Gospel Plan of Salvation

By Steve Bell
Lubbock, Texas

No greater story has ever been revealed to mankind than that of the love God has for us and His plan for our deliverance from the pains of sin and death.  Through Jesus Christ we are given the hope of salvation from our sins and the gift of eternal life.  We must receive that gift in order for it to have the desired effect on us.  By looking to God's word we can see the steps involved in securing our salvation.  While the steps are not complicated they are mandatory.  In this article, we will follow the path to salvation given to us in the Holy Scriptures for it is the Gospel of Christ that has the power to save us from our sins.  In Rom 1:16 the apostle Paul said,

“16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

One of the fundamental characteristics of the scriptures is that they are self-sufficient in expressing the will of God and they do not require supplementation, in fact, God refuses to acknowledge or tolerate additions or deletions to His plan.  In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, the apostle Paul says that the scriptures maintain a unique position as the inspired language of God,

“16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

The apostle John tells us in John 1:1-2, 14 that this gospel plan was existent from the beginning of time and not only that, but was changed into flesh.  This incarnate Word was the Son of God,

“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

The authority of Jesus to be the author of the gospel is unquestioned. What should also be unquestioned is the completeness of the scriptures to bring us to perfection. We read in Colossians 2:9-10,

“9 For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power:”

If we acknowledge the authority of Christ to write the scriptures, we must also acknowledge the unchangeableness of those scriptures.  That which is perfect needs no change, either in the way of additions or subtractions. The Word of God is not to be altered in any way lest we suffer great destruction. We read of the sacred nature of the scriptures in Revelation 22:18-19,

“18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

So the scriptures are very plain that they come from God and as such are perfect, complete, and do not require any changes or updates. In fact, the warnings are very clear that we will suffer everlasting consequences if we attempt to alter the plan of God in any measure.

If the unaltered Word of God is to be our sole source of information and instruction for achieving our souls' salvation, what does it say is required? First, it must be understood that there are several steps involved and we have to look at the entire set of scriptures to understand what that plan is. Second, there are parts of the plan that we as individuals have responsibilities to perform and there are parts for which God is responsible.

Having established that the Word of God is the only place to find salvation, one might wonder what needs to be done.  Since Jesus is the author of this salvation, we can rightly expect that we need to seek out what He says.  Matthew 6:33 tells us that before we look for anything else in life we must search for the kingdom of God, or to say it another way, seeking God must be our first priority,

“33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Seeking Jesus requires diligent effort on our part.  Matthew goes on to tell us that finding Jesus is like knocking on the door.  Reading Matthew 7:7 we see,

“7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:”

Despite our efforts, many will not find Jesus.  This can be a result of looking in the wrong places, or with the wrong motives, or failing to follow the instructions for finding Him.  Later on in Matthew 7:21-23 we see what appears to be a hard statement,

“21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

This passage clearly states that the way to find Jesus is to do the will of the Father.  Lacking this, we will not find Him and will be subject to the consequences of not being a faithful servant.  The world is often tolerant and even rewards a “best effort” policy, but God is only satisfied with efforts that result in work with which He is pleased.

If we seek and find Jesus, do we know what we will find?  The greatest plan of action ever defined in the world!  The plan of salvation is not complicated, but it is often abbreviated by many people and they fall short of that with which God is satisfied.  When we find Jesus and His gospel, we must pay attention to what he says.  When we listen to the plan of God, one of the first things we will hear is that all people everywhere have sinned.  In Romans 3:23 that very expression is used,

“23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

This places all of humankind in a position of weakness that requires a remedy.  If we turn to plans of men we might think that surely someone has figured out how to achieve an escape from sin, but in John 15:5 we see that outside of Jesus we can do nothing,

“5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

Based on this information so far we know we are all sinners and none of us can provide a remedy to that condition.  However, in this last verse we are given a clue to the real solution and it is that we must abide in Jesus.  What, then, is this Plan of God and what do we have to do?

First of all, this plan has been well thought out and has existed from eternity past and will exist into eternity future.  Matthew 25:34 tells us God’s plan has existed since before the creation of the world,

“34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:”

The Old Testament scriptures are filled with references to a King, the Anointed One, who would deliver the people of God to salvation.  This “Messiah” would have all power!  John 4:25-26 relates to us Jesus’ affirmation that He is that “Messiah” or Anointed One,

“25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when He is come, He will tell us all things.  26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He.”

The significance of this must not be lost on us.  Remembering that we as humans are incapable of working our way out of the sinful condition we are in, the Messiah will deliver us.  And this has been God’s idea and plan all along.  The arrival of the Messiah on earth was greeted with a mixture of great expectation and ruthless persecution and the eventual death of the very Messiah Himself.  But again, this was part of God’s plan; it unfolded just as He expected and knew that it would.  Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God, had to die for the sins of the world, our sins.  Without Him we would be forever lost.  Acts 17:2-3 tells us that it was necessary that Jesus suffer and die, and that this Jesus was the Christ or Messiah,

“2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.”

Such a great gift!  Such a great price!  Such a great opportunity!  What must we do?  What will happen to those that don’t take advantage of this great gift and opportunity?  The apostle Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 that God will seek vengeance on those that are not obedient to His plan,

“7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:”

Instructions found here tell us we have obligations based on obedience to fulfill.  We have something to do to activate this salvation.  Reading further into the scriptures, the great plan is revealed to us.  What a glorious opportunity we have to have these simple instructions placed right in our hands.

Essentially, the plan of God has four steps.  The first of these steps requires our trust and faith in the plan of God and in God Himself.  We have to believe that God exists and that He can deliver us out of this sinful condition in which we live.  Hebrews 11:1 and 6 define for us what faith in God is,

“1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

So we must acknowledge the existence of God and understand that He will care for those who make the considerable effort to find His plan.  Further, in Mark 1:15 we are told that we must believe in the Gospel which includes its power to save us,

“15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

Is belief all that is required of us to be saved?  Can we stand with just our faith?  Does God accept the notion of just believing Him?  The apostle makes it clear that our faith must be accompanied with our obedience.  Faith alone has no substance.  Recall that faith is the substance of things hoped for, so without substance we have no faith.  Look to James 2:14-17 and see,

“14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?  15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,  16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?  17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”

Clearly more is needed than an idea that God exists and that he has a plan for us.  If we don’t have the accompanying works, then we don’t have faith, we have an idea.

This brings us to the second part of the plan of God and it is the confession of our belief that Jesus is the Son of God.  We are required to state before people that we believe He is that Messiah, that King, that Lamb of God.  Romans 10:9-10 tells us in great detail how that confession is to be made,

“9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

One of the key steps to fulfilling the Gospel is to make this oral confession of our belief that Jesus is the Son of God and our belief in Jesus’ resurrection.  You might ask what the resurrection of Jesus has to do with our salvation.  To understand this point, let’s turn to John 11:25-27 and see that the power that raised Jesus is the same power that it takes to deliver us from our sinful state,

“25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?  27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”

So are you ready to stand up and profess your belief in Jesus and to acknowledge His resurrection?  Are you ready to receive salvation in the name of Jesus?  If so, then you are well on your way to activating the plan of God in your behalf. 

Perhaps you are thinking, “You mean there’s more?”  Indeed a life that is to be transformed and salvaged by God must be made of value to Him; continuing to live a life of sin is NOT valuable to Him.  We must turn from the sinful life to a life of righteousness.  We have now arrived at the third and pivotal point of the plan of God: repentance.  Repentance requires humility.  This is exemplified in Luke 18:13 where the publican shows that we must first acknowledge that we are sinners,

“13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”

If we see ourselves as sinners, we must decide to turn away from that lifestyle and embrace what God wants us to do.  Repentance is more than regret for the mistakes we’ve made in life.  It is not simply being sorry for what we have done that has displeased our Lord.  It goes beyond that to convict us so that we are motivated to change what we are doing and receive direction from God for a righteous life.  Serving God is all about working for Him.  In Acts 26:20 we read that our repentance is manifested in the things we do,

“20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.”

If we have turned away from a sinful life, what are we turning to?  The scriptures describe this transformation as a new lifestyle, resulting in a new creature.  The conversion of the soul is a new birth.  In Colossians 3:9-10 the language is so dramatic it describes the process as putting on a new man,

“9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;  10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”

We are then brought into a renewed image of God by the knowledge we gather about Him from His word.  Have we completed the plan of God?  Surely now that we believe in God and His plan and have publicly proclaimed our allegiance to Jesus and our belief that He is the Son of God and finally have turned from wickedness to righteousness, we must be acceptable to God, right?

There remains the fourth step in obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This step is both an analogy and a fulfillment of a command of God.  Baptism is symbolic of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  This baptism does not symbolize the change of heart that is within us.  It is not an outward expression of an inward change.  In fact, this concept is foreign to the scriptures.  If we relegate the process of baptism to be an afterthought or non-essential, then we are losing sight of the true nature of baptism.

First of all, baptism is all about power.  In Acts 2:38, the very purpose of baptism is given to us and that it is for the remission of sins,

“38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

That’s right!  The remission or forgiveness of sins!  That is what we have been looking for to lift us out of the condition we are all faced with (remember Romans 3:23).  How important is baptism?  It is essential to the plan of God.  The power of baptism is stated by the apostle Peter in 1 Peter 3:21,

“21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”

Baptism then is what saves us.  To be saved is to be rescued, and in this case, rescued from the certain penalty for sin.  Just as the ark was lifted up to safety by water, we are lifted to safety from sin by the power of water baptism.

Symbolic in the death of Christ is the manner of our baptism.  Jesus was buried for a time and then he was resurrected.  This symbolism is expressed in Romans 6:4 where we read,

“4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Just like Jesus who died, our sins die when they are forgiven.  And just as Jesus was buried we are buried in baptism.  But remember, Jesus was raised from the dead with power from God, and this same power raises us up to walk a new and righteous life wherein we are freed from the bondage of sin.  More than that, baptism also places us in the Body of Christ, that is, His Church.  Again turning to the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 we observe that baptism does in fact deliver us into the one body,

“12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.  13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”

The significance of being in the body is stated in Ephesians 5:23 when it says that Jesus is the savior of the body,

“23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.”

From recent readings we have discovered the real urgency about baptism and the power that is brought to bear in our case.  First, there is forgiveness of sins.  Second, we are saved by baptism.  Third, we bury the sinful person in baptism and are raised a righteous person.  And fourth, we enter into the body of Christ which He has promised to save.  There remains just one question you must answer.  What are you waiting on?  The apostle Paul was asked this very question at the time of his conversion.  We read of this in Acts 22:16,

“16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

And so you must answer this question, too: what are you waiting on?  Be baptized and wash away the sins that will eternally damn your soul.  What possible reason could you have for not taking advantage of this offer to wipe the slate clean?  You must take advantage of this offer that the Lord extends to you because, as we read earlier, this plan is perfect and cannot be changed or improved upon, and there is no alternative plan.

Again, what are you waiting on?

Once we become a child of God we are now ready to enter into the service of the Lord.  We are now made into vessels of honor that He can use.  The way that we serve Him is to do those works that are beneficial to Him.  Paul, speaking to Titus, says in Titus 3:8,

“8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”

We then have a responsibility as children of God to produce good works.  In direct contrast to our former way of life, we are to live a life that is righteous and appropriate for a follower of God.  We are not permitted to return to the old way of life, but rather we must remain faithful to God.  Paul again speaking, this time to the church at Ephesus says in Ephesians 4:14-19 that we must be on guard to not be enticed or tricked back into the old way of life,

“14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;  15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:  16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.  17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,  18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:  19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.”

Life as a child of God truly is a new life, different from anything else we have experienced.  We are now given great opportunities to serve God that simply were not possible before our conversion.  How then do we serve God in this capacity?  In the letter addressed to the churches of Galatia we read that we are to coordinate our efforts to help one another.  Read from Galatians 6:2,

“2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

The outline of the fruit we are to bear is presented to us in Galatians 5:22-23 where the fruit of the Spirit is described,

“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Notice that the phrase is “fruit of the Spirit”.  The word “fruit” is singular; this tells us that this fruit is composed of the various elements enumerated here.  That is to say, the fruit of the Spirit is a composite fruit.  We must possess all of these characteristics in order to be fully productive. We may find it more difficult to possess some of these characteristics than others, but they are all essential to producing fruit that is pleasing to God.

When we are children of God we will naturally seek out others of like mind with which to share our way of life.  The scriptures are not only supportive and encouraging of this, but actually tell us to prefer the company of one another.  Paul instructs the church at Rome to seek the company and fellowship of others in the faith.  Look at Romans 12:10,

“10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;”

We are to love one another.  Clearly our association with fellow Christians is a special relationship that is not found anywhere else in the world.  Since the body of Christ is God-ordained, it is indeed a special organization.  And because it is authorized and defined by God, it is perfect, complete and fully capable of being the place of safety.

Are you a child of God?  Have you taken the steps described in the scriptures to be placed where you will be safe?  If you have not, then you need to seriously consider the condition of your soul.  As vehemently as Paul opposed the church, even he became convinced of the divinity of Jesus Christ and became obedient to the Gospel of Christ.  Paul became one of the strongest advocates for Christ for the remainder of his life.  Paul was asked the question, “What are you waiting on?”  Paul responded and was baptized.  Are you ready to begin your new life?  Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:2,

2 For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now [is] the accepted time; behold, now [is] the day of salvation.

Now is your opportunity to become a child of God by obeying the Gospel Plan of Salvation.

For more information about God’s plan of salvation, you may contact any of the people listed on the Congregations page of this website.  Or you can contact me:

Steve Bell
steve.bell@baptism.org