What Happened at the Cross? Understanding Christ's Work of Salvation

 

What Happened at the Cross? Understanding Christ's Work of Salvation

Welcome back to my blog, dear friends. Last week, we began our journey through the marvelous, chronological timeline of our salvation—an eternal story that began before time itself and will only conclude at Christ’s glorious return.

 

To help us see the bigger picture, we recounted the events that led up to our personal decision to trust in His saving work (in rough order):

• Christ chose us for salvation before the foundation of the world.
• The Holy Spirit worked in our hearts, convicting us of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
• God powerfully drew—and lovingly compelled—us to Himself.

 

If you missed those foundational truths, I highly encourage you to catch up on last week's post Our Wonderful Salvation: How Did It All Began?

 

Today, we take the next step on our timeline. We are looking directly at the cross to examine the profound work Jesus accomplished there to provide our salvation—a perfect sacrifice that was made fully active in our lives the moment we believed.

 

 

Christ’s Sacrificial Work on the Cross

 

Scripture describes four key components of Christ’s gracious actions on the cross, bringing us eternal life through His death:

• Propitiation – Christ’s sacrifice was a full and sufficient payment for our sins to God (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2).
• Reconciliation – Christ’s sacrifice ended the hatred between man and God because of our sins. Our holy God cannot be in the presence of sin. Our sins, being forgiven through Christ, changed our status before God as we are now innocent and without sin. This allowed peace between parties and healed (reconciled) the relationship between God and man. (Romans 5:10-11; Colossians 1:20-21: Ephesians 2:16-19).
•  Redemption – Christ’s death purchased us from sin for which we owed a payment of death (Romans 3:23-26; Ephesians 1:7).
• Substitution – Christ died in our place, taking the punishment we deserved, that we could obtain eternal life (Mark 10:45; 1 Peter 3:18).

These four vital biblical concepts describe Christ gracious work on the cross to forgive our sins, and correct our relationship with God, that we might be saved.

 

 

What then must we do to be saved?

 

How then does someone make Christ’s actions on the cross efficacious for themselves?

 

Here is an easy-to-learn gospel message (how to become a Christian based on Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:23-26, Romans 10:9):

• Each person has sinned (done actions contrary to God’s righteous character).
• We each deserve judgment and punishment from a perfect and just God.
• However, God, being loving, sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins to take the punishment that we deserved.
• Consequently, by acknowledging through faith the forgiveness that Christ provided by His death, and new life through His resurrection, we gain eternal life!

 

God did all the work to provide salvation, and no credit is given to us. It is a gift with all glory and praise to God. Wow, what a great promise! 

 

To summarize, to this point in our salvation journey, we have seen that God chooses us, the Holy Spirit convicts us, and God drags us to himself to the point of being saved. Then on our belief, salvation became efficacious to us based on Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross and His mighty resurrection.

In gratitude and praise, we owe Him our service and praise until we go home to be with Him. Thanks be to God for such a great salvation and for eternal life.

 

Please join us next time as we discuss what happened to us as a result of the cross. It's exciting stuff so don't miss it!

 

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.

 

 

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.