Question: Can you comment on salvation?

    Answer: Our good question basically concerns commenting on the different extant views regarding man’s salvation. All the divergent views essentially can be reduced to three in number.

    Man merits salvation. Some religions and most cults advocate that man can save himself primarily by the performance of good works. Those who so believe view man as having the ability to rise to such a spiritual level to where God owes man salvation. Such a view is patently false (Tit. 3: 5; Eph. 2: 8, 9). Man’s salvation is not earned (Rom. 4: 1-11).

   Man’s salvation is wholly of God. The cry of many of the reformers was, "salvation is by grace alone, faith alone, and Christ alone." Those who believe this (most of the religious world) believe man is so depraved that he is totally helpless to participate in his salvation and that God does it all - without man (even faith is said to be directly given by God). According to the scriptures, this view is also fallacious (see the Book of Acts, Acts 2 ff.).

    Man’s salvation requires unworthy man’s participation. This view emphasizes God’s part but also makes man responsible and active in his salvation. Faith is said to be made possible by God (He provides the evidences, Jn. 20: 30, 31), but man must exercise himself in order to believe (Rom. 10: 17). God’s grace is so efficacious that man’s works of righteousness are dulled (Tit. 3: 5). However, man must accept God’s gift. This acceptance is man’s obedience (Heb. 5: 9). This is salvation by grace (God) through faith (man, Eph. 2: 8, 9).

    Beloved, the Bible refers to man’s salvation as great (Heb. 2: 3). Truth is often between the extremes. Man cannot merit salvation, but he is not simply a helpless victim.