The Plan of Salvation

Our Creator, God the Father, purposed in His Son Jesus Christ the plan of salvation to redeem mankind from their fallen state. This plan of salvation was already in place before time began to reconcile us back to Himself and to restore our relationship with Him. God’s plan to redeem fallen man and restore our relationship with Him begins in the Book of Genesis 3:15. It is here we see a glimpse of His plan for the future of mankind which offers hope in the midst of judgment. God offers us hope through the first prophecy concerning the promise of a Messiah who was to come through the seed of women (Gen. 3:15). The first prophecy reveals the beginning of God’s plan of salvation as we see God Himself taking the initiative to reveal His plan to restore those in sin back to Himself. God in His great love for Adam and Eve took the initiative to cover their sins by shedding the blood of innocent animals and to provide them with animal skins to cover themselves. Under the first covenant or the old covenant the sacrifice of animals was a temporary covering for sin, but could not remove the sins of mankind. God gives us a clear picture or a fore shadow of the initiative God would take in providing the appropriate sacrifice for the sins of mankind. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die and shed His blood for the sins of mankind because the blood of animals could not take away our sins or remove our sins from us. The word of God in the book of Hebrews 10:4, tells us, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.”

The plan of salvation through Jesus Christ was His plan even before time began, before anything that was made was made. In the book of Titus we learn of the plan of salvation before the beginning of time, as it is stated in Titus 1:1-2, “accord to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;” And again in the book of 2 Timothy 1:8-10, the apostle Paul says to Timothy, “ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” The plan of salvation in Christ alone was before the foundation of the world before time began (Eph.1:4; 1 Pet.1:20). In the book of Genesis we see the first prophesy concerning the Messiah who would eventual reveal the plan of salvation. It is here in the Book of Genesis that we see clear imagery, symbolic of our redemption in Christ, in which we would see eventually take place in Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is the good news for mankind that God sent is Son Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, who was impregnated by the Holy Spirit of God to redeem fallen man. Jesus Christ the Son of God came to earth in the likeness of mankind and lived among us taking the form of a bondservant (Phil. 2:7). He grew up and lived a perfect and sinless life to die on a cross for us, shedding His blood for our sins of mankind (Heb 4:15). He became our substitute sacrifice on the cross taking our place to redeem us and provide the atonement to restore and reconcile us to God. In Hebrews 9:12, “Not with the blood of goats and calve, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” And again in Hebrews 9:15, “And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” We must be listening to hear His call to come to Him to receive His forgiveness for our sins and eternal salvation. We must choose to accept His sacrificial death on the cross and the shedding of His blood for our sins to receive His forgiveness and eternal life. Having accepted God’s provision in Jesus Christ our Savior we receive the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life. When we accept His sacrifice as our Savior, we make Him not only our Savior, but also Lord of our lives. We must continue our relationship with Him as the Lord of our lives and walk in obedience to His word. We must live a life of continual surrender yielded to His Lordship out of an intimate relationship with Him. Do you here Him calling you? Will you accept what He done for you, or will you reject Him and His offer of forgiveness and salvation?