Our Wonderful Salvation: How Did It All Begin?

 

Welcome back to my blog. Over the next few weeks, we are going to explore the beautiful, multi-layered description of our great salvation found in the Scriptures.

Many Christians view their salvation as a simple, isolated event—almost like crossing a street to reach the other side, with nothing else changing. Some even believe a person can easily cross back over and lose their status as a child of God. My friends, nothing could be further from the truth!

Our salvation is not a temporary decision; it is an eternal plan that began before the world was formed and will culminate when Christ returns. It is reinforced with divine safeguards that make it absolutely impossible for a true, born-again believer to ever be lost.

Let us open the Word together and examine the beginning of this amazing journey, tracing God’s plan from before time began up to the cross.

 

The Process of Salvation

 

The Plan of Salvation

• God’s first step was to create a plan to save man and remove the problem of sin that would be created by Adam and Eve in the garden (Genesis 3:15).
• Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, man fell and became depraved; he was unable to choose God or do good, fleeing from Him (Romans 3:10-12). Therefore, God graciously had to choose, before all time began, some to come to salvation (Ephesians 1:4,5,11; Romans 8:29-30).
• If God had not chosen, then nobody would have come to saving grace. God has always had to choose throughout the Bible to accomplish his work in the world (Romans 9:7ff).

Bringing Us to Salvation 

• Because man would not choose God and did not understand God, the Holy Spirit had to intervene In in those God chose and convict them of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8).
• Further, God had to drag future Christians to Himself to believe (John 6:44). Interestingly, the word used in the Greek (the original language of the New Testament) for ‘drag’ is ελκω (helko), which describes when fishermen cast a net and literally bring fish into their boat. As the fish do not come voluntarily, neither do we!  God had to literally force us to saving faith!

God Causes Us to Believe

• Our faith then made Christ’s sacrificial death and His resurrection efficacious for us to our salvation. The content of the gospel can be found here https://teleiosresearch.com/consider-the-gospel/. 

Figure 1. Timeline of Salvation

Please note the figure showing the chronological plan of Salvation throughout the Bible. Indeed, the Bible is the story of salvation through our precious Savior Christ. God, by His love and wisdom, created this plan, and realized it throughout history and will complete it in the future (Ephesians 1:4-8;10-11). 

 

Today, we have discussed the foundation of the plan and how God draws us to Himself. Next week, we'll discover what happens at the cross. 

 

What a great plan; what a great promise! To God be the glory who has done all the work of salvation, and nothing was left to us nor to chance. There is nothing we could have done past, present, or in the future to earn eternal life. God did it all; solo fide (only by faith).  

 

Thanks again for joining me,e and I look forward to seeing you again next time.  

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

Email - info@teleiosresearch.com

Website - http://teleiosresearch.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TeleiosVideos/

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Disclaimer - This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bible Teaching Habits and Its Importance

 

Knowing God’s Word is fundamental to understanding our faith. When we help others understand Scripture, we build a solid church foundation that positively impacts society. 

 

But how active is the next generation in passing down these truths? To find out, Teleios Research surveyed 230 adolescents and millennials to uncover their perceptions and habits regarding teaching the Bible. Full results can be seen here - Young evangelicals and teaching the Bible.

 

Who Participated?

 

The majority of the 230 respondents fit the following demographics:

·       Age: 86% were under 35 years old.

·       Gender: 63% identified as female.

·       Location: 68% resided in the United States.

·       Affiliation: 73% identified as evangelical.

 

The Reality of Bible Teaching Habits

 

When asked directly about their habits, 27% of participants indicated they teach directly from the Bible at a pre-arranged time at least once a week. However, a striking 40% responded that they never instruct others in Scripture.

 

Interestingly, there is a notable perception gap. Only 11% of respondents initially stated they teach once a week or more when asked in a broader context. This leaves a 16% discrepancy—suggesting that some Christians may overestimate how frequently they actually teach the Bible when asked directly. When factoring in preferred methods, it is estimated that only about 4% of young evangelicals are directly teaching the Bible to others. More research is needed on this topic!   

 

For those who do teach regularly, the verse-by-verse method was the top choice (32%). The favorite settings for instruction were:

 

·       Small groups (in-person): 27%.

·       One-on-one (in-person): 19%

 

For the respondents who do not teach weekly, fear and a perceived lack of knowledge were the primary hurdles: 

·       Do not feel they know enough about the Scripture – 42% 

·       Do not know how to teach (but want to learn) – 37% 

·       Fear of making a mistake – 34% 

 

Many young adults view informal actions as valid ways to share Scripture, such as: 

·       living a godly lifestyle (71%)

·       writing encouraging notes (62%)

·       or verbally strengthening others with verses (62%). 

 

However, 70% of respondents agreed that formal, verse-by-verse teaching holds more value than these informal methods.

 

In general, respondents had good well-being (average 4.5/6.0, with 6.0 being the best). However, those who regularly trained others in the Bible (4.8/6.0) reported better well-being than those who taught infrequently (4.1/6.0) or did not (4.4/6.0) teach the Bible (P= 0.003).

 

The survey suggests that young evangelicals generally recognize the importance of verse-by-verse teaching to others and want to learn how to instruct others. Those who teach experience better well-being than those who do not. 

 

Nonetheless, young evangelicals are often reticent to teach fearing they are not capable or are not able to answer questions. Further, some may overestimate how frequently they teach the Bible.

 

So, what is the importance of teaching?

 

1.     Problem – Unfortunately, teaching others or sharing the gospel appears to rank right below ‘going to the dentist’ among desired activities. Teleios’ research has shown that people generally fear sharing the gospel, specifically report being afraid of social rejection, offending the other person, not knowing what to say, or how to answer others’ questions.

 

2.     What teaching is not – Teleios examined people’s habits in mentioning the gospel (a part of our outreach). In a well-taught Evangelical Church, attendees indicated they conveyed the gospel to others most commonly by:

·     Sharing their lives – 78%

·     Praying for others – 71%

·     Encouraging others – 70%

·     Loving others – 68%

·     Explicitly mentioning how to accept Jesus Christ as Savior – 30%

 

Although sharing our lives is important, it does not replace actually telling someone the gospel or directly teaching the Bible. People cannot guess what we are thinking! Scripture recognizes that we do not have visual support for our faith until Christ comes again (Hebrews 2:8,) so others need to hear what to believe, and someone must explicitly tell them (Romans 10:14-17).

 

Why should we reach out to others regarding our faith? 

There are at least several reasons:

1.     It is a command – We are told to teach others (2 Timothy 2:2,15,24-26; 1 Timothy 4:6,16; Hebrews 5:12), which involves instructing others in the Word of God. However, teaching also may include admonishing others to correct action or thinking (Colossians 3:17; Ephesians 5:19).

2.     Better well-being – Teleios has found that people who teach and share the Gospel enjoy better well-being than those who do not. What initially seems fearful is actually enriching after a person has shared the Gospel or taught God’s Word.

3.     Good judgment – The ability to teach appears to indicate maturity, which is associated with accurate and efficient judgment and avoiding nasty pitfalls in life (Hebrews 5:14).

4.     Maturity – Being able to teach is associated with maturity, especially the attributes of an elder/leader (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Hebrews 5:12).

5.     Uplifting the church – The benefit of teaching others scripture or the gospel is not just for the individual but to the church itself. Teaching the Bible and the gospel is the primary way that we can grow the church and influence our culture generally (Colossians 1:5-10). Without Christians passing down the precious words of our Father to the next generation, the church certainly can suffer from a lack of support as opposed to influencing and benefiting our society.

 

So, let’s get to work! The truth we possess in the Bible is good for our family, friends, and acquaintances as well as for our society!

 

Thank you for joining me today. I look forward to seeing you next time.

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

Email - info@teleiosresearch.com

Website - http://teleiosresearch.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TeleiosVideos/

 

Disclaimer - This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.

 

 

Advantages of Christian Society

 

Western civilization is fundamentally built upon Christian principles, which historically shaped its societal, moral, and legal frameworks. In recent generations, however, academic and political movements have actively sought to minimize this heritage, pushing instead for a highly secularized, government-centric model.

This shift away from faith-based foundations began gaining traction in the late 1800s with the rise of socialist and communist ideologies. Over the 20th century, these philosophies manifested in totalitarian regimes like Nazi Germany and the USSR, and they continue to echo today in radical globalist and environmental movements. Within these highly centralized systems, an elite ruling class effectively replaces God, demanding total obedience and controlling nearly every aspect of daily life.

Which system is better?

 

Teleios evaluated countries with the highest one-third of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and compared various publicly available measures for societal wellbeing between Christian versus non-Christian or secular-based countries.  

 

Our findings indicated that the highest GDP Christian countries demonstrated statistically better individual well-being than the highest GDP non-Christian or secular states (Gallup Wellbeing Index).

 

Further, historically Christian countries also scored statistically better on associated measures that potentially could enhance wellbeing including: GDP per capita, Numbeo Pollution Index, Cato Institute Human Freedom Index, World Press Freedom Index, Corruption Perceptions Index, Global Entrepreneurship Index, and Rule of Law Index.

 

Our study clearly showed the advantages of Christian society not only in terms of wellbeing but also in surrogate markers for wellbeing, including: wealth per person, clean environment, education, press, political, economic, and religious freedom.

 

Why would Christianity provide such advantages to society? We speculate it is derived from the importance of the individual within Christian doctrine, which is unique among philosophical systems in human history. The importance of the individual in Christianity allows each person to achieve during their life, not just salvation by grace, but professionally and within their family and community as well. Christianity, however, also accentuates the importance of personal responsibility, not just to God, but to the job, family, and one's neighbor. 

 

This individualism then helps build institutions in society that are responsible for each other, starting with family units, then progressing to broader institutions such as business and community organizations, and to the national government.

 

In contrast, communist and globalist governments de-emphasize the importance of the individual to the benefit of the ruling elite. They offer, generally, in return for high taxes and absolute obedience, a small apartment, a meaningless state job, and an underfunded retirement with little ability to advance or improve a person’s position in life. And yes, one has to deny Christ in such a system as a fearful competitive god to the government rulers.

 

Someone could argue that many first-world countries no longer actively practice Christianity. Yet through their institutions, on which their government codes are based, still rest Christian principles to the benefit of their populations.

 

Indeed, Christians in first-world countries should be proud of their political systems and do all they can to maintain and prosper them while spreading to other lands to their benefit.

 

Thank you for joining me today. I look forward to seeing you next time.

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

Email - info@teleiosresearch.com

Website - http://teleiosresearch.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TeleiosVideos/

 

Disclaimer - This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.