THE DOCTRINE OF SIN AND SALVATION

A Look At God's Word by Gary Ray Branscome

    “Whom shall he make to understand doctrine? … For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little” (Isaiah 28:9-10).

    In order to understand the doctrine God has given us in His Word it is important to realize that God intended for the actual words of Scripture to be our doctrine. People who read the Bible without understanding that key fact are often so busy looking for some “principle” behind what is said that they fail to grasp what is being said.
    To better illustrate how the words of Scripture can be our doctrine, I have selected a number of passages that relate to seven key events in Bible history. I realize that there are many more passages that I could have chosen, however, the ones that I did select reveal not only the spiritual significance of those seven historical events, but also how those events relate to each other and to God’s plan of salvation.

GOD'S CREATION OF THE WORLD

"In six days The Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day."(Exodus 20:11)
"God hath made man upright"(Ecclesiastes 7:29).
"God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them."(Genesis 1:27).
"And God saw every thing that He had made, and behold it was very good." (Genesis 1:31). From the above passages we learn that man was originally good.

THE FALL OF MAN

"And The Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17).
"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." (Genesis 3:6).
"And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image," (Genesis 5:3).
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Romans 5:12).
"Behold I was shaped in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." (Psalm 51:5).
"The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies." (Psalm 58:3).
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that does good, no, not one" (Romans 3:10-12, Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3).
"Their throat is as an open sepulcher." (Psalm 5:9).
"They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders poison is under their lips." (Psalm 140:3).
"Whose mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: whose tongue is mischief and vanity." (Psalm 10:7).
"Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they know not; and their is no justice in their goings: they have made them crooked paths:" (Isaiah 59:7-8).
"There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Psalm 36:1, Romans 3:13-18).
"Every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart is only evil continually." (Genesis 6:5, and 8:21).
"For there is not a just man upon the earth, that does good, and sins not." (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
"There is no man that sins not." (1 Kings 8:46).
"We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags:" (Isaiah 64:6).
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23).
"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8).
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). (See Matthew 15:19, and Mark 7:21) From the above passages we learn that man is now sinful.

THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF CHRIST

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew 1:18).
"The angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."(Luke 1:35).
"Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of The Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." (Matthew 1:22-23).
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6).
"Behold the days come, saith The Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth. In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, Jehovah Our Righteousness." (Jeremiah 23:5-6).
"But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting." (Micah 5:2). From the above passages we learn that Christ is both true man born of a virgin and also true God, Jehovah incarnate.

CHRIST'S DEATH ON THE CROSS

"Then delivered he Him therefore unto them to be crucified, And they took Jesus, and led Him away. And He bearing His cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha: Where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst." (John 19:16-18).
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received,... how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:1-3).
"He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.... for the transgression of my people He was stricken.... He shall bear their iniquities."(Isaiah 53:4-11).
"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."(John 1:29).
"God commends His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."(Romans 5:8-10).
"If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7).
"These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb," (Revelation 7:14).
"In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." (Ephesians 2:3)
"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son , that whosoever believeth 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." (John 3:16-17) From the above passages we learn that because Christ died for our sins His blood cleanses us from all sins, thereby making us pure perfect and righteous in the sight of God.

CHRIST'S RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD

"Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. And they entered in and found not the body of Jesus. And it came to pass as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold two men stood beside them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here but is risen:"(Luke 24:1-6).
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel... 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." (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
"Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification." (Romans 4:25).
"Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it." (Acts 2:24).
"O Lord, Thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit."(Psalm 30:3).
"But Thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them."(Psalm 41:10).
"If Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain; ye are yet in your sins." (1 Corinthians 15:17).
"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:20-22). From the above passages we learn that Christ rose from the dead in victory over sin death and the devil, and that because He lives we shall live also.

CHRIST'S ASCENSION UNTO HEAVEN

Because He has ascended unto heaven Christ:

1- Has sent the Holy Ghost into the world.
"It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement:... He shall glorify me."(John 16:7-8 &14).
The work of the Holy Ghost is a doctrine which fits in at this point, but because of its length I will not include it here. In short the Holy Ghost caused the Bible to be written and through it brings people to repentance and faith in Christ. (2 Peter 1:21, 1 Cor. 12:3, Romans 10:17)

2- Lives to make intercession for us.
"Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us."(Romans 8:34).
"If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;" (1 John 2:1).
"Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive:" (Psalm 68:18).

3- Will return again.
"And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven."(Acts 1:10-11).

CHRIST'S RETURN TO JUDGE THE WORLD

"Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven unto the other."(Matthew 24:30-31).
"For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ: that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."(2 Corinthians 5:10).
"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." (Romans 14:12). (See John 5:25-29, Matthew 25:31-46)
"Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed." (Romans 10:11)
"Every one who sees the Son, and believes on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:40,44,54).
"I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." (John 11:24).
"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with a fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."(2 Peter 3:10).
"And I saw the dead small and great, stand before God: and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.... And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast in the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:12-14).
"And now little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming." (1 John 2:28).
"Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed." (Romans 9:33).

SCRIPTURE ALONE

God wants us to teach what the Bible actually says, not opinions about what it says. In order to eliminate error from our doctrine we must eliminate the human element and teach what the Bible actually says.