What is salvation? Well, salvation is a new spiritual birth. You remember the story of Nicodemus, who came to Jesus by night there in John chapter three, “Jesus answered, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” And then He says in verse seven, “Marvel not that I say to you, you must be born again.” Is he talking about baptism? No. Jesus actually said, “Are you the teacher of Israel?” Use the definite article. You are the preeminent teacher in Israel “and you don’t know these things?“

What should Nicodemus have known? Well, he should have known Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Ezekiel 36 about the new covenant. “I will pour clean water on you, and you will be clean.” In Ephesians five, Jesus Christ “gave Himself” for us, “that He might wash us and cleanse us with the washing of the water of His word.” John chapter four — the Woman at the well, living water. John chapter seven — during the feast of Tabernacles, Jesus stands up and cries out and says, “If anyone thirst, let him come to Me and drink…” “…out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.” And then John adds in parentheses, “this He spoke of the spirit which was not yet given, because Christ was not yet crucified.” So, it’s a new spiritual birth. 2nd Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; all things become new.”

And what are these new things? Well, you have a list of at least five of them.

  1. We have a new position before God. Because of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Our old position has gone. 1st Corinthians 12:13, “By one Spirit we have all been baptized into one body.” So we have a new position.
  2. Secondly, we have new life. That’s because of regeneration. Titus 3:5, “Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.”
  3. We have new power because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The moment that we believe in Christ, we are now endued with power from the Holy Spirit.
  4. We have a new purpose because of his gifting and calling. 1st Corinthians 12:7, “for each one is given a manifestation of the Spirit, for the profiting of all.” You have a gift that God gave you at the moment of salvation.
  5. We have finally new security because we are sealed by His Spirit. And this is Ephesians 1:13. And “having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” And then later in Ephesians 4:30, he tells us that “we are sealed to the day of redemption.” That’s our security — the seal of the Holy Spirit.

What is salvation? Well, salvation is a new spiritual birth. What should Nicodemus have known? “You must be born again.”

Find out more from the original lesson here: https://basictraining.org/what-is-salvation