[i]What should I do? The doctrine of salvation

• Salvation is a central tenet of Christianity, raising key questions: Are there multiple paths to salvation? Is salvation achieved by faith or works? Can a believer lose their salvation?
• The Bible provides clear answers, but understanding requires thorough study of its teachings in their full context.
• There are no contradictions in the Bible; apparent inconsistencies must be examined within the broader scriptural narrative.
• Also, it very important to understand the danger of relying on single bible verse without looking at background , context and massage of the whole bible.
• This text explains the doctrine of salvation, focusing on Jesus as the only way, the roles of faith and works, the necessity of baptism, and perseverance to the end, offering practical steps to apply this doctrine to one’s life.

Jesus is the only way to salvation

• The Bible unequivocally teaches that Jesus is the sole path to God and eternal life.
• John 14:6 (NIV): “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
• This excludes alternative paths to salvation.
• Acts 4:12 (NIV): “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
• Jesus’ name is uniquely authoritative for salvation. 1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV): “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
• Jesus is the sole mediator. John 10:9 (NIV): “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.”
• Jesus is the exclusive entry point to salvation. Matthew 11:27 (NIV): “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Jesus uniquely reveals the Father.

  Jesus is the only Saviour

• Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for humanity’s sins, demonstrating God’s love.
• John 3:16 (NIV): “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
• Faith in Jesus is the key to salvation. John 3:18 (NIV): “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
• Belief determines one’s eternal destiny. John 3:36 (NIV): “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”
• Rejection of Jesus incurs divine judgment. Romans 5:8 (NIV): “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
• Christ’s death is the ultimate expression of love. Romans 6:23 (NIV): “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Salvation is a gift through Christ’s work.
• These verses confirm Jesus as the only Saviour, whose death and resurrection secure eternal life, akin to a firefighter rescuing someone from a fire.
• Jesus’ role as Saviour is unique because only, He, as both God and man, could bear the infinite penalty of sin, satisfying divine justice while extending mercy.

 Jesus is the only way to eternal life

• Jesus promises eternal life to those who believe in Him. John 5:24 (NIV): “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
• Faith in Jesus grants immediate eternal life. John 6:35 (NIV): “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’”
• Jesus satisfies spiritual needs permanently. John 8:12 (NIV): “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
• Following Jesus ensures spiritual illumination. John 11:25-26 (NIV): “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”
• Belief in Jesus overcomes physical and spiritual death. 1 John 5:11-12 (NIV): “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
• Eternal life is exclusively in Jesus. These verses link eternal life solely to Jesus, like water essential for physical life.

Jesus is the only mediator between God and man

• Through His death on the cross, Jesus became the sole mediator reconciling humanity to God. Hebrews 7:25 (NIV): “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”  Jesus’ ongoing intercession ensures complete salvation. Colossians 1:19-20 (NIV): “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
• Christ’s blood effects universal reconciliation. John 1:29 (NIV): “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’”
• Jesus is the universal sin-bearer. 1 John 2:2 (NIV): “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
• His sacrifice is sufficient for all. Romans 8:34 (NIV): “Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Jesus’ resurrection and intercession secure believers’ standing.
• Jesus’ mediation, like a lawyer bridging the gap between judge and accused, is unique due to His divine-human nature.

Jesus is the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies

• Salvation through Jesus fulfils Old Testament prophecies, confirming His role as the promised Messiah.
• Isaiah 53:5 (NIV): “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
• Jesus’ suffering atones for sin. Psalm 118:22 (NIV): “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”
• Jesus, rejected by many, is central to God’s plan. Genesis 3:15 (NIV): “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
• Jesus defeats Satan through His redemptive work. Isaiah 9:6 (NIV): “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
• Jesus embodies divine attributes. Micah 5:2 (NIV): “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel.”
• Jesus’ birth fulfils messianic prophecy. These prophecies show Jesus as the culmination of God’s redemptive plan, like an architectural plan realized in a completed building.
• The Old Testament’s messianic promises (e.g., Isaiah 7:14, Daniel 7:13-14) form a cohesive narrative that Jesus fulfils, validating His unique role in salvation history.

Jesus is the one who brings salvation

• Through His death and resurrection, Jesus is the source of salvation.
• Titus 3:5-6 (NIV): “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.”
• Salvation is by God’s mercy, not human merit. Hebrews 9:28 (NIV): “So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
• Christ’s work ensures future salvation. Galatians 2:20 (NIV): “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”
• Believers’ lives are transformed through union with Christ. 1 Peter 1:3 (NIV): “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
• Resurrection secures hope. Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV): “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
• Jesus’ path, though challenging, leads to life. Jesus is the sole source of salvation, like a narrow path to a mountain’s summit.

Salvation is only by the blood of Jesus

• Jesus’ blood, shed on the cross, is the sole means of forgiveness and salvation. Hebrews 9:22 (NIV): “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
• Blood atonement is essential. Ephesians 1:7 (NIV): “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” Redemption is through Christ’s sacrifice. Romans 5:9 (NIV): “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”
• Justification protects from judgment.
• Revelation 5:9 “And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.’”
• Christ’s blood redeems universally. 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NIV): “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed… but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”
• Christ’s blood is uniquely valuable. Hebrews 10:19 (NIV): “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus.”
• His blood grants access to God. Colossians 1:20 (NIV): “And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
• Reconciliation is through the cross. Acts 20:28 (NIV): “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”
• The church is purchased by Christ’s blood. 1 John 1:7 (NIV): “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
• Purification is ongoing through Christ’s blood. Revelation 7:14 (NIV): “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
• The blood cleanses believers for eternity. Jesus’ blood, like a fine paid to free a defendant, liberates humanity from sin’s penalty.
• The blood motif, rooted in Old Testament sacrificial systems (Leviticus 17:11), finds ultimate fulfilment in Christ’s perfect, once-for-all sacrifice, distinguishing Christianity from works-based systems.

  How do we receive the benefit of Jesus’ blood?

• Salvation is received through faith in Jesus, not by works of the law. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV): “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.”
• Salvation is a divine gift. Romans 3:28 (NIV): “For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”
• Justification is by faith alone. Galatians 2:16 (NIV): “Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.”
• Faith in Christ is the sole basis for justification. John 3:16 (NIV): “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
• Belief secures eternal life. John 5:24 (NIV): “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
• Faith grants immediate salvation. Acts 16:31 (NIV): “They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved you and your household.”
• Faith is the condition for salvation. Romans 5:1 (NIV): “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
• Faith brings reconciliation. Romans 10:9 (NIV): “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
• Confession and belief ensure salvation. Philippians 3:9 (NIV): “And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”
• Righteousness is imputed through faith. Galatians 3:11 (NIV): “Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because ‘the righteous will live by faith.’”
• Faith, not law, justifies. Salvation is a gift received through faith, like accepting a gift without earning it.
• The emphasis on faith counters legalistic systems (e.g., Judaism, Islam), where salvation is earned. Faith in Christ trusts His completed work, not human effort.

Faith and Works Together

• While faith is necessary for salvation, good works demonstrate its authenticity. James 2:24 (NIV): “You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.”
• Works validate faith. James 2:17 (NIV): “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
• Inactive faith is ineffective. Matthew 7:21 (NIV): “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
• Obedience reflects true faith. Philippians 2:12 (NIV): “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”
• Salvation is lived out through obedience. Romans 2:6-7 (NIV): “God ‘will repay each person according to what they have done.’ To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, he will give eternal life.”
• Works reflect a heart oriented toward God. Hebrews 5:9 (NIV): “And, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”
• Obedience is integral to salvation’s outworking. Matthew 25:34-36 (NIV): “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.’”
• Deeds reflect faith’s fruit. 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NIV): “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
• Actions face divine evaluation. Revelation 20:12 (NIV): “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened… The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.”
• Deeds are assessed, reflecting faith. Revelation 22:12 (NIV): “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.”
• Rewards correspond to actions. Good works are not the source of salvation but evidence of genuine faith, like a tree producing good fruit.
• The faith-works tension, debated since the Reformation, is resolved by recognizing faith as the root and works as the fruit,

Baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit are necessary for salvation

• Baptism is an essential step in accepting salvation, symbolizing cleansing and new birth. Mark 16:16 (NIV): “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
• Belief and baptism are linked to salvation. John 3:5 (NIV): “Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”
• Baptism and Spirit’s work are essential. Acts 2:38 (NIV): “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
• Baptism accompanies repentance and Spirit’s gift. Acts 22:16 (NIV): “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.”
• Baptism enacts forgiveness. 1 Peter 3:21 (NIV): “And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.”
• Baptism signifies a transformed conscience. Romans 6:3-4 (NIV): “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead, we too may live a new life.”
• Baptism unites believers with Christ’s death and resurrection. Galatians 3:27 (NIV): “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
• Baptism signifies union with Christ. Colossians 2:12 (NIV): “Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.”
• Baptism reflects resurrection faith. Matthew 28:19 (NIV): “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
• Baptism is Trinitarian and universal. Titus 3:5 (NIV): “He saved us because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
• Baptism is a means of regeneration. Ephesians 5:25-26 (NIV): “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word.”
• Baptism sanctifies through the word. Hebrews 10:22 (NIV): “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart… having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
• Baptism purifies body and soul. Acts 10:47-48 (NIV): “‘Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.’ So, he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.”
• Baptism follows Spirit’s reception. Acts 8:36-38 (NIV): “As they travelled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?’… Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.”
• Baptism is an immediate response to faith. Baptism, like bathing cleansing the body, purifies the soul through faith.

Repentance and faithfulness to the end

• Salvation requires ongoing repentance and perseverance in faith. Matthew 24:13 (NIV): “But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
• Endurance is critical. Revelation 2:10 (NIV): “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.”
• Faithfulness yields eternal reward. Hebrews 3:14 (NIV): “We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.”
• Perseverance confirms participation in Christ. Luke 9:62 (NIV): “Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the Plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’”
• Commitment must be unwavering. Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV): “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
• Perseverance pursues the divine goal. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV): “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord will award to me on that day.”
• Faithfulness earns eternal reward. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV): “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.”
• Steadfastness ensures fruitful labour. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV): “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
• Perseverance focuses on Jesus. James 1:12 (NIV): “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”
• Endurance under trial brings reward. Revelation 3:5 (NIV): “The one who is victorious will be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.”
• Victory ensures eternal security. Salvation requires persistent faith and repentance, like running a marathon to reach the finish line.

What Should I Do? Practical Steps to Salvation

To obtain salvation and live out this doctrine, follow these biblical steps:

• Believe in Jesus as your Saviour: Accept Jesus as the only way to God (John 14:6, NIV)  Believe He died and rose for your sins (Romans 10:9).
• Express this faith in prayer, confessing sins and seeking forgiveness, e.g., “Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God and my Saviour, forgive my sins and give me eternal life.”
• Repent of your sins: Repentance involves a change of heart and turning from sin (Acts 2:38).Seek God’s strength to overcome specific sins.
• Get baptised with water: Baptism symbolizes cleansing and new birth (Mark 16:16). Contact a local church to arrange baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
• Live by faith and good works: Demonstrate faith through deeds like helping the needy and obeying God’s commands (James 2:17).
• Continue to repent and persevere: Maintain a relationship with God through prayer, Bible reading, and perseverance (Matthew 24:13). Confess and repent immediately upon sinning (1 John 1:9, NIV: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.”). Set daily time for prayer and Bible study.
• Join a community of believers: Join a Bible-believing church for worship and support (Hebrews 10:25, NIV: “Not giving up meeting together… but encouraging one another.”). and Attend weekly church services.
• These steps integrate belief, repentance, sacraments, and community, reflecting a holistic Christian life. They counter self-reliant or individualistic approaches to salvation, emphasizing reliance on Christ and communal support.

 Conclusion

• The doctrine of salvation is clear: Jesus is the only way to salvation (John 14:6).
• His blood forgives sins (Hebrews 9:22), and faith in Him is essential (Ephesians 2:8-9).
• Good works demonstrate true faith (James 2:17), and baptism is a vital step (Mark 16:16).
• Perseverance in repentance and faith to the end is required (Matthew 24:13).
• To apply this, believe in Jesus, repent, be baptized, live by good works, and persevere in faith.
• Following this path, God promises eternal life and peace (Romans 5:1).

[i] https://st-takla.org/Full-Free-Coptic-Books/His-Holiness-Pope-Shenouda-III-Books-Online/33-El-Khalas-Fel-Mafhoum-El-Orsozoksy/Salvation-in-the-Orthodox-Concept-00-index.html in Arabic