apostle Paul speaks about the word of faith, which concerns the necessity of putting faith in Christ. The word of faith is near us, in our mouth and in our heart, woven together to influence us towards putting Christ first.
Romans 10:9 states that if we confess with our mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. To save and transport into safety, as used here, means to deliver us from the penalties of the Messianic judgment. For believers, this also means making well, healing, and restoring to health, as seen in Mark 5:34.
Christ has reconciled us to Himself through His death, as stated in Colossians 1:22. Reconciliation means the restoration of friendly relations, bringing us back to a former state of harmony. Through Christ, we become new creatures, as mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5:17. All of these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
Ephesians 2:16 speaks of reconciling all people to God through the cross, putting to death the enmity. Golgotha, the place of the skull, is where Jesus Christ was crucified, where the reconciliation was made possible. Colossians 1:20 states that through Him, all things are reconciled to God, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.
It is important to note that salvation is not the same as eternal life. Eternal life means partaking of the character of that which lasts for an age, describing a particular age or the unique quality of God's life at work in the believer. Eternal life operates outside of time, inside of time, and beyond time, giving time its everlasting meaning for the believer through faith, yet is also time-independent. It is a life that is found in knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ, as stated in John 17:3.
In 2 Corinthians 3:14, the veil metaphorically represents something that prevents a thing from being understood. However, in Christ, the veil is being removed, rendering it inactive and bringing it to nought. As Christians, we have been reconciled to God through Christ's sacrifice, and we have been given the ministry of reconciliation. It is our duty to share the gospel, which brings salvation and eternal life, with others, so they too can experience the supremacy of the cross.
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