{"id":36025,"date":"2023-04-16T06:57:41","date_gmt":"2023-04-16T13:57:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/?p=36025"},"modified":"2026-07-04T19:32:48","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T02:32:48","slug":"a-biblical-perspective-on-salvation-that-ye-may-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/a-biblical-perspective-on-salvation-that-ye-may-know\/","title":{"rendered":"A Biblical Perspective on Salvation – “That Ye May Know . . .”"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By David Dombrowski<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No subject ever discussed can be more important and crucial in this life than the subject of salvation. This is what the citizens of Berea were discussing where it says in Acts 17:11, \u201cthey received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.\u201d The Bereans did two things right here in that their humble disposition motivated them with \u201creadiness\u201d to receive instruction, and they went to the Scriptures as the final authority on the subject. Notice the plural word \u201cscriptures\u201d is used as it is essential that Scripture be compared with Scripture in order to find out if \u201cthose things were so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although this may sound elementary (and it actually is), the sad reality is that human nature (in particular our sin nature) tends to be impulsive, and it is so easy to grab one verse, or maybe just one or two words, from the Bible and run with it, twisting and distorting it from its actual meaning in Scripture. For example, Jesus referred to Himself as \u201cthe bread of life\u201d (John 6:35), which was obviously a figure of speech. However, Jesus then emphasized the point by saying, \u201cFor my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed . . . he that eateth me, even he shall live by me\u201d (John 6:55,57). Even though Jesus then qualified His statement by saying, \u201cThis is that bread which came down from heaven\u201d (John 6:58), comparing Himself with manna, His disciples were already locked into a confusion, disputing amongst themselves what He could mean by His statements. The fact is, from a non-figurative perspective, partaking of human flesh was an unthinkable abomination, and the partaking of any kind of blood was forbidden in the Law.
Because of their great confusion, Jesus later explained to His disciples that (a) He would soon ascend to Heaven (John 6:62) making all He had said impossible in a physical sense, (b) that partaking of flesh \u201cprofiteth nothing\u201d (John 6:63), and (c) the words He had spoken, \u201cthey are spirit\u201d (John 6:63) (i.e., a figure of speech). Then, at the Last Supper, Jesus made it even clearer that He had been using a figure of speech by referring to the bread and wine as His body and blood (which obviously was impossible in a literal sense because He was still physically present) and then saying, \u201cthis do in remembrance of me\u201d (Luke 22:19) to signify that they were to remember His sacrifice on the Cross in this manner. Most unfortunately, the Catholic Church has turned this memorial into a very literal \u201csacrament of the Eucharist\u201d where participation in this sacrament is what saves you. Hence, we now have \u201canother gospel\u201d that is works based and therefore never for certain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, John Calvin did much the same thing, except in his case, he latched onto little more than a single word (predestinate) and ran with it. Then, rather than carefully looking to the whole of Scripture to verify his precepts and conclusions, he looked to the writings of Augustine to verify his thinking. The result is that, as with Catholicism, we now have \u201canother gospel\u201d that is not solely based on Scripture but on the confused thinking and misconstrued assumptions of a mere man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Calvin, rather than changing his views to fit Scripture, he changed the meaning of words in Scripture to fit his now distorted view of God and salvation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us, therefore, look to Scripture on the subjects pertaining to salvation. A good place to start is chapter 33 of Ezekiel where the very words of God, spoken through a prophet, reveal God\u2019s heart on the subject of repentance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Again, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them<\/em> from me. . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure<\/em> in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way<\/em> and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye<\/em> die, O house of Israel? . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[A]s for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness<\/em> . . . When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live<\/em>; if he trust to his own righteousness,<\/em> and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.<\/em> When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways. <\/em>(Ezekiel 33:1,7,11-13,17-20; emphasis added)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

For the sake of brevity, we have hopped from verse to verse in Ezekiel 33, but if you have suffered under the teaching of Calvinism, it would do you well to carefully read all of this portion of Scripture through the twentieth verse as this passage refutes Calvinism without Calvinists doing some very serious mental gymnastics in altering and twisting the meaning of words. The italicized portions especially reveal that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n