LESSON TEN
CHRIST’S SALVATION

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that every one who believes into Him would not perish, but would have eternal life.

Rom. 5:10 For if we, being enemies, were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more we will be saved in His life, having been reconciled.

John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the people of the world that He gave His only begotten Son to them that they may have eternal life. In eternity God had a good pleasure, His heart’s desire, to be one with man, even to make man the same as He to be His species. Hence, in the creation of man He created man in His image and after His likeness for man to become a vessel to contain Him. The created Adam had God’s image and God’s likeness. Therefore, at the time of creation, the idea concerning a God-man was already there.

In the New Testament God came to regenerate man with Himself as life. John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, to those who believe into His name.” When we become children of God, we have God’s life and nature. That which is begotten must be the same as its begetter. There is no such thing as a cow giving birth to a donkey or a goat giving birth to a dog. God’s heart’s intent is to make us the same as He is that we may be exactly like Him not only in the inward image and the outward likeness but also in His life and nature.

God so loved the people of the world that He even wanted to make man the same as He is by His life. Yet man was seduced by Satan and became fallen by committing sin; thus, man violated the righteousness of God. Therefore, we see two things here: God’s love and God’s righteousness. According to His love, God wants to make man the same as He is. However, man sinned and violated God’s righteousness.

Therefore, all that God wants to do for man organically according to His life requires that God redeem the fallen sinners back judicially according to His righteous requirement. God’s righteousness requires that God redeem the sinners. It is as if God’s righteousness says to God, “O God, it is good that You love them, and it is also good that You desire to carry out many things in them organically. But You must first redeem them to satisfy the requirements of Your righteous law.” This is redemption. By redeeming the sinners judicially, God may freely do as He pleases by His life organically according to His heart’s desire. This is redemption. Thus, God’s complete salvation comprises the redemption required judicially and the salvation accomplished through God’s life organically.

THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S JUDICIAL REQUIREMENT
AS THE PROCEDURE AND THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF WHAT GOD
WANTS TO DO ORGANICALLY AS THE PURPOSE

In the complete salvation of God, what He does in the judicial aspect is the procedure, and what He does in the organic aspect is the purpose.

GOD’S JUDICIAL REQUIREMENT

In the aspect of procedure, that which God has fulfilled according to His judicial requirement is redemption, including forgiveness of sins, washing away of sins, justification, reconciliation to God, and positional sanctification. However, the complete salvation of God is not just this much. The first aspect of God’s complete salvation is the judicial aspect, all of these items are a matter of procedure, qualification, and position. The judicial aspect qualifies and positions us sinners to enter into the grace of God to enjoy the salvation which God has accomplished for us according to His life organically in the aspect of purpose (Rom. 5:10).

GOD’S ORGANIC SALVATION

The second aspect of God’s complete salvation is the aspect of purpose, which God has carried out by His life organically, including (1) regeneration, (2) shepherding, (3) sanctification in our disposition, (4) renewing in our mind, (5) transformation in our image, issuing in (6) God’s building, (7) conformation to the image of God’s firstborn Son, and (8) glorification, (Rom. 8:30). Whereas that which is accomplished judicially is the initial step as redemption with five items, that which is carried out organically is a further step as salvation, which is different from redemption and includes eight items. Redemption is accomplished judicially, whereas salvation is carried out organically. The eight items in the organic aspect issue in the church of God to constitute the Body of Christ which will consummate the New Jerusalem, which is the ultimate goal of God’s eternal economy, that is, an organism constituted with the processed Triune God and His regenerated, sanctified, transformed, and glorified elect joined and mingled as one to be the enlargement and expression of God in eternity.

Redemption as the judicial aspect cannot carry out the purpose of God’s salvation, because it is merely the procedure, not the purpose. For example, a cook spends a great amount of time cooking in the kitchen to prepare a feast. However, the cooking is not his purpose but merely a procedure. Later when the guests are invited to enjoy the feast, that is the purpose of the cooking. Likewise, in the salvation of God we should not remain in the aspect of procedure, the judicial aspect; rather, we should go on to the aspect of purpose, the organic aspect.

THE ROBE AND THE CALF IN LUKE 15 ILLUSTRATING
GOD’S JUDICIAL REQUIREMENT AND GOD’S ORGANIC SALVATION

Luke 15 speaks about a son who left home to wander abroad and became a prodigal son. One day the prodigal son clothed in rags returned home. Although he was still his father’s son, he appeared outwardly as a prodigal son. When he was still a long way off, his father saw him and ran to embrace and kiss him. Afterward, his father immediately ordered the slaves, saying, “Bring out quickly the best robe and put it on him.” When the son left home to wander abroad, he lost his status as a son and became a prodigal son. When the father put that robe upon him, he immediately became a son again. This refers to the judicial aspect of God’s salvation.

However, it is not sufficient merely to be clothed with the robe and become a son. At this time, on the one hand, the son was happy, but on the other hand, he must have said in his heart, “Father, what I need now is not to be clothed with a robe outside. I am not fed inside. I was feeding on carob pods for several years. Today I come back with an empty stomach. Please hurry and give me some food.” Perhaps the son was ashamed to say it, but the father went on to say, “Bring the fattened calf; slaughter it, and let us eat and be merry.” At that time the son must have been dancing with joy. After eating the fattened calf, the son was satisfied and no longer hungry. Hence, the robe signifies the judicial aspect of God’s salvation, and the calf signifies the organic aspect of God’s salvation.

THE NEED FOR CHRIST’S SALVATION

We are very knowledgeable concerning all the five items on the judicial side. We know that we are sinful and that when we repent, confess our sins before God, and believe in the Lord, we receive forgiveness of sins and our sins are washed away, we are justified by God that we may be reconciled to Him, and we are sanctified positionally. We know all these things. Hence, some people may say, “These five things are sufficient for us to go to heaven. God will never condemn us again. He has forgiven us forever, so we can live in peace.” Therefore, they preach the gospel to others, saying, “Just be at peace and rejoice by trusting in Jesus. Try to be a good person and try to help others, then one day you will go to heaven.” But the Bible says that this is not sufficient. In addition to the five items, the Bible covers another eight items: regeneration, shepherding, dispositional sanctification, renewing, transformation, building up, conformation, and glorification. We should not despise the five items on the judicial side, and even more we should not despise the eight items on the organic side. The former group of five items is the base, like the foundation of a house. We need to build the latter group of eight items on the foundation of the former group of five items that we may have a more thorough knowledge and more experience concerning the eight organic items. (The Organic Aspect of God’s Salvation, chs. 1-2)

References: The Organic Aspect of God’s Salvation, chs. 1-2