D. Salvation The doctrine of salvation is also known as soteriology . Christ came to earth to save people from the penalty of sin. People are like lost sheep, and Christ is the Good Shepherd who calls them back to the security of life with him. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10 NIV). 1. Saved by Grace Through Faith We saved when we are born of the Spirit (see John 3:5-7). Apart from faith in Christ, we are spiritually dead. When we believe in Jesus, we receive the Holy Spirit, which regenerates our spirit. So through faith, we are spiritually born again. John 3:5 says that in order to enter the kingdom of God, one must be born of the Spirit and of water. Ryrie summarizes various interpretations of the meaning of water in John 3:5. If this means water baptism, it seems to contradict other Scripture (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8,9). This is discussed in more detail in the module Pastoral Ministry under the topic of baptism. Possible meanings of water in John 3:5 include 1. One’s physical birth (compare with John flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Sprit gives birth to spirit (NIV).
