The True Source of Salvation

2 Peter 1:1 - Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

Second Peter is a warning against false prophets, yet Peter starts the book out with a look at truth to battle the false teachings. The first area he chooses to cover is our salvation.

Peter knows how important it is for these believers to remember the true source of their salvation. And that source is the Lord Jesus Christ. Sadly enough, this is one truth we are losing even in the church today. I remember the outrage seven or eight years back when Oprah said on national television that there were many ways to get to heaven, yet today we argue the point less and less in the name of tolerance. We hate to ever tell anyone their way is wrong, yet it was Jesus who said:

John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Peter wants to remind his readers the true source of their salvation, it’s not coming from any other gods, it’s not coming from the good things we do, and it’s not coming from how much of the law we keep. Salvation is found in the person of Jesus Christ. And if salvation is found through Jesus Christ, how do we obtain it? Peter reminds his reader of that as well. They have obtained it, other translations tell us they have received it. Salvation was a gift that was given to them, in the same way it’s given to us today. There is a story that illustrates this gift that I have always loved:

During the Spanish-American War, Clara Barton was overseeing the work of the Red Cross in Cuba.

One day Colonel Theodore Roosevelt came to her, wanted to buy food for his sick and wounded Rough Riders. But she refused to sell him any. Roosevelt was perplexed. His men needed the help and he was prepared to pay out of his own funds. When he asked someone why he could not buy the supplies, he was told, "Colonel, just ask for it!" A smile broke over Roosevelt's face. Now he understood--the provisions were not for sale. All he had to do was simply ask and they would be given freely.

We do not have to pay for our salvation, it is completely a gift, a free given gift, and a gift we can’t give an equal gift back. Paul wrote:

Ephesians 2: 8-9 - 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation, it’s why the idea of purgatory has to be wrong, because after just one sin, it would take us an eternity to pay off the debt we owe.

This truth is as important today as it was in Peter’s time. It’s easy sometimes to fall in the “we are better than they are boat” or the “just look at those filthy sinners boat”. Yet every time we see one of these situations we should remember that we are no better, only better off because of a free gift given to us.

Finally how does salvation work? Peter explains that as well: “through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ”. Christ’s righteousness was imputed onto us, and our sins were imputed onto him. In other words Christ gave us his righteousness, and he took our sins.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 - 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;  19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Or a great passage describing this in the Old Testament:

Isaiah 61:10 - I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Peter wanted us to understand our salvation. Today, do we?