Is the Lord Jesus a ticket to Heaven or the Way to the Father? We would suggest that in our day salvation is being regarded as an experience that an individual has at some point in time, a ticket he can get so he will be admitted to Heaven when he dies. But salvation ought to be regarded rather as a way of life—the way of faith by which the righteous live.

There are several verses found in the New Testament that are employed as major premises. From these premises the conclusion is drawn that the Christian salvation is a ticket to Heaven.

Two Understandings of the Christian Salvation

The Christian salvation is being presented in our day as an experience that an individual has at some point in time rather than as a way of life. We are to raise our hand and "accept Christ." What we are to do after that varies from group to group. The idea is, now "we are saved" and when we die we will not go to Hell but to Heaven.

It absolutely is true that we do not slide into salvation nor do we earn salvation by accumulating merit points by our good behavior. But neither is it true that salvation is a one-time experience, a ticket we get by making a profession of belief in the facts concerning the Lord Jesus, and after that we basically are waiting until we die and go to Heaven. The truth is, salvation is a lifelong fight of faith. We have been commanded to turn away from the world, to take up our cross, and to follow the Master. In so doing we have fellowship with God. If we do not turn away from the world, hating our own life, take up our personal cross and follow the Lord, we are not in the program of salvation.

It is vain to point back at some period and claim we were saved at that time if we are not abiding in Christ today. It is today that is the day of salvation. Let us go on to explain.

There are several verses in the New Testament that are foundational in Christian thinking. From these verses the conclusion has been drawn that salvation is an experience we have at some point in time, and after that we are "saved" and waiting to go to Heaven when we die.

Two of the verses are as follow:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)

For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)

These two verses are sometimes employed as major premises from which a number of conclusions are drawn. The conclusions affect our interpretation of several passages of the New Testament—in fact, our general interpretation of the entire New Testament as regarding the salvation that is in Christ.

One of the principal reasons why the two verses are misunderstood is that they are interpreted according to an unscriptural understanding of the Christian salvation, an understanding which arose in part from the two verses themselves. When the two verses are used as major premises we have error reinforcing error.

Therefore we first shall examine our understanding of the Christian salvation and then take a closer look at the two verses in question.

To be continued.