Systematic Theology II Salvation

Kyoungyoun Min November 5, 2013

1. Doctrinal Salvation Gods irresistible Grace and corporate Call (unconditional election and limited atonement). When we deal with salvation in theological view, it is very important to have the comprehensive understanding of the Bible. In particular, when dealing with the salvation, we find God promised what will happen to the elected people and he shows his irresistible Grace to his chosen people. We can take an example in Exodus 33. When Israel was suffering from hard labor and was in trouble in Egypt, God remembered his promise to Abraham and he planned to bring them out of Egypt and lead to the Promised Land. However, the Israelites committed the great sin against God. It was that they made the golden calf to worship it while Moses went up to meet God due to commandment. After that, God was angry with them and said to Moses of how he was angry. So Moses reminded him of his unconditional election for Moses Moses said to the LORD, You have been telling me, Lead these people, but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, I know you by name and you have found favor with me, (Exodus 33:12). After Moses intercession, God said I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion, in Exodus 33: 19. Here God said I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion, which tells that Gods irresistible grace and limited atonement only for Israelites of salvation, although they are stiff- necked people according to the description of God. According to Calvin, sin has affected all parts of man such as mind, emotions, will and heart ( total depravity). People are totally sinful. Romans 6:20 says that Man is a slave of sin, Roman 3: 23 says that for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. However, God plans to save his people. God does not base his election on anything. He chooses the elect according to his intention without any condition. Jesus died only for the elect. And when God calls his elect to salvation, they cannot resist, which is called irresistible Grace, John 1:12-13 where being born again not by mans will, but Gods. 2. Human experience and individual call as a warning In the Bible, some verses appear to imply that the person who was once saved could lose the salvation, or people can choose the salvation (Matthew 25: 1-13; ten virgins). However, it should not go beyond the character of warning. Such scriptures should be interpreted in context and they must not be generalized as a theory of salvation. For it has possibility to cause question of a apostasy. So it is appropriate to use them on the purpose of pastoral need. 3. Salvation in time line The power of future already broke in through the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus has completed the Salvation. However also salvation has not completed yet, the time when Jesus comes again will be the last day and will have completed Salvation in timeline. Now Christians live in the last days and they experience the shadow of future through the Holy Spirit such as healing of body but in time and space area, but they have not finished their salvation. Therefore, Christian has tension between already salvation and not yet salvation.