Salvation Summaries

What does 2 Corinthians say about salvation?

This book contains a few verses on how to be saved, what happens when a person becomes saved, and how one should live after being saved.  As a result, it appears, on the surface, to offer a fairly comprehensive review of salvation.

However, like many New Testament books, 2 Corinthians provides only a few pieces of the salvation puzzle, rather than the entire set.  To better understand how a person becomes a Christian, for example, you’ll need to read my prior posts, and keep reading, as I still have more salvation-related verses in New Testament books to review.

How to be Saved

Raise your hand if you think you get to heaven by how well you obey God’s 10 commandments and other “do’s” in the Bible? I see quite a few hands (not really). OK, you can put your hands down.

Most people believe that going to heaven is based upon how good you are; I know I thought this way for a number of years. What is interesting with this view though, is that it goes against what the Bible says about how a person goes to heaven.

2 Corinthians indicates, and a few other New Testament books more clearly express, that obeying God’s commandments and other “do’s” is not how a person becomes a Christian and goes to heaven. Specifically, this book says that God’s laws, or attempting to comply with them (as a means of going to heaven), brings spiritual death (e.g., “for the letter kills”), while the Holy Spirit (or receiving it upon becoming a Christian), brings spiritual life.

• 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant– not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Because verse 6 does not provide detail about this issue, let me expand on its meaning based upon what I know from reading other New Testament books. One cannot become a Christian and gain access to heaven by obeying God’s laws, for:

1) it is impossible to obey all of them, all of the time (only Christ, who was perfect, did and could do this), so there must be another way to get to heaven,

2) if we could be saved by obeying God’s laws, there would have been no reason for Christ to come and die (but because He did, He must have something to do with people going to heaven),

3) man’s efforts to obey laws does not produce any spiritual change (you are spiritually dead because of your sins and will remain that way unless a spiritual transaction takes place in you), and

4) God’s sending of His Holy Spirit into us is what changes us from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive, and this is something only God can do.

So, one of the first steps in becoming saved is realizing that trying to obey God’s laws in the Bible will not save you, nor will it allow you to get into heaven, for it results in spiritual death. To become a Christian and go to heaven, one must receive God’s Holy Spirit. Now, the above verses do not talk about how a person receives the Holy Spirit.  I have talked about this to some extent in prior posts, and will talk about it more in future posts (so keep reading).

OK, it’s time for another question.

Did you ever take a long test that you were ill prepared for, and about half way through you realized you wouldn’t be able to finish it?   At that point, you might have kicked yourself, and wondered “Why did I watch a two hour movie and eat pizza with my friends rather than studying for this stupid test?” You feel discouraged, and possibly sorrowful to some degree, knowing you may fail the test.

According to 2 Corinthians, sorrow, or more specifically, “godly sorrow”  is needed for a person to be saved, and repentance is required too.

• 2 Corinthians 7:8-10 8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it– I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while– 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 

What is godly sorrow?  It means you grieve over your sins.  Sin is not only disobeying what you should not do, it is failing to do what you should do.  And, if you’re like some who think they don’t sin much, let me ask you, do you worry?  Worrying is a sin, and we do it all of the time.

Repenting means that you confess your sins before the Lord, and ask Him for His forgiveness.  It also means you will try not to sin again, for you no longer want to sin against God.

Thus, the second step in becoming saved is being sorry for your sins, and repenting of them.

2 Corinthians indicates there is another thing a person must do to become a believer:

• 2 Corinthians 4:4  The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

The verse above shows that unbelievers do not understand who Christ really is, because Satan has blinded them to this. Christians, on the other hand, can see the light of the gospel.  In other words, they understand the good news about Christ – that he died to save sinners from the penalty of their sins, which is spiritual death – and that He gives them new life, spiritual life, when they repent of their sins, turn to Him in faith, and receive God’s Holy Spirit. They also understand that Christ is not simply a good person or a prophet; He is the image of God, and according to Hebrews, the exact representation of God’s being.

The next step in becoming saved is understanding the gospel and who Christ really is.

In summary, 2 Corinthians contains a few pieces of the salvation puzzle on how to be saved. These include: 1) realizing that you cannot save yourself by obeying God’s laws and other “do’s” in the Bible, 2) grieving over your sinfulness and repenting of your sins, 3) understanding who Christ is according to the gospel, and 4) receiving God’s Holy Spirit.  There are other pieces of the salvation puzzle though, such as faith, coming to Jesus, God’s grace, being poor in the spirit, etc., that are also part of one’s salvation.  I’ve addressed some of these in other posts, and will address them more in future posts.

What happens when a person becomes Saved

We know from prior posts that when a person becomes a Christian, several spiritual miracles take place, and one of these is receiving God’s Holy Spirit.  2 Corinthians briefly talks about this particular miracle, though it does so in terms of a benefit it provides rather than when it is given.  As shown in the following verse, the Holy Spirit is a deposit, a down payment if you will, on “what is to come,” which is eternal life in heaven.

2 Corinthians 5:5  Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

How should one live after becoming Saved

This is an important question to answer for a new believer.  The Bible provides guidance on how a Christian should live and act.  However, if you want to know, in a nutshell, how to live after becoming a Christian, it is this: you are to no longer live for yourself; you are to live for Christ, who saved you.

• 2 Corinthians 5:14-15  For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Unfortunately, I believe too many Christians want to have it both ways – to live the way they used to (like the world) and as a Christian should.  I admit it can be challenging; however, what has helped me the most is praying throughout the day. This keeps my mind fastened, even if loosely, to Him, and it helps prevent me from looking at things, doing things, and saying things that would be displeasing to Him.

What are you to do if you’re not sure whether you’re saved?

Have you ever wondered whether you are a Christian?  Do you think you are, but aren’t sure? The Bible sheds light on how you can determine this. 2 Corinthians provides us with one, somewhat theoretical way, to answer this, while some other New Testament books (such as Galatians) provide a more practical method.

• 2 Corinthians 13:5-6 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you– unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.

According to the above verse, you are to perform a self-test to see if you have real faith.

“What is real faith?” you ask? I addressed this in my post on Hebrews – Part 2 of 3, and I’ve copied below my summary of faith from that post:

• You strongly believe, and thus have no doubt, that God exists even though you cannot see Him.
• You strongly believe, and thus have no doubt, that what the Bible says about God is true.
• You strongly believe, and thus have no doubt, that the Bible’s promises (of salvation, eternal life, the forgiveness of sins, prophecies, etc.) are true.
• You believe that God is not simply God the Father, but that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are also God.
• Because of your strong belief, or conviction, in God, you earnestly seek Him (this does mean that you earnestly seek Him every day, but that you did at least at one point in your life when you came to Him and became saved).
• Because of your conviction in God and the truth of His promises, you commit to live your life for Him (similarly, this does not mean that you do this every day, but that you did at least at one point in your life when you became saved).

If you agree with the above statements, you should have confidence that you have faith. However, if you find yourself agreeing with most but not all, you may want to examine your beliefs more closely to determine whether you have the type of faith found in the Bible.

As a Christian, how are you to associate with non-Christians?

As I’ve mentioned in prior posts, becoming a Christian is a BIG deal.  There are spiritual changes that take place in you, and these will show up, at some point, in what you think, say and do. A Christian is separated from others in the world, and God wants that Christian to grow spiritually rather than become weakened in their faith.

Paul’s first and second letters to the Corinthians provide guidance on how Christians are to associate with other Christians, with people who claim to be a Christian but are not, and with everyone else (people who do not claim to be a Christian and are not). Details are below.

• Christians are to associate with unbelievers, for it is impossible not to. However, it would appear that the goal of this association is to tell them the good news and help them become a Christian by seeing the good deeds that Christians are to perform. 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people– 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.  1 Peter 2:12 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

• Christians are NOT to associate with people who claim to be a Christian (but in reality are not) and are engaged in a sexually immoral or other inappropriate lifestyle.  This is something I commented on in my posts on 1 Corinthians, so please turn there for details.  1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

• Christians are NOT to marry non-Christians.  2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

• Christians are NOT to partner with non-Christians in any type of spiritual ministry or organization. 2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?