SALVATION

Why is there this need for salvation... and from what?

The greatest danger we face in life is the holy wrath of God against our sin. But the glory of the gospel is that the One from whom we need to be saved is the very One who saves us.
   ~ R. C. Sproul 

For a great many people, this “concept” of needing salvation is very alien and inconceivable because they perceive nothing wrong or dangerous in their lives and have limited awareness, if any, of eternity or spiritual matters.
But as an example of impending danger... if a jet taking off from the airport were losing altitude and heading straight for you in your house, you would need to be saved, but you wouldn't know it unless someone came running in there and shouted what was about to happen. So one can see that "feeling" safe is no proof that one is safe at all.
Man desperately needs salvation but does not feel the danger at all.

For some, success has never been more promising while for others, this is all there is. “It is what it is" and then we die. Both those with all the wealth of the world along with those in abject poverty, as well as all in between will die. But for those who are NOT saved, it is a death beyond cessation of bodily function. It is eternal, tormented separation from God in the suffering torture of hell. Man’s current state of separation from God is his present condemnation of death.

And that is one reason why we need salvation – from DEATH!
We were created, not evolved, to be in eternal fellowship and close communion with God. In fact, our souls are eternal. The definition of death is “separation from God” ...Who IS life. So we are born dead... spiritually separated from God, and no hope of escaping the punishment due all who have rebelled against God – eternal HELL; which was established for satan and his angels/devils; and now for everyone who is born into the sin of Adam, which is disobedience and rebellion. Are we born disobedient? Yes, we are born Adamic, that is, we are born as enemies of God. This is what satan introduced to God’s perfect world and it fell into ruin and corruption (depravity, perversion, immorality, debasement, degeneracy, dishonor).

And that brings us to reason #2... God SO LOVED the world that He was not going to leave it (and us) in ruin. He wanted to restore it to an even greater GLORY so, He gave His only begotten Son.

John 3:16-19
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

G O D
has provided salvation from death and sin

HOW?
God nailed His only Son to the cross where you and I should have been, dumped all your sins (and mine) in Him Who was SINLESS, He died a brutal death as we should have, and was buried. He went to hell and defeated death, satan, sin, and hell by His own power and authority. After 3 days He resurrected with eternal life, as we do, figuratively, out of the baptismal water.
2 Cor. 15:1-4
For I delivered unto you first of all that Gospel which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures 

Salvation is all of GOD and from GOD, accomplished in the Lord Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. So, we must be born again... die (crucified) to Adam and alive again in Christ Who is our life. And then baptized by and in the Holy Spirit. And then we grow into a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

So, God has done all for the redemption of man and creation, in Jesus Christ, Who was the incarnate Jehovah, God the Son, Who voluntarily submitted to death so that He might destroy the power of death and sin and satan, once, for all who accept His personal sacrifice. Jesus is now glorified at the right hand of God, Lord and Savior, and King; and all the fullness of the Godhead is pleased to dwell in Him that He might fill all in all.

That in a nutshell is what God has done for you and me. Now, what will we do for God? Well, we must grow up into a mature man manifesting an image of Jesus Christ to the world every day, not just Sunday mornings.

The New Testament epistles are about living the Christian life by the will of God in the Holy Spirit. But there are some who profess to be Christian who will not accept certain commandments and instructions of several scriptures, and although God has done all He can for them, they will not do all they should for Him.

Too bad

Besides the judgment on the world, there is also a judgment for God’s people. Oh we might have escaped the fires of hell, but we have an accountability to God as His children. There would be no discipline if we did not NEED discipline.
Why are children disciplined? Because they are disobedient, rebellious, contrary, defiant, stubborn, inflexible, willful, lazy... the list goes on. Oh... I’m proud too.

CHRISTIAN RESPONSIBILITY

In no particular order...

 Rom. 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

2 Tim. 3:16-17
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

 “Doctrine”  --  what is right 

        “Reproof”  --  what is not right 

  “Correction”  --  how to get right

    “Instruction”  --  how to keep right

~Randall Amos, “The Church”

Ephesians 4:11-16
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 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; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

2 Corinthians 13:5
Test and evaluate yourselves to see whether you are in the faith and living your lives as believers. Examine yourselves! Do you not recognize by an ongoing experience that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you fail the test and are rejected as counterfeit?

1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Everyone who competes for the prize exercises self-control in all things. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection.

1 Peter 1:3
His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.

John 14:23
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Colossians 2:7
Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Ephesians 3:17-19
That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height; to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Colossians 3:17
And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Philippians 3:10
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection

Ephesians 1:17-18
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

2 Peter 1:5-9
Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance,
to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is blind

Philippians 3:14
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 5:16
Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.