“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”Romans 10:8-10 NKJV
What is SOTERIA (Sozo)?
Soteria is actually a word from the Greek language. It means SALVATION.
A study of the Bible shows that even before Christ came into the world virtually every time salvation is talked about, God is often the reference point. So you will notice such phrases as
The God of my/our salvation
The horn of my salvation
The tower of my salvation
The Rock of my salvation
The strength of my salvation
This shows us that even in the Old Testament, whenever salvation is desired or sought, man looked to the Living God.
However, in the New Testament it must be observed that salvation by God is offered through His Son, Jesus Christ - Acts 4:12, Rom 1:16, 1Thess 5:9
Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 NKJV)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. (Romans 1:16 NKJV)
For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,(I Thess 5:9 NKJV)
HOW TO EXPERIENCE SOTERIA - Rom 10:8-10
The roles of Christ and the Sinner/Saint
- Christ's Finished Works - Phil 2:5-9,
- Heart Belief - Rom 10:8-10
- Mouth Confession -Rom 10:8-10
- Satan's role?
Basically, the devil's role is to serve as an adversary (opponent). Often, his tools are either thoughts (2Cor 10:3-5) or people ( Simon - Acts 8; Barjesus - Acts 14 ).
AIDS TO SALVATION
- Prayer/Intercession
- Spiritual Atmosphere
- Evangelism/Witnessing/
THE BENEFITS OF SALVATION - Heb 6:9
The salvation God offers to every man, in every nation and every generation comes at the expense of our Lord, Jesus Christ. However, this salvation plan offers a lot of benefits. Uninformed believers have thought salvation through Christ Jesus is only to guarantee our safe passage from this sinful world into heaven. However, a study of God's plan through God's word portray a much broader package.
There are several benefits of salvation. These include Salvation from
1. Sin - Matt 1:21, 1Tim 1:15
But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21 NKJV)
2. Death - Heb 2:14-15
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:14-15 NKJV)
3. Satan's control - Is 14:16-17
4. Poverty
5. Eternal damnation - John 3:16-17, Luke 19:10
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17 NKJV)
6. Ignorance - Is 5:13-14, John 8:31-36
7. Sickness and Disease - Matt 8:16-17, Is 53:3-5, 1Pet 2:24
When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.” (Matthew 8:16-17 NKJV)
who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness— by whose stripes you were healed. (I Peter 2:24 NKJV)
SALVATION IN LEVELS
- spirit - Rom 10:8-10
The salvation of the spirit is what a person experiences when he/she gives her life to Jesus Christ. At the fall of man in the garden of Eden, it was the spirit of man that was disconnected from the life of God (see Gen 1:26). So when man is saved it is his human spirit that is reconnected back to his Maker/Creator.
- soul - 1Pet 1:9, James 1:21, Rom 12:1-2
After salvation through Christ Jesus, the Christian needs to feed on God's word in order to align with God again, in thinking and mentality. So, as the Christian feeds on God word his soul is gradually and progressively saved, delivered from the system of thinking he/she had hitherto embraced in the world. The way of thinking with regard to life, money, opposite sex, authority, relationships, etc.
- see James 1:21
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21 NKJV)
- body
As for our human bodies, there is no salvation plan for our earthly bodies. From Scripture, there is only a replacement plan - see 1 Cor 15:35-54
THE CONCEPT OF ONCE-SAVED-FOREVER-SAVED
- What the Bible says - Acts 17:29-31, Heb 10:26-29, 31-39,
Pst. Tunji AKINOLA (Senior Pastor)
International House of His Presence
Port Harcourt
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