The Rudiments of Salvation
/Welcome to our series of articles about the Rudiments of Salvation. Over the next four weeks, we will be delving deeper into these foundational principles of salvation. This first article sets the context for what is to come.
The Rudiments of Salvation are key because there are many wrong ideas about salvation. Some are too lax and others are too convoluted. Others do not believe that salvation has anything to do with our lifestyle. We must believe that Christ is the Way to salvation. But mere belief is not enough. James 2:19 says, “even demons believe and tremble.” In this article we see that belief in Christ without appropriate action is not enough.
Basically, the path of salvation is found in four steps listed in Acts 2:38:
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptised 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.” (KJV)
If you’re already a believer you may thinking:
“But I already know all about salvation. Who doesn’t know Acts 2:38?!”
Well that’s true but, it's often a good thing to take a moment to look back. To reconnect with the foundations of our relationship with Yahusha and remind ourselves of just how important they are in our daily lives.
Salvation as Lentil Soup
Right now life is really really complicated, isn’t it?
If it’s not one thing, it’s another. There is the coronavirus going round. It’s flu season. Plus we’ve pretty much been separated from our friends and families for a whole year. Everyone is trying to keep up with their bills. Most can’t go on holiday because of lockdowns which have gone on longer than expected.
Things can seem so joyless sometimes. When this happens, my faith in Yahusha kicks in to keep me from drowning in sorrow. A still small voice reminds me to: Keep. It. Simple. And, get back to basics and find joy in Christ who is salvation. Incidentally, did you know that Christ’s Hebrew name (Yeshua / Yahusha) is literally the word salvation in scripture?
In these times, we need to think of things to provide comfort and nourishment like God and….lentil soup. The human mind can go off on tangents. But there is a reason. Stay with me on this.
When things feel tight and the weather is cold, you want to indulge in things that are uncomplicated and warming. Lentil soup is an easy, economical, and fast way of nourishing the body without meat (which can be heavy and expensive).
Lentils contain large amounts of protein, B vitamins, iron, fibre, and essential minerals. But they are also low in calories and fat. The Kitchn website has a four ingredient lentil soup recipe: red lentils, vegetables, water and oil. With these four items, one can have a fast nutritious meal that is not stressful to make, but filling and warming.
Lentils, while good for the body, by themselves do not provide emotional and spiritual comfort. Salvation or right relationship with God through Christ does. And like lentil soup, it is easy to access. It only takes four steps (Acts 2:38).
Repent
Be baptised
In the Name of Yahusha
Be filled with the Holy Spirit
The Nourishment of Salvation
Salvation provides nourishment for the body and soul for this life and the next through Christ. According to wordnik, an online dictionary says nourish is: to support; to maintain; to encourage; to foster; to cherish; to comfort; to educate; to nurture;
The Lord nourishes our mind, body and spirit. Salvation is the first step in obtaining all of the nourishment He gives. His goodness is immeasurable. Psalm 103 has a very good list of some of His blessings:
3 Who forgives all your sins,
Who heals all your diseases;
By following the steps in Acts, the emotional guilt of sin is removed as well as the psychological weight. Stressors like guilt, unforgiveness and resentment can make one ill in their body with colds, cancer, high blood pressure and other problems. Healing is one of the benefits that comes from knowing Yahuah; it begins with salvation.
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you [lavishly] with lovingkindness and tender mercy;
Following Christ and being filled with the Holy Spirit means that we are given the opportunity to become crowned in His righteousness.
I saw a lovely picture on pinterest that said, “never forget your invisible crown”. How inspiring! No one needs to feel inferior because they are, “too...”. Too old. Too young. Too broke. Too rich. Too quiet. Too loud. Too anything. The Lord accepts us. Paradoxically, by humbly submitting to and serving the King of Kings, we become kings ourselves. Christ did the same thing; see Phil 2:6-11.
5 Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the [soaring] eagle.
The Lord is the one to satisfy our years. He supplies our needs.
2 Peter 1:3 says that his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. So He takes the pressure rather than us! Knowledge of Christ through salvation can add years to your life!
6 The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all the oppressed.
AND
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in compassion and lovingkindness.
Both of these verses show His character and nature. He reveals it to us through the filling of His Holy Spirit.
13 Just as a father loves his children,
So the Lord loves those who fear and worship Him [with awe-filled respect and deepest reverence].
The Lord loves us. However, He is holy and will not tolerate sin in any form. So He changes us into the image of Christ through baptism. We exchange our old sinful nature for a holy, obedient and worshipful nature through baptism.
Staying focused on Scripture
But we humans complicate things. We think that the simple but essential things that Yahuah gives to us, like salvation are not enough. We pollute or corrupt them and miss out on the benefits
We may start to think salvation is not real or relevant in today’s world. For example, some faiths believe that salvation, Heaven and hell, and Jesus’ atonement for our sins are not pertinent to living. If one starts to follow this philosophy (and it is not a faith), then it is a form of returning to one’s old burdens that they had before salvation.
This is denying the comfort of salvation in Acts and returning to carrying the old baggage of sin!
We may also start to doubt the power of the person of the Holy Spirit. And lose our comfort as a result. If one begins to think like this, the instruction in Acts 2:38 would be impotent. We lose an important coping mechanism. This life and its issues would destroy us! John 14:26 (AMP) states: “But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things.”
We must take hold of all of Acts 2:38 to be filled with the Holy Spirit who enables us to stand and endure. This situation would be like swapping healthy lentil soup for a traditional British fry up with lentils instead of baked beans and calling it vegetarian!
No. For peace of mind, body and spirit, it’s best to focus on the benefits of salvation especially in these stressful times as described in the verses below:
“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Saviour] shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (AMP)
10 let it be known and clearly understood by all of you, and by all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you [demanded be] crucified [by the Romans and], whom God raised from the dead—in this name [that is, by the authority and power of Jesus] this man stands here before you in good health. Acts 4:10-12 (AMP)
11 This Jesus is the stone which was despised and rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief Cornerstone.
12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation].”
And how do we do this?!
By humbly and quietly following the path in Acts 2:38 its four steps:
Repent
Be baptised
In the Name of Yahusha
Be filled with the Holy Spirit
Just like making four ingredient lentil soup.
In these challenging times being reminded of the foundations of our salvation helps to give us nourishment for our mind and our soul.
As you search for moments of comfort in these difficult times then turn again to the rudiments of salvation as they come to you over the next few weeks.